#along with chapter 263

[seraphdreams]

Serrr

The baji Manga this week

I KNOW!! i’m so excited!! i seen some leaks n honestly i love it already :(

[hualianlover4ever]

JWQS chapters memorable/ major scenes

(Presenting my speculative Timeline + key chapters in JWQS)

Ch 23 (Marriage) (Jingjia 8th Year) Ch 31 (Qi Yan first targets Chuntao, the soup incident) Ch 47 (Qi Yan's eyes have brightness for the first time since her kingdom was invaded 10 years ago) Ch 70 (Jingnu 15) first kiss (scary) Ch 96 -97 (Jingnu 15) proper memorable kiss after Jingnu's birthday (Jingjia 9th year 10th Month)

(Jingnu's birthday is in the month of October)

Ch 108 (Jingnu 16)(Experiences her 1st period) Ch 111 (Qi Yan is scary) (Jingjia 10th Year 10th Month) Ch 121 (Jingnu 17) (first break point) Ch 132 (Jingnu sends Qi Yan away while making her the Viceroy of Jin Province) Jingjia 11th year Ch 133 (3 years have passed) Ch 136 (Jingnu 20)(Meeting after 3 years separation) (Jingjia 14th year) Ch 139 (Qi Yan became the Minister of Personal) Ch 140 (family time) Ch 141 (Qi Yan age 24) Ch 144 -145 (trying to repair the first break point) Ch 147 (Qi Yan gets a mental shock) ("My sister is having a night of passion with the daughter of the enemy?!")(Jingjia 14th year 11th Month )(Qi Yan burns her own estate) Ch 151-152 (Jingjia 15th year 3rd Month) (Qi Yan recovers from the Fuma estate Fire incident) (The Capital exam begins with Qi Yan as the main examiner) Ch 157 (Nangong Rang asks Qi Yan about her opinion of a Female emperor) Ch 158 ( Act as you see fit) Ch 159 (Qi Yan feelings are growing) Ch 170 (Qi Yan age 25) (Liu An matters solved) Ch 171 (OMG Qi Yan fell in an incurable love with the daughter of her enemy) Ch 174 (Palace exam begins.. Nangong Rang hosted it ) (Jingjia 15th year 5th Month) Ch 176 (Qi Yan sets off to the north of Luo) Ch 181 (Wolves scene) Ch 183 (Qi Yan meets Bayin after many years) (Jingjia 15th year) Apparently Jinwushu was brought to the grass plains at the age of 4, after that Bayin started acting as his guardian Ch 186 (The pride of Qiyan Agula returns) Ch 193 (Qi Yan and Jingnu reunion after a good amount of separation) Ch 212 (Intimate scenes (last for Qi Yan as male)) (Just be reckless this once) Ch 218 (Nangong Rang dies )(Jingjia 16th year 2nd Month) ( Qi Yan is 27) Ch 228 (Jingnu ascends the throne at the age of 23) Ch 229 (Jingjia 16th year 5th Month , Reign changes to Chengji) Ch 242 (Truth gets revealed) Ch 243 (Qi Yan confesses her identity) Ch 244 (Jingnu faints from the shocking new lmao) Ch 247 (Jingnu 's first gradual acceptance..of Qi Yan being a women) Ch 258 (Divorce comes…"Qi Yan…don't cry…") Ch 259 (Prison arc torture. Qi Yan - Age-28) Ch 263 (Jingnu finds the wooden sculpt pigs) Ch 268 (Qi Yan leaves …Oh dear…) Ch 270 (No fear when Da-Jie is here!) Ch 271 (Their first time) (Jingnu -23) (Qi Yan age 27) (7th month) Ch 277 (Grand enthronement ) Ch 279 (Bathing intimate scene) (Jingnu -25) Ch 286 (Rebellion of North Luo) Ch 288 (Qi Yan's mind deterioration first proper symptoms. …oh boy..) Ch 290 (Qi Yan meets Baishi again) Ch 293 (Bayin learns the truth….No longer Andas) (Also Qian Tong, all hail our saviour) (Jingnu -26) Ch 296 (REUNION with a lingering kiss) Ch 297 (Say..which of us is the wife?)(The fluff is just AHHHHH) Ch 301 (Qi Yan (age -30) learns of her parent's death…) Ch 302 (Ding You returns..) Ch 303 (Qi Yan fake dies) Ch 305 (darkest chapter of Qi Yan's life )

Jingjia 8th Year 3rd Month Capital Exam begins Qi Yan obtained the first position 5th Month Qi Yan becomes the Flower Seeker 6th Month Nangong Rang arranges the two marriages She gets sick again… Meets Ding You ,the Imperial doctor 12th Month Marriage of Qi Yan and Jingnu

Jingjia 9th Year 2nd Month Jingnu wishes for Qi Yan to live to a ripe old age 4th Month Initiates a scheme of the great Fire of Imperial Mausoluem and the Weiyang palace

Jingjia 10th Year 10th Month Qi Yan kills the saviour of her younger sister(along side many other innocent folks)

Jingjia 11th Year Qi Yan is under house arrest The witchcraft incident occurs Nangong Shunu meets Qiyan Nomin for the first time

Jingjia 14th Year Qi Yan becomes the minister of Personal 11th Month Learns of her sister 's relationship. . .. Qi Yan burns the Fuma estate

Jingjia 15th Year In the first two months , Qi Yan was still recovering from the damage from the Great Fire of the Fuma Estate 3rd Month Qi Yan becomes the main examiner of Capital exam (She receives the secret decree of "Act as you see fit) (Liu An incident occurs) Qi Yan entrusts her sister in Nangong Shunu's hands 5th Month Palace exams begins Meanwhile Qi Yan departs to the North of Luo as the Imperial Ambassador

(Jingjia 16th year = Chengji 1st year) Jingjia 16th Year 1st Month Qi Yan returns to the capital Spends an approx of 22 days in prison Schemes a plan to assassinate the sixth prince 2nd Month Qi Yan reveals her identity killing Nangong Rang in the process 5th Month Jingnu officially acsends the throne Chengji 1st Year 7th Month(3rd month since Jingnu's enthronement) Qi Yan aids Jingnu with the Sifang bank revenue 9th Month Qi Yan tells Xiao Die to confess about her identity 10th Month Qi Yan goes against the masked person's orders Her identity gets exposed

Chengji 2nd year 2nd Month Qi Yan's malicious crimes get exposed Jingnu divorces her 4th Month Qi Yan returns to the palace Gets thrown into jail for treason 5th Month Qi Yan officially becomes Qiyan Agula She is sent back to the north of Luo 7th Month Agula becomes "missing" Qi Yan returns to the palace They have their first time

Chengji 3rd year 3rd month Jingnu 's grand enthronement 9th month Masked person schemes activated

(Qi Yan lived in the restricted part of the palace for over a year)

Chengji 4th Year 4th Month Qi Yan resumes the position of Imperial Husband 5th Month Qi Yan learns of her parents' death 10th Month Qi Yan's memories start to relapse

The reason why (I think) Qi Yan starts to be amnesiac 1) Her mental health was already degrading which had am impact on her critical thought process 2) The red pill which Ding You gives her to remove the poison (the water disease + her womanly features) but it had a side effect which gave her a state of amnesia

Chengji 5th year 2nd Month They meet each other for last time before Qi Yan's death She paints a portrait of Jingnu (age -27) 3rd Month Qi Yan takes the death faking drugs

Chengji 6th year Jingnu crowns Shangyuan Fu as the Crown Prince Ding You successfully treats water disease

Qi Yan however has no past memories of past..

Chengji 7th year Jingnu takes care of Qi Yan's business Goes and digs Qi Yan 's grave too To find its empty

Chengji 8th year Jingnu started to travel in disguise(in search for Qi Yan in this vast world) Meanwhile Ding You suggests Qi Yan to go teach in a private school

Chengji 10th year Jingnu (Age -32) retires from the throne

1 year later of retirement They meet again with Qi Yan meeting her for the "first" time after Jingnu's 4 years of searching There is some hope as Qi Yan hugged Jingnu back Qi Yan (37) Jingnu (33)

My speculation (added with author's info) Within the next year Jingnu moved here, bought the school where Qi Yan was teaching Qi Yan moves in Jingnu 's estate

and they get married again! and this time its a love marriage! They drink the ceremonial wine which they didn't 20 years ago

Happily Ever After

[misterradio]

house of leaves has my mind blown at such random stuff. page 97 has a check mark in the corner.

[i'll add random other musings below]

notation 127 references a real book which is even on archive dot org..!!! and it says to check out a diagram But you need to log in to view the book. AAGHH!!

page 119 it is now time to be confused on how to read this 👍

nevermind the box is just all one long footnote. and the backwards box is like a reversal of the previous box.

"this is what happens when you hurry in a maze. the faster you go, the worse you are entangled"..... UH OH !

the footnotes along the sides are just BUILDING NAMES?? and then ARCHITECTS ??????? i do really like the cyclical nature of these notes, one makes u flip thru several pages and then you have to turn the book upside down and flip back thru the same pages. the last note in this series is right at the 2nd page in this sequence but along the side. makes me think of. a spiral ::-) makes me smile.

im just now realizing some of these notation marks are letters instead of numbers....X appears several times (that footnote is on page 107) but theres also like, LL (but if the first L was reversed)? and this one is F (page 122). not sure if there is a meaning here

page 127 guys this is scary

(page 151) "I was sorry to hear he disappeared. Do you know what happened to him?" HE WHAT?????

(page 620) okay i decided to read some more letters from (checks her name) Pelafina and. this is one is. ::-(

okay i finished her letters and wah........... sad. i wonder what was the one jewelry johnny kept from her.

(page 154) i already forgot what these different names were for ermmm lol. great hall and antechamber. i forgor

(page 159) the fact that the stairwell was around 13 miles long for Roberts' crew and then for Navdison its 100 feet.... LOLLLL F--K the explorers in particular

(page 192) YAY JED and wax !!! i never thought id be so so happy to see them again. yayyy. but now getting out is the next obstacle.. F--K OFF I CANT BELIEVE HOW SOONI SPOKE f--k this book

SICKENIINNNNGGGG!!!!!!!

(page 263) I LOVE THAT there are occasional emails from people after the 1st printing and someone says "what was all that crazy stuff in the introduction about guns and blood?" THATS WHAT IM SAYIINNGGGGG

(page 272) this makes me think that the stairwell is analogous to a throat..

(page 305) once again. witnessing the staircase lengthen and groan. makes me think it is literally swallowing navy.

(page 318) im so so glad wax survived YAY

(page 320) this made me get up and start pacing and smiling. like. this house wants navy so bad. SO BAD

(page 326) JOHNNY BECOMES SELF AWARE THAT HE A FICTIONAL CHARACTEr (scary)

btw i did find ouf the letters used in notations are actually symbols bc there is a photo of a graph of them on the inner cover. i dont actualy know how to look up what they are called at all tbh. theyre like. aircraft related.

(page 342) bruh this is new and scary. fhe house's shifting horror now extending beyond the imposible hallways but into the main house ...... what the......

(page 397) everyone in this book is so FREUDIAN !!!! like all the psychology is so fruedian i think.

(page 402) im so fascinated by these dream scenes i didnt expdct this book to really have a dream scene but there u go ^^__^^ im sad the promised third dream is missing......

OH YEAH BABY WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MINOTAUR PRESENT also in a dream scene. EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR A MINOTAUR PRESENCE

(page 406) this is some like. reverse tma thing. you know how in tma everyone who gives a statement to jon has nightmare of him. this is like what if jon did something to absolve everyone of their nightmares. huh. (also i havent gotten past this part i dont even know what navidson Does back in the house yet.........)

OH I JUST REALIZED THE SKETCHES IN APPENDIX II ARE JOHNNY'S. he mentioned doodling on any scraps of paper he had like mail and i was like heh. just like in the appendix. OH WAIT

i love that tgis chapter does NOT end in a period and ends with an open-ended sentence that segues into the next chapter. thats so neat ::-) idek if navy is still alive like wtf i dont know yet SHHH shhhh

(page 425) the dread this is imbuing in me. the floors tilting slightly wherever navy goes to guide him along. youre at the mercy of this house now..

(page 465) WHAT THE ? THIS BOOK IS WITHIN THISBBOOK? (navidson has a book titled house of leaves) WHAT?

(page 468) this desolation almost made me cry somehow . maybe logcially its not the worst thing thats happened in this book but the nothingness is crushing

this part makes u turn the book around a lot and i really did get a sense of dizziness while reading bc i realized i didnt know whether the text i was reading was really along the bottom of the page or what... also im still so tripped up that they mention this book by name, even say how many pages it has, and that 'maybe some of the pages are hard to read'. bro.

the song on page 479 is apparently "when johnny comes marching home" which i had to look up but thats where the tune of that song the ants go marching one by one comes from???? u learn something new every day.

i like that the footnote on page 488 is another of those aeronautic symbols (theres a chart of some of them on a collage in the back) and this one means "heavily injured, need a doctor"...............

(page 527) "and whenever she laughs the notes sing a call to Victory" STARTS BAWLING

okay i done YAYYYYYYYYY AAAUUUUUHHHHHHHHHGGGGHHHHHHHHHH i have yet to finish the appendices....

[friendly-books]

Dresden files Storm Front live blog

Dresden files live blog  

I read the dresden files after reading Wedding Bells… No More like Hell’s Bells by @jadedragoness so this is going to be interesting. 

Storm front 

Murphy! I’m going to like you

Sqeee Marcone! And Hendricks!

We get Marcone in chapter two yay!

“A man of handsome and unassuming features” pg. 45 Bi Harry 1

“Good looking, tanned, athletic, and enthusiastic” pg. 46 Bi Harry 2

This was not the romantic met cute I wanted 

“He wanted to take a peek at my soul. He wanted to see what sort of man I was” pg. 50 Interesting implications 

Ugh male gaze 

“I borrowed a line from Johnny Marcone” pg.  59 Already 

Morgan you and Inspector Javert would get along. 

Mister! 

Bob! :)

Toot-toot! 

Why did you attack Harry Bianca? What was your plan here? If Harry did kill Jennifer what do you think you can do against him? If Harry didn’t kill Jennifer then you just attacked an innocent man. 

Did Bianca kill Rachel? I think she killed her.

Beckitt’s? As in Demeter? 

He Who Walks Behind sounds like a name with all its capital letters.

Harry forgot about his date with Susan oh no

Morgan is the worst the absolute worst 

Harry using the power of a storm is cool

I like Susan she seems fun

More Marcone yay

Harry put on a show that poor building what did it ever due to you?

“You should have known me better than that Mr. Dresden” It was my turn to frown “You’re right. I should have” pg. 260 Yes you really should have, you’ve seen his soul Harry. 

“Then he smiled for a fraction of a second” pg. 262 Harry already making Marcone smile 

“Harry” pg. 262 Already talking with first names. I know Harry won’t like that but my shipper heart adores it. 

“Good luck. I think it would be best if you and I did not encounter one another in the future. I cannot tolerate any more interference in my affairs'' pg. 263 Pfff that’s not going to happen. Marcone is definitely showing up in the next book. 

Harry’s dad no now I’m sad 

Harry buddy I talk to myself occasionally but this is a bit much. 

“Fuego” pg. 278 Is this the first bit of fire magic in the book? I think it is. Pretty late to show off Harry’s classic spell.

Victor isn’t very smart because he is summoning a demon.

The fight was cool! 

I’m glad Murphy is ok and threw the flowers at Harry. I’m glad they’re friends again. I’m glad Harry got his date with Susan. I like that Toot-toot got his pizza in the end. 

Final thoughts I like all the characters so far. Not a fan of the male gaze. I’m absolutely a Harry/Marcone shipper thanks to @jadedragoness. Let’s see how far the Bi Harry counter can go. “He wanted to take a peek at my soul. He wanted to see what sort of man I was” Has interesting implications in that Marcone seems to know what a soul gaze is and he knows about magic. Not sure if I’m reading too much into it. Not a fan of Morgan he needs to take a chill pill and stop being such a Knight Templar. I’m pretty sure Bianca killed Rachel which isn’t great. Like lady you could have stopped before you drained Rachel dry. Bianca isn’t the smartest person around. I didn’t realize that the Beckett’s were all the way back in book 1. He Who Walks Behind is differently coming back. Like you don’t have a name like that and not be important. The fight scenes were cool. I thought there would be more spell slinging. Overall I liked it.

