#credens clothing

[yourvirtualgoddessforlife]

Where do I think the MW2 cast live?

Headcanons on locations and what their homes look like :)

Alejandro, Gaz, Ghost, Graves, König, Price, Ruddy, Soap

A/N: I always list characters in alphabetical order because any other order makes my brain itch 🤷

~~~~~

Alejandro

He has a moderate sized house not too far outside of Las Almas

In game he didn't tell Soap where his family is to protect them so it makes sense he'd keep them distant from Las Almas for their safety

It's a big house

You two get plenty of space to keep your stuff and the spare rooms are for visiting friends and family

He fills every wall he can with photos of you, his family, and his friends

Overall his house is very cozy with soft seats and nice wooden furniture

But he also decorates with his heart, there are sentimental items throughout the house

Gaz

A small London apartment

His accent screams London and I think city life suits him

London prices are high so the apartment has only the space you need, no spares rooms except for a home office if you need one

Gaz has a driving license but doesn't have a car because he is too use to the convenience of London public transport, there's a bus stop right outside the building

His decorating style is clothes on the floor 😮‍💨

The guarantee is really good electronics

Nice TV, fancy coffe machine, roomba

This guy even owns an air fryer

Ghost

Outskirt of a village or a remote location

Simon is from Manchester but following his childhood there I don't think he'd be happy living there

I also can't imagine him enjoying bustling cities or even towns

He's a private man and he wants to keep you safe so having more than five neighbours is a no-go

His decorating skills are non existent

You have to decorate and he'll just help you assemble furniture

Has one room in the house with no windows and it's just filled with blankets and pillows, he does not explain this and you just have to accept it's there

Graves

This is entirely because I love the idea, a ranch

Or maybe if I'm being more realistic it's a decent sized house in a suburban area

But the ranch idea is more fun so let's work with that

It's about a forty minute drive from the nearest city

It's a really big place, bigger than it needs to be

On enof those where the garage is separate to the main house

The bedroom has a giant bed and en suite bathroom

His kitchen has a table that seats more people than you know

Giant TV in front of the comfiest sofa you've ever experienced

He loves you and spoils you so he wants you to live in luxury

König

Welcome to: I know a lot about Europe except for Austria!

König had a bit of trouble while looking for places to live because he's too tall for doorways

I was looking at the standard door height in most countries and the highest was 6'8". Poor guy.

Door issue aside he'd like his privacy and he has social anxiety so I think he'd be another city hater

His house is probably big but it doesn't feel like it

1) because he's massive and so everything seems small in comparison

2) he's a fan of organised mess

Something about filling a house to the brim with stuff you like and definitely need is soothing

And you can't call it a mess because according to him everything is organised

How else would he know where everything is?

Price

His home country of Herefordshire (I don't blame him, the place is nice)

I don't think we ever learn where in Herefordshire he is from so I'll presume he was from the city of Hereford and I can't see him living there still

It's a nice city but the villages are nicer but there is another reason

Price was part of the SAS (Special Air Service) which is based in Hereford. More specifically the base is just outside the village of Creden Hill.

His house has such a comforting vibe to it

The low ceilings with the wooden beams

Wooden flooring with a really soft rug

Sofas with lovely cushions and throw blankets

10/10 I love village houses (biased)

Ruddy

In Olmeda, Las Almas

I think Ruddy would be in a similar mindset of Alejandro in regards to keeping his S/O a secret and Olemda doesn't receive too much cartel activity

For reference Olemda is the town in the campaign during the mission hardpoint... The one you mostly blow up using a helicopter. Whoops

Asides from that little incident the town isn't too far from Las Almas and isn't entirely ravaged by the cartel

The most lived in room in the kitchen

You too cool together and eat together and then sit at the table and just talk for hours

Because of this the kitchen is the most loved room

Soap

One of the towns outside of Glasgow

I don't know from which part of Scotland Soap is from but I feel like he likes Glasgow

One of the few guys on this list aside from Gaz who likes living in cities

There's more shops and they're easier to get around. Oh, and more restaurants! (He can hardly take you to a restaurant for a date if there aren't any around)

He knows your neighbour's names, how many pets they have, and when they last went on holiday

He spends a lot of time on the front garden just talking to them when they bump into each other

I hate to say this but he probably has a "Man-Cave" but it's a cool room and he asks you to spend time in there with him

It has a darts board, how could you say no??

[imagines-ahs]

Chapter Three - White.

Summary: Wilhemina Venable felt it was finally time to leave Kineros Robotics and get a job with people who weren’t such morons like Jeff and Mutt. What she didn’t expect, however, was for her new boss to be so damn insufferable. She didn’t expect to fall in love with her, either.

Tag List: @devriesgoode @mistysswampmud @paulsonsratched (message me to be added if interested!)

TW: Brief mentions of murder.

“I’m aware.” Billie Dean was the one to show some attitude, now. Wilhemina Venable worked for her, after all. And as she had already admitted to herself, the situation was urgent. “But I’m also aware Jenny has let you know I would need you on set sometimes. That’s one of these times. A car will come pick you up in half an hour. Bring pen and paper.” And with that, Billie Dean hung up. Who did Wilhemina Venable think she was?

