#hiro thunks

[lesshingedhiro]

second time in a row ive scrolled across an x reader tag and come across a think piece abt shipping on the tag and icb i nearly forgot the block button existed for a second

[edgeworthscowlick]

Takarazuka Revue: Gyakuten Saiban 3 - Miles Edgeworth (2013)

I have finally watched. In keeping with the show's 'Investigations' stylings, I thought it was the best one.

Spoilers below

It's set between the first two shows so Edgeworth is still wandering the world, but when he bumps into Larry somewhere he's persuaded to accompany him back to California (the mention of 'Wright' is too powerful to be resisted).

The first thing that happens is Edgeworth and Larry time-travel back 30 years thanks to airplane turbulence. This is not the most unlikely thing that happens (keep reading).

Edgeworth gets a crush on a (female) dancer and is adorably Edgeworth about it. Ultimately he gets a hug which makes him look all happy, it's quite sweet. He still doesn't stop going on about Wright though.

Larry obviously also falls for the dancer and in usual Larry fashion convinces himself they're a fated couple. She's only interested in Edgeworth though because she's not barmy. Also, a younger Oldbag runs a café. Larry starts working there for reasons he fails to really explain (Larry just does things).

30 years in the past, Edgeworth meets a version of his father that, despite his youthful age, has become jaded and is tending more Saul Goodman than Phoenix Wright. He's not out to find the truth, just to get his client acquitted any way he can.

Edgeworth is understandably distraught at this discovery, but resolves to have the courage to face the truth, even if it's that the dad he worshipped wasn't always a saint. And to guide his father back to the right (i.e. and explicitly, Wright) way.

It culminates in Edgeworth usurping a young Winston Payne's place behind the bench, to face off against his father in court. Putting him in a very shiny rendition of his Bratworth suit to do this, is a costuming decision that goes hard.

Edgeworth Snr. is ultimately re-inspired to the pursuit of truth by this gaudily dressed Prosecutor who oddly shares his (not all that common) surname, and makes sure to tell Mrs. Edgeworth what a fine name he thinks 'Miles' is as they leave the court (I love this trope).

There's also a bunch of Zheng-Fa related shenanigans (it's a Spanish colony btw. Spanish. Who'd have thunk) and Detective Badd being his usual lollipop and mirror wielding badass.

I really enjoyed it, it was all good fun and quite moving in places what with the whole Edgeworth father trauma, the dancing is great as always, and Hiro Yuumi puts everything into a top shift as a well-characterised Miles Edgeworth (she's almost in tears in the curtain calls it's lovely).

[akira-blossom]

Newbie Teacher Minato

“Minato!” yells the familiar voice of his friend Gaku from behind. Minato freezes for a split second. Now's not really a good time to chat with his old classmate. However, he barely turns his head, excuse budding on his lip, before Gaku has an arm around his neck and Hiro and Tsume are snickering together on Minato's other side. Beaming, Gaku gives him a friendly shake. “Hey, pal, where you been lately? We’ve missed you.”

“Hi, guys,” says Minato with a nervous smile. “I’ve missed you too.”

Gaku's arm settles like a trap along his shoulders. “Did ya get pulled for a secret mission or somethin’?” he ask. “I swear, you became a jonin and then suddenly you were gone!”

Minato laughs. If only that were the case. “No, no,” he says. “Nothing like that.” Casting a careful look around, Minato explains, haltingly, “I’ve… Been around… Just not at any of our usual haunts.”

Tsume scoffs. “Ugh, stop being so cryptic, Minato,” his friend complains. “What’s going on?”

He closes his eyes. Minato should just rip the bandage off. “The Sandaime assigned me a student," he tells the trio.

“What?” they cry in near-unison.

Opening his eyes, Minato looks at the gobsmacked faces of his friends and nods. “His name is Hatake Kakashi," Minato says. "He is the son of The White Fang, a genius, with a nose that could be on par with yours, Tsume, Gaku, he has a pack of dog summons that I think he’s using to track me around the village, and I’m pretty sure he wants to kill me.”

By the time Minato finishes his speech, he's on the brink of hyperventilation. Now that he has confessed, the anxiety he had once masked behind a confident smile is running rampant within him. This is the first time he's acknowledged his small fear since it took hold of him on the second day of training Kakashi when the boy nearly sent a kunai flying through his eye.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy!" Hiro exclaims as he nudges Gaku out of the way and helps Minato to the dirt road beneath their feet. "I think you should sit down."

Minato lets his butt hit the dusty ground as he gasps for air and his previous calm. Out of the corners of his eyes, he sees Tsume kneel down next to him. “That’s it, deep breaths, Minato,” she says as she pats his back with a hand that's a touch too rough.

“I—” he starts only to find himself choking.

Tsume thunks her head into his. “It’s okay,” she reassures him as she pats his back at a more frantic pace. “Take your time.”

Minato doesn't have that. Kakashi (with the help of his ninken) will locate him sooner rather than later. Manfully, Minato takes control of his lungs once more. After a couple of normal, if squeaky breathes, he informs the trio, “I forgot to tell you the most important part."

Gaku laughs incredulously. “Did you now? I feel like the part about him wanting to kill you is probably the biggest thing, yeah?”

“No, it’s not.”

[thenewfuture]

....Hajime....I think Makoto and the others might be...

Jabberwock Island, 1st Island Hotels, 4:52 pm...

'I thought those guys would be here, but...'

???: Hunh! Unngh! Unnhh!

Hmm?

*Hajime heads further down the hall and follows the noise to one of the rooms...*

Hrrghh! Hrrghh! Hrraaagghh!

*pant, pant* No good....

Here, Makoto. Let your ol' pal Hiro handle this!

Huurrrk! Urrrgghh! Urrrgghhhh!

Gah! It's no good! It's impossible...!

Let me. *ker-thunk* *ziiiiip!*

*Hina closes a full suitcase that Makoto and Yasuhito were having trouble with, and zips it closed*

Never send a man to do a woman's job...

Thank you, Hina...

We're just about set. Are you sure things will be fine back here?

Hiroko Hagakure can handle most of these individuals. That I'm sure.

Yeah... Ma's pretty fierce when she wants to be...

But we're pretty much all set. All that's left-

-is to figure out who's on the other side of that door and eavesdropping.

*creeeaaak*

Ah! S-Sorry...

Hajime?

Sheesh! Didn't I tell you it's rude to listen in on others?

Sorry, but...what's going on here...?

[mintmatcha]

9 months, 29 days

Matsukawa and Hanamaki

chapter two of 10 months

CW: nothing in particular for this chapter, but series is an angst story containing mentions of death. be warned

“Oi,” Mattsun’s tugging on his outdoor shoes, trying his best not to crumple the heel. Rain beats against the roof, so hard that a leak has formed in the center of the locker room. It drips so rapidly, that constant little dripdripdripdripdripdrip that dips into his brain and makes him irrationally angry. Everything’s been making him angry today though.

Practice was supposed to end an hour ago. As much as he loves playing, Mattsun wasn't like Oikawa; this kind of work, this kind of pushing himself to the brink, wasn't fun. He wanted to go home, to finish up his homework in complete silence, maybe jack off, and then sleep all fucking weekend.

In fact, if he could go the next couple days without speaking to anyone, he’d be perfectly happy. No parents, no siblings, no exceptions.

“Oi, Issei,” Makki’s shoe thunks against his lower back, firm enough to push him deeper into a squat, and Mattsun feels the corners of his mouth twitch up into a smile. Pain pulses in his knees everytime Makki thumps his dirty old shoe against him. "Did you forget your umbrella again?”

Mattsun’s umbrella sits in his open locker.

“Aren’t you being too casual?” he tries to remember why he was just in a bad mood, but just can’t. His name on Makki's lips bounces around his skull on loop. Issei, Issei, Issei- it's such a pretty name. If he asked, he'd say it again and again, but the gym door's there, unlocked, waiting to be opened, waiting to catch them being too friendly with each other.

“It’s just us. The underclassmen left already and our fearless leaders are still practicing.” Makki shrugs, “They wouldn’t think it was suspicious anyway.”

Mattsun jumps to his feet with all of the energy his body can manage, knocking Makki off balance enough to knock him onto his ass. He lands with a splash, sprawled on his back. They look at each other for a moment, wide eyed as they process the scene. Makki lays in the puddle, that dreaded drip bouncing off his nose and down into his mouth, which is parted in fake horror. His school uniform and bag covered in growing, dark wet spots, probably crawling in athlete's foot. Mattsun freezes, unsure of whether he should apologize or laugh. With a scowl, face knotted up in disgust, Makki silently undoes the latches to his bag and pulls out his umbrella. With a press of the button, it unfolds. The leak forms little droplets that roll down the black fabric onto his stomach.

“No one warned me it was raining inside too.” Makki huffs before then both break into laughter. It’s not that funny, but it’s what Mattsun needed. He doesn’t stop until he’s hunches over, clutching his side and trying to blink away tears, completely breathless. His eyes never leave his friends and that makes it better, makes his body feel warmer.

“Don’t open an umbrella inside; it’s bad luck,” the brunette reaches out a hand and Makki takes it.

The others always talked about holding girl’s hands and enjoying the size difference, enjoying how tiny they felt. They liked the delicate fingers, the thin palms, but Mattsun never really understood it.

Makki’s hands were the same size as his. Coarse and dry, a bit calloused on the palms, and they fit perfectly together with his. His fingers are thick, still sweaty and warm from practice, and yet Mattsun wants them interlaced with his own. Makki squeezes, rubbing his thumb along with lines of his palm like he knows exactly what Mattsun’s thinking about, before pulling himself up.

“Bad luck doesn’t exist, dude.” Makki twirls the umbrella, “Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

“I hope not.” Mattsun adjusts his grip and does exactly what he wants to, squeezing his fingers in between his best friend’s.

“So, did you forget your umbrella?”

Mattsun’s umbrella sits in his locker. It’s sitting there in the open, a bright Seijoh blue. They both see it, they both know it’s there. Mattsun reaches in and pulls on his shoulder bag with a shrug. Then, he silently closes the locker.

