#but godammit at least let us be shit on our own

[welshsidekick]

Reasons Why Wales Should Get More Recognition and The Reasons it Doesn’t

We provide most of the UK (or, at least most of England)‘s water

Water they got by demanding the right to drown 3 different towns and forcing residents to move out despite protests, at least one of which wasn’t even used until relatively recently (see: Tryweryn)

We provide most of the UK (or, at least most of England)‘s electricity

We don’t get any money for either of these things because England underfunds us and so we have to sell our resources to big companies so what little money our government is given can go to other things, like trying to stop what little language and culture we have left from going extinct

YesWales is a movement for Welsh independence that has been gaining a lot of traction very quickly since it started, but is hardly taken seriously

Part of this is because most of Wales did, in fact, vote Leave and Tory

However, statistics apparently show (I haven’t double checked this though so correct me if I’m wrong) that the majority of voters in Wales who voted these were actually English people who had moved to Wales

I’m inclined to believe this because, from statistical maps, the areas that did vote these are, to my awareness, heavily anglicised, and the more heavily, traditionally Welsh areas (seen mostly around the coast and the very top and bottom of the country) voted Leave and Plaid Cymru (our equivalent of the SNP)

All of our mines (which was our and, for a long time, the UK’s primary source of income) were shut down long before they needed to be to save money, costing thousands of jobs and causing large protests

(There’s an interesting, rather heartwarming story about a crossover between this and LGBT activism if you ignore how horrible it was overall)

Our language is constantly disrespected in a way that no other language is, with it regularly being called pointless and stupid. An opinion which is completely flipped when it comes to poetry, funnily enough

Very similar history to the Native Americans (this applies to all Celts, and we get by a lot better now, obviously, since we’re white and all, but the history is quite similar otherwise)

People regularly forget that we exist and we’re constantly grouped together with England (e.g. statistics always show ‘England and Wales’ and hardly ever the two desperately) despite the fact that we’re not the same country and not the same people, with different laws and everything

Wales and the Welsh Government has been trying to get more freedom from England for years but they just keep turning us down for, as far as I’m aware, no good reason

We’re horrendously underfunded by Westminster (alongside Northern Ireland and Scotland)

You remember the original Brexit argument about all that money we were giving them that we didn’t get back? Yeah, most of that money came back to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Further proof that England gives little to zero shits about us - getting across Wales, a very small country, takes 3-4 hours. Yet I can get a train from North Wales to London in about 1-2 hours

(Extended point being: our roads and railways are messy and shit because Westminster don’t care about us being able to get around our own country easily, they on care about people being able to get to and from London as easily as possible. I have to take a 4-6 hour trip to get between home and uni because I have to go all the way up and around rather than there being an easy, probably 2 hour straight route)

Our royal line was taken away from us in an extremely brutal and unethical way (involving the murder, kidnapping and brainwashing of children), and the only reason the first born son of the king and queen is the ‘prince of Wales’ is because we protested and said we’d never accept a Prince who’s first language wasn’t Welsh, so the current king cheated and said his son fit that description because he was a baby and couldn’t speak any language yet

Wales is the only place you can find a certain species of fish (I forget the name) that have existed, mostly unevolved since the ice age. They’re found in 2 different lakes where fishing is now illegal, but will likely go extinct thanks to global warming heating up the water faster than they can adapt.

Probably way more than this that I can’t remember off the top of my head, but my point stands: stop treating Wales like shit. We already get enough of that from the people that are in charge of us.

[sour-n-salty-citrus]

Do you have any hopes for the season finale? I saw in another ask, you described the dynamic between rick and morty this season as "very weak, distant, and downright frankly boring" and I completely agree with you! I hope that, because this is most we'll see rick and morty interacting this season, it'll have at least a few moments of what makes their dynamic so interesting to watch.

(Ok i started airing my grievances with this season, which ended up being... long, so skip this paragraph (starting at / / /) to get to my thoughts on the finale)

Oh gosh I remember that ask (I think-). And yeah, maybe I'm being a bit overly critical. I'll probably look back on this season with retrospect, and a kinder, fonder view. Ik androgynousblackbox (think thats right) made a great point about it being the season FOR rickorty shippers. And sure, I agree on some bits, like Rick acting all pissy and partying the way you would if your ex got with someone new in the planetina ep. Overall though, i think my problem lies in that I was enjoying more individual moments than episodes themselves, especially the middle three. For example- Amortycan Grickfitti. Like, I really liked the idea of the Ship getting on a crazy adventure with Summer and Morty (and Chutback). I like the idea of a Beth-Jerry-Rick adventure. But put together, it's just kinda... meh? You know? I liked the first half of the Thanksgiving special... but it kinda dragged on after that. I get that they want to give other characters (particularly female ones) more attention, which is completely understandable and i encourage it(!) but I can't help but find it underwhelming. Like, Summer in the voltron ep was like- girl how are you STILL vying for Rick's attention! He's the worst! Haven't we done this already? (I will say though I ADORE how far Beth has come, props to her for continuing to seeing through her dad's BS. I was worried the character would relapse into a more typical s1/s2 Beth, and I'm glad she didn't). Some of these plots, funnily enough, seem more fitting of the comics (they actually had a voltron parody already). Fun and entertaining for two or three-something issues, not so much a 22 minute episode. i think most of my complaints come from the dynamic between our titular characters- ok, I know I'm very biased (I mean you can see it), but I came to the show primarily for their relationship. It doesn't even feel drama-fueled, just that they kinda... can't be arsed. I'm torn because on the one hand, they're unhealthily codependent and this separation is probably a good thing, but on the other... it doesn't feel natural? I'm not sure if that's the right word- it's like, season 4 had them practically joint at the hip, but all that's suddenly flung out the window. It just kinda feels like this "i got better things to do" vibe from both of them and its strange. The only time they both got a solo adventure (I'm classifying "solo" as an adventure where they spent a significantly large portion of time together, without the other family members) was in the sperm ep and Thanksgiving ep. And, well, in the Thanksgiving ep Morty felt like a side character in his own show, and the sperm ep... um. Yeah. I don't think it's AS bad as people were saying, but I was cringing the whole time (the second hand embarrassment for Morty was so strong I had to turn off the episode multiple times and return to it. It's just like- godammit MORTY). And I think there's good reason those two seemed to be the most disliked episodes overall. They're the ones RaM spend the most time together and it's... meh. Meh? Meh. I don't mean to say the season overall is bad (it has loads of good points, and its amazing for Smith family as a whole) just that if we're talking specifically about the dynamic between these two? Yeah, I wouldn't recommend a single episode from this season so far to use as an example of their relationship.

/ / /

There's one thing this season has been pretty good at, though. And it's showing us what happens when Rick is alone.

And that brings me to the finale.

"Who is Rick without Morty?"

Well... we already know the answer to that. Pathetic. Sad. Lonely.

This season has been phenomenal in humbling Rick. (And trust me I'm happy for it- every time someone beats the crap outta this shitty old man I'm like YES!!! IT'S WHAT HE DESERVES!). Ep 1 had his "nemesis" clearly besting him, ep 2 had Beth making constant digs (love her) and overall pointing out his extreme callousness and cruelty towards even himself(ves). Ep 3- when Morty shows interest in a girl and ditches him (like seriously it's not like he's moving out, chill) he immediately goes on a bender and develops a deep attachment to the first person he can (wearing yellow, funnily enough). Ep 4, he devotes himself to becoming an "honest man" for his new child, only for it to instantly be taken away from him. Ep 5 highlights how RICK is the asshole for making fun of and taking advantage of someone well-meaning and honest, if "simple", and how literally not cool that is. Ep 6 has his crazy rivalry with the president, and they both get smacked down a couple pegs for that. Ep 7 shows what happens when he allows himself to get carried away, and that he can end up driving everyone else away in the process (lucky they still wanted to save his ass when he needed them). And episode 8? Hooooo boy. Episode. 8. We see a direct parallel in Birdperson with Morty, and the whole "Rick and [insert] 100 years!" Rick has few people he cares about, arguably only one or two that he truly devotes himself to, but when he does, boy does he go HARD. We see younger Rick, optimistic, energetic, friendly and hopeful. And we see all of that crushed in minutes. Rick is desperate for a companion, someone to see the stars with. He needs someone there, someone he can trust and rely on to stay. Someone like Morty. So without Morty, who is Rick?

No one.

And the thing is, Morty doesn't need Rick anymore. Not like Rick needs him. In season 1, Morty was this bright-eyed kid who was new to the cosmos and the multiverse, who needed his grandpa there with him as they explored all these places together. But that's not him anymore. That's not them.

The promo has Morty using the portal gun to go somewhere w/o Rick's permission (i like to think it's boob world lol). It doesn't matter to me as much where he's going, as much as he's doing it alone. He doesn't just not need Rick there, he doesn't want him.

(Also correct me if im wrong but I've missed that sweet portal gun so much. I think the last ep was like- the first time this season we saw it).

Morty's response to Rick? "Replace me!". And wow. Wow. WOW. Morty doesn't give a FUCK! I think Rick thinks that because he's so smart, that he can offer so much, that Morty will come crawling back, and I don't think he will.

Hopes for the finale! Hmm. I mean, I definitely hope "evil" Morty makes a reappearance, haha. I think we all do tbh ;). I want to see some Morty development too, this season has been very Rick-centric (not that there's anything wrong with that!) so I wanna see what's in store for Our Boy. I really hope we get to see the Citadel again, and see the state it's in, but I doubt it. We know something super big is in store, it's just a question of what? Other hopes I have is some Summer + Beth action (please let them team up Im BEGGING) and Jerry too ahaha. I'd love if some other side characters made an appearance as well. Oh- I'm definitely expecting a dramatic cliffhanger at the end of the first half leading to the second half, with the kind of angsty music that leads into the credits (pls that shit is so good (OH WAIT imagine if it was like, for the damaged coda, but like- the chopin version or smth so it could be more subtle maybe bruhhhh)). Ok haha, maybe that's asking too much, the writers made it clear in the story train ep that they weren't gonna do that big dramatic showdown (... unless 👀). Oh, I'd also love some Premium Angst too, like someone getting kidnapped/nearly dying (like ACTUALLY nearly dying). These stakes better be so damn high I could spear a man on them! OH, also I remember androgynousblackbox (is that right? I hope it is) mentioned something along the lines that they could be driving Rick and Morty apart this season in order to have them come back together stronger than ever in an explosive finale, which, I'm strongly hoping for myself.

Thanks if you made it this far! If you have any thoughts on or hopes of your own for the finale please feel free to share! :D

[bisexualsforprompto]

Of Roommates and Red Heroes Chapter 1

AO3

One (You are here)     Next

One- Of pilots and new beginnings

Jason Todd ran, ran away from the legacy he could never fill. The one he was still expected to fill. Didn’t they know? Didn’t they know he had changed?

God, was had he even changed? It’s not like he could ever make up for what he did. But he couldn’t wear the colors of the Robin ever again either. He crossed a line, he was past the point of no return.

And Bruce couldn’t let him forget it.

As far as Jason was concerned, he didn’t deserve a redemption.

He didn’t deserve a happily ever after.

Dick (in more ways than one): [is online]

Lil bro Jason: [is online]

Dick (in more ways than one): Come back.

Lil bro Jason: No.

Dick (in more ways than one): Please, Bruce didn’t mean it.

Lil bro Jason: Honestly I give zero f*cks if he meant it.

Dick (in more ways than one): So that's it. You’re just solo now and we’ll never see you again?

Lil bro Jason: You are welcome to visit when you’d like, along with Steph, Tim, Barbara, etc etc. I don’t want to see him again.

Dick (in more ways than one): He’s your dad!

Lil bro Jason: Godammit Dick! He’s not! Open your goddamn eyes! He’s not our dad, he’s a man who just uses us for his dirty work!

Dick (in more ways than one): I can’t stop you from doing this, but just talk to Bruce at least, if you don’t you’ll regret it, trust me I know.

Lil bro Jason: [is offline]

•~•Sunday Nov.17, 8am EST•~•

Knock, knock, knock.

“Mr. Todd.” 

Knock, knock, knock.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Jason said as he peeled a case file off his face, he’d fallen asleep the night prior reading it. Jason walked over to the nook where he kept all his ‘borrowed’ GCPD case filed which just happened to go missing from their archives every so often. For some reason, Jason liked to review case files. A lot. Maybe it was living with a detective for so long, but he felt at home in his own little world of files.

Jason brought a hand to his head, trying to shield his pounding headache. He remembered going out to the bar, but not much else. He brushed his hand down his face to feel stubble, another thing he’d have to deal with later. He fixed his hair a little bit before getting off his brown leather couch. He checked out what he was wearing, only pants. He sighed and picked up a plain black t shirt off the ground. Sliding it on, Jason walked over to the door and opened it.

Of all the things he was expecting today, he wasn’t expecting his landlord in full suit and tie showing up at his door. Unfortunately, it was his reality. A tall slim and bony man in a tacky olive green suit and oversized brown plastic glasses was holding a clipboard and pen in his hands. 

“Mr. Jason Todd?”

Jason sighed, “That’s me.” The man looked him up and down. Jason was about to yell at him for judging but decided against it. 

“You’ve been behind on your last payment for this flat. You have one week or you will be evicted.” The man said properly, leaving directly after despite Jason’s protests. Sighing, Jason shut the door.

