#and we know from sakura that it's the worms that make the hair purple

[wcdonaldo]

i lied btw. my largest character flaw is that i think shinji matou is one of my favorite fsn characters and i hold his writing in relatively high regard among the already stacked cast of the vn

[supimjustwriting]

Halloween Feast

Characters Featured:

Ei, Yae Miko, Traveller (You), Paimon

It started out innocent enough. Fake cobwebs littered the railings of Narukami Shrine, simply highlighting the crimson paint beneath. Pumpkin charms laid upon the chests of the fox guardian statues, courtesy of Yae Miko, wanting to add a hint of western fun to her section of the island.  A purple picnic blanket laid in front of the Sacred Sakura Tree. Its fallen petals danced upon Ei and Yae’s forms as they slowly descended from the branches. Upon noticing your presence, the pair welcomed the two of you with soft grins.

“Oh! Who made the fish eyed dango?” exclaimed Paimon, rushing over to the unusual looking treat. Oblivious to Ei’s confused gaze, the purple haired girl’s lips opened, only to be interrupted by Yae. Putting a finger to her lips, giving Ei and quick wink. “I feel like it’s staring back at me. How perfect for this spooky evening!”

Taking a seat next to Ei. Your eyes wandered to the other dishes, stomach turning with each plate. Each dish mirrored charcoal yet some were adorned with a slimy sheen. Squid ink perhaps? Yes. That must be the case. Lady Yae must’ve also charmed the food to wiggle under a person’s gaze. How fitting for a night like Halloween. Fox spirit tricks and delicious food.

“Pleh! What did you just make Paimon eat! Surely this can’t just be fish eyes covered in sugar, right?” Nervous laughter escaped your partner as her blue eyes scanned the crowd. Dread growing in both of your stomachs from the shogun’s shy gaze. “Guys?”

A sigh escaped the pink haired girl, her arms snaking themselves around Ei’s shoulders. With an exaggerated pout blooming upon her lips.

“I thought that you outsiders knew better etiquette than that. Little Ei here worked all day in the kitchen preparing for this evening you know,” Yae’s fingers gently brushed the hair obscuring Ei’s face, revealing glossy purple eyes.

“Is it really that bad?” sniffled Ei, gazing at the two of you like a kicked puppy.

Paimon quickly held her hands up in defense, finishing off her ‘dango’ with a pained smile.

“No, no. It’s perfect! Sadly the Traveller and I already ate. So, we’re not that-”

Before you could get back up on your feet. A firm grip was placed upon you and Paimon’s shoulders, followed by a shiver running up your spines.

“Not even one more bite? It would be such a shame to let all this food go to waste. Especially when it was made with you in mind. So, please sit,” even an attempt to even adjust your position was greeted with a harsh grip, forcing you back into place.

“Now what shall we have next? I know! The yakisoba!” Yae grinned, picking up a wiggling pile of char. “I told Ei that Halloween was a time to scare others and have fun. She even got into the theme and replaced the soba noodles with worms. Adorable, isn’t it? So, who’s going first?”

Gazing up at the night sky, you said a silent prayer to the other archons. May our stomachs have mercy on us for what we’re about to do.

[helen-high-water]

Here's this random Scaramouche fic I thought of,hope you guys like it.

[Title:when the Sakura blossoms rot]

The darkness within calls forth a fog that envelopes the puppet's mind.

He raises his arm, resonating with the deep seated wrath of bygone gods.

There they were,the traveler,passed out infront of him,he could so easily snuff thier life out,and he was about to,but suddenly he felt the presence of another person.

The lady with pink hair moved forth and thus she asked"how long has it been since we last met?"

"A decade?a century perhaps?a few hundred years?" She continued,now blocking the puppet from advancing any further.

Her all knowing smile seemed to pierce through everything.

"Yae Miko...,you haven't changed one bit" the puppet laughed.

"Neither have you" her smile irritated the puppet immensely, perhaps she knew this, perhaps she simply didn't care.

"The 6th of the eleven fatui harbingers, Scaramouche the balladeer"she announced" or maybe I should call you by your chosen name.....Kunikuzushi" she added.

"What brings you here?do you really think you can beat me?" he asked, grinning threateningly.