“Yeah,” he lies. The lie makes the next part easier to explain to the others, “I was going to wait until the rain stopped.”

Their hands are still joined. He tries not to fixate on the warmth.

“Nah, don’t be stupid,” Makki starts walking and Mattsun follows. He knows the drill by now. “Share with me. I’ll walk you home.”

They step out into the downpour, shoulders pressed into each other, only half covered by the tiny umbrella. They occasionally squeeze each other’s hand, a silent acknowledgement. I know what this means, it says, I know you didn’t need me to walk you home. I know we just needed an excuse.

“My bookbag’s getting soaked, Hiro.”

“Then switch arms, dumbass.”

“Then I couldn’t-” Mattsun chokes on his words as something clatters behind them. He quickly swivels, checking to see if the campus was empty, only to be greeted by emptiness. The rain fogs up the street, giving them a curtain of privacy. This thing between them, whatever it was, was just for the two of them.

“It’s just us, Issei,” Makki cackles, “You worry too much.”

He sighs and continues forward, “I just don’t want people talking.”

“Some friends, like us, are just touchy, it’s no big deal.”

Mattsun dips down and presses his forehead against his friend’s temple suddenly. The humidity of the rain doesn’t hide the long, warm breath Makki lets out at the touch, and the rain doesn’t hide how his eyes flutter shut. Solitude makes him bold.

“Yeah,” Mattsun whispers, lips so close that they almost brush against his cheek. It’s plump, dusty pink that almost matches his hair. “I’m just touchy, I guess.”

Makki nuzzles into the touch. “Your future girlfriend is gonna love that about you.”

“Don’t say stupid things like that.” Mattsun whispers, tugging him closer by the arm until they’re chest to chest. Being wet makes the fabric seem thinner and the space between them seem smaller.

The other guys always talk about short girls: dipping down to kiss them, having their girlfriends stand on their toes for a kiss, feeling big and strong compared to them.

Makki’s face is level with his. It'd be so easy.

“I don’t want a girlfriend.” Mattsun says.

“Oh yeah?” Makki flashes his typical grin, “Then what do you want?”

.

3:24 Two full hours before his alarm. Mattsun stares at the texture of his ceiling and tries to think about nothing. His hand feels empty. It’s unfair of his brain to remember that moment so vividly. It’s a meaningless memory, something that should have been long forgotten, but god, his brain refuses to let it go. If he closes his eyes, he can still feel the smooth, supple skin against his nose, smell the hint of aftershave Makki bought from the corner store. He flips the pillow and buries his head into the cool side. He tries to think about nothing. Makki's eyes were so sunken in, so flat. It makes his stomach churn to think about it, to think about how he’s dying. He gives up and pulls his phone from the side table. Why does he care? They don’t talk anymore. Makki just wants him to help plan a stupid party. They don’t mean anything to each other. Not anymore. Mattsun checks Twitter. The top trending story is about a breakthrough in neuroscience, but his eyes won’t focus to read it. Exhaustion makes him stupid. His hands shake when he opens his texting app. He tells himself he's texting Midori, but he types in a new number instead. One he knows by heart.

mi>hey mi>could you do breakfast

ht>who dis?

ht>i told you to lose my number yuuji

mi>not yuuji

mi>issei

ht>lmaooooo sorry ht> the old place at 9?

mi>k mi>... why are you awake

ht> headache. ht> why are YOU

Mattsun doesn't answer. He just stares at the ceiling again.

[forbidding-souda]

Hello there! If I got it right, you're doing a prompt request? So, if yes, can I have some Kazu x reader and Hiro x reader with prompts 18+40? I just,,, feel like it'll be very neat. Thank you for your blog and works!! And for amount of a best boi Kazu on your blog!!! and sry if i misunderstood your reblog of prompts eheh......

18: “I’d do anything for you” with Kazuichi Souda 40: “I’m too afraid to fall in love” with Hagakure Yasuhiro

You got it right! I’ve actually never seen someone call him Kazu before, it’s so cute oml I love it. Your mind is so large for picking 18 with Kazu btw. I love this and I love you!! Team Kazu!!!

If you’re reading this - I also didn’t spell check this one so hopefully I didn’t make any pronoun or grammar mistakes. :D

-Mod Souda

Kazuichi Souda

Thunk, thunk. You drag your suitcase up the stairs, both of your shoulders occupied by colorful backpacks.

You lived far away from Hope’s Peak, of course, so you decided to move closer.

This means carrying all the stuff you brought.

Which was everything.

Your arms ached, as you are not the most hardworking person out there, and you definitely would rather pay a butler to do it.

“Woah, hey there!” A cheery voice calls out. When you turn to look, you don’t recognize him. Is he calling to someone else?

“Do you need help carrying all that?” So he is talking to you. His beady, pink iris’s meet yours, and for a second, your heart skips a beat.

But you play it off.

“I most certainly do!” You respond, letting his pale hands take the suitcase away from you. He’s even kind enough to slip one of your backpacks over his shoulders.

You can see his collarbones through his jumper, and how his face is angled and sharp.

Strong hands too.

And he helped you to your room, spending his time casually flirting.

Which you don’t pick up at all.

Then you say you are going to Hopes Peak and he !!!

“I’m going there too!”

Oh thank god at least you will recognize someone in the halls.

Ever since then, now that he knows where you live, he has taken it upon himself to walk you to school.

He likes doing kind things for you, things like opening the door and whatnot.

It makes him happy to see you smile.

And one day you’ll be feeling down, a solid 5/10, with your headphones on and your gaze to the floor.

He contemplates what to do, his brain is filled with ideas. If he buys you something, will it make it obvious that he likes you? He doesn’t exactly think he’s being subtle about it, but you were responding normally to his advances.

He spends so much time thinking about it that he doesn’t realize you both are already in the classroom.

You sit down, your cheek rested on your palm and your breathes slow and heavy.

Kazuichi can’t seem to take his eyes off of you. He watches you steadily, observing the way you move, trying to figure out what’s wrong.

Sonia even asks him what’s wrong, wondering if he’s gone ill or something, and he will casually brush off her worries and reassure her.

He pauses though, and then asks her what cheers her up when she’s down.

She puts a finger to her cheek, her soft smile still occupying her face as she thinks of an answer. “Maybe just spending time with all my friends!

“D-Does it work with anyone?” He whispers, in case you are listening in on the conversation. Sonia lets out a laugh and clasps her hands together, “I think everyone likes hanging out with their friends.”

He makes a note of all the things he would make you do after class ends. What about a picnic? Or going on a walk through the city?

Mentally he slaps himself. Those are all romantic things! What do friends do?

By the time class ends, he has definitely planned everything.

Is what he thinks.

But you leave first, making him panic!

Are you... mad at him for something? The thought hasn’t even crossed his mind.

Oh no, did he say something to make you upset without realizing it? He was always afraid of that.

When he walks outside he sees you by the door, waiting for him.

He freaked out over nothing! Wow, you can’t believe he overthought it.

“Ahaha, I thought you left me!”

You give him a small smile, “Eh, I thought about it.” With a tiny laugh, you turn and head down the hall.

“W-Wait, S/O!”

You turn, looking at him with bright eyes. It makes his heart melt.

“I just... how about we go for a walk today! Like, the two of us?”

Great job trying to be platonic, Kazuichi!

Of course you agree, because you would rather hang out with him than do basically anything. Extra time with him is worth it!

Once you two reach the trees, he cheerfully turns to face you. “Shall I carry your bag for you?”

Thoughtlessly, your hand goes to grip it tighter. “No, you don’t need to do that for me, I’m okay!”

“Oh please,” he teases, “I’d do anything for you!”

Your cheeks heat up, but you reluctantly pass over your bag anyways. His gaze falls onto your face, but you’re too embarrassed to look back at him.

His bumps his shoulder with yours. “You know that I am being honest, right?"

“I like you a lot, Kazuichi.”

Hm?

His brain lags and he stops walking.

“Yo-You like me? Like romantically or platonically, you know I can’t tell!”

You just smile at him, “I know I’ve been mopey all day but it’s just because I’ve been planning on telling you! Sorry if I scared you, Kaz!”

His eyes nearly forms into hearts.

He sighs in relief, “thank god because all day I’ve been worrying about how to cheer you up!”

“How about a kiss?”

Is this even real?

Is he dreaming?

He answers you, but not verbally.

Hagakure Yasuhiro

He watches you, keeping his eye on you as you doodle on the counter you work behind.

He has been stalking the aisles for at least an hour now, picking up worthless things.

Mostly snacks.

Quite the money savers.

He visits that corner store often, and will automatically leave if you aren’t sitting their behind the counter.

Though, you seem to always be.

You glance up, again, and look at him.

!!!!

He hides behind the shelves again.

“Hey,” you call out.

Oh no, he’s busted!

His heart is beating out of his chest. He can’t believe you noticed him.

But of course you noticed the man stalking around in your shop for nearly an hour.

“I’m not mad, I’m just curious.” Your voice coos out.

When he peeks over to you he sees your face, resting in the palm of your hand, and your mischievous looking eyes.

“Yeah, I’m just bad at shopping, you know?” He tries to excuse himself. While he talks, he talks steps closer to you, until you both only have a counter between you.

You watch him shift the weight between his feet, uncomfortably. You hide your laugh. “What’s your name?”

“Ehh... Yasuhiro.”

“Okay, what do you do, Yasuhiro? I see you in here a lot. Are you a construction worker? Clergyman?”

“I’m a clairvoyant.”

He seems almost embarrassed to say it.

The way you talk, the way you express yourself, is just so relaxed.

You’re intimidating to him.

Little does he know is that, internally you are a flustered mess.

You prop yourself up, eyes widen in pleasant surprise. “A clairvoyant? For real?”

Your excitement makes him feel a lot better, giving him the confidence he always lacks.

“Of course! Maybe next time I should bring my crystal ball in, eh?”

A crystal ball? He’s so cool! What if he gave you a reading?

Your cheeks heat up when you think about what your future looks like.

Would it be good? Hopefully.

He puts a hand on his chest, resting it directly onto his heart.

“Maybe I should give you a reading. The first one will be free but you’ll have to pay for the rest of them!”

