#and kaiya finds a bit of comfort in that

[tvrningout-a]

you ever find a song that you can so perfectly imagine your character's happy ending to??? bc i found kaiya's and i'm not okaY

[idlerin]

I JUST WANNA FEEL YOUR PRESENCE

celebrity!akaashi keiji x f!reader

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

the ikarus incident (band au)

+ word count: 3.8k

content — light angst, fluff? fluff!, insecurity, and akaashi keiji being hopelessly in love w u

AKAASHI KEIJI didn’t mean to make you feel neglected. You knew that. You knew that. Maybe you could even talk to him about how you’re feeling when you could actually find the means to contact him. Which isn’t anytime soon. You’re hitting your fifth anniversary this weekend and you weren’t even sure if he could make it. You understand of course, it’s not like he could stop a whole event just because his girlfriend wants his company. You weren’t the selfish type, you’ve never been. You would feel guilty if that were to happen. It’s just that, it’s been six months since you’ve last had a proper conversation. Six months filled with missed calls, late texts, ‘i’m sorry’s and ‘it’s okay’ except that it wasn’t. Just because you understood didn’t mean you could shake off the irrationality of wanting his attention.

“You should focus on yourself more, [name],” Kaiya tells you through the phone, you’ve turned to her for your– as you say– immature problems, “Okay, listen to me, you’re always putting others before yourself, try to catch a breather. Your problems are not irrelevant just because they seem quote en quote immature. You’re allowed to whine once in a while, you know? Stop keeping all of your feelings bottled up.”

“I know,” you slump on your bed, placing your phone on your bedside table so you could comfortably place your arms around yourself like the sad lonely potato you are.

“You say you know but I know my advice is going through one ear and out in the other,” Kaiya deadpans, you hear rustling and you could only assume she was baking again.

“To be fair I don’t exactly know how to focus on myself more. You know I’ve always been a bit of a people pleaser and liked to well, focus on others,” you rub your arms as you stare at your ceiling, recalling your high school days. You’d like to think you were tough, but only on the inside.

“A bit? You used to do every favor anyone’s asked of you before I stepped in and made them all shut the fuck up–” you cut her off.

“But what if they really needed my help!” you even used your hands to make a gesture to fully emphasize your point even if she couldn’t see you.

“They were taking advantage of you. There’s a difference between helping someone once and acting like their bell boy.”

“They were our seniors.”

“They were assholes.”

“Assholes are a bit harsh of a term.”

“See! You haven’t changed, maybe just a bit, thanks to yours truly. But you’re still so pure I want to put you in my pocket sometimes and take you away from my brother.”

You laugh, not really believing her when she calls you ‘pure’, “Thanks for distracting me, Kaiya,” you say softly instead, you weren’t even sure if you were heard on the other line.

“You’re welcome, always. I’m sure my brother’s going to show his face to you anytime soon.”

“I hope so,” you murmur.

He doesn’t.

It’s your anniversary.

The time 11:52 PM flashes on your home screen.

You bite your lower lip to stop the tears from flowing as you grip your phone. You’ve been waiting for a text or call from him all day. He was in a different district this week for a fan meeting, lucky fans, you can’t help but think of it in spite. Lines and lines of them, you could only imagine how exhausting it was to entertain them all. You guess he was just too tired to remember your anniversary. Because let’s face the truth that’s been bugging your mind all day, he forgot. He forgot.

He forgot but you were still hopeful enough that he would remember before the day ended.

He forgot and it’s–because his world is constantly moving and it feels like yours is only revolving around him.

He forgot but you understand.

You could think of a hundred different ways the day could’ve been a bit better. And all of them involved him communicating with you in some type of way. But perhaps he really was just too caught up with work. You understand.

But it hurts.

And it’s not okay.

You’re not okay as you tuck your knees to your chest and let yourself cry for the first time in months.

Akaashi only realizes his mistake the next day when he sees the date. You knew of this with the way he frantically called your phone. You merely stared at the screen flashing his contact name, and honestly, you weren’t ready to talk to him yet. As much as you should answer immediately and shout at him for forgetting such an important day, you couldn’t find it in you to show a bit of anger. All you could feel was defeat.

So you stared at the screen, not making a move to pick up your phone. You were willing to suffer the incessant sound of ringing until.. until…

Until he realizes you weren’t going to answer.

It was as difficult as you thought. Ignoring Akaashi Keiji wasn’t something you were good at, but something you were good at, was restraint. It wasn’t difficult since he was miles away from you and it’s not like you weren’t already suffering from the bare minimum of conversation from his side for months. So you’ve managed to hold up the wall, a wall that’s in the brink of shriveling up and collapsing on you because how could you practice restraint when he’s on the other side of the door and not on the other side of a phone.

“[name] can we please talk?” you missed that voice, you clench your fist, there was nothing you wanted more than to open the door and immediately gather him in your arms and say you forgive him.

“I’m sorry,” ah, that word again, how many times have you heard that from him now? But what else could he say or do? There was surely nothing that could soothe you. Akaashi knows you well enough for that, “I’m sorry, please open the door so we can talk.”

You stay silent, giving yourself the privilege of thinking it over.

“Alright.. It’s okay, as long as you’re listening it’s alright, you’re listening, right, my love?” it wasn’t something to gauge out a response from you, because you were heavily intent on giving him the silent treatment.

“I didn’t mean to forget about our anniversary, the event was held up until 10 and right after the band and I had a meeting and I lost track of time. I know that it sounds like an excuse. I'm sorry, there isn’t anything that would justify what I did. I haven’t been a good boyfriend at all these past few months, and you deserve better. But can you please not give up on me?” his voice cracks and you swallow down the words you want to say to reassure him with instead because Akaashi was overthinking these past few days just as much as you, your boyfriend and you were similar in that regard, but you aren’t exactly sure if you could provide reassurance you would mean.

You open the door so abruptly Akaashi almost stumbles inside, the result of leaning on the door. You gather up your courage to look him in the eye enough so your knees wouldn’t grow weak. You were always soft and weak whenever you were around him. Most of the time it would feel like bliss but right now it was only a painful reminder of how you would take whatever he could give you, no matter how much it would break you.

But Kaiya was right, you needed to focus on yourself more.

Akaashi’s eyes lit up the moment he finally catches a glimpse of you but when he saw the look in your eyes he understood immediately what you wanted to convey without saying anything. You gulped trying to control your emotions as you reached for one of his hands so you could grasp it in both of yours, this was your way of saying sorry. A tear slips and you become a silent crying mess in front of him as he tries to process everything.

“[name], are you thinking about.. do you want to break up with me?” Akaashi says it in a fragile tone, it shattered your heart, you didn’t.. mean to.. you didn’t want to feel like this. You just couldn’t help the sobs that rattle your chest, him saying it outright makes it feel more real. That you were actually going through with it. Breaking up with him. Something you’ve thought of thoroughly between these days of silence.

“I.. I,” Akaashi gulps, “It’s.. okay, if you want to,” you watch as his jaw tightens and his forehead ticks for the slightest second, he was trying to act normal for you, so it would be easier, “I don’t want to see you hurt and I know I’ve only been hurting you these past months. If breaking up would be good.. for you, then.. then it’s okay,” he takes a move to take your face in his hands and wipe your tears.

“Ah,” he inhales sharply, you look up to see that he was tearing up too, “Sorry, sorry. It’s just, I couldn’t hold it in,” Akaashi tries to laugh. You attempted to laugh too but it ended up with you shedding more tears.

“Can I hug you?” he asks, “Please?” his voice cracks, your answer was wrapping your arms around his shoulders.

He rests his head in the crook of your neck and that’s when he finally breaks, “[name].. [name] I love you so much.. I.. I don’t want to break up,” he couldn’t control his tears anymore, “Please don’t break up with me. I love you. I don’t want to.. I don’t want to. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I promise I’ll find a way to make it better, I’ll be better for us [name].. please don’t leave..” he hugs you tighter, “..don’t leave me.”

You pat his back, a ridiculous aim to calm him down, this is only one of the few times he’s broken down, you recall a conversation you’ve had with him where he said he could only ever be vulnerable around you, “Keiji,” you say his name as a plead, “I love you.. I love you so much, but I think I need a break from… just everything. But I’m not leaving you, I swear. It isn’t going to be permanent, please give me time?” 

A moment where your cries and his intertwine as you clutch his shoulder as if basking in the last moments you could hold him. It just makes him hold onto you tighter.

“Okay,” Akaashi says after a few minutes of basking in each other’s warmth, “..Okay,” he squeezes you once more before letting go.

“Thank you,” I’m sorry, you mean it, as you stare up at him with watery eyes, you take a step back and close your door with shaky hands. Your last sight of him was of his distraught expression and tear stained cheeks parallel to yours..

I’m sorry.

-

You miss him.

More than ever before.

It’s been 3 months since you’ve broken it off. You’ve cut your contact with him for now but of course you couldn’t truly escape him. His life was just too thoroughly intertwined with yours. You still feel longing for him, but that was inevitable. Things have been better with you, it felt like a step to something better, for the both of you. You’ve tried new hobbies lately, such as your yoga sessions to calm your mind and running every morning. You’ve tried balancing it along with your new job in a traditional publishing house.

Late at night, when you’re all alone and wallowing in self pity you miss him, but you always manage to stop yourself from searching his name on twitter to see what he was up to. It’s been 3 months of no communication and it’s killing you, even if it’s a self-inflicted rule you manage over. But as you said, your lives were too intertwined.

That was why you’re standing in a corner in the Akaashi family reunion beside Kaiya who was arguing with her cousin, who, when left, turned to you.

How could you resist an invitation from Mrs. Akaashi, his mother? She was way too nice to you and you’ve always attended Akaashi family gatherings, what would be your excuse to not attend, surely not anything good enough, but you didn’t even attempt to say no. Because you did want to go.

“The two of you are so obvious,” your best friend rolls her eyes.

“Huh?” you ask, confused while eating a hotdog an auntie gave you.

“My brother and you are. so. obvious,” she points her stick where a hotdog was once to Akaashi who was talking with an Uncle, “He keeps glancing here and looking at you longingly like a lovesick puppy, it’s kinda gross,” she grimaces, “It’s a surprise my other relatives haven’t figured out that you guys have been dating for years. Whenever we have a get together he’s always hanging around somewhere near you like a moth to a flame. What did you feed him dude?”

Your heart ached, you were trying to ignore his presence because you didn’t know how to initiate an interaction that wasn’t going to be awkward. You greeted him stiffly earlier when you were approaching his parents and he was unluckily beside them. You tried to act like you usually would, as if this wasn’t the first time you were seeing him in person after your break up. You didn’t want it to be this way, in fact, you want it to be the opposite. After all these months, you’ve realized you can live without him, but you didn’t want to.

“We dated for years. Not anymore,” you mumble, bad habits die hard, and one of those is your pessimism, but you quickly say something else before she could hound you, “And it’s your fault for always inviting me to your family gatherings, they got used to it, do I look like an Akaashi?” you roll your eyes at her.

“Soon to be,” she winks at you. You blush at the implication, “You’re going to get back together anyways,” Kaiya was so sure of it, when you told her about how you broke up with her brother her immediate reply was ‘He deserves it, he was being stupid. The both of you are too stupidly in love to completely call it off, so let’s talk about my recent dior purchase because look–’.

“Okay but really, you’re family, just not blood-related, my parents love you to the point that I think they considered adopting you once, my aunts and uncles think you’re absolutely adorable, and my nieces and nephews are always looking for “[n/n]-chan”. You’re practically already Akaashi [name],” she gestures dramatically, just then one of her cousins that was arranging the tables to make a big long one for the whole family to sit in says ‘Bring out the food!’

You soon find yourself seated in one of the chairs beside Kaiya, all would be well if Akaashi Keiji hadn’t decided to sit in front of you. Now you were avoiding meeting his eye, oh you only wish for this dinner to go fast and smoothly because you don’t know how long you’re going to last in this avoiding eye contact game.

“[name] when are you going to date our Hiroki?” an auntie asked, catching your attention, they were pertaining to Keiji's cousin. Oh there they go again, they have always teased Hiroki with you since around 4 years ago when he said that his ideal girlfriend was you, the family never let go of it, you always laughed it off since it was harmless, and there was no way you have eyes for any other Akaashi that isn’t Akaashi Keiji.

A few adults laughed, most teasing Hiroki, you distantly heard a choking sound coming from your best friend, and Hiroki himself was very red. You laughed awkwardly before an uncle said something that caught you off-guard.

“I thought Keiji and [name] were in a relationship?” which made your heart beat unbelievably faster. You almost dropped your fork, Kaiya was trying to contain her laughter but she slapped your thigh as if she was saying ‘See? You guys were obvious’ and you did the one thing you didn’t want to do. You locked eyes with Keiji.

Auntie laughed, “Come on honey, our Keiji is too busy being a celebrity to be in a relationship.”

Ouch.

