#but i simply cannot conjure this advice out of thin air i have to see someone doing something first

[pivsketch]

we started a new type of morning art activity at work, which is "stream a movie and then pause every once in a while for everyone to do a 5 min composition study together". so far we are like 20 minutes into blade runner 2049 (one of my faves!) and will probably be doing these for the rest of the week and then some 'til we finish the movie

hardest part is managing level of detail w.r.t. the 5 min time constraint. second hardest part is trying to correctly eyeball the placement of everything in the still image. even though i specifically matched my canvas' aspect ratio to the movie's, i swear my canvas doesnt look wide enough. its like dealing with an optical illusion... very distracting

i also need to figure out a better solution for exporting and collating these frames. if i was using photoshop itd be trivial to export all the layers/groups out all at once by selecting them and doing a right click -> export layers, but im using clip. next time im gonna try and use the animation system so i can easily export out an image sequence, but im not looking forward to dealing with the animation timeline. as for arranging them onto one image, im not even gonna bother figuring out an independent solution and im just going to use photoshop's file -> automate -> contact sheet ii.

the toughest part about trying to remove photoshop from my workflow is that ive spent over 2 decades working in it so im extremely familiar with its many obscure features 😔 i dearly miss smart objects, layer comps (personally i use the frame timeline for this functionality), how it treats layer masks (a grayscale layer you can colorpick transparency from / step inside to edit in isolation and paste stuff), and probably like a zillion other small things i bump into. the layer mask thing i relied on soooo much it was such a huge loss for me when i moved to clip. but i simply did not want to continue paying to use photoshop on my home computer

[cactusnymph]

matters of the heart

“Sir Caroline, I must ask your advice in an important matter.”

 “You don’t have to call me ‘Sir’ anymore, Angelo. We’ve been over this.”

 “Excuse me, Caroline. Now, this important matter—“

 “Is this about Ale? Because, and I cannot stress this enough, I do not want to hear anything about your love life, Angelo.”

 Angelo has to admit that this is not the way he had hoped the conversation to go. He feels himself deflate a little as he looks at Caroline’s disapproving face.

 “But S—Caroline, I wouldn’t know who else to ask! Usually my best friend and former rival would be my first choice, but he’s not available at the moment.”

 Caroline looks at him for a moment then sighs, lowering her head into her hands for a heartbeat before looking up at him again.

 “Fine. Just this once. Next time you can just write Damien a letter.”

 “Yes, Sir—I mean. Yes, Caroline.”

 Caroline starts massaging her temple.

 “So. Spit it out. What is it?”

 “I almost can’t believe that I am saying this—truly, I think it is the first time I understand my friend Damien. I must speak my heart—“

 “Oh, for the love of—“

 “You are married to Miss Quanyii, are you not, Caroline?”

 “Yes, I am. What does that have to do with anything?”

 “So you must be well-versed in matters of the heart! How did you court your wife? I admit, I have never attempted this before and I have no idea how to go about courting a man—“

 “And why should it be different than courting a woman, Angelo?”

 Angelo pauses for a second. It was brought to his attention many times now that the distinctions between men and women he has learned about all his life might not actually be as accurate as many people make them out to be. Truly, Caroline is the best example. And now he has met Ale and Miss Quanyii, who is sometimes not Miss Quanyii but Mr Quanyii.

 Angelo considers Caroline’s words.

 “So you’re saying I should court Ale in the exact same way I would court a woman”, he says.

 Caroline rolls her eyes.

 “I do not see how gender has anything to do with this, Angelo. The way you court a person depends on the person. Not all women care for flowers and candles and love letters. I have no idea what Ale would prefer as courting; maybe he doesn’t want to be courted at all.”

 “Like Sir Talfryn, yes. I have learned about this. You are correct, Caroline and I am glad to have asked you. I shall speak to Ale about this to make sure that I am not overstepping any boundaries! I thank you for your wisdom! Hophophophophophop.”

 *

 Angelo is not afraid of anything.

 He’s not afraid of pain or fighting or dying or even things as complicated as numbers even though he is not very good at them. But when he finds Ale sitting next to Olala, showing her how to start a campfire with her little hands, something tightens in Angelo’s chest and all he can do is stare.

 Ale is beautiful. Dark skin, long hair, big eyes and long lashes, a soft smile as he tells little Olala that she’s doing well.

 Angelo feels his stomach drop; a sensation that is very similar to falling and his heart beats so rapidly in his chest that he has trouble breathing for a moment.

 Maybe he should have rehearsed this. Maybe it would be better if little Olala was not there with Ale. Maybe he was hasty when he concluded that speaking directly to Ale would be the best course of action. A warrior’s approach. Head on. The same way he always approaches difficulties.

 Ale looks up when he notices Angelo and he flashes him a grin that makes Angelo’s insides squirm around like very lively snakes. Saints, if he starts using more metaphors for how Ale makes him feel he might turn into Damien before he knows it.

 “Hey schoolboy, what can we do for you?”

 Angelo isn’t sure why it makes him feel warm and tingly when Ale calls him ‘schoolboy’, but it absolutely does.

 He clears his throat.

 “I was about to—hm. Well.”

 Angelo wishes Damien were here so he could tell him how to find the right words for this. Damien has such a knack for language and beautiful words, while Angelo—well. Angelo has never in his life understood one poem that Damien showed to him.

 “We’re making fire, Sir Angelo! I made a small flame, all without magic! Look!”, Olala proclaims excitedly and waves at the little wisp of smoke her efforts have conjured.

 “Very good, Olala. I—uh. I must take my leave.”

 And for the first time in his life, Sir Angelo The Strong turns around and flees.