He hadn’t found work in a long time. He’d been fired from his last job for drinking, and he couldn’t change his ways after being Red Hood and working with Batman. He went by the same mantle but working with Bruce did a number on him as always, only this time it was a positive change. He couldn’t work and make dirty money off drug cartels anymore, Red Hood was a lone vigilante but Jason Todd could only find himself doing honest work. Honest work that was very difficult to find in this day and age.

The only thing Jason could think that would save him would be getting a roommate. Jason sighed once more, all Gothamites were bat-shit crazy (pun not intended) and there was no way in hell he was taking Bruce’s blood money. Jason started drafting an ad and put it on Craigslist. The best he’d be able to do, hopefully before the date he’d be able to meet all of the candidates to make sure they weren’t insane. 

‘Searching for a roommate in a flat in Gotham Sun Apartments. $500 per month expected. Contact xxx-xxx-xxx for more information. (Images attached below)’

Jason rubbed his pounding temple, all he could do was wait.

•~Friday Nov. 22, 10am EST~•~•

“Voyage.” Marinette called before stepping into a black portal. She whimpered as she landed in a dark alley. “Tikki, Kaaliki, divide.” She whispered. “Spots off.” She was released from her heroine persona. Marinette was bloody, bruised and confused. She didn’t know where Kaaliki had taken her but she hoped it was far away from Paris. Marinette walked warily out of the alley to see a beautiful city full of life around her. Many people walked past and she could hear snippets of conversation, only something was off about them…they were in English! Marinette realized, could Kaaliki’s Portal have taken her to America or England? Thank god for Madame Bustier’s lessons or Marinette wouldn’t be able to speak a lick of English, she was practically fluent after all of her lessons. Marinette took out her pigtails and slid the bands onto her arm, she checked her purse, Tikki and Kaaliki were in there as well as $2000. Master Fu had given it to her before her...departure. 

Marinette continued down the street hoping to find some sign of where she was. Pedestrians gave her strange looks, most likely because of all her evident injuries. Marinette passed by street signs, all to generic to tell her anything. She accidentally bumped into a small girl wearing a sweatshirt that read “Gotham University”. 

Marinette knew it was a stretch, it could just be a random sweatshirt but still she was determined to try. 

‘Gotham University’ she typed into Google. Bingo. ‘Gotham University is a college in Gotham, New Jersey, America.’ So could she be in America? Marinette surveyed her surroundings, the most prominent building read Wayne Enterprises. ‘Worth a shot’ she mused. ‘Wayne Enterprises, Gotham’. Millions of hits, now she knew she must be in Gotham. Marinette continued to walk the streets to solve her next problem, where could she stay the night? 

Marinette sighed turning corners, looking for any signs around. She felt a rumbling in her stomach, she couldn’t remember the last time she ate. Marinette couldn't see any food places around. She wandered around looking wildly for a café, bakery, restaurant, anything. She didn’t even realize she was on a collision course until she bumped into a muscular boy, about 4 years older than herself with black hair with a white streak in it and blue eyes.

•~Friday, 9:40am EST~•~•

Jason groaned as he got up. He wasn’t drunk like most nights before. He immediately went to check his computer, still no hits on Craigslist. Jason sighed, he didn’t know what he’d do if he couldn’t get anyone to rent with him by Sunday. He refused to move back into Bruce’s mansion again. Jason picked up his apartment keys and went to look for some food, he couldn’t find a solution to a problem without food or caffeine (Tim had rubbed off on him more than he wanted). 

Jason opened his door and walked down the hall, he opted for the stairs as he didn’t feel like interacting with anyone at the moment. Jason brushed past the Gothamites on the street feeling extremely aggravated. He got lost in his own world of annoyance and didn’t even realize when he ran into a small blue-haired girl.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” Marinette said turning pink. She backed away feeling extremely embarrassed, “I just wasn’t looking where I was going and-“ Jason recognized that she wasn’t from Gotham. She just didn’t have that shrewd personality that came with the territory of being a Gothamite. For some reason it made him feel warmer, and his anger felt more soothed.

“It’s ok little lady, really. What brings you to Gotham?” Marinette stared up into the caring blue eyes of the boy she ran into. “I uh, well, um nothing in particular. But would you mind showing me somewhere to eat?” She asked, not wanting to revisit why she had to leave Paris. He seemed caring enough, hopefully he’d take her somewhere to eat. The man nodded, “Of course. I was headed to a café myself little lady. Hey, what’s your name?” Jason could respect that the girl didn’t want to talk about why she was here, after all, Jason didn’t like talking about his own past. 

“Marinette.” Marinette blushed. “Alrighty then Marinette, I’m Jason. I’ll take you somewhere.” Jason wanted to scold her for putting so much trust in a stranger blindly as she followed him, after all this was Gotham but he just silently thanked that it was him who got to her instead of some creep. Jason led her to the Garden Café right next to where his flat was.

It might’ve been one of the only places in Gotham that wasn’t completely littered with garbage. It had beautiful flowers and an outdoor patio where patrons could eat. Jason lead Marinette to an empty black table and pulled out a metal chair for her. “Merci!” Marinette smiled, “Thank you, I mean.” Jason made the connection, “So are you from France?” Marinette nodded, “Yes, Paris actually.” Jason nodded, “What's it like there?” Marinette sighed, “Well aside from the terrorist, it’s beautiful and a great place to live.” Jason didn’t even had a drink yet but if he did, he would’ve spit it out right on the spot. “Did you just say terrorist?”

“Um yes, I assumed it was common knowledge. I mean I know Ladybug reached out to the Justice League many times…” Jason gritted his teeth, the damn Justice League. His father’s call no doubt.

“So whos Ladybug?” Marinette pondered what to tell the man across from her, on the one hand, he was the only kind one to her, but she didn’t want to accidentally give away her identity. “She along with Chat Noir, are magical heroes who wield jewels that give them power. Hawkmoth, the terrorist, wants them, because with them he can make a wish and have absolute power.” Jason's eyes widened, sure her story seemed like a poorly written children’s TV show but from the little time he’d known Marinette he’d figured a lot out about her, and he trusted that she wasn’t a liar. And wasn’t a very good one at that. Living with the world’s greatest detective, as much as Jason hated to admit it, did have some perks, Jason could read people without knowing them for long. 

“I guess it’s not ideal to escape a terrorist and end up in the crime capital of the world though,” Jason said, he couldn’t imagine why anyone would rather be in Gotham than anywhere else. Marinette hadn’t known it was the crime capital of the world, she wondered why Kaaliki’s voyage sent her there. Maybe she was meant to resume being a hero in Gotham?

“Y-yeah.” Was all Marinette could stammer out. Talking to Jason made her realize so many things she had to do, she hadn’t had much time to think about what it could be like living in another country. She didn’t even have a place to stay yet!

“I know this might be a touchy subject, but...how’d you get those bruises Buttercup?” Marinette touched her hand to her face and ran her fingers down one of the scars. “H-Hawkmoth.” At least it wasn’t a complete lie. She saw Jason clench his fists. 

Jason was seething, he couldn’t believe the league would ignore this! One look at this girl would prove that they should’ve listened. If Jason was still aligned with Bruce he would’ve had some choice words with him, instead he decided that he’d notify Dick and possibly the Outlaws the next time he saw them. Jason couldn’t help but feel awful for the girl, he knew what it was like to feel like you couldn’t escape the clutches of a madman. He’d lost a bit of soul to Joker. He wanted to run his fingers down all of her scars and just make everything better, she didn’t deserve that kind of torment. If anything, he did.

“Say Buttercup, where are you staying?” Jason asked before the waiter came to take their orders. Marinette answered the waiter with a simple sandwich and Jason ordered the same. “Um well...I don’t really know yet,” she responded to his previous question. 

Unacceptable, she was staying with him now. “How about you come back with me Buttercup. I know we just met, but I don’t want you sleeping on the streets. Gotham is dangerous.” Marinette blushed, just now noticing the nickname he gave her. “I couldn’t do that to you!” She protested.

“It’s not a problem, Buttercup, really.” Marinette sighed, she felt grateful for Jason. Maybe she was being too trusting, but she had no other options. “As long as you let me pay you something.” Jason thought about it, he didn’t want to put this poor girl out but then he realized,

“I think there's a way we can help each other.”

[inu-jiru]

Tomoe, The Eastern Tigress - Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen - To Shiga!