It felt like everything that happened flashed before you and the gaze you were holding with Keiji right now was delicate. It definitely looks like he wants to say something but you stop him with one simple shake of your head. He complies as he always did in your relationship. And just like that, you move your attention elsewhere.

“Hiroki has liked you since forever [name], does he not make moves? Silly boy,” Auntie continues.

“Ma!” Hiroki shouts in embarrassment, “[name] will feel awkward, I’m sorry [name],” he bows his head to you, you shake your head and wave your hands, you wish for the conversation to change to something not revolving around you.

“It’s okay, Auntie just teases a lot,” you chuckle, taking a bite of your carbonara.

“Hiroki nii-san said earlier [name]-chan looked very pretty today!” one of the kids added.

The adults were about to comment rather joyously when Akaashi clanged his glass to get everyone’s attention, “That’s enough guys, [name] is getting uncomfortable,” he says calmly, you were the only one who noticed how there was a slight off in his movement, like he was annoyed but pretending not to be, the vein in his hand that was holding the cup a little too tightly gave it away.

“Keiji has always looked after [name] like his own sister, it’s cute,” Keiji’s older cousin Aiki says.

Your best friend couldn’t contain her laughter then, everyone looked at her as she cackled like a maniac, “Yeah, sure, he totally thinks of her like a sister,” she says, full of mirth. Aiki was sitting on her other side so she was looking at Kaiya like she was out of her mind.

Everyone thought she was just spouting nonsense again and veered into a different topic. You couldn’t help but glance at Keiji who you knew whose gaze on you never faltered.

For some reason, the universe liked to play with you. You didn’t know if it loved you or hated you. Surely trapping you in the kitchen with Akaashi Keiji when he was supposed to be out buying more alcohol with a cousin was a coincidence or maybe methodical plans made by the person you call best friend you’ve spent more than half of your life with. Whatever it was, it led you to this moment with him. You and him, alone. Most of the family were still out in the backyard, the ones that were still awake of course, most of the kids were asleep, the older kids were watching a movie in the living room, the young-adults were with the aunts and uncles drinking outside.

You were planning on staying over and having a sleepover with Kaiya, who was one of the young-adults getting shit faced outside, but you wouldn’t have put it past her to not have meddled in a little with your relationship with her brother before getting shit faced.

You get a glass of water, using it to sober yourself, you haven’t consumed any alcohol, but you didn’t trust yourself to be composed around Akaashi Keiji. So you drink your water, inhaling before you find the right words.

“I miss you,” Keiji spoke first. He was closer than you initially thought, with your back on the entrance you hadn’t realized he was caging you in. His arm is on the counter beside where you’re still holding down the cup. Now you were truly trapped, and this is how you knew that everything was going to be fine.

“Until when is our break going to last?” he says in a trivial way, like he was asking you if you liked the weather. As if he wasn’t saying it directly in your ear, making you shiver. You remember telling him once that you liked how you could feel his voice when he spoke close to your ear. It was something very Keiji to remember and use at a time like this, you expect nothing less than perfect composure while your insides are malfunctioning.

“Keiji,” you finally turn to face him, but you don't have much room to work with, quite literally. Your hands are behind you on the counter as you look up at Akaashi and soak in his features. You missed everything, his voice, his eyes, his perfume. Everything that makes him, him. He reaches a hand out to gently cup your face, he looks into your eyes, testing the waters. If you would allow him to touch you so he could ground himself. As if feeling you was getting back his sense of reality.

“You look better,” he murmurs, using his thumb to caress your cheek, “I’m glad,” he smiles.

“Thank you for giving me time,” you place your hand over his, leaning into his touch more, “I’m sorry too,” you say.

“I should be the one saying sorry,” Akaashi’s brows furrow, “I still haven’t made it up to you.”

“So.. should we start again?” you say in a soft voice, shyly looking up at him through your lashes.

Akaashi leans down to place a kiss on your forehead, as if it was something he had wanted to do all evening, “We’re picking up where we left off.”

“That sounds nice,” you murmur, tilting your head up to place a sweet kiss on Keiji’s cheek. “We still have a lot to talk about,” you add, reaching over to brush his hair out of his face while his hands have moved down to your waist.

“And as I said, I have a lot of making up to do. I’m sorry for everything I put you through,” Akaashi has a troubled expression on his face, “I won’t make the same mistakes again. I can’t promise you that it would be easy dating me, you know that it isn’t, because of my job. That’s why I’m so thankful you've still stuck with me all these years despite all my misgivings. I love you, so much. And I.. want to show you off to the world, my love.”

You bite your lower lip, it was here, another step in your relationship, “Let’s start with your family?”

Akaashi couldn’t help but pull you in for a kiss, one that leaves you gasping and breathless, “I love you,” you say.

“Stay with me forever,” Akaashi states, not even giving you a choice, it makes you laugh with giddiness, you were the only one who got to see this side of him.

“Sounds like a good plan.”

Being selfish once in a while felt nice.

a/n — guys i have to wake up for school in like less than 2 hrs but my brain said no syl finish your akaashi fic and i listened to my monster

general taglist + @rintarousprincess @giyuus0nlywife @luvrsthrist @cherries4denki @cloud-lyy @misscaller06 @noideawhothatis @wolffmaiden

[theresattrpgforthat]

Do you have any game recs that have unconventional ways of determining outcomes (outside of rolling dice/drawing cards?) I remember I once saw one that revolved around candles, and another about rolling marbles, I think... I'm curious what other ones you've come across!

THEME: Dice and Card Alternatives

Hello friend, all of these games use very different modes of resolution! Happy gaming!

Spin the Fishblade, by Marshall Bradshaw.

Spin the FishBlade is the GMless, diceless storygame where players control one fish with a knife by spinning a knife.

It's meant for three to five players to play for one to two hours, telling an outlandish story with some stylized violence. Imagine if Finding Nemo were mixed with an action movie, like Taken, Kill Bill, or Snatch.

Spin the FishBlade is a game made to spoof off of a tweet that came across as (a little) derisive of indie ttrpgs, and is one of a number of games entered into a game jam celebrating the game community’s willingness to commit to a bit. However, it’s also a completely playable game! You will sit in a circle, and arrange items to sit in between each player to act as loci of power. A knife will be spun, similar to a game of spin the bottle, but the goal is to share narration and introduce uncertainty based off of the objects in the circle. Great for GM-less games or a storytelling exercise in a casual setting!

Printweaver, by N.L. Morrison.

Your fingerprints determine your unique adventurer. Explore the wilds and find your own adventure through combat, death, and revival. Your fate is in your hands.

Printweaver looks like a traditional ttrpg in its gameplay mechanics, which use d10s, but character creation is determined by the player’s fingerprints. You’ll determine what kinds of stats you have, and where your abilities lie, by examining your finger prints and following instructions as laid out in the rulebook. The game itself is $10, but if you’re unsure about the game, character sheets and the Shorthand edition are free to download!

DIY Identity: An Odd Bijou, by S. Kaiya J.

There are a million other paths you might have walked in life.

Every one of them passes through this place.

DIY Identity is a two-person game about mutual exploration, co-construction of perception, and missed paths in life. In order to play, you will need to take a trip to an IKEA store. It is recommended to play this game with someone you trust but do not currently live with.

This game uses an hourglass and a room in an IKEA store, and can be played for about as long as you’d like to spend in that store. I’d only recommend you play it with folks if you are both comfortable with them and if you don’t mind playing the game in a semi-public space.  The game itself is only one page; easy to print off to fold up and put in your pocket.

Grave Liasons, by Yugie.

Grave Liasons is a PvP roleplaying game powered by chocolate where you play as nosy ghosts trying to ensure that their descendants get matched with the perfect partner (according to them).

While playing, players take on the roles of SPIRITS, who are trying to ensure or prevent a match, and DESCENDANTS, who are just normal people looking for love. 

This game is a one-page game in which you will embody both a Spirit and a Descendant, with the Spirits playing ghostly matchmakers and the Descendants, doing their best to find love. When a Spirit’s match goes well, the Spirit’s player eats a chocolate heart! However, be careful - once you run out of hearts you’ll have to beg or steal hearts off of other players. If you want a light-hearted way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, or you just want to eat chocolate with friends. I suggest checking this game out!

Games I’ve recommended in the past

Witches Brew, by C.R. Legge. (Tea!)

Clown Helsing, by Planarian. (Rock, Paper, Scissors)

[reddus-sideblog]

M.E.R.C.s - Deadeye

1-14-886 AR

The regular crack of gunfire filled the range with noise and the lingering smell of gunpowder. Among the choir of gunshots was the measured report of a smaller weapon, held by a human youth. 

    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

    The gun was cheap, and probably shoddy since it only cost $20, but she was determined to make some progress on her marksmanship. Firing on the target at the end of a range was a lot different than pulling a pistol on a drunk, belligerent step-father.

Cash wasn’t happy with her shot placement, to say the least. She wasn’t sure if it was the gun being a piece of crap, her hands being ever so slightly shaky, or her lack of experience. She’d come to the range to improve her aim, but after going through three paper targets her will to improve was starting to waver. Movies and TV shows made it look like it was really easy to be a deadeye, but Cash was starting to see the reality of the situation. However, she’d sunk nearly fifty gold into this excursion, and she still had a few dozen bullets and seven paper cutout targets to shoot at. Her first official mercenary job was in a bit over a week, and she was trying to find something that would make her a useful asset to her team.

Part of her wished that the past year had all just been a bad dream. Cash knew, though, that it went back further than that, it all had started when her mother had remarried to that dickhead. If she did suddenly wake up and the clock was wound back one year she would just be back to her old life of constant harassment and inadequacy. Ultimately Cash wasn’t sure if her life now was better, per se, but it certainly was different.

    She slapped the cylinder of her revolver closed with a fresh complement of rounds, and focused on the head of the target she’d sent down range.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

    Cash had hit the target in the head 3 times. Three out of eight wasn’t a passing grade, really. She mulled it over, school wasn’t something she had to worry about anymore either, actually. Cash had enjoyed school back before this had all started, even if she was mediocre at most classes, as it gave her an excuse to see her friends. Her time in Malcolm-Olton High was pretty idyllic, looking back. Jenny, Miranda, and her had been a three-person unit that were nearly inseparable, and getting to go over to Jenny’s house after school to do homework or study was always great since Mrs. Barnes always brought them snacks and even helped the girls with social studies projects.

    Back then everyone called her Kaiya, but it had nearly been a year since anyone had called her that. That kind of minor comfort in her everyday life had fallen away all at once when she killed Harold. After that it was only ever “Miss Cash” this and “Miss Cash” that. She reckoned that the last time she’d heard her name aloud properly was when she was sentenced to rehabilitation via employment at her hearing, and even then the judge had called her “Miss Kaiya Cash”. After that the youth rehab officer, her landlord, her handler, and even the old devilkin guy at the gun store’s counter had called her Miss Cash.

    After she chose to join the Mercenary-Contractor Association’s Youth Program instead of going to juvenile detention her mother stopped talking to her altogether, and the few times she’d seen Jenny or Miranda since her sentencing the encounters were awkward, and both of them left very soon after greeting her. The latest time she’d seen Jenny, her classmate had refused to acknowledge Cash, and just crossed the street to avoid her.

    Cash readied another cylinder of shots and sent another paper target out. She hoped that spending time at the range would let her stop associating pulling a trigger with murdering that man, but it was just bringing up memories she didn’t really want to think about. 

    Trying to clear her head, Cash blew her blonde bangs out of her face and pointed down the range at the target’s center of mass. Inhaling, she focused and slowly pulled at the trigger, attempting to get back into a rhythm again.

    1, 2, 3, 4-

    A handcannon in the stall went off in the stall next to her, breaking her concentration. She’d been too focused on shooting and reliving the past to notice somebody taking up the stall to do their own target shooting. Because of the walls separating the shooters at the range she had no idea who it could be, but judging by how they hit the dead center of their target’s head Cash guessed that they must have been one hell of a sharpshooter.

    The pistol in her hands lowered in awe as she watched the shooter take out the target’s right hand followed by its left hand. Both shots were nearly dead center on their respective palms. Cash was hoping to improve, but this person was in another league from her entirely. They had to be a combat android, or maybe a cyborg who worked with SWAT. Failing that maybe they were a chimera, Cash recalled the catgirls in her gym class having reflexes far beyond her own, and most of the other human girls.

    The awe she was feeling began to curdle to jealousy and frustration. Some people had all the damn luck in the world, she thought bitterly. Cash raised her gun and glared down her sights at the target she’d already sunk four rounds into. Some people didn’t have shitty step-fathers who called them a drain on the family and a failure in the making. 5. Some people didn’t have mothers who made excuses for their abusive husbands. 6. Some people weren’t impulsive young girls who’d had enough. 7. Some people weren’t born as a stupid, weak human who could be pushed around by everyone in their shit ass lives and weren’t dumped off as soon as they pushed back. 8.