 *

 “Aw, Angelo, what is it?”

 Angelo looks up as Quanyii appears out of nowhere right beside him.

 “I am afraid that I have become a coward, Miss Quanyii”, he says as he looks down at his big hands.

 “I highly doubt that, sweetie. Is this about our beautiful vigilante boy?”, Quanyii wants to know as she scoots closer to Angelo, her colorful hair surrounding her head like a cloud.

 “Yes. I have spoken to Si—to Caroline about this and she gave me important insight on the matter of courting rituals.”

“She did?”, Quanyii asks, sounding surprised.

 “Yes. She explained that courting is not a matter of gender but of the individual’s personality. She also pointed out that Ale might have no interest in romantic relationships which I had not considered before.”

 Quanyii puts her index finger to her lips and taps them thoughtfully.

 “Yes, yes, such wisdom. But have you considered asking me about this? Romance is a magical thing after all and sweetheart, I’m a witch! Caroline doesn’t know one itsy-bitsy thing about romance, let me tell you that”, Quanyii says and pouts a little.

 Angelo raises his head.

 “So you would help me in this quest to court Ale?”, he asks. The grin that spreads on Quanyii’s face makes Angelo pause. This might not be a good idea.

 “Oh, sweetie, don’t you worry your silly little head. I will give you one tip for free because we have become such good friends during those past few weeks! I know a little secret and that is that Ale does like romance!”

 Angelo feels his face light up with a smile as relief courses through his entire body. He feels like he could do a hundred push-ups right here and now. Maybe even lift Porthos. Or the whole, fallen tree he’s sitting on.

 “Why thank you, Miss Quanyii, that is most helpful!”

 He grabs both of her hands and shakes them as Quanyii giggles.

“You are so very welcome, Angelo. For every other piece of help I’m going to require a little bit of payment. A witch has to make do, you know.”

 Angelo doesn’t really understand but he nods anyway and gets up from the fallen tree trunk.

 “I do not believe that I will need further assistance, now that the issue of romantic attraction has been resolved! Sir Angelo The Strong is back on his feet! Ha ha! Hophophophophophop.”

 “Good luck, brave knight!”, Quanyii calls after him as Angelo runs back towards the camp.

 *

 Now that Angelo knows that Ale is not generally opposed to romance the path seems clear. That is, at least until Angelo arrives back at the place where Ale and Olala made their little fire before.

 The two of them are still there, but both of them are asleep. Ale is sitting with his back against a tree, his legs spread, and Olala has curled up between his legs, her tail gently snoring. Caroline sits by the fire and sharpens her blade.

 She looks up as Angelo enters the clearing.

 “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Angelo”, she says as Angelo stares at Ale’s sleeping form. His long lashes are feathered out on his cheeks and for a second Angelo imagines to brush his fingers over Ale’s cheek and give him a kiss.

 The thought immediately sends his heart into another gallop that would make Porthos proud and Angelo swallows heavily.

 “I cannot report any ghost sightings at this point, Sir—I mean. Caroline.”

 Angelo notices how Caroline’s eyes narrow as she looks him up and down and since Caroline has stated that she has no interest to know anything about Angelo’s love life he tries very hard to respect her wishes and to not look at Ale as if he’s the most beautiful thing that Angelo has ever seen.

 Which he very definitely is.

 “Oh for fuck’s sake, sit down, you oaf”, Caroline snaps and Angelo, still as an automatic response to her authoritative voice, walks over to the fire and sits down next to her.

 “Did you talk to Quanyii?”, she wants to know.

 “Yes. She cleared up a question I had and I thought it would make things easier, but as it turns out, it did not.”

 “I wouldn’t make any deals with her, witches are fickle and cunning creatures.”

 “Babe, you’re being so mean!”

 “Oh, shut it. You know it’s true.”

 “Yes, but when you say it like that it’s mean, mean, mean!”

 Angelo watches them bicker for a while before his eyes drift back over to Ale and Olala. Ale’s hand is resting on Olala’s back and Angelo looks at it for a while. Ale’s hand is much smaller than his and Angelo wonders what it would feel like to hold it. It must be rough from all the sword-fighting, much like Angelo’s hand.

 Maybe Ale doesn’t have any interest in holding Angelo’s hand. Maybe Ale doesn’t like men.

 “What is it now, Angelo”, Caroline asks with an expression on her face that says she might regret asking.

 “I forgot to consider another important thing regarding this whole courting business”, Angelo says and looks at Caroline. Quanyii seems to have vanished into thin air—something Angelo has seen happening multiple times during those last few weeks.

 “Which is?”

 “You made me aware of the possibility of Ale being averse to romantic relationships, but I forgot to consider whether or not Ale would be opposed to romantic relationships to men. I only ever knew one man who liked another man. Lizard. Does it count as a man if it is a lizard? I certainly don’t know. My point stands, though.”

 Caroline sighs deeply and cards through her short her.

 “It seems highly unlike you to ask all these questions instead of simply acting, Angelo”, she says and looks at him with a stern gaze.

 Angelo sighs.

 “Yes, I know. I am afraid I have found my most lethal opponent yet! Matters of the heart! No monster could ever best me in combat, but my own heart is betraying me.”

 Caroline puts her blade to the side and leans forward, her elbows resting on her knees as she looks at Angelo with her piercing eyes.

 “Just talk to him. It’s that easy. No one can ever truly know another person’s heart or thoughts unless they speak them out loud.”

 “Unless you’re a witch”, comes a disembodied sing-song from somewhere above them.

 “Unless you’re a witch in which case you should stay out of people’s heads”, Caroline barks up the tree and looks back at Angelo.

 “I cannot believe that I should turn into a coward for something as simple as talking. It seems highly ridiculous.”