“Ahh…!” Reika sat up, her heart fluttering in her chest as she caught John’s scent. “Hiro…! Hiro, it’s John!” “John?” Hiro forced himself up, his eye wide. The other dogs perked, smelling the combined scents of Tomoe, Ken, Kagetora, a few strangers, and, most importantly, blood. Quickly, the soldiers began piling outside to see what was going on. Hiro got to his paws, grunting a bit from his wounds. Reika, of course, stuck to his side, providing whatever support she could. Once outside, everyone joined Weed and Jerome as the small party arrived. The Ohu soldiers gasped at the sight of John, who, despite his tattered and torn body, stood tall. A body rested on his back, Tommy’s. Hook carried Lefty while Ken carried Rossi. The group stopped before their comrades, John looking down at Weed. His eyes widened slightly. His resemblance to Gin was remarkable… “General!” both Reika and Hiro cried joyously, making their way to the front of the group. A smirk appeared on the old Shepherd’s face. “What?” he scoffed. “You two still haven’t figured it out? A guy like me wouldn’t just die, heh.” “We’re so glad you’re alright, sir,” Reika cooed, her tail wagging. Taking notice of Tommy’s body, Reika’s tail then slowed to a stop. “They didn’t…?” “No…” Hiro said, his heart sinking as he looked between the three dogs who’d selflessly died to aid in their escape. He hung his head, his teeth gritting tightly. “Dammit. Godammit…” “Those were friends of yours…?” Weed spoke up, looking at Hiro and Reika. “They helped us,” Reika explained, tears flowing from her eyes. “Without them, Hougen’s dogs would’ve followed us here…” “Hougen…” Rocket growled to himself, his eyes clamping shut as he remembered his past loyalties to the tyrant. Had it not been for his and his brothers’ efforts, no one would’ve had to sacrifice themselves in order to help Hougen’s prisoners escape. He spoke again, this time, loud enough for the others to hear him. “We need to bury them. It’s the least we could do.” “You’re right,” John agreed, looking over at the Borzoi. Lowering his body, he allowed Tommy to slide gently onto the soft, white snow. “Tommy, Rossi and Lefty were loyal Ohu soldiers. They deserve a proper send off.” There was a silent agreement. The following 30 minutes or so were devoted to the digging of three large graves. Everyone chipped in, clearing away the snow, dirt and rocks. When each hole was deep enough, Tommy, Lefty and Rossi were each laid to rest, soil being placed over them. Tears flowed during the burial. Though the three males hadn’t been known by any of them for very long, no one could deny the tragedy of the situation. Hougen’s cruelty took the lives of the three males, and he had to pay. “You were a spy in Hougen’s ranks, right…?” Rocket quietly asked Hook, who sobbed beside him. The Labrador mix sniffed, blinking away his tears as he nodded in reply. “My brothers...Jet and Missile...are they alright…?” “They were your brothers…!?” Hook’s eyes widened in horror. Immediately, Rocket began to feel the icy sting of dread. “What happened…?” The Borzoi dared to ask, though he already knew the answer. “Hougen had them executed…” Though Rocket should’ve been prepared for the news, he still felt his legs grow weak. His heart ached, and his breath caught in his throat. As grief took over, the male felt himself stagger. This caught the attention of the dogs nearest to him. “Rocket?” Jerome began. “Are you alright?” “...I knew that Hougen was cruel,” Rocket responded slowly. “...But to think he’d go so far as to punish them for my actions…! Jet...Missile…! I’m so sorry!” Rocket had suddenly taken off for the nearby ledge. Everyone turned towards him in surprise. Upon reaching the ledge, Rocket threw back his head, unleashing a mournful howl into the mountains. His heart and soul were poured into it, and it reached the heavens. Gritting his teeth, Hook followed suit, joining the howl. One by one, the dogs of Ohu came to the cliff, lending their voices to the sky. It was a requiem for the dogs who’d fallen to Hougen’s selfish desires. It was a battle cry, ensuring that justice would come and that Ohu wouldn’t fall. Lastly, it was a reminder to each other that they had a bond as warriors. Tomoe stood at her father’s side, secretly hoping that her voice reached Hougen’s ears. Before spring came, Hougen would die by her fangs. That was a promise. What little remained of Hougen’s army had regrouped at the base. Once having a hundred soldiers at his command, the tyrant now had thirty-one tired, wounded, and defeated males. The Great Dane hobbled up the steps of his hut, the remainder of his sliced hind leg dangling in the air. The six dogs who’d joined Matsu whispered to each other, staring at the injury in shock. As if feeling their eyes, Hougen stopped, glaring over his shoulder. The soldiers looked away immediately. Feeling a surge of bitterness course through him, Hougen threw himself down the steps, sprinting at the males as best as he could. Even with his new handicap, his rage fueled his movements. He bit down on the first dog he’d gotten close to, his fangs locked on the base of his neck. With a sharp twist of his head, he ripped open the unfortunate soldier’s throat, blood spraying all over his body. The other five dogs backed away, throwing themselves on their bellies and begging for forgiveness. “Anyone else wanna stare at me?” Hougen demanded madly, allowing the dead soldier to fall, pitifully, onto the ground. The Dane’s soldiers shook their heads quickly.Kicking away the carcass, Hougen spat irritably. “This isn’t over. Those Ohu shitheads haven’t won yet. My brother still has his own troops. One of you bastards go and tell him that I want him to claim Gajou. Now!” “Sir…!” replied a male, quickly rushing off to do as the tyrant ordered. With that, Hougen returned to the hut, making his way inside and slamming the door shut. His nostrils flared, catching the fading scents of John and Reika. How he longed to tear those two apart. He didn’t give a damn about Reika anymore. As far as he was concerned, the bitch was just as worthless to him as any other pathetic Ohu dog. The rage Hougen felt against Gin far outranked what he felt for Reika and John, though. That technique...that motherfucking technique…! “HRAAAAAAAAAH!” Hougen’s demonic yell shook the walls of the hut. His eyes turned bloodshot, crimson tears flowing from them. Outside, Hougen’s followers took to the woods, hiding themselves in case the tyrant reemerged. Despite their terror at the monster that lay behind those wooden walls, they were all incredibly grateful that none of them were the ones Hougen truly wanted to kill. When the time was right, the forest would echo with the screams of the righteous. SPLASH! Julius lifted himself from the stream’s waters, the scruff of Gin’s neck gripped tightly in his jaws. With a grunt of effort, the young Shepherd dragged both himself and the Ohu Leader out onto the bank. The mountains loomed behind them; they’d successfully reached the base of the Alps. Setting Gin down onto his paws, Julius shook out his fur, gritting his teeth against the cold. “W-We made it…” the youngster gasped. “Shit...we really made it…” “Did you have any doubts?” asked Gin, running his tongue along his coats in hopes of drying it somewhat. “Maybe a little, heh,” Julius admitted. “That water’s freezing. I dunno how I managed to keep our heads up for that long.” “You have a lot of willpower,” the Akita looked at him with a small smile. “The will to not submit and die, no matter what situation you’re in. All great dogs have that kind of strength. It’s what makes Ohu soldiers Ohu soldiers.” “Boss…?” Julius’ eyes widened in disbelief. Ever since he was a puppy, he’d dreamed of becoming an official soldier of Ohu. For Gin to say that...could it really mean…? “You’re saying I’m...an Ohu soldier?” “Well, not officially.” Gin’s smile grew a bit. “You haven’t leapt across the gorge yet, if I’m correct. But there’ll be plenty of time for that when all of this is over.” Julius' eyes began burning with a newfound inspiration. “Heh, I bet I’ll jump farther than Uncle John did.” “Hahaha, perhaps.” Gin gave Julius a playful bump with his flank. “But now, we need to head to Shiga and meet with the others. We need to go to the Kouga Village. There’s hot springs there that should heal my wounds in about three days.” “Mmm,” said Julius with a nod. “Alright, let’s get going.” Together, the two males began their journey. The sky was brightening as dawn approached. The sun slowly appeared behind the peaks of the mountains, bringing warmth after a long night of wind and snow. Far from Gin and Julius’ location, back at the abandoned shed, the Ohu Army had gathered together near the graves, silently reflecting over the night’s events. No one had really gotten any sleep; their souls blazed with too much passion. Weed gazed up at the sky, watching morning approach. He stood, looking around at his comrades. Noticing his moments, Jerome sat up. “Weed?” he barked. “What’s going on?” “I think we should start moving,” replied the Akita mix. “If we’re going to stop Hougen, then we need to find Kyoushiro and Tesshin and convince the two of them to join us.” “Tesshin’ll be easy,” John spoke up. “He’s like family; of course he’ll help us take Hougen down. Not sure about this Kyoushiro, though.” “I’m sure he’ll help if we explain the situation to him,” Rocket said. “From what I hear, Kyoushiro’s one of the few dogs who’s resisted Hougen’s recruitment strategies. Even when being threatened with Hougen’s entire army, that guy never submitted.” “What a guy…” Kagetora murmured in awe. “Sounds like a bit of a hardass. Will talking even work on a guy like that?” “Maybe I should give him a good whack on the head,” John offered jokingly. “That should make him listen.” “We’re not going to fight him,” Weed reprimanded, flashing John a serious stare. Tomoe began snarling. “It’s just a joke, you little pipsqueak,” the bitch spat. “Get the stick out of your ass.” “Watch your mouth,” Jerome warned. “Who said you could talk to my daughter that way?” John suddenly stood, glaring daggers at the other Shepherd. All harmony that had been felt between the dogs was shattered in that instant. “Oi, oi!” Ken tossed himself between the small feud. “What’s going on? We shouldn’t be fighting each other like this! If we keep butting heads, then we’ll never beat Hougen.” There was a silence. Tomoe and John both tried their hardest to glare through Ken’s body at the two males, to no avail. During their journey back to the shed, Tomoe had vented a bit about Weed’s soft nature and general naiveté. John had figured it was because Weed was still growing, after all, Gin didn’t start off as some great leader, either. But Gin was never this sensitive. Perhaps last night’s grief was still getting to him. It was the only thing John could think of, anyway. But Ken was right; Hougen was the one who needed to be fought. He was a lot like his father, that Dane. “Whatever,” Tomoe broke the silence, her tail lashing as she turned away. “Let’s just get to Shiga already.” “Mmph,” John agreed with a nod. “There’s nothing left for us here.” “Sheesh…” GB whispered to Hook. “One of these days, I think Tomoe’s really gonna knock Weed’s head off.” “Right…” Weed continued, before lifting his muzzle to address the entire group. “If everyone’s ready, let’s get going. To Shiga!” A cry of agreement filled the air as the soldiers got to their paws. Weed gave Rocket a nod, and the Borzoi began taking the lead, guiding the pack in the direction of Kyoushiro Shirogane’s territory. Tomoe, like always, kept her distance from Weed and his self-proclaimed bodyguard. John ran alongside her, keeping a decent pace despite the state of his body. “I can’t stand that brat,” Tomoe muttered under her breath. Her father laughed. “Funny,” John replied. “I remember thinking that exact same thing about Gin when he was a kid.” “But Uncle Gin was a natural born badass. Weed? Tsk, I’m surprised he hasn’t banned hunting because…” Here, Tomoe put on a whiny, falsetto voice. ““The poor animals are soooo scared of us dogs!”” “I doubt he’s that’s clueless, kiddo,” said John. “And don’t forget; the war’s just begun. He’ll understand soon enough.” “And if he doesn’t?” “Then I’ll hold him down while you beat him. That Jerome bastard, too.” As the father and daughter Shepherd shared a laugh, further back in the group, Hiro leaned a bit closer to Reika. “Reika,” he whispered to her. “You don’t have to come with us, you know. You’re safe now; you can head back home.” “No,” Reika replied with a shake of her head. “I’d like to keep traveling with the army. I might not be a fighter like the rest of you, but I’m just as angry as Hougen as you are. I’d like to help stop him however I can.” “Reika…” Hiro felt his heart flutter. He couldn’t explain the effect Reika was having on him. He’d known her for about half a day and yet he could already feel a strong connection with her, one that was, perhaps, even stronger than the bond he’d formed with the rest of the Ohu males. His eye grew gentle the longer he gazed at the female. Even with the wounds Hougen had given her before, Hiro had to admit: Reika was still quite pretty. “I’d...er...we’d like that a lot.” “Then it’s settled,” the bitch chuckled, a smile stretching across her muzzle. She suddenly sped up a bit, flicking the Pyrenees’ muzzle with her tail. Hiro grunted in surprise, his cheeks blazing beneath his thick, tan coat. He heard a light snickering beside him. Turning, Hiro could see some of the other dogs staring at him, giving him knowing looks. His blush deepened as he barked at them. “What are you punks looking at?” “Attack of the Serpent! Ran Daryushin-Battōga!” Ohu’s six remaining young Kais soared across the Ohu Army base, their bodies moving about wildly like the heads of an orochi. A few yards away from where they were once standing, Smith and Wilson were keeping a large, hollow log in place. The wood was old, aged to the point where no normal fangs could cut it easily. That made it the perfect tool for training the techniques of the Hakkenshi. The six youngsters each landed their mark, their fangs boring into the wood and shattering it. Their bodies began rotating, a standard technique for taking down bears and other large enemies. With the added power to their fangs, the log was quickly reduced to strips of bark. “Well done, boys!” Kurotora called, having watched from Gajou’s maw. Some of the other Veterans, like Ben and a fully recovered Akame, were also observing the progress of the young fighters. Ben’s ears flicked at the sound of splintering wood; he nodded his approval. “You’ve trained them well, Kurotora,” Ben said. “Of course,” replied the Kai, licking his chops. “There’s no way in Hell I’d let any of them go into battle without being at their best.” The dark male paused for a moment, before speaking again in a softer tone. “Chutora wouldn’t appreciate it if those boys of his died because I didn’t teach them well enough…” “Kurotora…” Akame murmured, recalling the Kai’s middle brother. While everyone knew the story of Akatora’s bravery against Akakabuto five years ago, only a few were told the story of what happened to Chutora. The brown Kai and his mate had returned to the land of Kai in order to start their family. Things were fine, until a horrible accident occured. Kurotora had come to visit with his own sons, only to find the dead bodies of Chutora and his wife, alongside the boar they’d dragged down with them. Shouji, Shigure, Buru and Dodo were alone, surviving on the boar’s flesh, but unable to understand why their parents wouldn’t wake up. They were only a few months old; their ignorance was to be expected. Since then, Kurotora raised his nephews as if they were his own. Every day that passed, he could see more of his brother’s likeness in the four of them. “He’d be proud of you,” Ben assured his friend. “Akatora, too.” “Mmph…” the black Kai grunted, sniffing a bit. Kurotora was one of those males who hated letting himself appear vulnerable, but when it came to his brothers, he just couldn’t help himself. As a tear ran down his cheek, Kurotora lifted his muzzle, barking towards Moss and Musashi. “Find another log, you two. They’re gonna try again!” “Later,” Smith grumbled, yawning to get the feeling back in his jaw. “We’ve been dragging logs up here for hours, Kuro. With no help from you, I might add.” “We’ll take a break for now and get back to this later, alright, Kurotora?” Wilson added in a far