Indeed, the car arrived in thirty minutes. Wilhemina fumed. She carried that stupid notepad in hand as well as a pen, coral in color. For fuck’s sake, why is everything coral?! In her anger-filled state, it didn’t occur to Venable that everything she owned was one color, too. All she knew was that she was annoyed and mad and that those colors crashed horribly with her purple skirt and shirt. 

The driver opened the door, greeting Wilhemina with a smile. She glared at him and got to the backseat, not saying a word. Just because Billie Dean was famous didn’t mean she could do anything she wanted. What am I even going to do in that stupid place? Her jaw was as hard as a rock as she sat on the backseat. 

It didn’t take more than thirty minutes for the car to park in front of a huge mansion. Wilhemina was surprised with how fast the ride was. As she stepped outside, brown eyes looked up; the building was old. It radiated a melancholic, almost nostalgic feeling. Cameras were all around, and people yelled over to each other nonstop. It was overwhelming. Calmingly and as collected as always, Venable began walking to the entrance. 

“Ma’am,” someone yelled. “You’re not allowed in this property. We’re filming.”

Great. Now this. Wilhemina turned around to the man wearing a ‘crew’ jacket. “I’m with Ms. Howard.”

“Do you have your credentials?”

What? Wilhemina leaned onto the cane, purse on the other arm. “No, I do not. It was a last time arrangement.”

“I’m so sorry, ma’am. I can’t let you in without a creden—“

“She’s with me,” Billie Dean cut the man as she stepped on the doorway. The man nodded and apologized before going back to work. 

Venable looked over to Billie Dean; she now had a glow to her that was provided by the professional makeup contrasting with such a dark background, her hair shone in bright shades of gold and her clothes accentuated her frame. Still, Wilhemina was pissed. “What should I do?” She asked without even saying hello. 

Billie Dean glared at her. Had they had more time, she’d show a little attitude to Venable as well. But they were in a rush. “Follow me.” And so, she led the way inside, walking swiftly through the cameras and cables and all the crew. Inside, the mansion was just as huge and just as old as it was outside. “Did you bring your MacBook?”

At the question, Wilhemina felt herself growing small. She had forgotten to grab it. So, instead of caving in, she stood up even straighter. “No, I did not. You didn’t tell me I had to.”

Billie Dean stopped in front of a chair and pinched the bridge of her nose. She sighed. “I told you the e-mails were sent to you.” Besides all the stress from work, that mansion was fucking loud; so many souls tried contacting her. This one was a real one. Four murders that were known of, and not a single person had lived there ever since the last one. Billie Dean could definitely understand why; she wanted to leave, already. 

“I assumed that was an explanation of why you needed me here, given I’ve read all of them.” Venable’s palm was sweating against her cane. Like it or not, Billie Dean was her boss, and she hated not doing her job right. 

“I suppose that’ll have to do.” Billie Dean sighed once again, now letting go of her nose. Someone called for her, and she waved at them before looking back at Venable. “I need you to write down every single break we have.”

“Isn’t that on the report?” Wilhemina arched an eyebrow. 

“You work on the reports. No one else can collect such information today.” Someone called Billie Dean again, and this time she nodded at the woman. “I need to finish my makeup. We’ll probably be here for three or four hours, which means we need about eight breaks.”

“Noted.” Wilhemina’s jaw hurt from the tension she was putting into it, eyes staring deep at Billie, nearly burning from annoyance. 

Billie Dean could feel herself being more and engulfed in the house’s aura. She struggled to keep her spiritual space clean and protected with the white light. “Good.” With that, she followed to finish getting ready to film. As soon as she could leave, the better. 

Very reluctantly, Wilhemina sat down on the chair. She set her purse down beside her, on the floor. Her beautiful, faux leather, purple purse. On the floor. Annoyance kept on building inside of her. I hope I get paid, at least. From where she was, she could see the whole set, all ready for Billie Dean to start. They were filming in a large living room with an enormous staircase as the background. Brown eyes rolled around. Venable just couldn’t take it seriously. 

“Who’s the redhead?” Billie Dean’s makeup artist asked as Billie sat down on the chair in front of her. Instantly, she got back at working on her face. 

“My new HR Executive,” Billie Dean murmured. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back a little. “She’s got some attitude.”

“Really?” The woman asked. “She also seems to really like purple.”

“Apparently,” Billie chuckled. “I haven’t had the chance to really talk to her yet, and as you can probably tell, she’s not here because she wants to. Jenny is sick.” 

“I could tell.” The woman took a step back and stared at Billie Dean. She pursed her lips and reached for some coral lipstick to add to her lips. “She is beautiful, though.”

Billie Dean frowned. She hadn’t really given Wilhemina Venable much thought when it came to her looks. At the mention, however, she stopped to actually think about it. It was true. Wilhemina had some harsh lines, and it only added to all the mystery of her aura, just like her cane somewhat did as well. “I hadn’t noticed it, but it’s true.”

“Come on, you notice everything. Specially women,” the woman joked. 