 Caroline shrugs.

 “Emotions are hard. And I... understand your hesitance. But you should not let your feelings rule over your rational thoughts.”

 “That is a very Caroline thing to say, Sir Caroline.”

 “Stop calling me ‘Sir’ already!”

 “Certainly, Sir Caroline.”

 “Ugh.”

 *

 “Ale, can I ask you a personal question?”

 “You can ask anything you want, schoolboy. I can decide whether or not I want to answer.”

 “Oh—yes. That is very reasonable. Thank you. Uh—“

 “Sir knight, are you alright? Did you get sunburnt? Sir Caroline says it is important to not stay outside in the sun for too long!”

 “I am not sunburnt, little Olala.”

 “Ask your question, schoolboy. Is this about gender again?”

 “Uh—no. Not—huh. I suppose it is! But not in the way you think!”

 “Well then, shoot.”

 “This is more about the genders of others, I suppose! A potential paramour, one might say! I have a friend who has a fiancée but who is also involved with a man. Lizard. Male lizard? I am not entirely certain about the lizard’s gender and I was told not to assume. Anyway. What I wanted to ask—“

 “You want to know if I like lizards?”

 “No, that’s not—“

 “I was joking, schoolboy. Calm down. You want to know what kind of people I’m attracted to.”

 “Yes.”

 “I don’t much care about gender, but it doesn’t happen often that I’m attracted to people. Either romantically or sexually.”

 “Oh.”

 “I just don’t fall in love easily. And I don’t find many people hot.”

 “Hm.”

 “Any more questions?”

 “Yes, but I am afraid they would be borderline offensive and highly invasive.”

 “Well then. Let’s keep it at that, schoolboy.”

 *

 “Sir knight, are you feeling okay?”

 “Yes, little Olala.”

 “It’s just that you are usually very loud but you have been very quiet for a while. I recently learned about heatstrokes and it sounds awful and I hope you don’t have a heatstroke, Sir knight.”

 “I don’t think I have anything of the kind, Olala.”

 Olala sits down next to Angelo. He’s leaning against Porthos who’s lying down and nibbling on some grass. Ale and Caroline are investigating something and since Angelo is not the best at clues he offered to stay behind to guard their belongings and also Olala.

 “Most adults do not like to tell children why they’re sad. But if you wanted to, I would certainly listen.”

 “That’s very kind of you, Olala. Have you ever liked someone?”

 “Of course! I like so many people!”

 “Ah, yes. Hm. And were you ever scared to tell any of these people that you like them?”

 “No, Sir knight. I grew up in the Garden of Graves and we tended to the dead and my sisters always taught me that it is important to speak your heart while the people you love are alive, for you never know when they might die and then you can’t tell them anymore.”

 “That is... very wise, Olala.”

 “Thank you, Sir knight! My sisters taught me a great many things and I am honored to pass their wisdom on to others.”

 Angelo looks down at Olala’s small form and ruffles her hair.

 “I will take it to heart!”, he promises.

 *

 “Hey, Angelo. Can I talk to you for a moment?”

 They make camp by a river and Caroline takes Olala for a bath. Angelo turns around to look at Ale, who tied his long braids into a top knot. He’s wearing a white tunic that is a little too big for him and allows Angelo a view of Ale’s collarbone.

 Angelo tries very hard not to stare because he refuses to be disrespectful any more than he already was when they first met.

 “Of course, Ale.”

 Ale looks at him. Angelo would never trust himself to read people’s behavior—that has never been his forté. But he could swear that Ale looks almost a bit nervous; something that Angelo hasn’t seen on him so far.

 “So, remember that talk we had? About how I might like lizards or not?”, Ale begins and Angelo winces a little.

 “It was poorly worded and I apologize—“

 “It’s fine, Angelo. That’s not what this is about. But... you remember what I said. About not being attracted to people often?”

 “Yes. I remember.”

 “Why did you want to know that?”

 Angelo takes a deep breath and scratches the back of his head.

 “I—uh. Well”, he starts, then doesn’t know how to continue. He remembers the talks he had with Caroline and Olala and straightens his back. Sir Angelo the Strong will not back down from a challenge. Any challenge!

 “I would like to court you, Ale.”

 Ale blinks. Once, twice, three times.

 He opens his mouth, then closes it again.

 “You—what?”

 “Courting. I would like to court you. Woo you. Win you over. In the romantic sense. But I was not sure if that was something that would make you uncomfortable, so I tried to figure out if you might be opposed against courtship. By men. Or anyone.”

 Ale takes two steps towards him and Angelo has the great need to spread his arms and pull Ale close to him, but he doesn’t. He’s asking for permission and he will not ruin this by overstepping boundaries.

 A slight chuckle pulls him back to reality and he sees Ale’s eyes twinkle, the corners of his lips turned upwards.

 “Are you asking me on a date, schoolboy?”, Ale asks. His playful smile is doing things to Angelo he can’t describe because he is not Damien. But man, he almost feels the need to write a poem about that smile. That is how badly smitten he is with this wonderful, splendid man standing in front of him.

 “I suppose so! Ale, will you allow me to take you on a date?”

 Ale takes another step and raises his hand to softly flip one finger against Angelo’s forehead.

 “I thought you’d never ask.”

[alyssaallyrion]

How much of that did you hear? (Iruka x Kakashi)

Rating: T

Summary: In which Kakashi eavesdrops on a conversation and learns something he wasn't supposed to.

A/N: 

- Written for KakaIru Month ( hosted by @kakairu-fest ) Day 17 Prompts: Drunk Confessions.