politer tone. “Your boys could use a rest, too.” “Tsk, fine.” Kurotora snorted in annoyance, though as he looked at his boys, he could see them sitting and panting, The ground was also littered with the remains of logs that’d been broken before. Kurotora sighed; maybe a break wouldn’t hurt. “Oi, boys. Go on; take an hour or two and cool off. You all deserve it.” “You meant it, Uncle?” Shigure asked hopefully. Kurotora chuckled slightly and nodded. The Kais all smiled at each other, and eagerly headed off to go and get a well-deserved meal. Not long after they’d entered the woods, young Mel arrived at the base, his tail wagging and his eyes bright with excitement. “Sergeant Ben!” the Golden Retriever puppy chirped. “Uh?” Ben perked, looking in Mel’s direction. “What’s going on, youngster? Danger?” “No, no! Ms. Jiyū’s come back with the dogs from Mutsu!” “Oho!” Kurotora’s tail wagged slightly. “Been a while since I’ve seen those bastards. I hear Kisaragi’s had nineteen kids. Sheesh!” “I doubt they’re all his…” Akame murmured. “I never even took Kisaragi to be that sort of male…” Not long after Mel’s announcement, Jiyū arrived at the scene, followed by what had to be fifty-seven dogs. At the front was Kisaragi himself, though neither Kurotora nor Akame could see his brothers. There were six other Huskies with him. “Oi,” Kisaragi called. “Long time no see, uh?” “Kisaragi, you old shithead,” Kurotora chided playfully. He leapt down to meet the old Husky. “Heh, so,where’s the rest of the crotch dumplings, eh? “Kuro!” Jiyū scolded. Ben rubbed at his face with a paw. “The first time you see Kisaragi in years and you say that?” “Tch, lighten up, Jiyū. What’s a little playful banter between old comrades, eh?” Kurotora threw a foreleg around Kisaragi’s shoulders. The Husky, meanwhile, was rolling his eyes. “Ok, let me explain this,” he began bluntly. “They’re not all mine. I don’t know why everyone thinks they are.” Akame couldn’t hold back a smirk at being right. “I have six boys: Izou, Shūsaku, Shinsaku, Kogorō, Kichinosuke, and Shintarō.” Each of Kisaragi’s sons bowed their heads as their names were spoken.” The other thirteen are at home. With their fathers.” “Tch,” Kurotora scoffed. “Well that’s not very exciting.” “Anyway,” Kisaragi said, shoving the Kai off him with a paw. “I figured that this Hougen guy wouldn’t be nearly as difficult to beat as Akakabuto, so I brought half of the Mutsu pack to help defend Gajou. I hope that’s enough.” “Of course, Kisaragi,” replied Ben with a dip of his head. “We really appreciate your help. We’ll have other reinforcements soon. For now, make yourselves at home.” “Mmm,” the old Husky grunted with a nod. Turning to his dogs, he barked to them. “You all take a load off, but be ready. If any of my old comrades ask you to do something, do it, understand?” “SIR!” the soldiers responded obediently. Jiyū padded to Gajou, hopping up on one of the bottom stones and lying down with a sigh of content. After several days of traveling, it was nice to rest her paws. Gazing up at the sky, her thoughts traveled to Tomoe. How was she? Were she and the others alright? Had they found John and Gin? The panda Shepherd couldn’t be sure. But her hopes were high. She believed in all her heart that peace would return to Japan, and that her family would be together again. The day carried on, morning fading into noon. Weed and his group of travelers had reached the Gifu mountains in Shiga. The faded scent of dogs lingered throughout the snow-covered forest they were currently traveling in. Rocket was certain that this was the territory of the infamous Kyoushiro Shirogane. All they had to do now was find him. “Stop it, Daddy! Please! I’m sorry!” The sudden screaming of a young dog cut through the silence of the forest. It caught the attention of the Ohu Army, and quickly, they came to a stop. John looked around quickly. “What the hell…?” he muttered. “I’m sorry, Daddy!” the voice wailed again. “Please!” “That’s not something you hear everyday,” an unnerved GB murmured. “It sounds like it’s coming from that way,” Weed said, looking up towards a snowy slope. He ran to it, beginning to climb up to the higher stretch of land. “All of you! This way!” “Not so suddenly, Weed!” GB cried. The rest of the army were quick to follow the Akita mix, following the yelling and screaming. Not too far away, a shed lay abandoned in a snowy clearing. Inside, a young puppy, no older than three months, was thrown into the wall. The puppy squealed in pain, feeling the splintering wood piece at his shoulder. He slid down onto the floor pitifully. “You stupid, little shit!” the puppy’s father, a brown, floppy-eared mongrel with a scarred face, spat. “Daddy, please stop…” a pain-filled choke escaped the youngster’s maw. “Shut the fuck up!” The puppy flinched as his father stepped over him, the light pouring into the shed making him look more like a monstrous, dog-shaped shadow. “Saying sorry won’t fix anything! I told you to watch my food, and you say someone stole it!? I’ll bash your fucking brains in!” “He was so big and scary…” the puppy tried to explain as tears formed in his eyes. “I didn’t want him to hurt me…!” The older mutt narrowed his eyes, studying his son for a moment, before snarling violently. “You little liar! You ate it, didn’t you!? You’re just trying to pass the blame on someone else, aren’t you!?” He raised a paw to smack the pup again, but was stopped by a voice. “Oi.” The mongrel glanced over his shoulder, seeing a white Kishu Inu covered from head to tail in old scars. “What kind of parent just blames his problems on his son?” the Kishu scolded coldly. “Are you really that pathetic?�� “Who the hell are you?” the mutt demanded. Seconds later, a new scream had filled the air, not of the young puppy, but of his father. The Ohu soldiers, were were quickly approaching the scene, could spot the mutt racing towards them. Weed skidded to a stop, his eyes wide in surprise. “He’s gonna kill me!” the male was crying. “Help me! Please help me!” Behind him, a white figure shot into the air, sailing down towards him with his fangs ready. The mongrel forced himself into Weed’s pack, hiding himself behind Tomoe. The scarred Kishu landed in front of Weed, snarling in frustration. “Don’t let him touch me! Please!” “Get your flea-bitten hide away from my daughter, asshole,” John barked. “Please!” The mutt whined, clinging onto Tomoe for dear life. Feeling the clearly older male’s paws against her, Tomoe reached back, grasping the mutt by the scruff and slamming him down on the ground in front of her. “Don’t fucking touch me,” she warned. “Or I’ll be the one killing you.” The Kishu was trying to push his way past Weed and get at the mutt, but Weed kept stepping in front of him. Finally, the Akita mix pushed against him roughly, knocking him into the snow. The Kishu lied still for a moment before slowly sitting up, giving Weed a hard stare. “You’re going way too far,” said Weed firmly. “What gives you the right to try and hurt him?” “Weed,” Rocket warned. “We don’t wanna get on this guy’s bad side, remember…? This is Kyoushiro.” In reality, Rocket couldn’t say he was surprised that Weed would do this sort of thing. So much for just explaining the situation… “He tried to hurt someone,” Weed shot back. “I need to know why.” “Oi, Weed,” John called with a frown. “Try to have some respect when you're in some other dog’s territory. You’re lucky that guy hasn’t tried to rip your throat out yet.” Kyoushiro had slowly stood up, glancing between the faces of each of the Ohu dogs. It seemed he’d calmed down enough to properly assess the situation. Clearing his throat, he spoke somewhat calmly. “You all are travelers?” he barked. “Didn’t mean to drag you into this. When I get angry, I don’t really care about what’s in my way. That guy really pissed me off.” The mutt whimpered as he was referred to. Tomoe shot down a glare at him, forcing him to hide his head under his paws like the sniveling cowards he really was. The bitch was a bit surprised, though. One second, Kyoushiro was dead set on murdering the bastard. Now, it was as if he was chatting about the weather. “Talk to me, then,” Weed then suggested, a little softer in tone, though his body was still prepared in case the Kishu tried to act violently again. “The best way to solve a fight is by talking. You and that dog back there can easily work things out.” “Tch…” Kyoushiro’s nose scrunched in annoyance. “You don’t even know what’s going on, yet you think you can tell me how to deal with things? Get real, kid.” “This kid’s got spunk, I’ll give him that,” Ken observed. “Yeah,” Kagetora agreed. “And he kinda reminds me of someone.” At the same time, both males looked at Tomoe, who was studying Kyoushiro with interest. “If you’re gonna come here and tell me what to do,” Kyoushiro was continuing. “Then I won’t show you any mercy. Watch!” HOOOOOWL! Kyoushiro’s voice echoed to the farthest corners of his territory. Everyone looked around, hearing a low, rumbling sound. It grew louder, and Rocket soon noticed movement on the mountain ledges looming over both sides of the snowy path. “Shit!” he cried in alarm. It was Kyoushiro’s pack! They ran along both ledges, howling fiercely, ready to protect their leader. When they reached the scene, they began rushing down the slope, towards the much smaller Ohu Army. “Goddammit, Weed!” John shouted angrily. “What the fuck were you thinking!?” “Calm down, old man,” Jerome said fiercely. “Weed’ll handle this. You’ll see.” “Don’t “calm down” me, you jackass! Weed caused this fucking mess!” “See what the rest of us had to deal with…?” Tomoe sighed. “Hiro…!” Reika cried, pressing herself against the Pyrenees. “Just stay beside me,” Hiro told her gently. The cowardly mutt saw this as his chance to get away. He tried sneaking off, stepping quietly against the snow to avoid catching anyone’s attention. Noticing his movements, however, Tomoe looked down at him. “Where the fuck are you going?” she demanded. Kyoushiro glanced around Weed. Putting two and two together, he growled. “Don’t let that old shit get away!” The mutt, squealing with terror, began sprinting away as fast as he could. The Ohu Army looked back to see some of Kyoushiro’s dogs pursuing him. He didn’t get very far; three young dogs pounced on him, dragging down. “Christ…!” Ken exclaimed. “Rocket was right. These guys don’t fuck around.” “Stop it!” Weed tried to order. He raced past his allies, trying to insert himself into the situation. With an irritated growl, Tomoe reached out, catching his scruff and holding him still. “You’ve done enough, you idiot,” Tomoe spat, though she wasn’t sure the puppy had heard her, as he was struggling and ordering for her to let him go. Jerome advanced towards Tomoe, but was quickly stopped when John stood in front of him, his fangs bared in warning. Seeing that the interfering Weed had been stopped, Kyoushiro slowly joined his comrades. “All of these males are only a year old,” the Kishu explained. “But they’re all as strong as five year olds. None of us have ever felt the love of a parent, and we have no mercy for those who hurt their children.” “So that’s it…” Reika murmured. Her ear then flicked. She could hear the pitter-patter of tiny paws. Turning, she could see the small, bleeding puppy who’d been screaming and crying before. He padded between the paws of the Ohu soldiers, shying away whenever anyone looked down at him. “Oh, Hiro…! Look!” “Eh?” Hiro obeyed, also seeing the little one. His eyes widened. “Ah...so that’s…” “Come here, sweetheart,” Reika called to the puppy, beckoning with her paw. Though the puppy continued to shiver, he slowly did as he was told, his nose quivering and taking in the bitch’s scent. Reika leaned forward, licking the top of his head. “Oh, you poor, little thing…” Kyoushiro watched the interaction for a moment, blinking, almost as if such a display of affection was foreign to him. “Hey, boy,” the Kishu then spoke. The puppy looked up at him with wide, curious eyes. “Come over here. Let me talk to you.” “You wanna let him get near that bastard?” said Hiro, cocking a brow. “He’s restrained,” Kyoushiro assured. “If he even thinks of trying to move, I’ll tear him apart.” “It’ll be alright,” Reika said, nuzzling the puppy. “They may be rough, but they have good intentions. I don’t think Kyoushiro would do anything to hurt the boy.” Hiro grunted, though he said nothing more. The puppy gulped, before taking a few steps towards Kyoushiro and his group. “Teru…” the mutt wailed his son’s name. “I’m sorry! Please say that you’ll forgive me!” “Fuck off,” Kyoushiro snapped at him. “You’re only saying that to get out of trouble, you piece of shit. You lie there and take your punishment.” Hearing his father being held accountable for his horrible behavior, Teru felt a bit of confidence. He approached Kyoushiro a bit faster. The Kishu, meanwhile, turned towards the Ohu soldiers, explaining the situation. “The bastard accused his son of stealing food, and beat him. The boy would probably be dead if I hadn’t stepped in. This guy...he did something a father should never do.” I get it… Tomoe thought. She’d tuned Weed out by now, and she was certain everyone else had done the same. Sheesh...what kind of guy does that to a little puppy? I wish I’d killed that bastard myself. “Teru,” said Kyoushiro as the puppy finally reached him. “Do you still accept that guy as your dad?” Teru hesitated to answer, stealing a glance at her father. The pathetic male looked at him with pleading eyes, but there was no sign of remorse. There was only the fear of being pushed. Teru narrowed his eyes. “No…” he answered. The mutt began glaring at him, but Teru continued. “That guy...that guy’s not my dad…! He’s not my dad!” “Mmm.” Kyoushiro nodded, before signaling his dogs to act. Teru’s ex-father screamed as he was lifted by his legs, four dogs carrying him off. The Kishu joined them to oversee the punishment. The mutt continued begging for help, but was ignored as he was brought to the edge of a cliff. He was thrown off, crying as he fell into the river below. SPLASH! “You’re not Teru’s father anymore!” Kyoushiro shouted down once he saw the mutt reemerge from the water. “Get out of this territory! If I see you again, I’ll kill you! You hear me! I will KILL you!” A silence fell over the land. The Kishu, feeling calm now that justice had been served, returned his attention towards his guests. They’d all been watching in silence. Even Weed had finally shut his mouth, dangling from Tomoe’s maw in defeat. It wasn’t their place to interfere, and even if it was, no one aside from Weed really had any objections. “As for all of you,” he began. “I’ll ignore that brat’s disrespect. You’re all free to pass through my territory if you wish, but if any of you bother my packmates, I won’t forgive you. Got it?” No one responded, not that the Kishu waited for an answer. With a nod to his allies, Kyoushiro Shirogane was off, his pack of fifty males close behind him. Teru wanted on, gazing after the white male in awe. Kyoushiro looked back at him over his shoulder, giving him a smile. “Come with us, kid,” he offered. “We’ll take care of you.” “Ah…!” Teru chirped, before eagerly taking up the offer. He followed Kyoushiro’s packmates, and soon, they had all vanished into the distance. The Ohu dogs were left alone in the silence. “Well that could’ve been handled better,” Kagetora grunted, to which several other dogs nodded in agreement. Tomoe finally released Weed, tossing him carelessly towards the ground. Landing on his paws, the Akita mix suddenly launched himself at Tomoe. This had completely caught the bitch off guard. She’d been prepared for a lecture, but not this. Tomoe felt herself being pushed onto her back with a grunt, Weed’s fangs at her throat. Everyone else froze in shock. “Why would you do that!?” Weed angrily demanded. “He was hurting that dog for no reason! I was going to stop him!” “No reason!?” Tomoe echoed in disbelief. “Get off her, you brat!” John ordered. “Weed, have you lost your mind!?” asked GB frantically. This was far different from the puppy who’d selflessly tried to save him long ago… “You braindead idiot!” Tomoe pulled in her hind legs, aiming kicks at Weed’s face. She heard a sharp whine as one of her claws poked his eye. Weed backed off, pawing at his eye as Tomoe got to her paws. Her eyes had grown bloodshot from the rage burning within her. She couldn’t take it anymore. With a monstrous roar, Tomoe leapt at the puppy. “I’ll fucking KILL YOU!”