    After unloading all eight shots Cash was practically seething. She popped open the cylinder and let the casings dump all over the floor before leaning against the side wall of her stall, opposite the gunslinger next to her. Cash spent the next ten or so minutes quietly muttering to herself while the person next to her went at another few targets with laser precision similar to what they’d exhibited in their first volley. She huffed and began to retie her hair, adjusting the ponytail she’d pulled her shoulder-length blonde hair into.

    As Cash was in the middle of tying up her hair she noticed the stranger in the stall next to her begin to leave. As he rounded the corner, she immediately realized that it was an ordinary, human man. He was old enough to be someone’s dad, sure, but she couldn’t see a single gleaming cybernetic or any telltale signs of a demonic pact on him. He seemed moderately fit, had some five o’clock shadow, and probably had family from Shogai, sure, but there wasn’t a drop of demon blood or a speck of modified genes in the man.

    Having unintentionally met his hazel eyes as she scanned him up and down, the dad approached Cash.

    “Ah, hey there, I noticed you shooting next to me, hope I didn’t make too much of a racket.” he said casually. He either hadn’t seen the angst on Cash’s face, or had chosen to ignore it. Cash felt a sudden pang of regret as she realized that she’d been so hostile towards another simple person like herself.

    “You’re really damn good,” she said absentmindedly, as she looked at the gun on his hip. 

    “Me? Well, I was in the Federal Police for a good while, and they tend to like it when you hit the right guy.”

    Despite her earlier frustration Cash chuckled at the non-joke, “Oh, yeah, no wonder you can shoot like that.”

    He smirked a bit as the compliments swelled his ego some, “Well you didn’t do too badly yourself on that target. I thought you’d left already, but I had wanted to say that you did a decent job with most of your shots. And you’re just a kid too! Keep up the hard work and you’ll get to be a marksman like me.”

    “Thanks… I-”     “Hey I gotta go, my wife needs me to grab some groceries before dinner, and I can’t be late for that again. Name’s Stanley by the way, maybe I’ll see yah again if you’re here at the range next week.”

    Before she could reply the gunslinging husband man was gone. Cash turned to look at her target. Her shot grouping wasn’t great, and her last shot had only clipped the ear, but seven of her eight shots had struck home on the target’s head. She felt like a real deadeye.

[viciousbite]

@tvrningout​ asked: [ STRADDLE ] : while sparring, sender gains the upper hand and pins the receiver in place, straddling their waist in the process. or [ WET ] : our muses find one another in a torrential downpour of rain, both soaking wet. — depending on which you like better!

Sexual tension Prompts //Accepting.

A slip, bare feet fell over from the soaked dirt under him. His back hit the ground as he felt the demoness’s hands wrapped around his wrists, pinning them against his bare chest. Akaza’s eyes widened, clear surprise in his facial features. Kaiya was on top of him, be it on purpose or by accident, Akaza was unsure. With the way she clutched onto him and kept him from getting back up, appeared that it was all part of their little spar. For their luck, the weather had turned against them, soaking them in a layer of rain water. It was pouring, the droplets stuck to Akaza’s lashes as he fluttered them enough to keep his eyes on the woman. It was a sight to behold, with her beautiful hair soaked and framing her pretty features, and the determinate expression to beat him... Akaza was stunned.

“That doesn’t count, I slipped.” Akaza spoke softly, pulling a grin on his lips. The pressure against his bare stomach and against the sides of his waist, turned more and more noticeable the longer they remained one on top of the other. A spar, nothing more, right? Akaza stared at her, seconds in silence before a small laugh left his parted lips. A thought had crossed his mind, how he had fallen in the hands of woman who didn’t like to fight, a woman Akaza could easily rip apart if he wished so. Oh how far had he fallen!... Literally on tonight’s case. 

“My back is soaked, at this rate we will both be needing a bath with the amount of mud we’re covered in...” He chuckled as he wiggled a tiny bit under the woman, trying to free his arms, but guess he seemed to be trapped. If he can’t use his hands, then why not... His head leaned forward, closer and closer to Kaiya until his pale lips pressed against the edge of her hair line. A tease, straight on the pastel purple strands and her skin. He continued to lift himself up little by little until he managed to force Kaiya to slide down his waist and onto his lap. 

“We can leave the sparring here for the night, unless you want to wrestle in the mud and get your hair all dirty, Kaiya.” He suggested, with a teasing tone as golden eyes stared into hers. Eye contact, with faces way too close for comfort and bodies close to being pressed together. Akaza’s barely covering haori never helped in such close times either.

[hqbaby]

53. letters | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝 (𝐦𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐮 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

previous | masterlist | next

(written portion! you can find a summary at the bottom if you have difficulty or simply don't feel like reading large chunks of text<33 word count: 1k)

dream one

Two identical pairs of eyes look up at him in wonder. Two bright smiles shine from down below. Two pairs of hands reach up for him to take.

“Papa,” says the girl. “We missed you.”

he wakes

Atsumu peels his eyes open to the shoving sensation against his chest. He looks at the girl pushing him away and can’t help but purse his lips.

“Too close,” Kaiya murmurs. “Need space.”

He unwraps his arms from her waist and watches as she slips away to the other side of the bed and turns her back to him. He can’t help the sunken, resigned feeling that grows in the pit of his stomach, the sickening realization that this is the rest of his life.

He’ll grow old to the feeling of being shoved away. He’ll grow old to the sound of whispered words telling him that she needs space. He’ll grow old watching this woman turn her back without a second thought and leave him alone and cold on his side of the bed. He’ll grow old like this—like a man who is doomed to never again feel love.

Atsumu takes a deep breath and pulls himself out of bed. He walks over to the bedroom window—obscenely big and boisterous, just like Kaiya insisted—and stares out at the city that whirs below.

Tokyo is just waking up. And Atsumu is already wide awake.

When he turns back to look at the bed, something in him clenches. For a moment, just a fleeting moment, he almost thinks that the girl tucked away in sleep is you. And, for a moment, just a fleeting moment, he thinks he’s finally capable of feeling joy again.

Then, the moment passes quicker than it came. But something stays.

Somewhere, he’s not sure where, this tiny sliver of hope remains. He retraces his steps, trying to look for the feeling wherever on earth it could be coming from—and that’s when he finds it: curled up in the deepest darkest depths of his mind is his dream from just a few minutes ago.

Two pairs of eyes. Two bright smiles. Two pairs of hands.

A small feeling of contentment, of comfort.

But, no. Those things don’t exist. Not here, not now.

Atsumu sits down from the floor beside the bed and reaches under, pulling out the box he’s hidden below. He opens the lid and forces himself to look at the pregnancy test on top, two pink lines indicating a poignant and painful, “yes.”

Then, he takes out the letter under the test and wills himself to read it because, for some reason, no matter how many times he’s read it, he can’t seem to remember the words. No, not a word at all. So he reads it and reads it until it's burned into his mind, until he understands that dreams of two pairs of eyes and two bright smiles and two pairs of hands must not be dreamt.

But, then, mere moments after he lifts his eyes from the page, all he can remember are bits and pieces: Dear Atsumu and happier without you and we don’t need you and the kids would be better off and Sincerely, Y/N.

Bits and pieces. But, somehow, they’re all he needs to shake the dream off, crawl back into bed, and fall asleep cold, alone, and empty.

“Y/N, are you alright?”

The room is littered with books and toys and crayons in numbers too many to count. Koushi tiptoes over the legos and reaches for your shoulder. He asks again, “Are you alright?”

You wipe your tears with your sleeve and pull your knees up to your chest, shrinking into yourself as much as you can. You shake your head.

“I can’t do this,” you say, fidgeting with your hands. “I can’t be a mother.”

Koushi sighs and sits down beside you, picking up one of Akari’s stuffed dinosaurs and placing it on his lap. “What are you talking about?” he asks. “You’re already a mother. And a pretty good one, if I may say so myself.”

You feel tears escape once more as you let out a sob. “I can’t be everything they need me to be,” you tell him. “I can’t replace him.”

The man beside you leans against you gently. “You don’t have to replace him on your own,” he says. “You’ve got me and Daichi and Asahi. And you’ve got the girls. You’ve got a lot of people to back you up.”

You hug your knees tighter. “But they need Atsumu,” you say, softly, almost afraid that saying it out loud will somehow make it ridiculous. “Why doesn’t he want them?”

Koushi doesn’t have an answer.

He was there when it all happened, of course.

Koushi was there when Atsumu came looking for you two months after you’d left Tokyo. Koushi was there when you told Atsumu that you needed to figure things out on your own for a bit but that you’d tell him as soon as you were ready to talk to him again. Koushi was there when, two weeks after you’d given birth, you decided to finally write Atsumu a letter, asking him if he would like to try and be a parent with you.

Koushi was there to see your eyes burn brightly with determination that things would work out fine.

And Koushi was there when a letter came three days later telling you that Atsumu wished you the best of luck with raising the kids on your own and that he’d be glad to never see you or the kids again.

So, no, Koushi doesn’t have an answer. Because he really doesn’t know what went wrong. He doesn’t know at all.

So, instead, he pulls you to his side and waits with you as you shed the rest of your tears. Things may not be fine, but they are what they are—and that’s just what you have to live with.

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Atsumu remembers receiving a hurtful letter from Y/N after the twins were born. Y/N, on the other hand, remembers sending him a hopeful letter and receiving a damning one in return.

𝐚/𝐧 : i had to redo this chapter three times and there were like three alternative routes for this part bUT I HOPE I PULLED IT OFF ALRIGHT as always, this has been a blast<33

[bandit-prince]

“I’d say that Dusknoir has taken quite a liking to you! Which is wonderful! What better way to study Pokémon then to travel with them?”

Professor Laveton smiles widely, bouncing on his heels at the idea of a new Pokémon to catalog. “You say it scared off an alpha Pokémon from chasing you? How interesting! I’ve never heard tell of a wild Pokémon protecting humans in such a way.” He pauses, thinking, and then shakes his head. “Well, I suppose that’s not completely true. The Warden’s of Diamond and Pearl clans surely haven’t tamed their Lords and Ladies, and yet they are still protected by them. It’s all about a mutually beneficial relationship! Which begs the question, why did your new friend help you? Did it see a potential partnership?”

The professor pauses, taking a deep breath to recover from his flood of thoughts and questions; only to realize I’ve been paying very little attention to his words. My focus was instead on the ghostly form quietly watching a Cyndaquil with a deep interest. Laveton clears his throat, catching my attention again. “Now, I won’t lie to you, there is a lot of..eh, stigma, that these types of Pokémon carry. A lot of folks aren’t going to be too keen on being near one. Not to mention that he’s an alpha himself, so it’s best to be prepared for some unwanted reactions.” He smiled then, and claps his hands together brightly. “Now then, I can’t think of anything else to share! Why don’t you go out and spend some time with your new friend, hm? And don’t forget to record anything you find out!”

The light was beginning to fade in the sky as I left the Professor’s lab, stretching my arms and running my hand over the Pokéball at my side. It was a comforting feeling, even if the Pokémon inside it wasn’t. But the Professor did have a good point..why had it rescued me?

The Cobalt Coastlands were by far my favorite place to explore, and I had filled out my map of the area pretty well. It was an exciting place, but I knew where to go for some peace and quiet. The spring was surrounded by high hills, and it was difficult to get to, but well worth it. I sat myself down with my feet in the water of the spring, admiring the ruins across the way, at the entrance of the cave. I had never gathered up the courage to go in there, it always felt a little..tense, near there. But this was the most peaceful place in the Cobalt Coastlands, mostly due to the lack of Pokémon.

Sitting with my knees up to my chest, I pause, picking up the Pokéball from my waist, and holding it in my hand. It seemed to wiggle with excitement at being held, and with a small smile tugging at my lips I let the ball fly, landing not too far away. The Dusknoir stretches as it emerges, letting out a little rumble of appreciation as it floats back to me.

I won’t lie to you, ghost type Pokémon have always given me the creeps..and a Dusknoir isn’t what I would have chosen for my partner. But still, it made me wonder what this undoubtly powerful Pokémon had seen in me to want to protect me. And it made me a bit less scared.

The Dusknoir sits nearby, facing away from the cave, head tilted upward curiously, listening to something I couldn’t quite hear. “You know,” I say, clearing my throat, and hoping it could understand what I was saying. “If we’re gonna be partners, I need something to call you, besides Dusknoir.”

It looked at me, lone eye blinking thoughtfully. And then it points at me, a finger brushing my shoulder.

“Huh? Oh! Yeah, I guess I never told you my name, huh?”

I smiled, resting my chin on my knees. “My name’s Kaiya.”

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

I KNOW THE MOVIE WILLOW!! I watched it for the first time during college and I really enjoyed it! There was also a book trilogy that came out that acted as a continuation of the film, Shadow Moon, Shadow Dawn and Shadow Star! You can probably find them online :) Anyway, I heard you have a Willow AU? I'd love to know more, please!