- - Drunk confessions prompt combined with Bewitchedbysparkles's request for "KakaIru, with "How much of that did you hear?""

ao3 link

The soft click of the window latch brings a satisfied smile to Kakashi’s face - finally. Sliding the window open, Kakashi glances around before slipping into the darkness of Iruka’s apartment. Quickly now, before he gets back. 

It all started a few weeks ago, when Kakashi, a little too deep into his cups after a particularly difficult mission, decided to ask Guy for romantic advice, which, in hindsight, perhaps, was not his smartest decision.

“Guy,” Kakashi remembered saying, “If you were…interested in someone, how would you let them know?”

Guy looked up from his sake, suddenly serious, “Why, Kakashi? Has someone finally caught your eye?”

Yes,  he thought.

“I’m just asking,” Kakashi said nonchalantly, resting his chin on his palm.

“I’d simply tell them of my heart’s most sincere affections,” Guy smiled at Kakashi, “There’s nothing to fear when the power of youth is on your side.”

Kakashi sighed – if he could “simply talk” to Iruka, he’d never be in this position in the first place. But Kakashi had never been good with feelings – or with words when it came to talking about those feelings. As far as Kakashi was concerned, facing multiple S-rank criminals was less terrifying than the way his heart threatened to burst out of his chest any time Iruka smiled at him.

No, this won’t do.

Kakashi’s own list of ideas was running rather thin. It seemed Iruka hadn’t figured out that turning in terrible mission reports and sitting in a tree outside his classroom window reading Icha Icha were Kakashi’s ways of showing interest. Let’s see if Guy has any other thoughts.

“And if you couldn’t tell them, how would you make your feelings known?”

Guy was quiet for a moment, pondering, then a bright smile returned to his face, “I would get them a heartfelt gift – something I know they’d love - which would reveal the depth of my affections.”

A gift? That Kakashi could do.

Kakashi smiled – with Iruka’s birthday coming up next month, this was the perfect time. There was only one problem – he had no idea what kind of gift Iruka would want to receive.  That left Kakashi with a few choices, most obvious of which – at least to him – was to sneak into Iruka’s apartment and look around in hopes of finding clues to what Iruka liked.

Now, standing inside Iruka’s dark apartment, Kakashi glances around, studying his surroundings. The first thing Kakashi notices is just how cozy the space is – it’s clear Iruka put in a lot of effort into making his apartment a true home. There’s a scent of cinnamon in the air, warm and rich, matching quilts rest atop couch and armchairs in the living room, and the many potted plants standing upon the windowsills are clearly cared for very well. Unlike any plant that had the misfortune of finding itself in Kakashi’s own apartment. 

Kakashi notes the few paintings on the walls – all clearly drawn by a child, likely Naruto, and lovingly framed by Iruka. A tall bookshelf next to the couch catches Kakashi’s attention, and he walks over to it. The middle shelf is empty, save for two photographs - in the first one, a ten-year-old Iruka is standing between his parents, smiling brightly at the camera, and, in the second one, an already adult Iruka is standing with Naruto, whose happy smile rivals his own. Kakashi’s heart clenches as he feels familiar guilt uncoil in his chest.

Naruto was the son of his sensei, and Kakashi knows that he should have been taking care of him all those years, yet he cannot bring himself to get close to the boy – instead, he watches from a distance.

But with Iruka in his life, Naruto should be alright. 

Consumed by his thoughts, Kakashi doesn’t hear the voices outside the apartment door until it’s too late. The key turns in the lock, and Kakashi has only a split second to make a decision. Quickly, he returns the picture to the shelf, then glances around and darts to a door, which, as it turns out, leads to a tiny closet.

There isn’t enough space to stand comfortably between cleaning supplies and storage boxes, but Kakashi is hardly in any position to complain. He tries to stay as still as possible, conceals his chakra signature, and listens.  

The apartment door finally opens.

“Oh, new plants?” he hears Anko’s voice, “Good addition – I must say, they make the room look quite cozy.”

“Thank you,” Iruka replies, then adds, “Please, make yourself at home – I’ll go to the kitchen and get us something to drink. What would you like?”

“Something strong,” Anko chuckles, and Kakashi hears her plop down on the couch.

By their voices, Kakashi can tell that both Iruka and Anko are very drunk – which is to be expected, since Kakashi picked this particular night to break into Iruka’s apartment specifically because he knew that Iruka, Kotetsu, Izumo, Anko, Genma, and Raido were headed to the “Broken Kunai” to celebrate Kotetsu and Izumo’s engagement.

The sound of steps followed by glass clanking against wood notifies Kakashi that Iruka has returned.

“Oh,” Anko says excitedly, “That’s some good stuff. Though I’m a little surprised – never pegged you for the type to drink something like this.”

“Double shifts at the Mission Desk three days in a row would do that to a person,” Iruka laughs, and Kakashi hears the sound of liquid being poured into cups.

“I can only imagine,” Anko replies.

Silence falls upon them for a moment. Kakashi shifts uncomfortably, trying to make as little noise as possible – his legs already start to feel stiff from leaning over the boxes at his feet – and hopes that Anko and Iruka’s late-night drinking session will be over soon.

“So,” Anko starts slowly, “About that thing I asked you at the bar…”

“Do you have to bring it up again?” Iruka sighs.

“Oh, come on, Iruka,” Anko says, “Don’t be like this. I always tell you everything.”

“You don’t have to always tell me everything,” Iruka chuckles, not unkindly.

“We are friends,” Anko protests, “And that’s what friends do. So, it’s only natural for me to want to know what’s going on in my friend’s romantic life.”

Kakashi leans closer to the door, straining to catch every word.

“You don’t have to ask in front of everyone,” Iruka says after a pause.