[merscylilith]

TokRev spoiler Warning for (Ch.269 ⚠️)

Actually im kinda tired of this "airplane" thing. Is this really apart of main reason why Shin travelling the time, and save Mikey because he got dark impulse (?) and that's all it started from.

Haruchiyo changed, like how?? In what way?? Because in chapter 263, Mikey and Haru seems getting along like a usual close friend did. This really got me dizzy.

If "airplane" thing didnt make any impact for any of this storyline, im gonna choke Mikey myself.

BajiFuyu Spinoff

How Ryusei and Baji knew each other ? I was thinking that Baji in purpose transfer school same as Chifuyu because Ryusei was there too.

Among of Captain and Vice-captain division, it seems like Baji ddint get along too well with Ryusei ( this just an assumption). I guess, after Kazutora went to juvana, Mikey might tell Baji off to find Vice-captain, but im really interested to know, how Ryudei and Baji first met went ><

[innaneramblingsofamadman]

Chapter 7: Me and You, Together

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45283270/chapters/114749254

Entry from the journal of Corvus Addams, Volume 9, page 263:

There has been an update in the circumstances surrounding the Sinclair family and it has left me consumed by rage. It has been a week since receiving correspondence to the young member of the pack, and her mother has dared to write a letter of her own as a follow up with horrendous implications. I would put it to words, but every attempt has left my hands trembling and fury like a bonfire in my throat. I’ve attempted to write down my thoughts three separate times now but tore out each page because I could not make my own penmanship legible to even the most skilled elementary school teachers. 

I refuse to respond to her, it would not fit an Addams to deign to lower myself to her level. 

For the time being, I will remain silent as a lamb. But that is only because I want this to go well for Enid’s sake, the poor pup has enough on her mind to fret over. If the old bitch dares to utter her “suggestions” to the family I will do nothing to protect her. In fact, I’ll more than likely join in on Gomez’s probable attempts to dismember her.

Damn the packs and their toxicity. If I could I would go back in time and prevent the moronic idea of alphas and betas from spreading. Ever since then the packs have all become intolerable aside from the rare exception.

I need a drink

_________________

She should curse Corvus for not warning her that the other family would have enchanted furniture. She could curse herself for not assuming such a thing as well. Wednesday had no way of preparing herself for the walking beam of moonlight that was Enid as she had stepped out of the truck, nor to prepare for the way that might affect her strategy. The goal was to take center stage, not play as a support character to the Heroine. The snug cream sweater along with her pale skin almost made her glow in the darkness of the night, even after coming inside the small gold fibers shone against the candle light. She’d only done sharp eyeliner for makeup, and the natural gravity was pulling Wednesday in fast. 

When they’d first entered the house she couldn’t even take her eyes off of the brilliant platinum hair as it swayed and bobbed while Enid walked. Her blue eyes had been so wide with awe that it was almost…cute? What in Dante’s Nine Hells is happening to me?

“Alright everyone! Take a seat! I didn’t spend all day torturing my wrists just for this to go cold!” Corvus called over the din of chatter. Everyone began to move towards the table and take their seats, the Addams’ taking one side and the Sinclair’s on the other, with Corvus sat at the head near the tall windows. The conversations continued, Enid had been regaling her with tales of misadventure and strange secret society parties from her days at Nevermore for a while now and fell silent as they sat across from each other near the end.

“Soooo, where did you go to school?” The blonde asked.

“I attended a total of 13 schools before graduation, each of them has passed from my memory for the most part,.” A basket of soft rolls was being passed around the table, and her father stood to dish out large chunks of roast to each plate, aside from Wednesday’s own. 

“That’s cool I guess, ever make any friends?”

“Friends are a liability and a weakness, I have no weaknesses.”

“That’s actually like one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard before. A werewolf friend wouldn’t be a weakness though, would it?” Enid grinned. The raven thought about that for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of the statement, before she relented with a nod.

“I suppose not, so long as they could protect themselves.”

“No need to worry about that,” she cooed as her colorful nails stretched into long and wicked claws. The wolf lifted one like a needle and used it to skewer a roll from the basket with a wink. “I haven’t been in too many fights, but I’ve never even been scratched.” The pride was evident in her smirk.

“A shame really, scars can be quite enticing,” Wednesday muttered and mirrored her expression. A blush painted the other woman’s ears, but she said nothing more as she began to dig into the portion of roast and mashed potatoes on her plate. 

Meat was not Wednesday's first choice for sustenance, it left her feeling greasy and her mind addled, so she had taken nothing more from the table than the honeyed carrots and salad. She’d have to discuss vegetarian options with Corvus later, she’d forgotten to mention it to him before now. An oversight caused by her time spent focusing on the library and her own scheming. 

Most of the talking had died down by this point, to her pleasure, as the group seemed to become enveloped by the meal. Compliments of all nature poured forth for Corvus’ skill in the kitchen, most from Enid herself about how 'stupid good' it was. 

The wine decanter continued to float overhead as it filled each glass before it settled next to Corvus with a dull thud. He spoke in a hushed voice with her father, who sat at his right hand, and both of them snickered at something. Esther and her mother now had a tense silence between them, and she noticed as the tall Addams’ dark eyes settled on the wolf with a sickeningly sweet smile. Pubert and Pugsley were too busy playing the knife game with Thing to eat. Both of the Sinclair men ate like they’d been starved for weeks, Murray using his napkin to remove the gravy from his beard. 

“Wednesday darling, how’s your book coming along?” Morticia asks with a smile. 

“Well as ever mother, though I admit to having frustrations at my lack of inspiration lately.”

“Oooo, what kind of book is it?” Enid asks.

“It’s a mystery series I’ve spent a great deal of time on. But no publicist will take it without some form of ‘normal’ interaction.”

“If it’s inspiration you need, you should look into the journals of Arthur Addams, he was alive during the time that Jack the Ripper prowled the streets of London and was obsessed with finding the man,” Corvus offered through a mouthful of potato. “His illustrations look a bit rough, but his deductive skills were unmatched at the time and his dictation is clear and concise as a eulogy.” 

“I’ll have to look into it, thank you.”

Before much longer everyone sat back with full stomachs as the wine poured faster and her father broke out a bottle of Glenmorangie whiskey from beneath the table, pouring it into glasses that the keeper floated over from the bar with a simple wave as a rune appeared.

“So I know it’s a normal thing for like, more magical groups, but what does a Keeper do?” Enid poses. All eyes fall on the man at the head of the table as he takes a sip of wine and sets it down with a breath.

“It’s more complicated than we tend to like talking about, so I’ll just give a sort of brief synopsis. Keepers do as their name implies, we keep and guard the knowledge of the people we have sworn ourselves to. Some of us work for factions or guilds, many hide themselves within universities, but most stick to their family,” he smiles and nods to Gomez and Morticia, “in a family of psychics and witches, I find myself surrounded with all manner of dangerous material and secrets.”

“They also all live like insanely long,” Pugsley added. 

“That we do, for a myriad of reasons,” he wiggles his hand a bit. “My life is prolonged by feeding off the energy of decay, an ability I inherited from my father and his family.”

“Family is so important, isn’t it?” Esther asked with a wide smile. His head never shifted her way, but Wednesday could feel his attention sharpen and focus on her as he gripped the stem of the wine glass. Enid shifted in her own seat as well and stared at the table as she picked at her nails and said nothing. A breeze blew through the room on phantom wings and set the chandelier to spinning while the candle’s flame flickered and waved. An Addams always looked half-dead, but her cousin's face had gone from pale and gaunt to downright gray and skeletal as he turned to Enid’s mother.

“Indeed. They are the most important thing in my life, each and every one in their unique way,” at this he stared through the woman, “surely a mother would agree?”

Wednesday could almost taste the fear in her eyes, it was delectable. 

“Of course,” her voice just above a whisper, still smiling. And just like that the strange spell that had overtaken Corvus vanished as he smiled and clapped his hands together.

“Excellent! I hope you all saved room for dessert, I made a lemon tart with lavender whipped cream on top! Hopefully you all enjoy it as much as I do!”

___________

After everyone had finished eating, and their parents agreed to a quick meeting in the conference room, Enid had started feeling a bit restless. Sitting and doing nothing inside had been killing her for the last hour and she couldn’t take it much longer, so she’d decided to go outside to admire the glowing garden just beyond the windows. The cold air nipped at her face and hands as she kneeled down to a section of beautiful pink flowers that shimmered with tiny red pin pricks along the petals. Her nose might not be as strong as most werewolves because she still hadn’t shifted, but it was much stronger than a regular person’s, and the scent of moonlight and clear water swam through her mind.

“I would prefer they were black dahlias instead, but to each their own I suppose,” Wednesday’s voice cut through the quiet of the night. She stood just behind Enid by about five feet, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her slacks as far as they could go. 

“Did you follow me out here?” she giggled.

“Perhaps. You’re intriguing to me, you seem to be less confused about why we're here than everyone other than my cousin,” Wednesday offered her hand, and Enid took it before standing up and dusting off her knees before they continued to walk down the line of plants as the blonde kicked her feet up in front of her with each step.

“Well, you’re interesting to me too,” she admitted, “every time you look at me for too long it feels like my brain gets dipped in ice water.”

“Shocking yet pleasant?”

“Bingo,” Enid smiled over her shoulder.

“I’m afraid that may be due to my gifts as a psychic. I am not particularly…skilled at social obligations.” Enid stopped at the end of the garden to sit on a stone bench that faced the small lake before them, and Wednesday took a seat next to her.

“So you can read people’s minds?” the blonde woman asks with her eyes blown wide.

“Not yet, or at least not effectively. What I do is more like skimming the page of a book that allows me some insight as to what the person I’m reading is feeling. I get impressions such as anger, sorrow, dread, or disgust, but no actual thoughts, to my own disappointment.”

“So like…psychic emojis?” she smiled. 

“Refer to my reading like that again and I’ll have to resort to drastic measures.”

The young wolf grinned wider at that and bumped her leg into Wednesday’s. The two of them sat silently with their shoulders just inches apart as they stared out at the water while it reflected the sliver of moonlight. Enid crossed her arms against the chill wind and rubbed her shoulders for a little warmth, looking up at the night sky. 

“Can you tell what I’m feeling right now?” she asked as she glanced at the goth. Wednesday’s eyes went blank for a moment again as she looked back at her, the same cold feeling pressing against Enid’s mind, then stared at the water.

“You’re anxious, and uncomfortable. If you wish I can leave you to your thoughts,” before Enid could even say anything the short woman had started to stand. She reached out and placed a hand on the dark fabric of the psychic’s arm before she could make her exit.

“No, it’s not you I promise,” Enid sighed. “Anxiety is just the beginning of this stupid mess.”

“To what do you refer?”

Enid is frozen to the spot for a minute before her breathing exercises allow her shoulders to relax. What would the heiress think if she came clean? Would she judge her as too weak to be a friend after all? There’s no way Wednesday would laugh in her face like her pack did, right? 

“Can I tell you something, and have you promise not to mention it to the rest of your family until I do?”

“Of course, my Uncle Fester has confessed a litany of crimes to me over the years. This shouldn’t be any more difficult than that.”

“Okay…so,” here we go, “I’m not exactly a full on werewolf yet.” Enid’s hands return to picking at her nails.

“I’m going to need more than that, I’m afraid,” Wednesday looks at her with confusion written all over her face.

“I’ve never shifted into my wolf before. Most pups do it for the first time when they’re like 13 or 14, but the genetic lottery skipped me I guess,” she held out a hand in front of them to extend the claws again and took a swipe at the empty air before she smiled nice and wide to show off her elongated canines. “That’s all I’ve got.”

A look of understanding crossed Wednesday’s eyebrows as they knit together and she worried her bottom lip. Enid sat in the quiet and waited for her to say something back as another cold gust made her shiver. 

“You were the one who wrote to Corvus then.”

“Yup, and now we’re all here in the middle of absolutely nowhere because the longer it takes, the smaller my chance gets.”

“If it makes you feel any better, my own gift causes me to have minor seizures if I touch the wrong thing. It’s an inconvenience I’ll be living with until they finally put me in the ground.”

“I’m sorry, what?” They both look at each other again and Enid honestly couldn’t tell what she had meant by that.

“Psychics are prone to visions,” she breathes, “at times I can glimpse the past or future, but due to my negative disposition to the world they come on violently and without warning.”

“And give you seizures?” Enid clarified.

“The more intense one’s do, yes. When they began it was a battle to convince my parents to not take me to the hospital every time I touched the older relics or artifacts we keep at home.”

“Wow, okay then. That actually makes me feel a little bit better,” she huffed out.

“Still, that does not explain your discomfort.”

“It’s just cold out, that’s all. I’m from California and this pup was made for warm weather.” She wrapped her arms more tightly around herself and drew her legs up to her chest.

“I thought werewolves had a naturally high body temperature?” Wednesday asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Only after, well you know.”

“I see. Well, the cold doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Here,” she took off the black blazer and placed it around the blonde’s shoulders, it fit her like a glove, “I wouldn’t want to be a rude host and allow you to become sick.”

The jacket smelled like spearmint and mixed with the vanilla she was covered in herself. The extra layer helped, but the blush plastered across her ears and face also warmed her as she mumbled a thanks and pulled the lapels tight around her frame. The odd pair sat together and appreciated all the sounds the night had to offer, somewhere in the distance Enid heard the rustling of branches and quiet calls of the nocturnal creatures she’d been warned about.

“I’ll help you.” Wednesday didn’t even breathe or blink, but her voice carried into the dark. 

“What?”

“I will help you find the solution to whatever is stopping you from ‘shifting,’ as you put it. For the moment I’ll remain quiet, but I suspect your mother has some other motive for being here other than helping you.” Enid shifted on the bench and tilted her head.

“Why do you think that?”

“She’s wearing some kind of ward, it blocks my abilities and more than likely my mother’s as well. And Corvus has been nothing but jovial since we arrived, the mood change during dinner tells me something else is going on.”

“Oh my god, of course she is,” she pinched the bridge of her nose, “we’ll burn that bridge when we cross it.”

“I won’t be doing it for free, of course. There’s not many werewolves in the Addams family tree, so I’ll need some more private information from you about pack life and the like for documentation later on.”

“Easy enough I guess,” Enid shrugged. Wednesday stood from the bench with all the grace of a cat, looking at her over the pale shoulder.

“Do we have a deal then?” The blonde popped up to her feet and took a deep breath, then held out her hand.

“Deal, just you and me, Willa.” Wednesday reached out and grabbed the hand in her own, avoiding the brightly painted nails.

“You and I,” she corrected.

“Close enough,” the smile Enid was shooting her was bright like the sun and almost blinded Wednesday, but her dark eyes never left the pooling ocean of Enid’s own.

___________

Not too long after their little bargain had been struck, all of the elder members of each family exited the conference room with pleased smiles, except for Corvus, who appeared to be doing an impression of Wednesday’s own stoic expression. Her father continued to spin whatever web of a story he’d been telling to Malachi, who nodded and grunted to confirm that he was still listening. 

Thing had orders to listen in on the conversation had in the conference room and relate any key details later tonight, so she didn’t need to ask her parents what was discussed. Everyone stood and walked the Sinclair’s to the truck outside in a large huddle, with Pubert tucked into their mother’s hip as she followed near the back.

Once the majority of goodbye’s were said, she was left standing in front of Enid with no clue what to say, and on instinct reached for her psychic power to read the blonde. The moment the raven’s eyes were beginning to cloud, and the cold feeling returned to her mind, Enid held a finger up with a small smirk, waggling it in her face.

“Uh uh, no cheating on this one.”

“It’s not cheating, it’s an advantage. That would be like asking you not to use your claws to win a fight,” her eyebrows were knit together like a sweater, both offended at the insinuation she needed to cheat and that the girl had read her so easily.

“But this isn’t a fight. Just tell me the first thing that comes to your head!”

“I…I suppose…enjoyed speaking with you tonight,” she tried. The words coming out of her mouth felt strange when arranged like that, but something in her chest slackened as she nodded after a moment. Enid grinned like a devil and pulled her dark jacket off, extending back to Wednesday.