You give him a small laugh. “I doubt I would need more than one, let’s see how good you are.”

As he walks home, he can’t stop thinking how excited he is. Tomorrow he’ll show you his talent! Even if it has a 30% of amazing you!

The next day he arrives, crystal ball in hand, only to find you missing behind the counter.

You tricked him, didn’t you? He should have seen it coming from the evil gaze you gave him.

He steps outside and gets distracted by someone calling his name...

And there he sees you, standing in front of the sun with a book bag around your shoulder.

“Aw, you didn’t think I’d leave, did you?”

His heart flutters, bursting alive out of his chest.

The warm colors of the sky; orange and yellow hues; highlight your figure as you walk past him. “Come on now, let’s go.”

You blow his mind! 

He doesn’t even know where you are leading him, he just follows behind you with his crystal ball tucked safely in his palms.

Eventually, he realizes, you are taking him to a nearby playground with a patch of grass and large, shady trees.

And in your book bag is a thin blanket for you both to sit on.

He sits with his legs crossed and you sit on your knees.

Excitement trickles through your bones but you try not to hide it.

You’re bad at hiding it, though, because you have a goofy smile on your face.

“Put your hands over it so it can absorb your energy.” He instructs. 

Following his orders, you begin to focus your energy into your palms, wondering if the power is even real or not.

You’d like to believe, but you’ve never seen it for yourself.

And when you feel complete, he closes his eyes, humming to himself before glancing into the ball.

Impatient, you are, and you almost jump him for the answers.

But he takes his time trying to interpret what the colors he is seeing mean.

“Ehm... so if I’m getting this straight... there are new awakenings coming to you that are very positive, indicating a new love... and or friendship... and or... I don’t know, something like that.”

His eyes glanced all over your face to see your reaction.

He is basically on a date with someone cute...

Date?

Is this a date?! He didn’t even realize! And he didn’t even wear his formal clothes!

“Oh, that’s interesting... love?” You ask, covering your mouth with your hand. “I don’t think I like that very much.”

His eyebrows furrow. “You don’t like love?”

An unease swoops in, overlaying the once bright coversation.

“I guess I don’t... I mean, I love my friends! It’s just... romance.”

He chuckles, trying to pry himself out of the situation he was forced into.

“Romance isn’t that bad! I mean, it can be cute sometimes.”

His words linger in your brain.

“Cute...”

He sits in silence, watching your eyebrows twitch and your lips part while you think.

Eventually, you just laugh into your fingers and eye him.

“I’m too afraid to fall in love.”

He responds quickly, nervous about saying things that are accidentally flirty. “Well, hopefully it’s easier this time around.”

You nod to him, smiling. “I’ll keep that in mind, Yasuhiro.”

His name flows easily from your lips, making him melt.

He sits up, fast, coming to his senses. “Right, the next reading--”

“Isn’t free, I remember that.” You wave him off.

He expected you to stand him, to thank him for the reading and be on your way.

But you stayed, looking at him with awe in your eyes.

Until your face heats and you rustle around in your bag. “I...I brought snacks, for us.”

When he doesn’t respond, you look up with soft eyes.

“For our date... okay?”

[ificouldhelpyouforget]

Don’t Go: Summer Break (Tadashi Hamada x OC)

MASTERLIST | SERIES MASTERLIST

A/N: I’m back! Sorta. I haven’t written anything new for this story yet (this is what’s been sitting in drafts for a bit), but it’s on my list to keep writing. I’ve started a Tamaki Amajiki fic, so that’s taking up some writing time. But I won’t forget this one! :D I hope you enjoy!

Summary: Just one moment of summer break.

Warnings: Cuteness from both Tadashi and Hiro.

Words: 964

Let me know if you want to be tagged for future parts!

The sun was high and hot on my skin as I lounged back on my beach towel. Waves crashed against the sand, the laughter of my friends and the adults talking mingling with the sound. It was perfect.

A body thunked down beside me, dusting some sand over my arm and towel. “Why aren’t you playing with us?”

I turned to see Hiro lying on his stomach, head resting on his crossed arms as he looked at me. “I will eventually. I want to relax in the sun for a little bit.”

He pursed his lips and his face flattened. “You’re boring.”

“I promise I’ll be out there in a few minutes. Keep Tadashi and Alexis entertained until then, yeah?”

“Nah.” He scooted closer and grinned. “I could use a break.”

“I thought you said I was boring for lying here, Hiro.”

“Yeah, but Dashi’s looking over here like he’s jealous.”

“If you’re only staying here to bother your brother, I’ll have Cass take you home.”

“You can’t do that, Sky.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Fine.”

“Stop making your brother jealous, okay?”

Hiro got up and snorted. “Yeah, okay. Tadashi really should admit he likes you and do something about it.”

I don’t mention the conversation Tadashi and I had forever ago. Hiro didn’t need to know I was aware of Tadashi’s feelings and that he wasn’t pushing for anything to happen while I sorted through my own emotions. I knew I liked Tadashi, but I wasn’t sure how much.

“Play with us soon?”

“I will. Now go bug your brother without using me.”

“We’ll see,” Hiro sang before jogging back toward his brother and Alexis.

—

Cass drove us all back to the cafe after the beach, my mom’s car being parked there. It was a tight fit with four of us since Alexis was staying over at my house for the night. Hiro sat on her lap to help with space.

She rested her cheek against his shoulder and squeezed him. “You’re so adorable, little man,” she said to him. Her goal was always to make him cringe. He secretly loved it.

He pouted. “I’m not little.”

“You’re littler than me.”

I leaned my head back, closing my eyes. I loved the sun, but it always zapped my energy at the end of the day. My head felt heavy, my skin was warm, and my eyes struggled to stay open. But it was always worth it.

“Are you sure you and Alexis don’t want to just stay over at our house tonight?” Tadashi offered.

“We can sleep in the car on the way home.”

“You’re mom can stay, too. It’s been a long time since she and Cass stayed overnight with each other.”

“You know,” my mom started, “it would be so fun to have our own girls night, Cass. The kids can do their thing in the living room and we’ll set up our own night in your own room.”

“Ooh! That would be so much fun! Let’s do it!”

“We don’t have anything to sleep in,” Alexis said, looking toward me with a sly smirk.

“Well, you can borrow something of Tadashi’s I’m sure.”

“Why not mine?” Hiro asked.

“Your clothes are big enough for the girls, Hiro,” Cass said.

“So, epic sleepover at the Hamada’s then?” Alexis said.

I let my head fall on Tadashi’s shoulder. “Guess so.”

Two-thirds of the car cheered.

—

I didn’t know how to feel with Hiro turned to Alexis for attention during the movie the two of them picked out. He fell asleep on her lap in minutes like would have if it were me in her place. I felt replaced.

“You know he still likes you more, right?” Alexis pointed out after seeing me frown at him.

“Doesn’t seem like it…”

Tadashi pulled me into his side and smiled. “Hiro won’t pick you every time, Sky, and that’s okay.”

“But… I don’t want to miss out on him being like this before he starts thinking he’s too cool to cuddle with me.”

“I’m sure Dashi wouldn’t mind taking Hiro’s place.”

Heat rushed up my neck and to my face. I refused to look toward Tadashi as his arm slipped away from me.

Alexis snickered. “Aw. Don’t be so embarrassed. We all know you like each other.”

“This is not what I expected when we agreed to this,” Tadashi mumbled.

“Shoulda known with me here!”

Hiro shifted in his sleep, causing the three of us to pause.

“How about we watch the rest of the movie quietly to keep from waking him up?” I suggested.

“I guess we can do that… although I’m more interested in you two finally confessing.”

With a long sigh, I turned my gaze back to the television in hopes of ignoring the thick tension surrounding me and Tadashi. I nearly jumped when he squeezed my hand, a silent reassurance that there was still no rush to figure it out. I returned the gesture.

—

At some point during the third movie, I joined Hiro in dreamland. The remaining three of us got comfortable for bed when it started, but I could make it through the first 15 minutes surrounded by the warmth of my blanket. I didn’t even realize I snuggled into Tadashi’s side when Hiro spread out and jammed his foot into my side.

It was a surprise I found my face pressed against his chest the moment I woke up the following morning to the soft giggles of the peanut gallery. Instead of satisfying them with my embarrassment, I turned away from Tadashi. I did not expect him to groan and tell them to be quiet while hiding his face in my hair, pulling me closer to him.

The rest of our break was a never-ending reminder of that morning.

[ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic]

Chapter 60 - Intrigue

AO3 - here

Fanfiction.net - here

It's Tuesday again! :D This chapter finally marks the end of this long ass day in the story. Dear lord it was long. XD But there were just so many character moments and other stuff happening. So yeah. :P

I made an edit to chapter 15 when Izuku first meets 1-A as Hiro. Commentor iluvstorys pointed out that Bakugou would have recognized Izuku's voice since that wasn't disguised. So I added a paragraph of his reaction when Izuku introduces himself. Thank you for pointing that out! :D

Alright, let's go!

Linktree to all the things!

End notes for the chapter are under the line.

And that concludes this long ass day! :D Izuku is still not sure whether to keep the recording or not, but has decided to keep it for now. That's a decision for future Izuku. For now, he really deserves some rest.

The Endeavor investigation has officially begun! Stain has laid witness to his 'training' and does not approve. Especially since it involves a child. I hope his reasons for not going for the immediate kill works for y'all. I want him to go for a more investigative route. ^____^

Uh oh! Overhaul has made an appearance! Though with this being a quirkless AU, personally I think it's kind of expected. Also, Izuku is a villain magnet so...

Fun Facts About Japan:

A souzu fountain ( 添水 , そうず ) is a type of shishi odoshi ( 鹿威し , ししおどし ) which is a Japanese device meant to frighten animals away from crops with the 'thunk' noise of the bamboo hitting the basin. Souzu are found in Japanese gardens typically. The original intent of them was to scare away animals but the audio and visual of the fountain became fused over time with the overall aesthetic and design of the garden.