“Well, luckily, now it’s just the two of us, and you have no excuse,” Kakashi can almost hear Anko smirk, “So tell me – is there something going on between you and Kakashi? I’ve seen the way he stares at you – and how you smile at him when you think no one’s looking.”

Kakashi’s breath hitches in his throat.

“Nothing’s going on,” Iruka replies, and almost palpable disappointment in his voice sends Kakashi’s heart racing in his chest.

“But you want it to,” Anko nudges him on, “I know you do – the blush on your face doesn’t lie.”

Iruka is silent for a moment. Kakashi holds his breath and feels his heart pound in his head, waiting for Iruka to respond.

“Yes,” he says finally.

It feels as though the room spins around him, and Kakashi has to hold on to the wall to still himself. He can hardly believe his ears - <em>Iruka likes him?</em>

“Aha, I knew it! I knew you liked him!” Anko exclaims victoriously, then adds after a pause, “Although, to be perfectly honest, I don’t know what you see in him.”

Kakashi smirks at Anko’s words – it was a mystery to him too why anyone would want to date her, and, yet, it seemed she never had a shortage of admirers.

“I…I can’t explain it,” Iruka says, “It’s just - he makes me <em>feel</em> things in a way that no one else does. Seeing him smile under his mask and blush makes me so weak – I immediately want to take him out on a nice date and do anything to make him happy…”

Kakashi feels heat rise to his cheeks, and he can barely contain a smile.

“Ah, that’s so sweet,” Anko says teasingly, but Iruka just chuckles.

“But then,” he continues, “Sometimes he just riles me up with that awful attitude – and even worse penmanship when it comes to his reports – and all I want to do is to drag him out of the Mission Room, get on top of him, wrap my hands around his throat and ride him all night long.”

Kakashi’s head spins and, suddenly, it feels unbearably hot in the small closet. Iruka wants to…what? Heat spreads through Kakashi’s body, pooling in his lower stomach, making it hard to think clearly. His mind races, and the world around him suddenly shrinks to just one thought – Iruka, on top of him, doing exactly what he just promised. Kakashi would be lying if he said he’d never imagined himself with Iruka that way – but never before were the images so vivid, and never before did the fantasy feel so real.

“Eww, how filthy,” Anko laughs.

“You’ve told me worse things,” Iruka replies, “Besides, I have a feeling you’ve gotten me drunk precisely to hear something like that.”

“Ah, you wound me,” Anko chuckles, “But you might be on to something. How else could I get the prim and proper Academy sensei to talk about his dirty fantasies involving a certain jonin?”

“You are evil,” Iruka laughs.

“And you love me for it,” Anko replies easily.

Suddenly, Kakashi can hear the window slide open, and someone else enters the apartment. Quiet whispers follow, but he doesn’t try to make out any words – his mind is still preoccupied with conjuring up images of him and Iruka together. His blush deepens, familiar heat courses through his veins, and for a moment, Kakashi’s almost scared that the resounding beat of his heart may betray his hiding spot.

“Well,” Anko says after a moment, “Looks like it’s time for me to head out. Sorry to cut the evening short, but duty calls.”

“We could always continue tomorrow,” Iruka offers lightly, “It’s not like I can drink all this by myself.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Anko replies, and Kakashi can hear her climbing out the window.

With Anko gone, Kakashi realizes that Iruka will likely go to sleep soon. Then he can get out of here and try to find another way to figure out what to give Iruka for his birthday…

Distracted by his thoughts, Kakashi doesn’t even notice that he’s leaning against one of the shelves – until he sends a box standing there crashing to the floor with a loud thud. Before he can figure out what to do, the door to the closet flings open, and he sees Iruka standing in front of him, holding kunai in one hand.

“Kakashi-san,” he breathes out, stunned, “What are you doing here?”

Kakashi knows he needs to say something, anything, but all he can do is stare. Drunk Iruka looks so delightfully disheveled with his tousled hair, his flushed cheeks, and his swollen lips that all Kakashi can think of for the moment is how much he’d like to ravage him right then and there.

The silence stretches as Kakashi desperately scrambles to retain some semblance of rational thinking.

“I…uh…was just passing by,” he offers weakly.

As soon as the words leave his lips, Kakashi wants nothing more than for the ground beneath his feet to open and swallow him whole. <em>That might be the most ridiculous thing he’s ever said.</em> It seems that even in his drunk state, Iruka knows that because a moment later, he bursts out laughing.

“That is the stupidest excuse I’ve ever received,” he manages to utter through his laughter.

Kakashi doesn’t argue.

Once Iruka’s done laughing, his face grows suddenly serious.

“I have to ask – how much of <em>that</em> did you hear?”

“Everything,” Kakashi says, resigned.

His heart drops in his chest – he knows Iruka has every right to be angry with him for eavesdropping on his private conversation. Did he just ruin everything? Iruka will probably never want to see him again after this… When Kakashi finally manages to meet Iruka’s gaze, he’s surprised – there is no anger in his eyes, only amusement.

“Oh my,” Iruka murmurs softly, and then a smile blooms on his lips, “Well, I suppose this makes it easier. So, what do you think – would you like to…”

Before Iruka could finish his sentence – before he could even think, Kakashi’s fingers reach for the zipper of his flak jacket. Kakashi’s face is aflame, and he’s never been more embarrassed and turned on in his life. He knows he shouldn’t – but after aching for Iruka’s touch for so long, he can hardly deny himself.

The confused expression on Iruka’s face makes Kakashi’s hand still.

“Huh?” Iruka says, lifting an eyebrow, “Kakashi-san, who do you take me for? I’m taking you on a date first.”

This man will be the death of him.