“I had a better time than I thought I would because of you, thanks for letting me borrow this.” Those cerulean eyes stared at the jacket for a second, and with a huff she pushed it an inch closer to the goth.

Wednesday considered for a second, and then pushed the dark coat back. This is about enjoying myself, isn’t it? 

“Keep it, I doubt the wardrobe will care much. We wouldn’t want you to catch death from the cold, would we?” And, for the first time in near a decade and a half, Wednesday blinked at her. The pale skin around Enid’s neck and ears turned crimson as her breath caught in her throat.

“Y-yeah, you’re totally right. So don’t want to die from the cold, yeah. Thanks, um, thank you. See you tomorrow?” She was speaking like an auctioneer, her eyes shooting all over the place. Wednesday smiled at that, it was good to know her father’s charm hadn’t totally skipped over her. 

“Tomorrow it is.”

“Cool, um bye,” she squeaked as she jumped into the cabin.

____________

As the truck roared to life, Enid and her family rolled down the driveway and back to the old house with the headlights cutting through the darkness in front of them in tight circles. She could almost feel the anxiety waving off of her mom, but both her dad and Malachi looked full, happy, and almost excited. Things were looking up, for her at the very least. 

A gentle smile crossed her face as she lifted the jacket up to her nose, and the mint and vanilla filled her head with a warm giddiness.

__________

Wednesday waited for half of an hour before she went into Corvus’s room, which she felt was appropriate given the circumstances. She did not want to catch her cousin without having time for him to wind down from the dinner before she questioned him. The heavy wooden door creaked as she opened it, Thing following close on her heels, and the keeper was sat at his desk with a glorious black fountain pen in one hand and a strange cigarette that smelled of moss in the other.

“Enid told me her side, but you are going to explain why you distrust Esther Sinclair to me now.” Her voice was just above a whisper, but she put the authority of her standing in the family behind every word.

“Ohhhh lovely,” He leaned back in the chair and rubbed his hands over his eyes, taking a long drag from the cigarette clasped between two fingers. “Where do you want me to start?”

[simpingforthisonedeer]

I posted 811 times in 2022

291 posts created (36%)

520 posts reblogged (64%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@simpingforthisonedeer

@thoughtfullyrainynightmare

@loosesodamarble

@toomanythought

@theautisticfroglord

I tagged 778 of my posts in 2022

Only 4% of my posts had no tags

#black clover - 491 posts

#reblog - 444 posts

#julius novachrono - 230 posts

#bc manga spoilers - 128 posts

#amazing art by op💕💕💕 - 116 posts

#thx for whispering🥰 - 108 posts

#black clover fanart - 96 posts

#lucius zogratis - 95 posts

#my beloved friends - 81 posts

#anshi talks bc - 78 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#aika is a necromancer so she would love to stare into noé’s eyes for a brief glimpse because she loves teetering on the edge of death 💀

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

When you wake up next to William, your morning is heralded by songs. His little bird friends perch on his trees outside the window, singing “good morning” to you two detangle yourself from each other’s arms. He yawns before he notices you staring at him with a content smile. You brush your fingers along his cheek, thumbing at the dark skin of his scar. He draws you close and presses a small kiss against your ear, making you blush. And in return, you pepper his face with light kisses, whispering about how beautiful he was. If William was being honest, he could bear to walk around without a mask these days only because of your daily affirmations every morning. How loved and safe you make him feel…He wouldn’t trade it for the world. You shampoo his hair in the shower, laughing as you make hairstyles with his hair. He returns the favor and combs your hair carefully as he hums your favorite song. The Golden Dawn stalks you two as you take a short walk in the courtyard gardens, talking about your day to come. They loved seeing their captain smile again after all he has been through. With you, he seemed to glow. He blushes as you kiss his cheek. His heart felt like it was going to explode. He cradles your face in his hands, whispers an “I love you,” and presses a chaste kiss. Somewhere in the bushes you could hear a “squee” as Mimosa exclaims at the sight. You two giggle and hug each other one last time before you part for your duties.

155 notes - Posted January 15, 2022

#4

168 notes - Posted November 4, 2022

#3

Panel redraw from chapter 333💕

197 notes - Posted August 13, 2022

#2

Eyes of Heaven

263 notes - Posted April 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Nacht definitely slut shames Yami on his secret acc

573 notes - Posted March 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[trixxiephantomhive]

@mintaka14 tagged me in this, but I forgot to do it yesterday

Rules: Pick any 10 of your fics, scroll somewhere to the midpoint, pick a line (or a few), and share it! Then tag people!

(My tags are @heartwithavacancy (Idk anyone else who hasn’t done it yet)

There’s no order here:

I Still Remember… | 958 words | One Shot | Miraculous Ladybug Lukanette

The next day, Marinette spends hours trying to pick out the right outfit, and eventually Settles on a red blouse with long flowing sleeves, and a white skirt that rests right above her knees.

Tikki smiles and grabs a cookie as they head out to have a nice night with a bunch of friends, and to enjoy the beginning of holiday season

Once she arrives, Alya hops up to give her a hug, along with greetings from all her friends. It seems as if almost everyone from their school is here.

After taking in the amazing smells of food, and the beautiful decor, she sits down with the group and joins in on a goofy conversation. At that moment, Luka walks in, holding the door open for the sweet blonde Zoe.

I watch your eyes as she walks by. What a sight for sore eyes, brighter than the blue sky

Best Dressed (Not Really) | 271 words | Part Of the Stoner!Luka Series | Miraculous Ladybug, Lukanette

He smirks at her and shakes his head. "Not to ruin the illusion or anything, but I'm wearing a clip on bowtie, my pants are a size too short. I'm wearing boots that slightly resemble dress shoes, and from the scrunch of your nose I can imagine I reek of weed." He looks away, somehow laughing and ashamed of himself.

Let’s Avoid Getting Caught- |248 words | Part of the Fugitives AU and August Minific Challenge series | Miraculous Ladybug Lukanette

Marinette on the other hand, deals with a kind female detective. With long blonde hair and a nice smile.

Marinette tries her best to be vague, and avoids answering anything serious. Once both parties are alone, they both transform into ladybug and Viperion. Already having managed to scrub the source of their power on the internet, the simple pieces of jewelry had been left on them.

The two vigilantes use their strength to break their handcuffs and put their earbuds in to communicate.

If I could run away | 599 words | Part Two of a Fic, From the August Minific Series | Miraculous Ladybug LuMarc

“We should run away.”

“Why?”

“You don’t have to come. I’d still see you somehow.”

“Why?” Marc rolls over to look at the beautiful boy next to him. The one that keeps talking about dying his hair and collects bugs.

“My Ma hates me, My sister is annoying. I hate everything except you. I want to be free”

“We’re free like this, when we’re here!”

“I know marc… It’s not enough for me”

Be Gone Banjo | 211 Words | August Minific | Miraculous Ladybug, Lukanette | Banjo salt fic

Steve Martin continues to respond in a series of curse words in awful musical chords. Luka walks around the banjo and glares at it, making an aggressive punching motion, summoning all of the angry pirate in him

Lonely: A Hungover Heart Chapter 1 | 1162 words | Multi Chapter work, finished | Miraculous Ladybug Lukanette endgame

It takes my brain a minute, but I realize it’s Marinette and when I do, I jump off my couch and pull my hoodie on. “Ma-ma-marinette?'' I half stutter from shock, then realize I made a joke, and force out a chuckle to cover my fear.

A Flowerful Mystery | 263 words | August Minific Challenge | Miraculous Ladybug Lukanette

The girl blushes at her smirking boyfriend. “Yeah yeah. Now what did you want?”

“Oh, I was wondering about all your printed photos of flowers?”

“Someone used to leave flowers on my balcony as a teen. I always Assumed it was Chat Noir or Kagami. Neither ever fessed up though.”

These are some Wips bc why not:

The Abduction of Luka Couffaine | 8277 words so far | WIP multi Chapter | Miraculous Ladybug Lukanette Endgame

Luka gets his deliveries going out and takes off, He drops off a few pizza’s when he checks the next address. He thinks it’s strange, Luka is fairly sure that’s an abandoned house on the edge of his delivery area. He shrugs it off and heads out that way, but when he knocks on the door he’s greeted to a baseball bat to the head from the back, Knocked out. A hooded person begins to drag him through basement doors into this old building.

The Librarians and The Vampire Slayer | 940 words so far| Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Librarians Crossover

“How is the library not prepared for Vampires? This seems like it would’ve been a more common event” The small boy with an Australian accent complains, while the red haired girl looks at him and goes to correct. “We’re prepared for the vampires well documented in books, and so many different ways to kill them. But as you saw, these won’t die. Or we’re not strong enough, which is unlikely.”

When The Stars Fall Silent: A deaf!Luka au| 1855 words so Far | Miraculous Ladybug Lukanette

Juleka frowns and walks away, Anarka greets him with an aggressive shoulder pat. Nothing happens during the rest of the night, up until the next morning when Anarka gets a phone call, from the otolaryngologist she had given her information and Luka’s too. Making an appointment for the late afternoon.

(This one made me look up a lot of words so far)

[wushusstuff]

Manga readers are having....a time....

[primnroses]

— every time sakura is shown in the canon manga

In this post I will present every appearance of Sakura Haruno in the canon manga of Naruto written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. This post is not directed towards Sakura Haruno in a harmful or disrespectful way. This post is for information purposes only. I give my permission to use or share this list if you may consider it opportune.

I will not count the anime in this list because I consider it over exaggerated and beyond biased. The fillers take advantage of certain characters, especially female, for profitable purposes and are, on occasions, rude. I also want to share that I do not support the anime or the work of Studio Pierrot in regards to Naruto. You can find the stats of the other kunoichis here. Please read the information about the stats in the masterpost before checking them.

I will divide Sakura’s role in the manga in 15 parts: 1. Sakura in the background with no prominent dialogue, either in a memory or a flashback. 2. Sakura with prominent dialogue 3. Sakura fighting or using her genjutsu abilities. 4. Sakura using medical ninjutsu. 5. Sakura saying Sasuke Uchiha's name. 6. Sakura saying Naruto Uzumaki's name. 7. Sakura praising or cheering up Naruto. 8. Sakura being praised by other characters. 9. Sakura crying. 10. Sakura lying. 11. Sakura saving or risking her life of another character. 12. Sakura saved by other characters. 13. Sakura ad Ino Yamanaka's friendship or in the same panel. 14. Sakura acknowledging her weaknesses and mistakes. 15. Sakura in the most important moment of the series: Fourth Shinobi World War.

Sakura covers 332 chapters of the manga, from chapter 1 through chapter 700, which makes up for 47.42% of the total. This positions her in first place in the kunoichi statistics in the manga. 

1st Sakura Haruno 2nd Ino Yamanaka 3rd Hinata Hyūga 4th Temari 5th Tenten 6th Karin Uzumaki

This leaves 368 chapters without her active presence.

DISCLAIMER: I would like to share that Sakura is my favorite character. Therefore, this publication will contain more information than the other kunoichis, not only for that matter but also because she is in more chapters and her story covers more aspects of her life. In addition, she is the most hated character and I want to point out everything, bad or good, about her personality.

Sakura debuts in chapter 3 along with Sasuke in her class. She is introduced by Naruto. From this point and on this is her rate of appearance:

1. Sakura is shown in the background and does not talk in chapters: 86, 102, 122, 134, 136, 138, 139, 177, 219, 227, 319, 337, 352, 356, 363, 371, 404, 406, 414, 425, 426, 454, 467, 505, 516, 520, 541, 552, 559, 569, 592, 612, 615, 616, 636, 639, 652, 696, 698

This represents 11.74% of her appearances in total.

The chapters in italics represent Sakura in another characters’ memories or flashbacks.

2. Sakura speaks/has a more active role: She is active in 293 chapters. 

This represents 88.25% of her appearances in total.

3. Sakura fights or uses her genjutsu abilities in chapters: 5*, 6*, 7*, 10, 19, 24, 51, 52, 53, 54, 62, 71, 72, 73, 114, 117, 129, 246, 263, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 286, 421, 452, 482, 540, 632, 654*, 662*, 676, 689, 690 

This represents 11.14% of her appearances in total.

*6, 7 & 8 Sakura is training but she doesn’t fight. I will add it but not count it.  *654 Sakura fights Obito with Konoha 12 in the chakra cloak. *662 Sakura fights the Gedo Statue off-screen. I will add it but not count it. 

The chapters in italics represent failed attempts to fight.

4. Sakura uses medical ninjutsu in chapters: 238, 254, 253, 270, 271, 274, 278, 297, 343, 421, 429, 442, 484, 515, 522, 539*, 611, 613, 629, 630, 631, 633, 663, 664, 665, 666, 675, 699

This represents 8.43% of her appearances in total. However, if I include the number of chapters in which Sakura has kept Katsuyu summoned (634, 635, 638, 641, 644, 646, 647, 649, 650, 651, 652) to heal the entire alliance, it would cover 11.74%.

*539 Sakura doesn’t use ninjutsu but she heals the injured.

5. Sakura says Sasuke’s name in chapters: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 14, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, 56, 60, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 89, 93, 106, 109, 111, 116, 129 131, 132, 144, 153, 172, 173, 174, 181, 182, 183, 218, 236, 285, 286, 288, 289, 296, 301, 306, 307, 308, 310, 311, 354, 364, 380, 395, 452, 453, 454, 458, 469, 470, 482, 485, 631, 635, 641, 675, 676, 678, 679, 680, 682, 685, 690, 692, 693, 697

This represents 29.51% of her appearances in total.

The chapters in italics represent Sakura saying Sasuke’s name in other characters’ memories or flashbacks.

6. Sakura says Naruto’s name in chapters: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 27, 31, 34, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 47, 48, 49, 50, 54, 57, 61, 62, 63, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 80, 81, 101, 103, 104, 105, 117, 131, 132, 144, 172, 173, 174, 178, 181, 183, 218, 236, 245, 246, 267, 278, 280, 284, 286, 288, 289, 291, 293, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298, 301, 302, 305, 307, 310, 311, 338, 350, 364, 405, 409, 429, 430, 438, 442, 443, 451, 453, 454, 458, 459, 468, 469, 470, 484, 485, 486, 487, 488, 538, 558, 573, 628, 630, 631, 641, 649, 662, 664, 672, 673, 675, 676, 679, 680, 682, 685, 686, 687, 688, 690, 697

This represents 37.65% of her appearances in total.

The chapters in italics represent Sakura saying Naruto’s name in other characters’ memories or flashbacks.

7. Sakura verbally praises/cheers Naruto in chapters:  4*, 5, 13*, 17* 21, 25, 27, 39, 42, 43, 48, 49, 54*, 62, 63, 74, 75, 76, 77, 100, 105, 144, 245, 246, 260*, 261*, 409, 430*, 451, 469, 487*, 573*, 628, 630*, 634, 649*, 651*, 682*, 688

This represents 11.74% of her appearances in total.

*4 Sakura supports Naruto’s idea to prank Kakashi. *13 Sakura thinks that Naruto made a cool move. *17 Sakura thinks Naruto has matured. *21 Sakura says it is amazing that Naruto climbed high. *54 Sakura thinks Naruto is courageous and has taught her a lesson. *260 Sakura impressed by Naruto’s jutsu. *261 Sakura impressed by the level of training Naruto went through. *430 Sakura is impressed that Naruto took down one Pain alone. *487 Sakura admires Naruto’s strong determination. *573 Sakura says Naruto saved Konoha and now tries to save the world. *630 Sakura says Naruto gives his all to fight the War. *649 Sakura admires how Naruto fights while keeping his friends alive. *651 Sakura cheers Naruto and friends to defeat Obito. *682 Sakura can’t believe the Sexy Jutsu worked.

The chapters in italics represent Sakura admiring Naruto but not verbally expressing anything.

8. Other characters praise Sakura’s abilities and intellect in chapters: 10, 17*, 18, 24, 36, 37*, 42, 57, 72, 73, 90, 116, 236, 238, 245, 246, 252, 253, 265, 266, 267, 269, 270, 271, 274, 277*, 279, 297*, 331, 474, 482, 483, 521*, 539*, 540, 632, 634, 649, 675, 676, 678, 684, 685

This represents 12.95% of her appearances in total.