I WIILL ALWAYS LOVE WILLOW!!

It’s 100% my comfort movie, wonderfully campy with scenes that never fail to make me die laughing!

NOW MY WILLOW AU:

Macavity is on the hunt for a child foretold to defeat him. He searches for a baby who will be born with a crescent moon-shaped mark on their shoulder. His closest friend, Mistoffelees, is charged with checking on every newborn baby. Eventually, a young maid named Serafina gives birth to a healthy baby girl, and realizes that her daughter is born with the moon mark on her shoulder. The midwife helps Serafina hide her baby in a basket of clothes, and sneaks away with her just as Macavity and Mistoffelees arrive. Serafina, though extremely weak from giving birth, finds just enough strength to taunt Macavity before she dies.

Munkustrap is a Jellicle lives in a village with his wife, Demeter, and their daughter, Jemima. He’s a bit of an outcast, wanting to study magic instead of farming and “normal” things. One day, he and Jemima stumble upon a baby near the river, and they take her in, keeping her safe until Macavity sends his creatures to ravage their village, searching for the child. Gus sends Munkustrap and the baby away, telling him that the child must be taken to a human family.

Tugger is a mercenary that Munkustrap frees on his way to find the baby a new home. The two initially clash, but eventually strike up a tentative friendship. With the help of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, two sprites who try to take the baby when Tugger and Munkustrap are sleeping, the group travels to meet Grizabella, a fairy queen who reveals the baby’s name to be Hestia, who was born to defeat Macavity and restore the land to its previous glory. She encourages the group to look for Old Deuteronomy, Macavity’s greatest enemy, and seek his help. Grizabella gives Munkustrap Old Deuteronomy’s wand, and sends them on their way.

After meeting Old Deuteronomy, the group is captured by Mistoffelees, who firmly tells them they will be meeting with Macavity to destroy his final enemy. Tugger is utterly entranced by the right hand of the evil Macavity, and can’t help but flirt. Mistoffelees is confused, yet can’t help but feel something towards the mercenary.

In the end, since the AU would pretty much just follow the movie with a few minor changes, the group is able to defeat Macavity, and Munkustrap returns to family and his village with magic, Tugger and Mistoffelees adopt Hestia, and Old Deuteronomy assists them in restoring the land.

(and if i want the ending to be super soft, Serafina never dies and was simply imprisoned, she gets to reunite with her daughter, and seruggoffelees is hinted at because i love them 👉👈)

IN CONCLUSION:

The Jellicles are the Nelwyns (Munkustrap, Demeter, Jemima, Gus)

Everyone else (except for M&R and Grizabella) are human.

Munkustrap is Willow

Demeter is Kaiya 

Hestia is Elora Danan

Tugger is Madmartigan

Mistoffelees is Sorsha (though since he isn’t related to Macavity, there’d be more hesitance and questioning of methods on his end while he’s still with Macavity)

Macavity is Bavmorda

Old Deuteronomy is Fin Razel (DEUT AS AN OSTRICH THAT’S ALL I’M SAYING)

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are Rool and Franjean (”corporate needs you to find the difference between these two pictures” “it’s the same picture”)

Gus is The High Aldwin (they... they have the same energy...)

Alonzo is Airk Thaughbaer (can you IMAGINE him and Tugger? After watching Madmartigan and Airk’s interactions in the movie, that’s all I can think about)

Grizabella is Cherlindrea

[thepossesionsofthewildofficial]

The Nomad| Chapter 2: A suspiciously generous act

Word count: 2,127 words

A/N: /

(Previous) (Next)

"And... here we are," Akira said tiredly as he pushed the door open, "Voilà!"

The two were in an apartment building, in a rather dull, yellow-ish hallway on the second floor that made Kaiya feel a little suffocated. Kaiya waited for the boy to enter first, but seeing Akira's eyebrows-raised gaze, it was as if you were watching all the expectations in your life staring down at you, waiting for you to make one wrong move and fail into misery and desperation.

So Kaiya went ahead, without waiting for7 any further signs that she needs to do so. She entered her apartment and looked around. She couldn't help but feel pleased with the place- it was the best shelter she got in quite a long time, she was sure of that. She was standing in a rather spacious room that was serving as a kitchen and as a living room. If it wasn't for the damp smell that would easily remind one of an old corpse, Kaiya would've been even more pleased.

As the smell hits their nostrils fully through a few suffocated breaths of the warm, infected air, the two teenagers begin to cough uncontrollably as they make their way to the windows on the other side of the room, in an almost desperate attempt to open them. They successfully completed their most-needed survival mission and, after a few minutes, there was a noticeable change in the air. As the two waited, they walked around the apartment, opening the rest of the windows. Kaiya smiled as she looked around the apartment. She did like it. However, it needed some serious investments- while the house had all the things in I, there were things that seemed to be old and dusty enough that they would do better if disassembled and thrown away.

"Well," Akira said decisively as the air freshener up, "I brought you here and you haven't complained about the apartment, so I'm of no use anymore."

"Thank you."

Kaiya knew the boy didn't want to be in her company anymore, but she didn't mind it. Being honest with herself, the feelings were mutual. She walked the boy to the door and watched him exit. After the door was closed, Kaiya closed her eyes, pushed her back to the wall and let herself drop, slowly, to the ground. She let her head fall behind her and hit the beige wall. She let out a deep sigh that could've easily weight a few kilograms.

"What would you think of me mother?" She muttered.

In the land of the enemy, wasn't she?  If her mother was to find out about her whereabouts, Kaiya was sure her mother would've not hesitated to kill her on sight. But that was okay, Kaiya guessed. It wasn't an unexpected action and, being honest with herself, Kaiya didn't mind.

Ever since she left, Kaiya couldn't help but think of what her mother would say of her actions. It was a tormenting thought, but probably not even a quarter as tormenting as the thoughts of your own daughter leaving, suddenly. In a way, Kaiya knew already what her mother thought of her. All she could hope for was that her mother moved on. Hopefully, her mother didn't feel the pain she once felt anymore. Her cheeks warmed up as a tear slid down her cheek. For the first time in ages, Kaiya let her thoughts run free.

She zoned out for what felt like a few minutes. Yet, the few minutes turned into hours and by the time Kaiya returned to reality, it was already dark outside and her stomach was protesting strongly. Kaiya pursed her lips- she couldn't blame her stomach for feeling the way it did. Her last meal was a rather poor breakfast that morning.

As Kaiya scanned the room patiently and in more detail, she found what she needed. Next to the red couch, hanging on the wall, a clock was ticking energetically. Kaiya squinted at how the clock's hands were positioned, eventually coming to the answer she was looking for. It was already fifteen past eleven in the evening -or rather, night, if you wish -, a piece of information that saddened Kaiya. She was sure that all stores -or at least the easiest to access ones in the centrum of Konoha- were closed by that hour. There goes my chance of eating something, Kaiya thought, but it won't be long until tomorrow morning.

Kaiya rose to her feet and, for the split of a moment, lost balance. The result was a near-gravitational experiment that led Kaiya onto almost falling to the ground.  She walked many kilometeres that day and her feet were sore, along with the rest of her body. Slowly but safely, Kaiya walked to the couch. Once she reached it, Kaiya let herself fall on the soft material, the pain in her body flowing through her body evenly as her body relaxed.

Kaiya made herself more comfortable on the couch and at that moment, she became sure of the following: up until the next morning, she wouldn't get up. A soft summer breeze entered the room through the windows above the couch and stroked Kaiya's back, as if in an attempt to soften her pain and worries. As the soft waves of air washed against her body before retreating back into the sea, Kaiya's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Soon enough, Kaiya's blinks slowed down along with her breathing rhythm. Before Kaiya knew, she fell asleep.



Each footstep Asumi made on the rooftop was quick but quiet and each milimeter of the roof she touched was calculated long beforehand. Her eyes were fixated on the brown-haired nomad as it walked through Konoha's market that morning. Just like she assumed, the girl didn't leave her apartment throughout the night. Although she felt a little tired after staying up all night to guard the apartment just in case, the ANBU training allowed Asumi to reach the performance of resisting up to three days of combat-like situations with no sleep. Simply walking around town and watching over some kid would remain a rather simple mission. Still, Asumi couldn't dare to relax. You never know what someone is capable of, she told herself, after all, the sweetest lamb could be the tactful disguise of the deadliest wolf.

As for Kaiya, she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. She knew there would be some trust issues coming from the leader. There always were. But she knew was she wanted and what she needed to do to reach it. As far as she could see it, harm wouldn't be in the way. Besides, she was already inside the village. Legally. She did the first big step. All she had to do now is work hard and prove herself. However, she couldn't prove herself if she wasn't ready. She had her doubts on her skills as a shinobi and her body's health wasn't in the best space.

That morning, she analysed the apartment in more detail and took the time to take a well-deserved shower. After that, she planned on filling her wardrobe and getting those papers the Hokage gave her the day before, but the two couldn't truly reach the spotlight of he focus the same way that food did. So, to start the day, she went to the local market and bought herself a small rice pie.

As Kaiya escaped the crowded market streets, she bumped into something strongly and suddenly enough to make her lose her balance. Gravity played its part, as it pulled Kaiya into a hug with the pavement without hesitation. Kaiya cringed for a little before looking up. As she identified the thing that made her fall, Kaiya realised it wasn't a thing that made her fall, but rather a being.  Looking down at her was a fairly tall young woman, no older than twenty, with casual summer clothes and sand-coloured hair that was kept by a black forehead protector.

"I'm so sorry," The girl apologised quickly, as she offered Kaiya a hand, "Let me help you."

Kaiya ignored the girl's gesture and got back up on her feet. She brushed off the dust gathered on her clothes quickly before looking at the girl once more. She gave the girl a quick smile and continued her path. The girl, better known as Asumi, bit her lip. She needed to get better contact with Kaiya.

"I'm sorry!" She called out, making Kaiya stop walking.

"It's okay," Kaiya reacted coldly, looking over her shoulder, "Don't worry about it."

Asumi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was obviously bugged, and Kaiya couldn't understand why. It was she who fell, not that girl. If there was anyone who had the right to be angry, it was her. Who knows, Kaiya thought, maybe it's something personal.

"Your knee is bleeding," Asumi blurred out as she opened her eyes.

Kaiya blinked a few times in surprise at the blunt statement, before looking down. The young woman was, indeed, right. A piece of material from her pants around her left knee was gone, shamelessly showing off a scar that wasn't quite a beautiful view. At its sight, Kaiya shrugged. She was used to being hurt with resulting marks that were much worse than a silly scar with a bit of blood because of her disconnected focus.

"Oh, whatever," She said, "It'll heal quickly."

A pleased smile crept up on Asumi's face as she looked at Kaiya. So the girl wasn't some sensitive crybaby.  "I don't remember ever seeing you around before. Are you new here?"

Kaiya tensed for a moment, only to force herself to relax. What could that girl do to her? She could be considered a legal citizen.

"I guess you could say that."

" I see. Well, I'm... Mishimoto Akari," Asumi said after a short pause that she hated. How could she be so stupid? All that the girl needed was a few ounces of intelligence and she'd catch on. "What's your name?"

Hearing her name, Kaiya frowned. Much to Akari's unknown misery, Kaiya caught on her small alibi slip quite rapidly. Why did this so-called Akari hesitate to give her name? Why did she even bother to go so far as to introduce herself? They stumbled upon each other through an accident that was meant to remain just that. An accident. An accident that should've been forgotten a long time ago by then. So why? Why was that girl insisting to talk to her? Why did she want to know her?

"Kaiya," Kaiya answered, eventually, "I'm Kaiya."

"Just Kaiya?" Asumi asked, with a humorous raise of her eyebrows.

"That's none of your business," Kaiya told the woman. As their gazes locked, Asumi felt like the way the girl looked in her eyes, almost into her soul, even, made the temperature lower to the point where a shiver went down her spine. "But for the record, yes. It's just Kaiya."

Asumi coughed lightly in an attempt to bring herself back in character. This kid is really good.

"Well, just Kaiya. If you're new, how about me showing you around the village?"

Kaiya's lips pursed lightly as she raised her eyebrows. The offer was tempting, she couldn't lie. But she wasn't very friendly, she knew that. Still, to remain honest, she never really made an attempt to be a friendly person, either. Not towards that strange girl. So why was that girl still willing to stick with her?

"You don't owe me anything if you're worried," Kaiya said.

"Oh, it's not that. I just want to be nice, you know?"

"Aren't you like busy or something? I take that you're a ninja,' Kaiya said, looking at the headband on Asumi's forehead.

"Oh, I'm busier than you could ever imagine," Asumi laughed, "But luckily for both of us, I got a free day today."

"And you're willing to spend your free day walking through the entire town?"

"I don't know about you, but there's nothing I enjoy more than a nice walk to relax. Especially on weather like this."