[iamartemisday]

Fake title: Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women. Jane Foster with any dangerous men you can think of 😉

Whoo okay! Totally didn’t forget about this I promise. 

SO. Jane is broken up with Thor and he’s off doing royal stuff with Valkyrie I guess. Darcy is on vacation with Ian. Erik is also on vacation. Thanos is stuck playing the world’s longest game of solitaire, so there’s no Snap happening any time soon. 

Point is, Jane’s on her own for a while. She’s doing okay. Eats regularly, sleeps semi-regularly, and works normal twelve-hour shifts Monday to Saturday. One Sunday afternoon, Jane was relaxing on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a movie on. Suddenly, there came a crash in her lab, followed by paper being shuffled around and what appears to be a male voice cursing in a language Jane doesn’t know. 

That alone would’ve given her pause and made her think something bad had happened, but then there’s the swirling vortex of doom that just opened up in her living room. It just sucked the TV out which pisses Jane off because she just got a Netflix subscription godammit. Now how is she going to watch Sense8?

Also, Loki has just come stumbling out of her lab. He looks like shit and there’s a suspicious wound on his forehead. The blood on his hands and knives doesn’t appear to be his, though.

“I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m doing here,” he says.

“Actually I’m wondering where that vortex goes to,” she says. Then she grabs her ‘In Case of Vortex of Doom’ travel bag and belly flops through the portal.

Loki blinks after her for a few seconds wondering why he’s even surprised. Logic says he should walk away, but being Loki says he should do as Loki does. And so, away he goes!

Meanwhile, in a random Brooklyn apartment, Bucky Barnes is toiling his Sunday away on the couch taking a nap. He’s in the middle of a rather nice dream when the portal opens and drops Jane on his living room floor. He is immediately up and ready.

“Who the fuck is that?” he demanded before realizing it was not HYDRA, an intruder, or a HYDRA intruder. He dropped the gun he grabbed out of ‘secret gun hiding spot no. 272′ and checked that his hair looked okay in the mirror. It looked like Sam had washed it with salt water taffy. Good enough. “Jane! I mean, hi Jane. How are you? Uh... didn’t expect to see you here.”

Loki came through as Jane dusted herself off, just in time for a new vortex to open up. “Hi, Bucky. I was just following this vortex. See you later.”

She jumped through again, leaving Loki and Bucky to blink after her. 

“Uh...” said Bucky.

Then a tentacle popped out of the vortex which Bucky instantly grabbed, allowing Loki to kill it with some fire. Then another tentacle came out. Then another. Then another. Then another. Then another. Then another.

In the interest of brevity, it was a lot of tentacles, and once they were all gone, Bucky looked at the portal. “Jane went in there.”

Loki nodded. “Yes, she did.”

“Jane went in there and there are tentacle monsters in there.”

“Indeed.”

After a moment’s allowance for reality to sink in, the two men rush headfirst into the 4.5th dimension to seek Jane out. They find her surprisingly quickly, examining a flowering plant on a desolate space rock which periodically spits fluorescent dust out the stamen. 

Also, there are more tentacle monsters.

Also, she’s not alone.

“Don’t tell me,” Bucky says, helping Steve stave off the H.P. Lovecraft rejects. “Jane appeared at your place through a portal, then disappeared into another portal, then tentacle monsters attacked, then you jumped in after her because you like her and you need to protect the innocent.”

“Yes,” Steve says, blushing hard. “Except for the liking her part. I mean, I do like her, but not in that way, I like her in a different way sort of like-”

“Excuse me,” Loki steps in, blasting another tentacle monster into deep space, “I would like for us to get rid of these things before we argue.”

For once, everyone was in agreement with Loki, so they fight the monsters together to protect their dear lady.

“This thing is unreal. I wish I’d taken some botany classes so I could get a better idea of the physical makeup. Maybe if I take some samples and show them to one of my friends.”

“Great idea,” says Bucky, punching a hole through the last of the monsters just in time for a new portal to open. “Here’s a better one: run.”

Meanwhile, Sam Wilson was just finishing a cup of coffee when three tired warriors and one excitable astrophysicist land in his kitchen. He finishes his coffee and drops the mug in the sink for later. He shrugs. “I should be shocked, but I’m just not anymore.”

The next portal opens and off they all go. While Steve gets Sam up to speed they face their next threat: bird monsters on a planet in the Andromeda galaxy. The star patterns are super unique, and while her impromptu team of bodyguards decimates the bird monsters, Jane draws up a quick map. 

“This constellation is massive. It makes Ursa Major look like Crux. I’d need a whole week just to chart half of them. Maybe we could stay for-”

“NO!”

The next portal takes them to Clint Barton’s place. After allowing him to shoot a few arrows into Loki’s arms and legs, he follows them to the planet of the Alaskan Bullworms. Bruce tags along on their trek through the mountains of the abominable snow leopards, and finally, Tony leads the charge into the depths of the Alfheim sea. Also known as the place where the crab people with New Zealand accents live. 

Eventually, they find themselves on a planet with... *drumroll* humans! 

Or at least humanoid people, which after a hundred planets conveniently populated by ravenous monsters, is good enough.

Jane wanders into a junk shop and finds a nice mini-telescope, which can see a good thousand miles into the sky. 

“It would go for twenty anywhere else,” said the gold-toothed, snake-eyed man... type thing behind the counter. “For you, my dear, I’d let it go for nineteen.”

Bucky appears at her back, arm out and Soldier mode activated. “You sure about that price, pal?”

The vendor starts to sweat. “Uh... well maybe eighteen.”

Steve and Sam crowd him from both sides. “What was that?”

“S-sixteen?”

Loki appears from the shadows, red Jotunn eyes on full display. He gets right in the terrified man’s face. “Ten.”

“But-”

Ice forms on the counter. 

“Ten it is.”

Jane leaves happy with her purchase and the group walks around the shopping area for a while until a new portal pops up and they step straight into a purple-tinted planet populated by tiny eggplant looking aliens. 

“Oh thank goodness it finally worked,” said the lead eggplant in a voice like if helium did helium. “Great heroes, we have brought you here to request your assistance on a very important matter. You see, my people are under siege by a powerful warlord who wishes to enslave us and consume all our natural resources. Unfortunately, he has already attacked us once and it destroyed our communications network. We managed to get the portal generator fixed but our tracking system is still offline. That’s why you were so sporadically transported. I hope you can forgive us for any distress our incapacitation caused you.”

“We had to fight bird creatures,” says Sam. “Do you know how much bird shit I got on me?”

“Again we are terribly sorry. We hope this won’t negatively impact your ability to help us, it really is quite urgent.”

“Wait a minute,” says Steve, “you did all this just because you needed help?”

“Yes sir, we’ve heard stories of your exploits. The Avengers are known across several galaxies, and we knew you were just the ones we needed to save our civilization.”

“You couldn’t have just sent an email request?” Tony shouts. “We’ve been out here for days! I have a family at home.”

“So do I!” says Clint.

“I’ve been having fun,” says Bucky. Steve and Loki both nod as they stand noticeably closer to Jane than the rest. “It’s been a nice vacation.”

“We will happily return you once our enemy is defeated. We’ll be able to repair our trackers and get you back in a single jump. Dr. Foster, we were hoping you could help us.”

“Are you kidding?” Jane hisses, closing in on the tiny creature. “Of course I’m going to help. You have to show me how everything works here. This is the best week of my life, oh my god-”

Everyone facepalms. “This woman has no danger sense,” says Bruce. 

“She does,” Loki replies, “it simply reads ‘run to danger’ rather than away.”

Jane turns to her friends, arms crossed. “Come on, guys. Clearly, we’re here for a reason. These are innocent people who need our help. Are you really going to let them down?”

The assortment of heroes looks down in shame at even considering leaving. Jane turns to Loki.

“Are you really going to let your need to fuck shit up down?”

Loki looks down in shame at even considering leaving. 

Thus an amazing battle is waged against the forces of evil. The Avengers defeat the alien warlord, Loki fucks an incredible amount of shit up, Jane gets the tracker up and running after shutting it off and turning it back on, and the eggplant people are free to live another day.

Some time passes after everyone goes home. It’s another normal Sunday for Jane as she enjoys a good book in her favorite reading nook. 

Then a vortex of doom spits out the beaten remains of her old TV, crushing her new one. There goes her Hulu subscription. Loki appears out of her bathroom, singed and slightly burnt. He coughs.

“So I-”

“Here we go again!” Jane rushes through the portal with her new and improved ‘In Case of Vortex’ travel bag. 

Loki blinks after her.

“I think that was my line,” he mutters, and away he goes.

**

...I don’t even know.

[justjen523]

Chapter 4

More Than Friends

Book 1 of the God’s Children Series

Alexandros/Elliana/Icarus

WARNING: This chapter contains material unsuitable for those under 18 years of age. 

     She led me deep enough into the water that the tips of her toes barely touched the bottom before turning to me.

     “Look, over there!” She pointed to a tiny little section of land protruding out of the water near the falls. Upon it were dozens of flowers growing wildly all around. A myriad of colors rose up making it look like a scene from a painting.

     “Can you even swim in the deep water?” I chastised her though I already damn well knew the answer. Without a word she gave me the “look” I can never say no to and subsequently, I sighed in frustration.  

     “Alright pain in my ass, hop on but don’t squirm all over or I might drop you.” Smiling excitedly, she did a little cheer before climbing onto my back. I regretted my decision immediately when I felt her naked skin pressed against my back. It was then that I realized, this woman was almost certainly trying to kill me.

     As I swam toward the little island I could feel her heart speed up at the sight before her. She was genuinely excited to see a bunch of flowers. Why did she always have to be so….frick’n adorable? I set her down gently and she crawled over to the flora breathing each one in.

     “Ohhh! These smell, mmm so wonderful! They are unlike anything I’ve ever come across in the Heaven’s Alex!”

     “Uh-huh.”

     “What?” I was smirking at her which always drove her nuts.

     “This is what you made me carry your naked ass half-way across the lake for? To smell some pretty flowers….unbelievable.” She returned a smirk of her own and smartly chose not to reply. She simply went back to smelling the damn flowers. This woman. Running a hand through my hair as I shook my head she looked up at me with those long lashes that made me putty. The rest of her face was hidden behind the flower in her hand making me lose my shit. Not wanting her to see what she was doing to me, I dove into the water and swam underneath letting my head cool. When I finally resurfaced she was smiling suspiciously. Once again my Dad’s words ran through my head only this time, it actually sunk in. Ellie….she already knows damn well how I feel doesn’t she? She knows I’m in love with her.

     “You…..”

     “Me what?”

     “Don’t play stupid, you know what.”

     “I have no idea wha-“

     “-how long have you known?” She stared at me convincingly for almost an entire minute before that innocent expression morphed into something else entirely.

     “Alex.”

     “Seriously, how long?”

     “I’ve always known. Probably before you even realized it.” You’ve gotta be kiddn’ me. My Dad was right. Women are the root of all evil.

     “So, all this time you mean to tell me you knew exactly how I felt yet you knowingly got naked in front of me?” She blushed, looking momentarily demure but that irrepressible fire inside came boiling to the surface quickly in its place.

     “Hey, you knew it too when we came here yet you never said a word to me about it. In fact, you actually lied to me about what you discussed with my Father!”

     “What?!”

     “Gee Alex, do you really think I’m that stupid?” Well this was certainly a turn of events. I didn’t expect it to come to this but seeing as we are both impossibly stubborn, I decided to teach her a lesson. I made my way back toward the shore. Alone.

     “U-Umm? Excuse me?” She shouted to me as I was getting out of the water.

     “What? I thought you weren’t stupid, I’m sure you can figure this one out on your own, right?” The death glare. The one look you never wanted to be on the receiving end of. Thankfully for me, there was a barrier currently preventing her wrath from reaching me. At least, for the time being. I wasn’t stupid either, I knew she’d be mad, but it wouldn’t be fun if I didn’t let her sit there and cool off a bit first.

     I know, I know, but Alex, can’t she just snap her fingers and transport herself back? Haha, nope. The Minister, knowing his daughter, took extra precautions to prevent her from doing anything that would cause him trouble. He temporarily removed her powers making her solely dependent on me to keep her safe. A fact she was unforgivably angry about, but that thankfully had nothing to do with me. I’m sure Zyglavis knows well how to handle his daughter. At least I hope so, for his sake.

     “Okay fine, you win.”

     “Oh I’m sorry, what was that? I couldn’t quite hear you.”

     “I said you win asshole!” Hahaha! It wouldn’t be a complete victory if an insult wasn’t attached. Smiling smugly the entire way, I returned to the little island she was pouting on.

     “Wipe that stupid grin off your face.”

     “My my, aren’t we touchy.”

     “Don’t push my buttons any further, I’m warning you.”

     “You know, that might have actually sounded somewhat convincing…if you weren’t naked.”

     “Oh that’s it!” She got to her feet in a fighting stance making me laugh.

     “Pffft, bring it on cupcake.” She launched herself at me giving me everything she had. If it had been any other god, they’d have been in serious trouble. Elliana was not holding anything back. She also knew however, that my special ability as a god was unrivaled strength. For her, punching or kicking me was like punching or kicking a cement wall. Not that that stopped her, no, not one bit. She was furious with me and seeing her this angry? Well I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t sexy as all hell.

     “Are you done?”

     “I’m just getting started!”

     “Alright well, hurry it up. I’d like to dry off before the sun sets.”

     “UGH!” Oh wow….I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this truly angry. She was wailing on me like there should be nothing left and I couldn’t help myself, I did the worst possible thing in a situation like this. I laughed.

     “You could at least PRETEND to fight me!”

     “Would that make you feel better?” The anger growing ever hotter made me do my job and extinguish the flames. Her next swing I caught her hand in mine and firmly held it there causing all of her actions to come to a halt. When her expression showed no signs of forfeiting I did what I always did, soothed her with words. Only this time, for the first time ever, they didn’t seem to reach her. She wasn’t simply angry, I realized she was also hurt making me regret pushing things so far in the first place.

     “Ellie, I’m sorry.”

     “No you’re not! Not even close! You….you’re such….an asshole Alex!” Fuck, now what have I done? I made her cry.

     “Yes, I am. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry woman.”