*17 Kakashi uses Sakura for explanations and says she has been well taught. *37 Rock Lee says Sakura is an angel. *277 Naruto says Sakura and Chiyo were able to defeat Sasori. *297 Captain Yamato says Sakura’s kind nature is enough to help Naruto. *521 Zabuza says Sakura has grown up. *539 Morio gives Sakura a love letter. 

9. Sakura cries in chapters: 27*, 31, 33, 34, 47, 50, 56, 66, 68, 93*, 117*, 172, 176, 181, 183, 218, 236, 261, 279, 280, 296, 297*, 310, 319, 350*, 429, 453, 454, 458, 459, 469, 474, 484, 486, 634*, 649*, 662,* 680*, 693, 699

This represents 10.24% of her appearances in total.

The chapters in italics are repetitive. All of them, except chapter 68, reference chapter 183 when Naruto promised he would rescue Sasuke. Taking these chapters into the result would be 12.04%.

The chapters with an asterisk represent Sakura tearing up. Not labeling those chapters as crying and not counting repetitions would reduce the number to 7.53%.

10. Sakura lies in chapters: 69, 236, 298, 299, 469, 470, 482, 483 

This represents 2.40% of her appearances in total.

11. Sakura saves or risks her life for another in chapters: 10, 11, 15, 26, 38, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 129, 252, 253, 270, 272, 273, 274, 421, 442, 474*, 662, 663, 664, 665, 666, 685, 693, 699

This represents 9.03% of her appearances in total. However, if I include the number of chapters in which Sakura has kept Katsuyu summoned (634, 635, 638, 641, 644, 646, 647, 649, 650, 651, 652) to heal the entire alliance, it would cover 12.74%.

*10 Sakura protects Tazuna but Sasuke interferes.  *474 & 693 Sakura wants to save Sasuke from the path of darkness.

12. Sakura saved by others: 10*, 26, 47, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 73, 74, 116, 138, 176, 266, 267, 268, 269, 274, 292, 296*, 299, 308, 429, 452, 483, 484, 487, 632, 676, 679*, 680, 688, 690

This represents 10.24% of her appearances in total.

*10 Sakura is about to fight for the first time to protect Tazuna but Sasuke interferes. *296 Kabuto heals Sakura’s injury. *679 Kakashi saves Sakura from going after Naruto and Sasuke.

13. Sakura in regards to her friendship with Ino Yamanaka or in the same panel as her: 39, 42, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 71, 72, 73, 93, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 328*, 337, 538, 612, 616

This represents 9.33% of her appearances in total.

The chapters in italics represent Sakura and Ino about their friendship and development.

*328 Asuma tells Ino to beat Sakura in love and ninjutsu, referencing their rivalry.

14. Sakura acknowledging her weaknesses/doing or saying something wrong and learning her lesson in chapters: 3, 7, 19, 31*, 34, 36, 38, 53, 54, 64, 67, 71, 105, 118, 181, 183, 236, 296, 297, 308, 310, 458, 459, 470, 474, 482, 483, 484, 487, 632, 676, 678, 683, 693

This represents 10.24% of her appearances in total. 

*31 Sakura says that a shinobi must never show their emotions. 

15. Sakura in the War Arc: 515, 516, 520, 521, 522, 538, 539, 540, 541, 545, 552, 558, 559, 569, 573, 611, 612, 613, 614, 615, 616, 628, 629, 630, 631, 632, 633, 634, 635, 636, 638, 639, 644, 646, 647, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 662, 663, 664, 665, 666, 671, 672, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677, 678, 679, 680, 682, 683, 684, 685, 686, 687, 688, 689, 690

This represents 19.57% of her appearances in total.

Within the War, these are her stats:

- She does not have an active role: 14 chapters (21.53%) - She has an active role: 51 chapters (78.46%) - She fights: 8 chapters (12.30%) - She uses medical ninjutsu: 26 chapters (40%) - She says Sasuke’s name: 14 chapters (21.53%) - She says Naruto’s name: 23 chapters (35.38%) - She praises Naruto: 8 chapters (12.30%) - She is praised: 11 chapters (16.92%) - She cries: 6 chapters (9.23%) - She lies: 0 chapter (0%) - She saves people: 18 chapters (27.69%) - She is saved: 6 chapters (9.23%) - Sakura and Ino: 3 chapters (4.61) - She shows weakness: 5 chapters (7.69%)

[kwanisms]

To the Sky 02: the Anniversary

⤑ genre: angst, fluff, smut, steampunk au, sky pirate!Ateez, ateez au ⤑ pairing: Seonghwa x OC ⤑ warning: strong language, alcohol consumption, mentions of: death and religious cults ⤑ summary: Living in the Sky is not always easy, especially when you have a religious sect policing everything you do. One florist, Bang Min-ah, has always dreamed of life outside Arcadia. Little does she know she’s about to find out how very different life is when a group of sky pirates accidentally kidnap her. ⤑ word count: 11.1k (we getting long parts again lmao)

a/n: sorry it’s taken so long to post this, i wanted to hit my goal word count and it’s taken a lot of extra world building to achieve that but chapter two is finally here! and with it comes all the excitement! the pirates have entered the story and everything from here on out changes. as always, thank you for reading! 

✙ series masterlist ✙ previous || next

“This indicates the character is speaking in Korean.” “This indicates the character is speaking in English.” ‘This indicates the character is thinking.’

January 02, NY 263 Morndas, 09:01 Arcadia, Min-ah

“Remind me again why we’re going through with this?” Min-ho hissed as Min-ah walked him through the crowded morning market, a singular destination set in her mind. The sun had already started rising and bathed half the plaza in golden light. On the opposite side of the plaza from where the siblings entered stood a grand building.

“We’ve been over this,” Min-ah said, glancing over her shoulder before darting through a break in the crowd, Min-ho struggling to keep up. “Yes,” Min-ho stated as he kept close on his sister’s tail. “But remind me again,” he added as she stopped, staring up at the building in front of her. Min-ho followed her gaze, eyes widening in realization.

“Oh no,” he whispered, turning to give her a horrified look. She was already smiling at him. Before he could protest further, Min-ah grabbed his arm, dragging him toward the front doors of the Arcadia Historical Archives. She opened the door and shoved him in roughly, following after him.

Inside the door, the siblings were met with the entrance hall of the library, a hallway that wrapped almost all the way around the main room which was large and round. Tall windows stretched from the mezzanine to the base of the domed ceiling, allowing in tons of natural light. 

Sat just inside the round room was the main desk, behind which sat a beautiful young woman with golden blonde hair pulled up into an elegant up-do. She wore an ivory pleated blouse with long sleeves tucked into a floor length gold skirt, a thick black belt at her waist, and a pair of brown heeled boots.

She glanced up as Min-ah and Min-ho walked in, sporting thin wire-rimmed glasses. A look of recognition passed over her face, a smile spreading across her face as she stood up and walked around the desk to greet them. “Good morning, Min-ah,” she said, bowing slightly before looking at Min-ho. “Min-ho,” she added with a nod of her head.

Min-ah glanced out of the corner of her eye as her brother blushed slightly under the woman’s gaze. “Amelia,” he replied as she turned to face Min-ah. “What can I help you with?” she asked. Min-ah smiled at her warmly. “Your Korean has improved, Amelia,” she said and the woman, Amelia, smiled wider. “I’ve been practicing,” she said simply. “What can I help you with?” she asked again.

“Well,” Min-ah started but Min-ho interrupted her. “I need a few books,” he said, drawing attention away from Min-ah and to himself. Amelia’s warm brown eyes locked with his. “What subject are you looking for?” she asked. Min-ah glanced from Amelia to her brother and could tell he was about to falter but was surprised to see him take charge. “G-gardening!” he stammered.

Min-ah, who hadn’t been looking directly at Min-ho, turned her head and stared at him incredulously from behind Amelia’s back. “Really?” she mouthed at him. Amelia seemed not to find his answer the least bit suspicious or weird because she instead smiled wider and beckoned the two to follow her. 

She led the siblings up the nearest steps up to the mezzanine. Min-ah led the way as they followed Amelia along the mezzanine and to an empty table. She gestured for them to take a seat. “What sort of gardening books would you like?” she asked. Min-ah held back a smirk as she looked at her brother, wondering what sort of lie he was about to give the librarian.

“Vegetables,” Min-ho said after staring wide-eyed at his sister. Min-ah’s smirk dropped as she stared at him. “Vegetables?” Amelia asked, not sure she heard him correctly. “Yes,” Min-ho said with more confidence. “Vegetables. The one topic my sister doesn’t have much knowledge on,” he said, looking from Amelia to Min-ah and back. Amelia nodded and turned to peruse the books she had on vegetable gardening. Min-ah leaned forward, having sat next to Min-ho, and slapped him upside the head.

“Vegetable gardening? Are you kidding me?” she hissed. Min-ho leaned forward in his own seat. “You brought me here!” he hissed. “Had I known this was your plan all along, I never would have agreed to come out with you!” he added. Min-ah sat back in her seat. “That’s because you’re too scared to talk to her on your own!” she whispered. Min-ho narrowed his eyes at her. “Am not,” he replied.

Min-ah scoffed. “How mature of you,” she said as Amelia returned with a stack of books. Min-ah nodded at her and Min-ho turned to look over his shoulder. He got quickly to his feet to help Amelia with the books, bringing them to the table. “Thank you,” Amelia said breathlessly as she took a seat next to Min-ho’s spot. He returned to his chair, glancing wide eyed at Min-ah who nodded pointedly as Amelia opened one of the books.

Min-ah stood, walking around the table to look at the books Amelia had selected. She glanced from the books to her brother and the librarian, a small smile forming as she watched the two look over the books. She decided to have a look around, stating she would be right back. She headed away from the table, walking through the aisles of books. While passing an opening in the shelves, she glanced to the side and saw a somewhat taller man with blackish-brown hair.

He wore black leather pants, a loose tunic with a brown vest and a blue and gold brocade coat. He held in his hands a heavy volume. He turned to speak to a man Min-ah couldn’t see. A smile crept over his face as he opened the volume and said something to whomever he was speaking to. Min-ah watched as another man walked out from behind the shelves.

He had light brown hair and wore a white collared tunic with a golden vest and brown leather pants. He too carried a book in his hands, a wide smile on his face. He walked over to where the other man stood and together they looked at the pages of their books. Min-ah watched them for a few more minutes, watching as the darker-haired man walked away, disappearing behind the shelves and leaving the fair-haired man alone. 

He glanced over the pages of the book he carried, before he turned to say something to his friend, snapping the book shut and leaning against the railing of the mezzanine. He laughed at something his friend said before he turned and looked over the downstairs area of the library before his eyes landed on Min-ah. The two stared at one another for a moment. Min-ah felt her heart beat wildly against her ribcage, her breathing speeding up as she stared at the man.

Tearing her gaze away, Min-ah turned around and ducked behind a shelf and out of the man’s view. She took several deep breaths before returning to check on Min-ho and Amelia. Peering around a shelf, she saw they were still engrossed in their own world, looking over the books on vegetable gardening. She smiled before turning away and heading further along the mezzanine.

She came across a roped off section and stared into the darkness of the shelf lined walkway. She glanced over her shoulder before unhooking the rope and stepping into the aisle, hooking the rope behind her. ‘Just a quick peek,’ she thought. ‘It’s not hurting anyone.’

Perusing the books in the dimly lit section, her attention was caught by a very ornate book binding. Moving closer to inspect it, Min-ah saw that it was made of brown leather. She reached up to touch the leather, expecting it to be as rough as it looked. Min-ah was instead surprised to find it was smooth and felt almost like fine silk. “What the hell?” she whispered, pulling her hand back, eyes wide.

Curiosity got the better of her as she let out a breath she was holding and slowly reached back up to grab the book but someone else’s hand beat her to it. Min-ah spun around to see who had managed to sneak up on her. It was the man she had been watching. Seeing him up close, she could get a better look at his features. He had a strong jawline and pointed chin. His lips pulled into a smirk as he glanced at Min-ah before looking down at the book cover.

“What an interesting choice,” he said softly as he started flipping through the pages. Min-ah watched with wide eyes as the man before her continued to peruse the book. He glanced up at her, the look in his eyes giving her chills, before he snapped the book shut and handed it to her. Min-ah felt small and vulnerable in his presence. Maybe it was the height difference or his broad shoulders that made him look taller and intimidating.

“Don’t let anyone catch you with that,” his voice said, pulling Min-ah out of her thoughts. He nodded at the book now clutched in her hands. “People will start to talk and I’m sure a woman of your status wouldn’t want that,” he said in a condescending tone. Min-ah opened her mouth to respond but the man moved quickly towards her, trapping her between him and the shelf as she backed into.

He stared down at her, that same smug grin on his face. “You should get back to your friends,” he said in a low voice. Min-ah didn’t like the tone he used. As if something horrible would happen if she stayed there in that corridor with him. As if he was a dangerous beast and she was his next meal. Without a word, the man backed off and turned to walk away. He stepped over the rope and turned back to give Min-ah one final glance before he slipped out of her sight.

Letting out a sigh, Min-ah lifted a hand to check her pulse, pressing two fingers under her jaw. Her heart was pounding, just as she assumed. She knew that man was dangerous and that she never wanted to meet him again. But then why was she feeling a fluttering in her stomach? Not so much from attraction, but that feeling one gets when they do something they aren’t supposed to. A rush of adrenaline. A thrill. 

Shaking it from her mind, she looked down at the book in her hands and nearly gasped when she read the cover. It was a book about pirates. She set it down on a nearby table and started to hurry away before stopping in her tracks. Min-ah glanced back at the book lying innocently on the flat surface. She worried her lip between her teeth before making a rash, and rather stupid decision to take the book. She made sure no one was looking before slipping the book into her bag.

Min-ah hurried to the end of the aisle, peeking out to make sure the man was gone before she unhooked the rope and exited the section. She hurried back to find Amelia and Min-ho no longer sitting at the table. She searched for her brother as she walked down the steps of the mezzanine and towards the front door. Min-ah was relieved to find Min-ho standing by the front desk, checking out two books.

Min-ah joined him, receiving a worried look from him. Before he could ask anything, Min-ah shook her head, telling him not to worry about her. Nothing else was said as Amelia finished the checking process and handed Min-ho his books, reminding him to return them in a week. Min-ho thanked her before leaving. Min-ah also thanked Amelia, trying to hide her discomfort in her actions.

She followed Min-ho out of the front door of the library and into the still busy town square. Min-ah saw the man from the library outside with his companion once more. He looked over and they made eye contact. His lips pulled into a smile once more as Min-ah descended the steps with Min-ho.

As she stared him in the eyes, a wave of recognition passed over her as she suddenly remembered that she’d seen the man before, or more accurately, after visiting the library.

‘It’s him.’

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 05:42 Arcadia, Min-ah

Min-ah woke with a start, gasping as she sat upright. She let out a few coughs, trying to steady her breath. She glanced around the room. It was still dark. Pulling back the covers, she swung her legs over the side of her bed and got to her feet, feeling her way through the darkness to her window to pull back the curtains. On the other side of the glass, she could see the sky was beginning to lighten.

‘Dawn.’ She let out a sigh and began getting ready for the day since she was already up. Min-ah lit a few candles to allow her to see better. As she sat at her vanity, she glanced at herself in the mirror. Realization set in as she recognized the man from her dream. It was the same man who had come by to see her father. She just didn’t realize it at the time. She had seen him that day she had gone to the library with Min-ho. Min-ah shook her head and started focusing on her hair.

As Min-ah pulled the comb through her locks, her mind wandered back to her dream. She remembered the man in her dream. She knew she had seen him. The man from yesterday. She remembered his light brown hair and chiseled jawline. Pushing it from her mind, Min-ah let out a soft sigh and shook her head. "Stop thinking about it," she whispered to herself. "You have more important things to think about," she added.

As she finished combing her hair and pulling it up into a half up-do, a soft knock was heard at the door. Sooyun entered the room, shutting the door behind her softly and walked around the bed. “Are you ready to dress, ma’am?” she asked. Min-ah nodded, standing and turning to head for her closet.