Billie laughed softly, pretending to be shocked at the comment. She opened her eyes when the woman stepped back. “What do you think I am?!”

“A lesbian.” The woman winked. “You’re all done.”

“Thank you,” Billie Dean chuckled yet again before making her way to start filming. Her makeup artist wasn’t wrong; they were friends. Billie Dean was a lesbian, although she didn’t think about labels much. All her life she had been this way, ever since she was a little girl. There was never a moment of hesitation or doubt when it came to her sexuality. 

“Action!” The director yelled, and so Billie Dean began concentrating on everything around her. 

Wilhemina watched from the corner of her eyes, sighing lowly to herself. Four insufferable hours watching her boss play pretend made her want to jump over a bridge. Her back ached even after she took a second pain killer of the day, and when the third break of the night came, she wrote it down and got up to take a walk. She needed some fresh air. With her cane, she carefully walked to the backyard, body cold with the night breeze. Her outfit was meant for the day, not for the night. As she stepped outside, the stars above her shone brightly. She took a deep breath and looked over only to find Billie Dean alone, sitting on a bench with her eyes closed and head bent back, a cigarette hanging between her pointer and middle finger. Quietly, Venable watched as she took a long drag, eyes still closed, and with her free hand she massaged her temples. Is she tired of doing nothing all day? A chuckle escaped her lips before she could stop it.

Billie Dean’s eyes shot open. She sat up a little better, taking another drag of her cigarette. “I didn’t see you there.” 

“Mhm.” Wilhemina leaned against the brick wall, trying to give her back a break and positioning it as straight as she could. Pain shot through her whole body. She bit her inner cheek. 

Billie Dean frowned. Why was Wilhemina so damn quiet all the time? It was a weird contrast with all the voices trying to reach her nonstop, and especially in this house. She felt suffocated even though the air outside kept on making her hair wave gently. Her head throbbed. Her eyes wanted to close due to how much stimulation there was already present inside of her; she didn’t need more things to pay attention to. But Venable just intrigued her. She intrigued Billie Dean in a way no other person, alive or dead, had ever done before. Billie’s brown eyes watched as Wilhemina’s face scrunched up slightly—almost unnoticeably—and her lips pursed close together. She took another drag of her cigarette. “Are you alright?”

Wilhemina looked over to Billie Dean once again. The question was weird. Why did she care? Did she even care? It didn’t matter. “Yes. Thank you.” She leaned over her cane once again. 

Billie Dean hummed. “Do you smoke?”

Venable chuckled. “No.”

What was so funny? Billie Dean frowned. “What are you laughing about?”

Arching an eyebrow, Wilhemina pondered the question. Billie Dean had asked her, and she deserved the honest answer for dragging her to this awfully cold house in such late hours to do such a simple, stupid job that wasn’t even what she was hired for. “Your habits.”

Billie blinked softly. “Care to explain?” She took another drag of the cigarette, bumping its butt with her thumb so the ashes fell on the ashtray beside her. 

“If you insist, Ms. Howard,” Venable held back the corners of her lips so they didn’t arch up. “I just think smoking is something you must be very deprived of intelligence to do. You’re slowly killing yourself. And the smell is terrible.”

Billie Dean’s jaw clenched. More attitude. What did that woman have against the world? Funny enough, her aura didn’t suffocate Billie Dean; it actually made her feel pitiful. Slowly, and with her eyes glued on Wilhemina’s, Billie took a final drag of her cigarette. “One man��s pain, another stronger man’s pleasure.” She got up and buried the cigarette on the ashtray. Then, with her head up, she followed inside and past Venable. That woman got on her nerves, and she had barely had the chance to talk to her. 

Floratta Blue mixed with the awful smell of cigarette smoke invaded her nostrils. Wilhemina Venable squeezed her cane tightly. Who did Billie Dean was to call her weaker than her? Billie Dean didn’t know her; she didn’t know her story nor her troubles nor everything she had to endure every single day. Besides, what the Hell did Billie Dean actually do to be so strong? She had a whole career based on playing pretend and fooling people, she probably lived with her head stuck up on her own ass and never had a single problem to solve. How was Billie Dean stronger than her? In the silence of the night, Wilhemina now could hear the way her breath labored itself. Her chest moved rapidly, eyes seeing red everywhere. She used the rest of the break to calm down, and also to be as far away from Billie Dean as she could. 

The rest of the filming seemed to go by even slower than before. Billie Dean kept on talking and talking and talking and, by the end of the night, Venable couldn’t stand her voice anymore. Each word got into her head and added to the growing throbbing on it. Her brown eyes could barely stay open and focused on the words she had to write on the notepad on her lap. She was exhausted, and tomorrow she had to wake up early and spend the day at the office again. Thank God tomorrow is Friday. Wilhemina needed a good massage and some long hours of sleep. She also missed her cat, even though she was not willing to admit it out loud.

“That’s a wrap!” The director yelled, and the whole crew cheered. 