     “Ha! Like I believe you. I h-“

     “-don’t. Don’t you dare ever say that to me.”

     “I do. I ha-“

     “-I’m warn’n you, don’t fucking say it.”

     “I. Hate. You.”

     “Godammit woman! I frick’n warned you!” I firmly cupped her face in my hands and pressed my lips against hers. I didn’t care what happened next, but I needed her to never say those words to me again. Not ever.

     When I pulled away, her eyes were wide and she was panting. She touched her fingers to her lips still staring at me in disbelief.

     “Ellie….I-“ Before I could even finish my sentence her lips were on mine, kissing me hungrily and I couldn’t help myself any longer. Her arms wrapped around my neck and I pulled her naked form against my body returning her ever deepening kisses. Our tongues touched and further fueled the sexual tension burning between us.

     “More.” She breathed into my mouth as her fingers pulled their way down my chest, over my naval and hooked into my boxers.

     “Ellie….a-are you sure this is what you want? You can’t take this back. Do you really wanna waste it on me?” A tender smile filled her face as she brought one hand to my cheek caressing it gently.

     “Of course I’m sure. Nothing shared with you is ever a waste Alex. I love you.” Her words broke me, any remaining self-restraint evaporating the moment she said them.

     “Ell, you….I…I love you so much.” With that I kissed her more slowly this time but with the same intensity. Her hands tugged at my boxers until they pooled at my ankles making me as naked as she was. She gasped a moment when she felt my erection pressed firmly against her.

     “Hey, I won’t hurt you. Let’s just take this slow. Okay?” She nodded and wrapped her arms around my neck once more. We lied down among her precious flowers and as I crawled atop her the beauty of her face rendered me speechless a moment. I think I may have momentarily stopped breathing.

     “Goddamn woman.”

     “W-What?”

     “…you are so incredibly beautiful.” She looked on the verge of tears as I buried my face in her neck, breathing her in. I loved how intoxicating this woman always smelled. As I slowly dragged my lips along her neck and jaw, my name breathily spilled from hers. My hand made its way between her legs and as soon as I caressed her she leaned into my touch. She was more than ready for me but this was our first time and I wanted to savor every moment of it.

     It didn’t take long before she was grinding against my hand desperate for more. When I slid a finger inside of her she immediately stopped moving as she exhaled and tensed around my finger.

     “D-Did I hurt you?”

     “N-No. I was just…surprised, that’s all.” She wasn’t being completely honest. I could always tell. She was trying to put on a brave face in front of me.

     “Ellie there’s no rush, we can always-“

     “N-No! I’m ready. Really. Just….go really slow and stop if I say stop okay?”

     “Of course. Are you sure?”

     “Y-Yeah. I trust you.”

     “Good.” I smiled before claiming her lips once again as I positioned myself above her. I could feel her body tremble as I slowly lowered my body against hers but the way she was kissing me said it was for all the right reasons. She hesitated a moment when she felt me press against her entrance but took a deep breath and nodded.

     “Ready?”

     “Y-Yeah, I’m ready.” Elliana was a virgin and for a girl I knew that this experience was a mixture of pleasure and pain. I wanted to make it as painless as possible but I quickly learned it was inevitable. I slowly pushed inside her letting her call the shots but goddamn this felt incredible. She was so hot inside I could barely contain my desire. She winced before scrunching her eyes together making me stop immediately.

     “Ell am I hurting you?”

     “It’s okay…just…keep going okay?”

     “A-Are you sure? I don’t wanna hurt you.”

     “I-I know. You’re not….really. T-This is just part of the process so…please…don’t stop.” I felt bad as I stared at the discomfort on her face but she was insistent.

     “G-Go a little faster, please.” At her request I pushed a little faster and thankfully made it all the way in. Tears dripped from the corners of her eyes but she was laughing and crying at the same time. I will never understand women.

     “A-Alex…I…I love you.”

    “I love you too Ell, more than you will ever know.”

[sanctferum]

Dangan Ronpa V3, chapter 3 free time!

Time to explore!

There’s a hidden Monokuma in Kaede’s lab. Ryoma’s lab’s been cleaned up by Monokuma, and the shower room is inaccessible because Shuichi doesn’t need to take a shower. The gym has also been cleaned up, and the inner tube in the pool has been neatly put away.

OK, the blackboards show different things in different chapters when you go into search mode. Or maybe it’s because we’re playing as Shuichi? I didn’t check them last chapter.

Monokuma knows. He knows that in order to be a Dangan Ronpa player character, an ahoge is necessary.

Another hidden Monokuma’s in the boiler room.

Oh, we can retry the escape game, huh?

Well, that didn’t work. I wonder what would even happen if we completed it successfully?

Found another Hidden Monokuma near the Kumasutra Hotel. I bet the last one is in the racing minigame again…

The casino minigames now include Mind Mine and Psyche Taxi equivalents.

Treasure Hunter Monolith: the music reminds me WAY too much of Chiaki’s execution music from DR2…

Outlaw Run: I am still very bad at this minigame. Give me Logic Dive back!

Don’t know how to unlock any category besides “Kind” for these minigames. Betting max coins didn’t work, getting an S rank didn’t work. Advancing a chapter hasn’t worked for the Hangman’s Gambit one, either.

Oh, did the exchange always sell Monopad themes?

Anyways, on to the actual free time! I’m gonna hang out with Kaito.

Kaito is still upset people are lumping Maki and Kirumi into the “murderous fiend” category. Let’s calm him down with this moon buggy model!

Kaito tell us about how astronaut training is super intense, and it’s a lot of work…but the universe is a harsh place. He’s got to be able to handle crazy situations if he wants to explore it. For the first two years of training, he learned the basic skills needed to be an astronaut – medicine, engineering, scuba diving, linguistics, survival training…pretty much everything.

There’s a training facility for astronauts at the bottom of the ocean? The most important thing for an astronaut is communication and teamwork. No one person can hope to explore space by themselves…you need a team, and you need to trust in that team. The facility at the bottom of the ocean helps people learn to work as a team. Also, as part of communication training, you have to master other languages and cultures…Kaito is fluent in Japanese, English, and Russian. He might be an idiot sometimes, but Kaito sure is incredible…

Bedtime already? I wonder if trying the escape game took up a portion of free time?

The Monokubs sure look beat up…well two of them at least. Monodam sure is harsh…

Time to train with Kaito! On our way out, we see Angie, who’s still trying to convert everyone. She claims to be prepared to work with everyone to make the Academy a paradise on Earth. Considering how well her last attempt at that went…hmmm.

Shuichi shows up to the usual training spot, but Kaito is nowhere to be f-

Oh. There he is, dragging Maki behind him. Well, I guess we’re all training together, huh?

Kaito kept ringing her doorbell till Maki answered. Then he dragged her here.

Maki thinks the whole idea is stupid and heads back to her room. Kaito tries to convince her to stay by…Kaito. Kaito, that’s stupid. You aren’t the hero of this story, and Maki isn’t gonna be willing to be your sidekick.

Kaito does say that from his perspective he might be the hero, but from our perspectives, we each are the hero of our own stories.

Maki knows from experience that this will all end in tears. But Kaito calls her out on the what he believes is the real reason she isn’t interacting with anyone. She’s afraid. She’s running away, when she should be standing tall and fighting.

Maki is getting pissed. Kaito, this is…

…going to work out well after all. Maki agrees to train, just so Kaito will stop bugging her about it.

And now. 100 pushups! Shuichi’s body is in hell, Kaito is going along…Maki is almost done. You don’t become an assassin by being out of shape.

Kaito tells her to show up for training tomorrow too. Maki ignores him and walks away.

Ah, so it ties back into what he was saying in the free time event. Teamwork…if you see someone who is weak, you help them become strong. Someone is suffering? You can’t just walk away. Kaito mentions that Shuichi and Maki’s cases are a bit different. Back to the rest of the pushups.

Monokuma Theater ti-

…Monodam Theater time.

He’s wearing a leather jacket and Kamina shades.

Morning announcement. Everyone will gather in the gym to get along, huh? Assembling in the gym is usually a rather bad thing. I’m not sure what to expect.

Kiyo mentions how he overslept, but is usually up by 6 AM and ready to go at 7:30 AM. A half hour to get ready? Is it because of his uniform? Kaito is also around but not going to the gym yet. He’s gonna make sure Maki comes with him to the gym, since everyone needs to show up. If someone doesn’t, who knows what could happen.

Outside, Himiko is complaining about having to go to the gym so early in the morning. Shuichi is apprehensive about all this, and Himiko mentions a student council meeting. What? Oh. Oh boy. Angie wants to throw a party…Atua decreed it would be a pool party?

Monokuma shows up. Looking awful still, huh? Is he gonna tempt us to peek on the girls’ pool party? Is this the scene that the Man’s Desire Gun or whatever unlocks?

Monokuma just stares at us until we randomly have a fantasy come up in our mind. A Man’s Fantasy, to be specific. Oh boy. Shuichi finds himself unable to resist it. Swimsuits…a zany-yet-romantic scene…yet, on the other hand, if anyone saw him, Tenko would beat him half to death twice…oh well, if such is the price we must pay…

Inside the Academy now…Keebo’s also worried about the sudden summons. Another motive, most likely. Keebo is determined to stop anyone from killing, no matter what!

In the gym, which again, has been cleaned up post-trial, we find everyone else. Miu talks about the computer on the 4th floor…the specs are insane…

Keebo is jealous of the computer. Godammit, I know Miu was being super suggestive at you, but…come on. You’re basically a computer yourself, anyways.

Kokichi is unnerved by Maki’s presence, and immediately begins trying to ruin the fragile atmosphere. Then Gonta shows up. He’s about to tell us something serious about the courtyard, possibly something that will help us make sense of “horse a”? Then the Monokubs show up before he can finish his sentence.

Monodam has a motive, all right. A motive to get along?

Tsumigi and Keebo…I’m getting the feeling Angie brainwashed them into her Atua cult too…Himiko was already in, but, um…

The motive will inspire fear like never before…forcing the Ultimates to unite to fight against it. Monotaro and Monophanie prepare to present, on Monodam’s behalf, the motive! It’s…a transfer student. What?

Resurrect one of the four people who’ve died so far…? How? Using the computer? Are we gonna resurrect Kaede? Or perhaps Kirumi, since she’s important to the world? Rantaro, so we might learn his talent? Ryoma…probably wouldn’t care to be resurrected. Anyways, what the fuck, and also, that’s the meaning behind the chapter title.

The Necronomicon? We’ve got a copy of that?

Once resurrected, we can welcome the student back, or, if we want to, kill them off again immediately. They’ll be part of the game again, in other words. Thanks for telling us that, Monotaro.

Monodam has no such thanks. Monotaro blames his exposition of killing on old habits.

Monodam instructs Monophanie to punish Monotaro…this is a complete reversal, the students are being spared and it’s Monotaro and Monophanie who are in deep shit. Monotaro doesn’t want to be punished by Monophanie, since he mocks for dumb shit all the time. Monophanie, remembering those times, decides sure, she’ll do it. Then the Kubs leave.

How can anyone believe that the dead can be resurrected? Well, Kiyo thinks that not believing it to because it’s scientifically impossible is folly in and of itself.

Funeral ceremonies…like the one we saw of ourselves…

Sending the dead to the next world. HMMM.

Kiyo believes souls are real…but they can’t be reached once the person is dead. Resurrecting the dead is impossible.

Angie believes it isn’t so strange, though. It’s not so much bringing the dead back to life as returning the dead to us…the difference is, the crime scenes were cleaned up perfectly. Perhaps the dead…had their deaths faked by Monokuma or themselves? In which case, they’re alive? Could the bodies have been fakes? If Monokuma and the Exisals can exist, is it possible for realistic corpses to?

Shuichi wants all this to be true, but he can’t believe it really is. To do so would be to turn away from the truth.

Gonta brings up that if the students were alive, they’d have to be here somewhere. Maybe one of them wrote “horse a” in the courtyard. He was gonna tell us something about the courtyard. Was it that the message is now longer?

“Twnm I”?

I see. The horse message wasn’t meant to be read  from top to bottom. It was meant to be read from left to right. TH, WOR, SE, N, I, MA…?

And the Monokubs left the Necronomicon here for us. It’s definitely a motive…but what kind? Maybe it’s a motive like this: we ignore it and the four people who are still alive somehow die for real? Angie is very appreciative of Gonta’s story…she goes over and hugs him…is she…she’s trying to get him to believe in Atua. Soon she’ll have brainwashed like half the survivors.

A gentle grandma? Isn’t Atua a handsome man? Himiko says Atua’s appearance depends on who’s looking. Kokichi thinks that sure is suspiciously convenient. Angie invites Gonta to the student council that Himiko mentioned. Apparently it’s part of Angie’s plan to stop the killing game. Keebo, Himiko, Tenko, Tsumugi, and Angie all met up and agreed to make the Ultimate Academy Student Council. Angie came up with the idea, and is Student Council President. Which means Atua is the one really in charge. Of course. Kokichi declares them brainwashed…Kiyo agrees. The Ultimate Academy, under the conditions of the killing game, is the perfect breeding grounds for a cult. And this has all the markings of a cult. Keebo, Tenko, and Tsumugi, and now Gonta, have been taken in by this nonsense…Tenko even put aside her love for Himiko to give her love to Atua instead.