"No, I'm not stupid enough to try either,I have an offer to make" she answered.

"What makes you think you're in any position to make any kind of offers?"

"It's quite simple really,I have something you desperately want"she raised her hand and an image of something started to form"and you have someone I would like to keep alive"

Upon recognizing the object,the puppet's eyes widened in disbelief.

"The gnosis" he whispered, wondering if the chief priestess of the Narukami shrine had gone insane.

The puppet laughed again "you must've really lost it ,huh? you're really going to hand over the gnosis in exchange for me sparing the traveler?" he looked at her expecting any kind of denying statement,any kind of trick or trap.

"Indeed,I have no use of this old trinket" she played with the gnosis, spinning it in her hands "you on the other hand would do anything to take it,would you not?"

"You do realize I could just kill both of you and get rid of two birds with one stone, right?" his threat wasn't entirely empty,but he also expected that Miko had some kind of contingency plan set up,the puppet had come to admit that she's annoyingly smart.

"Of course,But then you risk losing your chance to take the gnosis so easily" she replied, smugly smiling.

Every interaction with her was like a game of chess she already won,this one did not differ much.

"I didn't take you for some who would betray thier archon like that" the puppet mocked ,as if that would faze her.

Completely unaffected by that comment,she replied with a small chuckle , saying" oh please, she's far too stuck in her own head to care right now,you should know, considering you used that to your advantage"

The puppet grinded his teeth, regaining his composure,he decided to take her offer,he declared "fine,I'll accept your "offer" ,you and that miserable worm can leave "

Yae held out the gnosis,which floated towards the puppet with an ominous purple glow, small sparks crackled around it.

Once it landed in his hand,the puppet felt a surge of power through him, despite not being connected to it,he felt like he finally grasped the part that was missing for so many years.

At that point,he didn't care about anything else,his obsession with being completed was his first and only priority.

The dark mist started surrounding him, until he wasn't visible anymore,then it dispersed,and with it the puppet disappeared.

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

Tsurumi island was a place anyone would rarely visit,the brave but stupid occasional adventurer , someone who thinks they may find treasures and riches,or those who are simply curious about the place.

Of course,no one manages to get far,most of them get lost in the fog and get sent back to the beginning, although some may have a fate much worse than that.

Put simply,this Island was perfect for the puppet to hide while he attempts the next step of his plan.

Obviously the next step was to finally put the piece he lacked for so long where it belongs, however he wasn't sure if doing so would cause any sort of complications.

The island's fog was a good cover for him while he gets used to the gnosis.

And while it may have been a challenge for the mortals and the like,for the puppet it was a nuisance at best,he could easily navigate the island.

After having found a cave,the puppet took his hat off and put it aside,he grabbed the gnosis, floating in his hand it was.

Looking at it,his eyes reflected it's purple light, finally,he can complete himself.

Moving the clothes off his chest,it opened to a spherical object, seemingly to house the gnosis.

He put it in it's place,the gnosis fit like a glove,and the sphere glowed.

Closing his chest,he inspected himself for any,changes,he hadn't felt different,not yet anyways.

A few minutes passed,and suddenly the puppet felt a surge of energy flow though him,it was too much for his body, electro crackled around him,and unable to handle such power ,the puppet collapsed on the floor, before losing his consciousness,the puppet's mind had only one thought echoing through it.

"Was I.....not enough?"

After having passed out,the puppet woke up to find himself in dark cold place,the floor was wet and black,the sky was Ominously purple,and there was nothing other than the puppet,or so he thought.

Suddenly,the gnosis appeared , tempting and mesmerizing,he went to grab it but it moved away,he followed and it moved away again,this continued for bit until he heard laughter,his own laughter, echoing through the place,it was almost deafening.

"Who are you, reveal yourself!" The puppet growled,the laughter stopped,and it was replaced by the mocking voice of the puppet.

"I'm right here you fool" the voice replied, seemingly from within the gnosis,enjoying the current situation.

Dark mist surrounded the trinket, violently twisting and turning into the dark little silhouette of the puppet.

The puppet took a defensive stance"what kind of stupid joke is this" he growled again.

"Tis no joke, I'm you,and you are me,we are the same" smiled the dark shadow, it's eyes were hollow,and mouth completely black.

