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#I not only confirmed that cats do in fact have ankles but also pointed out her cat's ankles to her
mariekavanagh · 1 year
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An encounter during one of my consults this morning with a mother and daughter (who looked about 4 years old):
Owner: "If you don't mind, my daughter has a question for you, she's been wanting to ask it all week"
Me: "Sure, what is it?"
4 year old, dead serious: "Do cats have ankles?"
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blkbonnet · 1 year
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Thinking about this art by @mattewkanada and imagining them sat there on deck just casually comparing rings. Stede makes a comment about how lovely the ruby is and how it’s never been a colour he’s really worn. He’s not sure if it’s for him. Ed doesn’t agree and takes it off before confidently putting it on Stede’s finger. Whoever told him what colours he could and could not wear deserves to be thrown overboard with cannonballs tied around their ankles. "You look good in everything, mate.” He smiles as he points down at Stede’s hand as if that proves his point. Stede pulls his gaze away from Ed’s face and looks down at his hand and finds himself marvelling at the jewel. It really does look lovely, although he doubts that has anything to do with him and everything to do with the fact it belongs to Ed.
He immediately offers to give Ed one of his own rings. “The turquoise one, perhaps?” He says it’s always been his favourite. The colour, he explains, is how he kept the ocean close to him when it felt so far away. An impossible dream that got him through the monotony. "My true heart, if you will.” Ed is almost glad Stede is still staring down at the ring because he’s sure his face would give away just how much his own heart is beating for this man. His own impossible dream made true. Despite the meaning behind the ring, Stede doesn’t hesitate as he takes it off and reaches for Ed’s hand. Stede has to try several of Ed’s fingers before finding one it fits. It’s something they both have a good giggle about, completely oblivious to the fact Lucius is watching from afar clutching at his chest. Black Pete hears the steady stream of ohmygodohmygodohmygod and also looks over. By the time the co-captains are sat there, hands out in front of them and fingers spread as they look lovingly between each other and their new rings, half the crew have stopped what they’re doing and are watching. The rest of the crew hear about it within minutes. But Ed and Stede are still only paying attention to each other. They carry on sitting there, talking about everything and nothing, until they eventually move on with their day. Thinking very little about the swapped rings now sitting proudly on their fingers.
Lucius is the first to express how happy he is for them. Stede is rather baffled at the seemingly random outburst but thanks him anyway. Black Pete joyfully slaps Ed on the back and finds himself immediately pinned to the mast. Ed drops him as soon as he realises he’s a friend not a foe but he’s too busy fighting the adrenaline to hear any of the congratulations. Although by the time dinner comes around it’s quite obvious to them both that something weird is going on. Roach bringing out another forty orange glaze cake only confirms it. But everyone is just so happy that they decide to simply join in with the celebrations and have a wonderful night too.
It’s not until the following morning that it hits Stede. He’s woken up slowly, the early sun hitting the new ring on his finger where it’s still resting on Ed’s chest. He looks at it and thinks of Ed. Almost as if sensing it, Ed sleepily reaches for his hand and links their fingers together and falls back to sleep. Stede smiles at their joined hands and seeing the rings next to each other only heightens that feeling he’s still getting used to. Yet it’s right in front of him now. His heart in Ed’s hands, quite literally. It feels so right. Better than any dream. He thinks this is how it should have felt when-
“ED! ED! Wake up! They think we’re engaged!”
Ed, who does not wake up, only snuggles back into his pillow and lazily replies. “Well we usually are at this time of the day but I think that cake took it out of me,” he rubs his exposed belly with his other hand, “I’m good to sleep for another few hours”, and rolls over much like a cat would in a sun spot.
Stede gets distracted by the first bit because well, he’s not wrong, and then again by the belly. Ed not being a fan of sleepwear is something he still can’t decide is a bad thing or a very, very good thing... Then he remembers why he woke him in the first place. So he averts his eyes back to Ed’s face and carries on with his revelation. That wakes Ed up. He looks up at Stede with more vulnerability in his eyes than either of them are ready for.
“And is that… a bad thing?”
Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn’t that. It catches Stede completely off guard. Marriage is something that has only filled him with dread his entire life. But he lets himself imagine it now with Ed and…
“No. No, it’s not.” The only thing that scares Stede is how easy it was to get to that answer. But then he realises it was easy because it was honest. This life with Ed is better than any dream. He not only can imagine being tied to him for the rest of his life, he wants it. This, him, them. Forever. They’re both smiling at each other (like the lovesick idiots they are) as they both wordlessly come to the same conclusion.
They don’t emerge from their quarters until well into the afternoon but when they do, they do it hand in hand and freshly engaged.
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Monsters in the Closet
Title: Monsters in the Closet
Summary: “You’re so much nicer when you’re bigger.” 
 Roman knows he can’t change the past. He can’t change the way he treated Virgil horribly, driving him to feel the only way he could be accepted was to be the villain of the story. But he can sit there and feel guilty knowing he is not worthy of any of the trust this young Virgil has placed in him. 
(Part of the Tiny Virgil verse, takes place after An Itsy Bitsy Nightmare)
Word-Count: 2.7k
Pairing: Brotherly Prinixety
Warnings: Guilt, Panic/Anxiety, Treating Someone Wrongfully in the Past, Deaging, Hurt/Comfort
This part of a very late birthday present for @theeternalspace! I’m so sorry this took so long, please forgive me and I hope you enjoy! :)
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Roman lets out a sigh and opens his eyes. Virgil is still snuggled close to his chest, asleep again after waking up what appeared to be a horrible nightmare. Roman can’t find himself to fall back asleep. His mind refuses to settle, refuses to let go of what Virgil said to him moments ago. 
“You’re so much nicer when you’re bigger.”
The words rumble in Roman’s mind like that of a great and fearsome thunderstorm. How could it not? All the more confirmation that regardless of the unfounded trust young Virgil placed in him, he’d still expected to inevitably be treated terribly.
And that? The guilt of that stings deeper than any sting of the blade or a bandersnatch’s ferocious bite.
It also makes him wonder what exactly the Ankle-Terror thought was going on. Kids aren’t stupid. Naïve, yes, but that’s different from being stupid. They’re creative and innovative in ways adults couldn’t dream to be. Plus, they tended to love engaging in-depth conversations about Disney. 
Sometimes, Roman misses the days when Thomas was a kid. Back when they were free to run around in the backyard and reimagine the swings as a spaceship or the underneath of the trampoline as the lair of an evil sorcerer. Back when they weren’t bound by inane things such as time constraints and the logistics of translating an idea into a real-world possibility. 
He could get Thomas and the others roped in a fantastical make-believe for hours. Weeks even of stretching an incredible imaginary world to its limits. The only things that ever stood in their way was the outside forces of school, parents and bedtime.
Nowadays, the reminiscing with a tinge of regret. There always had to be villains to fight, you see. An evil mad scientist. A corrupt king. A greedy dragon. The list goes on and on. He never ever played the villain. He’d always cast himself and Thomas as the heroes. Logan and Patton were the supporting stars. Virgil and the rest? The villains through and through. 
Virgil at this age would be used to this treatment. Rather than in his rightful heroic role as Protector, Defender, Watcher of All Perceived Threats--he played roles such as a wicked sorcerer who cast fear and disgrace upon the entire kingdom with his heinous sorcery.
He took to the roles without much grumbling. Oftentimes, he didn’t perform to young Roman’s expectations. Roman would chastise his performances, critiquing every bit. He wasn’t ever scary or evil enough for a Side responsible for making Thomas scared of monsters under his bed.
Virgil would also veto actions such as climbing super high up a tree and using it as a crow’s nest for a pirate ship. Much to Roman’s dismay, the others would side with him. Logan because Thomas could break a bone if he should fall and Patton because their parents wouldn’t approve. Thus making Virgil a major downer at times in Roman’s eyes and all the more deserving of the villain title.
It wasn’t until Thomas was older, closer to middle school, that Virgil started lashing out. He refused to play along, slinking off to sulk in his room. His influence had also grown and suddenly it wasn’t just monsters under the bed anymore--the monsters were everywhere. Homework, Teachers, Friends, Family. Roman worked overtime to help Thomas escape to worlds unfettered by these fears.
Of course, back then, he presumed this was Virgil fully showing his true colors as an antagonist. Thomas himself believed it, wishing vehemently for Virgil to just disappear. It was Roman’s responsibility, nay his purpose, to make Thomas’s dreams and desires come true. He was the Fairy Godmother to Thomas’s Cinderella. So for years and years he’d pursued this dream, desperate to make Thomas happy, proud even.
Now, he knows better. He knows that Virgil is more than just Anxiety, just like Roman and the others are more than what their title implies. He is vigilant, he keeps Thomas safe from external threats. Sometimes he can be overzealous, but he means well. And shutting him out isn’t the answer. It never was. 
With all that in mind, he wonders if the Boy Terror thinks this is one of Roman’s elaborate make-believe games. Roman could easily picture a younger him coming up with a make-believe game involving himself and the others being adults. True, Thomas back then liked envisioning himself as a kid defeating the evil dragon like kids his age did in the media he watched. 
But all kids at some point wonder what it’d be like to be an adult. They imagined themselves in the most exciting professions that made a real impact on the world. Then they’d grow up and very few of them made it to such professions.
(Except Thomas of course. Roman is incredibly proud of him and his accomplishments as an Ex-Viner turned Youtuber. Yes, they are still far from achieving feats such as Hollywood or Broadway, but still! For a while Thomas had to settle for a real, sensible job such as a chemical engineer. While science interested him, it didn’t drive him the way that creative pursuits such as singing and acting had. Thomas is lucky to be able to have a platform to do what he loves. Roman tries reminding himself of this during incredibly rare moments of insecurity.)
Kid Fright must be ecstatic about this. For possibly the first time in his life Creativity is including him in a game without making him the villain. Adult Virgil doesn’t talk much about the past--the few times Roman has tried to breach the topic it’d been an instant shutdown. 
But Virgil has always cared for them, even before they’d all realized this. He must’ve taken any part Roman gave him out of a desperation to be with them and keep them safe. It sickens Roman just thinking about it. He doesn’t know how Virgil stayed strong for so long. Roman doesn’t know if he could’ve lasted a day in Virgil’s place.
He is probably also terrified and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Regardless of his age, Virgil always expects the worst out of any scenario. Even now that’s been a year since he’s been accepted among the core sides that make up Thomas. He can’t help it, it’s in his nature. Roman can’t blame him for it. One year isn’t enough to undo the damages that the other twenty-nine years caused.
One thing is for certain: if he does think this is one of Roman’s make-believe games, he must think Thomas is still a kid. And Roman’s not sure if he should let Virgil know any different. In fact, it might be best to keep Virgil distracted while the others work to find the solution to this strange vexing problem. Because he knows Virgil won’t take it well to finding his host all grown-up. He thinks that none of them would in his place.
So he’ll keep Fall Out Kid safe away in the mindscape and continue being the Prince he deserved. He’ll allow Virgil to be the hero and he’ll play all the other roles. Sidekick, damsel-in-distress, villain--if he must. It’s silly, but he’s almost buzzing with excitement at all the worlds they could explore from within the common area. Cowboys, Spaceship, Space Cowboys. The possibilities are endless!
A small hand tugs at his sleeve, tugging him away from his thoughts altogether. He looks down at the inquisitive eyes slightly shrouded by a mop of dirty blond hair.
“Yes, little prince?” He says, trying to blink away the prickling sensation in his eyes. 
He refuses to cry again in front of the Little Shop of Terror. He knows he will have to confront his bubbling guilt and sorrow at some point, but for now he must push it aside. He is used to this. Being a hero means sometimes remaining strong and not showing vulnerability to loved ones.
“M’hungry.” Virgil murmurs into his chest, little arms wrapped around Roman’s neck. It’s almost endearing with how much he resembles a baby possum clinging to their mother. Roman isn’t used to a Virgil so physically affectionate. 
Virgil is like a feral cat. You couldn’t hug or pat him on the shoulder without warning. You had to ask and very rarely did he accept, even if it came from Patton. No, the best way is to let him initiate it. Let him lean his head against your shoulder, or his leg overlapping your own during a movie night. 
You also don’t acknowledge it and by not acknowledging it, Virgil then inches his way more until it grows into a proper hug. Then he would withdraw and promptly act like nothing  happened. Like you were to forget the interaction ever occured in the first place.
Logan has a theory that it’s because Virgil is the Fight-or-Flight instincts and physical affection lowers his guard in a way he isn’t completely comfortable with. Roman now has a theory that it’s a lot more heartbreaking than that. 
“You’re hungry?” Roman asks, attempting to steer his mind out of Despairing Drive and into Present Place. 
 A small growling noise occurs and Jack Smallington ducks his head down, embarrassed.
Roman isn’t entirely surprised considering that it’s been about eight hours since they discovered approximately five-year-old Virgil in the place of grown-up Virgil. Who knows how long he’d been like that, alone in his room, before that. Virgil also rarely eats so the poor kid probably woke up hungry. 
Roman feels so stupid. If it’d been Patton or Logan watching him, the first thing they would’ve made sure is if he was hungry. Because kid or not, it isn’t in Virgil’s nature to be self-advocating. That type of stuff freaks him out. Yet another reason Roman is completely unqualified to watch over Virgil. 
“Okay,” Roman breaths in, smiling, “thanks for letting me know, big guy. To the kitchen at once!”
With that, he hoists Virgil up, settling him on top of his shoulders. There’s a squawk of surprise and Roman’s almost worried until it turns into a gleeful giggle. When Roman lets out a neigh, pretending he’s a horse, Virgil’s giggles grow louder.
“You’re not a horse,” Virgil says.
“Neigh I am!” Roman says, “I am your trusty steed and we’re embarking on a perilous-but-completely-safe journey to the kitchen!”
He treks towards the kitchen, clicking his tongue in an imitation of a horse clip-clopping along. 
“Faster,” Virgil urges, resting his hands on top of Roman’s head.
“Faster?” Roman asks, almost stopping in surprise. 
“Yeah!” Virgil insists, “We gotta get there as fast as possible before any monsters come and eat us!”
“Never fear,” Roman says, “For I shall get us there before any monster even thinks of gobbling us up!”
With that Roman quickens his pace, ensuring he had a firm hold onto Virgil to keep him falling off. 
 “Faster, faster, faster!” Virgil chants in an anxious yet excited tone, “I think I see one!”
“Oh?” Roman turns his head back, “Oh, I see him too! Neigh, we better hurry!”
There isn’t an actual monster there. No sharp fangs or numerous eyes glaring menacingly in their direction. He can’t tell if Virgil is making up a game or if he actually believes there is one there. Either way, Roman is Creativity. If there’s one thing he knows best, it’s how to combat imaginary foes. Such as reaching the threshold of the kitchen.
With one great bound, he makes it onto the black-and-white checkered tiles.
“Aha! Now no monsters can attack us while we feast in the dwelling of this noble kitchen!” Roman grins, setting Virgil atop the kitchen counter before jumping up to sit beside him.
Virgil beams up at him, face wide with utter delight and awe. Roman is left dumbfounded at this. Even as a kid, Virgil had been very closed-off with his emotions. So shy and distrustful of everyone and everything. But here he looks at Roman like he’s some great hero or something.
 ‘How,’ Roman wonders, ‘how can you look at me like this when I’m the obstinate villain of this story?’
“Princey,” Virgil swings his legs, “won’t Dad be upset if he finds us sitting on the counter?”
Roman blinks. At first he thinks Virgil is referring to Thomas’s father until he remembers Patton also goes by Dad. For the longest time, Pat had even been insistent that was his name. In the way that young children believe their parents’ real names really are Mom and Dad. 
“Well,” Roman says, offering a pinky, “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“Okay.” Virgil hesitates before interlocking his tiny pinky with Roman’s.
“Excellent! Now what would you like to eat?”
“Ummmm, I--I don’t know.” Virgil bites his lips, eyes flickering around the kitchen. Roman’s heart squeezes at this. He should’ve known such an open-ended question would set his anxiety off. They’ve learned recently that it was better giving Virgil the option of clearly-defined choices rather than vague ones.
“Would you like grilled cheese or spaghetti?” He asks kindly instead. 
“Grilled cheese? With applesauce?” Virgil doesn’t meet his gaze, as if afraid Roman will condemn his choices.
Roman smiles, “Your wish is my command.” 
He could’ve just snapped the food into existence right then and there. A few years back, it would’ve been enough to suffice. But as much as the Sides influence Thomas, the same holds true the other way around. Thomas once saw a fanart of Patton cooking breakfast for the sides and the idea stuck.
 Now Roman could still summon fully prepared meals but they weren’t super filling. Roman didn’t mind too much; contrary to popular belief (Logan) cooking could be a very creative endeavor. As Thomas’s creativity he could make up steps to dishes and still have them turn out perfect in the end. He may or may not enjoy it simply because it frustrated Logan to no end. 
He hops off the kitchen counter, snapping a finger. Instantly cabinet doors magically open as the ingredients and the materials he needed floated out onto the countertop beside the stove. Okay, so he cheated a bit, but just because the others lacked a little imagination didn’t mean he couldn’t bend reality in a place where reality is inconsequential. 
Roman turns to Virgil, unable to hide his smile at Virgil’s gobsmacked expression.
“Here, you can help put butter on the bread,” He tells Virgil, handing him a butter knife.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are a quick and easy meal. Before too long, Roman hands the kid a plate with a plain grilled cheese cut in halves and a cup of prepackaged apple sauce. 
“Thank you,” Virgil squeaks out before digging in.
“Of course.” Roman says, resisting the urge to ruffle the Little Terror’s hair. Instead he takes a bite of his own grilled cheese. Admittedly, he went a bit overboard with his own grilled cheese sandwich; three different types of cheese with lettuce, tomato and pickles. He isn’t quite sure if he’s a fan of the pickles but ah well. So it goes when in the pursuit of creativity.
They eat on top of the kitchen counters with relative silence. Roman hums a bit between bites of grilled cheese. Halfway through, he notices Virgil sending him glances when he thinks Roman isn’t looking. The kid squirms a bit in place, his face twisting in apprehension. 
“Is there something troubling you, Little Prince?” Roman asks at last.
“Princey, where are the others? A--are they okay?!” 
Oh. Oh, of course. Roman’s heart aches knowing how much Virgil worries and cares for everyone, even at such a young age. He’s so quick to reassure him that he doesn’t even pause to think about the phrasing of his words.
“They’re perfectly fine, rest assured. Logan is shut away in his room reading like the insufferable nerd he is and Patton is simply checking up on our dear Thomas--”
“Thomas?” Virgil breathes in, eyes bright with alarm. His shoulders raise to his ears like hackles raising on a frightened cat.
It is at this moment Roman knew that he messed up.
“Virgil, wait--” Roman pleads, attempting to place a placating hand on his shoulder. 
Roman is too late. His hand meets air as Virgil disappears in front of him with a loud crackle. All that’s left is a plate of half-eaten grilled cheese clattering to the countertops and a terror that shakes the entirety of the mindscape. 
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katekyo-hitman-aus · 3 years
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Guided Sky (?)
Au where Tsuna accidentally meets Skull and ends up traveling all across the world while doing schooling with Skull. The baby just accidentally got lost in Japan while he was on break for a while after he went to Disneyland.
Lucky baby, the boy thought while burying his face in homework he never understood.
To add more salt to his wounds, Nana actually hired him in order to be a tutor! And oh he was smart. Everytime Tsuna tried to outsmart him, Skull would just point out the plot holes and make Tsuna question everything he did. 
The baby had the mind of an adult and it freaked him out and only him since babies could become this smart at the age of 1! Everyone ignored the fact that Skull could also do things not even adults could do like flip off of a rooftop without breaking his little baby ankles.
The baby was exhausting as hell and gave him heart attacks everytime he did something for his “job” in the first 2 weeks even in school. It would nearly kill the kid every time Skull followed a teacher or peer classmate without any problem. Including his bullies! 
Tsuna went along with Skull’s antics only because Skull’s presence made it less likely for Tsuna to get in trouble or bullied. It started happening the day after he got sick, due to his bullies dumping toilet water on him. Skull was very calm that day and left him to his own devices for once.
But Tsuna’s tutor was 90% a wild kid despite his IQ. And to make things even more bizarre, Tsuna’s grades were gradually climbing up which was a miracle. Skull gave him a box of treats on golden week for passing all of his exams with a 70 or higher. He used to get 20’s and 10’s as a reference….
Skull shuddered at his previous scores before he dragged the young kid and Nana to some nice places in Japan that even Nana never knew about. 
They all got to wind down and have fun in all the attractions, even Nana started acting like a kid. It was a common occurrence to see the son and mother running around in some other city for an hour or two before actually shopping around. As usual, nobody noticed the purple baby or thought the baby was a creepy doll in every city they went to. 
It was the best week ever. Skull got a cat ear umbrella set with pastel raincoats for the 3 of them (Skull used it as a robe). And the food was amazing! Skull even hooked Nana up with some cooking professionals and Tsuna got a 80.5% discount on most of the things he bought related to anime or other types of books. In fact, he ended up discussing anime in an internet cafe with 3 adults who lowkey looked very familiar.
It was actually Skull’s friends who were equally intelligent as him and actually created their own big companies. Sadly, the week of fun had to end but they did end up getting a bunch of stuff which filled up 7 giant suitcases of stuff. Half of it was a bunch of stationery and a few questionable things in Skull’s bags along with a few key chains/kimonos. Nana and Tsuna bought out half of a bakery and a few other things they kept separate from each other.
After the initial bliss of golden week, he successfully did his work without any late homework and smiled at the teachers for once.  
Now that he actually did his homework everyday, the teachers got bitter at the fact that he seemed to do way better, and the students left him alone.
Tsuna frowned at the hostility the teachers had and told Skull and his mother about the events after a week of the same treatment..
It was only a month later that all the teachers his class was assigned had been illegitimate student teachers who barely helped their professors or couldn’t even get into a basic college…. Namimori middle school had separated since basically almost all of the teachers didn’t even gain a degree…unsurprisingly, the terrifying demon expanded school territory. He shivered.
The demon of Namimori had terrorized Kokuyo afterwards. It was only a few miles away from the outskirts of Namimori Middle.