Maki points out how clear of a trap the resurrection ritual is…but it’s to no avail. The Student Council members are beyond the reach of logic or reason. Meanwhile, Kaito’s been really quiet this whole time, and I’m somewhat worried about him.

But there’s no time to be worried…we need to head to the pool and spy on the girls, pronto!

Two girls wearing only bikini bottoms. One girl wearing pantaloons. And Tenko, fully in the nude. Enjoy the view, Shuichi, I guess? (Or, you could just ask Miu to flash you? Where is she anyways? Was she not invited? Guess not, student council girls only)

Himiko would rather conserve her MP than use them to grow her boobs as big as Tenko’s. She’s awfully jealous. Tenko reassures her that Himiko’s boobs may be small, but they’re nicely shaped. Angie, meanwhile, is trying to grope Tsumugi’s boobs. Shuichi witness it all and immediately remembers that this is morally wrong and stupid. Too late, dude. Too late.

Afterwards we return to our room. Time to go hang out with people! Not sure who, though…Himiko, maybe. Next time!

[izabesos]

Lost in the deep end

Chapter 1: I’m nothing to no one, but you

Pairing: Raven x Octavia Words: 5,353 Ch. Summary:             “Oh, Clarke doesn’t take care of me like this.”

        “How? With no medical knowledge or supplies and lots of ice bags?”

           “No.” her voice was soft and low. “With kisses.”

read on ao3

I think the saddest word in the wide world is the word almost.

I was almost good for her.

She almost loved me.

We almost made it.

Raven cleaned her greasy hands on a even dirtier cloth rag that was on her desk, and looked out the window.

“Window” was kind of a compliment. The only entrance for natural light wasn’t more than a huge hole on the thick metal wall, crossed with some wires and iron bars that were a part of the internal coating – and Raven affectionately called blinds. When it rained heavily or it was sunny enough to disturb her vision, the girl used to steal Bellamy's blankets to use as a curtain, which resulted in him complaining for a whole week with provision supervisors. Abby was almost hanging him on a tree for the rebel grounders.

She glanced toward the disassembled tone generator on her table. She had been doing this for hours on end, every day, since the Chancellor had decided to send people from the Sky Crew to patrol the forest and find reapers for Abby to bring them back, and the only chance to overpower them was using the sound generators created in Mount Weather. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, and she felt the fatigue in every fiber of her body, each molecule screaming with exhaustion. She felt dirty and exhausted, but she could not stop, not now. Work was a good way to numb the pain, the latency of her leg blocking out the one in her chest. Almost like morphine.

You think you deserve this pain, that this is your cross to bear for you mom or Finn, for all you’ve been through... it’s not. You deserve more.

So far, Sinclair didn’t seem so right. Raven’s life had been built up on sacrifices. She lost so many things... not complaining, though, but when she was finished with that stupid job all she wanted was some rest. Sleeping for a couple hours would be good, even with the nightmares.

She wiped the sweat of her forehead and focused the light on the pieces.

“Raven?” Octavia called from the door and entered without waiting for an answer.

Raven frowned and sighed as soon as she saw the injured bottom lip, the bruised face and the black eye Octavia came proudly displaying. The girl pouted with her bloody lip and sat down on one of the tables. Her shirt was also soaked in the blood that dripped from her nose and chin.

“Godammit, Octavia.” Raven clenched her jaw, and fetched a bucket of cold water and a piece of cloth that was at least acceptable enough to come into contact with human skin. “You have to stop coming at me like this, I mean, Clarke is the doctor, not me. Look at your nose.”

Raven held Octavia's head up in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. She lightly brushed the damp cloth under the girl's bloody lip and Octavia put her head down stubbornly as she came closer to Raven, her eyes shut.

“Oh, Clarke doesn’t take care of me like this.” she smirked and raised her eyebrows.

“How? With no medical knowledge or supplies and lots of ice bags?”

“No.” her voice was soft and low. “With kisses.”

Raven frowned briefly, almost grinning, and punched Octavia's thigh. She whimpered at the pain:

“Ouch. I’m hurt enough already, Reyes, it’s not fair that you will hit me too.”

“Really funny. I’m not kissing you, Octavia Blake, not when you have a black eye, a bloody nose and a injured lip.” Raven laughed sarcastically and Octavia grumbled to herself, crossing her arms.

“Well you have a fucked up leg, Reyes. Not complaining. We all have our things, right?”

She tensed briefly, then gently pushed Octavia's head back one more time, handing the cloth over to wipe the blood.

“Touché.” Raven answered in a low voice, going to get a cold compress to the black eye. Octavia swallowed the defeat quietly, smiling softly through a few grimaces of pain as Raven tried to clear the wounds, her eyes always closed.

She didn’t look like Bellamy at all. Her hair was a little lighter brown, her freckles were unbelievably more subtle and, while Bellamy’s dark eyes were full of irony and spite, her olive green eyes were full of heat and fierce energy. But what Raven liked the most was her smile. Damn. Her smile was more defiant than sarcastic, with all the world’s mistery in that little dimple on the corner, in all the right and wrong ways. It screamed that she wanted trouble, that she was trouble, with the eyebrows slightly arched leaving the slight suspicion that this girl would set something on fire only because she could. Impossible to trust, let alone to resist. Octavia Blake intrigued Raven. A little messy, slightly ruined, a beautiful disaster, just like her.

“What’s it?” Octavia asked opening her eyes, and Raven blinked in confusion, only to realize she had been staring at the girl for a few minutes, the wet cloth still pressed to her lip. She dropped the rag and cleared her throat, glancing at her tools.

“I should be the one asking.” she raised an eyebrow, wiping her hands on her jeans and getting up. “Please, don’t tell me Kane wants more of these tone generators. I haven’t sleep in almost two days and I barely feel my-”

Octavia smiled and grimaced. She flexed her fingers, slowly brushing one of the small braids in her hair, that were apparently some kind of grounder fashion or shit. With the braids, the hair wouldn’t fall on their eyes as they fought, and it was all kinds of convenient, because, honestly, they looked badass with it.

“Actually, it’s Clarke and Bellamy.” Octavia rolled her eyes and touched her nose, whose bleeding had stalled. Raven sighed deeply and closed her eyes.

“Clarke again?” she took off Octavia’s hand from her face.

“I mean, it’s already the fifth time this week.” the girl went back on her feet, visibly frustrated, fumbling uncomfortably at the bruise on her mouth. “She should fucking move in with Lexa already. If Abby finds out about it...”

“Stop touching your wounds. Abby will have our heads for helping, she hates it when I go to Tondc...” Raven rummaged through the mess of her own desk until she found a little control made with an old radio, copper wire, and an antenna, and tucked it into the pocket of her tattered jacket. “Why is your useless brother coming, anyway?”

“Don’t be so mean. Bell’s desperate to be part of something, it seems he’s not much of a leader here.”

“I honestly don’t know how I keep getting envolved in your fucked up plans.” She bit her lip as she felt the thud of pain spread over her bad leg, but with some luck Octavia didn’t seem to notice.

“As somebody could do shit here without you.” the younger girl rolled her eyes and dragged the mechanic out of the workshop.

In the past weeks, whenever she was at the camp, Octavia spent more time on Raven’s place than anywhere else.

It wasn’t that Raven invited the girl. She just... came.

At first, she used to sit nervously amidst the place’s metal mess and keep herself quiet, watching as Raven repaired and built the tone generators, waiting restlessly until she fell asleep in the midst of all that metal. Then she began to prowl around Raven in silence, and looking everything she could with curiosity in her eyes, tinkering with pieces and gears, and only when she nearly blew up a fuse the mechanic lost her patience and asked what the hell she was doing there. Octavia, temperamental and moody, replied that she had nothing better to do since Indra was always busy with Lexa and the grounfers - who didn’t let her participate in politics - and Lincoln was missing, so she wanted to see how the progress of the generators was going to find him and bring him back.

Then Raven instantly developed this soft spot for the girl. She knew how it was to lose someone you love. She got a more comfortable place for Octavia and explained to her how the basics of mechanics and chemistry worked, how to build rocket fuel bombs, and a few stories about her mother, all in a attempt to distract her. Octavia sat by sharpening her sword, confined to a sort of nervous energy as Raven took care of the generators, and it was a relief after all to have company. Raven even tried to teach Octavia some things, but she was a complete disaster in everything that required patience and calm.

And, damn, she knew how to tease. She went from hot to sweet in a matter of seconds, making Raven’s heart flutter and leaving her almost aimlessly, especially when she smiled – that cocky, challenging grin that was almost annoying but undeniably irresistible.

Even fighting felt good, and they were always teasing each other until it turned into a death match to see who could be a bigger bitch. And, for fuck’s sake, Octavia wasn’t a piece of cake, and it was really easy to get on her nerves – even accidentally. But, if Raven didn’t fought her everyday, she’d just stand alone in her shed, fighting against herself anyway. It felt good having someone to argue with. It was good to feel something, for a change. It felt good having late night talks about blue butterflies and rocket fuel. She felt warm inside, it seemed almost like things mattered.

Plus, time went by like jazz and for a few hours a day, Raven forgot the pain – all of it. Octavia forgot, too. Even without speaking much, for a few hours in months they took some of the weight of the world they were carrying on their backs. And Raven didn’t feel so alone and failed. Octavia didn’t feel useless and weak.

You know, the law of compensation was not exactly ratified in Raven's favor, however, after messing up big time, it seemed as the universe was kind of meant to make amends and pamper her like an absent father. Even if she was suspicious, stubborn and irreducible.

They went to find Clarke and Bellamy behind the Mecca Station, facing the electric fence and with the dark hood pulled over her head. Clarke now wore the braided hair in the grounder style, and polished a dagger with a leather cord that Lexa had given to her. And she was just cleaning it up when Raven and Octavia arrived, looking extremely irritated with the restless boy at her side. Bellamy Blake was the complete opposite of his sister. With a long face and cruel eyebrows, purposely messy hair and ragged clothes that didn’t match his clean face – for the first time free of any injury. Someone had to make up for Octavia.

"Listen, Princess." Raven limped toward her, stinging her finger into the blonde’s chest authoritatively. "I'm not going to interrupt my work to help you escape to the grounder camp, okay? It's better be important.”

“I'm going to see Lexa.” She replied, as if it were obviously important. Octavia suppressed a laugh, probably because of Raven's livid expression. Bellamy interrupted:

"We have an important meeting with the commander, reviewing maps, charting new routes-”

“Reviewing maps?” Octavia smirked, which looked cute with the bruised lip. "Yeah, little brother, only with you around."

The boy frowned, visibly confused, his fingers uneasy.

"What happened to your face?" He looked worried, and Octavia looked away, bothered.

"You'd better not take this, handsome.” Raven interrupted and pointed at the gun. "They'll never let you in carrying a rifle."

Bellamy slipped the handle of the gun over his head and dropped it to the floor, reluctant and moody as a spoiled child, without taking his eyes off Raven. He assumed the inexpressiveness of someone who would undoubtedly say something cruel, only because he wanted to.

“I understand. After your boyfriend-”

“Bellamy.” Octavia warned dangerously, flexing her fists. Raven's jaw caught briefly as her throat tightened and the flurry of indigestible memories made her head hurt.

"All right, Blake, I got it.” She pulled the remote from her pocket and pressed a sequence of buttons. Then she opened a compartment behind the radio and pulled out a small blue wire. Raven raised her forefinger to her lips, and Octavia looked around. The voices coming from Arkadia's courtyard seemed distant, as if they were heard from underwater. Then the soft buzz of electricity from the fence vanished, and Raven kicked a rock toward the metal to make sure it was no longer electrified. The stone struck the wire gently and fell to the floor.

“Brilliant.” Octavia raised her eyebrows, while Clarke was already crawling under the fence, smiling. Raven only saw her this happy when she was on the other side of the fence, why she had nicknamed it the "Electric Fence Effect" and expected an opportunity to share her theory with the world. She was so happy that Raven was afraid to enter Lexa's tent at the wrong time and see things that would cause her nightmares and fall into a black hole of consciousness. Bellamy was next, careful not to get caught in the strings.

Octavia slid through the dry leaves to the other side.

"You coming, Reyes?" She asked, her brows raised, her expression carved in sarcasm. For no reason, Raven felt her heart racing. She was too young for palpitations. Palpitations in her case could kill.

She thought of the generators that were missing. In the extreme tiredness she felt. On her useless and aching leg.

And she slipped under the fence.

X

Raven was pissed and the air smelled good. For quite different reasons.

Raven was a pissed because at the entrance to the grounder camp, a tattooed guy twice her size had searched her and tried to take the her brace thinking it was a weapon. Her brace was no hidden weapon of the sky people. Her brace was a sophisticated and beautifully mounted device, an engineering masterpiece, built by her exclusively for her.

And the air smelled good because of Lexa.

A strong smell of something natural came from the commander's tent, and Octavia covered her nose with a grimace. The smell wasn’t bad, but surely someone would die suffocated inside the fur tent with a great concentration of it.

“What the fuck ...”

“Lexa.” Octavia said. "She's obsessed with these things."

Raven didn’t know what "things" were, but she even enjoyed the smell, which looked a lot like the natural junk shop Kane's mother ran on the Ark. Of course they were not really natural, but the incense had this delicious scent that made Raven imagine what life on earth would be like, and Finn would always buy her when there was money left over. There, with the smell of real nature, the scent began to sate.