Kaiya allowed a smile to appear on her face. That girl was weird. Weird indeed. She was the first of her kind that Kaiya met. Back at home, Kaiya couldn't say her clan members were as... open, so to say. Especially with strangers. Even if she was an insider, Kaiya couldn't say she didn't have her issues with some of them as a child. It was most likely because of her blood, but since she knew little about those details, Kaiya preferred to ignore them. She would learn about it at the right time, Kaiya hoped.

"Alright," Kaiya said, "Let's see the village."

(Previous) (Next)

[kitsmits]

Can I get ✿ ♡ ☼ for Kaiya, Kakashi, and Itachi for the headcanon meme?

Ooooo ^_^ I did them separately, though of course each character’s headcanon will probably reference each other :P Slight NSFW ahead. Putting this under a “read more” line because it got loooong.

✿ - Sex headcanon

Kaiya has a really high sex drive. One might call her “insatiable,” though it’s more just loads of stamina. Very playful, can go for hours through multiple orgasms, and quite flexible ;) For Kaiya, sex isn’t just about love, lust, or being intimate; it’s also an outlet, a way to work out stress, aggression, frustration, or loneliness. Sometimes it’s a way to escape. Sometimes she just wants to feel good. That’s not to say she’s a selfish lover; quite the opposite. She LOVES getting her partner to cum, making them lose control - though often, she winds up losing control herself in the process :P Whatever else the sex is about though, Kaiya needs to be able to feel open and vulnerable, something she can only do with someone she trusts completely.

When Kakashi first became sexually active, he was in Anbu, and it was never about love. It was part curiosity, part just wanting to get it over with, part needing to feel connected with another human being. He’s only had a few partners over the years, not limited to a single gender, always someone he trusted implicitly - but never romantic. He never allowed it to go beyond the occasional fuck in the dark. By the time he left Anbu, his drive had actually gone down (inversely related to his rising depression); he’s only visited those partners a few times in the years since. Though he’s had plenty of opportunities for one-night-stands with strangers, he’s never indulged in one. It’s not that he’s not sexually attracted to others; he just doesn’t trust himself not to hurt them, even for a single night. Plus, he just doesn’t like letting his mask down for anyone he doesn’t absolutely trust - literally or figuratively.

Itachi is a virgin. He’s had opportunities, but I see Itachi as demi-sexual: he has to feel a deep connection to a person in order to be sexually attracted to them. In TUTN-verse, Kaiya’s probably the only person he’s felt that close to. Even then, he tried to fight it, and if she never made that first move, he might have succeeded by virtue of convincing himself that she didn’t want him like that way anyway. However, once Itachi experiences sex with that special someone, he has a hard time resisting the urge around them. He wants to make them feel exquisite, wants to worship at their feet and have them writhing in ecstasy again and again. He will put his considerable self-control to use in order to last as long as they need him to, only letting himself go when he’s certain they’ve been fully satisfied.

♡ - romantic headcanon

Kaiya HATES romance novels. She thinks rom-coms are unrealistic and overly sappy. If she were in any such scenario, she’d probably laugh and find the whole thing ridiculous...all while wondering, in the back of her mind, when the facade would fall away. (Given what happened with her first romantic attachment, can you blame her?) For Kaiya, “real” romance is found in quiet moments. It’s in being comfortable with a person and not needing to question their motives or intentions. It’s in kind, thoughtful gestures, in watching each other’s back. It’s in being able to tell each other anything without feeling obligated to do so. For Kaiya, romance is found in trust. Without trust, everything else is window dressing that probably hides a horrible secret.

Everything thinks that Kakashi reads porn for, well, the porn. In reality, what he loves about the Icha Icha series is the romance that surrounds the sex scenes. In the books, it’s not just that the guy gets his rocks off in various situations by a variety of gorgeous women; it’s the banter, the buildup, the antici...

...sorry, couldn’t resist XD Anyway, the reason Kakashi got so embarrassed when he had to read Icha Icha out loud wasn’t the sex scenes. It was how sweet and fluffy and, yes, romantic the books are. He wants the kiss in the rain. He wants the petals on the bed, the candlelit dinners, the walks in the park where they talk about nothing and constantly brush hands. But thanks to his guilt complex, chronic depression, and pervasive belief that he’s poisonous to anyone who gets close to him, Kakashi has never sought a real-life romance with anyone.

Itachi doesn’t think about “romance.” At all. Even in a kinder, gentler life, he’s too preoccupied with other issues to consider it. Candle-lit dinner? Why, when he can cook his partner’s favorite foods in the comfort and privacy of their home? What Itachi does think about is his partner’s well-being. He’ll bring tea and sandwiches if they’re working too hard to stop for a meal. He’ll listen to their ideas and their grievances. He’ll draw a hot bath with epsom salts and lay a blanket over their sleeping form, planting a kiss on their forehead before turning off the light. Honestly, he’d probably love being a house husband. For Itachi, romance is doing things for his partner - and he doesn’t think of it as “romance.” He doesn’t really think about it at all. He just does.

☼ - appearance headcanon

...soooo I’m honestly not sure what this one means in the context of anime/manga characters who have plenty of pictures floating around out there :P I’m interpreting it as what are some more realistic aspects of their appearances that you wouldn’t be able to tell from the anime style.

Not sure why, but I’m picturing Kaiya’s lips right now. Her lips aren’t “full,” per se. Definitely not “pillowy.” They’re mid-sized and shapely, with a sharply defined Cupid’s bow and a natural, vulpine upturn. Prolonged eye contact with her can be a bit uncomfortable for some, as she inherited her father’s piercing, sharp baby blues. The exception to this is when they’re filled with mirth. Then, it’s hard to look away. Her eyelashes are sort of a rusty auburn, long but not very thick. Face claims incluse model Cintia Dicker, Turkish actress Elçin Sangu (an early inspiration), and most of all this model from several Maja Topcagic photos:

Kakashi is the definition of “chiseled.” For some reason, when I imagine him aging, he sorta looks like Anthony Bourdain. Sorta. That might say more about me than it does anything else. Also I’ve been listening to one of Bourdain’s books (read by him) so maybe he’s just on my brain.

Itachi, we all know, has eyelashes for daaaays. Lips are on the thin side, but shapely and soft. He definitely takes after his mother a lot in looks, especially as a young man, but I think if he were allowed to age he’d slowly turn more like his father. Never so beady-eyed or frown-jowled, though. He just has that more angular shape and longer chin that becomes more pronounced with age. Also, for some reason, he’s never really liked his ears. It’s part of why he grew his hair out and wears his bangs so long.

[katy-mha-blog]

Universe A Next-Gen: Todobara and KamiJirou

Here’s the kids for Shouto/Ibara and Denki/Kyouka~

- Hisae Todoroki . female, firstborn . teen, student at UA High . frost quirk - Physical Appearance : . fairly tall, average yet toned build, pale skin, teal eyes . wavy, pale spring green hair, mid-lower back in length - Background and Personality : Firstborn child and oldest daughter to Shouto and Ibara. The two knew of each other of course, though didn't really interact much till they were a little older. When they did they just sort of clicked and bonded with each other, finding the other a comfort from their everyday stress. They dated for a while after graduation until the day came for them to be married, and start a family of their own. Their first child was a baby girl whom they named Hisae, who was soon followed by a younger brother. Hisae loves her parents and family dearly, though is mostly mixed on her grandpa Enji. She's training hard to become a pro hero though focuses mainly on that and doesn't really make friends much, though there are some she's friendly with. Hisae is more of a mix of her parents in terms of personality. She's mostly reserved and guarded like her father, preferring her own company, but is very polite and courteous like her mother. She's not outright cold or hostile, but doesn't give in so easily to people. Once you gain her trust however, she'll be loyal no matter what, unless you managed to break her trust then she'll never associate with you even if you change. Her quirk calls for creating a protective cold layer, so she mostly plays support roles. Taking walks and being surrounded by nature usually calms her down and raises her mood. - Shizuo Todoroki . male, second born . teen, training to join his sister at UA High for the next year . plant-control quirk - Physical Appearance : . average height, slightly toned and muscular build, pale skin, dark eyes . wavy, short greenish-white hair that fade to a lighter color at the tips - Background and Personality : Second born and oldest son to Shouto and Ibara. Being close in age to his sister he has a similar skill level to hers, and often enjoys training together with her. He's also closely affiliated with Kaiya Midoriya, being around the same age as her and both training to join their older siblings at UA. They also knew each other already because of the fact their parents are good friends, so they are not strangers with each other and their families. They are pretty close to each other as friends and as teammates, though it is unknown for now if there is any feelings rising between the two. Shizuo is confident yet humble in his abilities, as showing off before had caused him some pain and left him with an experience he'd rather not talk about. Despite this, he is rather friendly and tries not to let things get to him so much. He's a bit of tease, though a playful one as he's not really mean or malicious. He has a natural charm to him, one of which is sometimes used or is able to diffuse stressful situations between classmates. His quirk is similar to his mother's though instead of having vines as hair he can control, instead he is able to control most plant-life though some are harder than others to control. - Osuke Todoroki . male, third born . young child, early elementary . still discovering quirk - Physical Appearance : . short for his age, fair skin, dark eyes . straight, short deep crimson hair - Background and Personality : Third born and youngest son to Shouto and Ibara, as well as Harumi's older twin brother. The twins came as a surprise to their parents, as originally they were expecting this pregnancy to result in their third and last child. However, when they received the news that were very happy after their initial shock. The twins are still young enough that they haven't really discovered their quirks yet, but many suspect that they might wield elemental quirks similar to how their older siblings do. For now the twins are kind of shy and mostly just stick to each other at school, but might open up more as they grow older. Osuke is the more calm and rational twin. He is sure to let his twin know when she might be taking her anger too far or if her plans might get them in trouble. Though this may be the case, he is still prone to behaviors like her, but is just more careful about controlling his emotions. The two mostly like playing out stories together, which range from a variety of situations, though mostly silly ones. - Harumi Todoroki . female, fourth born . young child, early elementary . still discovering quirk - Physical Appearance : . short for her age, fair skin, dark eyes . straight, mid-length deep crimson hair - Background and Personality : Fourth born and youngest child to Shouto and Ibara, as well as Osuke's younger twin sister. She is definitely more of the hotheaded and troublemaker twin, and stubborn too. Though she and her twin are more quiet and keep to themselves, She does tend to interact more with the other kids they go to school with. She loves her parents, but at her young age she doesn't like to show it much or listen to them. The only one that does seem to get through to her at times is her brother Osuke. In their stories she likes to play the more important or 'great' role, such as pretending to be the villain if they do villain and hero stories.

- Satoshi Jirou . male, only child . teen, student at UA High . sound-wave quirk - Physical Appearance : . average build and height if slightly on the shorter side, fair skin, gold eyes, wears contacts to see better, amused smile . kind of fluffy and choppy, dark golden brown hair that almost looks black, of a medium-length - Background and Personality : Only child and son to Denki and Kyouka. While mostly having a teasing relationship while in school, when they were older they had a sort of 'fling' moment. Denki wanted to learn more about music and after some hesitation on Kyouka's side, she eventually agreed to teach him. This resulted in a short-lived garage band phase with some of their other friends, though it fell through after a while on a mutual level with everyone. During this time was when things were getting the most serious between the two, of which resulted in Kyouka getting pregnant. At this point they realized how serious of a commitment that was, and ended their relationship though agreed to share custody of their kid. They agreed on letting their son live with Kyouka primarily though still visiting his dad on weekends and such, so he inherited his mother's last name rather than his father's. While in current time Denki is still single, Kyouka does seem to have reconnected with Kouji Kouda, though the true nature of their relationship is unknown. Satoshi doesn't mind Kouda's presence in actuality, finding him to be like another father figure to him, seeing how Kouda does seem to care about him as if he were a son to him. Growing up with his mother mostly, Satoshi does seem to take more after her. Surrounded by music he has learned to play a few different instruments, though can't sing very well. His favorite genres vary, though he mostly likes a combination of rock, punk, and techno beats. He doesn't have ears like his mom though his earlobes are slightly larger, and he has a couple of piercings as well. He's more of a quiet and perceptive type at first glance, and does manage to surprise people with how calculating and logical he can be when in battle. He doesn't normally display his intelligence, so others don't normally see that side of him. He is friendly when need be though has average popularity, not that he minds. He does share some similar hobbies to his father, as he does enjoy video games and the occasional meme, and can manage to keep himself amused in any situation that calls for it. He's in a secret relationship with one of his fellow teammates, though would be extremely flustered if found out.