“Tsu-kun?”
“Mhm?” said son nodded up, his lap covered in wrinkled papers and documents. Nana bit her lip nervously.
“Well, I know Namimori isn’t the best so me and Skull think it would be better if you studied in another place….” She looked at Tsuna for confirmation.
He nodded slowly, putting away the school files and recommendations.
“I think you should be studying somewhere with Skull. I don’t know why but after we both met Skull, I feel a lot more wary for you, honey.” Her forehead crinkled in displeasure as she hugged Tsuna. 
“Are you going with me?” Tsuna inquired, his eyes sharpening at her hunched pose.
“Sadly, no. I have no place anywhere outside of Namimori…. and if Iemitsu hears about me disappearing, he will search for me. Your father is a very… focused person. I would let him go but I’m scared of what he’d do to you or anyone else…. it’s not that hard to realize how tenacious Iemitsu is if you knew him dear.” She chuckled mirthlessly, her eyes darkening but prideful at the same time.
He protested but nothing could pass out of mouth, he shut his mouth after 5 minutes of silence.
“…what do you say?” his tutor stood at the door, having been there for the whole conversation. Skull’s eyes pierced through his soul. Tsuna froze in some unknown emotion and turned towards his mother. She tearfully smiled at him, getting up to make dinner.
He shook in disbelief…. Skull or his mother.
Tsuna frowned, grasping his mother’s hand. After a week of not doing anything, he reluctantly greeted his mother farewell which broke his heart. Skull gave them closure for the next 3 hours.
While they were going to the airport, Nana had texted her son and so forth, both sides missing their family member like crazy.
After 3 years, Tsunayoshi visited Japan for the first time alone and a Hitman entered Japan. Both people could feel a pit in their guts, unsure of what it was. 
As for Skull, he had abandoned Tsunayoshi with a plane ticket and 3 checks that could buy out a small town on his 16th birthday, though Tsunayoshi had understood. It wasn’t Skull’s place to help the Vongola no matter how much Skull loved his pupil.
It was very obvious to Tsuna that the Vongola or it’s allies had done something devastating to Skull’s life since the cloud was so understanding. Tsuna’s palms turned clammy for the first time in a long time, gripping the cloud flame fused crystal in his hand. It was the only thing Skull truly gave that indicated his bond with the 16 yr old.
His sky flames braced him for the worst as he stepped onto Japanese ground, sharply inhaling as observant sun flames doused the airport, the hitman’s eyes scanning for the Japanese heir he needed to train.
Then they made eye contact. Reborn did not like this brat, Leon tensed and curled up on his shoulder away from the Sky’s stare. A snarky grin makes it out of the teenager as well as anger from his Cloud’s experience with the hitman.
Sun and Sky flames set each other off, creating humidity in the air conditioned airport.
(Somewhere in a quiet place, Skull woke up with orange and purple eyes, instinctively reaching for a silver shortblade behind his pillow. Sensing the irritating sun flames through his sky, he pushed out the sun to balance the powers of a grown man with developed flames in comparison to a teenager with a weakening seal that was slowly disintegrating his muscles and organs..
He hoped nothing too bad would happen to what was his. Or there would be hell to pay. He went back to sleep with restlessness in his body.)
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walkerwords · 4 years
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“The Savior Sessions” Part 2 of 33 - Negan x GN!Reader
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IMAGE CREDIT:  Gene Page/AMC
SERIES MASTERLIST
Summary: Part two of the Savior Sessions. Negan asks about how the reader met Rick Grimes and they have a question of their own. 
Word Count: 2231
Warning: None
Song I Wrote To: “Lost On You” by LP
Note: Thank you so much for the love on the first one. As I said before, these are just going to be uploaded at random, but I was having writers block so this came out of it while I work on my other works.
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It was early the next time you pushed open the heavy door that led to Negan’s cell. 
“Rise and shine,” you sang as you entered, biting into a fresh apple. Negan was already awake, sitting on the floor of his cell bouncing a tennis ball against the stone wall. 
“Have you always been so cheerful in the mornings?” Negan asked and then succumbed to a yawn. You smiled as you took your chair and positioned it once again in front of the bars.
“Absolutely not,” you answered. “Mornings were the bane of my existence before the world ended.” 
“What changed?” he asked. 
“Probably the fact that Walkers woke you up no matter what and if you slept in, you risked being eaten or murdered in your sleep,” you finished with a shrug. Negan just shook his head, already amused. “Oh, I got you something,” you told him and then dug into the bag at your side and produced another apple that you had grabbed from Eugene’s backyard. “Breakfast.” Tossing the piece of fruit through the bars, Negan easily caught it, turning it over in his hands. 
“Special delivery from my new favourite person? How did I get so lucky?” Negan asked as he took a bite of the apple. 
“You’re locked in a cell because you started a war with Rick Grimes, I wouldn’t exactly call that lucky,” you said. 
“Actually,” Negan said, getting to this feet, “he started it with me.” 
“Optics,” you said with a wave of your hand. Negan chuckled and collapsed onto his cot, watching you through the bars. 
“So, what has been going on with you, (Y/N)?” 
“Not much,” you said, “I was roped into helping Porter with something yesterday that I highly regret.”
“How’s that?” 
“Eugene needed some help scavenging for scrap metal and parts for some new radio he’s going to attempt to build. We went to an old office building about forty miles West and after looking for a couple of hours, he finally found what he was looking for…in the ceiling.”
“Oh no,” Negan said as he took another bite of his apple, clearly absorbed in your story. 
“And of course, I was the only one who could fit into the small space so I hauled my ass through the ceiling to grab his damn wires. I have never been a fan of small spaces, but this felt like I was crawling into my own casket. Not a fan and no matter what Eugene wants, that will never be happening again.” 
“Ah, Eugene,” Negan mused, “I do miss that weirdo. I did have a soft spot for him at one point.”
“Until he went all double-agent on your ass and blew up your bullets,” you said fondly as you remembered that particular day in the field. 
“Can’t win them all, (Y/N),” Negan said. 
“No, you cannot,” you agreed. Sitting further back in your chair, you crossed your ankles. “What about you? Anything interesting happening around here?”
“How would I know about anything that goes on in this postcard of a town?” Negan asked with a glint in his eye. 
“I know that you listen to us through your window,” you said, pointing to the small hole that offers him a peek at Alexandrian life. Negan smirked, leaning back against the stone wall, matching your position. “Out with it.”
“Very well. Gabe and Scott were arguing about something to do with the council. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but Scotty boy isn’t on the council, right?”
“He’s not,” you confirmed, “but he’s one of Michonne’s right hands when it comes to security. Normal for him to have concerns. He’s practically Judith’s personal bodyguard these days.”
“As if Miss Grimes needs one,” Negan said with a smile. 
“You should see her when she used the sword,” you told him. “She looks just like her mom.” 
“Always knew she was a special kid,” Negan said. It was silent for a few moments as the two of you finished off your apples and basked in the quiet. Eventually, it got too much and you finally spoke. 
“I’ve been thinking about heading over to the Kingdom,” you said, “check in on the King.”
“That guy is weird as shit,” Negan said, “and what was up with the tiger?” 
“Shiva?” you asked with a grin. “She was incredible. Ezekiel was a zookeeper before the Turn and he saved her when she got hurt once. When everything went to hell, he went back for her and the two of them took on the Walkers together. Shiva was with him every step of the way.” 
“What happened to her?” he asked, noticing your use of past tense. “I didn’t see her after the day everyone rode in here.”
“Walkers got her,” you told him. “Ezekiel was cornered and she fought them off to save him, but there were too many of them.” 
“Damn,” Negan said.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” you said. Shiva’s death had hit you pretty hard when Jerry had told you. When you had met the big cat, she had immediately taken to you. Besides Ezekiel, only a few people were able to get close to her. Yourself, Jerry, Daryl, and Carol were those people and all four of you had mourned the loss of Ezekiel’s tiger for weeks after her demise. There was something so primal about hunting alongside the cat and as weird as it was, it felt almost natural to move through the new world alongside a predator such as her.
“So,” Negan said, snapping you out of your reverie. “What’s on the agenda for the day?” 
“That’s up to you. I’m just here as a sounding board,” you told him. 
“We both know that’s not true,” Negan said as he smiled at you. You shrugged and waited. Eventually, he sighed and gave up. “Fine, fine, I will start,” he said. “How about you tell me how you met the infamous Rick Grimes.” 
“I can do that,” you agreed and settled in for the story. “I met Rick the same day that he was reunited with his wife and son. Do you know what happened to him at the beginning of all this?” 
“No,” Negan said, intrigued, “do tell.” 
“Well, you know he was a cop, right?” Negan nodded. “Right, so before the Turn, Rick was shot on the job and he ended up in a coma. His partner, Shane, tried to get him out of the hospital when everything happened, but he couldn’t wake him up and so he left him behind so Shane could get Lori and Carl to safety. He barricaded Rick’s hospital room to keep him safe and then he left. Rick woke up well after the Walkers began taking over and he was all alone in the hospital.”
“Jesus,” Negan said, cringing at the thought. 
“He ended up meeting Morgan not long after and he explained everything that had happened.”
“Stick guy?”
“Yeah,” you nodded, “eventually, Rick made it to Atlanta to look for the refuge centers, but of course the city was overrun. He was pretty much screwed until someone saved his life and got him off the street.”
“Who was that?” Negan asked and you paused. You had tried not to think about Glenn now that you were tasked with speaking to the man who had murdered him, but now it was unavoidable. Negan waited while you tried to control your anger that swelled in your chest. 
“It was Glenn,” you said, “Maggie’s husband.” Recognition flashed in his eyes and his face fell, but you continued. “Glenn was just a kid then, but he risked everything to get Rick to him and got him to our group that was scavenging in the city. They’re all dead now, but they were good people. Well, all of them except for Merle Dixon, Daryl’s brother. He was a piece of work…”
“And what happened to him?” 
“The first time? Rick handcuffed him to a rooftop cause he was being a racist misogynist and then eventually Merle cut off his own hand to get away. The second time, this asshole we had problems with killed him and let him turn. Daryl had to put him down.” Negan’s brows rose at that, but he didn’t interrupt. “Eventually, Glenn, Rick, and the others got back to our camp at the quarry, and Rick, Lori, and Carl were reunited. Lori introduced me to Rick shortly after.” 
“Did you two get along?” 
“Not at all,” you laughed as you remembered your first meeting. “I didn’t like him when I met him. He was too...uptight. Daryl also hated him for leaving Merle, but those two worked it out eventually. Rick just showed up and took charge and it bugged me, but I soon realized he was the best person to lead us and so we all fell in line. He ended up saving our asses more times than I can count so I guess we made the right decision after all.”
“Hero type, huh?” 
“No,” you disagreed, “if you knew everything he did to protect us, you wouldn’t call him a hero. He was just one of the only ones to do what was necessary to do what needed to be done. I learned a lot from his actions.”
“Meaning what?” Negan asked. 
“Meaning I learned quickly how to kill someone when it was necessary to keep my people safe. We all did.”
“Even Carl?”
“Even Carl,” you agreed. “As I said, we’ve all done things. This world never cares how old you are, you just have to survive.” 
“Who was the first person you killed?” he asked. You stared at him as the images flashed through your mind. The face of the man whom you killed as he went for Tyreese when the Governor attacked the prison. You could still feel his blood on your fingers as you removed the knife from his skull. It was the first of many kills, but it was still the first. 
“We’ll save that one for another time,” you said.
“Did I touch a nerve?” he asked, but it wasn’t his usual snarky comeback, he genuinely seemed concerned. You smiled at him.
“I’m a lot tougher than I look, Negan,” you told him. “You can’t piss me off that easily.” 
“Good to know,” he said. His expression changed then, watching you as if trying to read every inch of you like a book. “I can see the gears turning in your head, (Y/N).”
“Is that so?” 
“I know you have a question on your mind,” he said. “Go on, ask me what you want to know. God knows I’ve been doin’ all the damn talking.” Negan was right, you did have something you wanted to ask him and it had been on your mind since the day Jadis, or rather, Anne had shown up at the gates of Alexandria looking for Rick.
“Why did you kill all of Jadis’ people? What was the reason for wiping them all out? Was it vengeance or were you just bored?” You hadn’t meant for it to come out as harsh as it did, but this was something you needed. While Jadis wasn’t your favourite person, she had helped your group when it was needed and before she disappeared, she had become a key member of the group. Negan sighed and you could see that the question bothered him. 
“I didn’t kill them,” he said in a low voice. “I ordered Simon to go and speak to her and get them to drop their alliance with you, but I never wanted him to… Simon killed Jadis’ people. I didn’t know about it until she told me herself.” You watched him, trying to see if he was lying, but you also knew he wasn’t a liar. In fact, Negan’s whole thing was that he never shied away from the truth. It was annoyingly charming and something that you admired and found incredibly irritating. 
“So, you’re not a cold-blooded killer then,” you concluded. 
“Not always,” he said with a slight shrug.
The sun was getting higher in the sky now and it began to stream through the small window of Negan’s cell. You knew you would have to leave in a bit. You had promised Aaron that you would watch Gracie so he could run an errand. And by errand, you knew that meant meeting up with Jesus. The man thought he was being slick, but you could see right through his lovesick lies. It was adorable. 
“(Y/N),” Negan said, gaining your attention once again. “Let me ask you this because I have been curious since our last visit.” 
“Shoot,” you said. 
“What was your vote on what to do with me?” he asked. 
“We didn’t vote,” you reminded him. Rick had made the decision and that was that. 
“Well if you had,” Negan said, “what would you have chosen?” You thought about telling him, but a part of you loved keeping him on his toes. 
“I’ll tell you next time,” you said as you got up from your seat. 
“Tease!” he said dramatically as he fell back on his cot. You rolled your eyes but didn’t stop the smile that spread on your face. 
“Not used to getting what you want, Negan?” he looked over at you with narrowed eyes. You leaned over and wrapped your hands around the bars. “Tragic.”
TAGS: @thanossexual
@yes-sir-hotchner​
@boom-bunny​ 
@delusionalteenagewhispers​
@sophia-gwendolyn​
@ritajammer21​
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silverwhiteraven · 3 years
Text
Wings of Broken White - Ch. 4
Tag List: @marichatmay
[ Posted on Ao3 ] [ Chapter 1 ] [ Chapter 3 ] [ Chapter 5 ]
[ Summary: Alya takes Marinette somewhere, and it turns cute. ]
Alya decided that Marinette wasn’t getting out enough despite the fact that they shouldn't be going anywhere when it was still late winter.
“Girl, you hardly go anywhere anyways unless it’s for someone else!” Alya argues as she dragged a snugly bundled Marinette down snow and salt dusted sidewalks.
“Hey, I went to the school’s Valentine’s party last month, that should count for something!”
Allya scoffed at the weak defense. “You were, like, a ninth-wheel, Marinette. Rose and Juleka, Nathaniel and Marc, Mylène and Ivan, Nino and I, we were the wheels on that bus. You on the other hand…” She trailed off to emphasize her point.
Marinette scoffed. “I think you missed a set of wheels, Als. Max and Kim were there. Chloé and Adrien showed up, too.” 
“Max was there sporting an Aro-pride flag pin and keeping Kim company,” Alya shot back. “They were just being single-wheels, together. And Adrien, with Chloé? More like she had kidnapped him to a secondary location! Adrien clearly wasn't the one to decide to show up. And remember the color coded cups? He was using the one for the ‘Single, just here to support my friends’ category. Just like Max, just like you. So my point still stands: You need to get out more often, just for yourself.”
Marinette sighed, relenting. “Fine, but next time, I get to decide where I go, so no more surprise trips.”
“Yesss,” Alya pumped her fist in the air victoriously, her wings spreading out, too. Marinette laughed and pushed her hand back down to her side while she dodged out of the way of one fairly the overexcited wing.
“Anyways, where are we going? You said something about, ‘You’re going to love it, my treat!’” Marinette quoted in an exaggerated mimic of Alya’s voice, causing both girls to burst into giggles.
“Just a café,” Alya says coyly, almost teasingly. It made Marinette squint in suspicion.
“It wouldn’t happen to be the same café you mentioned two weeks ago on the Ladyblog, right? The one they planned to theme after Paris’s new heroes?” Marinette asked, teasing her friend right back with her confident guess.
“You remembered! Yep, that’s the place! And it’s not just any regular themed café, either. It’s a cat café,”Alya revealed dramatically, while spreading her wings again to wrap them both in a mock cocoon of unnecessary but playful secrecy. Marinette balked.
“Wait, so you’re basically taking me to a ‘Chat Blanc emphasis-on-the-Chat’ Café?”
Alya snorted, pulling her wings back. “Yes, but it’s actually called ‘Hero Rescue Café’. They work together with the animal shelters around Paris, most of the cats they have are available for adoption. The profits are even donated back to those shelters to help keep the animals cared for. Isn’t that cool?”
“Mhm,” Marinette nodded along as Alya continued to rave excitedly and lead the way to their destination. I wonder if they’ll have any cats that look like Blanc? Probably not. Blue-eyed white cats were already popular, and no doubt are even more so now. Not that I could adopt a cat anyways, but it’s a niche thought. Wait, why is it a nice thought? It’s not like I like Chat Blanc or anything, no way! I don’t do crushes! Oh, who am I kidding? Marinette groaned in defeat to her own thoughts, making Alya stop talking and look at her.
“Something wrong, Marinette?”
“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you, I was just thinking about how sad I’m going to be if I see a cat I really want to keep but can’t?”
Alya nodded in acceptance of the awkward excuse, and Marinette sighed in relief. I can never tell her about my crush- I’m scared to find out what kind of match-maker she would try to be. Or even worse, tell me I have no chance! I mean, I know I have no chance, but still, ow. Would Ladybug have a chance? Wait, she and I are the same person! If I don’t have a chance, neither does Ladybug! Hold on, why am I even thinking about this!?
“We’re here~!” Alya announced, breaking Marinette free once more from her internal chaos.
“Is that a cat in the window? There’s a cat in the window!” Marinette let herself get distracted by the café and Alya laughed.
“Duh there's a cat in the window, it’s a cat café, what else would be in the window?” She teased, but Marinette only laughed.
“Well I know that, but I can still be excited over a cat, can’t I?”
“Save it for when we go inside,” Alya winked, opening the door for them both. There was a second set of doors past the first, and Marinette realized that they did the smart thing and made an enclosed entryway.
“Oh, this is to keep the cats from dashing outside, like at a dog park,” she mused, making Alya chuckle.
“Yeah, and gives people a fur-free place to hang up their coats. Oh, look!” She added excitedly, pointing to the opposite wall from the hanger rod. There was something that almost looked like a long shawl or a barber cape. Marinette recognized it easily. “They have wing-covers for patrons to borrow, in case we don’t want the cat’s playing with our feathers. That’s so thoughtful. They really went all-out on this place.”
Marinette smiled and nodded in agreement as she slid off her jacket and hung it up. “It really is sweet of them. Are you going to use one?” Alya shook her head.
“Nope. My wing’s are tough, I can handle a few clingy kitties,” she declared with a proud smile, and Marinette only chuckled as she opened the next set of doors for them both.
Unsurprisingly, Marinette enjoyed the café. She spent a lot of time admiring their logo that was embedded in the resin coating of their tables. The stylized lettering was inspired by some of the animal-themed Akumas. Then the entire name was encircled by the white belt of Chat Blanc and the red and black yo-yo of Ladybug. Symbolic of two heroes saving those in need. They really thought this out. Maybe Ladybug should show her respect here some time.
Surprisingly, the café’s cats also enjoyed Marinette. Alya was convinced they had met every single cat in the building before they even got their drinks. Marinette was just embarrassed and spent a lot of time spreading her attention between each feline before shooing them all off towards other guests. One of the cats, sleek black with yellow-flecked green eyes, was too stubborn to leave, so she let him claim her lap indefinitely. 
But, completely unbelievably, the café got a surprise guest. Chat Blanc himself showed up out of the blue. Alya had spotted him running across a rooftop across the street, and proceeded to book it out the door, fly after him, and then shamelessly ask to take a photo of him with the cats that were inside the café inspired by him and his partner. He was stunned at first, but agreed, soon enough beaming happily as he surrounded himself with cats.
“Is he crying?” Marinette whispered to Alya as she recorded the feline hero sitting on the floor with at least five different cats climbing his back, shoulders, and into his lap.
“The happiest tears I’ve ever seen,” Alya confirmed.
Once Alya was satisfied she had taken enough pictures and video footage for the blog, she turned her focus to getting a few personal memorabilias.
“Mari! Come here! Take a pic of me with Chat, please? I want something for my desktop background, this would be perfect!”
Marinette agreed, to the annoyance of the cat in her lap. She managed to get the photo, a cute scene of Alya, her nerdy school friend, and Chat Blanc, her dorky friend-but-only-because-she’s-secretly-Ladybug, doing a silly pose with their arms linked, wings flared out, and several cats surrounding them.
She gave a thumbs up, and Alya whooped, standing to take back the phone. Marinette stepped forward, only for the clingy black cat from earlier to entangle himself with her ankles.
With a squawk, she went tumbling, but was deftly caught in the arms of Chat before she could meet an untimely end via a floor of cats.
Marinette flushed scarlet. Chat Blanc smiled shyly. The black cat jumped up on them, getting his lap-seat back. Alya, of course, got another photo.
All three of them managed to laugh it off, but not without Alya demanding another picture of the two and the cats before she would let them stand up.
“Marinette, I’m texting you copies to keep for yourself. Sorry, Chat, I’d send you some but-”
“No worries,” he chuckled and rubbed his neck, waving her concern away with his other hand. “Secret identity means secret number. You’ll be using your own pictures on your computer, though, right? Consider me honored by that,” he bowed dramatically and the two laughed as he straightened. “And Marinette, I’d be more than happy to let you do the same if you wanted, too,” he played the comment off with a wink.
“Time for me to go,” Chat Blanc continued before either girl could respond. “Chat out!”
They watched him dash out the doors and off over the rooftops.
“Girl...Did he just flirt with you?” Alya looked at Marinette, awestruck.
“What? No! There’s no way! Nope!” Marinette flustered and started walking out in a feeble attempt to escape the accusation.