"Are those" Bellamy took a deep breath. “scented candles? Like the ones they sell at Kane's mom's store?”

“Yes. They produce this here as a therapeutic item for healers ... and for the commander.” Octavia said, rolling her good eye as the other one was closed because of the bruise. The scent of the candles began to stick in the roof of their mouth and nose as they moved closer to Lexa's tent, and Clarke grew more agitated.

"I think you'd better go in." Octavia smiled. "The commander is in a good mood today."

It was obvious that Lexa was in a good mood. As tough as the commander of the twelve land clans might be, whenever there was any clue that Clarke would show up, some cognitive area within her began to emit clear signals from her human side. As much as she vomited in the face of everyone that love was a weakness - and Raven fully agreed with that part - and that she had isolated herself from all this, only being too blind or too much Bellamy not to realize how infatuated she was, and how true the reciprocal was. But Lexa surely wouldn’t be lighting up scented candles if she knew Clarke was bringing the wonderful Bellamy Blake with her.

"That won’t last." Raven looked at Bellamy, and Octavia laughed,

"I wouldn’t want to be around."

“What?” He asked, pulling his sweaty hair back. “Why?”

"Nothing, Bellamy.” Clarke frowned angrily. "You two are impossible.”

“We do our best.” Raven rested her hand on her chest as if touched by the compliment. "By the way, Blake, you better bite your tongue to talk at that meeting. Commander Hot Stuff can be quite formal, I mean, at least with us. Clarke, is she like that to you too, or does she simply have no time for peasants? Ah,” Raven blinked at Bellamy. “If they want some alone time ... better leave. I'd hate to get into that tent at the wrong time.”

“Raven!” Clarke growled. Literally growled, teeth clenched and brows furrowed like a wild animal. “We did not even-”

“Still.” Raven smirked, while Octavia was amused on her side, and Bellamy looked totally lost. Clarke bared her teeth, as if she were really an animal ready to attack Raven, and grabbed the boy by the collar of his jacket.

“Come on, Bellamy!” She pushed him violently into the tent, and Raven sighed briefly. She would give anything to see the expression on Lexa's face.

“I hoped Lexa isn’t naked or something”

"She's gonna kill us both." Octavia said with a serious expression, to which Raven cracked her tongue in the roof of her mouth as if no threat from Clarke Griffin could be taken seriously. The problem was just the opposite. Raven put her hands on her waist and looked around:

"You already know my workshop upside down, how about introducing me to the village?" She pushed the girl's shoulder lightly. Octavia raised her eyebrow defiantly,

"That's not a bad idea, Zero-G. Have you ever handled a sword before?”

Raven laughed mockingly.

"I don’t need swords, Pocahontas.” She patted the pocket where her screwdriver was and a few loose pieces of pieces. "I have science in my favor.”

“Oh yes?” Octavia smiled in that way that Raven liked: sarcastic, full of malice and defiance. The heart threatened to accelerate again. Then she took out the two swords she had on her belt and tossed one to Raven, who almost barely caught it. "Then let's see what the younger, most brilliant mechanic of the Ark got to me. Come on.”

Octavia thrust the sword back into the scabbard and walked with determined steps, leaving Raven no choice but to follow her – I mean, or that, or to be completely alone in a camp full of wild grounders that still harbored a deep rancor of her because of the attempted murder of Lexa, which Raven hadn’t even been responsible for. But it was complicated to explain this to a whole clan of angry people snarling and drooling and with very sharp swords, then no, thank you.

"Look, Pocahontas, I do not know if you've noticed it before or been told, but I have a damaged nerve in my leg, which makes it almost completely useless and a little annoying for me to move.” Raven pointed at one leg as she struggled to limp alongside Octavia with her heavy brace. "It sucks, but I'm dealing. But I'm not like the others. I can’t fight.”

Octavia slowed and turned to Raven, smiling and walking on her back.

"You're seeing things from the wrong point, Rae. Indra taught me that we, warriors of life, must be prepared to have patience in difficult times and know that the Universe conspires in our behalf, even if we can’t understand how.” She glanced around, and a little of the sun's reflection in the trees lit up her eyes, making them look spattered with gold. Raven was breathless for a few seconds. It was not only Clarke who looked happier and more complete on earthly ground; She has never seen Octavia so full of life. "You tell me your leg is a handicap. Maybe. But we can make it an advantage as well.”

"So what's the strategy for broken warriors?" Raven raised her eyebrows as Octavia led her into a clearing in the middle of the forest, where the sun beat a little on the fallen leaves and there was a huge "OcB" chipped in one of the trees. "So this is your workshop or what? Cool. Rustic, kinda oldschool. I would put a surround sound device on that rock there, and maybe a fridge with soda near the moss.”

"I'll think about hiring your decorating services, Reyes.” Octavia plunged her sword into the damp ground. The place definitely smelled of nature, although the scent of Lexa's aromatic candles was stuck to Raven's nostrils and throat.

Octavia frowned and picked up the sword from the ground.

“Where I was?”

"You were going to teach me the ninja trick of the broken grounders.” Raven pretended to strike her in the wind. Octavia intercepted the blow and drew the sword from her hand as easily as she would take a candy from a child's hand.

“The two biggest mistakes you can commit strategically speaking are: act prematurely and let an opportunity slip away.” Octavia extended the handle of the sword to Raven, with a smile. "That's why grounder warriors treat each situation as unique and never use formulas, tricks, or the opinion of other people. It's quite simple, to be honest: you let them get tired for you. You will only move when much needed.”

Raven felt her leg throb terribly with pain, and the effort of limping had left her forehead covered with droplets of cold sweat. But she would never admit it to the girl, so she let her talk about some grounder battle techniques and teach Raven how to handle a sword. And she had to admit, Octavia was good at it. Very good. Patient with errors and steady with lessons, even if Raven often got lost in her voice or in the careful movements that made her body appear light and fluid like water. If she hadn’t been born for it, then Raven could not tell who was.

She even thought of making some joke about how much Octavia was great at teaching but ridiculously too stubborn to learn things - again - but the truth was she could not impose respect for it, ‘cause every time she was knocked to the ground her teeth clenched and her patience bar fell in half.

But Raven wasn’t about to give up, even if the blows hurt little - it was clear that Octavia was getting too easy on her, for she only bumped lightly against the blunt side of the sword rather than actually knocking. It was just that she felt too exhausted to plan any strategy and was simply blocking the best she could without attacking. Either way, Octavia seemed to be enjoying herself and that was good.

But it was on the fourth or fifth time on the ground that her leg faltered, and she felt a ripping pain rise from the base of her calf to her ears, making Raven feel completely dizzy. It was as if an arrow struck her and was turned inside, being pulled hard and tearing the flesh along the way.

"You're making things too easy ..." The smug smile on Octavia's face vanished as she saw the tears in Raven's eyes. “Rae?”

She could taste the blood on her mouth, her lip bit into the effort not to scream. Octavia dropped her sword and crouched down beside her, wiping sweat from the palms of her hands on her pants.

"Raven ..." Her voice sounded surprisingly gentle, and she wrenched a few wet strands from Raven's hair back.

“It's fine.” She answered, resting her trembling arms as she tried to stand up. Octavia took her shoulder gently, but her hand was pushed away. "I said I'm fine, Octavia.”

Raven grimaced as she sat down with some difficulty. They both knew she could not get up now, not when her leg practically throbbed because of the pain, so Octavia sat down beside her and sighed deeply.

“Why you didn’t tell me?” Octavia asked calmly, without touching her. She could feel her heart heavy with guilt pressing down her ribs, but it was funny how much she felt damped by the situation.

Raven's skin was pale from the effort. She had the most beautiful brown eyes Octavia had ever seen, but now they were contoured by deep circles under them, as well as slightly swollen by crying. She seemed genuinely exhausted from her own existence. Octavia used to feel that way back then, but that was another story.

“It's none of your business.” She swallowed hard, and that could not be a good sign, could it?

“When did the pain start?” Octavia asked, as if the previous sentence had not existed.

“Octavia-“

“When did the pain start?” She repeated silabically, and suddenly she had an arm around Raven’s back, gently caressing her arm over the fabric of her jacket. Raven was silent for long minutes, which seemed like forever.

"After the explosion in ..." she replied reluctantly, staring at her with watery eyes and her voice breaking. Octavia wanted to cry too, but at least her eyes would not turn her over as they did to Raven. “in Mount Weather.”

"You didn’t tell Abby, Raven, that was a month ago.” She blinked quickly and tensed her muscles as Raven frowned.

“I’m fine!” she repeated vehemently, her teeth clenched causing the jaw line to harden. Raven propped both arms on the dew-damp ground and tried to get up, but an involuntary shudder eventually forced her back to the floor, growling in frustration. "Abby's got a lot on her mind already.”

Octavia looked at her, trying her best not to look as incredulous as she was, not because she didn’t know how to handle it but hey, that was Raven, the only person besides her brother who had cared for her in months, killing herself because of a pain in the hip and acting as if it was nothing too much. How could life do these things and put Octavia to solve all the relationships problems that seventeen years in prison had saved her from solving, all in one relationship? I mean, that was not even a relationship. Everything was so difficult because, come on, she didn’t know how to use the words, and her English notes on the Ark were not even that good.

Octavia felt something warm tickle the skin of her upper lip, and realized that her nose was bleeding again. When she saw it, Raven had already taken a rag from her pocket and pressed it against her nose, gently tilting her head back with her free hand.

How could Raven Reyes care more about the world than about herself? Maybe she was the embodiment of what Lexa called "inner peace," while Octavia could only think of swearing and how much that girl deserved the best that that fucked up world could offer.

"Rae ..." She gently pushed Raven's hand away from her face, as the girl insisted on pressing the cloth there. "Raven, listen to me, stop worrying about that stupid bleeding." This time she pushed the girl's hand away. "Enough, I'm tired of you doing this all the time.”

“Doing what?” Raven frowned, clearly defensive.

“This.” She sighed in frustration. "You need to stop giving yourself so much to things outside of yourself, do you understand the idea? How could you think I wouldn’t care about your leg?”

Raven looked at Octavia. Genuinely looked, as if she had never seen her before.

After those months on Earth fighting for their own survival and for the protection of their people as a whole, it was surprisingly easy to forget that they were ... just kids. But now, Octavia Blake, stripped of her face paint and warrior posture, seemed to be exactly what she was as she yawned and wiped her damp eyes – a girl of only seventeen, shoulders slumped and tired eyes. She ran her fingers absently over the leather straps that held Raven's brace.

She was nineteen, living proof that the pain required no talent and would come to anyone, and her hands were shaken and rough with scars. Even so, when Octavia looked at her, it was like having the absurd urge to climb a mountain. Difficult, even exhausting, highly abandonable. But then, all at once, you reach the top and your aching muscles land on the grass, and her gaze was like the first breath of fresh air - when you look up at the sky and the feeling of completeness spreads across your chest to the fingertips.

"You could not get off the horse that time. I saw you struggling with your brace this morning. Raven, you don’t fool anyone.” She sighed deeply. "Abby can help you, she cares about you."

“I don’t need help!” Raven yelled, every inch of her trembling as she tried to get up. "I'm tired of everyone pitying me, doing ... things for me, because they think I'm not capable. I'm not broken, Octavia! I'm not useless as everyone thinks! Maybe you're right, I'm not fine, but which one of us is? Since we put our feet in this damn place, nothing has been right. And you ... don’t think that I don’t know, that I don’t see ... Lincoln was your refuge, you became part of his people so you don’t have to face yours! It's not just me running away, Octavia!”

It was only a matter of seconds before the two of them rose to their feet, a few inches from each other, the heavy breath making their chest rise and fall uncontrollably. Octavia had her hands clenched in her fist, her nails sinking into the palm of her hand and her jaw locked.

“Shut up.” She growled at Raven, who had finally balanced herself on the injured leg. "I'm not doing this with you, Reyes. No way. As soon as we return to Arkadia, Abby will examine you, whether you like it or not.”

“You wanna bet?” Raven took a step forward, staring up at Octavia with a smile that smothered scorn. "Why do you care, anyway?"

Octavia hesitated.

"Because" She moistened her lips, hesitant. Why? Why? Why? "Because you're one of us, Raven. You're one of the hundred. And I...”

She shut her mouth as Raven stared at her, her brow furrowed. The brown eyes flashed as they alternated between the green hues of hers, clearly seeking a continuation. Dammit, if she knew how much the love of the sub-thought was an energetic injection that made Octavia's fingertips tickle, she wouldn’t come with those lemon eyes. Without answer, Reyes closed her eyes.

“That's what I thought.” She growled, bumping into Octavia's shoulder as she limped out of the clearing. The girl didn’t leave the place.

Octavia knew quite well that, lately, hope was like drowning. When you begin to see the sunlight and your hands are already out of the water, something pulls you from the waist to the bottom before you can experience the air. But she couldn’t help it. Locking herself up in the very nihilism as Jasper did was the worst thing that could happen.

With that, Octavia grabbed her own sword and furiously attacked the nearest tree, letting each splinter fall to the ground, as if it were all the shit she had made in her life. A thunder echoed in the distance, and Octavia felt the salty taste of tears on her lips.

She never liked storms, thunderstorms or getting wet. But now ... now that she seemed to understand more clearly that the world would never leave her alone, that fear and grief would always spread in her like a second skin, she longed for the ease of the rain.