There are also other types of fountains in Japanese culture. Chouzubachi ( 手水鉢 , ちょうずばち ) are found at Japanese temples, shrines, and gardens. They're usually made of stone with a ladle called hishaku ( 柄杓 , ひしゃく ) ready and water supplied by bamboo pipes called kakei ( かけい ). Tsukubai ( 蹲踞 , つくばい ) are another type of chouzubachi that are smaller and often found in tea gardens. Chouzubachi are washbasins that are used to wash one's hands before a tea ceremony or when visiting a temple or shrine. I've personally used both a chouzubachi when visiting temples and shrines and a tsukubai when attending a tea ceremony at a friend's house.

Before entering a temple/shrine or tea ceremony, visitors first visit the chouzuya ( 手水舎 , ちょうずしゃ ), which can also be read as temizuya ( てみずしゃ ), where the chouzubachi is contained. (Why the 'sha' is read as 'ya' in this instance I don't know.) There they perform a ceremonial purification rite called chouzu/temizu ( 手水 , ちょうず/てみず ) that means 'hand water'. Chouzu is a ritual where you use the provided ladle to first clean your left hand and then your right. Then you pour some water into your left hand to drink then spit into the fountain to cleanse/rinse your mouth. (at least I think you spit, but if any of you know otherwise let me know!) Then you wash your left hand again. With the remaining water in the ladle, you hold the handle with both hands and turn the ladle vertical to let the water run down the handle before putting it back.

Now I'd recommend not actually drinking the water mostly just because if you're not local there could be something in the water that could get you sick. Same with drinking local water anywhere when traveling though the tap water in Japan is ok to drink. But you can still go through the motions and the locals do appreciate seeing you try. Some will even show you how to do it! I had that happen and it was a fun cultural experience. ^____^

Alright! More subplots have begun! :D Coming up, we have the meeting with Nezu! Will Izuku and Hitoshi be offered to transfer? We'll find out next update! Please report any typos or weirdness and I'll see ya then! ^____^

[ao3feed-hiccstrid]

Hogwarts Animation Fanfiction

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2WMpxju

by NightwingEarth16

A mish-mash of characters from animated films all come together to attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Words: 854, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - Fandom, hogwarts - Fandom, The Croods, rise of the guardians, Brave - Fandom, Epic - Fandom, Frozen 1 & 2, how to train your dragon 3 - Fandom, Moana - Fandom, tangled - Fandom, Big Hero 6

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen

Characters: Merida Dunbroch, Moana Tui, Frank Dingwall Junior, Astrid Hofferson, Eep Crood, Nod Green, Mary Katherine Wood, Ronin Green, Anna Arendelle, Charlie MacGuffin Junior, Wasabi Blade, Fred Casacomik, Honey Lemon Sweet, Rapunzel Corona, Fishlegs Ingerman, Thunk Crood, Tadashi Hamada, Gogo Speed, Hiro Hamada, Guy Clever, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Jack Frost, Elsa Arendelle, Hans Isle, Eugene Fitzherbert, Thomas Macintosh Junior, Ruffnut Thorston, Tuffnut Thorston, Snotlout Jorgenson

Relationships: Jack Frost/Elsa Arendelle, Kristoff Troll/Anna Arendelle, Nod Green/Mary Katherine Wood, Eep Crood/Guy Clever, Rapunzel Corona/Eugène Fitzherbert, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Fishlegs Ingerman/Ruffnut Thorston, Fergus Dunbroch/Elinor Dunbroch, Grug Crood/Ugga Crood

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2WMpxju

[sanctferum]

Dangan Ronpa V3 Chapter 3 class trial START!

Last time, we avoided Kokichi becoming the third victim, and went under the floor and found a sickle, and etc.

Kaito laments that he won’t be of much help, since Monokuma disrupted his investigations. He did? That’s not that I remember you pausing your investigation for. Also, betcha someone, probably Maki, says “we weren’t expecting anything from you anyways.”

I was wrong. No one said the obvious joke.

A bit of back and forth later, Himiko speaks for the first time since she found Tenko’s body. A simple question: Who? The two people closest to her…both were killed. WHO?

Tsumugi says that maybe only one of the blackened is here at the trial grounds. The transfer student. Tsumigi is shaking. Kaito is freaking out. Time to prove Tsumugi wrong!

The Necronomicon is intact, so Angie can’t have completed the ritual, which requires burning the book.

Kaito is relieved. Well, no matter. The ritual wouldn’t have worked in the first place.

But Monokuma interrupts to say that it would have actually worked. And he never lies about motives…Monodam’s the one who gave out the motive, not Monokuma.

Maki thinks Monokuma is just trying to confuse us…I just noticed, Angie’s portrait at her courtroom podium isn’t crossed out, but instead has a halo and a pair of wings.

Miu declares that Kiyo killed Angie. Tenko’s blackened is still up in the air, but Kiyo was the one with the katana, right? But…how would he have gotten in?  The door was locked, and Angie wouldn’t have let him in. So, is the blackened on the student council, then?

Kokichi claims to believe in Angie and Himiko’s friendship, which places Himiko beyond doubt. He even used the usual protagonist buzzwords regarding such stuff…if obviously insincerely.

Kokichi is pushing a theory that the culprit is Keebo, Gonta, or Tsumugi. I don’t feel comfortable dropping Himiko from the suspect list just yet, though.

Mass panic time, starring Gonta, Keebo, and Tsumugi! Tsumugi keeps defending herself and Gonta and forgetting to defend Keebo from the accusations as well. Keebo is none too pleased.

Are they the only ones who could have gotten in? Well, the only non-Council member who could have gotten in was Kokichi, with his lock-picking skills.

Kokichi confessed. To Angie’s murder, at least. There’s no way that’s actually true, so what is his game?

Everyone is confused, but Shuichi knows Kokichi’s ways by now. Kokichi couldn’t be the culprit. How would he have closed the door and locked it after leaving the lab?

Kokichi picked the lock…but we already know that’s not how the door was really locked. First of all, the front door was locked before the back door, which means locking the back door would’ve happened right when the blackened was leaving the crime scene. And when they locked the door, they used a certain tool.

Mind Mine! It’s the katana, duh. Hey, there’s a hidden Monokuma hidden on one side…nice, that’s all of them for this chapter.

The katana was used to hit the lock knob after the culprit left. I’m guessing the Kaede effigy was strung up so that it would fall down under its own weight. That would send it swinging across the room, hitting the lock, then rocking back and forth until it stopped, way before we ever found Angie’s body.

And our proof is the gold leaf. Monokuma finds that evidence familiar. It rings a bell, a school bell to be specific. Monophanie asks if he’s talking about a different school. Which school was Monokuma at before the Ultimate Academy? (Hint: it’s Hope’s Peak.)

The effigies were hung up all together as a diversion, just like Miu said at the beginning of the investigation. If only Kaede’s effigy had been hung up, or any of the other three, it would have been obvious what had happened…so the blackened hung all four up, despite only needing one. Kaede’s effigy…or more accurately, the effigy closest to the back door!

How did they calculate that the effigy really would fall down and swing into exactly the right place and then eventually be still? Kaito could’ve calculated that, or Miu, but I dunno.

Psyche Taxi. Fuck.

The first two questions were easy, but...the way the katana was used wasn’t swinging, so that messed me up. It was spinning.

The culprit might’ve had to try a few times, but the crime was committed at night. No one would have been around to see if they messed up and had to reenter the lab.

So the murder weapon was used to lock the door.

Kokichi was just fucking with us, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t actually be the culprit.

Just as I thought. Kokichi wasn’t just trolling us…he wanted to hear if anyone would say anything suspicious while the pressure was off of them. But in the end, no one here believed Kokichi, so if the culprit had wanted to pin the blame on Kokichi, they would have been forced to either look suspicious or remain silent.

Miu is fired up! Kokichi…is playing along with her innuendos with some of his own.

Who set up the locked room mystery…without already knowing who the blackened is, we can’t answer this, so it’s a pointless question.

…Kokichi, did you just actually say that? What the fuck man. I know Miu likes to brag about her supposed sexual exploits, but what the fuck was that.

…Miu gets an ahegao face from being called a cum dumpster. Yeah, she’s a masochist all right. God fucking fuck.

Moving on. MOVING ON. Who could have gotten into Angie’s lab in the first place? It had to be one of six people: the rest of the Student Counsel, or Kokichi.

You guys keep leaving out Himiko. Kokichi…what were you up to when you shifted suspicion off of her…? Tenko’s also a possible culprit.

Kokichi stop being a little shitter.

Maki has a point. Kokichi has been leading the debate so far. He’s a potential suspect, isn’t he?

Suspect Rangers?

What should the Student Coincil survivors say to prove they aren’t suspects?

We’re going back and forth...and then Himiko brings up another thing. Tenko. We can’t say that the blackened who killed Angie wasn’t the one who killed Tenko, right?

Kokichi seems to have been waiting for Himiko to bring up Tenko. He calls her case meaningless until Angie’s case is solved.

For maybe the second or third time in the game, Himiko is showing emotion. And it’s anger. How dare he. How dare Kokichi call Tenko’s death meaningless…

Kokichi counters by claiming Himiko is lying. Up until now, Himiko seemed to regard Tenko as a pain, like many other things. Why is this display of emotion coming after Tenko is dead?

Himiko claims that what Kokichi said was true…and that’s why she’s so upset. Before, she ignored Tenko, and now…it’s too late. Too late for anything involving her. She’d wanted to thank Tenko…

As she starts to collapse under the weight of her own grief and guilt, Kaito steps up to the plate. Himiko cannot turn away from Tenko’s death…she has to face it, head-on! Only then will the truth be revealed!

And…if we never find out who killed Tenko, we’ll never be able to trust each other again. So we have to do it. So that we can survive.

God, I love Kaito and his hot-blooded inspiration speeches. He may be an idiot, but unlike Hiro in DR1, he’s actually useful sometimes.

Time to figure out whether both cases had the same culprit.

Did Kiyo change the topic on purpose? Or Kokichi, or Maki? Is someone playing us, even now?

Shuichi, Kiyo, Himiko, and Kokichi…but I’m certain none of them killed Tenko.

Kiyo suggested the whole séance idea, but he wanted to do it even before anyone died. And he’d mentioned the ritual to other people before everything went to shit, so.