“Uh-huh, because feeling ‘honored’ to be a screensaver for one girl and being ‘happy’ in case it were to happen by a second girl, is totally the same thing,” Alya followed after, determined to tease the life out of Marinette.
“Yes, exactly! Completely the same! It would have just been awkward to say the same line twice, so he just reworded himself, that's all! He was just giving permission to use his picture for personal use, nothing more, nope!”
Alya laughed before winking playfully. “Yeah, girl, sure. That was all, nothing more, nothing less. Whatever you say.”
“Thank you,” Marinette nodded in finality, ignoring the teasing sarcasm from her friend.
Later that day, Marinette saved one of the café photos as her phone’s background, making sure to put a completely different photo as her lockscreen to avoid any further notice or teasing about her and Chat Blanc.
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cherry3point14 · 4 years
Text
What Does The Fox Say?
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Pairing: Dean x Reader Warnings: Crack. Orgy. Sex Party. Don’t let your nethers tingle, it’s barely flirting. SYNONYMS. Word Count: 2,300ish.   Summary/Prompt: There’s a case. Witches or something, and they’re killing people, specifically furries, maybe. As such one Dean Winchester goes to a furry sex party to look for clues... A/N: Written for @kalesrebellion​ “Bring On the Giggles” challenge. I think hope my synonyms for this challenge will be fairly obvious. Also, shoutout to @winchesters-meaty-feast​ who entertained my panic as this deadline loomed and pretty much talked me into birthing this ~thing. Sidenote - no disrespect to the furries who walk among us. It’s all exaggerated crack!fic. Peace and love. Yiffy on friends.
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From the outside, it looks like any other two-story townhouse. There’s a car parked out front, normal mailbox, the works. Regular suburban home. The first clue that something out of the ordinary is happening inside—where the ordinary is mom, dad, and two-point four ankle-biters having dinner—is the windows. They’re all covered, curtains or blinds, it doesn’t matter. This is what it looks like when humans try to cover their tracks. Monsters choose places that are already deserted and forgotten. Humans hide in plain sight and end up sticking out like a sore thumb. Plus Dean has spent all day talking to furries about this house. Yeah, that’s the biggest clue, not the damn curtains. He’s had multiple lectures, not only from Sam but the furries, people, themselves. It’s not all about porn. They’d told him adamantly. Showed him drawings and all these things they’d made each other, and pictures from their conventions. We’re not all perverts! They could say it until they were blue in the face (they had), but Dean’s standing here looking at this house, knowing what’s inside, and it’s hard to believe the furries-are-innocent propaganda. It’s even harder to believe he’s walking in there of his own free will. The things he’ll do to save lives. Sam told him to change because “Freeze, FBI” might not go down well at this particular house party. What’s he supposed to change into? A Halloween costume? That suggestion earned him yet another talk about respecting people’s interests. Whatever. He gets it, they don’t all have full fursuit things and even the ones that do, don’t generally fuck in them, and really? Is it really fucking necessary that he knows this much about furries? At least he can put on a plain black tee and some jeans and Sam only half presses his lips together in disapproval. What is his brother expecting him to wear to a furry sex party? Cat ears? (Dean is offended by the implication even if Sam didn't say it out loud). Eventually, shuffling his feet, he makes it to the door and knocks. He doesn’t want to be here but Sam’s working another lead on the other side of town at a D&D meet up. All jokes about dungeons aside, Dean would have given up his music privileges all the way back to Kansas to switch places. Once again, scissors bit him in the ass. The door opens a few inches, enough to see, hand to god, a guy in white rabbit-ish body paint. He raises his eyebrows in Dean’s direction like he’s asking for something without saying the words. The guy definitely doesn’t twitch his nose and it definitely doesn’t remind Dean of that bunny from Bambi. Oh shit. The password. Right, because that was how you made a gathering like this more legit and less embarrassing. Dean’s throat tightens like the words don’t want to come out, or like he doesn’t want them to exist, “Yiffy Ki Yay.” Furry sons of bitches have even ruined Die Hard. The guy nods and pulls the door open enough to let Dean slide in, but not reveal too much of the clandestine activities to the outside world. Not that anyone on Maple Avenue is looking into this particular door. Either the neighbors know better or they don’t care. Although now that he’s inside Dean can see his nameless host is also wearing tall, white ears and furry cuffs on his ankles and wrists. The first of what, Dean assumes, will be many red flags that he should leave. Not that he heeds the warning. “First time?” The rabbit asks while Dean attempts to scan as much as he can see without a slack jaw. “Yeah,” he breathes out. Dean has been around the block. He’s seen the inside of more than just strip clubs. His number one use of the Internet is porn, his second? More porn. This is something else. He’s not judging, well, he's trying not to judge and failing miserably. These people aren’t hurting anyone though. In fact, someone might be trying to hurt them. Or the D&D players. They were still on the fence about how the groups were linked beside the weird deaths. Granted some of this party seems very vanilla from what he can see. He catches a glimpse of the dining room, which has been cleared of most of its furniture, and there’s your everyday orgy of mangled limbs. Those limbs happen to be a little furrier than normal is all. Thankfully not everyone is dressed as an animal. Not that anybody will be telling Sam that he was right. Some people are dotted around watching, or drinking like the sex isn’t happening, and some of the people getting involved are in plain clothes. Or, naked but not wearing any sort of animal accessory. At first glance, there’s a part of Dean that thinks he can appreciate the hedonism of it, without being bogged down by the fact that they're all cosplaying as goddamn animals. Animal enthusiasts, he corrects in his head before Sam telepathically delivers a bitch face from across town. And then he’s walking through the kitchen and there are two people nuzzling each other. People might not be the right word because they’re dressed as cats. Holding each other and stretching and bending their limbs. All feline movements and what he thinks is a purring noise, but he can’t confirm or deny because of the music coming from the cheap speakers on the counter. It might be sweet if it wasn’t in the middle of a sex party. Yeah, this is still going to take some getting used to. The rabbit is yammering, mentioning ground rules that Dean is only half listening to while he tries not to stare at the cats. He’s listening enough to follow the rules but actually, he can’t bring himself to look away from the most PC thing happening in the joint. “Did you get that because I heard the door…?” This time Floppy speaks with enough urgency that Dean snaps his focus back to the white rabbit. “Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll-” he wants to say ‘mingle’ like it’s a seventies swingers party and his biggest concern is where his car keys are. He licks his dry lips and they still feel like sandpaper, “-look around.” He does need to look around, talk to people, do his job. That’s why he’s here feeling like the spare dick at a fucking contest. Dean knows his limits though and before he investigates he's gonna need a beer.  Once he’s got a bottle in his hand, which he got from the fridge because he doesn’t trust anything that was sitting on any surface, even unopened, he starts climbing the stairs. The tinny music, the sound of bodies slapping against each other, and the low din of people talking like normal adults all fade with each step until he’s at the top. Practically not at a furry orgy anymore. Except it’s a new horrific game now. What’s behind door number one? Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembers Whiskers going on about the rules of the rooms. Lock up if you want privacy. Unlocked and shut means viewers welcome. Open doors are an invitation to play. That’s the word Thumper had used, play. The first door is locked. He skips the second because he can hear what's going on inside and even if he was in the mood to creep (he’s not), you don't walk in on the money shot. The third room is a bathroom, a stark reminder he's in a house that people live in. The fourth door he tries is blissfully empty. It looks like a guest room. Walls that are basic beige and nothing identifying. Then he sits on the bed and presses his back into the wall. He realizes this bed has probably been used for the activities he’s already seen tonight. Out of sight, out of mind. Dean takes out his phone and stares, annoyed, at the screen. Sam hasn’t messaged him, so the case isn’t solved and he doesn’t have an excuse to leave. He takes a swig of his beer and types with his free hand, trying to make an excuse. Find anything yet? Another long drag while he waits, forcing the drink down his throat in the hopes of some small semblance of dutch courage. Or in the hopes that everything is solved, so he can go back to the motel and beat his meat to hentai like a normal person. No, but this is actually really interesting. You? Dean’s fingers twitch wanting nothing more than to throw the phone against a wall. If he wasn’t obligated to text back to illustrate that he’s still alive then he might leave Sam high and dry. As it is his reply is short and simple. Nothing. He feels no need to mention that he hasn’t actually looked yet. Dean puts his phone away and throws his head back against the wall at the exact moment the door opens. She stumbles in with the ghost of a giggle on her lips. He’s expecting there to be someone following her considering the party he’s attending. Two people blundering into a room looking for a place to get some privacy. Except she’s alone and she’s not concerned to find him alone either. Her eyes widen a little but her smile is soft, “sorry, you’re not waiting on someone are you?” “Me?” He asks, concerned that he has picked up some paraphernalia along the way. Anything that might suggest he’s a part of this. She continues to wait for an answer to her question instead of answering his. “No, Nah. Just taking a breather.” “Thank god, me too.” She blows out a relieved puff of air before shutting the door behind her. In doing so she flashes him her tail. She’s a fox. Or some version of a fox. She hasn’t gone as far as body paint. Her outfit almost seems costumey rather than serious. It’s this orange mini dress—if it could be called a dress for how little it leaves to his imagination—with a bushy, foxtail attached. He hadn’t noticed her ears immediately, but now he’s seen them, there they are. Ginger and pointed on top of her head, and when she turns back to him he finally notices the little, black nose she has painted on. She sits down next to him, scoots herself on top of the sheets making them bunch under her. She doesn’t seem to care about him having dibs over the bed or room and it only takes a few seconds for him to not care either. In this close proximity, inches apart, he doesn’t see a fox, even if she is definitely dressed up as a fox. He sees bare legs crossed at the ankle, her dress fighting to contain her cleavage and the sheen of her skin from dancing. She’s holding a red solo cup, he assumes half full of alcohol considering the pink flushing her cheeks. “I’m going to take a guess,” she leans until her shoulder is pressed against his arm, “you’re either a first-timer or you’re lost.” Dean laughs because he feels lost even if his cover is supposed to be the former. “First time, that obvious, huh? Thanks for pointing it out. Real considerate of you.” She bites her lip enough to get him looking at her mouth. Thinking about her mouth. “Wolf?” “What?” “I get it, first-timers are still trying to be normal, but the dark colors and the brooding loner thing you have going on in here. A wolf missing his pack?” She brings her knees up and bends her legs under herself while she guesses. Twists her body in his direction. He can’t tell if she’s joking. It sounds half ridiculous and makes him think of the kind of wolves he hunts. Dean lies anyway, “ding ding. Tell the woman what she’s won. Or do you prefer..?” Dean waves a hand to her everything fox related as if he might seriously start using ‘fox’ instead of ‘woman’. His gesturing hand lands on her waist while the other takes another swig from his brown bottle. “‘S fine. We’re all still people underneath. I’ve got a job and everything.” She rolls her shoulders like she’s showing off for being employed, which shuffles her whole body half an inch closer to his until her knees are touching his thigh. She’s facing him, his arm still lazily, half wrapped around her as she raises her cup to her lips. “Oh yeah, what do you do, sweetheart?” He lets the syrup fall from his mouth because foxes like honey.
She laughs, the sound tinkles in the space between them. “I’m a diner chef. Nothing exciting unless you like to eat?” His tongue peeks out between his teeth, his lips smirking suggestively. “I’ve been known to enjoy a-,” Dean's eyes flick down her body to where her dress is stretching over her thighs, and then back to her face, “fur burger.” Nowhere else on the fucking planet would he get away with saying that. Only at a furry sex party. She doesn’t just smile at his line though, she hums, pleased he’s playing along, and slides a hand along the outer hem of his jeans. Fingers slowly crawling up his leg and tracing the denim.
One blink and the air is thicker, heavier, and Dean doesn’t give a shit when it happened.
Her eyes flash playfully as she finishes her drink. “Mmm, the only way to make sure a burger is done is a good thrust of a meat thermometer.” 
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5eva tags: @divadinag​ @darthdeziewok​ @fluentinfiction​ @witch-of-letters​ @supernatural-teamfreewill-blog​​ @magnitude101999​ @alexwinchester23​ @jesseswartzwelder​ Dean babes: @thewinchesterchronicles​ @akshi8278​ @erins-culinary-service​ @bloodydaydreamer​ @iamabeautifulperson18​ @ellewritesfix05​
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iamnightduchess · 3 years
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Hey Queen, so I was rewatching season 2 of AOT, and obviously, I saw the amazing Reiner and Bertholdt betrayal scene. I couldn’t help but imagine how that scene would play out in the Twilight Blue universe. May I ask for your headcanons of the Twilight Blue universe? I’m also really curious if Mikasa and Reiner would get back together since they teamed up in the manga to defeat Eren. Thanks!
Hello my dear. Thank you so much for the wonderful Ask! Here’s hoping that your weekend has started out great so far. The S2E6 scene is legendary on its own through the nonchalant way Reiner revealed his & Bertolt’s true identity to the Islanders. In the Twilight Blue Universe, it would be a lot more impactful on both Mikasa & Reiner emotionally. The following (super long) headcanon would be what I envision had happened & also, the possibility of them getting back together again in current canon timeline of the manga.
Read on more for your reading pleasure!
ReiKasa Fic AU Headcanon #4
Universe: Twilight Blue (Note: for this headcanon, the epilogue never took place & the only person who is aware of ReiKasa’s secret relationship would be Bertolt. There's some BeruKasa moments too.) Rhythmic muse included in the links below!
Pre-Reveal
* After the end of Twilight Blue, Reiner & Mikasa had been seeing each other in secrecy. Bertolt would frequently and naturally be the one who provides an excuse for Reiner’s occasional disappearances and he’d also be the one who actually help to switch Reiner’s kitchen or laundry duties so they would coincide with Mikasa’s turn making it easier for the couple to sneak in more alone time together.
* Their relationship continues even when they both enlisted with the Survey Corps.
* Mikasa & Reiner have several secret rendezvous spot(s) : i) the library, right at the secluded area of the fitness books section, ii) the nearby forest for an early morning run, iii) the kitchen storage room. When they've been reassigned to the SC's old headquarters, they frequently snuck into an old attic up in one of the older towers.
* Mikasa can be seen staying longer whenever Eren & Armin hung out with Reiner & Bertolt. It never escaped Armin's perceptive observation that Mikasa seemed to be more sociable only around boys like Reiner & Bertolt.
* During one of their secret trysts, Reiner promised to Mikasa that he'd bring her back to his home in the future to introduce her to his family. He even mentioned this in secret to Bertolt, which the latter protested immediately, arguing that Mikasa would have a horrible future in Marley if they ever take her back with the Founder. She would become their POW or worst, a breeder for the military due to her Ackerman blood. Bertolt reminded him that there are no possible future for them together.
* Since they've been keeping their relationship a secret, Reiner still is flirtatious around the other girls, much to Mikasa's envy. But she wasn't openly expressive of her feelings, therefore only Bertolt was able to tell when Mikasa is bothered by Reiner's behavior around the other female cadets.
* Bertolt would be the one to remind Reiner that he's being overboard but when his best friend apparently 'forgotten' that he's dating the top cadet, Bertolt eventually became the person that offers Mikasa the voice of reasoning.
* Reiner's apparent crush on Krista wasn't taken well by Mikasa. Reiner told her that it was all an act so no one would find out about their relationship. But it didn't hurt Mikasa less everytime he tries to flirt with the petite, beautiful girl right in front of her. It also didn't help that all the other cadets had been gossiping about how Reiner & Krista make a perfect couple, much to Ymir's annoyance as well.
* Bertolt began to spend more time with Mikasa alone, where he also shared with her of his secret feelings for Annie. They both bonded over having to keep their true feelings to themselves. At this point, Mikasa had already see Bertolt as a brother figure, just like Eren and Armin. The other cadets, however, began to suspect the nature of Bertolt & Mikasa’s relationship.
* Connie was the one who suggested that Bertolt & Mikasa had been 'tumbling in the hay' during dinner, when they were running late that one time from cleaning the stables. The way they both blushed & kept quiet only stirred up more rumors, much to Jean & Reiner's annoyance. That same night, after their evening roll call, inside that tiny attic space, Reiner, once again, reminded her on why there would be no other men that could make Mikasa feels the way he does. Part of him was being possessive, part of him was jealous.
* One incident where Mikasa fell off a tree and twisted her ankle to help a stray cat, actually almost caused a rift between Reiner & Bertolt. Reiner only then realized that he had hurt Mikasa's feelings the instant he felt envious when he saw Bertolt carrying the injured Mikasa in his arms. Bertolt asked him, "Why would you care about her?", causing Reiner to recognize that he hasn't been fair towards Mikasa ever since they began dating.
* Bertolt had to remind Reiner that they were not supposed to be attached to anyone on that island but they both know that it was already a line they had crossed.
Reveal & RtS “Say Something”
* The day before the emergency discreet meeting with the top SC officers had also been the last time Reiner & Mikasa had been intimate with each other.
* The night Hange revealed the SC's suspicions of the duo's true identity, Mikasa found it difficult to accept & she had secretly been hoping that their suspicions were untrue.
* When their squad arrives in time to rescue Reiner, Bertolt & the others in Utgard Castle, Mikasa had been worried about Reiner's injury but the way Reiner & Bertolt had been avoiding her gaze somehow confirms her worst fear.
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* On top of Wall Rose, Mikasa had been dreading the moment that they're waiting to apprehend the two of them but Reiner's sudden mental breakdown pushed them all to the point of no return. Her hands had been shaking & she hesitated. Their objective was to apprehend them both for questioning, partly because she desperately wanted to talk to Reiner & to get his explanation.
* To say that Mikasa was disappointed that their suspicions were proven true would be an understatement. She was beyond devastated.
* Mikasa actually only wanted to hold Bertolt down so they could apprehend him. But Reiner pushed her off the wall, and this is because Reiner knew that Bertolt & him had to shift and he didn't want her to be caught in the transformation blast.
* The moment Reiner's psyche reinstates back to his Warrior alter, he had temporarily compartmentalized his existing feelings for Mikasa but his heart wouldn't allow him to do so.
* When the SC were chasing after Reiner, Bertolt & Eren, Reiner's heart ultimately broke the moment he heard Mikasa called him a plague of humanity in vain. His heart bled when he'd heard a Titan grabbed Mikasa & he'd heard her screaming in pain but he had to pretend that he felt nothing when it happened.
* Their relationship was as good as dead at that point and the end of the road for both of them, which was a premature, unspoken decision on both sides.
* The whole time when the SC were present during Hange’s introduction & briefing of the Thunder Spears, Mikasa’s brain had been thinking about Reiner the whole time & her feelings were hurt even worst than before.
* She knew they had no choice but to kill them & it didn’t make it even easier for her. It still hurts her to have to use that last Thunder Spear on him. She was still angry at him the whole time Hange was threatening him to explain about the place he came from, their mission & that mysterious letter for Historia. Never she’d expected that it would be the last time she’d ever see his face.
Post-Reveal  “It’s Not Goodbye”
* During her imprisonment for insubordination, Mikasa became depressed not only for the fact she now knew that both Eren & Armin have limited years left of living due to the Curse of Ymir, but it was also because of her guilt towards having to watch Bertolt being eaten alive by Armin’s raw titan form and also for a fact that Reiner would also be dying before Eren does.
* When Eren & Armin went to Reiner & Bertolt’s old room to clear their remaining possessions, it was Armin who told Mikasa that he’d kept them in the old attic instead of throwing them away. Mikasa kept Reiner’s old shirt that still has his scent on it from the storage & actually hid it under her pillow. It helped her through her difficult nights.
Time-Skip (Current Canon Timeline) “Love Story”  | “Tainted”
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* Within that four years, they both had never stopped thinking about the other. It hurts Reiner so badly that he couldn’t allow himself to reminisce all of the beautiful moments he had with Mikasa and could only subconsciously thought of the last moment he’d ever saw her face; her sending an explosive projectile down his Titan’s throat.
* Mikasa had not talked to anyone about Reiner or even once mention his name within that four years. No one knew why she would seclude herself in the attic of one of the headquarters towers every other Saturday.
* Only Sasha knew of Mikasa’s secret relationship years later by accident as during one night, she had overheard Mikasa tossed and turned around in her sleep, calling out for Reiner’s name, her asking why and how could you in her sleep. Mikasa would later wakes up from her nightmare & hides herself in their shared bathroom, crying in the shower.
* The first time she sees Reiner’s Armored Titan again in Liberio, she couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face. She couldn’t even look at Reiner’s direction at all & she realizes that seeing him again still hurts her.
* She was genuinely concerned of Reiner’s safety after the Rumbling was initiated by Eren. Later on, when they were reunited through the Marley-Paradis alliance, all those old memories came flooding back. They both had grown physically & mentally older but the love, it has always been there. The moment she saw his sleeping figure, by gods, she had never known how much she’s been missing him.
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* It pained her so much when she saw him being pummeled by Jean because of Marco’s death. Not even once he retaliated or defended himself. She’d never stopped worrying for him the moment he saw him immobilized inside his Titan form at the docks in their confrontation with the Jeagerists. Yet, not even once had she spoken to him directly ever since they were reunited.
* The first time they’ve ever spoken to each other was on the Hizuru steamer en route to Odiha. While Connie was busy tending to the injured Armin in the Medical Bay inside the ship, she helped clean Annie & Reiner’s wounds. “I miss you so damn much.” Were the first words he’d ever spoken to her after four and a half years. She pretended that she didn’t hear him at all.
* She avoided him on the steamer and even when they’re all gathered in the communal area to strategize, she’d spoken to everyone directly, even Annie & Pieck except him. Reiner also saw her observing the conversation Armin was having with Annie on the decks from afar and pulled her into one of secluded hallways to talk & to break the cold silence between them.
* She pushed him away and locked herself inside one of the unoccupied rooms as Reiner knocked on the door from the other side, kneeling and begging for her forgiveness, begging her not to shut him out. Mikasa hated herself even more with every tears that she had shed for both Eren and Reiner.
* Later that night, once they’ve docked in Odiha, Reiner knocked on her door once again to tell her that if tonight is the last night he’d have alive, he just wanted to apologize to her & he just didn’t want to have anymore regrets. 