Inside, she chose a dress of dark blue, almost a midnight blue with embroidered silver stars. It had a high neck, long sleeves, and buttons down the back. Small black trims peaked out from the edge of the sleeves. To match, she chose a pair of black boots. Once changed into the dress, stockings on, and boots laced, Min-ah made her way out of her room, heading down the stairs with her hat in her hands.

Upon reaching the kitchen, she saw her father sitting at the kitchen table, looking over paperwork. He looked up as Min-ah entered the room and set the paper in his hand down, offering a rare smile to his daughter. "Morning," he murmured. He knew exactly how important today was to Min-ah. "Is everything all right, father?" Min-ah asked, noticing how exhausted her father looked. He waved his hand lightly. "Don’t worry about me," he said softly.

Min-ah pondered for a moment before finally deciding to speak up.

"Father," she said, glancing at him when he looked up at her. "Yes?" he asked, leaning back in his seat. "A man came by here yesterday looking for you," Min-ah replied. Min-hyuk looked at his daughter, perplexed by her revelation. "Who was it?" he asked. Min-ah shook her head. "I'm not sure. I've only seen him once before but I didn't realize it until this morning," she answered.

"Where did you see him?" Min-hyuk asked her. "The library a couple weeks ago," Min-ah answered, watching her father’s expression carefully. "Did he give his name?" he asked. Min-ah shook her head. "No. He didn't. He just gave me a sealed envelope to give you. He didn't even speak-" Min-ah stated but was interrupted by her father.

"Where is it?" he asked, sitting up straight. "Where is what?" Min-ah asked. Her father frowned. "The envelope, where did you put it?" Min-ah pointed towards the foyer. "I left it with your mail yesterday," she answered. Min-hyuk's face seemed to lose color, worrying Min-ah.

"What was it?" she asked. Min-hyuk shook his hand and dismissed her concern. "It was nothing. Some small company, looking for investors," he answered. "Don't worry about it, my dear."

Footsteps outside the kitchen drew both their attention, causing Min-ah and Min-hyuk to look up as Min-ho entered the room dressed in his best black suit. He glanced from his sister to his father, feeling as if they had just been in the middle of a private conversation. "What?" he asked softly, fidgeting with his bowtie.

Min-ah gave him a warm smile, walking over to help him tie it. "You look good," she said softly as their father went back to his paperwork while Sooyun started making breakfast. Min-ho looked over Min-ah's shoulder and then back to his sister. "What were you two talking about?" he asked.

Min-ah gave her brother a confused look. "I just asked him if he was alright," Min-ah said as she finished tying the bowtie and shaping it. "That's it?" Min-ho asked. Min-ah hesitated, pondering whether or not to tell her brother about the man at the door. She decided to wait until later to tell him. She shook her head. Before Min-ho could inquire, she explained that she would tell him after church.

"You promise?" Min-ho asked to which Min-ah nodded. "Of course. Have I ever broken a promise?" Min-ah asked, looking up at her brother. Min-ho studied her face before shaking his head. "No. You've never broken your promises," he said softly.

The two moved to sit at the table across from one another, their father at the head of the table. Sooyun continued to bustle about the kitchen, serving coffee for their father and Min-ho. Min-ah declined the beverage, asking for juice instead. Sooyun gave her a small smile.

As she was serving their breakfast, Hye-kyo entered the room, wearing her dressing gown, her hair unkempt as she sat at the opposite end of the table as her husband. Sooyun immediately began to serve her breakfast. As she was setting a cup down to pour her coffee, Hye-kyo stopped her.

"Be a dear and make me something a little bit stronger," she said, looking up at Sooyun. The maid stood straight and glanced toward where Min-hyuk sat. He didn't look up from his breakfast. Sooyun gave a small curtsey with a "yes ma'am," and moved to head for the bar.

As she passed Min-hyuk, he reached out and grabbed her arm. Min-ah and Min-ho looked up in shock. Sooyun looked terrified. Min-hyuk looked up at her. "Please pour her a cup of coffee and then go change for service. You can resume your duties when services are over," he said in a soft voice.

Sooyun looked relieved when he let go of her. She returned to pour a cup of coffee for Hye-kyo and then disappeared from the kitchen. Min-ah and Min-ho exchanged glances before looking at their father and then mother, who was now glaring at her husband. "I don't want coffee," she said flatly.

Min-hyuk ignored this and went back to his food. Hye-kyo didn't take well to being ignored. She slammed her hands on the table, standing up quickly. Min-ah glanced at her mother, taking in her disheveled appearance.

"I said," Hye-kyo snarled, "I don't want coffee!" Without missing a beat, Min-hyuk simply replied, "I don't care what you do or do not want. You aren't getting drunk at seven in the morning on the anniversary of our son's death."

Min-ah felt her stomach drop. She slowly looked up at Min-ho who stared wide eyed at his empty plate. She glanced from her father to her mother. She needed to intervene and get Min-ho out of this situation.

Clearing her throat, Min-ah turned to her father. "Father," she said softly. He looked from his plate up to her with a look that told her not to get involved but she persevered. 

"Before I closed shop yesterday, I made a special flower arrangement for Min-ki's grave but I forgot it at the shop," she said plainly. "Would it be alright," she continued. "If Min-ho and I went there on our way to the church to get the bouquet and then we'll meet you and mother there?"

Min-hyuk knew exactly what his daughter was doing. She was getting herself and Min-ho out of the house and he nodded. "I think that would be nice," he replied, lifting his napkin to wipe his mouth. "You two head out. I'll help your mother get ready and we'll meet you at the church," he said getting to his feet and walking around the table. Min-ho got up and headed quickly out of the kitchen.

Min-ah got to her feet and followed suit, not sparing a second glance back at her parents. She found Min-ho waiting for her in the foyer. Grabbing her coat, Min-ah pulled it on over her dress while Min-ho pulled his coat on over his suit. The siblings exited the house without a word into the cold morning. They headed silently toward the town square.

Min-ah wasn't sure if she should say anything but she needed to know that Min-ho was alright. "Min-ho?" she asked softly. He turned to look at her. "Hmm?" he replied. "Are you okay?" she asked as they walked through the empty town square towards her shop. Min-ho nodded.

"I honestly expected her to throw a fit when you said his name," he answered as Min-ah pulled out her keys and unlocked the shop. The two headed inside where Min-ah walked around the counter and grabbed the arrangement she had made. "I did too," she said as she followed Min-ho outside and locked the shop back up. Before Min-ho could say anything, a voice called out to them.

Min-ah and Min-ho looked to see one of the city guards walking quickly towards them. "All businesses are closed until after services are over," he barked at them. "Oh, we were just-" Min-ho tried to explain their situation but the guard wasn't having it. "I don't care what your excuses are," he said angrily. "You should be at home or heading to church," he added.

Min-ah stepped forward, pushing Min-ho behind her. "We were on our way. We just wanted to stop and get this arrangement I made yesterday for our brother's grave," she stated quickly, holding up the flowers. The guard was about to speak when he was interrupted.

"Is there a problem here?" a voice asked. All three turned to see the lieutenant of the guard walking towards them. "Lieutenant Wexley, sir," the city guard said, saluting him. "At ease, Compton," Lucas Wexley replied. Min-ah relaxed as Lucas sent the guard back to his post.

"We were just heading to the church," she explained. She held up the flowers. "I wanted to stop and grab this for Min-ki's grave," she added. Lucas nodded understandingly. "I can escort you to the church if you'd like," he said. Min-ah thanked him and the three of them made their way.

The walk was mostly silent before Lucas spoke. "Today is the anniversary," he stated. Min-ah nodded silently, glancing at Min-ho who said nothing and kept his eyes forward. "A horrible accident," Lucas said as the three continued forward. "It could have been prevented," Min-ho said as the church came into view. Min-ah grabbed his arm.

Before Lucas could reply, Min-ah gave him a kind smile. "Thank you for your company, Lieutenant Wexley. My brother and I have to meet our parents now," she said pointedly. Lucas returned the smile. "Of course, Miss Bang. It was my pleasure," he replied. He then shifted his attention to Min-ho. "Mr. Bang," he said with a curt nod.

Min-ah turned, pulling Min-ho behind her, ignoring the feeling of Lucas' eyes on her. "You can't just go around saying things like that," she reprimanded Min-ho as they hurried up the path towards the church where people were filing into the building. "I hate that guy," Min-ho hissed.

Min-ah rolled her eyes as they joined the line heading into the church. Once inside, the usher guided them to the correct seats where they met up with their parents. Somehow their father was able to bribe their mother into getting dressed and making herself look presentable.

She wore a black dress with white pinstripes to match his suit. She had removed her hat which was made to match her dress. Her hair was brushed, curled, and styled and she had makeup on. Min-ah sat down beside her mother forcing Min-ho to sit beside her instead of their mother.

"Is this the arrangement?" her mother asked, surprising Min-ah. She nodded as her mother took it gingerly and inspected it. She handed it back without a word. Min-hyuk was looking at the front of the church without a word.

Min-ah looked around, inspecting the white marble interior of the church. It was a massive cathedral, hundreds of seats on the main floor and a balcony with more seats allowing the entire city to sit during service. 

The ceiling was close to 30 meters, except inside the dome which was positioned over the altar. The exact inside height of the dome was disputed but rumors were that it stood at almost 18 meters taller than the ceiling.

Min-ah was brought out of her thoughts by everyone around her standing. She stood as well, looking straight ahead as one of the priests stood on a pulpit, looking out over the congregation. Once he had everyone's attention, he nodded, signaling everyone to take a seat.

Min-ah took her seat and looked down at the flowers in her hands as the priest began to speak, thanking everyone for coming. Beside her, Min-ah heard Min-ho snort softly. "Like we have a choice," he whispered. Min-ah tried to hide her smile and she lightly elbowed her brother.

Services continued as usual with the clergy performing their usual rituals of cleansing the congregation, preaching the word of God, and telling the congregation that they will be saved as long as they continue to attend church and believe in the will of God. As it came to a close, the priest called for attention. Min-ah looked up, very clearly done with sitting in the same spot for hours. Min-ho took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Min-ah looked at her brother who gave her a smile.

"Before we leave today and go about our lives," the priest said, his voice solemn despite the fake smile on his face. "Let us remember the tragic incident that occurred nine years ago today." Min-ah felt her breath catch in her throat. She looked over at Min-ho who was staring at the ground.

"Nine years ago, a section of the city that had been deemed unsafe to inhabit was closed off to the public and it was there that a portion of it fell, crumbling off and taking with it a young citizen. Today, we remember Min-ki Bang."

The crowd murmured an 'amen' before services were ended and dismissed. Min-ah stood, following Min-ho with their parents behind them. Once outside of the church, Min-ah felt like she could breathe, taking in the fresh air. She and Min-ho stood off to the side while waiting for their parents.

The four headed for the cemetery to visit Min-ki's grave. Once there, Min-ah replaced the dying flowers with the new arrangement. She and Min-ho stood side by side before their brother's grave, silent. She ignored as other members of the crowd came to offer words of strength and condolences. She didn't care. She knew they didn't really care either. They were doing what they were told to do.

She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, Min-ah hadn't heard the sounds her mother was making behind her. When she came to, Min-ah turned around to see her mother on the ground, throwing a hysterical fit and one of the other towns women looking completely shocked and mortified. Min-hyuk told her to move along. Min-ah turned away from the scene unfolding behind her. Min-ho hadn't even turned to look.

Unable to stand the sounds anymore, Min-ah turned to help her father but he shook his head. "Go to the market. I'll handle your mother," he said shoving a coin purse into her hand. "There's a list on the kitchen table for you," he added. Min-ah nodded and turned away from her parents, grabbing Min-ho and pushing through the crowd that had started to gather.

"Where are we going?" Min-ho asked. "Father wants us to go to the market," Min-ah said as she led the way back home. Min-ho kept pace with her as they hurried through the empty streets. Everyone was no doubt still at the church watching their mother have a breakdown.

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 10:42 the Horizon, Seonghwa

Lifting the glass to his lips, Seonghwa took a sip of the golden liquor he had poured himself what felt like ages ago. The ship had been heading due East for days at this point. Hongjoong had been given the all clear by the Benefactor to sell some of their wares at various sky cities across the world. They had been to a couple already and next on this list was Arcadia.

Seonghwa hadn't been to Arcadia in several years. The last time he was there, he got in trouble with the law when he was discovered in bed with the wife of a guardsmen. He had fled the city quickly, escaping onto the Horizon at the last minute, meeting up with the others. They left the city and hadn't been back since.

Seonghwa vowed from then on to only take women to bed in a tavern or inn and never go to their homes again. He wasn't about to risk his life for a horny housewife.

The sound of shuffling brought Seonghwa out of his thoughts as Hongjoong appeared in the room. Seonghwa ignored him as he continued drinking. "It's not even noon," Hongjoong joked, laughing as Seonghwa cursed at him. The captain poured himself a drink and moved to sit across from Seonghwa. The two said nothing, the older man looking at his younger friend. Finally the younger of the two spoke up.

"I want you to go into the city," Hongjoong said. Seonghwa said nothing, merely stared at the melting ice in his almost empty glass. He knew Hongjoong would ask him to deal with the sales. It was his job after all as first mate. He always took care of the crew's outside transactions. The inside ones were left to the Benefactor.

Hongjoong lifted his glass, staring into the contents. Seonghwa wasn't much of a talker this early in the morning even though it was almost eleven in the morning, but then again Seonghwa wasn't much of a talker in general. Hongjoong sighed, taking a sip of his drink before setting it back on the table, the liquor burning his throat as it slid down. He wasn't done speaking.

"Take San, Wooyoung, and Mingi with you," he added when Seonghwa said nothing. "San and Wooyoung are great at selling and haggling. Mingi can offer protection," Hongjoong continued. Again, Seonghwa said nothing, merely staring at the melting ice in his glass. "Hey," Hongjoong said, catching his friend's attention.

Seonghwa glanced up at Hongjoong, holding the latter's gaze. Hongjoong scoffed, taking another sip. "You gonna say anything?" he asked. Seonghwa shrugged. "I better not see that guardsmen or his wife," he stated. Hongjoong burst into laughter, setting his glass on the table between them. "You have to admit," Hongjoong said. "That was hilarious." Seonghwa frowned at his friend.

"It was NOT hilarious," he replied but Hongjoong continued snickering. "Seeing you leap from the edge of the city onto the deck half naked will forever be engraved I'm my brain," Hongjoong replied. Seonghwa attempted to hide his smile as he scooped an ice cube out of his glass and threw it at Hongjoong who cackled as he dodged it. "Fuck off," Seonghwa chuckled, picking up his glass and finishing his drink. "I'll take the others to the market but don't expect us to sell much," he said getting to his feet.

He glanced down at Hongjoong and grabbed his empty glass. "The people of Arcadia are stingy and have no taste," he added, pointing at Hongjoong before moving to pour himself another drink. "Duly noted," Hongjoong chuckled as he took another sip from his own glass. Seonghwa returned to his seat, lifting his feet to rest them on the table. "Take the hairpin," Hongjoong said suddenly.

Seonghwa looked up. "The Sakura Pin?" he asked, uncertain he heard his captain correctly. Hongjoong nodded. "See what you can get for it. But don't accept less than a million," he added. Seonghwa snorted into his drink. "A million?!" he asked incredulously. Hongjoong nodded. "If someone wants it that badly, they'll pay."

Seonghwa shrugged his shoulders again. "I guess," he added. Hongjoong chuckled again. "Trust me, they will." The two were still talking about prices of the hairpin when San entered the room. "What are you two bickering about now?" he asked as he moved to sit down at the table, Wooyoung and Yunho following behind him.

"We aren't bickering," Seonghwa retorted. "Sure sounds like it," Wooyoung said as he poured himself a drink as well. "We don't bicker," Hongjoong added. "We were discussing prices."

"Prices of what?" Yunho asked as he sat next to San, leaving the last seat beside Seonghwa open for Wooyoung. "The Sakura Pin," Hongjoong answered. "Which reminds me," he added, turning to look at San and Wooyoung. "Do not accept anything under a million for that hairpin, am I clear?" he asked. Wooyoung choked on his drink, causing San to give him a couple thumps to the back.