[avery-oliver]

Location: Avery’s House in Meadowlark Hills

Tagging: @kaiyaeldridge

“You know I just recently found a new workout partner but I might have to trade him in, you are..impressive.” Avery laughed as she trailed a few kisses down Kaiya’s neck and shoulders, down to her biceps. In the weeks since ending things with Elaheh for good, Avery had done everything she could to not her sadness drown her and on the quietest nights Kaiya hadn’t hesitated in offering her comfort. “I’m gonna get us some water.” she dropped a kiss in the center of Kai’s chest before finally moving out of bed, grabbing her robe draped over a chair, pulling it on as she quickly walked down to the kitchen. She couldn’t say that everything felt better and normal but she was finding it easier to breathe again and it didn’t hurt that someone was making her feel so wanted, even if it was mostly physical. 

She stopped slowly in the doorway of her room, smiling as she took in the sight of Kaiya in her bed. “Somewhere in the past 17 year old Avery is dreaming of this exact moment.” She bit her bottom lip, taking in the sight a little before making her way back to bed, handing Kaiya a glass before happily sipping on her own, her fingers already finding their way to rest back somewhere on Kaiya’s body. “How was your week?”

[moodforanime]

The Possesions of the Wild(Naruto fanfic)

The Possesions of the Wild(Naruto fanfic)

Chapter 2: A suspiciously generous act

Word count: 3,1K

Tags: @insanity-is-always-fun

A/N: If you want to get notified ASAP about when the next chapter is getting posted, let me know so I can tag you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And here we are.' Akira said in a rather tired manner as he pushed the door open. 'Voilà!'

Kaiya waited for him to enter at first, but seeing Akira's eyebrow-raised glared that could almost yell 'Well? What are you waiting for?', she went ahead. At the sight of her apartment, Kaiya couldn't help but feel pleased; it was the best shelter she'd get in a long time. She was standing in a rather large room that owned a living room and a small kitchen. Everything was perfect. Well, almost everything. The apartment would seem really fine if a damp smell that would remind you of death didn't fill the room.

The two shinobi began to cough as they made their way to the windows on the other side of the room with a desperate wish to open them. A few minutes pass and the air was, by now, way more breathable than before. Akira sighed.

'Well, I brought you here and you don't seem to complain about the apartment, therefore I'm of no use anymore.' Akira spoke, decisively. 'So, I guess I'll leave you to it.'

'Thank you.'

She knew that the boy didn't want to be in her company anymore, but she didn't mind it; the feeling was mutual. She walked along with him to the door and waited for the door to close, and when it did, she simply let her body drop to the ground, leaning her back and head on the wall behind her. A deep sigh escaped her.

'What would you think of me now, mother?' she said to herself.

Ever since she left, Kaiya couldn't help but think of what would her mother say of her actions. She zoned out for what she thought to be a few minutes, absorbed by her own judgmental thoughts.

By the time she came back to reality, it was already dark and her she could hear grumbling; her stomach began protesting. She couldn't blame him, though. She did skip lunch after the rather cheap breakfast she had that morning.

As she scanned the room in now a more patient and detailed way, she found what she needed. Above the red couch in the living room, on the wall, sat a clock that energetically ticked. Kaiya looked at the way that the two clock hands were positioned and were finally able to tell what time it was. It was already fifteen past eleven and she was sure that all grocery stores would be closed by now. There goes her chance of filling her stomach just yet, Kaiya thought.

Kaiya rose to her feet and nearly fell to the ground. She walked many kilometres that day and her soles were exhausted and sore by now, not to talk about the rest of her leg muscles. Kaiya slowly but safely made her way to the red couch before letting herself drop on it. She made herself comfortable on the couch and, as a soft summer breeze made its way to her through the window, Kaiya fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

____________________________________________________________________________

Asumi carefully made her way on the rooftops, not letting the girl escape her gaze even for a second's time. It was morning, and Kaiya was walking down Konoha's market. Even though she rightfully assumed that the girl wouldn't leave her apartment during the night, Asumi preferred to be rather safe than sorry, so she spends the night on the rooftop. Although she felt a bit tired, during her ANBU training, she reached the performance of resisting up to three days and nights in a combat-like situation. For this mission, she chose to not wear her Anbu mask. It was for the better, she thought if she wanted to look ordinary.

As for Kaiya, she didn't notice nor felt anything strange just yet. The Hokage didn't inform her yet if she was assigned to a team or such things, so he thought that she could've, as well, get things settled while she could. She analysed her apartment in more detail that morning and took the time to enjoy a well-deserved shower. For time to pass, she wanted to get something to fill her wardrobe, but she was never able to think of anything but food when hungry, so, for starters, she bought herself a piece of cheese and bacon pie the locals called Quiche Lorraine.

As she made her way down the streets, she bumped into something, making Kaiya lose her balance. As expected, gravity did its job and pulled Kaiya to the pavement. Looking up, Kaiya realised that she didn't bump into something, but rather someone. Next to her was a tall girl in her twenties with sand-colours hair, casual clothes and a black forehead protector.

'Oh, I'm so sorry!' The girl apologized. 'Let me help you.'

The girl lends Kaiya a hand, but Kaiya ignored the girl's gesture. She rose on to her feet and brushed off the dust that gathered on her. Kaiya noticed how the girl was a little taller than her.

'I'm sorry!' The girl called out as Kaiya intended to leave.

'It's ok, don't worry 'bout it.' Kaiya responded coldly, looking over her shoulder.

The girl closed her eyes while breathing in for a second. She obviously was bugged by something, and Kaiya didn't understand what could it be. It was she who fell, not that girl. Who knows, Kaiya thought, maybe it's something personal.

'Your knee is bleeding.' The girl simply blurted out as soon as she opened her eyes.

Kaiya looked down and it was true; a part of the material from her pants around her left knee was gone, revealing a scar that wasn't quite a view.

'Oh.' Kaiya simply reacted. She was used to getting hurt much enough to not be bothered by a bit of blood and a light scar like that. She shrugged. 'Whatever.'

The girl looked at the girl pleased as she let a small smile appear on her face. She wasn't some crybaby.

'Hey, I don't remember seeing you here. Are you new?' The girl asked.

'I guess you could say that.' Kaiya shrugged.

'I see. Well, I'm... Mishimoto Akari.' Asumi said. She hesitated on telling her name since she didn't know for sure if she should trust the girl. In the end, she preferred listening to the Anbu code and to not give her real name to others than her superior, colleagues and family. 'What's your name?'

Kaiya looked hesitantly at the so-called Akari. Why did she hesitate in telling her name? To question the better, why was she so extra in telling her name? She didn't need to be polite. She could just be happy that she accepted her apology and then get on with her life.

'I'm Kaiya.' Kaiya eventually said.

'Just Kaiya?' Asumi asked, without knowing that she touched a rather fragile subject.

'That's none of your business.' Kaiya nonchalantly brushed her off. 'For the matter, yes, just Kaiya.'

'Well, just Kaiya, if you're new, how about me showing you around, how does that sound?' Asumi offered.

Kaiya raised her eyebrows. She wasn't particularly friendly, and yet this girl willed to stick with her.

'Why would you? You don't owe me anything if you're worried.' Kaiya blandly stated.

'Oh, it's nothing like that. I'm just being nice, you know?' Asumi backfired, slowly cornering Kaiya.

'Aren't you, like, busy or somethin'? I take the' you're a ninja.' Kaiya said matter-of-factly, as she looked at Asumi's forehead protector.

'Oh, I'm busier than you could imagine.' Asumi spoke truthfully as she chuckled. 'But today's my free day. I get to rest, you know? At last.'

'And you're willing to waste some free day with some newbie?' Kaiya questioned, raising her eyebrows in disapproval, yet again.

'Oh, I don't know about you, but it's not like I've got anything better to do. Staying at home gets boring and there's nothing I enjoy more than a nice walk.' Asumi happily explained.

Kaiya puffed in amusement. She didn't meet many people like her. The people in her clan were nothing like that, as they mainly focused on surviving. Kaiya had to admit that the offer was pretty alluring. She could refuse and continue to find the way on her own, but if she accepted, she wouldn't feel so lost and she'd have as company someone who could help her to get out of her confused zone. If she accepted, she had nothing to lose.

'Alright.' Kaiya said. 'But first, I might need a new pair of leggings.'

A smile appeared on Asumi's face, only for her to let her head fall on her back and laugh moments later. Even though she knew the girl only for a few minutes, she couldn't help but feel amused by her being.

______________________________________________________

It's been two hours and Kaiya could say that, although she didn't as lose as before, there would still be a chance for her to get lost on Konoha's streets. Asumi showed her most of the village, and since they didn't take any breaks, their soles started to feel quite sore. It was already noon and it could've been safely said that the piece of pie Kaiya ate earlier that day didn't really satisfy her stomach.

As they walked down a street, Kaiya's nose was now fully hit by a smell of something that Kaiya identified as a food that almost made her nostrils dance.

'What's that amazing smell?' Kaiya asked as she stopped, for a second, from walking.

'Oh, you must be hungry, right?' The girl with the hair like sand asked with a chuckle. 'It's Ichiraku's ramen. As you can tell by its name, it's a ramen-specialised restaurant.'

'Ramen?' Kaiya said, as her eyes shined. Although she liked ramen, she never really got to eat it but on special occasions, which probably made it taste even better.

Asumi smiled, understandingly. The girl was so skinny that she had no doubts that she was underfed. In fact, Asumi was surprised that, although the fact that she only seemed fourteen at most, she was with just a finger or two smaller than her. She looked for at her for a moment, wondering if she was sick, but seeing her reaction at food made her relax; a sick person that's in a rather more serious state doesn't really have an appetite. She'll get better if she gains a bit of junk, Asumi thought.

'Yeah, let me show you where it is.' Asumi said, as she began walking, followed closely by Kaiya.

It didn't take more than a hundred meters to get to a small building that had a small bar-like room on the ground floor with some notes at the entrance. Kaiya and Asumi pushed the notes aside and went closer to the bar. On one of the seats sat a pink-haired girl with a red dress that had a white circle on it, waiting for her bowl of ramen. Behind the bar sat a man in his mid to late forties, along with a young brown-haired woman about the same age as Asumi, both wearing the typical chef white clothing.

'Welcome to Ichiraku's Ramen!' The old man joyfully greeted. 'Take a seat! With what can I serve you?'

'Uh... I don't know.' Kaiya said as she awkwardly seated herself next to the girl. 'I've never been here before.'

'I see. Well, take a look at our menu.' The man said as he handed Kaiya a piece of paper within a plastic cover.

Asumi looked at the clock on the wall and breathed in sharply.

'Is there something wrong, Akari-san?' Kaiya asked, with a slight feeling of worry. She could bear with her sore feet and hunger a little more if she needed to.

'Oh, nothing that should concern you.' Asumi said, shaking her in disapproval. 'I'm sorry that I have to do this, but I'll have to leave you to eat alone. I, along with my teammates, have to see the Hokage.'

'I thought that this was your free day?' Kaiya furrowed her eyebrows.

'Yeah, well, you may or may not realised this, but you're never truly able to rest when you're a ninja.' Asumi shrugged. 'Well, I have to leave now if I don't want to be late. Goodbye!'

Before she exited, Asumi shortly waved and Kaiya repeated the action. After Asumi left, Kaiya realised that she felt a little lonely, something quite unusual for her as she spent most of her time on her own.

'Have you decided on your order?' The young woman asked.

'Oh, not really.'

The young woman lightly puffed in annoyance before walking away.

'Hey,' the girl next to her shyly tried to get her attention. 'I heard that you don't know what to order?'

'Yeah.' Kaiya said, a little surprised by the approach.

'I would recommend you the Miso Chashu pork ramen.'

'The Miso Cha- what?'

'Misho Chashu pork ramen. It's one of the best, in my opinion.'

'Alright. I'm gonna go with your word.' Kaiya said, relieved for getting a suggestion, before turning to the man. 'Sir, I'd like an... what was it called, again?'

'Miso Chashu pork ramen.' The pink-haired girl added.

'Exactly.'

'A Miso Chashu will it be, then.' The man said, before turning away.

'My name's Sakura Haruno.' The girl presented herself as she stretched her hand towards Kaiya.

'I'm Kaiya.' Kaiya said, looking at the girl with her eyebrows narrowed, before hesitantly responding to her gesture.

'Kaiya? It's a pretty name.' Sakura complimented, trying to ignore what she thought to be rudeness coming from the girl.

'Thanks, I guess.'

'Here's your bowl, Sakura. Enjoy.' The young woman smiled, as she put a bowl of ramen in front of Sakura.

'Thank you, Ayame-San.'

Sakura took a pair of chopsticks and split them in two and, as she willed to start eating, she saw Kaiya's gaze on her bowl. Seeing that she noticed, Kaiya moved her gaze to a poster nearby. Sakura sighed and put her chopsticks down.

'Aren't you gonna eat it?' Kaiya asked while turning around, confused by Sakura's gesture.

'I'll wait for your ramen to arrive as well.'

Kaiya smiled in appreciation. Other people would've not given a single penny if she was eating or not. Sakura analysed Kaiya and it was only then that the question popped; how comes she didn't recognise her?

'Hey, um, would you mind if I ask something?' Sakura began, unsure of how to approach the situation.