* He begged and he pleaded, “I just wanted to be able to look at you in your eyes and tell you how very sorry I am for all the hurt I’ve caused you and there hasn’t been a day that went by without you on my mind. A part of me died a little bit each day since the day I left Paradis.”
* It took several swings of her fist against his chest, a slap on his cheek and a whispered, “I hate you” from her lips before it met his in a reawakened hunger. Old feelings and sparks reignited between the two former lovers. Inside a tiny bunker room on the Hizuru steam ship, two separated hearts reunited as one once again, so as their bodies.
* Now that Marley is in ruins & her mother is most probably dead, Reiner believes that he no longer has a home to return to. Mikasa disagrees & argues that he still has Gabi and he’d always have a home in her heart. Reiner realizes that if he ever survives their last stand against the Founder in Fort Salta the next day, he’d only wanted to spend the remaining time that he’d still had left alive with Mikasa, raising Gabi & Falco together.
* Right before they both dropped off from the plane to take down Eren’s Founding Titan, Reiner made one last promise to her: he’ll never leave her again & they will both return home together.
---------
I hope you’ve enjoyed the above & thanks again for sending in this fun Ask, @xrocketmanx! Take care & stay safe.
xoxo,
NightD
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Text
Imagine:
The Reader and Erik having pillow talk and she asked him “Which one of your scars hurt the most?”
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They were never going to get out of bed at this rate. Tangled in the sheets, Y/N and Erik were staring into each other’s eyes and listening to each other’s breathing. Erik was enamored by her striking beauty. The girl from Atlanta that he met through baggage claim only four months prior. This was the time they also got to know each other more. He learned how much she loved cats and that she couldn’t bring herself to adopting a new one after her cat passed away. She used to be a gymnast but quit at the age of 17 because of a broken ankle which ruined her chances of going to the Olympics. Her mother is of Creole heritage and supposedly they were descendants of Marie Laveau. Her favorite color is emerald green. She graduated with a degree in History and now she’s an Archivist. Her father was a drunk and a sexual abuser to her mother and she was glad he died from cirrhosis of the liver. She has a strawberry birthmark on her left buttocks. She’s fluent in French and Spanish. So much more amazing facts about her.
Erik told her of his life in Oakland and how he was passed around from foster care to foster care. Detention Centers, Juvie, almost in jail, Naval Academy, Military, MIT for grad school. Fluent in French, Spanish, German, Xhosa, and a lot more. He had a love for cooking, reading, anime, and rain. Very skilled in combat knowing three different fighting styles such as Dambe of Africa, Krav Maga that he learned while military training, and Jiu-Jitsu. He hated politics. Erik was very careful at the beginning with telling Y/N about himself but the closer they became the more she wondered about why he always traveled and what his scars meant. She didn’t know that Erik was a deadly assassin wanted in a few countries like Russia and Iran. So many passports and different currencies. It’s like he had to sleep with his eyes open.
Now, her pure hazel eyes were on his scar covered chest. A savage next to an angel. Y/N reaches out with her buttery soft hand to lightly touch his scars. The feeling tickled him in a delicious way causing Erik to close his eyes and bite his lip. She giggles, Erik, grabbing that same hand to plant a soft kiss to her skin before placing it back on his chest. Her taste lingered on his plush lips and he couldn’t help himself when he licked them.
“Can I ask you something?” She looked up into his onyx eyes, “it’s okay if you don’t want me to.”
“But I want you to,” he spoke with his alluring raspy voice, “I love it when you wanna know more about me, Princess.”
She sat up on her elbows causing her braided hair to fall over her shoulder, “okay,” she allowed her pretty eyes to travel the placement of his scarring, “I wanna know which scar hurt the most.”
“...You really wanna know that?” Erik looked away from her, grabbing her hand again, “I don’t know if you understand what you’re asking me, baby girl.”
“Erik,” her voice alone made him look up into her soft eyes, “I know what I’m asking. And I want to know more about the man that I’m sleeping with and falling in love with...”
She was so precious. There were multiple scars on his body that hurt like hell when he did them. But if he had to choose one...
“Here,” Erik grabs Y/N’s fingers, bringing them around his side to press along his rib cage. There, something she hadn’t noticed before, was a keloid scar that didn’t heal like the rest of the scars. It was oddly shaped and when she pressed into it a little more Erik flinched. He could still feel that one. Y/N drew her hand back quickly causing Erik to wrap his arms around her.
“Shit, I didn’t mean to scare you like that-“
“It still hurts.” She couldn’t understand why she was crying about it.
Yeah, that one wasn’t intentional...it wasn’t methodical like the rest. It was as if he carried the pain of the person he killed with him. Now, Erik was experiencing nostalgia. His memories of that slaying hit him tremendously. He swallowed an angry grunt and squeezed Y/N tighter. Her warm cheek rested against his chest and her knuckles stroked his abdomen making the hairs rise on the back of his neck.
“Erik?” She looked upward, “I’m sorry.”
“Stop,” He strokes her hair back before grabbing her braid lightly, “You’re not a sorry person and this shit is my mess, not yours.”
“You’re mines so,” She presses her nose against his skin, “Your mess is my mess now, babe.”
“Why didn’t I find you years ago?” She was perfect for him. The calm to his hurricane.
“I wish I knew you before. Even when looking at these scars I still see the same amazing man I know now. I know you feel like trash but I see different.”
Just hearing her say those words made him want to flip her on her back and make sweet love to her. Every stroke inside her delicate and celestial body felt like a part of her was intertwined with him. He was a better man now because of Y/N.
“I killed a childhood friend of mines.”
Y/N continued stroking his abdomen without interrupting Erik. She let him talk.
“It was...the whole situation was fucked up honestly,” Erik felt his lip tremble a little so he twisted his lips to control it, “He tried to get me set up. For some money. 10,000 dollars to get me set up and killed because some motherfuckers wanted me dead back in Oakland. They hated seeing me with a college degree instead of on the streets.”
He paused to gather himself because now he was picturing his friend's lifeless bloody body.
“I was no saint, I have the scars to prove it but I was trying to change, you know? Anyway...I came back to Oakland to reunite with my second family. They took me in, fed me, clothed me, and made sure I was in school even though both of us were out there running with the wrong crowd. I wanted to properly tell them how much I appreciate everything they did for me even when I didn’t seem like I cared, you know?”
Y/N nods her head slowly to let Erik know she was hanging onto every word he said.
“So, my childhood friend asked me to meet him at Fat Burger on N Vasco Rd like we used to do before we hit the liquor store and bought up some weed. Burgers, drinks, and weed...that was our shit. I pull up and usually, it’s hella niggas out there and some shorties too. Nah. This night it was blank and cold out there. Luckily I brought my Glock with me...”
Erik looked down at Y/N to check in on her and when he did their eyes met. She looked so innocent like a child being told a bedtime story.
“Go on, I’m listening,” she spoke with a whisper.
Erik swallows spit, “The minute I grabbed my gun I see a big ass white H2 Hummer 2008 pull up, about four niggas with silver 9mm pistols hop out. Y/N, I could feel my whole world tumbling before me like a fucking earthquake touched down in San Fran. That’s when I knew that this nigga set me up. After everything, he set me up to get killed in a fucking Fat Burger parking lot by four punk ass niggas who couldn’t even hold a gun. Shit was fucked up.”
Her warm hand pressed down on the center of Erik’s chest to help him ease his shaky breaths. Erik’s hands came down to fist the sheets, veins in his arms and shoulders surfacing as he replayed that night in his head. He had just turned 32. All the Wakanda shit happened and he felt renewed.
“I held my own and killed all four of them. My friend didn’t know how skilled I was. You need a whole army for me and that’s even if you get me. After I dropped them motherfuckers I checked out the car and saw duffle bags and shit to break into somebody's place. And I bought a new house. After seeing that I saw red. Not just the blood but...I was so hurt and I just wanted to kill him.”
Erik glares at the ceiling, “I pulled up on my friend, he was home smoking weed with the neighborhood hoe in the back sleeping that he made his main bitch. I dressed in all black and I used the tip of my gun to knock on that door.”
Tap. Tap. Tap.
“He opened it high as a kite and I wanted him to see the hurt in my eyes before I pulled that ski mask down to finish him off. I didn’t want to talk, I wanted him dead just like them other niggas. He looked from my gun to my face and then he closed his eyes. Shorty in the back came out wrapping a robe around her body and he stopped her. She ran back into the room and slammed and locked the door.”
So...this how it is, E?
“Shut the fuck up you grimy motherfucker,” Erik could see himself pointing the gun at his friend's face as tears streamed his eyes.
“Why? Why Aaron? You’re own brother?”
Listen, niggas kept hounding me. Saying they were gonna kill me and Simone. You know Simone got a baby on the way so I did what I had to do.
Erik saw they’re text conversations between them. He knew it was calculated but he wanted his friend to say his part. And the nigga was lying dead in his face. He was about to be on his face in a minute.
“Save it, nigga,” Erik saw his hand roughly shove him inside his home, pulling his ski mask down further and slamming the door shut.
“Get the fuck off the floor and sit your ass down in that chair so I can see you, nigga.”
Aaron got up and carefully sat down. Still the same old Aaron. Just now he was betraying his friends.
“You know what’s about to happen, right?”
E, man, listen, I had to man, it’s me, E, it’s A-Ron, we boys, we go way back, man, we’re brothers-
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
What about Simone? She-she knows how you look man she’ll call up her peoples, E, don’t do this-
“Simone ain’t stupid,” Erik laughed darkly, “She knows if she talks I’m killing that bitch too. I bet both of y’all tried to set me up. You and that loose pussy bitch.” He saw his spit flying out and connecting to his hand and the Glock.
Aaron’s silence confirmed it. It was him and Simone. Shit, now she had to die too.
E!!! No...E, please man, don’t do it man, fuck, It wasn’t all her E!!!! Don’t do her like that, please-
Now that Erik thought about it, one of them niggas who tried to kill him was her brother.
“I thought I told you to stop whining like a punk bitch and take this shit like a man? You a real motherfucking gangsta, right? Planning to kill your own family for some money? Nigga, I wanna see your brains on the floor.”
Simone came running out with a gun of her own. Bitch wasn’t 6 months pregnant. Hoe ass still slim. He was gonna kill her for aiming a gun at his head. She didn’t deserve a scar on his body.
Simone, go back in the room!
She didn’t listen and actually fired a shot at Erik that would have got him in the shoulder if he wasn’t so swift. He came at that bitch with two rounds to her chest. She fell back with a heavy thud.
NO!
Erik could see Aaron snarl like a pit bull. He let out an ugly cry and shot up to grab his gun. Erik peeped that he had it hiding beside his couch.
“You forget who you fucking wit, Aaron?”
Little Erik from way back when. Little Erik that thought he was too good to look out for his family back in Oakland. The family that took you in. Nigga, if I didn’t organize the kill some other niggas would have. Won’t be surprised if some of them driving by your gated community ready to set it off-
“It’s Killmonger.” Erik could feel his blood boiling.
Aaron laughs.
Who?
He hastily aims for Erik but he was fucking with Killmonger. A skilled assassin wanted in two countries.
Pow. Pow.
Aaron’s brains were on the floor...
“Erik?”
He could hear her voice bringing him out of his trance. Erik blinked and now he was back in bed, naked with Y/N. She was sitting up now, bare chest moving rapidly with every deep breath and tears in her eyes. Did Erik just tell her all of that? Flashes happened before his eyes and he could see himself in a cold motel bathroom pacing with rage. He could hear himself screaming at his reflection in the mirror before beating the side of his head. Erik saw his past self punch the mirror into tiny pieces. Erik saw his hand pick up a long shard of glass that fell in the dirty sink. His shirt coming up rest under his chin as tears pricked his eyes making it harder for him to see. That glass broke the surface on his rib cage and his hand shook. He could see himself placing a zig-zag scar into his skin. The glass shard cut into his palm. He was doing so well. Now, he had to leave Oakland behind again.
“Shit, baby,” Y/N wrapped her arms around his neck, cradling his head. His hot tears dropped to her breasts and down her belly. Startling her Erik pulls Y/N on his lap bringing his large arms around her. He wept and she did with him.
“I opened that wound back up, shit, this is my fault,” she felt stupid for asking him that now.
“No,” Erik looked up at her with his wet lashes, tear-stained cheeks, and red nose, “I needed that. I need to just,” he breathed in and out, “let the shit go. It was still haunting me.”
“I didn’t want it to get this heavy,” she wiped her face, “Just keep holding me so that I know you're alright.”
Erik gripped her naked waist and rest his head between her breasts. Her smell, warmth, voice, the taste of her tears on his upper lip, she was...so...good. He groaned when he felt his dick plumping up between his legs.
“It’s okay,” She felt it too, “I got you, baby.”
Y/N cupped the back of his head gently, “here,” she brought his mouth to her left nipple, “it’s okay...”
Erik sucked on her nipples softly. His saliva mixed with his tears covered her perky breasts. She rubbed circles with her thumb into the skin on the back of his neck.
“Mm,” she moaned gingerly, “You want more?”
Her hand came down between them to rub along his dick. She picked his weight up and slapped her pussy with it. He could hear the gushy sounds. Erik popped his mouth off her nipple to look into her light brown eyes. She didn’t say a word as she gripped his shoulder with one hand, opened her legs, and picked up his dick with her other hand to sink down on him. His forehead fell forward with defeat. Y/N pulled Erik’s arms around her waist again and with slow smooth strokes, she fucked him.
“You need this, baby,” she kissed his eyebrow, “just feel me, okay?”
Her pussy slushed and oozed around him. Damn, she was giving him what he craved to fix the ache. Fucking the pain out of him like her pussy was made of angel dust. Erik rests his head on her shoulder and allowed his senses to kick in. He could smell her and feel her pulling on his dick. He could feel his balls tightening and his dick swelling. He was going to cum prematurely. Erik grabs Y/N’s waist, bouncing her on him. Her sweet moans and begs for him to fuck her good drove Erik insane. He laid his body flat, pulling her down with him. He raised his hips from the bed and pumped into her pussy. She could hear herself splashing on him.
“Yes, Erik, yes, take my pussy,” she placed soothing kisses on his neck, “Do it, baby, that’s it, make you feel all better, yeah?”
“YES.” He spoke with a grunt.
She bit into his shoulder.
“Baby, you’re making me cum. Faster, yes, don’t be shy, daddy, fuck me faster.”
She was his undoing. Erik grabs her ass to keep her still while he fucked her into a frenzy. She connected with his eyes and Erik didn’t blink away. Not even when he started to cum. A vein formed in the middle of his forehead from how hard he came inside of her. She bit down on her lip, squeezing him purposely to empty him fully.
“Oh, God, Erik.”
“I love you.” He whispered before his eyes closed.
@tgigoldie @soufcakmistress @chefjessypooh@chaneajoyyy@pananegra@theblulife @becincere @blaqwidow91 @fish-outta-watah@moonlight-night-sky @eyeknowmywrites  @crowngold@njadakillthiscookie@blktinkerbell@luvanxi @sheisexcellent1@chocolatedippedinhoney@brandithecrystalgem@dababydababydababydababy@soulfulbeauty19@btitannaaa@sunkissedebony97 @youngblackndgifted@harleycativy @rbhp@thee-germanpeach @thadelightfulone@bugngiz@palmstreesallday@skylahb @bakaris-shorty @nizzle-mo @truglori @queenflaws @ljstraightnochaser @nickidub718 @vikkidc @thehomierobbstark​
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365days365movies · 3 years
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February 18, 2021: The Danish Girl (2015) (Part 1)
The list of movies I’ve seen is a little...limited.
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And I mean in general, not just this month. Now, don’t get me wrong: I’ve seen a FUCKTON of movies, to say it lightly. But in terms of the diversity of films I’ve seen...it could use some updating, I’m not gonna lie. So, because of that, I haven’t seen too many LGBT focused films, which is one of the reasons I wanted to add them this month. 
So I REALLY haven’t seen films that prominently feature transgender people, and Ace Ventura pretty obviously shouldn’t count for various reasons. But I have seen one major one, which I think has been recently somewhat forgotten. Which is a shame, because I actually really liked it!
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Tangerine, directed by Sean Baker, is a comedy drama film about two transgender women who are sex workers on the Hollywood strip, and it’s a look at a few days in their lives. It’s all shot on an iPhone camera (yes, really), and yeah, I really did like this movie! Saw it in theaters in early 2015, when it came out, and around the time I was starting to diversify my tastes, movie-wise.
Look, all of this is me saying that this project of mine is an attempt to watch more films, and to expose myself to new and different perspectives. So, even though this is the only transgender-related film on my list (yeah, sorry about that), there will be more in the future, I promise. If you have any good ones that fit into other genres, and that I should’ve seen by now, let me know! I’m definitely interested. Anyway, with that said: The Danish Girl.
Directed by Tom Hooper, who...wait. Tom Hooper? Like, this guy?
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Neat! That movie wasn’t bad, as musical adaptations go. Had its issues, but for Hooper’s biggest and most recent musical, that’s a good staAAAAAAAAH
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OH FUCK I FORGOT ABOUT CATS
...Ahem. Well, other than that movie that I saw in theaters NOT A JOKE I SWEAR TO GOD, Hooper’s 2015 biographical film about real-life transgender person Lili Elbe made quite the critical smash when it came out, and was considered (and won) several awards, including some Oscars. So, I’m looking forward to seeing this one! As long as there’s no James Corden and Rebel Wilson in it...or the mice...
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...
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...SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Recap
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Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) is a newly successful landscape artist in Copenhagen, in 1926. His wife, Gerda Wegener (Alicia Wegener), is a portrait painter, although obviously a bit stifled by gender politics of the time. The two are pretty obviously very much in love.
Einar goes to visit Ulla Paulson (Amber Heard, and we’re not gonna get into THAT massive-ass controversy, NO SIIIIIIIIR), a ballerina and a prospective godmother to any future children. 
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At a portrait painting with a seemingly VERY uncomfortable gentleman, Gerda does some musing on the female gaze vs. the male gaze, and dude is FRAZZLED. Also some talk about submission going on there, so THAT’S interesting. These portraits are viewed by a gallery owner, Rasmussen (Adrian Schiller), who believes that portraits aren’t her forte, and she needs to find another subject matter.
That makes her understandably upset, and she takes it out on Einar when she comes home. This is made far worse by the fact that the two are trying to get pregnant, but that doesn’t seem to be working either. Despite this, she asks for Einar’s help with a portrait of Ulla, and needs him to put on her stockings, shoes, and dress in order to pose for the painting. And that’s when the first realization hits.
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As he starts to realize something (which he obviously can’t quite place), Ulla arrives and hands him a bouquet of flowers, joking that they’ll call her “Lily.” He brushes this aside...mostly, I assume. That night, Einar comments on Ulla’s new night garments, and the two embrace lovingly. Still, though, you can tell that Einar’s percolating.
At a party that Ulla’s throwing, there’s a mostly ironic discussion about Gerda dressing provocatively by showing off her ankles. And yeah, it’s meant to be a joke, but the fact that they’re making a joke in this movie that I would 100% make in real life is so delightfully meta to me, and I love it.
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That night, after some more sexy, sexy ankle talk, and THAT leads to the revelation that Einar is wearing the new undergarments of Gerda’s. And, to my EVERLASTING surprise and delight, Gerda’s TOTALLY COOL with this, and the two make love. Afterwards, Gerda draws Einar in a more feminine state, which Einar quite likes.
Two two speak about another upcoming party, Ulla’s Artist’s Ball, to which Einar doesn’t want to attend, as...they...feel like they’re forced to perform as themselves. Gerda half-jokes about going as someone else, and while that’s not really an option they’re considering, the two do begin to craft a separate female identity for Einar, with makeup and clothes, as well as lessons on more feminine behaviors.
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Einar, as Lili, accompanies Gerda to the Artist’s Ball. It’s very awkward at first, but that changes with the introduction of Henrik Sandahl (Ben Whishaw), who’s immediately attracted to...well, “Lili.” I’ll explain the quotes in a minute, I PROMISE. “Lili” first rejects his advances, but then...HOLY SHIT, they kiss. And Gerda sees this, and it understandably goddamn upset.
The next day, the fallout comes, and Gerda and Einar have a discussion about the kiss, and Gerda says that Lili shouldn’t “visit” anymore. However, Einar’s not as certain of that even being a possibility.
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That seems to be further confirmed by the obvious strain Einar is feeling afterwards, and in a frantic rush, he heads to a studio that they use and looks at himself in the mirror. And as Einar examines himself in the mirror...I think this is the right time to explain the quotes from earlier.
See, here’s the thing: up until this point, both Gerda and Einar thought of this as a lark and a curiosity, respectively. But now, in the mirror, Einar’s realized that it’s something far more than that, as has Gerda. And it’s at this point that it’s time to switch names and pronouns, at least to they/them. Because up until now, I don’t believe that they truly understood themselves.
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And now they’re starting to. Hasn’t outright said it, yet, but the mirror scene seems to cement it for me. In the meantime, Gerda also seems to realize it, subconsciously at least, as she completes one of the portraits that she drew of Lili. She brings this to the art dealer from earlier, and he surprisingly takes it!
But Lili’s doing something...less than totally OK, as she goes to meet Henrik, who continues to show attraction towards her. A self-confessed romantic, he happily lets her into his place, but I’m not certain whether or not he’s aware of the full situation.
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Whether he is or isn’t, it doesn’t quite matter, as he wants to go further in their relationship physically, with Lili is NOT ready for. She goes home, where Gerda finds her, surprised. Lily admits everything, and while knowledge of the affair hurts Gerda significantly (GODDAMN IT MOVIES STOP THE INFIDELITY), another revelation emerges which is more important.
See, Lili and Einar seem to be dissociating, as Einar is now assigning Lili’s feelings to a separate person, and is essentially dissociating. These feelings include a past childhood kiss shared with a boy names Hans, which are now associated with Lili. But as all of this is coming to light, Einar suddenly collapses.
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Einar goes to see a doctor, Jens Hexler (Pip Torrens), who believes that it’s all caused by a chemical imbalance, and decides to treat it with...radiation. That...that can’t have actually been a treatment for “chemical imbalance”, right? I mean, it’s certainly fitting with the time, but this would DEFINITELY make hormone problems and infertility WORSE, not better.