"I am the abyss your soul,a tiny little spark,floats in" it added.

"A pathetic, idiotic, obsessed weak little spark"

"What is that supposed to mean" the puppet frowned,his hands turning into fists.

"It means" the shadow approached him"that you're not strong enough,and you never will be"

The shadow moved around him , taking a different shape,the shape of the Narukami shrine head priestess,Yae Miko,with her infuriating smile and eyes filled with nothing but a darkness that swallows everything,and a mocking glare.

Mimicking her voice with utmost perfection, moving around the puppet , almost like a snake slithering around it's prey,the shadow said"Poor little doll,born to serve but bound to suffer, struggling for any kind of purpose after it's failure"

The puppet sent a blast of thunder in the shadow's direction,but it disappeared before it was hit, reappearing again,but as a different person,the traveler,it made an expression of pure malice that the puppet wouldn't even think could be done by that worm,in his own words.

The smile,the crooked eyes,it was unsettling.

"But of course,to deal with it's failure,the puppet joined a group of fools, because it knew that it would otherwise lose all relevance,and it would be eaten by the ravages of time"

The puppet attacked again,and again it missed,the shadow now stood in front of him, taking on the shape of his creator,the electro archon,Baal.

It's expression became that of disappointment and scorn,pure hatred,not even a glimpse of regret,he was not sure how the shadow could replicate her shape.

"You're a useless worthless mistake,you should not even be allowed to exist"

The shadow grabbed him by the collar"but you know this,do you not?" Now a faceless specter,as if a mirror to the puppet's heart.

The puppet punched the shadow,this time he landed a hit,but it didn't matter because the shadow simply dissipated, leaving the puppet on it's knees ,in the cold dark place,with it's sinister laugh threatening to shatter his ears.

The puppet woke , rising quickly and out of breath,he slammed his hand on the ground, leaving a small crater and making a few rocks fall from the ceiling.

"Damn it"he felt himself to be weak,he struggled to get up on his feet.

He took to the wall to prevent himself from falling, slowly making his way out of the cave,and at the entrance he stopped and simply watched the fog.

It was much like the fog in his own mind,after that terrible dream,he wondered what to do next,but the fog didn't answer.

[thechaoscryptid]

Writer’s Tag Game, Bouncy’s Edition

Many thanks to @tipsyraconteur for tagging me ❤❤ I know I said this was going to be my strictly Naruto blog but there’s definitely some of my other fandoms that are going to worm their way in heh.

Rules: brag to your heart’s content, you’re awesome, and then tag 5-10 people to do the same.

I’m tagging (if you’d like to play, no obligation): @magnustesla, @scarecrowinthewoods, @dunloth, @caped-ace, @alexianite, @benicemurphy, and @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul (you Voltron peeps, it’s Ary 😉)

1) What’s a paragraph you’ve written that you’re really proud of?

From Order and Obedience (KakaIru): 

“Think Konoha’s dog is going to be an easy fuck, ranger?” Kakashi asked, eyeing every possible exit. Just in case. “That my allegiance is so easily swayed?”

“I think if you were still wearing your boots you’d be trembling in them,” Iruka said without missing a beat. “Your desire to serve the light may not make sense to me, but even I can see that the way your skin drinks in the moon would be pleasing to any god. I’m not demanding darkness, only obedience.”

2) Pick a favorite scene from your longest fic!

The scene in Wake the White Wolf (KakaIru) where Sera and Kakashi part ways. I still get chills at the lines “You are no longer my problem. I am no longer your whore.” There’s plenty of fantastic scenes from that fic, but that still remains one of my favorites. That whole arc, really, from when she finds out the news to when it’s finally 100% over. 

3) Give us a snippet of your most recent WIP:

Voltron! This is a part of one of my stories for the Sheith Big Bang coming up:

A galaxy will never be enough to contain my love for you. 

Mechanically, Keith’s hands go through the motions of powering up Black as Krolia’s voice comes through the comm link. It’s another diplomacy mission--another he’d rather skip in favor of liberating some far off colony from oppressors or just staying in bed, unmoving. The lion doesn’t speak to him the way she used to, and neither does anything else. The universe, for all its glory, has become simple.

Dull.

Grey, even with color sprays from passing planets and nebulas.