Himiko selected the center room for the séance. I thought it was Kokichi? Maybe I’m misremembering. No, she was the one who suggested that.

And of course, the people not at the séance could have entered the room from beneath the floorboards, in the dark.

And if that’s true…Kiyo has a guess as to who killed Tenko. Keebo. Who could have moved in the dark? But we know that isn’t true. Keebo’s light would have been seen.

They marked Tenko with glowing paint? What does this look like, DR2 Case 1?

Monokuma says that sounds familiar as well. I cannot tell if he’s breaking the 4th wall, or if this game does have some kind of connection to the previous Dangan Ronpa games…

Tenko woulda noticed if the culprit had snuck in through the floorboard. Was it used as a means of escape, then?

When was Tenko killed? Whether it was before or after the thunking noise would be useful information.

We can’t figure out how Tenko was killed in the darkness, so Miu suggests that Tenko was killed some other time. Gonta suggests it was at the moment the cage was lifted…but the white sheet was removed before the cage was lifted, and at that time it already had been splattered with blood.

Miu refuses to back down, though, but no matter. Her argument rests on Tenko’s position being a sitting one. She wasn’t there, but we know better than that.

Kokichi humiliates Miu some more. Roasted!

So. Right now we’re having trouble figuring out how she was killed through the cage. The cloth over the cage would have had a hole where the weapon went through. Maybe the murder weapon is wrong, or…

Kokichi says it’s impossible for a living person to have killed Tenko during that time. The implications are that a dead person did it. Who? Angie? The transfer student? Don’t be ridiculous.

Angie’s spirit killing Tenko? Ridiculous. But Himiko seems to be taking Kokichi seriously. Kokichi proposes that Tenko killed Angie, and this was Angie’s revenge.

Kaito has an interesting idea. The blackened was hiding inside the cage during the séance. Maki thinks so as well. As for why the culprit wasn’t seen…maybe they didn’t need to hide in the first place. Huh?

The culprit could’ve killed her at any time during the séance.

Select a person? I, I don’t have enough clues. Also we’re not even halfway through the trial.

Uh…who would have been in the cage with Tenko? The only person in the cage was Tenko.

Then…is Maki calling it a suicide?

She volunteered to the person trapped in the cage. The sickle was under the floor…the floorboard was removed…she could have used her final moments to drop the sickle through the floorboard. But there’s something missing here. Himiko and me both know what that is: a motive. Why would Tenko try to get everyone killed?

Even if Tenko turned out to be the person who killed Angie, why would she kill herself, and try to kill everyone else?

I don’t think Tenko would kill herself to kill everyone else…certainly not Himiko, despite Kokichi’s theory. And besides…she wanted to live. She told Himiko that the two of them and everyone else would survive and get out together. She said this as one of her final sentences before she was killed…

Maki hid that she was a killer, but Tenko…she was very open. There’s no way she could’ve lied like that.

Kaito is calling Kokichi naïve. Oh how the tables have turned.

Keeping secrets is fine, Kaito says. If you have something you don’t want to share, it’s fine. The thing that matters is whether there’s malice hidden in those secrets.

Kaitoi believes in himself. He believes in Maki. He believes in us.

Kokichi can’t bring himself to trust other people.

Himiko knows believing in Tenko won’t bring her back. But even then, she wants to believe in Tenko. There’s no way Tenko would kill herself, OR others!

We need to defend Tenko’s honor with some reason why she wouldn’t or couldn’t have done it. And it just so happens that while I got nothing, Shuichi has an idea. Some other bit of Tenko’s final words…”I’ll see you all after the séance”. She thought she would be alive on the other side.

Let’s get going. If they think Tenko threw the sickle under the floor, we’ll lie. We’ll tell them she died instantly. Maki knows that Shuichi is lying, which is why Shuichi asked her to trust in him beforehand.

Maki comes through and backs up our lie. Which means we’re back to someone else killing Tenko during the séance…

Something peculiar during the séance? Why yes, there was a strange sound…something fell down from somewhere. It was something to do with the floorboard. An intense impact that loosened the floorboard, huh?

After a bunch of thinking, I decide that the floorboard must have come loose because of the missing crosspiece.

Hmmm. There’s a diagram…were they trying to tip the balance of the floorboard? What would that accomplish? Unless part of the iron cage had a sharp protrusion. Or…maybe it was to get Tenko’s neck in range of the sickle. Either way, it had to have involved a seesaw effect.

So someone stomped on the floorboard, and Tenko found herself being lifted into the air. Then what? The sickle was taped to the top of the cage?

Apparently so. The God Dog statue kept the blade in place, too. Hmmm. Things don’t look good for Kiyo, then.

Before anyone can accuse Kiyo of anything, Kiyo takes the initiative. In his eyes, Himiko was the one who killed Tenko. The only one who could have. As the one who suggested that the séance be held in the center room…as the one who first lifted the cage, a perfect opportunity to retrieve the weapon and drop it below the floor…Himiko could’ve snuck into Kiyo’s lab and read about the séance beforehand, too! But like the suicide theory, we still lack a motive.

Himiko, say something in your defense.

Himiko is reacting strangely. Very strangely. As if she’s just finding out that she killed Tenko. But if she prepared the crime beforehand, that shouldn’t be the case.

Halfway through the case now! We’ll finish this later.

[dainarps]

Being a late bloomer wasn’t a big deal to Riley. It was the only thing that made sense, after all. Briar had shot up almost a foot in height last night! Why wouldn’t something else come along with that. Hopefully they would be out of here before the doctors noticed, though. They would want to do tests on that for sure.

The snakes were, undeniably, helping Briar. Whether he was aware of it or not, they were behaving in ways that snakes never did. They were protecting him, and Briar was interacting with them.

Riley didn’t really see anything...wrong with it. It wasn’t an issue to be concerned with. This sort of thing was just normal for these towns. No ability surprised him, even when it came from someone who was supposed to not have one. Though, with the way that things had been with Briar — his sudden growth and clumsiness, the pile of animals in his room, the birds that gathered outside his window — it all made sense to him.

They didn’t get any more time to discuss it, though. Briar tackled them to the ground and something thunked heavily into a tree. He didn’t know Speedy’s name, but he knew what she could do. This...changed their strategy up quite a bit. She was too fast. If they left Briar open at all, she would take him. On top of that, she likely wouldn’t even bother messing around with Riley if she could move right past him and to the main course.

“Hiro,” Riley said. “You should be on offense this time. I can cover Briar.” Hiro was a much better fighter, and if she was the only one here...it made no sense to leave Briar exposed. They could...stay on the ground, and Riley could be his shield. It wasn’t a great option, but it was the only one he could think of. Unless...

“Briar! You should try it again,” he said. “The thing with the snakes! Maybe you can trip her or something!” She was almost too fast to even see, and that was something Riley couldn’t just tough out. They needed to be more careful here. They needed to be wise and smart about their next moves. Unfortunately, they didn’t have much time to think. They just had to act, and that...was scary.

Everything Is Fine

[jflashandclash]

Twenty-Eight: Axel

Family Reunion Part II

 Axel felt like he was suffocating. If he could get the helmet off—if he could only gain control—

Axel jerked awake at the sound of a gunshot—no—not a gunshot. The slam of a car door. He clawed to get the helmet off. As his fingers rose to rip at his head, he found the swishy material of a sleeping bag instead of imperial gold.

Laughter died around him. Someone put a hand on his shoulder.

“You alright, mate?”

British? No one who worked for Santiago nor anyone in Luke’s recruits had been British.

Calex. His brain crawled to catch up.

Axel rubbed his Mist Mask onto his face, thankful Pax had covered him up.

Ajax.

“Where’s my brother?” Axel tore the sleeping bag away from his head. Joey and Euna sat on one bench beside him, Merry on the other. Calex knelt at his side. Everyone looked worried. He found Hunnie unceremoniously plopped in his lap and a colorful beach towel beside him.

Axel winced at the sight. He should have been more worried about Backbiter, but—after his nightmares—he couldn’t care about anything until he knew Pax was safe.

“He just left to get us ice cream,” Euna said.

“And maybe get you a chill pill,” Merry added. She cocked her jaw to the side while examining him. “Are you okay?”

He wasn’t. Axel searched the front seat, knowing Pax wouldn’t be there but hoping he’d see him. Instead, he saw Kally. She was half out of her seat, Argonaut statue in hand and ready for a short toss at him if need be. Her green eyes were wide. That sun colored hair was a tangled mess in her sloppy ponytail.

Axel couldn’t keep eye contact with her, not when he could so clearly remember the whisper of the Leonis Caput, Crack her chest open and eat her heart. She’s a liability and only fools deal in such chance. That made the average conversation feel a little awkward.

“Wait—ice cream?” Axel asked. Hadn’t they been in the woods?

Calex nodded and gestured through the front windshield. “He said something ‘bout free vouchers and took off into the shop.”

Axel twisted to look out the window. There was a dilapidated shed outside, with cracked wooden boards, peeling paint, and a door barely on its hinges. Beside the shop was the rusting corpse of a pickup truck. To the side of that was the pristine red logo of a Pax’s Pharmaceutical van.  

Light poured eerily out the crooked shutters and through the doorway as Pax opened the door. There was a silhouette of another person.

“That’s no ice cream shop!” Axel snarled.[1] “Everyone gear up! Now!”

Calex went to argue, but his jaw dropped. Whatever Mist illusion had convinced them it was a place for frozen sweets evaporated at Axel’s shout.

Kally jammed her door open, Argonaut statue already in hand. Calex tugged out his pencil case, piecing together his golden bow. Euna snagged two swords off the wall and tossed one to Joey. Merry grabbed her jacket.

Axel snatched the beach towel from the floor.

Do you want me to fight to save the snake or you? the Leonis Caput teased.

Axel wanted to scream that he could control the Leonis Caput. That he had to be fully present to help his brother. Although he didn’t set Backbiter down, he clasped his steel machete off the floor with his other hand.

Calex and Euna burst through the back of the van, Joey and Merry close after.

As Axel’s feet made contact with the gravel, Pax screamed in pain.