"A million?!" Yunho exclaimed. Hongjoong nodded. "That pin is extremely rare. It's an authentic piece and not the fake. A million is the lowest we go," he replied. San nodded. "Sounds fair," he answered. "If someone wants it badly enough, they'll pay that amount," he added. Hongjoong smiled, turning to look at Seonghwa who rolled his eyes and lifted his glass to his lips.

"See?" Hongjoong said, raising his hand and gesturing toward San who smiled widely. "What did I say?" Seonghwa rolled his eyes and downed the rest of his drink. "Oh, shut up," he retorted.

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 11:00 Arcadia, Min-ah

Upon arriving home, Min-ho unlocked the door and led the way in. Min-ah hurried into the kitchen and grabbed the list that her father had left on the table. Once she had it in her hands, she glanced over it. 'Eggs, milk, meat, cheese, vegetables, and bread,' she read. And written at the bottom in her father’s handwriting was a note that read 'and buy something for yourself as your birthday is coming up.'

Min-ah returned to Min-ho with the list and the two headed back outside. Min-ah noticed that most of the townspeople had made their way back into town now, no doubt her father and the church were able to disperse the crowd. Min-ah was thankful but it didn't stop random people from staring at her as if expecting her to randomly lose it as well.

She did her best to ignore the stares and was relieved to see most of the market had been set up. The siblings went through the stalls, buying items off the list. They stopped by the last stall, a vegetable stand and Min-ah told Min-ho which vegetables father liked.

Her attention was drawn elsewhere as her brother looked through the vegetables on the table. She looked through the crowd spotting a familiar face she had seen yesterday and again in her dream last night.

She turned to watch as the man she thought was the same that visited yesterday. As he looked over his shoulder, she was disappointed to see it wasn't the same man. She let out a huff and began to turn back to the vendor when something else caught her eye. 

A table not far from where she stood full of all types of combs, jewelry, and other sparkly and shiny items. Min-ho paid the vendor for the vegetables and turned to Min-ah.

"We got everything on the list?" he asked but his sister didn't respond. "Min-ah?" he asked, drawing her attention away from the table and the four men behind it. "Hmm?" she hummed. Min-ho glanced toward the table before smiling. "Father did say to buy yourself a present," he murmured. Min-ah turned her head to meet Min-ho's gaze, a smile already present on his face.

The siblings headed toward the table, passing through the crowd easily. As they approached, a particular ornate hairpin caught Min-ah's attention.

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 11:27 Arcadia, Seonghwa

"We shouldn't be out in full view like this," Wooyoung hissed to San as the latter set out several hairpieces on the table. Mingi was off to the side, lost in his own thoughts while Seonghwa was inspecting the items on the table.

"Wooyoung, stop worrying. People are less likely to suspect anything if we're out in the open like this," San said softly as he adjusted a few hairpins. Wooyoung shook his head and turned away from San to look at Seonghwa.

"Hwa," he started but Seonghwa held up his hand. "I heard you the first time, Wooyoung. Sit next to Mingi and leave the worrying to me," the older man said. Wooyoung exchanged glances with Mingi as the red head looked up at the mention of his name. Wooyoung sighed and moved to sit down.

Seonghwa finished calculating the value of all the items in his head, nodding to himself before glancing up. His eyes fixated on a face in the crowd. Seonghwa had never seen someone so beautiful in his life. 

She was short with a slim figure. She wore a midnight blue dress with silver stars with a similar dark blue jacket. Her dark brown hair fell in soft waves down her shoulders, half of it pulled up into two twin combs he couldn't see under her matching blue hat. She carried a small bag, strap wrapped around her wrist.

He tore his attention from her clothing where his eyes fixated on the smoothness of her skin. Her complexion was much fairer than his, showing she had never worked a day of her life outside. The curve of her cheek dip down to meet a soft and rounded chin. Her nose was small and slightly upturned at the tip making it look like a button. Cute was the only word that came to his mind.

Her cheeks had a natural rosy hue to them that extended to the bridge of her nose. A natural flush to her light honey toned skin. Her eyes were the softest brown Seonghwa had ever seen and they were full of curiosity and wonder, something he'd never seen from a woman of her obvious station.

It gave her an overall youthful glow. Her hands were small and dainty as she reached out to gently touch several of the hair ornaments, no doubt inspecting the quality of each item that caught her eye. A smile was present on her face as she browsed their stolen wares. Would she know they were stolen? And if she did know, would she willingly pay for stolen goods? He didn't know.

He watched as she turned her head to look at the man beside her. Seonghwa had been so engrossed in studying the woman that he hadn't even noticed the man standing to her left. He was no doubt her fiancé if not her husband.

He was noticeably taller with a lighter shade of brown hair. He wore a nice black suit and carried a bag, presumably with their purchases inside. The woman began looking through the items on the table, one item in particular but Seonghwa didn't pay attention to which item it was. He had to stop staring before he got into trouble like last time. He was not above wooing a married woman into bed with him.

He forced himself to look away from this woman who had ignited a fire in him like no other had done before. He ignored the feelings in his chest and stomach and busied himself with wrapping up the items they didn't have space on the table for as San began speaking with the woman.

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 11:34 Arcadia, Min-ah

"Looking for anything specific?" a man asked. Min-ah looked up and was greeted by a brilliant smile. 

The man before her had medium brown hair that was styled to show off his forehead, black eyes, and was a few inches taller than she was. He wore a simple white linen shirt, the neck open revealing his collarbone. The sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, exposing his forearms. 

Over his linen shirt, he wore an open black vest. She couldn’t be sure of the material but it looked to be jacquard. He also wore a pair of high waisted black leather pants and a pair of black heavy boots. 

When he smiled, dimples appeared on both cheeks and his eyes turned into crescents. Min-ah felt comfortable in his presence.

"Not really," she said, shaking her head. "I just happened to see these from afar," she added, gesturing at the hairpins before her. She looked closer at the ornate one that first caught her eye. It was the most beautiful pin.

It was made of metal, an off white enamel sakura blossom with a pink pearl center and smaller white blossoms. The main blossom was surrounded by green leaves with strands of crystal beads hanging down with ornate green beads at the ends.

"How much is this one?" Min-ah asked, looking up at the man. He glanced down at the Sakura hairpin, a smile on his face. "This one is a really rare piece," he started, picking it up and walking around the table to show her. "It comes with a story actually," he added. 

"Legend is that an emperor had it made for the woman he loved," the man started to explain, looking from the pin to her, a smile still on his face. Min-ah couldn't help but smile back. He was a stranger for sure, as she knew almost everyone on Arcadia but he was possibly one of the most handsome strangers she had ever seen.

Min-ah reached out slowly before stopping. She looked up at the man. "May I?" she asked. The man nodded, handing her the pin to inspect. It was even more beautiful in the sunlight. The petals of the blossom sparkled as Min-ah moved the pin around. "It's so beautiful," she said.

“Yah, San!” a voice said. Min-ah glanced up as the man she had been talking to turned to look at another man who had called out to him. The man who had called out had been sitting down when Min-ah first approached the stall. He was now standing and leaning over the table, giving his compadre a very pointed look. What it meant, Min-ah was not sure. She took in his appearance as he stared at the man she now knew was named San.

He had short blond hair with a silvery tone. His jawline was sharp in contrast to the curve of his cheeks. He had San fixed with a sharp stare of his black eyes. It was almost as if he was telling the other man off for something he had done. He wore mostly leather. A black linen shirt, more fitted than flowing, with a black leather vest. Tight fitted leather pants showed off his muscular physique. 

On his right hip, sat an empty holster. Min-ah wondered where the weapon that belonged in it was but she didn’t have time to think about that as she also caught sight of another man behind the blond one.

He was big. He didn’t have to be standing for Min-ah to know he would tower over her. His hair was a deep red, a stark contrast from his golden skin tone. His eyes were a light brown, almost amber in the sunlight. He gave Min-ah a curious and puzzled look when their eyes met. Min-ah gave him a polite and friendly smile which he returned after a moment.

Min-ah saw he wore an off white linen shirt, black leather trousers, and a pair of heavy, black lace-up boots. He sat on a low stone wall behind the others. Min-ah’s eyes were drawn to the final member of the group she hadn’t looked at but before she could get a good look, the man called San spoke to her.

“Would you be interested in any of the other hairpins we have for sale?” he asked, gesturing at the other trinkets on the table. Min-ah started to look through them as he explained each item to her.

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 11:38 Arcadia, Seonghwa

Seonghwa glanced up, eyes landing on the woman. She was standing with San, the Sakura Pin in her hands as San explained the value of the pin. His expression softened as he watched the way her face lit up as she listened to San's story. The smile on her face was radiant and it took his breath away. He was vaguely aware of someone saying his name but it took him a few more moments to register Mingi at his side, shaking his shoulder gently.

Seonghwa tore his gaze from the woman and looked at the red head. "What?" he whispered. Mingi nodded wordlessly at the other side of the market where several uniformed guards had entered, looking around the market.

He turned to Wooyoung who looked wide eyed at him. Seonghwa nodded at the table, signaling them to pack it up. Wooyoung started quickly, grabbing the items and placing them back in the bag. Mingi slowly placed his hand on the gun at his hip but made no move to unholster it.

Seonghwa whistled at San who turned to face him. The woman had heard the commotion caused by the arrival of the guards. Seonghwa nodded at the Sakura Pin and San nodded, turning his attention back to the woman as the others finished packing up, slinging the bags over their backs. 

"I'm very sorry, ma'am but I'm going to need this back," San said softly as to not draw attention their way. He lightly tugged at the pin in the woman's grasp but she had a tight hold on it. Her attention was fixed in the distance as the armed guards began searching through the stalls, inspecting the people running them.

San was trying to pull the pin from the woman's hand but she wasn't letting go. Both her and the man with her were focused on the guards that had been inspecting the various stalls. Seonghwa glanced at the advancing guards. He had two choices: leave the hairpin or something much more daring and would definitely cause trouble.

One thing was certain: he wasn't leaving without that hairpin.

San turned to give Seonghwa an exasperated look. Seonghwa narrowed his eyes before hissing Mingi's name. The tall red-head looked over his shoulder at him. Seonghwa nodded towards the woman. "Grab her," he said.

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 11:42 Arcadia, Min-ah

Min-ah heard several gasps and turned to see the guard had arrived led by Lucas of course. She was confused as to why they had come. The man was speaking to her but she couldn't make out what he was saying. She was too preoccupied by the advancing guards.

"There they are!" one of the guards said, pointing in their direction. Min-ah looked at her brother who looked just as confused as she did. 'What is going on?'

Min-ah heard a voice behind her say "grab her." She whipped her head around in time to make eye contact with a man with black hair and piercing eyes. She turned as the tall man with the bright red hair advanced on her.

She glanced at San, whom she had been speaking with. He merely gave her an apologetic smile and shrugged before jumping over the table and grabbing one of the bags as the rest of the crew took off. The red-head looked at the guards and back down at Min-ah. "I'm very sorry for this, Miss," he said before grabbing her and throwing her over his shoulder, knocking Min-ho to the ground in the process.

Min-ah screamed as the man took off after his comrades. "They're getting away!" Lucas called out, giving chase. Min-ah wasn't able to see much in her position as the man carrying her ran through the back alleys.

"PUT ME DOWN!!" Min-ah screamed, hitting the man's back as he ran. He didn't even seem phased by her hits. He continued to run down the dark alleys, her hat fell off as he continued quickly through the thin alleys

"Come on!" Min-ah heard another man yell. "Mingi! Let's go!" Min-ah glanced back over her shoulder to see the man with the piercing eyes holding back a piece of fence into the Erosion Zone. The man carrying her passed through the fence and continued after the others.

As he rounded the building, Min-ah saw an airship waiting at the edge of the city. The others had already jumped on. The red-head did his best to keep his balance as he jumped from rock to rock and stopped at the very edge and looked down at the deck below.

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 12:06 the Horizon, Yunho

"Ugh, why do I have to be on guard duty?" Yunho groaned as he laid in his hammock suspended between two posts on the deck. He was told by Hongjoong to stay topside and wait for the others to return from the market. All he wanted to do was rest in his cabin.

He heard shuffling and opened his eyes to see Yeosang walking toward him carrying a bowl with no doubt his favorite stew inside. Yunho took it and thanked the chef. "I scooped out the bits you don't like," he added as Yunho picked up his spoon and started to eat. "You're the backbone of this ship," Yunho said as he ate several mouthfuls of the stew. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until Yeosang handed him a bowl. 

Yeosang scoffed, leaning against one of the posts and looked up at the edge of the city, hair ruffled by the breeze. "Hongjoong would disagree with you," he mumbled. Yunho looked up at his friend. The slightly younger man had no idea how valuable he was to the crew.

"Look, I like Jongho as much as everyone else, but the heart and soul of this ship is the kitchen and without you, it would be a lifeless ship. You keep us sane and fed. There's nothing more important than that," Yunho said, pointing his spoon at Yeosang.

The blonde smiled and looked back up at the sky. "Thank you," he said softly. Yunho said nothing but continued to eat. Silence fell over the two but it was short lived when footsteps announced the arrival of the youngest member of the crew. “Jongho,” Yeosang said, nodding his head slightly in greeting.

“Hongjoong wants to know when lunch will be ready,” Jongho said, looking from the chef to Yunho. Yeosang chuckled. “It’s already done,” he said in response, standing up straight. “I’ll get him a bowl,” he added. Jongho nodded, saying nothing before turning and walking away. “Why does he still act like that?” Yunho wondered, as Yeosang held out his hand to take the now empty bowl from him.

“Like what?” the brunette asked. “Like we’re all strangers,” Yunho answered. “He acts so weird around us sometimes.” Yeosang laughed, shaking his head. “I just think that’s Jongho,” he replied. With a shrug, he turned to walk away, heading down from the deck into the ship. Yunho rested back in his hammock before a distant scream caught his attention. It was unmistakably the scream of a woman. He sat up, rolling out of his hammock and onto his feet. He stared up at the edge of the city, floating a good 20 feet above the ship. He moved to the port side to try and get a better view of the cliff but saw nothing.

He was mentally cursing his ears when he suddenly heard the sounds of footsteps above. Yunho glanced up to see San and Wooyoung at the edge of the city. "Jump!" Yunho called, pointing at the pile of cushions and tarps he had set up for occasions just like this. San wasted no time and leapt off the city, landing in the cushions.

He scrambled up and looked up at Wooyoung. "Jump! It's fine. Just jump!" Wooyoung did as he was told and landed on the cushions. "Where's Seonghwa and Mingi?" Yunho asked as Wooyoung got up. "They're coming," San said. The sound of footsteps announced the arrival of Mingi.

Yunho looked up to see someone slung over Mingi's shoulder. "Who is that?!" he yelled. Before Mingi could answer, Yunho heard Seonghwa. "Just toss her to Yunho!"

Mingi lowered the woman. Yunho saw her glance down, eyes wide with fear as she held on tightly to Mingi. "Don't you dare," she warned. Mingi grimaced."I'm really sorry about this," he apologized again before dropping her off the edge of the city. 

Yunho cursed as he braced himself, arms ready. The woman screamed as she fell, arms flailing as she tried to keep herself upright. Yunho dug his heels into the wood of the deck the best he could before catching the woman but the force caused him to fall back onto the hardwood. Mingi jumped off, landing on the cushions as Seonghwa reached the edge as well.

He jumped off, landed on the deck, rolling to soften his fall. "Tell Hongjoong to go!" Seonghwa yelled to Wooyoung who took off to relay the order.

Yunho groaned as he sat up, the woman Mingi had dropped to him still on him. She looked around, eyes wide with fear. "Are you alright?" Yunho asked, rubbing the back of his head. The woman looked up at him, terrified.

Seonghwa turned to look at Yunho. He stormed over, towering over the woman. His eyes landed on the hairpin still clutched in her hand. He knelt down slowly, eyes glaring as he reached her level. The woman stared at him, shaking slightly. He grabbed the hairpin and pulled it from her hand as he stood up.

"Yunho, Mingi, one of you take her below deck and put her in the brig," he ordered before turning and walking away. Yunho and Mingi exchanged glances as the ship started to move. Mingi got to his feet, dusting himself off. "You do it," he said nodding at Yunho. "I carried her here," he added.