He chews on the side of his lip as he lets his head tip to the side, checking to make sure things are in order. His mother’s still rattling off information about the mission and he just wants to tell her to be quiet, he’ll figure it out on his own later. He wants to hear the ghost of Shiro’s voice whispering it loves him again.

Keith…

Ghosts are never enough, but Shiro’s I’ll love you until forever ends echoing in his head assuages the pre-mission blues. “Not that it’s ever anything else these days,” he says under his breath. Krolia asks what he said, and he blames it on a squeaky chair. “Gotta get in here and tune up the cockpit when I’m back. Project for Shiro and I.”

“Well, just as long as it doesn’t interfere with things now. You ready to give ‘em hell?”

Keith pastes a smile on his face, though he knows she’s not on the video link. “Would you expect anything different?”

4) If all of your published fics sparred, who would win and why?

Ohh, tough one...based off of stats, Wake the White Wolf, no question. Off of personal preference? Probably Crescendo (SakuOro) right now. 

5) What’s a fic/author you’ve taken inspiration from and in which one of your works did you incorporate that inspiration?

I won’t lie, Tipsy, a lot of my recent style choices came from Scar Tissue 😅 I found I really enjoy storytelling in present tense, with longer flowing lines punctuated by short lil ones for emphasis. It’s appeared in...most of my recent stuff? I switched within the last year or so.

(putting the rest under a cut because there’s some longer answers)

6) Which fanfiction character do you enjoy writing the most? In which one of your fics do you think you wrote them best?

This is another tough one xD I think I actually have to go with a three part answer here, though really, I enjoy writing so many more.

Kakashi Hatake: Shatter Me (KakaIru), best fic

Dazai Osamu: Marionette (Dazushi), best fic

Keith Kogane: since I can’t tell which one of my bang fics yet, I’ll go with my favorite published, which is Unsteady (Sheith). Truly, it’s going to be the fic from the above snippet hehe

7) Smut or fluff? Give us a sneak peek of your favorite fluffy/smutty scene you’ve written.

Mmm, smut. I’ve really got to be in the right mood for fluff, and my not-so-guilty pleasure reading is angsty smut.

My favorite fluffy/smutty scene...I think it’s probably from Reciprocity (KakaSaku)!

He wishes he still had the Sharingan to capture these moments. Sakura’s still got her thin undershirt on, but the delicate hollows of her collarbones call to him as she reaches over to light their lantern. There will be no fire tonight save for the one burning low and heavy in his stomach, as if he’s swallowed molten rock.

“Do I need to do the rest?” she says, dragging her hands up her legs as she stands. “Should I strip for you, Kakashi?”

He stands along with her and tugs off his mask first, then his shirt. Sakura gasps as the angry red of fresh scars is revealed, fingers twitching toward him before he shakes his head. “Let me,” he murmurs.

Inch by inch, the pale curve of her stomach is revealed. Shadows flicker and dance over it along with the flames, and when Kakashi pulls Sakura’s shirt the entire way off he thinks not even the prettiest sunset could compare. There’s several scars--no shinobi makes it out without them--and no shortage of muscle packed into her small frame, but somehow she makes a battleborn body beautiful.

Sakura makes life beautiful.

Her breath hitches when he tells her this, something shifting in her at the tender touch of his lips against her forehead. “You’re sure you don’t want me to just jump you right now?” she says breathlessly.

“No jumping,” he says. “Only falling.”

8) What’s a scene in one of your fics you wish you would receive fanart for?

Uh, literally any one 😅 My top choice, though, I think would be of my favorite OT3 in Desperately:

“I’ll be a lot cuter when the day comes.” Sakura shoved the bandana up and crunched her nose as she looked back with Ibiki. “You might have to leave me at the altar to catch everyone fainting at the sight of me.”

Ibiki’s laugh rumbled through the living room as he gathered her back to his chest. “We’re never leaving you there, baby, you know we couldn’t,” he said. “Or maybe we could take turns catching them. How d’you think your clothes will hold up, Rai?”

“They’ll be fine. I volunteer for catching duty as long as it’s you two falling for me at the end,” he said, spreading his arms over the back of the couch as he watched them sway. “And of course, falling into bed with me later.” Ibiki cocked an eyebrow as Sakura giggled into his scarred chest. “What, you think I”m joking?”