Pax stumbled out of the shed, clutching his face.

Someone walked out after him, aiming a handgun the size of Hercules’s calf  at Pax’s head: a Taurus Judge revolver. Even with Pax’s dominantly godly nature, that thing could blast a whole straight through his skull. The gun wielder was a young man. If Axel was eighteen, that must have made him twenty-one. He was full blood Native American, with caramel skin and piercing black eyes. His hair was long and kept back in a sloppy bun atop his head. The stray locks that fell from the bun were braided with beads, leather, and painted feathers.

He wore a burgundy button down shirt, pinched by black leather straps along each shoulder—a double gun holster with attached compartments for more ammo.

“Hi Kouta,” Pax slurred through his hands.

Their oldest brother sneered.

Kouta’s gaze slipped past Pax, to Axel. That sadistic smile widened as Kouta shouted something that terrified Axel. It showed that Kouta was far better planned than Axel’s little rescue team.

“NOW!” Kouta said.

Axel had hoped Kally would have enough time to get a clean shot at Kouta or that Calex could fire his bow, but they had no time to react.

A few paces ahead of Axel, both Merry and Calex went rigid. Calex took a staggered step forward. Then they collapsed. Colorful darts stuck out of their backs.

Axel whirled. A teenage, Asian boy with flowing black hair, a burgundy button down, and suspenders covered in darts uncrouched from a cluster of bushes beside the parking lot. Hiro grinned at Axel and gave him a cheerful salute. Hello, in ASL. Hiro then pointed behind Axel.

As he did, the bushes that had been hiding Hiro grabbed him. Axel assumed that must have been courtesy of the Song sisters and made a mental note to hug them later.

Hiro shrieked and fumbled to withdraw his talismanic paper for a protection spell.

Before Axel could whirl to see what Hiro had pointed at, or before whichever Song sister could fully restrain Hiro, someone roared the word, “TAS!”

Axel didn’t see the red Egyptian hieroglyph in the sky, but he didn’t need to to know what was coming. Red streaks of cloth shot and past over their heads to envelope Joey. She shrieked as they spun around her legs like the wrappings of a mummy. She managed one attempted slice before they pinned her arms to her side. Her sword plopped uselessly to the ground.

Euna raced to her side and grabbed the cloth to rip it off. As her hands made contact, a secondary strip of cloth split from the first, snaking up Euna’s arm. She frantically slashed at it with her sword. Vines shot up from the ground to wrestle the cloth off, but the material seared through the plants while it wrapped up the Song sisters.

On first scan, Axel couldn’t see Lapis. But then her blue mohawk caught the moonlight. She stood atop the shed, one arm in a sling. Although she must have just cast the binding spell, she had already summoned her crossbow from the seeming nothingness of the Duat. With expert ease, she cocked the weapon by stepping on the bow’s limbs and pulled the string back with her functional hand. Once done, she took aim.

Axel watched as the red dot of her crossbow’s sight flicked onto Kally’s forehead. Kally shifted her weight to wind up the Argonaut statue.

“Stop!” Axel cried, knowing Lapis could get the shot off before Kally could throw.  

Kally hesitated and looked at Axel.

Axel shook his head.

She lowered the statue, her lower lip trembling.    

They were, at least temporarily, in what Axel would have to consider a bad situation. The Song sisters squirmed in mummy wrappings. Calex and Merry were unconscious. Pax cowered away from Kouta.

Axel remembered when he and Pax had been holed up with Alabaster in his laboratory by a Roman platoon. They’d been scared there was no way out alive without capture… which really meant there was no way out alive. That’s when Pax and Alabaster had gotten really creative.

But, here, with Kouta around, Axel knew Pax couldn’t do anything but shut down. Pax might have become more powerful than Kouta by the time he was ten, and Axel might have become taller and broader than Kouta by the time he was sixteen, but Pax would always think of Kouta as the biggest and scariest of their siblings.

Hiro stood up and dusted himself off. Axel was shocked that the Song sisters let him go, until he saw how Lapis’s bindings crept up along their mouths and noses, so they couldn’t breathe.

He clutched the beach towel, knowing there was no way he could take all three of his siblings without casualties.

Kouta’s grin was so conceited, Axel thought about punching him in the face anyway. “Go ahead,” Kouta cooed. “Go for your sword. How many of your friends can I shoot before you get to me?” Without lowering the gun aimed at Pax and without looking, he withdrew the second, smaller revolver, a Taurus 9MM, from his shoulder harness. Keeping his eyes on Axel, he rapidly aimed the gun perfectly from Merry, to Calex, to Euna, to Kally. With each new position, he calmly mimicked the sound, “Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. At least four. Your choice.” He shrugged, keeping the guns steady on Pax and Kally. “Plus, I’ve shot Pax in the leg once for fun. I’d love for an excuse to do it again.”

“I vote you not shoot me in the leg again,” Pax whined through his hands. “I don’t look nearly as adorable while limping.”

In the past, Axel might have been willing to take that risk. He would have thought his friends might survive and that keeping to his mission outweighed their lives. But he couldn’t do it. The end didn’t justify the means here, and he wasn’t willing to sacrifice the others.

You’ve grown weak, the Leonis Caput whispered.

Axel dropped the towel and machete.

Kouta narrowed his gaze at Axel, well aware he had other weapons on him. There was a pause.

Axel withdrew three more knives and the daggers strapped onto his back and dropped them onto the ground. They landed with muffled thunks.

By the Titans, he hated Kouta.

“I know you’ve got more,” Kouta stated. “As such, I’ve made something special for you. Hiro?”

Hiro made some rude gestures at Kouta.

Kouta sighed. “I don’t want to hear it right now—yes—okay.” Kouta rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’ll announce it.” Kouta cleared his throat and put on his circus announcer voice. “Get our estranged brother his Awesome Cloak of Awesome Restraint and Amazingness. There.” He glared at Hiro. “Did I say it right?”

Hiro nodded his head cheerfully. He pulled something from behind the bush: a white, long sleeve garment with straps and bindings. Axel’s breath caught in his throat. A straightjacket?

Kally balked, her eyes darting from the jacket to Axel. He could tell she was waiting for an attack signal. He felt terrible that he couldn’t issue it any time soon.

“It’s specially crafted for you,” Kouta assured. As Kouta talked about the straightjacket, Hiro held it up against him, waving a hand at the fabric like the co-star on a game show. “Some mesh lining to keep those nasty claws of yours in check. If you misbehave, we have a muzzle for you too.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Axel had been put in a muzzle. After Santiago killed Nilley and Frasco and dragged everyone back to the house, Santiago wrestled one onto him until Axel “learned some manners.” No one else would fight. Axel remembered hoping his older brother would do something, but Kouta groveled at Santiago’s feet like a pathetic mess. That’s what he’d been since then: Santiago’s spineless lapdog.

The straightjacket was new. The thought made Axel cringe. His instincts told him to run for the woods when he examined the white canvas material. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to move; Axel had to concentrate to remain still.

Near his feet, he could see the red cocoons of Joey and Euna squirm frantically. Each time grass tried to grow in between the binding, the plant would burst into flames. The Song sisters looked a little blue in the face from the way the cloth smothered them.

“This is unnecessary,” he lied.

“Like Xibalba it is,” Kouta said.

“For Set’s sake, Axel, you’re like an untrained pitbull. Put the stupid thing on!” Lapis shouted from the roof. Her voice echoed into the night and Axel hoped some Romans would show up and yell at them for disturbing the peace. “Look Hiro even named the fracker something fancy to make Ajax happier.”

Hiro folded his arms in his best I’m not talking to you gesture. He stared at Pax, making it clear he wasn’t going to sign a word until Pax acknowledged his efforts.

Pax shrugged meekly. He let go of his face and Axel could see where Kouta must have pistol whipped him. His cheek, chin, and jaw were bruised. He glanced at Kally, then back to Hiro. Kally’s expression, though terrified, also screamed an exacerbated, your whole family is like this?!

Shakily, Pax smiled. “It’s a good name, but it would have been better if you’d stitched it into the jacket.” Axel could tell, from the way his yellow and black eyes darted to each family member, that Pax was estimating the best way to talk out of this situation. Axel, meanwhile, was estimating the best way to break Kouta’s neck without anyone else dying.

He was out of options. Kouta started to tap gently against the trigger with impatience.

Axel snatched the straightjacket from Hiro. He scowled at Kouta while slipping his arms through the sleeves. The way the material brushed against his chest made it feel like he was putting a coat on backwards. When he shuffled his fingers, he could feel his nails catch against a metallic mesh. There would be no clawing out of this. Axel clenched his jaw and hugged himself, the way he assumed his arms were supposed to be pinned. Panic set in as Hiro latched the straps. Even without applying resistance, he could feel his mobility decrease with each of Hiro’s tugs.

Hiro whistled and hopped happily while he worked. Although Kouta looked delighted at Axel’s discomfort, Axel had a sneaking suspicion Hiro had come up with the idea.

Once Axel was immobilized, he could see the red slips of cloth peel from Euna and Joey’s mouths. Both gasped and coughed.  

In the distance, Lapis tried to hop off the roof. As her feet made contact with the ground, roots sprang out and latched around her legs. Lapis yelped, “Stupid tree romping hippies—”

The cloth bindings around Joey and Euna snaked back around their mouths and squeezed.

“Joey! Euna! Stand down,” Axel shouted.

They were lucky Kouta hadn’t shot one of them, though Kouta seemed content to watch Axel command his troops. Axel knew now was not the time for an escape attempt.

The roots relaxed and Lapis stumbled towards them. Euna’s eyes blazed with a hatred that he didn’t expected in her. Although Joey should have been preserving her oxygen supplies, Axel could have sworn he heard her huff. Hesitantly, the bindings around their noses relaxed. There were red rub marks under their eyes from how tightly Lapis had squeezed them.

As Lapis came closer, she ignored the Song sister and their attempted grapple. Instead, she adjusted her shoulder sling and snarled at Hiro, “You sorry, grime-licking excuse for a nerf herder!” She pointed at the darts on his suspenders. He slipped his thumbs through the straps and pulled them out, like an agricultural advocate. “You couldn’t just shoot the two vine girls and make my life easier?” Lapis demanded.