Billie Dean smiled softly, eyes heavy. She felt so weak all over, and the things she had heard from the other side made her stomach turn. ’I killed them with my own bare hands’, one of the voices said, ’I suffocated every single one of them, from the baby to my wife’s parents’. It wasn’t new to hear those confessions, but they never stopped draining her spiritual light. With a sigh, she walked to the table beside Wilhemina and reached for a bottle of water. Billie’s breath came in long pants, and her hands shook a little. I need to go home where it’s quiet and safe. Billie Dean had surrounded her house with the white light, and it was one of the only places that weren’t loud. Her office was good, too, given the building was fairly new—she had chosen it for a reason. Wilhemina side eyed her as she got up, grabbing her purse from the floor. Filming was over, Billie Dean didn’t have to pretend anymore. One of the crew members signaled her driver was already there to take her home, and Billie Dean nodded weakly. Venable thought it was stupid, but Billie Dean had been kind enough to ask about her before, and so she thought the right thing was to ask back. 

“Are you alright, Ms. Howard?” Wilhemina nearly murmured. She did not want to talk to Billie Dean anymore; she couldn’t stand her voice any longer. But it was the right thing, and Venable had values. 

Taking another long sip of water, Billie Dean nodded as she looked at Venable. “Just drained. It happens,” she breathed out. “It’s hard to connect to the other realm.”

This time, Wilhemina didn’t hide the laugh that left her lips. She bit her lower lip, watching the way Billie stared at her with such a puzzled expression. “With all my respect, Ms. Howard, filming is over. You don’t have to put on a show any longer, I won’t tell anyone.”

What? Billie Dean couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Yes, she had heard it before quite a few times, but Wilhemina was an employee of hers. That was a huge lack of respect from her part. Venable was a part of her company, and her company stood for what she did. In her exhausted state, Billie didn’t have the manners to stop herself from being absolutely raw. “I suggest you keep your attitude for yourself, Wilhemina. You might not be happy with being here, but I am still your boss and this is still my company. I won’t allow you to disrespect my work like that. Now, if you excuse me, I need to go home. I expect to see you at the office tomorrow morning, eight a.m. sharp.” Maybe that last part was said in order to tease Venable, who knew, but Billie Dean sure had some fun with the way her words left Wilhemina buffing to herself. With a weak smirk, she made her way to her dressing room and grabbed her things. In less than two hours, she already lay comfortably on her king size bed and satin sheets, recharging herself after such a stressful day. Even though Wilhemina made her nerves boil, there was something that caused Billie Dean to simply want to know her. 

8 a.m. sharp. Wilhemina made sure her heels echoed through the office right on time, chin up high and hair cascading down her shoulders and to her waist. Much to her surprise, there Billie Dean was, standing in front of her table while holding a purple box. Did she wait to check on me? No, there was no way Billie Dean could be that petty. There was no way Billie Dean had counted the minutes to make sure Venable would actually be there at 8 a.m. sharp. With her eyebrows furrowing and the rest of the office empty, her cane echoed as much as her heels did when she slowly approached the other woman. 

“I won’t bite,” Billie teased with a small smile as she watched how slow Venable walked. Even so, Wilhemina held that confident posture to her every step. Venable didn’t find the joke funny; if anything, she held herself not to roll her eyes at Billie Dean. “Look, I know yesterday we had a few bumps on the way… we were both tired and the day was quite stressful.” This morning, after having breakfast and now with a clear mind, Billie Dean looked back to the night before and felt somewhat uncomfortable; she did not regret saying anything she had said, for Venable had deserved it, but she absolutely hated the way the whole interaction left a bitter taste in her mouth. As the whole company knew, Billie Dean strived for a friendly workplace, and so she felt it was her responsibility to try and make Wilhemina feel welcomed, even if she made it hard for people to do so. “I’m not apologizing for any of what I said, but I do want you to feel comfortable in our company.” She looked down to the box and back up to Wilhemina’s brown eyes. “I got it made for you.” Gently, she handed the box to Venable. 

Wilhemina frowned even more as she reached to grab it. She almost felt scared to open the box, expecting the whole thing to be a joke. Billie Dean was her boss, not her friend. She did not have to do that. Her heart picked up in speed as she struggled not to allow herself to be consumed by flashbacks from a much darker time in her life. Struggling not to lose her balance, Venable opened it. From inside the box, she picked up a purple mug with her name and the company’s logo on it in coral. Her cheeks tinted as they hadn’t done in ages. It was so unfamiliar… when was the last time someone had given her that much thought? Her lips insisted on curling up, and this time, she allowed the corners of them to do so. “Thank you.” Wilhemina struggled to find the right words. She looked back at the mug before looking up to Billie Dean again. Billie smiled, cheeks slightly crimson. For someone who smokes, her smile is beautiful. “That’s—that’s very sweet of you, Ms. Howard.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Billie Dean wanted to correct Wilhemina on how she addressed her, but in a weird way, she had figured that was how Venable felt the most comfortable. She could let it slip. “Have a good day,” Billie said before turning around to follow to her office. 

“You too.” Wilhemina found herself a little lost. She gulped before setting the box and the mug on the table. As she was about to take her coat off, Billie Dean called her from the hallway.

“Wilhemina?”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to need the report of yesterday for today afternoon, if possible.” 

“Noted.” That was all Venable said before getting to work. 