[chininirisart]

Backfire | iv: Preparations > On FF.Net and AO3

Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan Pairing: Levi/Mikasa Ackerman | RivaMika Genres: General/Romance Universe: Canon divergent AU Warning/Notes: - Status: In-progress Summary: To destroy the evidences, they must join the Survey Corps and bond with Humanity’s Strongest.

One hour after breakfast, their training began.

In these minutes that they had free, they sat on the slope of a hill and watched as groups of cadets made their ways to different destinations, hands working on the buckles of their gears and tugging on the straps to make sure they were secure. Little to no plans were made as they relaxed against the grass and watched people go this direction and that, the thin blades, fragile blades beneath them tickling their bare hands.

Ackerman was within one the groups, walking behind her team and a group of people he did not recognize, quietly listening to the bespectacled person trailing alongside her. He had seen them when he was forced to introduce himself to the rest of the Corps, though he could not tell if they were male or female; not that it mattered to him, anyways, so long as they did not prove to be a pain in the ass and stayed out of his way.

When they did reach the meeting place, Flagon was standing just outside the path that led to a crop of the woods looking very much displeased with the unwanted addition to his group. Levi refused to look him in the eyes as he passed by him and entered the trail, his two friends close behind. Furlan once again conjured an apology to his rude greeting – or lack of thereof – blaming it on a sleepless night; their squad leader did not seem to believe it much, and Levi could not give two shits if he chose to buy it or not.

It was cool in the woods. Very few spots of light made it through the dense canopy and reached the earthy ground, illuminating random spots on the forest floor. First he saw the sunset, then he had the chance of experiencing a small trek through the woods as depicted in an old, old book he had a child, one of the very few things his mother had bought to spoil him. His lips twitched as his heart clenched in his chest at the memory of her that was growing fainter and fainter over the years. He has no picture of her and the only material thing he has that belonged to her, her favorite shirt, has been left behind in his old home.

In the end, they are to demonstrate how well they could use the maneuvering equipment. He knows that it will not be as easy as planned given the way everyone looks at him with disdain simply because of his origins. If anything, their reactions only fuel his desire to show off and rub it in their faces that he is much better than they give him credit for; a mere glance at Furlan and Isabel tells him that they both feel the same. One does not judge a book by the cover, so they should not judge them simply because they grew up in the slums. For all he knows, they should at least be baffled that they managed to get this far without a missing limb or tooth.  

Once they get to the starting point, the bespectacled person is there. They probably split ways since the last time he saw both them and Ackerman with their teams, and now they stand before him with crossed arms and brown eyes swiveling about the branches as they watch the members of their team practicing their skills with the equipment. Hands fall to their sides when they notice the small group approaching and a wide grin breaks out in their features.

“Hey!” They lift a hand in greeting; Furlan is the only one that has the heart to reciprocate it in this moment. “I’m Hanji Zoe! Saw you guys being introduced yesterday. How are you liking the Corps so far?”

“It’s not that bad,” Isabel replies with a shrug of her shoulders. “The view’s pretty nice, though.”

“Ah, yes, yes, it is.” Hanji tilts their head up to look at the leaves dancing in the wind above their heads. “You should see outside the walls, nothing compares to that.”

“Can’t wait for that!”

Zoe grins at the girl’s enthusiasm. “I heard Erwin speaking to Mikasa about the next expedition. Rest assured that it will happen soon.”

That catches his interest. Now that she mentions this little fact, he realizes that Ackerman and Smith must be really close, and she seems easier to approach than the one that led their capture. Perhaps if he gets close enough to her, he can gather some valuable pieces of information.

“That’s nice and all, Hanji,” Flagon interrupts brusquely, “but it won’t happen for at least another month until they are ready to leave.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’re good to go.” Zoe says as they tap a finger to their chin. “I’ve heard stories about their skills and prowess.”

Their squad leader’s anger seems to increase just as much as Isabel’s ego inflates in that moment. “Just shut up.”

Levi goes first, handling the swords in his usual fashion as he shoots the grapple hook to a tree branch above, soundlessly landing on the wood and readying himself for the start. It is not hard controlling the equipment, not at all, though he has to admit that flying through the woods is much different from doing it back in the underground. Whereas the air used to be dry, here it is fresh and damp and smells distinctively better. There are flashes of color coming from his sides; there are much more sounds and much more elements to be aware of. He only narrowly dodges a thin twig sticking out from the branch, sharp enough to cut his cheek and draw blood, and focuses on trying to find the dummies.

There is one not much far ahead and he readies himself, fingers tightening around the handle of his blades and eyes calculating. Though he has never seen one, he knows that Titans are unpredictable creatures, not as much as humans, but the ones present in this target course made it pretty clear that they want to see them fail, so it is a well-known fact that they will do what they can to have them fall. With that in mind, he prepares for a change of course as he approaches the dummy.

As expected, it turns in his direction as he closes in fast, pulleys squeaking from their perch on trees as they are forced to work too quickly. A well-aimed grapple to the bark of a tree has him gliding beneath the flat head of the dummy and with a quick spin of his body, the grapple flies and seizes another tree across from him, splintering the thick husk beneath. With ease and grace, he slices the pillow-like spot on the nape of its neck, leaving a deep cut where his swords once touched.

Isabel is cheering loudly when he lands on the floor. Furlan has that smug smirk on his face and Hanji is slow clapping, slack jawed and wide eyed. He looks at Flagon then, really looks him in the eye, and finds immense pleasure to know that he is silently fuming at his success.

He holds his horse by the reins, staring into its black eyes that match the color of its fur.