'You just did.' Kaiya pointed out, making Sakura over blink in shock while remaining speechless. 'But I'll let you ask me another question.'

Sakura sighed in relief.

'Well, you may figure it out already, but we don't know each other.'

'Yeah... What's with that?' Kaiya asked.

She had a feeling about where this was going, and she wasn't very happy about it. Better get used to it Kaiya, she thought. If she was going to live in this town, it was only normal for people to be curious. Just as Sakura wanted to say something, she was interrupted. The young woman called Ayame came with a bowl of ramen that was placed in front of Kaiya.

'There you go.' The lady said as she forced a smile. 'Enjoy.'

'Thank you.'

The woman only nodded and disappeared as fast as she appeared. Kaiya split her chopsticks and began eating, followed by Sakura. As expected, the ramen was delicious. Anything is tasty when you're hungry, in fact. A few minutes pass and the girls did nothing but eat.

'What did you want to ask me?' Kaiya asked after they finished their meals.

'Well, I was wondering. Did you go to Konoha's Academy?'

Intuition is, as expected, always right, Kaiya thought.

'No.' Kaiya sighed. 'I only moved to Konoha recently. Matter of fact, I just arrived yesterday afternoon.'

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. She never heard such a thing before.

'Really? But why? Didn't you have a home? What about your family? Didn't you live in a village?' Sakura simply blurted out the questions without being able to control herself.

'I'm sorry to disappoint, but I won't bore you with my life story. No offence, but it's not like you'd understand or relate to it, and if you don't at least understand something, then the information is meaningless.'

Sakura looked at the brown-haired girl, unsure of what to say. She would ask her more, but the answer that the girl gave her not only gave her curiosity, but also a self-conscious feeling that made her regret shooting so many questions that were rather personal. Kaiya didn't seem to mind her silence, though. Her eyes were set towards her empty bowl, although it was clear that she wasn't interested in the drops of remaining ramen. As they remained silent, the paper notes moved and an audible thud! could be heard on the chair next to Sakura. Kaiya and Sakura turned their heads to see a tall, silver-haired man wearing a mask and a blue headband protector that covered his left eye. He gave them a short look with his visible eye before turning his attention to the old man, greeting him. The old man took the masked man's order and began preparing, yet again, some ramen.

'I... should leave.' Kaiya mumbled quietly enough for Sakura to have trouble hearing her. 'How much does my ramen cost, sir?'

The old man turned to Kaiya and took her bowl.

'You had a Misho Chashu pork, right?' The old man asked as Kaiya nodded. 'That would be ten Ryo.'

Kaiya's face twitched, like every time she didn't like something. She already was on a tight budget.

'I only have seven.' Kaiya spoke with a slight hint of worry in her voice.

'Then how are you going to pay?'

The old man sighed and began mumbling something about the kids these days.

'I'll pay for her.' A voice could be heard.

The three heads turned to the silver-haired man.

'E-Excuse me, sir?' The old man asked, taking what he heard for mistaken.

'I said I'll pay for her.' The man repeated as he began searching his pockets. 'How much was it? Ten Ryo?'

The old man nodded, still in shock.

'S-Sir, you don't have to.' Kaiya said, shook by the man's actions.

Not only that he was a stranger, but also the first being to do anything for her. Nobody really did something for her, not even her own mother.

'Oh, don't worry. This isn't some favour, so I don't expect anything in return from you, alright?' He said as the skin around his visible eye wrinkled, something that made Kaiya hope to be a smile.

The silver-haired man gave the old man the yen he asked for. The old man blinked a few times, mouthing uncomprehending words before going in the kitchens saying, almost yelling, 'Ayame, you won't believe this!'.

'Eh, thank you.' Kaiya said to the masked man before rising to her feet and fleeing away.

The masked man sighed as he looked towards Sakura.

'I hope you have enough money. I'm not some never-ending money bag, you know?'

'Don't worry.' Sakura said, before paying her own meal and leaving.

(Next chapter)

[soraavalon]

D&D Hard Mode Questions for Avandra: 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 29, 31, 32, 35, 40, 42, 43

1. Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

Avandra’s an only child.  Though she’s aware her parents are talking about having another kid.

2. What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

Avandra’s relationship with her mother was overall good, she did find it grating when her mother kept nagging for her to be more careful with her gift and tried to make her use the fire pits around their home that were made for the sole purpose of Avandra setting things on fire in a controlled area and not burn down the Avora Forest by accident.3. What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

Her relationship with her father is much better due to his more relaxed demeanor and letting Avandra be herself.10. Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

Avandra’s pretty comfortable with less clothing.  It may be due to the fact that her fiery magics always seem to be just below the surface thus making her feel really warm to the touch.  Or she just likes being in less clothing.  Maybe both.11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

It’s a tie between when a tribe came close to overpowering the Kaiya Tribe and when Sylzeiros, the Archfey of Ice had threatened to turn her homeland into an icy tundra to expand his territory and diplomacy from the other tribes and clans had failed to dissuade the archfey into reconsidering.21. If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

If she knew about it and was in a position where she could stop it but couldn’t or didn’t, she believes that she deserved what happened to her.  She’s not one to blame others for her misfortune.22. What does your character like in other people?

She likes if they’re able to keep calm and hold their own in the midst of battle. 23. What does your character dislike in other people?

No sense of duty to their people or family.  To Avandra, her tribe and family are important to her and she finds it disturbing if she meets someone without those bonds.24. How quick is your character to trust someone else?

Due to living in a forest quite a bit a ways from civilization and in a position that requires her to fend off invaders; she doesn’t trust people that quickly.  It’ll take some time to gain some trust and while someone is trying to gain Avandra’s trust, she won’t let on to what her abilities are.26. How does your character behave around children?

Avandra would be kind around children and make sure they don’t get into trouble.  Maybe impart some useful skills that the children could use during play.29. What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

She wanted to be a ranger as a child, but because of the gift she received from the phoenix, Aeraesar, she was better suited to be with the marauders and warriors.31. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

Avandra would feel most comfortable in the forest with her tribe.32. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

She would feel uncomfortable if she was unable to go into the forest and remind herself of where she came from and spending prolonged periods of time in a city.35. How does your character behave around people they like?

She’ll be much more relaxed and play her lyre.  For someone Avandra really likes, she’ll get close like touching shoulders, be more observant about their features, and try to subtly showcase her abilities.40. How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Avandra is courteous with people in service jobs.  She doesn’t find a reason to be rude.42. Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

The elders of the tribe, in a way, are like a parental figures to Avandra.43. Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

As a Vylos Shaeraer (Phoenix Blessed) part of the tribe’s marauder unit, she looks after the apprentices and makes sure they know the ropes and in turn the apprentices kind of look to her for guidance.

[diliqence]

hmm development/thread ideas for my dorks under the cut!!

hekima

she’s always so sure of herself, so i really!! want to explore her losing her confidence.

also forgiving herself when someone gets hurt on her watch bc hekima would be really hard on herself, i imagine

give hekima a problem she can’t fix, a situation she can’t remedy bc gal likes to find the solution to everything 

failure is NOT an option so make her deal with it!! or make her realize it’s necessary to grow

norio

give me a tough situation norio has to navigate bc boy feels like he’d be useless and it’d be nice to see him prove to himself that that isn’t the case

someone cultivate his motivation for becoming a hero!! and let him know it’s okay if he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight like hekima. you can help people without being super public about it

mentor... norio... push him to be more than what he thinks he can be

lisa/yasuhiro

catch me accidentally making lisa’s background similar to shouto’s but refusing to change it now bc i made this bed and now i’m gonna lie in it and make it work!!

but honestly she wants to punch her dad in the face and prove to him that she’s not a weakling -- she’s strong and kickass and most importantly Better Than Him

that’s her entire motivation tho so she questions her right to be a hero all the time. somebody help her with that!!

ALSO her value has constantly been measured by her quirk and her mastery of it in comparison to her peers so... help

chinatsu

pls give her pro hero pals thank u

also i’d like her to mentor someone!! fun!!

she has genuine concerns about the length of her lifetime in comparison to her parents and loved ones so maybe? let’s explore that!

maemi

i mentioned before that maemi is skeptical of the league, but i’d genuinely like to see how she interacts with her fellow villains

i’d also like to see someone close to maeko start to suspect that maemi is pretending to be her sister. there can be a genuine friendship between maemi and that person or not bc either way!! interesting!!!

and maybe push her to talk about her sister’s death bc wow guilt wow self loathing wow bitterness wow deteriorating mental health

akio

i can imagine akio would supply tech to u.a. and its teachers? but honestly if you’re a moral person, he’ll hook you up

and check back here later bc i gotta think a bit since i’ve yet to write his bio

kazumi

kazumi’s got a lot of potential that he doesn’t utilize bc he doesn’t know what he wants -- call him out on that! 

let’s explore the pressures of coming from a family of successful heroes!!

also... is he reluctant to be a hero bc he isn’t sure he wants to be one or bc he’s afraid he can’t live up to the family name

kaiya

kaiya runs a business where she takes unwanted memories and will even replace them or modify them, BUT she also helped criminals out with robberies here and there back when she and her mom were really struggling.

let’s write about someone finding out about this!! about a villain using her quirk to their advantage!! pls make kaiya face consequences : )

let’s talk about the toll some of the memories take on her yeah

ALSO give her just a really nice pal who knows everything, secrets included bc kaiya is all about pretending to be someone else to make others more comfortable!! and that’s no good!!

[moodforanime]

The Possesions of the Wild Volume 1: The Nomad

Chapter 2: A suspiciously generous act

Word count: 3265

Tags: @insanity-is-always-fun

A/N: Just as a future note, my A/Ns will mostly if not exclusively be at the end of the chapter because I always talk a little about the chapter events and all that. In case of something really importand, I’ll put an A/N here.

(previous chapter) (Index) (Next)

______________________________________________________________

'And here we are.' Akira said in a rather tired manner as he pushed the door open. 'Voilà!'

Kaiya waited for him to enter at first, but seeing Akira's eyebrow-raised glared that could almost yell 'Well? What are you waiting for?', she went ahead. At the sight of her apartment, Kaiya couldn't help but feel pleased; it was the best shelter she'd get in a long time. She was standing in a rather large room that owned a living room and a small kitchen. Everything was perfect. Well, almost everything. The apartment would seem really fine if a damp smell that would remind you of death didn't fill the room.

The two shinobi began to cough as they made their way to the windows on the other side of the room with a desperate wish to open them. A few minutes pass and the air was, by now, way more breathable than before. Akira sighed.

'Well, I brought you here and you don't seem to complain about the apartment, therefore I'm of no use anymore.' Akira spoke, decisively. 'So, I guess I'll leave you to it.'

'Thank you.'

She knew that the boy didn't want to be in her company anymore, but she didn't mind it; the feeling was mutual. She walked along with him to the door and waited for the door to close, and when it did, she simply let her body drop to the ground, leaning her back and head on the wall behind her. A deep sigh escaped her.

'What would you think of me now, mother?' she said to herself.

Ever since she left, Kaiya couldn't help but think of what would her mother say of her actions. She zoned out for what she thought to be a few minutes, absorbed by her own judgmental thoughts.

By the time she came back to reality, it was already dark and her she could hear grumbling; her stomach began protesting. She couldn't blame him, though. She did skip lunch after the rather cheap breakfast she had that morning.

As she scanned the room in now a more patient and detailed way, she found what she needed. Above the red couch in the living room, on the wall, sat a clock that energetically ticked. Kaiya looked at the way that the two clock hands were positioned and were finally able to tell what time it was. It was already fifteen past eleven and she was sure that all grocery stores would be closed by now. There goes her chance of filling her stomach just yet, Kaiya thought.

Kaiya rose to her feet and nearly fell to the ground. She walked many kilometres that day and her soles were exhausted and sore by now, not to talk about the rest of her leg muscles. Kaiya slowly but safely made her way to the red couch before letting herself drop on it. She made herself comfortable on the couch and, as a soft summer breeze made its way to her through the window, Kaiya fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

____________________________________________________________________________

Asumi carefully made her way on the rooftops, not letting the girl escape her gaze even for a second's time. It was morning, and Kaiya was walking down Konoha's market. Even though she rightfully assumed that the girl wouldn't leave her apartment during the night, Asumi preferred to be rather safe than sorry, so she spends the night on the rooftop. Although she felt a bit tired, during her ANBU training, she reached the performance of resisting up to three days and nights in a combat-like situation. For this mission, she chose to not wear her Anbu mask. It was for the better, she thought if she wanted to look ordinary.

As for Kaiya, she didn't notice nor felt anything strange just yet. The Hokage didn't inform her yet if she was assigned to a team or such things, so he thought that she could've, as well, get things settled while she could. She analysed her apartment in more detail that morning and took the time to enjoy a well-deserved shower. For time to pass, she wanted to get something to fill her wardrobe, but she was never able to think of anything but food when hungry, so, for starters, she bought herself a piece of cheese and bacon pie the locals called Quiche Lorraine.