Friday was turning out to be one of the loudest days at the office so far; people chatted way more than usual, and the fact that Billie Dean had bought everyone donuts did not help by a little bit. Heels and chatter filled the place, and while Wilhemina didn’t personally care for sugar, she had to admit the donuts looked nice. In the middle of the morning, when her back began hurting again, she got up to grab herself some coffee and, perhaps, a donut. The colors on her mug crashed horribly, but for some reason she liked how they looked together. Seeing her name written so informally for everyone else to see felt weird. I still don’t know that coffee’s brand, Wilhemina thought as she walked to the kitchen and through the hallway. She was lucky to have chosen a look with her hair down, for the air had grown cold. As she entered the kitchen, Emma looked up at her from a chair by the table.

“Hey,” the woman said before taking a bite of the donut she had been eating. “I saw you got your mug.”

Wilhemina nodded. “Ms. Howard gave it to me this morning.” She followed to the counter and poured herself some coffee. Delicious steam raised up, as always. Venable bit her lower lip as she took a deep breath. 

“Purple, huh?” Emma teased. “It’s nice. That’s kind of your thing.”

Once again, Venable nodded. She quietly walked to the table and took a sit at the corner, setting her mug down. Brown eyes scanned the donuts, and she carefully reached to grab one with a napkin. When was the last time I had a donut? She couldn’t really remember. Probably at college. With her mouth salivating, she took a first bite. To her surprise, the donut was filled with grape jelly, and when her teeth sank on, it caused it to splash down her chin. This time, her cheeks tinted fiercely. She quickly set her donut down and covered her mouth with her palm. “Oh—“ Emma laughed softly. Wilhemina felt shame downing down on her, wanting to force her to cave inside. Her heart peeked up in speed for the second time that day. Her vision wanted to grow blurry, so she barely saw when Emma reached to gently wipe the jelly out of her chin with a napkin. 

“Let me help you.” Emma was as careful as she could not to be too harsh. Wilhemina felt motionless. “Here.” She took the napkin away and leaned back on her chair. “Even the jelly matches your outfit.” Emma smiled a little. 

Wilhemina was breathing hard. She gulped harshly, forcing herself to swallow the piece she had bitten out of the donut, eyes wide. In her mind, Emma would start laughing at her at any given moment, pointing out at her face and telling everyone what had happened. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Venable forced her body to listen to her mind and took a first, shallow breath. Emma now watched her with a hint of worry in her eyes. I’m not there anymore. I’m not there anymore. I’m not there anymore. Taking more and more breaths, Wilhemina reached for her coffee and took a sip. Her eyes blinked a few times, chest struggling to calm down. “T-thank you.” She did her best not to tremble. 

“Of course.” Emma fidgeted with the napkin on her hands. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Wilhemina gulped. She looked down at the bitten donut and to the napkins, reaching for another one and wiping her chin clean a little more, even though Emma had already done that. Her heart still jumped on her chest. I need a Valium. Carefully, she grabbed her mug and got up, leaving the donut behind as she followed to her table without another word. There, she sat down and reached for her purse, looking blindly for the pill bottle that she knew was there. When she found it, she quickly popped a Valium and washed it down with the coffee. Her eyes closed. I’m not there anymore. 

The rest of the morning was a blur. Wilhemina focused herself on work, and by the time lunch arrived, everyone began getting up. Emma invited her to join everyone once again, but Venable had to finish the report Billie Dean had asked her for, and she also needed to not risk getting another anxiety attack. Lunch alone was the best option for her mental health right now, not that she often respected it. The office grew quiet, and with that, Wilhemina’s head relaxed just a little more. She sighed, typing the last word missing for the report, and then she got it to print. While it did so, she got up to stretch her back a little; it popped loudly. Perhaps a session of physiotherapy would be welcomed. When the report was done printing, she put it into an envelope and got on her way to Billie Dean’s office, expecting to just drop it off on the table. To her surprise, Billie Dean was still there, quietly writing something down on a notebook. Gently, she knocked on the open door. “Excuse me?”

Billie Dean looked up. Blonde hair had fallen down on her face, so she tucked it back behind her ear. “Oh, hi. I thought you had gone out for lunch.” She sat up straight before motioning for Wilhemina to get inside.

Venable shook her head as she walked to Billie Dean’s table. The room smelled nice, but Wilhemina couldn’t point to what the scent was. “I like the food at the office.” She handed her the report, eyes lingering a little on Billie’s long, coral nails. How did she function with such atrocities? 

“Right?! Thank you!” Billie Dean got up, perhaps a little more excited than she should have had. Venable almost took a step back, being surprised by it. “I always make sure to order food for everyone, it’s from my favorite restaurant. I don’t know why everyone always leave for lunch.” She chuckled. 

Wilhemina chuckled back, in all honesty and with Billie Dean, not because of Billie Dean. “I’ve noticed everything is high quality.” 

Billie Dean nodded. She reached for the report inside of the envelope and took a quick look at it. She hummed to herself in approval. “It’s great, thank you.”

“That’s my job.” 

“Still.” Billie Dean carefully put the paper back in. “I give credit where credit is due. I asked for it by the end of the day, and you delivered it correctly by half the time I expected you to. It’s great.”