The next thing they do after some long hours of boring training in the wooded area is go to the stables. Each one of them gets a horse; each one of them has to bond with their horse or else their chances of survival outside the walls decreases drastically. He was never good with people and looking at it now, he starts to believe that he is not good with animals either. Isabel is already galloping around at top speed, laughing at the top of her lungs, and Furlan has been gently petting his mare on the snout for the past ten minutes.

So far, all he managed to do was pet his horse on the neck and stand about three feet away.

It cannot be helped, he supposes. Despite the fact that he hates when it is pointed out, his height is somewhat short for someone of his gender and age. A horse is a slightly intimidating being when you catch yourself wondering if you can even mount it without any help at all. Thankfully, Flagon had to leave to attend to some business; if he were there to witness it, he would never stop giving him hell for it and would most likely suggest that they get him a miniature pony.

Church makes his first attempt at mounting his mare. His feet get caught in the stirrup and he loses his balance for a moment, wobbling dangerously until his other leg finds purchase on the animal’s other side and he balances himself on the saddle. He shifts as he tests his position and caresses its mane before gathering the reins in his hands and giving its sides an experimental nudge. The horse trots forward after his second try, its pace is slow and leisure, but it is moving nonetheless.

Levi is still the only one that is painfully grounded on the floor, still unsure of how to start. He glances at his horse again, wondering if it is looking at him expectantly, and decides that he is comfortable just where he is, with both his feet on the ground. He is not used to asking others for help, so he cannot tell if he can even ask Isabel for some advice. He has always been the one that knew how to do everything, anyway.

“Watch out!”

He is jerked away from his thoughts when a scream reaches his ears, followed by an impossibly high neigh and hooves slamming on the grass beneath their feet. A horse runs in their direction as fast as its legs can carry it and the rider looks visibly shaken, hands tightly holding the reins and eyes just as tightly shut. Furlan’s horse startles by the sudden commotion and begins to rise to its hind legs. Levi can only watch from his spot where roots seem to have grown around his feet as his friend struggles to maintain his position, and he is quickly aided by Isabel, who evaded the horse and ran to his side, fingers just barely managing to grasp the leather strip and calm the animal down.

With his heart still beating at the front of their throat, he notices from the sidelines as another horse enters the scene, much faster than the one running aimlessly around, its brown fur shimmering red in the midday sun, the white of her mare and tail wiping behind her. He knows who the rider is before he even sees her. It seems she is everywhere, at different places all at once. And she is fast; it only takes her a handful of seconds to reach the spooked horse and seize it by the reins, slowing down to a stop and immediately dismounting from her own steed. Her hands are tugging her subordinate away from the horse and practically dragging a shocked, mostly limp body to the side, away from dangerous hooves and anything that can induce injury.

The members of Flagon’s team immediately approach the other captain, all hovering around or kneeling close to the cadet she rescued. It is a boy with skinny limbs despite all the muscle that must lay beneath his clothes and skin, with unnaturally full cheeks and hair that falls over his eyes and ears. “Damnit, Borlov,” she hisses as she checks for his vital pulse; the woman that has been keeping watch over Isabel for the past thirty minutes aids her in moving the unconscious boy. “Can you take him to the infirmary? I have to keep my eyes on the other two.”

“Yes, captain.” The rest of Flagon’s group help the woman haul the body up and away from her reach, moving at an impressive speed back to the castle.

She stands as she watches them go, hands tightly curled by her sides. “They were just waiting for an opportunity to get rid of us,” Furlan states as he approaches her and she turns around to face him. “You are much better company than them, anyway.”

“I know most of them give you all hell most of the time,” she easily overlooks his not so subtle compliment and strides towards the horses, “but that’s their way of coping with the fact that you know how to use the equipment rather well.” Her lips purse and her squinted eyes turn heavenward.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Captain.” Isabel reassures her with a smile. “It was just a scare. Here, I’ll take care of the horses for you.”

Ackerman watches as she approaches the previously spooked horse and rubs its neck comfortingly. “I see you’re good with animals,” she muses in a low voice, but gives the younger woman no chance to reply and marches away towards her steed.

The horse nudges her shoulder and she places her palm on its snout, gliding it along its length as she lets a brief smile flash only for her mare to see. With a gentle slap on its back, she urges it to wander away freely to graze on the vibrant grass and watches both Magnolia and Church leading the horse back to the stable for the time being, taking their own along. It is only when Ackerman turns that she spots him standing there standing an awkward distance away from his new teammate.

She has covered half the distance between them when her lips part, “Never ridden a horse before?”

“No, there were plenty of horses in the underground.” A scowl follows his sarcastic remark. “What do you think, brat? Of course not.”

“I think you need to work on your attitude because it will make me regret ever entertaining the idea of trying to teach a midget like you. My patience is running pretty thin today.” She is calm as ever, voice slightly less detached than it was on the previous day when they were heading for the castle. “Just place your feet in the stirrup and use momentum to mount on it.”

He lets his glare linger on her face for one moment longer before he does as she said, using his feet still on the ground to kick away from the terrain and swings his leg over to the other side of the animal’s torso. His rough landing is a clear sign that he needs more practice and he fumbles to hook his other feet on the other stirrup.

“I’ll give you a quick overview and in a few days you should be fine.” Her hands grab his arm and shin, pulling them back. He feels his face contorting at the invasion of his personal space, but as usual, she ignores him. “Keep a straight line from your head to your heels, shoulders and elbows aligned with it, and keep your back upright.” Her palm is on his lower back in the next moment, and he naturally leans away from her touch, straightening his spine as she advised.

Next, she is adjusting his feet. “Keep the balls of your feet on the stirrup and point your toes to the sky, it helps.” Ackerman flexes his ankles until they are in the desired position and lastly she adds, speaking faster than before. “Remember to keep your thighs squeezed around your horse and start with gentle kicks of your heels to its side. You’ll eventually figure out what gets your horse moving.”