As she made her way down the streets, she bumped into something, making Kaiya lose her balance. As expected, gravity did its job and pulled Kaiya to the pavement. Looking up, Kaiya realised that she didn't bump into something, but rather someone. Next to her was a tall girl in her twenties with sand-colours hair, casual clothes and a black forehead protector.

'Oh, I'm so sorry!' The girl apologized. 'Let me help you.'

The girl lends Kaiya a hand, but Kaiya ignored the girl's gesture. She rose on to her feet and brushed off the dust that gathered on her. Kaiya noticed how the girl was a little taller than her.

'I'm sorry!' The girl called out as Kaiya intended to leave.

'It's ok, don't worry 'bout it.' Kaiya responded coldly, looking over her shoulder.

The girl closed her eyes while breathing in for a second. She obviously was bugged by something, and Kaiya didn't understand what could it be. It was she who fell, not that girl. Who knows, Kaiya thought, maybe it's something personal.

'Your knee is bleeding.' The girl simply blurted out as soon as she opened her eyes.

Kaiya looked down and it was true; a part of the material from her pants around her left knee was gone, revealing a scar that wasn't quite a view.

'Oh.' Kaiya simply reacted. She was used to getting hurt much enough to not be bothered by a bit of blood and a light scar like that. She shrugged. 'Whatever.'

The girl looked at the girl pleased as she let a small smile appear on her face. She wasn't some crybaby.

'Hey, I don't remember seeing you here. Are you new?' The girl asked.

'I guess you could say that.' Kaiya shrugged.

'I see. Well, I'm... Mishimoto Akari.' Asumi said. She hesitated on telling her name since she didn't know for sure if she should trust the girl. In the end, she preferred listening to the Anbu code and to not give her real name to others than her superior, colleagues and family. 'What's your name?'

Kaiya looked hesitantly at the so-called Akari. Why did she hesitate in telling her name? To question the better, why was she so extra in telling her name? She didn't need to be polite. She could just be happy that she accepted her apology and then get on with her life.

'I'm Kaiya.' Kaiya eventually said.

'Just Kaiya?' Asumi asked, without knowing that she touched a rather fragile subject.

'That's none of your business.' Kaiya nonchalantly brushed her off. 'For the matter, yes, just Kaiya.'

'Well, just Kaiya, if you're new, how about me showing you around, how does that sound?' Asumi offered.

Kaiya raised her eyebrows. She wasn't particularly friendly, and yet this girl willed to stick with her.

'Why would you? You don't owe me anything if you're worried.' Kaiya blandly stated.

'Oh, it's nothing like that. I'm just being nice, you know?' Asumi backfired, slowly cornering Kaiya.

'Aren't you, like, busy or somethin'? I take the' you're a ninja.' Kaiya said matter-of-factly, as she looked at Asumi's forehead protector.

'Oh, I'm busier than you could imagine.' Asumi spoke truthfully as she chuckled. 'But today's my free day. I get to rest, you know? At last.'

'And you're willing to waste some free day with some newbie?' Kaiya questioned, raising her eyebrows in disapproval, yet again.

'Oh, I don't know about you, but it's not like I've got anything better to do. Staying at home gets boring and there's nothing I enjoy more than a nice walk.' Asumi happily explained.

Kaiya puffed in amusement. She didn't meet many people like her. The people in her clan were nothing like that, as they mainly focused on surviving. Kaiya had to admit that the offer was pretty alluring. She could refuse and continue to find the way on her own, but if she accepted, she wouldn't feel so lost and she'd have as company someone who could help her to get out of her confused zone. If she accepted, she had nothing to lose.

'Alright.' Kaiya said. 'But first, I might need a new pair of leggings.'

A smile appeared on Asumi's face, only for her to let her head fall on her back and laugh moments later. Even though she knew the girl only for a few minutes, she couldn't help but feel amused by her being.

______________________________________________________

It's been two hours and Kaiya could say that, although she didn't as lose as before, there would still be a chance for her to get lost on Konoha's streets. Asumi showed her most of the village, and since they didn't take any breaks, their soles started to feel quite sore. It was already noon and it could've been safely said that the piece of pie Kaiya ate earlier that day didn't really satisfy her stomach.

As they walked down a street, Kaiya's nose was now fully hit by a smell of something that Kaiya identified as a food that almost made her nostrils dance.

'What's that amazing smell?' Kaiya asked as she stopped, for a second, from walking.

'Oh, you must be hungry, right?' The girl with the hair like sand asked with a chuckle. 'It's Ichiraku's ramen. As you can tell by its name, it's a ramen-specialised restaurant.'

'Ramen?' Kaiya said, as her eyes shined. Although she liked ramen, she never really got to eat it but on special occasions, which probably made it taste even better.

Asumi smiled, understandingly. The girl was so skinny that she had no doubts that she was underfed. In fact, Asumi was surprised that, although the fact that she only seemed fourteen at most, she was with just a finger or two smaller than her. She looked for at her for a moment, wondering if she was sick, but seeing her reaction at food made her relax; a sick person that's in a rather more serious state doesn't really have an appetite. She'll get better if she gains a bit of junk, Asumi thought.

'Yeah, let me show you where it is.' Asumi said, as she began walking, followed closely by Kaiya.

It didn't take more than a hundred meters to get to a small building that had a small bar-like room on the ground floor with some notes at the entrance. Kaiya and Asumi pushed the notes aside and went closer to the bar. On one of the seats sat a pink-haired girl with a red dress that had a white circle on it, waiting for her bowl of ramen. Behind the bar sat a man in his mid to late forties, along with a young brown-haired woman about the same age as Asumi, both wearing the typical chef white clothing.

'Welcome to Ichiraku's Ramen!' The old man joyfully greeted. 'Take a seat! With what can I serve you?'

'Uh... I don't know.' Kaiya said as she awkwardly seated herself next to the girl. 'I've never been here before.'

'I see. Well, take a look at our menu.' The man said as he handed Kaiya a piece of paper within a plastic cover.

Asumi looked at the clock on the wall and breathed in sharply.

'Is there something wrong, Akari-san?' Kaiya asked, with a slight feeling of worry. She could bear with her sore feet and hunger a little more if she needed to.

'Oh, nothing that should concern you.' Asumi said, shaking her in disapproval. 'I'm sorry that I have to do this, but I'll have to leave you to eat alone. I, along with my teammates, have to see the Hokage.'

'I thought that this was your free day?' Kaiya furrowed her eyebrows.

'Yeah, well, you may or may not realised this, but you're never truly able to rest when you're a ninja.' Asumi shrugged. 'Well, I have to leave now if I don't want to be late. Goodbye!'

Before she exited, Asumi shortly waved and Kaiya repeated the action. After Asumi left, Kaiya realised that she felt a little lonely, something quite unusual for her as she spent most of her time on her own.

'Have you decided on your order?' The young woman asked.

'Oh, not really.'

The young woman lightly puffed in annoyance before walking away.

'Hey,' the girl next to her shyly tried to get her attention. 'I heard that you don't know what to order?'

'Yeah.' Kaiya said, a little surprised by the approach.

'I would recommend you the Miso Chashu pork ramen.'

'The Miso Cha- what?'

'Misho Chashu pork ramen. It's one of the best, in my opinion.'

'Alright. I'm gonna go with your word.' Kaiya said, relieved for getting a suggestion, before turning to the man. 'Sir, I'd like an... what was it called, again?'

'Miso Chashu pork ramen.' The pink-haired girl added.

'Exactly.'

'A Miso Chashu will it be, then.' The man said, before turning away.

'My name's Sakura Haruno.' The girl presented herself as she stretched her hand towards Kaiya.

'I'm Kaiya.' Kaiya said, looking at the girl with her eyebrows narrowed, before hesitantly responding to her gesture.

'Kaiya? It's a pretty name.' Sakura complimented, trying to ignore what she thought to be rudeness coming from the girl.

'Thanks, I guess.'

'Here's your bowl, Sakura. Enjoy.' The young woman smiled, as she put a bowl of ramen in front of Sakura.

'Thank you, Ayame-San.'

Sakura took a pair of chopsticks and split them in two and, as she willed to start eating, she saw Kaiya's gaze on her bowl. Seeing that she noticed, Kaiya moved her gaze to a poster nearby. Sakura sighed and put her chopsticks down.

'Aren't you gonna eat it?' Kaiya asked while turning around, confused by Sakura's gesture.

'I'll wait for your ramen to arrive as well.'

Kaiya smiled in appreciation. Other people would've not given a single penny if she was eating or not. Sakura analysed Kaiya and it was only then that the question popped; how comes she didn't recognise her?

'Hey, um, would you mind if I ask something?' Sakura began, unsure of how to approach the situation.

'You just did.' Kaiya pointed out, making Sakura over blink in shock while remaining speechless. 'But I'll let you ask me another question.'

Sakura sighed in relief.

'Well, you may figure it out already, but we don't know each other.'

'Yeah... What's with that?' Kaiya asked.

She had a feeling about where this was going, and she wasn't very happy about it. Better get used to it Kaiya, she thought. If she was going to live in this town, it was only normal for people to be curious. Just as Sakura wanted to say something, she was interrupted. The young woman called Ayame came with a bowl of ramen that was placed in front of Kaiya.

'There you go.' The lady said as she forced a smile. 'Enjoy.'

'Thank you.'

The woman only nodded and disappeared as fast as she appeared. Kaiya split her chopsticks and began eating, followed by Sakura. As expected, the ramen was delicious. Anything is tasty when you're hungry, in fact. A few minutes pass and the girls did nothing but eat.

'What did you want to ask me?' Kaiya asked after they finished their meals.

'Well, I was wondering. Did you go to Konoha's Academy?'

Intuition is, as expected, always right, Kaiya thought.

'No.' Kaiya sighed. 'I only moved to Konoha recently. Matter of fact, I just arrived yesterday afternoon.'

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. She never heard such a thing before.

'Really? But why? Didn't you have a home? What about your family? Didn't you live in a village?' Sakura simply blurted out the questions without being able to control herself.

'I'm sorry to disappoint, but I won't bore you with my life story. No offence, but it's not like you'd understand or relate to it, and if you don't at least understand something, then the information is meaningless.'

Sakura looked at the brown-haired girl, unsure of what to say. She would ask her more, but the answer that the girl gave her not only gave her curiosity, but also a self-conscious feeling that made her regret shooting so many questions that were rather personal. Kaiya didn't seem to mind her silence, though. Her eyes were set towards her empty bowl, although it was clear that she wasn't interested in the drops of remaining ramen. As they remained silent, the paper notes moved and an audible thud! could be heard on the chair next to Sakura. Kaiya and Sakura turned their heads to see a tall, silver-haired man wearing a mask and a blue headband protector that covered his left eye. He gave them a short look with his visible eye before turning his attention to the old man, greeting him. The old man took the masked man's order and began preparing, yet again, some ramen.

'I... should leave.' Kaiya mumbled quietly enough for Sakura to have trouble hearing her. 'How much does my ramen cost, sir?'

The old man turned to Kaiya and took her bowl.

'You had a Misho Chashu pork, right?' The old man asked as Kaiya nodded. 'That would be ten Ryo.'

Kaiya's face twitched, like every time she didn't like something. She already was on a tight budget.

'I only have seven.' Kaiya spoke with a slight hint of worry in her voice.

'Then how are you going to pay?'

The old man sighed and began mumbling something about the kids these days.

'I'll pay for her.' A voice could be heard.

The three heads turned to the silver-haired man.

'E-Excuse me, sir?' The old man asked, taking what he heard for mistaken.

'I said I'll pay for her.' The man repeated as he began searching his pockets. 'How much was it? Ten Ryo?'

The old man nodded, still in shock.

'S-Sir, you don't have to.' Kaiya said, shook by the man's actions.

Not only that he was a stranger, but also the first being to do anything for her. Nobody really did something for her, not even her own mother.

'Oh, don't worry. This isn't some favour, so I don't expect anything in return from you, alright?' He said as the skin around his visible eye wrinkled, something that made Kaiya hope to be a smile.

The silver-haired man gave the old man the yen he asked for. The old man blinked a few times, mouthing uncomprehending words before going in the kitchens saying, almost yelling, 'Ayame, you won't believe this!'.

'Eh, thank you.' Kaiya said to the masked man before rising to her feet and fleeing away.

The masked man sighed as he looked towards Sakura.

'I hope you have enough money. I'm not some never-ending money bag, you know?'

'Don't worry.' Sakura said, before paying her own meal and leaving.

A/n

Hi, guys! How's it going? So, I have to say, wow. This was a chapter that's almost double rather than my usual chapters, this one with a little over 3000 words.

Anyway, what do you guys think of this chapter? What about the story so far? And do you think Asumi was right when choosing a fake name rather than being honest with Kaiya?

See you in the next chapter!