Being complimented left Venable uncomfortable. She was always waiting for a laugh, and when it didn’t come, she didn’t know how to react. Her fingers gripped the cane a little harsher. She nodded once. “Thank you, then.” Inside her mouth, she bit her cheek in order not to smile like a fool. She was good at her work, and she knew it; a compliment shouldn’t be something unexpected. “I won’t take your time any longer.”

“Wait—“ Billie Dean said before Wilhemina could even turn around this time. “Are you going to have lunch alone?” Wilhemina nodded. She was used to it. “Mind if I join you?”

[erismerald]

𝑴𝒚 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒖𝒔(Credence Barebone x reader)

Hey my angels! Well this is the second part of "i will protect you" I really enjoyed writing the other story and I think it deserves a second part!

And thx for all the love u are given me these last days!!! love u and i hope u enjoy it, and if u want a part 3 plese tell me :3

Good reading <33

𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 1

________________________________________________________________

Some months passed and you and the credence began to get along very well, but still did not admit the love you two felt for each other, but deep down you two were lovers. 

You did everything to protect him, but you felt that this wasn't enough, even though he said that you did a lot for him and he felt grateful, you were the only person in the world that he really trusted, and he felt safe and happy on your side. 

But a few weeks ago when you went to see your nanny, Credence was alone with Mary Lou and she did what she used to do again, Credence obeyed his mother but when she finished that torture, he ran away to clear his head and cry, he miss you, he needed you, he felt warm, he felt something in him was going to explode and that was the first time he realized it... He wasn't normal, in his head Credence had some kind of curse inside him that would come loose when he was scared and angry.

And it was one of those times that he met Mr. Graves a detitive that belonged to MACUSA,he was walking om street crying and Mr. Graves try to help him in the condition if Credence help him too, he was looking for someone and asked Credence for help and in return he would teach him magic, and would turn him into a renowned wizard.

After that first night you and Credence hadn't kissed anymore, perhaps for lack of courage... of course there were moments when the two of them were completely attracted to each other, Credence began to realize that he felt attracted to your body, he knew it was wrong but he wanted to touch you again to feel your touch on him, but he was too shy to ask, so he just kept quiet and did not admit his feelings for you, but when he had a nightmare, Credence would ask to sleep with you, because he felt safer in your arms and you could not deny that you want him, you wanted to feel his body again stroking yours, but you didn't want to force him into anything.

 But from a month to here Credence’s attacks began to become more often, he was afraid of himself, and there were nights when he would go to Graves to tell him some news or seek comfort, and day by day you began start to happen mysterious events in the city and you were sure it had to do with magic, and for some reason lately Credence began to get more distant from you perhaps with a huge fear of hurting you and the magical aura you felt in it began to become more intense.

Credene had stopped being with you and avoided touching you as much as possible, he felt unstable. You started to feel sad because you didn't know what was going on, so you spent whole nights sitting up in bed reading and looking for something that could help you or that could tell you what Credence was, and that would make you extremely tired and exhausted. Sometimes you'd try to talk to Credence trying to get close to him again but he'd walk away. You could see the sadness in his eyes, but you didn't want to give up, you promised to protect him.

Credence, on the other hand, was afraid someone would discover, especially his mother. So he avoided disrespecting her rules to the maximum, even if it meant that he ended up getting hurt, but he knew that after all the suffering he was no longer alone and that you would take care of him.

That afternoon was quiet. You spent the day in your room reading some books of magic you found at a bookstore nearby. It was raining a lot, and you could feel the cold coming through the bedroom window.You were alone in the house that day, Mary Lou and the two sisters had gone to an anti-witch convention in a nearby town and were going to visit a distant family so she left you and Crede alone, but you got scared when you heard footsteps coming from the stairs, and in a few seconds Credence enters the room completely wet from the rain, his hair was dripping with water drops, and his body was more defined in the wet clothes, you blushed when you saw Credence in that state.

You got up from the desk and went to the bathroom quickly to get a dry towel to help him, he just looked at you, and when your body got closer he faced the floor with embarrassment maybe.

"Where have you been? You should have been two hours late. Crede" you laughed softly but with worry... you didn't want him to get sick, so you put the towel in his hair and massaged him. Credence couldn't tell you who he was with that afternoon, so he lied about it.

"I was handing out flyers...and I ended up being distracted by the time" he said shy, he didn't want to look at you knowing he was lying to you, but you realized he was lying right from the start so you just kept going and smiling.

"You need to get out of those wet clothes, do it while I prepare you something hot to drink, it wouldn't be good for you to get sick now my love" you said and smiled at him and left the room.

As simple as that name was, to be called " my love " to him, it made his heart shoot, he could see in your face the tiredness and the dedication to help him, that nickname made Credence much calmer now that he was with you.

You went downstairs to the kitchen and prepared a hot chocolate for the two of you, you were happy to take care of him again, you liked to spoil him. As fast as you went down you went up again, and when you opened the door you saw credence with some more scars on his back and those looked fresh...you put the cups on the nightstand and walked to him putting your hands on the new scars, Credence got scared and turned quickly, your eyes were sad...you felt guilty for not having protected him.

"Y/n...I can explain" he said in a shaking voice.