But despite this, Einar and Gerda go through with this (almost certainly didn’t happen) treatment, after which Einar says that the doctor “hurt Lili.” Deemed unsuccessful, the doctor calls Einar insane, and leaves them and Gerda, who are both upset. And that’s not made better by the fact that the doctor has reported them, and someone will take Einar to the asylum...unless they leave.
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Good thing, then, that Gerda’s been asked to exhibit the paintings of Lili in Paris! They get the FUCK out of Copenhagen, and head to Paris. But with all of this, Einar’s beginning to unravel, losing even the painting side of themselves, as their relationship with Gerda also begins to change.
And I think that it’s at a Paris peepshow that Einar officially assumes the role of Lili in her own mind. So, I’m going to end the first part with the following statement:
Her name is Lili, and I’ll be referring to her as she/her from here on out. See you in Part 2!
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For the DVD commentary ask, my first thought was the BDE/“no toasters” scene from Chapter 3 of Satisfaction, because the idea of a “making of” commentary over that is very funny to me for some reason. But since that probably falls quite a bit too far on the NSFW side, my fallback was the scene from Chapter 20 of Demons where Catra decides to leave the Horde. That one is probably my favorite of the story so far.
omfg, that would be hysterical but I don’t even know what I’d say about that. Your easy pick is an excellent choice though so I’ll do that! (Commentary is bolded.)
I was so excited to finally release this chapter after so much buildup of Catra becoming disillusioned with the Horde and her identity in it. It was clear to me that Catra would not leave just because something bad happened to her, that would only make her more determined to stay and prove herself, so she’d have to see people she cared about getting hurt to make that mental leap. And so, this scene was born.
Eyes scrunching shut, Catra covers her mouth in an attempt to suppress a yawn. It leaks out through her fingers all the same, high and squeaky and embarrassing. Blinking the focus back into her eyes, she flicks them around in search of witnesses. Seeing no cadets looking her way, she sighs in relief and folds her arms back together. She scowls into the sparring circle, watching but hardly paying attention. Is she really supposed to give a shit about any of this?
Don’t forget this happens the morning after Catra has her big breakdown when it hits her that she’ll never have another chance to earn Shadow Weaver’s love or approval. She’s finally at a tipping point.
A few more moves and Lonnie is victorious, slamming her opponent on his back before rolling and dragging his wrist into a devastating arm bar. He taps out and Lonnie gets a modest amount of applause as she stands. Grinning with a sweeping bow, she offers a hand to her opponent, who takes it grudgingly. Kyle and another boy take their places in the circle and Lonnie shares high fives with a few cadets on her way out. She’s nursing a sprained ankle from a couple days ago, but you wouldn’t know it by the way she struts.
When Lonnie’s eyes lock onto hers, Catra groans internally. Of course Lonnie can’t just ignore the folded ears, crossed arms and twitchy tail that very clearly say ‘leave me the fuck alone.’ No, that’s like a homing beacon for Lonnie. She’s always gotten a kick out of getting under Catra’s skin.
Well, Catra won’t give her the satisfaction. As Lonnie sidles up to her, she extends a congratulatory fist. “Nice armbar, dipshit.”
Lonnie grins, bumping it with pride. “Thanks, bitch.”
I love these two so much. Anyone who reads my fics can probably tell but I am Invested in Catralonnie. In my head this ship falls under the category ‘brotps who hate fuck.’
She turns to the circle and they stand silently side by side, watching as the next fight gets underway. In theory, anyway. Catra’s zoning out, her lips sinking into a frown as she settles back into the numb, dark, heavy place she’s been inhabiting today. Grief, she supposes, though not in the usual sense of the word. She’s not grieving that abusive witch who tormented her all those years, body and soul. No, what she’s grieving is the end of their relationship, how it’s encased in stone forever, how she’ll have no more chances to make things right. No more chances to make Shadow Weaver proud, to earn a gentle touch and kind words, to earn her pride and her trust. But that’s bullshit, and she knows it. Those things were never earned, never given fairly.
Oh, she’s starting to get it...
Catra grits her teeth, glaring straight ahead. Today’s numbness has been punctuated by occasional bursts of anger, rage so blinding it makes her wants to tear her own skin to shreds to purge the feeling from her body. (*thousand year stare into the camera*) She rides out this latest wave of fury in silence, clenching her fists but keeping her claws sheathed to avoid making a scene in public. She takes a few deep breaths, pushing them out until the sensation releases her and she sinks back into the depths.
Shadow Weaver is gone. Catra will never get what she needs. It’s over.
Girl, you need to get you some therapy.
“What’s eating you?”
Catra jumps slightly at the invasive words, turning to find Lonnie watching her with those infuriatingly smug green eyes. Licking her lips, Lonnie cracks, “I know it isn’t Adora.”
Me @ y’all:
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Catra’s eyes narrow and she gives Lonnie a weak shove, prompting a laugh. “Nothing’s eating me,” she growls. “I’m fine.”
“Then why aren’t you sparring?” asks Lonnie. “Usually you love the chance to beat the shit out of some dumb human.”
“I don’t feel like it,” Catra answers flatly, mouth twitching only slightly. She doesn’t have the energy to be indignant. She doesn’t give a shit.
Damn that’s when you know Catra’s really got it bad.
Nodding with an exaggerated hum, Lonnie remarks, “You’ve been weird all day, dude. Broody, like more than normal.” (Have I mentioned how much I love Lonnie??) Catra summons the strength to shoot her a withering glare, but she’s undeterred. “You snuck into the barracks after midnight last night, then you woke me up again with your snivelling at four in the fucking morning,” she says with a glare of her own. “You owe me an explanation.”
“I don’t owe you anything, assface,” retorts Catra, jamming a threatening claw against her chest. “And I was only snivelling because I inhaled something weird up on the rooftops.”
Lonnie tips her head with a condescending smirk. “Sure, Catra.”
Yes, this is in fact a hat tip to ‘Sure, Jan.’
“I’m serious,” insists Catra. “There must’ve been some kind of spill in one of the factories.”
“Uh huh.”
Catra turns away with a glower, shaking her head. “Whatever, fuck you.”
“You wish,” snickers Lonnie.
“Ughhh!” Catra smacks her forehead with a huge sigh of exasperation. “Fine, I’ll fight you if it will get you to shut up. For fuck’s sakes, Lonnie.”
Lonnie’s preferred method of therapy is to piss people off enough that they’ll fight her and I think that’s very sexy of her.
Chuckling deeply beside her, Lonnie slings an arm around Catra’s shoulder and gives her a playful shake. “That’s my girl.”
Catra would usually shove Lonnie away in this situation, but she doesn’t this time. She’s too tired to fight the contact and needs to save her strength for the actual fight. Besides, it’s not the end of the world. Lonnie’s arm is beefy but not so heavy as to be uncomfortable. The pressure is actually kind of soothing in a way, clearing Catra’s mind and lulling her into a state of calm. Not that she would ever admit that to anyone, let alone Lonnie.
BROTPS WHO HATE FUCK Y’ALL. Okay but honestly I love that I have this relationship to work with because having someone who’s really good at getting under Catra’s skin is another way to open up her character. Lonnie is not only a loveable character she’s a very useful one for a writer who tells stories primarily through character work and relationships.
A loud thud and a howl of pain pierce the air, snapping Catra back to the moment. Her ears prick up at the familiar sound and she moves toward it on instinct, only to realize she’s half a step behind Lonnie. Humans like to say that cats aren’t pack animals, she’s heard that one many times as a reason she can’t be trusted. Catra is no more an animal than anyone else here, but she thinks Magicats must be different from their feline relatives in that way. The urge to protect her pack is overwhelming and immutable. One of her squadmates is hurt, and she needs to be there to help. Now.
Anyone who says Catra doesn’t care about other people can fucking fight me and that’s a fact.
She and Lonnie arrive at the edge of the circle to find Kyle sprawled on his stomach, moaning and writhing, pounding the floor as he tries to hold back wails of pain. It’s not immediately apparent what the problem is from Catra’s vantage point, but Rogelio is already kneeling on Kyle’s other side, telling him to breathe and that he’s going to be fine.
Okay so I fucking went 16 chapters never specifying whether the rest of the squad understood Rogelio’s language because it wasn’t clear in canon and I wanted to see if they would confirm it one way or the other, and of course as soon as I posted chapter 17 (where I specify that they can) season 4 came out and implied that they know him well enough to understand via his tone and gesturing but they don’t understand the language. So mark me down as annoyed over that. Anyway that wasn’t something I wanted to retcon so I kept it for the rest of the fic.
The instructor, some lower tier officer Catra doesn’t really know, steps into the ring. Pushing Kyle’s worried sparring partner aside, he shouts, “Enough theatrics! Get up and fight!”
Oh boy, Shadow Weaver likes to use that word on Adora too. I don’t remember if this mirrored that intentionally.
Catra feels Lonnie tense beside her, hears Rogelio snorting at Kyle that his leg is broken and he’d better stay the fuck down. Cringing in anticipation, Catra peeks over Kyle’s body and immediately wishes she hadn’t. The sight of his unnaturally bent shinbone sends a shudder of sympathy through her bones.
The instructor must not have any reptile friends (likely) or he understands and is a complete and utter asshole (also likely), because he keeps yelling at Kyle, “Come on, don’t be such a princess! I said get up, you coward!”
The boys’ wailing and snorting is getting them nowhere, so Lonnie intercedes. Gesturing down at the deformed limb, she shouts over the din. “His leg’s broken! You really think that’s a good idea?”
The instructor’s mouth falls open and he peers down at Kyle and then back up at Lonnie, his face turning red. “Don’t talk to me that way, Cadet!” he barks. “You’re running laps for the next half hour.”
Okay, Shadow Weaver Lite.
Lonnie blinks, purging her face of emotion. “I’m just trying to help. You needed a translator.”
“The next hour!” he shouts. “Wanna push it more?”
Scowling, Lonnie shakes her head tersely and begins to push her way out of the circle of cadets. Watching her go, the instructor puffs out his chest and waves a dismissive hand down at Kyle.
“Someone take this weakling to the infirmary,” he orders.
Rogelio glares up at the instructor, though to be fair the asshole probably can’t read reptilian expressions either. Lucky Hel. Rolling his whimpering boyfriend to lie on his back, which results in another howl of pain, he grunts out an apology. Then, supporting the injured leg with one massive arm and the rest of his body with the other, he scoops Kyle up and carries him away.
Okay but the bridal carry is *chef’s kiss*
As the crowd reforms around the sparring circle, the instructor claps Kyle’s partner on the shoulder and declares, “Alright, let’s get a real soldier in here to fight this guy!”
I feel really bad for this kid tbh.
The cadets erupt into cheers and several rush forward to take Kyle’s place, which results in a couple of impromptu fights as they try to push each other out of the circle. Catra is knocked back into the crowd in the process, but she doesn’t react with her usual bared teeth and claws, too busy staring slack-jawed at the chaos. Never in her life has she felt more disconnected from her surroundings, not even when she wanted to be.
At one point in her life (okay, many points), Catra would have been clamoring along with the rest of them. For a chance not just to prove herself, but to avenge her injured squadmate. But she feels no need to prove herself to this incompetent asshole of an instructor, and it’s not that kid’s fault they’re compelled to fight each other like this. He clearly felt terrible about Kyle, anyway.
As Catra watches the scene play out, watches the instructor continue to egg the cadets on, only one clear thought forms in her head.
What the fuck is wrong with these people?
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Seriously. How is it weak and cowardly not to stand and fight on a broken leg? That’s not how the body works. Then again, they also like to say that deserters are weak and cowardly. Maybe they don’t know what those words even mean. Maybe weak and cowardly just means having a mind of your own.
Catra’s eyes track Lonnie as she hobbles around the room with a red face and clenched fists. Though she isn’t visibly fuming in the same way, a similar heat smolders deep in Catra’s belly, filling her mind with treasonous thoughts. The whole thing is so fucking unfair. But that’s hardly some grand revelation. Nothing that happens in the Fright Zone is fair.
So what is she even doing here?
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That thought in particular makes Catra blink. Hard. She knows why she’s here, she’s been saying it over and over, clinging to these words, this need. She needs to show them they were wrong, she needs to achieve what everyone thought her incapable of. If she leaves, she’ll never do that, and everything that happened here would be for nothing. But if nothing is fair here, rising to the top says nothing about her qualifications, only her ability to work the system. A system that’s absolute bullshit.
And who does she need to prove it to, anyway? These mindless idiots submitting to an incompetant authority figure? Her temperamental former boss who put blind faith in her one day and took it away the next? Her deceased sorry excuse for a mother? Her ex-best friend who left her alone to suffer, but has since come to understand her wrongdoings? No… the only person Catra really needs to prove it to is herself. But if the system is bullshit, there’s nothing to prove, only a painful void to fill with… something.
Honestly this is a rough feeling to deal with but at least now that the illusion has been broken she can go about trying to find that thing to fill it. And no that’s not a sex joke lmao, though I suppose it could be.
Scorpia’s words from last night filter into Catra’s brain through the distant sounds of cheering and shouting. If it feels like everything is for nothing, she needs to find a way to make something of her suffering so she can be at peace. Her eyes fall on Lonnie again, her ears recalling Kyle’s sounds of agony. If she can stop other people from being hurt the way she was, would that make something of it? Would that be enough to satisfy the longing deep inside her, to heal the yawning, yearning chasm Shadow Weaver created with her rejection and cruelty, with her refusal to provide validation and affection? Catra doesn’t know.
All Catra knows is she’s done with this shit.
Catra I am so proud of you bb I love you and you deserve better.
Anyway sorry I had less coherent thoughts for this commentary but this scene makes me emotional so I got a little meme-happy. I have had many experiences like this where I was just holding, holding onto something that was unhealthy or a lost cause and then something happened and a switch flipped in my brain, releasing me from that mind trap. I really wanted to get the feeling of that experience across and I’m proud of how it turned out. It’s a great payoff scene for that whole ‘return to the Horde’ arc for Catra. I didn’t want her to leave for Adora but I also knew she wouldn’t leave for herself until she witnessed the brutality and inequality hurting someone else.
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astralkoo · 5 years
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Beautifully Misfit
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SERIES; Hybrid BTS
‣ Genre: fluff, smutt, hybrid au
‣ Word Count: 2.08k
‣ Pairing(s): skunk!Jimin x reader, puppy!Taehyung x reader, bunny!Jungkook x reader
‣ Warning(s): very strong language, lots and lots of f-bombs so beware of that, bit of angst if you squint real hard, nothin else for this chapter so enjoy ;)
‣ to be aware of: sub!jimin, switch!taehyung, switch!jungkook, dom!reader, some kinky ass future happenings, BDSM themes, some heavy angst, and triggering themes. 
Summary: you never really saw yourself as a hybrid person. that is, until your best friend introduces you to his hybrid, and you suddenly find yourself craving the companionship. you only intended to bring home one. somewhere between the lines you ended up with three beautifully misfit hybrids who craved nothing but your love.
part. i | ii | iii | iv | v | vi (coming soon)
A/N; this is my first post on here, so I’ll make this short… thanks for reading, I’m sorry, ily
Lonely.
It hit you all of a sudden.
You were lonely. For about four months, you’ve been living in you home, working as an editor for your aunt’s absurd gossip magazine, eating solitary meals, sleeping in your admittedly cold bed, and you were just now realizing how lonely you’ve been all this time.
This wasn’t completely out of the blue. You had been feeling a nagging sensation of emptiness in the pit of your stomach for a while now.
But it wasn’t until you had your best friend’s hybrid curled up in your lap, playing with your hair, and babbling about his love for food and pretty things that it settled in exactly what that feeling was.
“You know, you’re kind of cute. Your face is… decent, I suppose. But Namjoonie is much cuter and— oh my gosh you’re crying,” Jin squealed in surprise, shock lighting up on his features as an onslaught of tears suddenly poured from your eyes.
“Shoot, I’m s–sorry, Jin,” you softly cursed, gently pushing the angora hybrid off your lap as you jumped to your feet, hands feverishly working to dry your wet cheeks.
“Was it the cute comment? I mean, it’s true, but I wasn’t intending to hurt your feelings… didn’t realize you were that sensitive,” he grumbled, pouting at the fact that you’d just ruined the mood for him.
You quickly shook you head, “no– no it wasn’t that, I just— shit, I mean, fuck, excuse my language.”
“Y/n! How many times do I have to tell you to watch your profanity around Jin— holy shit, why are you crying?” Namjoon gasped in concern as he walked out of the kitchen before running to your aid. “Did Jin hurt your feelings? I’m so sorry he has no filter whatsoever and says thing without thinking and—”
“It wasn’t that, a Joonie,” you cut him off with a sniffle, “I just realized something.”
Namjoon stared at you for a moment with worried eyes, before turning to his hybrid. “Jinnie, you stay here for a moment, y/n and I need to have a quick talk, alright?” The angora rolled his eyes, not appreciating the secrecy but not arguing to Namjoon’s relief. He quickly guided you into the kitchen, urging you to take a seat while he made you a glass of water.
“What happened? What upset you? Was it really not Jinnie because I know that he can be—” your best friend in ten years began to ramble out questions.
Chuckling lightly, you shook you head. “No, Joon. I swear it wasn’t anything Jin said. He’s a sweetheart, really. A bit blunt, if anything but nothing extreme,” you reassured him with a soft smile. He nodded, eyes swirling with a mixture of relief and confusion.
“Then, what was it?”
You sighed, turning away from him. “I just… I realized how lonely I’ve been.”
Namjoon settled himself in the seat beside yours, gently placing his hand over yours in a comforting gesture. “What do you mean? Lonely how? You know you’ve always got me, and now Jinnie.”
“Of course I know that. And I am so lucky to have you in my life, seriously. You’re the best best friend a girl could as for… when your clumsy ass isn’t breaking my shit, that is.” He gasped dramatically, swatting at your arm, causing you to giggle quietly. “But, we can’t be around each other 24/7, you know? You have your life, your job, your responsibilities, and now your hybrid; and I have mine– minus the hybrid.”
“What’re you trying to say?” He asked, searching your eyes for further explanation.
“I– I just… I hate being alone all the time. Especially in that big house. I’m home all the time, the only places I go are your place and the grocery store when my fridge empties. That’s really sad, Joon,” you muttered, glancing at your intertwined fingers.
“You’re right… that’s really pathetic, y/n.” You laughed, lightly kicking his ankle to which he grinned and squeezed your hand, “but seriously, if you’re so lonely… why not find a boyfriend?”
You snorted loudly at that. “Me? Boyfriend? Please, let’s not get too crazy here, Joonie. Try to keep it realistic, yeah?”
Namjoon rolled his eyes heavily at your response, scoffing softly, “I’m serious, y/n! When’s the last time you even got laid?” His voice dropped to a whisper at the last word, knowing his impressionable hybrid with impeccable hearing was just the next room over. You gaped at him, taking that as your turn hit his arm.
“I don’t see how that’s relevant to my loneliness in the least,” you countered sharply despite the glowing blush making its way into your cheeks, glaring at him pointedly.
He smirked, cocking a brow. “That long, huh?”
You scowled at him stubbornly for a moment. “…yes. Fine. That long, you asshole.”
“Thought so~” he sang, sticking his tongue out, “why don’t you get out there then, huh? It could do you some good, relieve some of that tension.”
“Because, Joonie,” you groaned, slumping forward onto the countertop, face dropping into your folded arms, “that’s not what I want. I don’t want a stupid hook up with some random guy I met in a germ infested bar. That won’t solve my problem, I’m lonely not horny.”
“Same thing,” he shrugged.
You decided it best to just ignore him, continuing, “but I don’t want a boyfriend either. Every time in the past that I’ve had a boyfriend, they’ve only caused me more trouble then they were worth. Either they found someone they found more attractive and ditched me or found someone more interesting and ditched me. Not to mention, guys are just all around dipshits.”
Namjoon pouted, pointing at himself and waiting for some kind of exclusion.
“Besides you of course, Joonie, you’re an angel. I’m talking about straight dudes. They’re the real problem in this society,” you confirmed with an angry huff.
Namjoon raised your half empty glass, “I’ll drink to that.”
“All guys do is cause problems. They will in no way help to solve mine. So now… I don’t know… I just don’t want to be alone anymore,” you groaned, slapping your palms over your face in frustration, “maybe I should just get a bunch of dogs. Become a crazy dog lady. That’d be fun.”
Namjoon was quiet for a moment. “Or… maybe… you could get a hybrid.”
You choked on air, eyes bulging out of your head. “What? No! You’re crazy.” You immediately shot down the idea, shaking your head rapidly.
You? A hybrid owner? Yeah fucking right. You can barely take care of yourself, let alone an entire other human– er, hybrid being. Not to mention you’d be a terrible influence, with your drinking and cursing habits. No hybrid would stand a chance in your home. Owning a hybrid is essentially adopting a child with animalistic appendages and habits. It was really a two for one. Which also meant two times the responsibility.
Responsibility you were anything but prepared for.
“What’s so crazy about it? You’re great with Jin, you took a course on hybrids in college so you’re well informed, and they make amazing companions,” he informed, hands waving around in emphasis.
You shook your head. “No way. I’m not a hybrid person.”
“Says who?”
“Says me! I don’t know the first thing about hybrids, I only took that stupid course in the first place for the easy grade!” You retorted quickly, before a sudden thought occurred.
“Well, personally, I think—”
“Shit what time is it?”
He glanced down at his watch, “almost ten, why?”
You lurched out of the chair, quickly gathering up your belonging, “I’ve got an article deadline at twelve is why, fuck.”
Namjoon nodded with a quiet sigh, following as you scrambled to his front door. Like the gentleman he was, he opened the door, only to stop you half way out it with a hand on your shoulder. You turned back to him with raised brows and a questioning glint in your eyes.
“Just think about it, okay? For me? I hate seeing you like this.”
For the sake of his sanity, as he had a tendency to over worry, you agreed, “okay, Joon. I’ll think about it,” giving him a parting hug before darting to your car, grumbling under your breath, “when you start eating pussy.”