Ackerman moves away from him just as Furlan and Isabel enter his line of vision. Her lips curl inwards and she whistles sharply, and her horse responds to her call immediately, trotting to her side. She is graceful as she mounts her horse, her face turned to the side as she watches the rest of her team that has been left unattended for the past five minutes or so. She is far from them in the next second, shouting orders at her subordinates and getting them to follow her to the other side of the field.

Furlan whistles, obviously impressed by the sight. “Boy, she’s fast.”

Indeed, she is. Ackerman got him on the horse in less than a minute and he did not even realize it until she was gone.

[findingbalancecomic]

Canon Information about my version of the Zodiac Signs

Appearance

When they are extremely angry, the Zodiac Signs’ eyes will go completely black. However, they can still see perfectly fine. This is not a mechanism for protecting their eyes in preparation for a battle, it is simply a warning sign to others to back off or they will strike. This also happens if a sign loses their sanity. When attacking, the Signs will bare their teeth and display sharp canines as both an attack and defense mechanism. It is also used as a scare tactic in some instances. The Zodiac Signs have their designated symbol visible on a part of their bodies. No one Zodiac Sign has their symbol in the same place, which is one of the things that make them unique. These symbols glow when the signs are using their abilities.

Abilities Each group of the Zodiac: Air, Water, Fire, and Earth, has their own abilities based on what group they are in. Air Signs are able to fly and hover in the air and run at very fast speeds. Water Signs are able to bend water and use it as a weapon, turn into mermaids in order to swim quickly underwater, and walk on water. Fire Signs are able to conjure fire out of thin air, use it as a weapon or for light or warmth and walk through fire. Earth Signs are able to make flowers, plants and trees grow, but also able to cause earthquakes and control the movement of tectonic plates to their will. All of the Zodiac signs can combine powers with one another to create a different power altogether. For example, Air mixed with Fire would be Flamethrower. Other combinations include Air and Water (Hurricane), Air and Earth (Tornado), Water and Fire (Fire Rain), Water and Earth (Flood), and Fire and Earth (Volcanic Explosion). In addition to their group abilities, each sign has their own personal ability that is unique to them. For example, Libra is a healer, and Sagittarius is able to summon fire arrows for combat. Cancer can see auras and interpret them.

Ruling Planets Each Sign has their own ruling Planet. These Planets have human-like forms just like the Signs. They are considered as parental figures for each Sign, and give the Signs advice and guide them when they are feeling lost. The ruling Planets and Signs are spiritually connected, so when one is troubled or in danger, the other will feel as if they need to help them. Ruling Planets can only appear to the Signs in dreams, they cannot appear to them in a physical form. Some Signs technically have two rulers, one ancient and one modern. This is because some of the more modern Planets were not discovered when the Signs were “born”. Virgo, Taurus, Aquarius, Scorpio, and Pisces each have an ancient and a modern ruler respectively. Virgo’s rulers are Mercury and Chiron, Taurus’ rulers are Venus and Ceres, Aquarius’ rulers are Saturn and Uranus, Scorpio’s rulers are Mars and Pluto, and Pisces’ rulers are Jupiter and Neptune. Taurus’ and Virgo’s modern rulers are very new, so they have not yet been universally accepted. As such, Taurus and Virgo are still attached to their ancient rulers.

Purpose The purpose of the Zodiac Signs is to keep the universe in balance. They do this by acting like a family, keeping each other stable mentally and physically. One sign being unbalanced can negatively affect the whole universe, whether it is a minor or major effect. If a Sign does become unbalanced, they will rely on help from the rest of the Signs, and possibly even their ruling Planet if the situation is too grave for the Signs to handle on their own.

Love All of the Zodiac Signs are capable of feeling love. The love felt can be either platonic or romantic. All of the signs are also polyamorous, so they are fine with each other having multiple partners. Sometimes a relationship will fall apart or lose its spark. When that happens, the Sign(s) involved will feel mild grief for about a day, and proceed to move on with their lives, possibly even finding a new partner in the process. Most of the signs will not yearn to have their previous partner back, as they do not believe in living in the past. All of the Zodiac Signs platonically and respectfully feel love for their ruling planets, similar to the relationship between a parent and a child. 

Age Zodiac Signs have no specific age, as they have been around for a long time and no one truly knows exactly how old each one is. However, in their respective groups (Air, Water, Fire, and Earth), the general ages go as follows from youngest to oldest: Air Signs: Libra, Gemini, Aquarius Fire Signs: Leo, Sagittarius, Aries Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn Water Signs: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio

Leaders of the Zodiac These Signs are those who like to take charge or feel comfort in being in control. There is one leader for each elemental group. Capricorn: Earth, Scorpio: Water, Aquarius: Air, Aries: Fire. These Signs are the ones who will stand at the front lines for a battle, and who will, as a group themselves, make important decisions that will affect them and/or the rest of the Signs. 

Hosts Each Zodiac Sign has a “host”. This “host” is a human on Earth that their personality is based on. In a way, it’s like their human counterpart. The Signs call each other by the name of the sign they represent, but they use the name of a Sign’s host on rare occasions such as intimacy. When called by their host’s name, the Sign may have a hologram-like image of their host flicker in front of them, with the same expression and the same position that the Sign is in. (I will post a drawing as an example of this later) If the host of the Sign is feeling a strong emotion, that will affect the Sign’s mood as well. If the host of the Sign passes away, the Sign will feel a sudden and strong sense of loss. Over the next few days, they will appear to be mourning until a connection is made with a new host.