You didn't just say anything, you held him tight, you caressed his back, he needed you and you weren't there... you wouldn't let that happen again.

"You don't have to explain my love, I understand" you look at him you see some tears flowing from his face "Come let me help you" you take his hand if you sit him on the bed and eat towel you dry his hair with affection.

He took your hand and kissed you in return, and caressed you, he felt so safe with you that he almost forgot what was making him angry and nervous and to feel your hands caressing his hair, giving him the feeling of peace, he had to tell you what was going on with him and about Mr. Graves ... just didn't know how or when.

You woke up with another nightmare this time with the death of your parents, you looked at the other side of the room you saw Credence asleep, he was calm and you could feel that the magic aura that was around him was calm too, you smiled when you saw that, but you were feeling very dizzy so you tried to get up, and when you removed your blankets you could see a huge stain of blood on your clothes and sheets, you felt some tears involuntarily running down your face.

You were always in a lot of pain at that time of the month, but this time it took you by surprise, I was two weeks early, maybe you should start paying more attention to the level of stress, and controlling.

You got up from bed and went straight to the bathroom to change as quickly as possible, in an attempt to get back into bed as quickly as possible so as not to wake Credence.

 You were in so much pain that you couldn't stand on your feet for more than 5 minutes and you were very emotional so you simply dragged your body to a wall and sat on the cold ground hugging your legs and letting the tears that your eyes caught fall and wet the fabric surrounding your body, At that moment all you could think about was your nightmare...the longing you missed your parents for the fear you felt about not knowing how to tell Credence about what he really was, it was killing you.

“please stop, I can't anymore..." you sigh and cry

Credence wakes up with a noise coming from the bathroom, then he sits on his bed looking around him, and when he looks at your bed he sees a huge stain of blood and he is worried, he knows what the period was obviously but he feels very concerned about you, he hears your crying and gets up towards the bathroom, he opens the door and I find you inside sitting crying, he runs up to you and kneels down in front of you and slowly hug your body

""Hey, calm down, what's going on?"" his voice was calm and rough, and he made your body stick to his, you hid your face in his chest and let the tears come out.

He kissed your forehead shyly, he wanted to show you affection and try to calm you down, his arms wrapped your body and pulled you into his lap swaying lightly, he used to do this with his younger sister when she got scared, and tried it on you, and it seemed to work. He was nervous, he did this with his sister, and now that he did it with you and felt your body hiding in his, his heart squeezed.

When he felt your breath calming, he sat you down again on the ground and stood up in front of you to help you up

"Come on, let's go back to bed," he said, still clinging to your body, but you cut off his speech.

"I can't..." you said with the shaking voice of crying " I'm in a lot of pain, I'm dirty with blood, and the rest of my pajamas are in the laundry room, Credence, I can't get up..." you say shyly hiding your face in the middle of your knees.

Credence was surprised, he had never seen you cry, you always took care of him and you helped him, he wanted to help you so he took you in his lap gently and took you to his bed.

"Wait here a while" he said in a calm voice trying not to make you nervous anymore, and went to the closet taking an old sweater off him and raising it again to you.

You watched every move he made, you blushed to see how dedicated he was to helping you, it has been some time since you felt this heat inside your chest.

Credence comes to your side and kneels down again if I look at you a little shy, but the words came out of his mouth.

"Take off your clothes... and put this on please..." he handed you his shirt and stood up turning around, his heart was beating very fast and your cheeks were flushed, you nodded and stood up a little and turned around with some difficulty taking off your evening dress, and dropping it on the ground.

Credence could see your reflection on the window glass and couldn't remove his gaze from your body, he felt something he had never felt before, he wanted to touch you, he wanted to take care of you to make you feel loved but he couldn't...he was afraid of himself, he was afraid of hurting you, he didn't know what to do.

You noticed that he was lost in his thoughts and you quietly approached him, he was much bigger than you, he was older than you and you sometimes forgot that, his body could cover you whole, you just held him from behind, stuck your forehead to his back and kissed him softly, you grabbed his body tightly, you missed him a lot.

Credence was torn from his thoughts when he felt your warm body stick to his, his repiration speeded up, he always grew away from affection, for him all these sensations were new, he became even more shy and nervous when he felt your body stuck to his.

He imagined over and over again the moment you had on the first night you met, having someone to protect him was comforting.

 He turned slowly back and glued his forehead to yours, he noticed how small you were and that was really cute for him, your heart beat was fast, you just leaned your body against his own feeling an immense pain coming from your belly.

He noticed the pain in your eyes and got worried, grabbed your body, relieving your weight from the ground, relieving the pain even a little, helped to ease your pain a little.

“C-credence..."You sighed, and that sigh made his body warm, he wanted to touch you, he wanted to love you, and he wanted to make you feel love, because you always helped him and he wanted to give back all the love.

He grabbed your body with strength you didn't know he had this strength, you blushed at the thought of it, his hands traveled through your body gently exploring every inch of you, you felt your body burning, in his eyes you saw lust, at that moment he was no longer the frightened boy you met months ago, now he was your lover. He grew in courage and gave up trying to repress his feelings for you.