In other words, you definitely would not be reconsidering your decision.
Okay. So you were reconsidering.
It had been a day since you had dropped by Namjoon’s place. A day since he’d made that absolutely ludicrous suggestion, which gradually looking less and less ludicrous.
It was almost… appealing.
A hybrid companion… that would definitely make the house feel a lot less lonely.
You even wondered about what type you’d get. A dog, maybe. You’ve always had a soft spot for puppies, and you can’t help but coo and swoon whenever you see one on the street.
A cat, perhaps. Cats could be annoying, but they also knew when to step back and give you space, which would be nice. A lot less maintenance than dogs. But dogs were cuddly as hell and you’d enjoy having a cuddle buddy, that’s for sure.
Now, this is all circumstantial depending on the breed.
Hell, you were really bad at making important decisions.
“Shit, focus!” You cursed, smacking your cheeks harshly enough to make yourself groan as the skin tinted a hot red. You were supposed to be working on an article your aunt had just sent to you for editing.
But god damn the only thing on your mind was hybrids, hybrids, hybrids, and… what do you know— more hybrids!
“Fucking mother fucker fucking bitch can’t mind his own god damn son of a bitch business,” you growled under your breath as you slammed your laptop shut and yanked your phone out of the pocket of your baggy sweat (perk of working at home; you never have anyone to impress) and aggressively typing in Namjoon’s number before holding it up to your ear, muttering angrily to empty air. After the third ring, he finally picked up.
“Hey, Y/n, what’s--”
“Fuck you, Kim Namjoon. Fuck you to hell.”
“Up,” a short pause, “okay, I admit, was not expecting that response, but okay. Any particular reason you’re fucking me to hell?” 
“Hybrids.”
“Hybrids?”
“Yes, hybrids. I want a hybrid so fuck you.”
“Why fuck me if you’re the one that wants a hybrid?”
“Because you’re the one that put the idea of hybrids into my head in the first place,” you hissed in retaliation, slamming your fist down on your desk for emphasis.
He snorted loudly, “well, it wouldn’t be in your head if you didn’t want it a little bit in the first place. My suggestion just made you realize what was already a subconscious desire.” 
It was your turn to pause, lips pursing together as you thought it over. Fuck, you hated logic and reason, always ruining all your fun. “Fuck, you’re right. In that case, fuck me, too. In fact, fuck everything, the world is bullshit and this is not what I signed up for.” 
“When has the world ever been fair, babe,” he chuckled. 
Groaning loudly, you slumped back in your chair, dramatically throwing your arm over your face. “I don’t know what to do, Joon.”
“Do you really want a hybrid? They can be a lot of responsibility, but they really do make phenomenal companions, especially if you get the perfect one for you.” His words were somewhat consoling for your brain, which was currently going on overdrive. 
You pouted, tugging your knees up to your chest. “Do you think I could handle it?”
“I know you can handle it. You’re a lot more mature than you give yourself credit for. And even if it gets a bit overwhelming, I’ll always be there to help you out, you know that.”
You nodded to no one in particular, gnawing at your lip with furrowed brows, buried in your own thoughts, a back and forth battle going on in your brain. Do you really want this? A hybrid all your own. It would be nothing like going and visiting with Jin, you knew that much. It would be completely your responsibility, your companion, all yours. 
For some reason, that thought brought a ghost of a smile to your lips. 
Yours. That sounds surprisingly nice.
“Okay,” you murmured softly. 
“Okay?” He repeated.
“Okay... it looks like I’m adopting a hybrid.”
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Note
Can I get a Ojiro boy tickled to pieces? Thanke u!❤️
A Qurik With Quirks
Fandom: My Hero Academia
Characters: Izuku Midoriya, Mashirao Ojiro
A/N: I don’t really have much to say on this actually XD. I thought it was a cute idea.
Description: While taking notes on Ojiro, Midoriya notices that not only does his classmate's quirk give him a tail.... but it gives him paw pads and toe beans too?! He must explore this new fascinating discovery!
_
Wide eyes met as a soft blush grew. The noise that had just escaped into the rather basic dorm room caught both it’s inhabitants off guard. Deku slowly leaned back in the desk chair he was using. He studied Ojiro as he slowly uncovered his mouth and brought his legs away from his chest. He looked at the other, unsure of what to say or do. All Deku had done was gently brush the eraser side of his pencil on Ojiro’s newly discovered paw pads. 
-
It had been a boring weekend. Ojiro lay on his bed, staring at his ceiling as not even his phone had much appeal. The weather predicted for little to no chance of skateboarding and dealing with his classmates as a whole just seemed like too much for the moment. However, then his phone buzzed, he snuck a glance to make sure it wasn’t a parent. 
Upon looking at the notification, he was pleasantly surprised to see it was a message from Midoriya. ‘Are you busy? Was looking through notes on classmates, realized I don’t have much for your quirk. Can I interview you?’ Ojiro thought the request over. It was a little odd to him and very embarrassing, but he agreed nevertheless. 
Not long after a message of confirmation was sent, there was a knock at his door. “It’s open,” the tailed student called. Midoriya opened the door with a small smile before entering. Shutting the door, he stood beside the side of the other’s bed with enthusiasm. “Thanks again Ojiro!” The taller gave a small nod; a blush creeping on his face. 
“Ah, it’s not really a big deal. So, what did you want to know.” He patted the bed and pointed to the chair at his desk; offering for Deku to sit. Deku obliged to the offer with a nod of gratitude before taking the desk chair to the side of the bed. He sat with a stiff postured back and a slightly puffed chest. 
Taking out his pen and opening his notebook, he nodded once more to Ojiro who yawned softly. “Uh, anything I should say in particular,” the shyer asked. Midoriya shook his head. “Anything works.” It was still too vague. “How about you ask me something instead?” “Alright” Midoriya said in his typically happy voice. 
First thing was first, the tail. Ojiro covered his face as he stood beside his bed, letting his classmate measure the length and width of his tail before the questions finally started. Questions such as: basic usage of his quirk, then special moves, then team moves like with Iida. Ojiro realized he really didn’t know all that much about his quirk in the way Deku was explaining it. He seemed rather just plain and basic. How you would think it worked was how it worked. 
His quirk wasn’t flashy with tricks or new abilities. It was a muscular tail that Kaminari loved to play with. When that came up, Ojiro actually laughed. “Why do you need to know about that,” he giggled out. Deku shrugged. “I like to write fun facts. Also, who knows, your tail could aid in anxiety or stress relief.” Was that so. Mashirao shrugged before turning so that his back was to Deku. “Go ahead then.” Deku blushed before smiling excitedly. “Wait, really?” He nodded. “Ah, yeah. Just be gentle please?” “Of course!” 
Gentle hands started to mimic Denki’s typically actions before feeling up and down the tail. Each muscle under the skin felt powerful, each hair so soft and fluffy, each toss from side to side seemed a little more weighted; it was nice. “Side note,” Deku mumbled as he let go of the tail with one hand. “Tail aids in stress relief and possibly anxiety relief.” Ojiro rolled his eyes. “Still don’t see how that’s necessary.” Midoriya merely gave a shrug. “It just was.” 
Deku let go and Ojiro took that as a que to turn and face him once more. As he did, Deku gave him a curious look. “So…. is the tail the only animal-esc part about you?” He was leaning back in the desk chair, one leg swung over the other. He had his book open and supported by his left hand and forearm, right hand readying a pencil. 
“Um…. not exactly?” Ojiro removed his fuzzy socks that were protecting his feet from the dorm’s cold wood floors. Green eyes widened; no way.
“You have pads?!” Deku leaned forward to get a better look. If it weren’t for the animal paw bottoms Ojiro was packing, this would have been so awkward for the tail hero. “M-Midoriya. You're a bit close?” Oh, whoops. Deku blushed a bit before backing up. “Sorry. They… they just look like a little kittiy’s toe beans and paw pads. It’s a little weird only the top part of your foot has them though.” Mashirao shrugged. Was it?
“I mean not in a bad way, obviously, but it’s just a little odd, you know? I would have thought,” he started to bring his pencil closer as he observed curiously, “that the heel would be padded too; not just the balls and toes.” He gently swiped the eraser of his pencil up the balls of the foot earning a startling reaction.
Both legs tucked into Ojiro protectively, a yelp of sorts leaving his mouth. While trying to pull his legs close, one of Mashirao’s hands struggled between where to be. Finally, one sided with his mouth as the other held his legs. Oh no. 
Wide eyes met as a soft blush grew. The noise that had just escaped into the rather basic dorm room caught both it’s inhabitants off guard. Deku slowly leaned back in the desk chair he was using. He studied Ojiro as he slowly uncovered his mouth and brought his legs away from his chest. He looked at the other, unsure of what to say or do. All Deku had done was gently brush the eraser side of his pencil on Ojiro’s newly discovered paw pads. 
“Ticklish?” Ojiro covered his now burning face. Of course Deku was going to write that down. “Honestly Midoriya, most of our school is ticklish. Why are you wiritin- nahahah!” Deku smiled as he advanced the other. He took an ankle before gently tickling the padded top of the underside of the foot. “Whahahait, sthahaahaop! M-Mido-hahahah!” Dark eyes were shielded by soft crinkling lids as eyebrows turned upwards. Hands came up to better cover the reddening face as Ojiro’s stomach filled with butterflies. His tail started to smack into the bed repeatedly between wags of joy. 
Soft whines and awkwardly, cringey noises escaped the poor boy’s mouth as he shoved at his friend using his free foot. Deku merely smirked as he grabbed the ankle, truly testing to see how much of this aspect of Ojiro’s quirk could be used as a hero. As he went along though, he did notice that the padded parts of the foot were much more sensitive than other parts of the foot. Slowly, the green bean ceased to write a note in his journal. Maybe he could get his hands on Koda’s bunny later or one of Shinso or Aizawa’s cats to test their paw pads. 
As he turned away from the soft boy, Ojiro collapsed. He continued to giggle softly, curling up fully into himself on his side. He curled his tail up to protect him, just in case Izuku threatened to start over again. “That…. That was mean,” he panted through his soft giggles. Deku glanced up before smiling. “But it did give me more insight on your quirk!” 
Huh? Mashiaro quirked a brow. “How’s that?” Deku stood up to show him a few notes he took. “Your quirk not only gives you a tail, but pads to help with landing and stuff like that. As useful and cat-like as they are, they seem to be a rather large physical weakness.” “You write down weaknesses too?” Deku nodded. “Ah, yeah, but I don’t like flaunt them or show them around. It’s to kind of study how all heroes are, if that makes sense?”
It didn’t persay, but Ojiro found himself nodding nevertheless. “I guess. But…. please don’t start telling people about this.” Huh? Ojiro looked down, face pink from embarrassment. His tail twitched slightly, not sure what to do. “Why would I tell anyone about this? Like you said, most of our class is ticklish.” Deku put the journal down before walking over to his tailed friend. “Besides….. It’s just some friendly, fun, bonding stuff, right?” 
Oh, yeah; it was, wasn’t it? Ojiro gave a small, shy smile and nod before jumping as a hand found i’s way to it’s stomach. “And now that I’m done taking notes…. Let’s see where else your ticklish.” Oh crap.
61 notes · View notes
Ember/Shroud
Okay. I decided to try my hand at an au. Does it even exist yet?
It was mostly born from wanting a more serious reason as to why Blake was scared of dogs. I kind of feel bad.
I’m just going to call it “Emotional Support Soul AU” for now. Is this something people would like to see more of? Is it even a good au? Eh, it was a fun writing exercise at any rate.
Things to note:
Adam (abusive ex) is in jail.
Blake has come a long way but has residual trauma and depression
COMMUNICATION ISSUES
Yang does have a moment of being a lil forgetful and maybe a touch insensitive but she tries to make it better
Blake and Yang were roommates in college who decided to move in together
This is mostly because of Blake’s cat
They don’t know why but being too far apart physically hurts
So oblivious
Adam probably ran a dog fight ring or trained them to attack humans because he’s a goat lookin ass
Faunas are a thing
Set in Vale
Apparently soul pets or bonded animals or whatever are things here
The animal you were always meant to own/your guardian
Even more special if it’s your soulmates pet and it adopts you
Having your soulmates bonded animal approve of you is the highest complement
Both animals getting along and approving of each human in the relationship is rare and usually means they’re soulmates or something
They will often act as wingmen
It’s how Blake and Yang truly bonded as friends
Ember is a stray that Blake rescued as a kitten. When she finds out Yang is her cat’s bonded human, she’s surprised because: blonde party girl. She tried to keep Ember; does not go well.
Yang tried to keep Ember; does not go well
She refused to leave Blake but demanded that her bonded human stay
Even the cat ships them
————————————————————
“…Yang. What is that.”
“It’s a dog, Blake. Ya know, canine? Canis Familaris?”
“I know what a dog is, Xiao Long. I want to know why it’s in our fucking apartment.”
Uh oh. This was bad. Very bad. When Blake was mad she yelled. It was a part of her passionate nature; an injustice is done and Blake will have your head. But it was when she got quiet and spoke in that dangerously low tone of voice that you should probably start backing up. And never mention that’s she’s actually really pretty when she’s mad. Additionally, she was swearing and Blake only really swore when she was really pissed off. And apparently bringing home a Newfoundland equaled really pissed off the cat faunus.
“She needed a home. The poor baby was all alone, isn’t that right, Shroud?” Yang cooed adoringly at the friendly giant laying in front of their sofa.
“That is not a baby. That is a monster that I am sure will probably kill my cat.” Shroud whined and laid her head down, the dog almost seemed hurt. What am I supposed to do about Ember, Yang?!” Almost as on cue, a slender ginger tabby slunk her way into the living room. The cat immediately trotted over to Yang, headbutting her ankles fondly, completely ignoring her actual owner altogether. Before Yang could bend down to let the cat sniff her hands, Ember locked onto Shroud. She slowly walked over sniffed the giant nose that was presented to her. What truly surprised the two girls, however, was when Ember butted her head under the giant dog’s jaw before curling up against the dogs stomach and glancing at them as if to say “this is my bed now”.
“Ember, you traiter. I saved you from the streets when you were a kitten. I raised you and loved you like my own and this is how you repay me?!” Yang wished that she could say that Blake was joking but the cat faunus could be quite… extra when she wanted to be. To say the least; she was not pleased.
Yang walked over and scooped Ember up, not without complaint, and held her out to Blake.
“Aw, c’mon mum. Can we keep her? I’ve only just met her and I love her!” She pitched her voice, wiggling Ember around as though the cat were talking. This resulted in a bitten hand and a very disgruntled cat.
“You earned that. I pay half the rent, Yang. Couldn’t you have spoken to me about this first? You know how I feel about dogs.”
“Yeah, well, that’s kind of why I didn’t.”
“So you decided to ignore how I felt and go behind my back?” Yang winced. When you put it like that…
“Look, I’m sorry that I didn’t talk to you but my old high school buddy needed her gone ASAP. I couldn’t just leave her.” Yang made sure to look her friend in the eyes. She’d learned a long time ago that eye contact was important to the other woman and Yang always tried to make sure that she knew that she had Yang’s attention.
Blake didn’t say anything for a long while.
“Fine. Whatever.” She muttered, faunus ears pinned against her head, before turning on her heel and heading to her room. Yang cringed as she heard Blake’s door slam. Their uni days had taught her when to push and pull and when to back off. This was very much a back off situation. Even if she found it hard to understand why somebody would be so deadset against a dog.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Hours later, she was laying on the floor cuddling with both cat and dog when she heard Blake walk into the kitchen. She immediately headed over and stopped short. She knew Blake. She knew what she looked like when she was ecstatic, what she looked look when she was about to kick somebody’s ass.
Yang also knew what it looked like when one of her friend’s depressive episodes were kicking in. So the sight of a drained, red eyed and shuffling Blake was not new to her. It always broke her heart to see one of the most amazing, incredible people she’s ever met hurt like this. But to know that she was the potential cause…
“Blake?” Yang had never sounded, or felt, so small. Blake breathed deeply for a moment before turning to Yang.
“He used to keep dogs. Trained them to bite and attack. I don’t exactly have pleasant memories of them.” When Blake spoke, carefully holding her hip as it ached, it hit her hard. Of course, that was in the police report when they finally managed to get Blake’s ex away from her for good. Why the hell didn’t she put two and two together?!
“Shit, Blake. I am so sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t- it doesn’t matter. I obviously hurt you and I am so, so sorry.” Yang was close to tears herself at this point. She had seen how that man had broken her friend. Watched as Blake pulled herself from the shadows and stood tall and continued to repeat that process every single time he knocked her down. Now that she was finally free of him, she could be who she was meant to be. But that didn’t mean that he didn’t still haunt her. It hurt to see the pain in the other girl’s eyes but she kept eye contact. “I’ll find her a new home as soon as possible, I swear.”
Maybe that would have been it. Maybe she would have rehomed Shroud and they would have been done with it. But the canine in question suddenly walked into the kitchen and made her way to Blake.
“Just stay still, Blake. It’s okay, I won’t let her hurt you. I promise.” Blake was frozen but before Yang could grab her, Shroud sat at Blake’s feet and stared up at her. Yang paused. It was eerily similar to how Ember had decided that Yang was her bonded person. Blake’s breathing started to even out as she gazed at Shroud, who then proceeded to flip over onto her back and wiggle, tongue and jowls flopping comically.
“Hi?” Blake’s uncertainty would have been adorable had it not been for the situation. As the dog shifted, so too did Blake, her gaze becoming more curious than fearful. There was a patch of white on the dog’s black chest, seeming to form the shape of some kind of flower. “I think the fates are fucking with me.” Blake mumbled. “Because that is a Belladonna plant.”
Yang blinked. Blake met her gaze and before too long, the two women were giggling. Perhaps it was the fact that tensions were running high or perhaps Shroud had somehow known how to break the ice with Blake. Because when Blake spoke next, she left Yang surprised.
“Keep her.” Blake inhales shakily. “But please, for the love of God; train her properly. I can’t live like that again, Yang.” Yang immediately nodded and then, unable to help herself, ran over to hug Blake.
Only to be blocked by a large furry body. Shroud wasn’t growling, merely acting as a barrier. The dog had apparently thought that Yang was going to hurt Blake and was already trying to defend her. Wasn’t there a meme online about that? “I’ve only had Blake for one day but if anything happened to her, I’d kill everyone in this room and then myself.” Evidently, that was what was going on here. Not that Yang could blame the dog. Bonded animals did tend to be extremely protective of their person, if that’s what this was.
“Uh, Blake? I think that you have a body guard now.”
“Oh.” There was a light sniffle as the emotions of the past few hours crashed over Blake. “I think that that’s fair since you stole my cat.” Yang snorted, side stepping around Shroud carefully before wrapping Blake up in a hug.
“Not my fault she’s my soul pet or whatever the hell they’re called.” Yang defended herself. “I can’t believe that I’m going to need to ask a dog for permission to hug you.” Blake giggled weakly, burying her head into Yang’s neck.
“Just… lets take it slow, yeah? I’m not going to become a dog person over night. Even if she is my bonded animal.” Yang hummed. Well, that confirmed it. Most people could tell once eye contact is made. They felt a sort of unspoken promise; the creature would protect their sworn master, so to speak. The bonded animal would then act as a sort of body guard. It was useful many years ago but now it was more about them being glorified emotional support companions. Sometimes the matchups were odd. Yang had honestly beloved hers would be a golden retriever, not her best friend’s cat. And apparently Blake’s bonded animal was her best friend’s dog, despite the fear that she held for them.
Maybe Blake would never love dogs. But Shroud could at least be one dog that Blake could at least be comfortable with. After all, people were usually gifted the animal that they needed the most.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
It was a late afternoon when Yang realised she had been right. It had taken weeks, even months worth of training and slow progress between the two but eventually, Yang was forced to admit that Shroud was meant to never hers. Just like Ember was never meant to Blake’s.
She had just come home from work and had called out to Blake when she heard distant singing coming from the kitchen. Rounding the corner revealed a very surprising sight. One that made Yang melt.
Shroud had her paws on Blake’s shoulder as the young woman danced them around the kitchen singing along to the radio. Those gym sessions were really starting to pay off for Blake.
“You could be my Queen, I could be your dream. Oh, let me be your bumblebee.” Blake giggled as Shroud barked at her. It was a sign of how far they had come considering that she used to flinch at such. “Yang loves this song. Now that I mention her...I think that you might be a much better dancer than your mother, Shroud. Even if she doesn’t quite realise that staring is rude.”
Yang blinked. She’d been caught.
“Sorry, I’m just stupidly proud of you. So proud, in fact, that I’m going to ignore that jab at my awesome dancing abilities and my pride.” Yang glanced down at Shroud, who had dropped to all fours. “You going to say hi, girl, or are you just going to abandon me for a pretty lady?” Shroud almost seemed to glare at her before looking up at Blake who nodded solemnly in return. Yang let out more than a few grumbles about traitorous mutts and reached out to pet Shroud. Until she noticed an envelope in the dog’s collar. She rolled her eyes; they had taken to using the poor dog as a messenger, after all. Opening the letter revealed a reservation for one of the new high end restaurants in Vale. She looked up at Blake in confusion.
“It’s that new faunus cuisine place I told you about. You’re free Friday at six, yeah?” Blake was smirking and leaning up against the bench.
“Um, yes, why?”
“Because if you won’t make the first move beyond telling me I’m “feisty” and “pretty when I’m mad”, then I will.” Blake narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think that I haven’t noticed, Yang.”
“Oh. Am I that obvious?” Yang swallowed nervously.
“Yes. Also your sister and her “BFF” talked to me and have me informed to, and I quote, ‘take your pining, queer ass out before Weiss kills somebody.” I’m still not sure if Weiss wants me to date you or snipe you.” Yang felt her eye twitch. Those two...
“I mean, I’m more than happy to go on date with you and all, Blake, but I kind of want to kill them, now.”
“Want to pretend like nothing’s happened and mess with them for a couple of weeks?”
“How the hell are you so perfect?” Blake simply laughed and walked out of the kitchen with Shroud in tow.
“And of course the stupid dog follows her.” Feeling a bump against her ankles, Yang looked down. Seeing Ember, Yang quickly bent to hold her up to her face.