“Never considered it,” Ibiki said. He pulled away from Sakura to trail his hand up her arm, urging her to spin. His uniform lifted from her creamy skin and Raidou sucked in a breath as the purple lace on the bottom of her underwear was revealed. She knew he couldn’t resist those, and Ibiki certainly didn’t mind them either.

“Come here,” he said. Ibiki let her go and gave her a gentle push toward Raidou’s outstretched arms before flopping next to them as the song began to repeat. “I saw those. You can’t hide them from me.” Her hair tickled his face as he kissed over her cheek down to her ear. “Wearing my husband’s shirt and my wife-to-be’s favorite underwear, how scandalous, Sakura,” he purred.

“I’m sure your wife-to-be will be so very displeased I stole them,” she said, pulling back with a mock pout before turning to beg a kiss from Ibiki. “I hear she picked them specifically for tonight because she wanted to get laid.”

9) Would you ever consider turning one of your fics into a podfic? If no, why not?

Not on my own? I have hearing problems, so it’s just really never occurred to me. If anyone else wanted to, though, I wouldn’t say no!

10) The best (or your favourite) 5 reviews you’ve ever gotten! Don’t forget to tell us which one of your fics received them!

There’s so many 😭😭 My commenters are all fucking awesome, but I’ll trawl my saved comments for some highlights!

P5eud0Nym on Wake the White Wolf (KakaIru omegaverse): So, I just wanted to say you’ve been doing a fantastic job. I appreciate that this isn’t, and hasn’t at any point been, a dumb tropey kink fic. That you’ve taken the time to put so much heart into all of this. The fact that you’re exploring the politics, the social issues, and writing all of the characters as being more than just their A/B/O designations, so good. The multifaceted way you write is just really and truly refreshing. It’s obvious how much work and thought you put into this. You’re tackling a lot of really important stuff, from consent to civil rights, and it’s some grade A USDA certified Good Shit. Thanks for the fic and keep up the good work <3

Lilmeliz on Monster (ShigaDabi): AAAAAAA GUARANTEED I CAN BLOW YOUR MIND mwa. Please excuse the lame dua lipa reference I’m so sorry I’m so sorry I couldn’t-- Delicious. Finally some fucking good food. I want to congratulate you. This is such a beautiful, touching, heartwarming masterpiece. I even cried a little. I usually read shiggy with his dark past and his (soul) scars and all that jazz, and venturing into the thought of him having a mere fiber of good will in himself, in his actual self, is risky and prone to be ooc. But here it sounds right. It feels personal, private and even possible, my boi :( Dabi is an angel, I’m dying. I like the reminder “they lie, they kill...” Yes he’s an angel but he’s still evil. I don’t know what else to add but really, this is stunning! IM GONNA TATTOO THISSS amazing work 

Prism0467 on Forbidden (KakaIru): You have written their mutual dependency with such nurturing attention to detail I feel as if I know them. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt...embraced by a work of fanfiction before now...this may well be a first. Your enthusiasm for this pairing comes through loud and clear, I’ll tell you that :)

PearlBear on Crescendo (SakuOro): Wow. Just wow. This is brilliant, heart-wrenching, creative and extremely, extremely well-written. You have such a way with words, I was actually crying. And you adapt their lives as shinobi so seamlessly to situations that happen in real life (how many partners give up on possibilities for their significant one and get nothing in return?). This story managed to move me deeply and all the while, they all were in-character (it hurt when Tsunade looked at Orochimaru in the same way they all do, also loved how Tobirama and Madara are his parents). The omegaverse wasn’t heavy at all, instead it’s well integrated enough that I, who don’t particularly like it, barely noticed and completely accepted it. It’s just the way things are. You manage to convey so, so much in a few words. I’m amazed. So, thank you for sharing this! I am very, very excited for what’s next, whether Orochimaru experiments to save himself, whether Sakumo commits suicide (or worse, dies on this mission), whether... So many possibilities. Your story is outstanding. Thank you for writing this gem!

(insert special shoutout to Tipsy’s review of Testing the Waters...)

and no comment appreciation section would be complete without at least one from @magnustesla! 