Before Yunho could respond, Mingi left the deck, descending down into the ship. Yunho sighed before slowly getting to his feet. He turned and held out his hand to the woman. "Let's go," he said. She didn't move, instead staring up at him. Yunho cocked his head.

"Either you can walk there on your own, or I can throw you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes," he said with a smirk. "Your call." The woman took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "I'm Yunho," he said as he led her towards the steps down into the ship. "Who are you?"

The woman hesitated as Yunho led her through the ship, further down until he reached a door with a sliding lock. "You can tell me your name," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "I'm not going to bite."

The woman watched as he unlatched the door and opened it. He gestured for her to step inside. She did and turned to face him. "Min-ah. My name is Min-ah." Yunho smiled. "Well, nice to meet you, Min-ah. Feel free to wait right here for our captain to greet you," he replied before shutting the door and sliding the lock back in place.

He turned and headed for the engine room where he planned to confront San and ask him exactly what happened in the city and why there was a beautiful woman named Min-ah on their ship.

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 12:19 the Horizon, Min-ah

Inside the room, Min-ah looked around. It was dark but it wasn't damp. Min-ah sighed and started to look around. The room was filled with crates and bags, no doubt food and other supplies but there were also plenty of chests and other interesting relics tied down and partially covered with large drop cloths.

She began to move toward the chests, finding most of them were locked. She found one chest that wasn't locked and deciding to be rather nosey, Min-ah opened it and peered inside.

She was surprised to see that it was full of not gold or gems, but rather paperwork. She started sifting through it to make sense of it. Most of it were written documents, ledgers, and receipts. "What is all of this?" she whispered as she looked at the papers.

Min-ah was brought back to her senses by the sound of footsteps outside the room. She quickly shut the lid on the chest and scurried away from the cargo, moving back by the door. She listened carefully for any more sounds but heard nothing.

Deciding not to snoop anymore, Min-ah sat down on a crate and waited for someone to come to the cargo hold.

She thought about how she got in this predicament in the first place. All she wanted was to find a nice gift for herself as her father suggested. Why did she have to go to a stand owned by pirates? Why couldn't she have found someone else selling hairpins?

"This is absurd," Min-ah hissed to herself, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can't believe, of all things, this had to happen to me," she added. "Absolutely outrageous!" she grumbled to no one. 

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 12:26 the Horizon, Seonghwa

Seonghwa watched as Hongjoong paced back and forth in front of him, Mingi standing nervously next to him. The pair watched as their captain said nothing, continuing only to pace before them.

Seonghwa was about to speak but Hongjoong beat him to it.

"What were you thinking?" he said, trying to keep his tone even but it was no use, Seonghwa knew Hongjoong better than that. He could see that his friend was seething.

"It was a quick decision, I made after a brief consideration, Captain," Seonghwa replied simply. "Nothing more." Hongjoong scoffed, coming to a stop, hands still behind his back and eyes looking out the window to the West. "This wasn't a simple decision, Seonghwa," he argued. Seonghwa held his ground.

"It was. She had a firm grip on the Sakura Pin and San tried his hardest to pull it from her but her attention was elsewhere," Seonghwa explained. Hongjoong turned his head and held his friend's gaze. "I knew you would be more angry if we lost that pin, so I did what I felt was best," Seonghwa added.

Hongjoong cursed mentally. Seonghwa was right. The Sakura Pin was extremely rare and very old. There was no way he would let something of that value go. Hongjoong had no choice but to concede.

With a heavy sigh, he moved to sit down behind his desk. "So, you gave the order and Mingi followed through?" he asked. Seonghwa nodded, moving to sit across from Hongjoong. "He did. Even apologized to her before he picked up and threw her over his shoulder," Seonghwa added with a small smirk.

Hongjoong eyed his friend before a chuckle escaped him. He looked up at Mingi. "You're free to go," he said with a smile.

Mingi, who had been standing with his whole body tensed up, finally seemed to relax and nodded. He turned and exited the room, leaving Hongjoong and Seonghwa alone.

Once the door shut, Seonghwa fixed his friend with a stern gaze. "What are we going to do about her?" he asked. Hongjoong looked down at his desk littered with papers, maps, and small trinkets. 

"It's too dangerous to turn back right now," he murmured just loud enough for Seonghwa to hear him. "The entire city will be on high alert,"  the raven-headed man added. "We could hold onto her," Hongjoong mentioned. Seonghwa wrinkled his nose.

"Hold onto her?" he asked, his disdain unmistakable. Hongjoong narrowed his eyes. "Yes. This is your punishment. Were going to keep her on board until it's safe to return her to Arcadia."

The tone in Hongjoong's voice made it clear that this decision was final. Seonghwa nodded reluctantly and watched as Hongjoong stood up, grabbing his coat that was hanging off the back of his chair. "Well," he said as he put his coat on. "Let's not keep our guest waiting," he added, giving Seonghwa a smile.

Seonghwa groaned and stood up. Hongjoong's smile fell and he pointed a finger at his friend. "Not one word," he said. "This is entirely your fault." Seonghwa held up his hands in defeat and followed his shorter friend as he opened the door and sauntered down the hall.

Making their way through the ship, they turned the corner and found the rest of the crew standing outside the door to the cargo hold, listening intently at what was going on inside the room. Seonghwa watched as the crew scattered when Hongjoong approached.

"She's talking to herself," San chuckled when Hongjoong gave him a puzzled look. Nothing else was said as Hongjoong unlocked and opened the door. He stepped inside, followed by Seonghwa while the rest of the crew peered inside.

The woman before him was slim and petite. She wore a deep blue dress with silver embroidered stars. It was a flattering silhouette on her. The high neck and long sleeves gave her a very proper appearance. Her hair was a soft brown and pulled back into a flowy half up half down style. She had beautiful crescent moon shaped pins holding her hair back. 

The hem of her skirt was lifted as she sat on a crate near the door giving him a peek at the black boots she wore. Hongjoong looked back up as the woman turned to look at him, her soft brown eyes meeting his and he could see why the others were so keen on her.

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January 15, NY 263 Sundas, 12:38 the Horizon, Min-ah

Min-ah glanced up and stood quickly, eyes widening in panic.

'This is it! I'm done for,' she thought as she watched whom she assumed to be the captain approach her. He wore a crisp linen shirt tucked into black trousers with a black and gold brocade vest. The gold detailing was a dragon pattern. Over this, he wore a blue and black brocade coat and a pair of black cavalier boots.

Fastened to one hip was a sword with an ornate handle that shimmered in the low lights. The hilt was made out of shined bronze. On the other side, a small dagger was strapped to his thigh and tucked under his right arm was a holster with a flintlock pistol.

His hair was short, black, and shaved on the sides with a few braids coming from the back. He had an x cut pattern in his right eyebrow. He gave Min-ah a smile that despite the situation, made her feel welcomed. The man who had told the tall red head to grab her stood behind this man and she was able to get a good look at him.

His hair was a bit longer with an undercut, also black. He wore a linen shirt as well but in a blood red color, under a black on black brocade vest. His trousers were also black as were his cavalier boots. At his hip sat a holster with a revolver in it and strapped to his other thigh was a large dagger in its sheath.

He studied Min-ah with a firm and heated gaze. It made her feel small and scrutinized. She shifted her attention back to the captain as he spoke with a pleasant tone.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," he said with a small bow. Min-ah curtsied back curiously. "Good afternoon," she said softly.

"Sorry for the inconvenience my crew may have caused you," he continued. "My name is Kim Hongjoong and I am the captain of this ship." Hongjoong smiled as he gestured at the cargo hold. Min-ah glanced behind the pair and saw 5 more pairs of eyes looking at her from the doorway. Hongjoong looked over his shoulder.

The crew immediately scattered and he chuckled. "Don't mind them," he added. "They've never seen a woman on board before." Min-ah looked back at him. "Why am I here?" she asked, looking from Hongjoong to the other man. Hongjoong noticed and decided to introduce him. "This is my first mate, Seonghwa," he added.

Min-ah nodded wordlessly before asking again. 

"Why am I here? What do you want with me?" she asked. Hongjoong shook his head. "I would like to apologize again. Your being here was not planned," he stated. "It was entirely an accident," he continued. "Let me explain."

Min-ah listened as he explained everything. How the only reason she was grabbed was because she was holding a very rare and valuable hairpin. Min-ah felt that was no excuse but kept her mouth shut while she listened. When she said nothing, the captain continued.

"We are going to keep you on board for now. Just until things cool down in Arcadia. Once things calm down, we will return you," he added. Min-ah stared at him for a moment. Hongjoong sensed her hesitation. "I give you my word as captain of this ship, that you will be returned home safely." Min-ah sighed.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" she asked. Hongjoong shook his head. "No, you really don't," he added in amusement. Min-ah sat down on a crate and groaned. "Then I guess I'll just have to wait it out," she replied. Hongjoong nodded before looking at Seonghwa. "Set her up with her own cabin and get her anything else she needs," he said, a hint of authority to him.

He looked at Min-ah once more. "If you need anything, Seonghwa will get it for you Miss…?" he trailed off. "Min-ah. Bang Min-ah," Min-ah answered. Hongjoong nodded, a small smile on his face.

"Well, Miss Min-ah," he said, his smile shifting into a smirk.

"Welcome aboard the Horizon."

✙ previous || next

[due4amiracle]

Day 410

Listo:

Laundry/cleaning, Reading, Dailies, #TTRPGThings, Watching.

Laundry/cleaning - Picked up some bits here and there. 2 pieces of Laundry sorted.✔

Reading things - - No holds no holds NO HOLDS!. 129 for the year, 1 for month! OK SO? REMEMBER WHEN i SAID INSTA-BORROW BOOKS? Yea there were 3 more today. Shit. So now i’ve got four books checked out. - The Merciless Ones (The Gilded Ones, #2) by Namina Forna 100%! 3🌟Well dang, that was good. i sure do love me a “gasp you were the bad guy all along?!” - Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson 5%! Ooo! Interesting so far~ - Manhwa: Survive as the Hero’s Wife 2 chapters of this read Nope🚫! UwU♡ ✔✔✔🚫

Dailies - - Waifu Did mah dailies! Also, level 7/50 BP now~! AND! Tree lvl 28/50! Also! 24/40 max friendship namecards acquired! New MONTH! new weeklies! Chasm gem thingy is level 7/10! ♡ω♡✔

- Cozy Grove - Doot doot continuing to scout along! Scout rank 17/17! 18/21 besties! More stuff more things! ♡ω♡ ✔ New Season! It’s now Early Summer~

Shells - 99/254 - 39% Fish - 95/180 - 52.8% Bugs - 109/199 - 54.8% Flowers - 263/372 - 70.7% Cooking - 64/71 - 90.1% Raw Ingredients - 38/54 - 70.4% Materials - 51/63 - 81% Recipes - 396/3619 - 10.94% ♡ω♡✔

- Pokémon Legends: Arceus - Star 8/10 get! 174 caught, 104 max level research pages~.

|Alpha||Catch||MaxR/Total - Area |   49  ||   72  ||   70/85 - ObsiField |   47  ||   66  ||   64/75 - CrimMire |   52  ||   79  ||   78/96 - CobCoast |   49  ||   77  ||   75/90 - CoroHigh |   35  ||   71  ||   68/91 - AlabIce ♡ω♡ 🚫

- Coromon - ♡ω♡ 🚫

- Ooblets - 42/131 little frands, because why not track something. ♡ω♡ 🚫

- SWtOR - Up to 1d3h38m played time. ♡ω♡✔ UwU♡ ✔✔🚫🚫🚫✔

#TTRPGThings - Doot doot keep on workin’.✔

Watching things - - Think i narrowed it down to SAO Alicization. TBF i ain’t gonna start shit until steroids are done, so that could totally change. - Misfits and Magic episode 2!

Other things - Daily Diarrhea Diary - Good enough on this front. No shower, migraine made things miserable, and also Neuro’s office made things fucking miserable. All throughout the last couple years because Reasons You Know Them, i've been able to do Telehealth easily with my Neuro who is in the next town over, it's about an hour round trip. And with the price of gas lately? That's been lovely. Checked in today (as required) to make sure my Friday appointment was going to be Telehealth, and got this lovely gem in response: “We no longer get a list of the insurances that are still paying for the telemed. It is now the patient's responsibility to check with their insurance and make sure it is covered.” i have Medicare part A&B, i am dual eligible for Medicaid as well. There is no longer in a state of emergency (because everything is all gone! disregarding the new cases daily... anyways) and i have no idea whether or not i'm going to be covered. i'm not quite sure how often i have to see him for refills (i think it's every 6 months? But this appointment was 2 months later for... some reason i can't remember?). But regardless. Sir and i are squinting at it, and shrugging and... well. If i get charged i get charged. i need the appointment, and i am definitely not driving out there to it. So. Shrug. Other than that? Didn’t really get much done today. Very exhausted, very migrainey, very bleh.

Oh yea i forgot to mention i passed out yesterday. Or was that the day before? idk time is a flat circle.

But yea, tomorrow has to be shower, because Friday is appointment and start of Acthar. my appointment for my CPAP is the 9th! Yay. Or maybe it’ll be Monday? Maybe gonna reschedule. Unsure? But regardless of it all, gotta get the shower done tomorrow. Got red bull for it and everything!

Food: A Liquid: A Pain: D Brain: D

Tomorrow: Laundry/cleaning, Reading, Dailies, #TTRPGThings, Watching.

Ever Onwards and Upwards!

[doublerainebow]

The Other Side

Hawks x Wife Reader

This is basically a fic of Reader's account of the last few chapters of MHA, so spoilers maybe.

For the record, however, I never actually read the latest few chapters of MHA, I'm primarily anime-only 😅😅 Still, as hard as I try to avoid spoilers beyond the anime, they still find me. So warning, this fic may not be totally accurate to what happened in the latest chapters. At best, I did some minor research through the MHA wiki to get a better grasp on the order of events.

And yes, Hawks and Reader's union is arranged by the Commission. The marriage happened sometime when Hawks started up his agency.

Contains: Spoilers for chapters 262/263 to 299

~ Masterlist ~

~ My Hero Academia Masterlist ~

It wasn’t always easy being the wife of a Pro Hero, nevertheless a Pro Hero like Keigo Takami, or Hawks to the general public.

It boggled your mind how you had managed to snag someone such as him, but you were sure the Commission had their reasons. Despite the forced arranged marriage between you two, Keigo had been nothing but sweet. The Pro Hero made an effort to get to know you—and you him—and the two of you learned to truly love one another.

Still, there were bumps along the way.

A lot of them.

Some minor ones were the nosey paparazzi trying to document every single part of your life with Keigo. Another was his fans that tended to get… excessive in their admiration and love for the Pro Hero. Those were the easy bumps to deal with.

The not so easy ones were the numerous secrets you had to keep due to the Commission and the times Hawks wouldn’t return home for weeks on end, investigations and missions preventing him from doing so. At the very least, you were fortunate enough to see him in action from videos and news reports. If you were lucky, some of his sidekicks and interns would even visit you to check up on you and fill you in on what’s happening.

However, none of these little bumps could truly prepare you for this.

It had been weeks since you last saw him in person, that last time being the Hero Billboard Chart JP. You remember chastising him for how he acted and even apologized to Endeavor. After that, Keigo had asked you to go home as he needed to have a one-on-one talk with the newly appointed No. One. You didn’t question it, merely giving your avian husband a congratulatory kiss for being appointed No. Two. Then, the High-End incident occurred, but thankfully you received a call from Keigo telling you that he was alright.

That was the last time you heard his voice.

You were peacefully doing laundry in the penthouse you and Keigo lived in, watching television as background noise when the broadcast suddenly switched over.

You could only stare in horror as you witnessed the gruesome scene of someone being murdered by none other than your husband.

You vomited.

Panic ran through your mind as you tried to comprehend what was happening.

Had your husband always been sent out on missions like these?

How many people had your husband killed before?

What wasn’t the Commission telling you?

What wasn’t Keigo telling you, for that matter?

By then, you finally heard the pings from your phone. You opened your phone to check, only to be bombarded by messages and messages of the same thing on your socials.