Hiro grinned and impishly glanced off to the side like I don’t know what you’re talking about. He released his suspenders and signed towards her.

“Family inclusion my butt!” Lapis cried. “You lazy—”

Kouta sighed in a way that felt WAY too familiar to Axel. “Guys, do you have to do this now?” He gestured vaguely with his gun, to where Kally was scared silent and the Song sisters were tied up on the ground.

Lapis glared at him. “Oh, it is just Axel and Ajax. You don’t need to act all menacing. Holy Hun-Batz, I’m pretty sure Ajax would start crying if you stepped on his foot.”

“I would not!” Pax shouted indignantly.

Hiro grinned wickedly and swiped the paper from Mama’s Sweet out of Pax’s pocket.

“My vouchers!” Pax cried. His eyes teared up and Axel sighed. This is why Lapis always picked on him. “Was… was the free ice cream a lie?” he whispered.

Axel would have to ask Pax later where he got those… but Axel had a pretty good guess of who knew to tempt Pax with ice cream fliers, assuming that’s why Pax stopped here. The real question was why Pax was dumb enough to believe her.

“Oh, they’re real. Dad promised an ice cream social. He said it would be a good way to meet your friends,” Kouta said with a grin.

Pax’s eyes widened. He forced a laugh. “I guess if you wanted to have a way more difficult time, you could bring all of us. That would mean driving two cars, dealing with how weird Calex smells—”

“Ajax, I’m not letting your friends go.” Kouta shrugged. “They’re too good a leverage and Dad will want them.”

“Besides…” Lapis walked up to Calex and Merry. She knelt beside them and turned Calex’s head to see his face, then picked up Merry’s head by her hair. Neither so much as mumbled. “I’m sure we could sell either of these for a good sum on the Monster Market or Craig’s list.”

Rage boiled in Axel’s stomach, combing nicely with his panic. He wanted to snarl at Lapis not to touch any of them, but he knew it would only encourage her. He clenched his jaw.

Pax and Kally had both gone pale. She turned the statue behind her back and Axel could tell she would throw it if Lapis hurt Merry. Subconsciously, Pax took a step closer to Kally. Axel hoped Kouta didn’t notice or realize why.  

               Luckily, Kouta’s focus was on the others. “How are we going to break them up?” he asked, nodding his chin towards the vans. As he did so, his braids, beads, and feathers fluttered against his leather gun holster.

               Hiro giggled as he scampered to Lapis’s side. He signed rapidly, and Axel only caught one motion: Hiro held one hand out horizontally and slashed the other vertically beside it. ASL for to slice.

               “That’s foul,” Lapis chuckled. “I don’t think Dad will want to need an instructional guide to put them back together Dartface.” She released Merry back to the dirt.

               Kouta pointed at Merry and Calex. “Mel and I can take those two—”

               “You butt-kissing coward,” Lapis snarled and stood up. She stormed up to Kouta to get directly in his face. He flinched back. Hiro hopped up and rushed beside her, his long hair weaving after him. The shorter boy mimicked the way Lapis jabbed a hand in Kouta’s face until Lapis—without looking—paused to shove Hiro, by the forehead, away.

Kally subtly brought her Argonaut statue level with her hip. She was getting ready to throw. Axel rapidly shook his head at her. Kouta would be able to get at least one shot off before she threw her discus, and that was all he’d need.

               “You’re not going to get the unconscious ones,” Lapis stated. “No! You get the little tree hugging sisters. Mel!”

               Kouta didn’t have time to argue before someone opened the back of the Pax Pharmaceutical van. Axel could dimly see the figure of a tall man with a staff therein. He knew Mel, one of Santiago’s workers and the magician that had been training Lapis since her mother died. Although Axel would kill Mel in a heartbeat since he was one of Santiago’s, Axel remembered him being a pretty good guy. He’d at least make sure nothing happened to Merry or Calex until they got back to Santiago’s warehouse.

               Axel’s stomach must have learned how to teleport with how it dropped to the floor. The reality of the situation hit like a tackle from Mrs. O’Leary. This wasn’t how Axel wanted to go back. He had Backbiter and the Golden Net to trap Santiago and kill him, but now he was trapped in a loony suit and his siblings would have their friends as hostages. Pax wasn’t supposed to be here. Axel had promised himself to never let Santiago near Pax again.

               The claustrophobia from the straightjacket threatened to strangle him. We need out, the Leonis Caput snarled. Axel tried to count slowly in his head and control his breathing. If you can’t control yourself, you can’t control a battlefield, he reminded himself.

               While Axel struggled to strategize, Kouta scowled. “Fine,” he hissed at Lapis. “Ajax, you help the ginger take these two—” Kouta unpointed the gun from Pax to vaguely gesture at Merry and Calex. “—into your van. Then we’re off to see our father.”

               Hiro hummed out, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and jumped on Pax.

               Pax barely had time to brace for impact. In seconds, Hiro had scaled Pax’s back and sat on his shoulders, their acrobatic training the only thing that prevented them from toppling over. “Ay!” Pax called and clutched Hiro’s shins so he wouldn’t drop him. “Hiro, I think you might be like six years too old for this and four jaguars too heavy!” Despite himself, Pax smiled up at their little brother.

               In the pharmaceutical van, Mel set his staff down and hopped out. He wore the same burgundy dress shirt as the others, though Axel knew that and his dress pants would be linen. Lapis said it was better for casting magic. She never let that stop her from wearing leather though.

Kouta went to pick up Joey and Mel; Euna. The Song sisters scowled menacingly at them.

               Axel hated the idea of splitting up. Santiago would hold Joey and Euna indefinitely if he thought it would prevent any foul play. However, Joey and Euna were resourceful. They were probably more dangerous to Kouta than he was to them.

               Hiro straightened his back and raised his chin as best he could, taking hold of Pax’s fohawk like the reigns of a stead. His own dark locks fluttered in the wind as he stared seriously off into the sky.

               Although Axel was in a straightjacket, out of ideas, and unarmed, a pang of nostalgia clenched his stomach. He and Kouta used to carry the little ones on their shoulders all the time, usually so they could mock battle each other to see who the strongest warrior was. Then the other one would fake a dramatic death and Frasco would run, pick up the winner, and race them around the circus trailers, announcing the victory.

               It was stupid to reflect on. They’d never have that again. Though obviously Hiro and Pax would try.

Lapis walked up to them and raised an eyebrow. “Really?” she asked. “Hiro, this isn’t helping to put the others in the van.”

Hiro mock-spurred Pax by kicking him in the chest and flicking his hair in a giddy up! motion.

Pax whinnied at her, tossing his hair back. Hiro and he giggled until Lapis snagged Pax by the ear. “Ay! Ay! Ay! Axel! Get her off!” he whined.

Kally looked bewildered, like she wasn’t sure if this was some warped internet social experiment. “Are we still being abducted?” she asked Axel quietly.

Axel could only sigh. This was exactly the kind of abduction he’d expect from his siblings.

“Yes!” Lapis snapped. At the anger in her voice, Hiro scampered off Pax’s back, earning a few more, “Ay!”s.

As much fun as Hiro and Pax were having, Axel knew Kouta would get impatient once he had the Song sisters settled. He hated himself for giving the order, but he nodded his head towards the van. “Kally, it might be best to get Merry in as well as you can.”

“Right—right!” Pax said and took a side shuffle away from Lapis and Hiro. “You’re bad guys.”

Hiro switched to JSL, something Axel struggled to read. But he knew what Hiro would say. He only used JSL to quote his mother, Ms. Iwakura. Axel was pretty sure Hiro didn’t know any other JSL other than what Ms. Iwakura said. Even as Hiro signed it, Axel could imagine her milky cheeks contouring as she formed the words, “Rui wa tomo o yobu.”[2] The equivalent of the American, birds of a feather flock together.

She used to use it to insult Santiago and his followers.

Axel scowled. He and Pax were not like them.

Hiro’s comment drained the playfulness out of Pax. He helped Hiro drag Calex to the van. Axel had to shout at them once so Pax didn’t “accidentally” give Calex a concussion on the way in. With regretful hesitation, Pax also picked up the beach towel and tucked Backbiter under one arm.

Maybe, just maybe they’d be able to use this family reunion to their advantage.

Axel walked alongside Kally as she dragged Merry over. He was furious he couldn’t help—not that Kally couldn’t do it on her own but he felt… utterly useless. And trapped.

Kally looked close to sobbing. Her shoulders quivered and her breath was short. She spent the last hour being threatened by Axel, tricked by Pax, and was now being kidnapped by their psychotic family. Axel and Pax would really have to take Kally out to dinner or Tahiti if they lived through this.

After they put Calex in the back, Hiro scampered into the driver’s seat and inspected Luke’s controls. Axel was shocked Hiro hadn’t tried climbing atop Luke to ride him, but he couldn’t imagine what his siblings thought Luke was.

Kally wrapped Merry and Calex back up in sleeping bags and knelt beside Merry to touch her hair. Axel hoped they wouldn’t have any adverse side effects from being unconscious so long. He also hoped they’d both managed to use the bathroom while they were still conscious. Not that it mattered now, but he’d gotten this van cleaned before they started this line of quests.

Lapis leaned over the driver’s seat from the back to check the longitude and latitude displayed on Luke’s control board. “What are you guys going to in the East coast? Is that where you’ve been hiding?”

“No!” Pax protested. He took a seat on the bench and motioned for Kally to join him. Hesitantly, she sat beside Pax.

The silver lining of being kidnapped: Kally would forget to be as mad at Pax.  

Pax waved a hand at Lapis like she’d asked about an off-brand pencil sharpener. “It’s just some camp ground with a climbing wall, horseback riding, sing-alongs, expressing your feelings, hugging puppies, and braiding each other’s hair. You should go Lapis. You’d fit right in.”

Lapis didn’t buy it. Before she could stop the reflex—and last time Axel saw her, she had been trying to stop—she puffed up her cheeks and popped them. “You know… your mom never would tell Dad the coordinates to Camp Half-Blood. Can you imagine how happy he’d be to have an unending supply of demigod hearts? Sounds like it would be time for an old school xochiyaoyotl.”