“But as long she keeps smiling, she can keep stealing from me. I mean, your mum already has my heart and soul, what else could I possibly lose?” She asked the cat quietly. Ember purred, apparently content with the results of her meddling from way back when. Yang smiled. It always made it a little more special when your bonded animal approved of your partner. If she was being honest with herself, so she was on cloud nine. Well, up until she heard Blake’s voice float down the hall.
“I heard that. Oh, you are so never living that one down, Yang!”
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chibivesicle · 4 years
Text
Golden Kamuy chapter 224-226: Pirates, serial killers and a killer rabbit’s much awaited backstory.
For the sake of time, I will combine my summary of the past few chapters that I missed while I was traveling and I don’t want to break it into smaller bits.
Chapter 224 had a color cover featuring none other than our favorite solitary wildcat sniper Ogata.  I personally love the retro look for this!  It looks like a classic comic from the 1960s with the odd color scheme and the handwritten shaded boxes.
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The one box highlights the “100″ in Ogata’s first name as the kanji hyaku and the rest in latin letters. 
The text refers to “Come on, Let’s Go! On wildcat Ogata’s sure-hit express! (one step forward!).  Thanks to discussions on discord the phrase is in reference to the cat moving and delivery company in Japan, Yamato transport aka 黒ねこ (Kuroneko).  A huge shout out to tsurumineko for translating the pun based on their “target hitting/sure hitting” level of service.  I was previously familiar with the company in part due to my love of cats and noticing it everywhere when I’ve visited Japan.
Here is the official logo with a mom cat carrying a kitten and their official HQ (from wikipedia).
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I can’t help but wonder if this implies that Ogata is a very reliable character in regards to performing his duties or that he hopes to one day make sure bring his own “kitten” home.  Will Ogata be the one to take Asirpa back home to her kotan, Huci and her family? Either way, it implies that Ogata will get the job done, just like Kuroneko will deliver that package on time for you!  He’ll snipe that target, he’ll get that info, he’ll make sure your mission is a success etc.
The retro look also makes me think of comics like these:
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Batman works a bit outside of the law and has that dark edgy feel to it and Ogata also wears a cloak!  Plus, look at the style of Batman and Robin, they’ve got quite the build just like our GK boys do.
Anyways, the cover is a combination of Kuroneko delivery and Batman.
Chapter 224 starts at the Uryu river as Asirpa is lighting a fire to attract a swan to it so that they can have it for dinner.  For some odd reason, Noda chooses to rehash the Asirpa is going to kill a cute/beautiful animal for dinner.  She pulls Sugimoto’s head when she sarcastically replies to him that they will gently grab the swan. . . .
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I don’t understand this need to return to early Sugimoto-Asirpa humor.  Shiraishi has returned from pooping and a swan approaches as the two of them freak out upon noticing the other.  I personally find Shiraishi’s concern valid - swans are total assholes, so I’d also want to be upset at a swan at close range.
Asirpa beats it and they begin to prepare it for dinner in a temporary shelter as early on in the manga.  This is a repeat of when they first started working together and ate the deer that Sugimoto failed to shoot.  The three of them in Asirpa’s tent cooking some dinner.
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Keep in mind Sugimoto didn’t want to eat the otter head etc etc and he still has issues with things beyond brains.
This time Asirpa really highlights the need to give it the Inaw offerings and place the head in the river.
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Sugimoto still can’t eat animal heads and still looks awkward.  However in contrast to chapter 25, after eating Shiraishi begins to explain what he’s observed from Heita’s belongings.  He explains to us in a flashback what Heita told them about gold panning.  He knows now that gold from different rivers looks different so there is a way to identify where it came from.  And now, we get to see Shiraishi shine as he begins to help them lay out a new strategy for finding the gold without the skins.
He first off explains what we already know about the “Noppera-bou incident” which I find interesting based on the fact that he uses Noppera-bou - I wonder if Shiraishi thinks someone else killed the 7 Ainu men and Wilk was moving the gold, but not involved as Wilk told that to Sugimoto.
Shiraishi points out there may be people who know where the gold is hidden - and since supposedly Wilk moved it all by himself, he wouldn’t be able to move it that far. 
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He then continues to state, they just need to find the region where the gold dust was from and look close by.  Sugimoto is not convinced by Shiraishi’s line of reasoning at all.  He has a look of total annoyance and he’s like - “we” can’t identify a hidden gold dust stash etc.  I’m disappointed that Asirpa simply chimes in that he’s an idiot as she eats the swan head that Sugimoto wouldn’t.
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Shiraishi has to remind them what they learned from Tanigaki back when he was injured and recovering with Huci at Asirpa’s kotan.  Part of the gold was taken from the stash by Wilk and the boat capsized on Lake Shikotsu.  Therefore, they know where a sample of the gold is.  As soon as Shiraishi reminds them of what they know from Tanigaki, he catches Asirpa’s attention and she takes him seriously.
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She then summarizes where he’s been going with this - they likely won’t have the skins so they need another game plan.  Bravo Shiraishi!  He has created a plan B for them, better than Sugimoto’s “um maybe we will sweep in and steal the skins from Hijikata or Tsurumi . . .”
Sugimoto immediately rejects Shiraishi’s plan on the fact it is too hard and whines about it.  Asirpa at least has a well thought out and rational reply that the lake is too deep, so they can’t get the evidence.
This leads into a flashback with Heita and our pirate convict at Lake Shikotsu the previous year.  We get a “typical” reveal of his character as he’s completely in the nude about to dive into the cold spring water.  Boutarou the Pirate’s real name is Oosawa Fusatarou and this reveals some of his background as a talented swimmer and diver.
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He’s got some rather unique eyebrows - reverse Koito ones and he reveals that he’s going to dive for 35 minutes.  He then uses special breathing techniques to get as much oxygen into his system and he’s got large feet, webbed hands (due to cell death not occurring between his digits during fetal development btw) and he became a convict by drowning people and stealing their stuff.
By having a rope tied to his ankle, Heita can signal to him when his time is up and he can come up from his deep free dive.
The chapter then returns to Shiraishi pointing out that Heita and Mr. Pirate already found the gold.  This means that Shiraishi took the time to look at all of Heita’s samples and that they know the location and it is linked to one of the still remaining convicts.
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Shiraishi then reveals that he knew that there was a guy who was intense, physically robust and pushed himself to the limits - so if he could dive to find the gold - he would be the most likely to succeed. The flashback shows that he was able to dive down to Wilk’s canoe and that Heita found at least 4 locations for the gold dust.
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With the list of rivers, it means the gold dust found in the canoe can be traced to these four rivers: Toppu River, Saru River, Sorachi River and Shiriuchi River.  I have labeled each of those rivers on the map of Heita’s description of rivers that can be panned for gold and included a few cities for reference.  In yellow is the current approximate location of Asirpa, Sugimoto and Shiraishi on the Uryu river.  The rivers where the gold dust is from are in magenta.  The Toppu River is the closest one to them and the Sorachi and Saru Rivers are reasonably close.
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The only river that is further away is the Shiriuchi River fairly close to Hakodate.  Google maps has the Shiriuchi River labelled as the Chinai River (I checked with translator GlassHouses for clarification - apparently it can also be read as the Chinai River and there is one located in Shikoku - thanks for the help!) so if you try to find it in English it won’t be labelled correctly.  Lake Shirotsu is the large lake on the map just next to my arrow pointing to Sapporo.  Only put on a few cities for easy reference, Otaru, close to Asirpa’s kotan, Ashikawa and Kushiro. 
The chapter then ends with Sugimoto holding the list of rivers as his eyes are white.  He figures if they head to those rivers, since the pirate knows where the gold is from they just need to catch a pirate [and skin him].  Stop looking so well murder-y Sugimoto.
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The tag line at the end states that every river eventually leads to the sea . . . I guess this must be true in Japan perhaps, but if you live in a basin, or in the Great Lakes region of North America the lake does not lead to the sea . . . . but I digress.  This likely has to do with the pirate reference or something.
Recall that in 223, Hijikata is the one who remarks that Boutarou the pirate is making his move.
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with the end of 224, it is confirmed that Boutarou is another faction entering the quest for the gold. 
Quick observations and predictions from this chapter.
1.) Ogata is about to become a key player based on his color cover (if you don’t already get that Ogata is important).  Momma cat needs to take her kittens home.
2.) Shiraishi has laid out their plan to look for the pirate.  This may lead to an alliance or Sugimoto just trying to skin him based on the ending page.  I personally think an alliance with Asirpa-Sugi-Shiraishi and Boutarou to be the most interesting. . . .
3.) Hijikata is not surprised by Boutarou’s move to enter the quest.  He was working with Heita and now we know he will likely have his own faction as well.
4.) Based on my map, some of the parties will need to visit each of these rivers in order to gather information.  With the much farther away Shiriuchi River, it takes the cast close to Hakodate.  I can see this being key in future events involving Hijikata (due to his historical death during the Battle of Hakodate), Koito, since he was kidnapped in Hakodate by Tsurumi with the help of Ogata, Tsukishima and Kikuta.  It seems like some sort of confrontation at Hakodate is in the cards.
Chapter 225 - Another convict enters the story.
So chapter 225 starts out with a clear reference to the infamous serial killer, Jack the Ripper who targeted prostitutes in Victorian London and was never caught.  Oh yay, another serial killer - just my fav type of convict. [rolls eyes] The chapter title slums seems to refer to the slums of Sapporo where alcohol and prostitution were the few releases and the area was ripe with disease and violence. 
An older woman is walking back to the inn of her client, he’s a much taller man wearing a western style of dress and a top hat.  The woman is chatting away, she explains that she used to come from a wealthy family in Nagoya, since she’s in Hokkaido, it either implied her family was on the losing side during the Meiji revolution or that her late husband was on the losing side sent up to Hokkaido.
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She’s clearly flush with drink and she turns to notice that he may be Japanese based on her “Huh? You’r Japa . . .” as he then grabs her by the face and proceeds to slit her throat and then cut up her body.  As she struggled we get to see her hand pulled his jacket open a bit revealing yet another tattoo - so yep, another convict.
The following morning shows Sapporo police officers trying to keep the press away from a covered corpse, the woman covered with a straw mat.  A member of the press is confirming what happened with a very suspicious looking police officer. Apparently, there was prostitute who was killed in the same location within the past month or less e.g. indicated by the 31st of last month (we don’t know how far into the current month things are).  The man is revealed to be a criminal inspector and he has a shaded face and interesting wrinkles under his eyes.
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From the start, this criminal inspector seems to be quite tall compared to the reporter.  The next page reveals his identity as he’s trying to get a scoop on the story by bribing the inspector with food.  The inspector’s face is covered as he simply tells him to shut up as he turns away.
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The action then shifts to the temple where Hijikata and Co. are staying as we the readers are reminded that the man is Ishikawa Takuboku, the reporter who meet up with the group back when they had their photos taken before Abashiri in Kitami.  Most of the group went to the photo studio with Hijikata while Shiraishi went off to the red light district with Takuboku instead as they hung out with sex workers and got very intoxicated on Hijikata’s money.  The drunken Ishikawa blurts out that Hijikata is going to buy up newspapers to control the press.
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Shiraishi knew that the Russo-Japanese war resulted in sales of papers but Ishikawa revealed that the change was due to the addition of pictures!  Hence part of the reason why having a photo of Asirpa will be important to his Republic of Ezo plan.  Again this exchange between Shiraishi and Takuboku-chan illustrates that Shiraishi is a pretty observant and smart guy.  He’s def aware of more things than people give him credit for.
He’s finally back reporting to Hijikata and asks for more spending money.  Unfortunately, he’s trying to get money from Nagakura who is having none of this and reminds him bluntly that if he wants money it needs to be information not printed in the papers.
Ushiyama makes a comment on how gruesome the murders are and wonders if the man has some issue with whores.  Ishikawa comments that it is “unfortunate” since he hopes the man is apprehended quickly since he currently has a prostitute in the area that he is rather fond of.  Wow, way to show how you care about women trapped in sex work Ishikawa . . . that the were likely sold into but I digress.
The English translation has Ushiyama refer to sex workers as whores, and Ishikawa’s use of prostitutes implies a little more respect, but maybe not since he’s concerned his current interest in Sapporo may get his fav woman killed and he won’t be able to sleep with her any more.  What is clear is both men seem awkward in their opinion of how women in sex work should be perceived.
This is clear based on Nagakura’s reply to Ishikawa’s statement that he hopes he dies in a ditch.  Hijikata completely ignores the info and just asks Kadokura if there was a convict in Abashiri who fits the description for the current killer.
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Kadokura doesn’t reveal the name of any other information about the killer.  Clearly, this information will be revealed when it becomes relevant and Hijikata is concerned that if this man is a convict and he is making such violent headlines that Tsurumi and his men in the 27th will certainly realize that they should investigate as well.  It seems after Abashiri, Hijikata is taking Tsurumi as seriously as possible as well as the arrival of Ariko into his group after he was beaten up by Usami.
Hijikata’s reference to the 27th hunting the possible convict leads to another mallard flying.  The final part of the panel shows Ogata aiming at the duck.  Ogata fires at the duck.
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The duck flies on, but Ogata simply exhales as he works the bolt with his left hand.  He’s looking smug yet determined again.  We don’t seem him exhale like this frequently, but it does remind me of his “I shot the woodcocks” proud face or a focused “hmmph”  this is what I expected look.
The final panel shows two tail feathers from the duck fall to the ground both having been shot by Ogata.  It is clear that Ogata is pleased with his progress on re-learning how to shoot ducks with his left eye.  He’s making good progress - I’m not sure if we will get to see him make a successful kill in the manga or if Noda will keep it for a big reveal scene where he makes an amazing shot.
There are two ways to look at this i.) Ogata knows he’s getting better and he’ll let others see that he can still snipe and that he’s still a sniper.  ii.) Ogata gets better, but publicly doesn’t want others to know he’s back to “normal” and uses his injury as a way to hide his regained sniping ability as his wildcard.
Both of these can be advantages for Ogata - everyone assumes he’s a sniper and forgets about all of his other skills.  Or he makes others assume he’s weaker and than uses that to defeat them - an obvious sucker is Sugimoto - Sugimoto would look at one-eyed Ogata and think, “well if I can get close enough to break his arm again I can totally finish him off . . .” as Ogata then snipes Sugimoto again . . . (okay, not likely to happen just like that but you get my idea).
The chapter then shifts to an unnamed village along the Sea of Okhotsk.  This is a vague descriptor, and as my map indicates it can be along this entire coast of the northeastern part of Hokkaido.  Yay!  The panel is quite simple as it shows a dead horse laying down.
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The final panel shows Usami looking down upon the horse.  Stares down at the horse as his eyes are white around the iris. As his head shifts a little to his left.
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It is clear by the next page that Usami is the likely cause of death for the horse.  A random man yells “Who did this?  Who killed my horse!” as it shows Usami shuffling off rather quickly to avoid being caught in the act of horse murder.
Tsurumi is then outside of a shop that sells newspapers reading a newspaper with great interest. He then speaks to Kikuta who is nearby, telling him that the murders in Sapporo appear to be the work of an escaped tattooed convict.
He orders Kikuta to go to Sapporo to look into the convict.  And that he should take Superior Private Usami with him.  Wherever Tsurumi is along the coast is unclear, but Tsurumi seems to think staying on the eastern coast will allow him to find Asirpa from that area.  Plus, he has sent Tanigaki in search of them as well. . . Kikuta replies yes sir rather calmly in a typical Kikuta fashion.
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Usami walks up behind him with completely black eyes when Tsurumi tells him to take Usami with him. . . Kikuata can’t be too happy wit this as his reply is hesitant . . .” . . . yes, sir . . .” as he gives him the stink eye. 
Usami then speaks up highlighting that he really doesn’t want to go with Kikuta.  This is quite bold from a superior private, but Usami seems like he can get away with this in front of Tsurumi and Kikuta almost smirks as he feels the same way.  Tsurumi doesn’t even turn to reply to Kikuta, he simply replies that Usami will be of use to him in Sapporo and Kikuta looks curious as to in what context Usami will be helpful.
Tsurumi figures that Hijikata’s group will also move there to investigate due to the newspaper coverage and that they should avoid them if all possible.  Tsurumi doesn’t want them running into each other. 
This is interesting as Kadokura is currently in Hijikata’s group and can easily recognize Usami so that may come into play.  Usami beat the crap out of Ariko so he’ll be tied to the situation.  Ogata is back with Hijikata for now and has a previous work history with Kikuta and there is enough information for the two of them to have some sort of showdown/reunion etc.
With somewhat erratic screen tones behind Usami and a equally creepy font he declares that running into Hijikata’s group is fine.  He concludes that Ariko will be a useless spy and that he will just kill them all and steal everything - problem solved.
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And with that Usami gives off super creepy vibes at 110%.
He and Kikuta don’t get along at all - when they were chasing after Toni Anji which required a well thought out plan he was useless and whiny and Kikuta couldn’t take it and also trusted Ariko to succeed.
When they were chasing Asirpa off of the ferry - Usami’s solution was to simply kill Huci and Kikuta was clearly appalled by how Usami’s mind seems to work.  It was clear when Usami beat up Ariko that Kikuta was both hurt and torn about the entire situation.  This likely is setting up some sort of disagreement between the two men.  Kikuta is a sauve, sexy man, who appears a bit cocky at times but he gives off a vibe of really caring for others and avoids harming others who are not involved in things.
The next page reveals that indeed both groups are hunting down the convict in Sapporo.
Hijikata has brought his entire entourage.  He leads the group followed by Ushiyama and Nagakura.  Kadokura, Toni, Kantarou, Kirawus and then Ariko follow behind.  Ariko looks back at Ogata watching them from a distance and taking up the rear as he prefers.
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Kikuta leads with Usami behind, his face partially obscured by his visor of his army cap - Kikuta is too sexy to every wear a hat and mess up his excellent hairstyle.
It is interesting that even when you zoom in a bit, Ogata has his blank expression as Ariko nervously looks back at him.  He was nervous to see Ogata and he likely thinks Ogata is onto him as a spy or maybe even thinks that Ogata is still working for Tsurumi.  
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It looks like Kirawus is watching Kadokura - I wonder if he’s onto Kadokura playing dumb.  The two of them may get drunk and joke around, but I think Kirawus has been watching both Kadokura and also used him to get closer to Hijikata.  I think both of these men are carrying secrets that will be important as time progresses in the manga.  I just can’t shake the feeling that Kirawus knows more about the Ainu murders and I have a theory that he keeps his forehead covered b/c of some scar or something from the incident where the 7 Ainu men were murdered.
The next page has present day Tsurumi thinking of something disturbing based on the screen tones around him and it reveals a flashback, in Meiji 28 (1895) and back in Tsurumi’s home area of Shibata, Niigata.  The flashback starts with someone asking Tokushirou, Tsurumi’s first name, about how the battlefield was.
The next page reveals Tsurumi talking with a man who appears to be his martial arts teacher for jujitsu.  Tsurumi tells his teacher that he observed something interesting in war.  Despite the vast amount of training that soldiers underwent before battle, most of the men actively avoided trying to kill the enemy soldiers.
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Tsurumi goes on to state that during the American Civil war troops went to great lengths to avoid killing each other (as the nature of a civil war that split families apart at times) and he spends the rest of the page discussing that most humans will really try to avoid killing each other, even in the case of war.
This really is the heart of one of the major issues of GK.  What happens to men who go off to war and the actually kill others?  How do men do this and how to they move forward (or in the case of many of the elite men of Tsurumi’s 27th) how do those men get sucked into killing and do all of the dirty deeds for him.
This gets at the concept of how a person can be turned into a killer and be able to go to great lengths to kill and in this quest for the gold - who can serve Tsurumi best.
After perhaps working or training with his sensei, Tsurumi has changed into his uniform and is telling children nearby (perhaps students of the dojo) to be careful of Master Takeda’s horse is ill tempered (confirmation of the identity of the man he was just talking to) and that it may kick them.  The fact that Usami killed a horse in the present time and then there is a flashback about a horse seems to indicate this will be something to do with Usami’s past.
A voice then calls to Tsurumi, calling him Mister Tokushirou, indicating a person familiar enough with him to call him by his first name but with respect.
This flashback now has revealed not one, but two people close enough to Tsurumi to use his first name either as a senior, his sensei and this unknown yet clearly younger person.  Tsurumi responds, that he recognizes who the person is - revealed to be a younger Usami.  He tells him that he’s gotten taller again, and then calls him by his first name, Tokishige.
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Usami is blushing as he looks at Tsurumi before he replies yes, still blushing with black eyes as it reveals that he is Usami Tokishige, 14 years old. This means Usami was born in 1881.
Of course the editorial tagline mentions that he is yet another of the boys pining for Tsurumi.
Chapter 225 ends with several things as the main points:
1.) The next convict is a serial killer and is in Sapporo.  This will lead to a likely encounter between Hijikata’s group and Kikuta and Usami.
How will this showdown happen?  I’m hoping that Kadokura notices Usami and tips off the rest of the group and KIkuta and Ogata catch up.  They seem to be more morally centered members of the 27th concerned about others who can get caught in the crossfire.
2.) The manga is back to the concept of the ability to kill, what makes a killer? what makes a murder? and what makes a soldier?  Tsurumi wants men willing to go into the depths of hell with him to accomplish his goals.
Tsukishima will see this to the end - he’s officially dead on the outside and inside after his Koito confrontation.
Nikaido is losing all of his humanity to be a test subject for a new and improved solider.
Usami has clearly had a vibe that something is totally off with him since he was first introduced.  The fact that Koito was groomed by Tsurumi when he was 14, means that Usami’s age and blush shows that he was a previous and older Tsurumi fanboy.  The chapter ends with the idea that Tsurumi likely was involved in grooming him.
Usami is clearly a great soldier and killer for some of Tsurumi’s goals - this chapter is making it clear that Usami is “special” in the context of murder.  Or that he lacks some sort of moral compass or control in regards to murder and killing.
3.) That criminal inspector at the Sapporo police department is shady as all hell.  He could be the convict in disguise - and he’d fit the trope of the murderer working in the police so that he can’t get caught.  Or he’s a total red herring.