Did you know your husband is a killer?

Your husband is the son of a villain, how do you feel about that?

You married a killer.

You blacked out for an entire day. Fatigue filled you as you woke and immediately got to cleaning up the vomit from the day before, having smelled the contents of your stomach wafting unpleasantly. You then also abandoned the rest of the laundry and instead opted to figure out what was happening.

The Commission didn’t return your calls, and the people over at Keigo’s agency also refused to answer.

You broke down crying, wondering why no one was telling you about the status of your husband.

The next few days were spent in a blur as you deleted all the social media apps from your phone, instead strictly sticking to calls and texts. You kept the TV on during the day to watch the news but played movies and music during the night to distract you from your ever-growing anxiousness.

Doubts pecked at your mind as you began to question who really was the man you married.

Was Keigo really the prodigal and shining paragon that everyone saw him as? Or was there someone coldhearted hiding under all the glamour?

Were the small and too far between tender moments you two shared genuine? Or were they all fabrications to appease you and keep you compliant?

You didn’t know.

You knew Keigo was a master of masking his emotions. Keigo often did it to hide how exhausted he was whenever he came home, instead opting to put on the same cocky and carefree façade he kept on for the public. You remembered having a fight about that. You had told him that you didn’t want to see Pro Hero Hawks at home. You only wanted to see your husband, Keigo Takami. Keigo said that while he couldn’t make any promises, he would at least try.

Needless to say, you were haggard beyond repair. Eyes dull with eye bags decorating the underside and your skin a sickly color. You almost didn’t believe it when an equally haggard and heavily bandaged Keigo appeared before you with Best Jeanist beside him.

“K-Kei..? Is that you?” You asked, your whole body shaking as you reached out for him.

Keigo gently took hold of your arms and pulled you to him. “It’s me, dove. I’m here,” his voice hoarse and mangled.

You cried loudly as you clung to your husband, the exhaustion from the past few days catching up to you. You barely even heard Best Jeanist taking his leave as you cupped Keigo’s face to reassure yourself that it really was him that you were hugging.

Keigo did his best to calm you down, tears slightly welling up in his eyes at your frantic motions, but none of them falling. The blonde instead bent down to press his forehead against yours, uttering reassurances as he kissed you tenderly.

You melted into the kiss, tears streaming down your face in contrast to his.

While questions about what was going on had weighed heavily on your mind, those thoughts seemed to have also melted away as the two of you kissed and embraced.

At that moment, what was important was that your husband was alive and safe in your arms, and most of all, ready to tell you everything he had been hiding.

[merscylilith]

TOKREV Spoiler

Ch. 263⚠️

WAKE UPPP!! IT'S MIKEY'S BACKSTORY

As i expected from my last theories, we got Mikey's backstory.

To think that Takemichi can leaping the time, probably have something to do with Mikey's father reincirnation as Takemichi ( nah, im joking, Mikey's father and Takemichi just looks alike)

So far, my theory all this time is correct. Takemichi leapt the time not to save Hina but Mikey. But why Takemichi have be the one that save Mikey ? But what's destiny (karma) of Mikey that had begun ?

Those above probably, Mikey's parents, that's mean, both his parents gone when he was around 6-7 years old.

And Mikey's play toy is...train. Which is connected how Takemichi got his first time leaping. I started to assume that Mikey is the mastermind after all this time. Every hint in TokRev were directly open wide it was him. But i guess, we all blind by the fact that Mikey is the one that needed to be saved.

I cant make any further theories about all these, without enough context.

Posibility the death of Mikey's parents had to do with everything too.

Mikey got his blonde hair from his father T^T

H-HARUU??? But he was not bald anymore AND the bandage of his scar. Looks like in this picture they grew up from the lastest chapter where Haru got scar.

Ok, here's my theories, when Haru got fucked up.

The three of them already got along after "scars incident", the picture looks like before they form Toman. Im sure, Haru got his scars bandage since he got it, that's mean, he took off the bandages after "something happened" again between them.

Because we all can see, when Haru in Toman before Mikey put him under 5th Division, he didnt hid his scar at all. Which was him around 13-14 years old.

To think that Sanzu desperately wanted to be the one who beside Mikey, had something to do with Mikey's destiny (karma). When did Mikey got all of these ? And why Takemichi have to be the one that involved with all these ? Haru must knew something behind all of these.

Baji looks suprised which is probably his first time met Draken with tattoo, that's means, this was when Mikey and Draken first met too and Mikey dragging Draken to meet his childhood friends

Oh wait, Haru always there with Baji and Mikey, so, there are high chance for Toman Founder knew Haru. And remember when Haru said to Senju that what she have done was merely triggered. By that mean, there was an accident happened again in Akashi Family, when Haru was 12 years old.

I have said that there were blank space in every Toman Founder's picture together, and i assume, probably Takemichi's spot but every memories about him in the past were erased. Well, i got one more theory about "the blank space", it was for Haru. Maybe Haru was planned to be part of Toman Founder but since, he got family problem which (probably) Takeomi asked him to take care of Senju, which is holding Sanzu back from his outside life. Im not blaming Senju or Takeomi, it just complicated of some family management.

Haru looks so happy in that picture, im sure something happened to him before Toman was formed. But i still didnt understand what Sanzu meant by "merely trigger" and "Mikey had been destined (karma) ".

[ i wanted to empahised] After the scars, they both got along together after Haru got scars, he looks fine with hid his scars with bandages and then BOOM ! Haru suddenly drifted to the ash, he show his scars, which us the beginning of Haru became evil.

Also, Mikey play with train could be where everythin in TokRev begun.

The analyse :

Just like Haru said, Mikey had been destined(karma) , and Takemichi involved to save Mikey from his karma. But Haru stop Takemichi from doing so. For what reason ? Haru have the all answer. Hsru really a secretive person, he knew for sure.

So, here, Mikey is the one need to be save, Takemichi is a saver and Haru try to stop Takemichi, with all cost.

I guess, it all happened since the first day of Mikey born.

I cant wait to see the next chapter.

Im just spinning and confusing to put the right words. I will update and edit again in this post if something came out from my mind

After look at Haru picture above, i was speechless, I really love Haru. He really handsome. Like, so handsome, his short hair. Rindou and Kaku is my top fav because of their personality but Sanzu is really handsome, and i havent says any anime character handsome, so, i guess, Sanzu is the first one.

[sarcasticfina]

Fic Writer Tag Game

How many works do you have on AO3? 263

What’s your total AO3 word count? 4,901,188

How many fandoms have you written for, and what are they? including the fandoms on FFnet, that haven't yet been moved over to ao3, that'd be a total of 37. separating the larger fandoms (marvel, dcu) into their individual parts: Thor; Arrow; Smallville; The Vampire Diaries; Glee; Captain America; Supernatural; Teen Wolf; Iron Man; Life with Derek; Firefly; Friday Night Lights; X-Men; Fantastic Four; Harry Potter; Sons of Anarchy; Girl Meets World; Batman; Daredevil; From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series; Transformers; Lost Girl; Game of Thrones; Banshee; High School Musical; The OC; One Tree Hill; CSI: New York; Degrassi; Gossip Girl; NCIS; The Unusuals; Criminal Minds; iCarly; Secret Life of the American Teenager; Twilight; and The Listener

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. and I wonder (if everything could ever feel this real forever) - darcy/bucky - Steve tells him that Darcy's harmless. Bucky imagines, on paper, Darcy is harmless. HYDRA wouldn't give her a second glance. But he does. He can barely keep his eyes off her. He's not sure he wants to. | Kudos: 5576

2. I Climbed The Tree To See The World (When The Gusts Came Around To Blow Me Down, I Held On As Tightly As You Held On To Me) - darcy centric | darcy/steve - The path to self-discovery, including becoming Coulson's assistant-slash-liaison-slash-bff, Captain America's lady love, and rating fourth on the SHIELD BAMF scale, was like the yellow brick road; it was chaos and confusion around every bend. | Kudos: 3973

3. Take a little piece of my heart (and keep it for yourself) - oliver/felicity - A collection of Olicity prompts on Tumblr posted here for easier access/reading. | Kudos: 3498

4. You put your arms around me (and I'm home) - darcy/bucky - A collection of Darcy/Bucky oneshots, drabbles, and prompt fills. | Kudos: 3293

5. you (anchor me back down) - darcy/bucky - "I'll be right back." Famous last words. | Kudos: 2747

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? not all of them. i do try to keep up on them, especially on longer stories when there's been significant wait times in between chapters, or when a reader is asking a question or is unclear on something. and especially when someone writes a really indepth comment/review, i like to respond to those and talk about motivations and character growth.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? I've written a number of fics that either had suicide or major character death, so i'm not sure if one outranks the other in terms of most angsty... hmm... i remember "be still and know that I'm with you (be still and know that I am here)" and "light a match, burn the world to ash (I will watch it die, and hold your hand as I fly)" both got some pretty intense reactions when they were posted. And "It's Your Song That Sets Me Free (I Sing It While I Feel I Can't Go On)" was basically just angst from beginning to end. buuuuut, i think i'll say "so you think you can tell (heaven from hell" was, only because there's a build up of everything going so right, only to pivot at the end, so it feels very bittersweet.

Do you write crossovers? If so what’s the craziest one you’ve written? i loooooove crossovers. i find writing in the marvel fandom makes things quite easy, but also smallville. as long as i can find a common thread, i enjoy finding a way to overlap two shows. i'll say the hardest one to write was "ruby red slippers (unavailable in her size)." I'm not sure why, but i found writing each personality together just felt strange. i liked the idea behind the story, but i definitely remember feeling like i was really forcing myself to keep going, like something just didn't fit right.

Have you ever received hate on a fic? oh, definitely. you cannot please everyone, it's impossible. for the most part, hate comes and i either argue back, take the criticism for what it's worth, or just ignore it when it's baseless. i think the hate that bothered me the most was a homophobic PM someone sent me re: "you know I will adore you ('til eternity)," on FFnet. i actually went and searched it up. they've since blocked me so i can't read our whole thread back and forth. but i did put part of it on tumblr so i could rant on it a bit, so you can see that here.

Do you write smut? If so what kind? ha. yes. depending on the story, it can be really detailed or really flowery. it depends on the ship, the plot, and how graphic i feel like being. i've definitely become more comfortable over the years with my writing. that said, i think everybody likes something different. i once had a reviewer tell me a sex scene was too much, just too intense. it was a stefan/caroline story and to be fair, that entire oneshot was just them fucking, lol, but it is what it is. to each their own.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Multiple times.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes! for the record, i am always happy to have my stories translated and shared. i just like having a link sent to me and to be credited.

What’s your all time favorite ship? i have a list of OTPs, because interests change and as shows come and go, my love for a ship can be shelved for a while before it pops back up at random. currently, i can't get enough of buck/eddie from 9-1-1. and, historically, chloe/oliver (smallville) and felicity/oliver (arrow) have been two of my top OTPs. but i think i'd have to go with bonnie/damon. they had all the potential and the show dropped the ball by not exploring it. at the same time, that's kind of a blessing, because i don't trust those writers to properly explore what they had without eventually destroying it for the likes of de/ena. it means a treasure trove for writing where it could have gone and all the what if's.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish, but don’t think you ever will? the intention is always to finish. but given how i feel about allison mack and how that impacts my feelings re: chloe sullivan, pretty much anything with her as a main character is not something i see myself returning to.

What are your writing strengths? What are your writing weaknesses? i'm putting these together because my strength is my weakness. i love to write. when i get an idea, i go all in and i will skip eating and sleeping to just write write write. but i also eventually hit a wall and i get so many ideas that i hyperfocus on one until the steam is gone and then i hyperfocus on the next one to maintain that need to keep writing, accidentally leaving the last story in the dust for entirely too long. i also have clinical depression that comes and goes, which hasn't been super great mixed with covid and isolation, so more often recently, i find myself overly exhausted and despite wanting to write, can rarely get motivated to do so. so, pre-covid, wrote so much i left entirely too many stories dangling. during covid, i've just been reading and struggling to get myself focused enough to do what i love.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? i appreciate the authenticity when possible, but i've recently been reading more about how native speakers of other languages feel when a) their language is butchered by google translate, or b) it's just not genuine in terms of how bilingual speakers act or speak.

What was the first fandom you’ve written for? it was smallville, but i remember adopting it out to someone else because i wasn't going to finish it. so if you look at my ffnet, the first fandom i wrote for appears to be x-men: the movie, but i remember writing a chloe/oliver story prior to that.

What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written? i have a lot. i mean, on ffnet, i have 576 stories, many of which were transferred over to ao3, with a lot of oneshots and drabbles getting joined together into collections. so there's a ton to pick from that span a 14-ish year timeline.

"you know I will adore you ('til eternity)" and "let me break (the walls that surround me)" hold a special place in my heart.

honestly, each story is important in its own way. there are bits and pieces of each that i love. every time i write something new it feels like my favorite. my best. and then a new idea comes along. there are scenes i've written that i loved more than the whole of what they became. lines that stand out that are almost too good to be a part of the larger picture.

one of my all time favorite passages i've written was bonnie's thoughts on damon and herself in 'if you love me (let me go)":

He is far from perfect. He is a novel of red, corrective ink. He is frayed pages and torn binding. His life, his choices, his mistakes leave lasting effects on everyone he meets.

She is a lifeboat with a hole in it. An anchor that drowns in the sea while everyone else remains steady above. She is both the calm and the storm, and while she screams that she will not be tamed, she cries. Bittersweet tears that go unnoticed and uncared about.

there are other stories, other pieces of dialogue, that i've been proud of. that make me laugh when i re-read them. that make me cry. and i love them. there are others that make me wilt and cringe and regret. it's a process. love and pride and growth, all bound together.

Tagging: @absentlyabbie, @anonymous033, and anyone else who'd like to fill this all out, haha

[denkilightning]

Hey, I'm the same anon! I also have adhd and that totally makes sense I also get either really dumb or really resourceful at times so absolutely! This is why I relate to Kami a lot! And the stress is really a big factor, if someone has expectations of me I get really stressed and underperform (haha rsd is great) but if I'm alone while doing a task and don't have to worry about disappointing anyone I do much better. But I still feel like they play him off as dumb too much in some scenarios :/

fhsksh yeah same

and i agree!! hori really does play him off as dumb a lot of times (and putting him into the drained state every chance he gets) and my theory is that denki is hiding something (or just has something private he doesnt wanna show) and horikoshi masks any suspicious/"off" stuff about him up by dumbing him down. have you noticed how quiet he is most of the time? how we dont know his parents? why his quirk seems so underdeveloped? why does he want to become a hero?

hes officially a part of the main cast (is in every movie and ova, has a very important role in the cast, etc) but we dont know fundamental things about him. we only know the things he tells us.

and then theres also this subtle story telling that is gentler than any other info we were given: how denki is edgeshot's intern, which makes him one of the top 5's interns along with the four strongest people in the class (excluding our future nr. 1 yaomomo).

we dont see edgeshot at the sports festival and thats because the (atm) the number five hero!

then denki receives like a 100 intern offers which makes him the 4th if i recall most wanted 1a student

after the stain arc he says his internship was super easy and everyone loved him there. we didnt get a single scene showing him interning or even telling his intern hosts name (we knew or saw all the rest of the mains casts intern hosts)

hes the one to tell the audience about the lurkers officially teaming up

the team up itself was probably unexpected by other lurkers themselves since horikoshi said kamui woods cried for two/three hours straight after edgeshot asked him to team up

makes you think

hes also the one who tells kirishima to chill tf after the training camp!!! and to let the pros handle it!!!! cus he probably knew edgeshot and others already worked on it!!!!

then we get info that ibara, hanta and denki work under the lurkers in the internships pt. 2

and in the chapter 263 edgeshot refers to him directly, telling him to not let anyone escape (notice how no one but actual figures of authority, like aizawa, ever tells denki what to do, let alone makes denki actually listen, so these two have to have some story)

and im pretty sure im one of like three people to notice all of that

either horikoshi is THAT consistent... *looks at hawks beard*.... yeah nah denkis just that important to have a consistent narrative in the background

in conclusion: i believe horikoshi is dumbing denki down on purpose. what that purpose is idk yet but i hope well know in the future