This one from Of Scale and Steel (Sheith naga AU): Ary, sometimes I am left speechless and I don’t quite know how to articulate my thoughts after reading one of your fics. Like, everything is just so...so brilliant that it’s like my brain fucks off when I try to get my thoughts down onto a page. Turning well known and beloved characters into something else entirely isn’t easy and often they miss the mark leaving the reader not really connecting with it. But you, you are brilliant and clever in all that you write because damn, I love Naga Keith. It feels like it IS part of canon. And your oc? Super adorable and she just belongs. I really loved her interactions with Shiro and the chewing on his finger had me rollling because it reminded me of when J would test everything by chomping it. Not relevant but it sparked a good laugh from me, especially because it is totally something kids do. I’m so fucking proud of you and I’m excited to see you get your mojo back with this fandom. Love you ❤

[shuttershocky]

12-year-old Sakura Matou, attempting to stay away from home for as long as she could, found a flyer that a girl in what looked like a nun’s outfit had just slapped on to a wall. The flyer read “The Hollow Shrine, supernatural solutions for all your magical mysteries and puppetry needs.”

Magic? As far as Sakura was aware, the only other non-Matou magi around were the Tohsakas, and there was no way they would take her back. She had no need for puppets, and she wasn’t even sure what she would get for an answer if she called but...

This ‘Hollow Shrine’ might be her only chance.

She pulled the flyer close to her and looked around warily, making sure there was no way Shinji was watching her nearby. Satisfied, she sprinted to the nearest public phone and, tiptoeing to reach the highest buttons, dialed the number on the flyer.

Three days later, Mikiya Kokutou had already snuck into the Matou home, careful not to trip the various bounded fields placed around the manor. (They were well constructed sure, but nothing compared to what it took to enter the office of his paranoid boss.) He took pictures of the massive pit of worms that stood before him, sketching its location within the map he drew of the manor in his notebook. His stakeouts of the manor had told him the Matous would be having dinner at this time; there wouldn’t be anyone down here for at least another two hours.

“Absolutely deplorable conditions.” He muttered. “Now to bring these photos to Touko-san and we can start discussing our legal optio-”

Legal options, however, turned out to never have been on the table at all. Several floors above the young detective, the Matous’ front door exploded open. With fire in her eyes and a salamander-skin glove outstretched, a young girl barged in on the stupefied family at their dining table.

“HANDS UP MOTHERFUCKERS, NOBODY MOVE” She yelled, pointing her gloved hand like a gun. Sakura blinked in shock. It was the girl from the other day! With all the flyers!

Two more girls filed in after her. One wore a red jacket over a kimono and a bored look on her face, and the other held a walking stick and had long, purple hair. Sakura’s eyes widened. The second one looked just like her.

“Tell me Shiki.” The girl with purple hair asked. “What does the interior look like?”

“Tacky.”

“Oh... I see. No great loss then.”

Sakura glanced back at the dinner table. Byakuya and Shinji had already taken refuge underneath, with Shinji in the process of peeing himself. Sakura’s grandfather, however, lay seated, though he shook with rage. He began to speak as a fourth woman entered the house.

“How. Dare. You.” He seethed. “None of you can even think about leaving this place ali-”

But his voice died in his throat as he saw who came in.

It was an older woman, wearing glasses, an orange jacket, and a shock of red hair. Grandfather sputtered and got up from his seat, stumbling backward. Sakura wasn’t sure, but it looked like Grandpa knew the woman. She seemed to carry that kind of aura. The kind that told you that you ought to know her. Or else.

The woman puffed on a cigarette as she strolled toward Sakura. Grandfather continued to retreat as she came ever closer, but she seemed to pay him no mind. 

For a brief moment, Sakura wondered whether she had made some kind of mistake in calling. The woman certainly looked scary to Sakura, but anything had to be better than being here.

Sakura quivered under her gaze.

“So you must be Sakura Matou.”

Sakura barely nodded before the woman scooped her up from her seat, and immediately began a series of rapid physical tests. Sakura had her eyelids pulled back, an arm stretched and wiggled, even briefly put upside down and held from a leg as the woman muttered a long string of unknown spells that tickled her a little, all while the Matous cowered nearby. Afterwards, the woman placed her back on to her chair, and spoke to the girls behind her

“Okay. Plenty of evidence of physical and sexual abuse, her hair color’s definitely the result of magical experimentation too. There’s even signs of some  power source being grafted into her lower body, I can’t tell what it is quite yet, but my best guess is they implanted something into her womb.”