A Flower War, Axel translated. A pretty sounding excuse to massacre thousands to the god Huitzilopochtli.[3]

If Santiago did it properly—if he did it the way Axel had at Camp Othrys—then the victims would be given a fighting chance. Granted, an unfair one with improper weapons, but still a chance.

But Santiago never had liked sticking to traditions.

Axel thought about Jason Grace chained to their oak dining room table, drugged to paralysis but still conscious. The image made him nauseous and Axel was surprised to find he might have grown fond of the former praetor in his day at Camp Half-Blood. If nothing else, Jason Grace deserved the honorable death of a warrior.

Pax folded his arms calmly and pouted. “You’re going to be sorely disappointed when you rage warfare against some puppy huggers.”

To be fair, from what Axel heard, Percy did hug Mrs. O’Leary a lot. Axel would have to applaud Pax later for keeping his cool so well.

“Shut up Ajax,” Lapis mumbled. “Now tell me how this control panel works.”

“You just told me to shut—”

Lapis turned to swipe at Pax’s ear. Pax yelped and went to hide behind Kally. When she went rigid and he realized that she couldn’t tell their family’s play from their family’s threatening, he popped right back up beside her.

As Pax explained, in the most confusing manner possible, how to direct Luke on both auto-pilot—where the coordinates did all the work—or on manual mode—where you had to turn the wheel for look and shift donkey gears—Axel caught Kally’s eye.

He wanted to assure her that he’d get them out of this or at least that he had a plan. A tiny whisper in the back of his head cooed that he should say, I’m sorry. That would only scare her. What he said to her earlier that night felt so much more correct: you should be scared.

Kally nodded to his straightjacket and mouthed, Are you alright?

Not even an hour ago he’d threatened to kill her. As much as that made Axel feel like an even worse friend, that also made him question Kally’s priorities.

Axel grated his claws against the metallic mesh. Everything was so confined. If Aphrodite decided to show up, he wouldn’t be able to do anything but insult her clothing choices. To prevent panic and accidentally enticing the goddess, Axel tried to focus on his breathing again. He nodded to Kally, wishing he could assure her in some way.  

Kouta stepped into their van. Although Axel refused to flinch, Kally did.

When he couched to avoid clunking his head, the feathers, beads, and braids tumbled forward. The bigger revolver, The Judge, was back in its shoulder holster, the less powerful one was pointed aimlessly at the floor. He surveyed the scene and Axel could tell what he was taking note of: how Lapis and Hiro left Axel and Kally completely unattended.

Instead of scolding Lapis, like Axel expected, Kouta crouched closer to Axel. His dark eyes narrowed. Axel bet Kouta was conflicted. If Kouta brought Axel back, that meant Kouta would be rewarded, but Axel would swear on the River Styx that Kouta had been getting a lot more attention from Santiago since Axel ran away and that would disappear.

Kouta fished around in his pocket and withdrew a golden cigarette package with the initials B&H at the top. It was a British brand that Kouta and he used to sneak from one of the carnies. Kouta tapped out two rolls.

“How does it feel to fail two sets of troops Axel? First the army that was slaughtered at Mount Othrys, now this little ragtag team of kids?” Kouta slipped one cigarette into his mouth and placed the other between Axel’s lips.

Destroy him, snarled the Leonis Caput.

For once, they were in agreement. Wait, he hissed to himself. He resisted the urge to tear off Kouta’s fingers, instead pressing the cig’s filter with his lips.

“Ah, look--” Pax said, “--the villain comes in to jeer at the heroes and—well—uh—antiheroes…” Pax fumbled while gesturing to himself and Axel. Hiro snickered from the front and clapped his hands. Lapis looked annoyed.

Pax crossed his fingers. “Maybe to grant them an attempted escape with his carelessness?” he added.

Kouta made a rude gesture towards Pax, one that Axel didn’t need sign language to read. He then withdrew a lighter from his pocket. “You’re not going to be Dad’s favorite anymore, you know that right? You screwed up two too many times.”

He flicked the lighter out, lit the tip of his cigarette, then held it under Axel’s. Axel took a drag, feeling the fumes twist over his tongue and into his lungs. The taste was wonderful, especially to quell his anxiety.[4]

If he could get Kouta to lean a little closer…

Pax made a disgruntled sound in the background. Axel ignored it. He tried not to smoke around Pax, but this was an important opportunity.

Axel rolled the cigarette to the corner of his mouth and pinched it with his lips so he could speak with a slur. “I never wanted to be Dad’s favorite,” he growled. Being the favorite meant more beatings, more lashings, more expectations, more manipulation. It meant Santiago admired Axel’s will and wanted to break it like the impulse to shatter Plexiglas. It meant that Santiago saw something in Axel that reminded Santiago of when he was younger. That fact disgusted Axel more than the smell of Aphrodite’s perfume. And her perfume reeked.

Although sneering at Kouta wasn’t hard, he made the expression as pompous as he could. “Maybe he always knew I was better than you, that I had something you lacked. Like a spine,” Axel hissed.

Kouta froze. Those dark eyes blazed. As though trying to show his indifference, Kouta casually tapped his ashes onto Axel’s face. Axel tried not to flinch. The flakes singe his cheeks. Without a word, Kouta leaned forward to blow his smoke directly into Axel’s face.

Once Kouta was close enough, Axel lunged forward to tear out his throat.

Axel’s fangs sank through cloth, but not Kouta’s throat—Kouta must have twisted. Blood gushed into his mouth. Axel had bit through to skin.

Kouta tried to rip free. Axel didn’t release him, instead jerking his jaw to the side to tear out some flesh.

The pop of a gun shrieked and reverberated through the small confinement.

The world went white.

Kally screamed in the distance.

Pax and Lapis shouted.

Everything was muted, like he was underwater. For an instant, Axel thought about when his chiich would take him and his siblings to the river on hot Belizean days. They were really little then—Hiro was just a toddler. They’d play and splash around in the green tinted water with the Caribbean sun beating on their backs. Kouta and he would watch over the little ones and make sure they were okay, teasing them—half serious—about coral snakes, crocodiles, warries, jaguars, and ocelots.

Kouta and he would push each other around and plan pranks for the little ones and for the poor Catholic missionary who ran their primary school. They’d scheme how to steal or mess the other’s green school uniform so the teacher, and then later Chiich, would give the other a whipping. They’d discuss how to beat the snot out of other children for making fun of Hiro’s eyes or how pale Pax was.

All fun and games.  

In the present, Axel must have taken a step back. He didn’t remember the motion, but he felt the bench press into the back of his knee.

The image of eleven-year-old Kouta’s sly smile faded. Now, all he could see was a twenty-one-year-old slime bag clutching at the chunk missing from his shoulder. Kouta’s jaw gaped with shock. He glanced down at Axel’s torso, then back at Axel’s face. Like a child coming up with excuses, he babbled, “You—you bit me—”

With the ringing from the gun, Kouta’s voice still sounded far away.

Axel felt something wet and hot soaking into his shirt and straightjacket, both on his back and his front. He didn’t look down; he didn’t want to waste the energy.

He knew he needed to save it when the Leonis Caput roared, and we’re not done with you yet.

Thanks for reading! :D

[1] I cry laughed every time I had to read over this line. I know the buildup is there, but no matter how dramatic anything is, I will never take Axel Pax screaming, “That’s no ice cream shop!” seriously. All I can think is, “That’s no moon!”

[2]

類は友を呼ぶ. Yea, I don’t read or speak Japanese… but here’s the Japanese! I hope!

[3] Just noting that the Flower Wars are more an Aztec thing, but you’ll see Santiago mixes elements of Aztec and Mayan

[4] Don’t smoke kids. There’s a reason this stuff is addictive. Okay, I said my disclaimer. *glares* But don’t do drugs. You’ll make Pax sad, and then he’ll get all blubbery and he won’t be able to be a proper hero.  

[bh6-fanfictionfeed]

Hogwarts Animation Fanfiction

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2WMpxju

by NightwingEarth16

A mish-mash of characters from animated films all come together to attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Words: 854, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - Fandom, hogwarts - Fandom, The Croods, rise of the guardians, Brave - Fandom, Epic - Fandom, Frozen 1 & 2, how to train your dragon 3 - Fandom, Moana - Fandom, tangled - Fandom, Big Hero 6

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen

Characters: Merida Dunbroch, Moana Tui, Frank Dingwall Junior, Astrid Hofferson, Eep Crood, Nod Green, Mary Katherine Wood, Ronin Green, Anna Arendelle, Charlie MacGuffin Junior, Wasabi Blade, Fred Casacomik, Honey Lemon Sweet, Rapunzel Corona, Fishlegs Ingerman, Thunk Crood, Tadashi Hamada, Gogo Speed, Hiro Hamada, Guy Clever, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Jack Frost, Elsa Arendelle, Hans Isle, Eugene Fitzherbert, Thomas Macintosh Junior, Ruffnut Thorston, Tuffnut Thorston, Snotlout Jorgenson

Relationships: Jack Frost/Elsa Arendelle, Kristoff Troll/Anna Arendelle, Nod Green/Mary Katherine Wood, Eep Crood/Guy Clever, Rapunzel Corona/Eugène Fitzherbert, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Fishlegs Ingerman/Ruffnut Thorston, Fergus Dunbroch/Elinor Dunbroch, Grug Crood/Ugga Crood

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2WMpxju

[ao3feed-danganronpa]

ultimate occurrence

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2OJyh9p

by gusterd

Who knew Byakuya liked flowers? Hiro certainly didn’t.

Words: 2166, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen

Characters: Togami Byakuya, Hagakure Yasuhiro, Oowada Mondo, Ishimaru Kiyotaka

Relationships: Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo (if you squint)

Additional Tags: school au, hiro loves the garden, hiro and byakuya talking? who wouldve thunk, dialogue practice, just guys being dudes, first dr fanfic, i just HAD to add a little ishimondo, im so bad at tags hahah, light cursing, but thats just mondo being mondo

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2OJyh9p