Chapter 226 -Sacred Ground
The chapter starts out with a brief update on the status of the Asirpa-Sugi-Shiraishi-Vasily group.  They are stopping by an Ainu kotan and Sugimoto notices another dog that looks exactly like Ryu, but isn’t Ryu.  Shiraishi is the one to remark that Ryu stayed behind as Tanigaki gave Cikapasi Nihei’s rifle so he won’t be going anywhere.  Interestingly, Sugimoto remarks that he hopes that Cikapasi and Ennoka treat Ryu well so he “let’s go” of his attachment to the rifle and move on. 
This is an odd remark from Sugimoto, since he himself needs to move on from a lot of stuff ~ he can see it in a dog’s life but not his own.
This leads to a key comment from Asirpa about Ainu dogs, that their loyalty towards owners can be a bad thing since they get jealous and ill tempered.  A Japanese man owned one and the dog was well treated but he ended up scolding it due to poor behaviour and went hunting without the dog.  The dog’s reaction to rejection was to kill of off the man’s chickens . . . Shiraishi then comments that people will do the same thing for the love of another.
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The following page is the title page with the title and a young Usami and Tsurumi. Based on the fact that we know Usami is very loyal to Tsurumi and he has killed for him - I think it is clear the story about the loyal dog is Usami and Tsurumi is the man with the chickens. . . oh great - this chapter is surely getting to the root of his creepy vibes!
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Usami tells him that he’s there even on a day to not train even though after he performed housework and chores to help his family he is more than willing to walk 2 hours one way to come to that very spot on the dojo grounds.
Usami’s face is completely shaded so clearly something dark is tied to that place.
The next page reveals that Usami refers to that spot as “our sacred place” as the wind dramatically blows by as Tsurumi looks at his back.
This leads to a flashback in the flashback, 2 years earlier so 1893, showing Usami’s family.  He’s 12 and he appears to have his mother and father, an older sister, younger brother and another younger sibling on his mother’s back as well. 
His father asks him if things are going well at the dojo and with his training.  He replies that Mister Tokushirou told him he’s the most talented of all the students that he’s seen there before.  Therefore, at the age of 12 he was comfortable enough to call Tsurumi by his first name - san! 
This catches the attention of his older sister and his mother as they look at him in shock and awe, his mother stopping her mending of clothing while his sister blushes.  His sister asks excitedly “Mister Tsurumi Tokushirou = Tsurumi Tokshirou-san?” followed by her having a teenage fangirl moment over him while his father looks on with shock and concern.  His mother confirms that he’s got to have talent since his father was talented too . . . I guess this implies that Tsurumi’s father was a well know ladies man and it is clear that Tsurumi is also seen as a ladies man in the area.
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So, Tsurumi is clearly a charismatic, charming and a confirmed ladies’ man and is the 4th son of another man who was also very well known and must have been an important samurai family.  Usami is happy that his family are glad to hear he’s attracted the attention of an important local man.  Their family is large and it looks like since his mother is mending clothes they aren’t the richest family but they must come from a more noble/samurai background than some of our other cast members.  It looks like the Usami household is a happy and fertile one.
Clearly, Tsurumi is interested in getting to know Usami and some time later, Tsurumi is working the water wheel that his family uses to pump water for their rice paddies.  Tsurumi clearly is doing some sort of research into him and he seems to realize that using the foot powered water wheel leads to the develop strong legs.  Usami is explaining how hard the work is based on their location etc when he is interruped by another young boy.
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This other boy is introduced as Takagi Tomoharu another 12 year old boy.  He really reminds me of Sugimoto a bit, that slightly messy hair and friendly look.  He clearly is another Tsurumi fanboy.
Tsurumi also calls him by his first name and asks if his father is doing well and the boy responds excitedly as Usami silently smiles with his eyes closed in the background having Tsurumi’s attention focused on another person.
Sometime after school, Tomoharu tells Usami to stay over at his house since they have training at the dojo and they can go to school the next morning.  He then adds that Tsurusumi will be at the dojo that evening!  This immediately gets Usami’s attention and he runs to the dojo yelling “Hurry, hurry!” so Usami is excited by this!
The next page shows the dojo and both boys want Tsurumi’s attention to train with each of them and Tsurumi just smiles back, again Usami’s eyes are closed.
Sometime later it shows Tsurumi in winter leaving the dojo - we don’t get the full conversation, just that Tsurumi is responding to something that Usami said. Usami will be graduating - I guess based on his age primary school - and Tsurumi who’s face is obscured asks if he will keep training at the dojo.  Usami responds with his eyes closed again stating he will have to help his father work on their family farm so it may not happen.
Tsurumi then turns and looks at him in a very friendly way telling him to continue at the dojo to become much stronger - he’ll be able to surpass Tsurumi as well based on his skills with time.
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Tsurmi then states he won’t be able to visit the dojo soon, with the impending Sino-Japanese war he’s about to go off to (with Tsukishima) and finally Usami opens his eyes with concern in them as well as light in his eyes.  Usami is clearly worried about Tsurumi leaving.  All of a sudden his friend appears interrupting him and Tsurumi again telling him to go home together.  Again we don’t know what else Usami was going to say to Tsurumi . . .
The winter gives way to spring, when the school year ends and another one will begin.
We get a scene where Usami is able to pin Tomoharu down and someone tells them to stop for the day . . . maybe Tsurumi maybe not.  It is clear that just like Sugimoto’s friend Toraiji - Usami is the natural martial artist while Tomoharu will always lose to him.  Tomoharu is sulking in the dojo and Tsurumi has to ask him what’s wrong so that he and his sensei can lock up.  He reveals that he’s never been able to beat Usami before he leaves.  Tomoharu then cases after Usami who is waiting outside for him.
It looks like he told Tsurumi that he’s leaving and Tsurumi got him to approach Usami to tell him about his departure to high school? in Tokyo.  However, Usami is not surprised as he already knew his friend was leaving and tells him that he really doesn’t want to spar with him one last time.
Usami from a very dramatic angle tells hi that he doesn’t want to lose on purpose b/c he’s worried about his feelings . . . and before he finishes Tomoharu yells his reply that he shouldn’t, that wouldn’t be a real friendship, it would end it.  Usami has light and sparkle in his eyes as he says his lines and his friend sounds like a passionate young Japanese man with fighting spirit.
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Tsurumi tells him that he will watch their match in the corner of the yard - the sacred place which Usami will say to Tsurmumi 2 years later. . .
The next two pages are a montage of memories of Tomoharu with Usami as he thinks to survive alone in Tokyo requires him to defeat him.  It seems that Tomoharu really enjoyed his time with Usami - but I really get the feeling that Usami just tolerated him.  It really does have this vibe of a one sided friendship, I could even see him staying over at Tomoharu’s place just to be closer to the dojo and by extension Tsurumi.
Tomoharu cries as he knows he’s fighting hard but still ends up defeated by Usami.
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This scene is very much like the Sugimoto’s flashback in chapter 35 - courtship.  He met Toraji at his burnt down house on his wedding day and he attacks Sugimoto who promptly defeats him.  With his eyes full of tears, Toraji refuses to give up and goes for another round with Sugimoto as he roundly defeats him again.  This clearly is linked back to Shiraishi’s comment about humans and the people that they love.  Yes, Sugimoto is a dick to show up, make Toraiji upset, beat him and then congratulate him on his marriage which only makes Toraiji more annoyed.
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Yet, in their second round ends with him declaring that he may have lost to Sugimoto in kendo and judo, but he won in the battle for Umeko’s heart. . .
This is clearly a parallel with Usami and Tomoharu and this is linked to Sugimoto.
Anyways back to 226.  Tomoharu despite being defeated pulls on Usami’s shirt and states that he’s not done yet.  The next full page panel shows Usami’s reaction -
full on murder rabbit!!!  He’s gained the white along the edge of his black pupils as he’s drooling, his veins are bursting and his entire face is contorted in rage/anger/i don’t know what else.  I call him a murder rabbit based on a nickname that the lovely Merdopsuedo came up for Usami a long time ago.
She calls him the The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog, based on the rabbit that lives in the cave and kills many men in an excellent scene requiring the use of the Holy Hand grenade of Antioch in “Monty Python and The Holy Grail”.  This flashback has confirmed all of our fan jokes and theories and was a much better nickname the previously proposed one of “Thumper” the rabbit from “Bambi”.
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Tomoharu only gets a glance of his face as he raises his foot before he firmly kicks him in the throat with his bare heel.
This action is enough to even shock Tsurumi!  We see Tomoharu make his last gasp for air as Tsurumi, the man who watched his family die in Vladivostok, perhaps killed by his own actions or those of Wik, Kiro and Sofia.  Tsurumi is a broken and twisted man by this point before he even heads off to the Sino-Japanese war, but Usami’s actions have completely caught him off guard.  He thought he was helping out with a teenage issue and he’s just resulted in the death of Tomoharu by accident.  Look at those wide open eyes, sweat on his forehead and those stress lines!  Tsurumi is completely shocked.
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It is clear a man who has seen terrible things like Tsurumi (as we don’t know what his spying and previous military service was like) he is shocked by Usami’s violence that he uses as he clearly struck a killing blow on his friend.
And with that the chapter ends!
Wow!  Usami’s backstory is clearly revealed to be super creepy as I was always afraid of.  At the age of 12 he killed the boy who on the surface appeared to be his best friend.
Final thoughts on chapter 226
1.) Usami may be a natural born killer rabbit who always wants to please Tsurumi.  Chapter 227 will likely further explain why that part of the dojo is sacred to both of them.  Sei Kobiyama also mentioned on twitter that due to both Tsurumi and Usami practicing jujitsu/judo indicate they both came from samurai families.
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Tsurumi has alluded to the fact that his family was once wealthy when he was young and we know he’s the 4th son and they lost the wealth.  It is clear based on Usami’s families reaction to him the Tsurumi family was well known.
Usami is clearly not in a wealthy household that has to work very hard to survive, yet has a connection to samurai habits and culture.  This may be a link to chapter 225 referring the the slums of Sapporo and how the murdered woman was from a once wealthy family that lost it - likely a pre-Meiji era samurai family.
Is Usami jealous of Tomoharu?  Or does he want Tsurumi’s attention all to himself?  What motivates him?  He seems off the entire time before he kills Tomoharu so I think there is more going on than we realize just yet.
Does this information from Sei Kobiyama imply that since Sugimoto and Toraiji also practiced kendo and judo that they were also from poor samurai families also fallen on hard times in the Edo area?
2.) I believe that Usami and Sugimoto are supposed to be compared in some way with this flashback.  Both men are talented in judo and when they kill both men are demon or animalistic in the way that they fight and kill.  Yet, one killed his crybaby best friend while the other one as far as we know was unable to save his friend.
Noda has kept away from Sugimoto’s past and his unresolved issues surrounding Toraiji and Umeko for a long time.  This may lead to the reveal of more of Sugimoto’s past and what really happened when Toraiji died and Sugimoto clung to his dying body, giving up the sled for Tsukishima at Mudoken.  It keeps alluding to a potential situation where Sugimoto is either indirectly or directly related to the events that result in Toraiji’s death.  And keep in mind in the flashbacks his nickname is Tora-chan or Tiger.  If Kiro is Tanigaki’s tiger, we’ve discussed that Toraiji is Sugimoto’s tiger . . .
Sugimoto currently has a broken wrist and maybe he will have to rely on Asirpa, Shiraishi and Vasily his non-friend, not-enemy-ally.  I think Usami may be a link to more background into Sugimoto.
Keeping that in mind, I suspect that Kadokura will lead to more background into Ogata as his father would have been a contemporary of sorts with Koito and Hanazawa, but on Ogata’s mother side.
Well that is all I have for now with the chapters!  I’ll work on getting a few more meta up hopefully in the next few days including as long delayed cover analysis and some Koito meta!
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codewordpumpkin · 4 years
Text
A Very Denny Christmas
Merry Christmas, @heart4hawkeye​ !! I’m so sorry I couldn’t post this sooner! I don’t even know if you’ve ever watched Boston Legal before, but hopefully, you’ll enjoy this little fic nonetheless!!
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“Really, Reddington? Your Blacklister couldn’t wait until after the holidays? It’s Christmas Eve, for god’s sake.”
“I’m sorry, Donald, did you have something better planned? Well, don’t pout or shout just yet. If you’ve been a particularly good boy this year, you may just find a gift from Santa waiting for you at home… or on your doorstep if you’d prefer the illusion of security—I know the FBI loves that.”
Cooper’s brows furrowed as his temples began to throb. “Reddington.”
Red was adept at picking his battles.
“Denny Crane,” he said, as if the name alone was explanation enough.
“The CEO of Flamingo Corp.?” Elizabeth asked.
“The one and only.”
“I still don’t get how he thought that’d be a good name for an arms company,” Aram said from his spot behind his computer.
“Don’t try to get into the head of Denny Crane—it’ll only make yours ache.”
Hands on his hips, Ressler asked, “Is he the next person on the Blacklist?”
“Heavens, no! Denny is a dear associate of mine, and he is to remain untouched by you ham-fisted lot.”
“Get on with it, Red.”
“Relax, Harold. I was, as you so eloquently put it, getting there.” Brushing imaginary lint off his pristine vest, the infuriating man smiled blandly, reveling in the glares burning holes in his suit as he took his sweet time to elaborate. “The man has a memory of a goldfish, hence why he carries around a voice recorder everywhere he goes. That is the key to our next Blacklister.”
“Are you going to tell us who this Blacklister is?”
“All in due time, Samar. All in due time.”
“How are we going to get our hands on this recorder?”
“You mean, your hands. Really, Elizabeth, modesty doesn’t become you.” Before she could snap a retort, he continued, “Denny is hosting a Christmas party this evening. I am invited, as is my plus one, and I have no doubt we’ll have at least one server slipping on banana peels tonight.”
“All right, then,” Cooper exhaled slowly, “brief Agent Keen on her cover, and—”
“Actually, Harold, I was thinking Agent Navabi should accompany me this time.”
That caught everyone’s attention.
“And why is that?”
“Ah, well, I know how much Elizabeth loathes dressing up for these things, so I thought, why not give her a little break—”
“I’ll take a break once we get this over with, Reddington,” Liz said, trying to will down the flush spreading across her cheeks. She hoped the tinge of hurt in her voice had gone undetected.
Cooper turned to Red, an expectant look on his weary face.
“Well, then,” he nodded, clearly displeased, “you’ll need a dress.”
***
“Raymond!”
“Denny!”
Elizabeth watched with mild amusement as the two men exchanged an enthusiastic bear hug. With sparkling eyes and stretched cheeks, they greeted each other rather boisterously, falling into a chatter as if they had never been apart. She was certain they were speaking English, but for the life of her, couldn’t understand what in the world they were actually saying.
“Well, well, well, well, well, and who might this goddess be?”
The stout, rosy-faced man openly leered at her, scrutinizing her from the toes of her strappy heels to the top of her styled head, then dipping back down to gaze at her modest curves. She, too, took the time to scan his appearance, glancing at his expensive tux only fleetingly before zeroing in on the ridiculous headband that held a conspicuously tall sprig of mistletoe.
“Ah,” Red acted as though he had forgotten her very existence, “Denny, meet Elizabeth. Elizabeth, meet Denny.”
Smiling politely, she reached out her hand—which Denny immediately grasped, stamping a kiss just beneath her knuckles. “I’m sure it’s a pleasure to meet me, Lizzie,” he said so smoothly that, for a second, she thought she had misheard him. She also had to apply considerable force to tug her hand out of his stubborn grip. “Denny Crane.”
She wasn’t sure whether Red’s twitch was a result of Crane calling her Lizzie, or if it was because of his overly friendly touch. Either way, his reaction didn’t bother her. In fact, she could admit to herself, she rather liked it.
“Of course,” she finally responded.
Turning to Red, he said in a stage whisper, “You sly dog, still got the touch, eh? But, say… isn’t she a bit old for you? What say I take—”
“Keep your pants where they are, Denny,” Red cut him off, his smile no longer reaching his eyes. “Did I mention Elizabeth’s a vegan?”
She blinked.
Denny blinked.
“What the hell is that?” his associate asked, genuinely confused. “Listen, there aren’t many kinks I don’t know about, but kids today—”
“It means, she not only doesn’t eat meat,” he continued to lie, “she doesn’t consume any animal products at all.”
Gasping, Denny snapped, “Now why the hell would you do that? What, is she anti-gun, too?”
“Careful, Denny,” he warned gravely, “just the word g-u-n is enough to get her shaking in her heels. Point a water-gun in her face, and she’ll scream bloody murder.”
Where the hell was he going with this?
“A veggie and a communist! Where’d you pick this one up, Red? Los Angeles?” Before Red could respond, he waved a dismissive hand. “Well, whatever. You must keep her around for a reason…” He waggled his brows, then winked as if she wasn’t right there. Straightening his bow, he offered her his hand. “Care for a dance, sweetheart? I’ll show you just how well my body moves… Denny Crane.”
“Actually—”
“Sure,” she shot Red a meaningful look, hoping he understood what she was trying to convey, “I’d love to.”
Just before they left for the dance floor, Denny again stage-whispered, “There’s a g-u-n in my pants I’d bet my life she—”
“Denny—”
By then, the egotistical, borderline-predator flirt was too far away for him to strangle. Or gut. Or maim.
Trying not to let Raymond’s withering glare distract her from her task, she brought one of her hands up to rest on Denny’s puffed chest. “So, how did you meet Raymond?” she casually asked, doing her best to maintain a respectable distance between them—which was easier said than done, considering he was doing his best to plaster their bodies together. On the bright side, that meant he was too preoccupied to notice her wandering fingers.
“Why talk about that fat cat when we can talk about Denny Crane? Go ahead, ask me anything.” He continued before she could. “Why, yes, I’m very giving in bed. I’ll go down—”
“To the bar,” Red said, appearing from out of nowhere just as Denny was about to grope her ass. “There was a leggy blonde looking for you.”
“Leggy, you say? How many legs are we talking here? You know, my father once said that the best sex—”
“She won’t be waiting all night, Denny. I’d run as fast as I can if I were you.”
Was she imagining the threat laced in his words?
“We’ll have to continue this later, Lizzie.” Dropping her like a hot potato, he licked his lips and turned to dash. Looking over his shoulder, he bid, “Keep her warm for me, Ray.”  
Luckily for him, he was surprisingly fast.
“I got the recorder,” she quietly confirmed to Red, assuming that was the reason he had interrupted her dance with Denny. “I’ll just pass it to Ressler or Samar—”
“The song isn’t over yet, Lizzie,” he said, reclaiming his nickname for her with a glint of… something in his eyes, his voice.
With one hand in hers and the other low on her back, he encouraged her to fall into step with him, their movements easy and natural. But even when the song ended and changed, they didn’t stop, instead slowing further and sinking into the lulling rhythm of the music.
She wasn’t aware of when or how it had happened, but she belatedly realized just how close their faces were. A mere inch forward would allow her to graze her nose against his smooth skin, inhale the clean, unique scent of him. A little closer, and she would be able to taste the champagne on his lips. With a gentle pressure, a slight gasp, she could so easily—
They jumped apart at the sound of a loud crash.
It didn’t take long for them to discern where the commotion was coming from, as there was already a loose crowd forming near the bar—and at the very center of it was none other than Denny Crane.
He was standing across from a scowling man and a tall blonde woman…
Raymond and Elizabeth both had a feeling they knew what had started this mess.
“I didn’t proposition her. I just asked her to have sex with me,” Denny announced, as if that was a perfectly acceptable thing to say.
The man’s face flushed with a worrisome shade of crimson, and to everyone’s horror, revealed that he was seriously armed. Before he could do anything with it, however, a loud bang shocked everyone still.
On his previously unblemished pants, right in the middle of his thigh, was a bright blob of yellow… paint?
“Oops. Wrong one.” Bending down, Denny retrieved a small gun that had been strapped to his ankle. “Denny Crane doesn’t get shot at,” he yelled, aiming at the man’s other thigh and pulling the trigger without hesitation. “Denny Crane shoots!”
Chaos commenced as the two literally engaged in a gun fight. Bullets whizzed, screams erupted, glass shattered. People ran this way and that, tripping over dresses, abandoning stilettos, and doing their best to escape with their flesh in tact.
“I was a sniper in the Navy!… Or was I a helicopter pilot?” Now with a gun in each hand, Denny shot bullet after bullet, shouting as he ducked and spun. “I have an erection. Lock and load, baby! Denny Crane!”
“That’s our cue to leave,” Red said in her ear, practically dragging her by the elbow. On their way out, he released her briefly to stop Ressler from getting involved. Something on the ground caught her eye, and she used the few seconds she had to take it, attempting not to get trampled on in the process. “Lizzie. Now.”
This time, they didn’t stop walking until they were safely encased in the back of his car, Dembe driving them out into the night.
Keeping her stolen object carefully hidden, she turned to Red and smirked. “Well, that was interesting.”
“That’s one way of saying it,” he said, chuckling.
He leaned back, settling into the seat and closing his eyes. Knowing an opportunity when she saw one, she gripped the accessory from beside her hip and placed it on his head, refusing to move away as he jerked and snapped his eyes back open.
She didn’t give him a chance to question her.
She didn’t give herself the chance.
Not wanting to waste another second, she pressed her mouth to his.
The kiss was chaste, but it lingered—long enough for her to notice just how soft his lips were. And although she had always been more of a wine girl, she reveled in the fact that she really could taste the remnants of champagne, the crisp flavor blending with subtle, intoxicating notes that could only be described as him.
Finally, after seconds or minutes—time was irrelevant to her at that moment—she pulled back, still close enough to feel his radiating heat and sense his racing pulse. Just as his thumb had stroked the small of her back, she used hers to brush his lips, his jaw, before reaching up to flick the mistletoe hanging above them.
“Merry Christmas, Red,” she said, just as softly as her smile.
Pushing his tongue against the inside of his cheek, slowly gathering his wits, he tentatively reached for her hand and tangled their fingers together. “Merry Christmas, Lizzie.”
Neither of them spoke for the rest of the ride, but both knew that they didn’t need to.
Words could wait.
For now, they had each other.
Finally.
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