The jacket-wearing girl, Shiki, grimaced. “Gross.”

The purple haired girl says nothing, but her knuckles whitened as they gripped her walking stick.

“What... What are you doing?” Grandfather spat, having finally regained some composure. “What the Matous do in their own home is none of your business Aozaki. Get out!”

The woman, Aozaki, lit up. “Oh yes that does remind me. This is a business after all.”

She turned to Sakura, the ghost of a smile on her face. Her glasses were gone. Where to, Sakura did not know.

“Hey kid. Got any money to pay for this little operation?”

Sakura shivered. She forgot to consider that hiring people over the phone also meant paying them. All she had was her little purse with all her savings from before her original family sold her off. She often thought it would be just enough to one day buy her escape. 

She wasn’t sure about that now. 

“N-no.” She said, her vision beginning to cloud behind tears. What would happen if she couldn’t pay? they wouldn’t just leave her here, right? 

“I don’t have much. But please take what I do have! I promise I can work off the rest!”

Aozaki’s face split into a wide grin, tracing a chill down Sakura’s spine as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. common sense told her to be terrified of this Aozaki woman, and yet, somehow, she wasn’t.

On some level, Sakura knew the grin wasn’t meant for her.

“Alrighty then. Fujino, start taking the stuff on the walls. Don’t bend them - they look expensive - just lift them with your psychokinesis and put ‘em in the car. Shiki, fetch your boyfriend from the basement. He’s got himself stuck on the second bounded field and the alarm’s been sounding off since we got here; it’s driving me nuts. Oh and get the candelabras too on your way out they look nice. Azaka, wait til Ryougi and your brother are out, then burn the place down. Kill all the bugs you see. I’ll be waiting in the car with Sakura.”

The girls hurried to carry out their instructions. The girl called Shiki pulled out a fruit knife and headed down to the basement. Meanwhile, the artifacts in the house began to fly off the walls and shelves, smashing through their cases as their locks twisted in on themselves and broke apart, Fujino humming a tune to herself the whole time.  Azaka kept watch on the Matous. The woman called Aozaki then took Sakura’s hand, and began to lead her outside.

“Come along.” She said. “Can’t say I’m a good role model, but there’s a couple in the office that are as good as married already, and they could probably use a kid like you to practice on. Don’t get your hopes up; we don’t have a big place, we don’t even have a proper bed, but I promise it’s still better than being here. I know you probably want to find a proper magus family but trust me honey, they’re all as terrible as this one.”

Zouken screeched from his cover behind the table.

“You are dead, Aozaki! How dare you enter my home and take my proper-”

A second explosion tore through the dining room,  this time on the spot Grandpa was standing in. Worms, beetles, and other foul things crawled away from the burning wreckage and into the walls as fast as they could, but most of them died in the flames.

“I said hands up,” Azaka said. “You two, Under the table. Piss Baby and Piss Baby Jr. Run if you value your lives.” 

She doesn’t have to tell them twice. Tears making their faces as wet as their pants, Byakuya and Shinji get up and run. And run and run and run and run, past the women and through the broken, blasted doors and into the streets and out of Sakura’s life forever.

Touko’s grip on Sakura’s hand tightened and the two walked out of the manor, not looking back as Azaka set fire to the walls, incinerating the insects hidden within.

As the two approached a dumpty-looking, beat-up car, Sakura glanced up at her rescuer.

“A-Aozaki-san... I don’t want to sound rude, but isn’t this extremely illegal?”

Aozaki took another puff from her cigarette. Somehow her glasses were back on.

“Sure kid. Sure. “ She replied. “But so is everything else we do.”

Sakura’s hand tingled a little as she felt Aozaki’s magical pulse sweep across her body through their hands. She felt lighter. Stronger. Purple sparks began to dance in the spaces between her fingers. Sakura smiled.

“I think I’ll like it with you.”

Aozaki grinned again. It was warm this time.

“Oh you’ve seen nothing yet, kid.”