"C-crede" he just took your body and took you to his bed, and gently laid you down, he looked at your defenseless body from him and saw how you blushed when his gaze looked at your body, It was the first time you saw this side of him, so protective so needy of you, he was really making that moment magical, your body was feeling more relaxed under his.

 He pulled away the hair that covered your bare shoulder and your neck and lowered himself and glued his lips to your neck rising up to your face making you laugh and blush, grabbing your waist with his legs, your body was warm and at that moment credence was being controlled by his pleasure and happiness.

You were sweating, you felt your body warm and restless, credence was loving feeling your breath unregulated, and tried to play a little more with you, and his hand landed on your cheek with cuddles forcing you to remain with your look in his.

"thank you for helping me, you really saved me and I can never tell you how important you've become to me." he said your cheek and kiss you softly.

he comes down and lies down beside you pulling you into his lap, he strokes your hair, 

For the first time in months you felt safe next to someone, well you always felt good next to credence but seeing this protective side of him was new and captivating, lying on his chest and feeling his love, even though he wouldn't admit it in words that he loved you you knew he did it.

You still felt the pain a little, and your body manifested itself, but you felt his hand under your belly caressing slowly.

"I-if I do it like this, will it help?" he says timidly again, looking into your eyes with affection.

"Yes, thank you for helping me my love..." you paused and put your hand on his face caressing him with your thumb "you are truly special" he closed his eyes repressing his tears, he wanted to tell you what was happening he knew that if he told you, you would help him.

"That name...I like it when you call me that" he murmured and looked at your hand

"I know, you are my love, I only say it out loud, only to you" you turned your gaze away also staring at his hand that rubbed on your belly soothing the colic.

"Y/n...I need to tell you something" his voice comes out a little shaky as if he was afraid.

"Creed? what did you want to tell me?" you asked by touching his face.

“The destruction in the city that has been happening recentlyit was me, I'm a monster, Y/n and I can't control it, I'm afraid of hurting you,i'm afraid of loosing myself" he says and feels his voice fail, he starts to cry.

"You're an obscurial... I studied about it..." you said quietly looking at his messy black hair, he kept looking at your hand.

"H-how do you know?" he asked you could hear his shaking voice trying to contain the fear and tears of came out.

"I... I didn't tell you before because I was afraid of your reaction... I'm a witch..." you said nervously afraid of his reaction.

Credence felt nervous, he was afraid of what he might become, he looked up and saw your low posture, and then he hugged your body once again, pulling your head around his neck, you just grabbed him tightly. It was a relief to tell him what you really were and to know that he trusted you enough to tell you what was wrong with him.

"I don't know how to control it, I'm afraid of it, of hurting you" he with his eyes in tears again, he was hoping that you could help him and you were sure that you could help him to control it, he was a miracle, you would have to protect him with your whole being and that's what you were going to do.

"You won't hurt me... I'll help you control... i promise Creden-" You were interrupted with a kiss, credence glued your lips, you felt the salty taste of his tears, but this kiss was different... he kissed you gently but with need at the same time.

"Thank you" he whispered softly and kissed you again this time more slowly.

You looked at him blushing, you didn't know what was going on for sure but you wanted to stay in that moment forever.

You both looked at each other, credence protected and warmed your body under the sheet, and caressed your arm as you spoke:

"How long have you been a witch?" he asked curiously, he knew Graves had an important role and promised to teach him, but he was more attracted to the idea of you teaching him.

"Since I was born, my parents are pure blood, so I've been dealing with magic since I was a kid, and I went to school for seven years to learn all kinds of magic" you answered by looking into his eyes, and you saw him blush.

"and...what am I?" he asked in fear, he had to try to understand what he really was.

"an obscurial... basically you're a wizard, but you reneged on your magic and because of some trauma, your magic got trapped inside your body and whenever you get angry or scared, it explodes... "You explained as briefly as possible "But you are a miracle, usually children with an obscurus inside them live until they're 10 years old at the most, you've reached adulthood and you can still control it, you're really very special and powerful, and if you learn to use your powers I'm sure you'll be a very powerful wizard Credence" you explained by looking at him with a gentle smile.

he seemed surprised he didn't know what to say he just looked at the thoughtful ceiling, in his mind he was nervous about what he had just heard, he was a wizard but his magic was trapped inside him... and he was a miracle for living so long.

Your body manifested itself with some pain, and you moaned softly captivating the gaze of credence over you again. His attitude was immediate he looked at you and got up from bed quickly and entered the bathroom with a pill in his hand and a glass of water.

"Take this I'm sure it will help you" he handed it to you gently and lay down again at your side.

After doing what he asked you to do, you lay down on your side...you had a certain desire to kiss him again, you wanted to feel his lips on yours again.

Credence looked at you confused and you approached him slowly putting your hands one on his shoulder and one on his face, and you sealed your lips, the kiss started slowly, but in time the kiss became more fierce, credence grabbed your body and pulled you closer to his body.

The kiss became hotter when credence unbuttoned your shirt a little and glued his lips to your neck and went down to your shoulder, he bit lightly and heard what was music to his ears, the first moan of pleasure caused by him, you covered your mouth when you realized what you had done.

Credence just took your lips again and kissed you with affection he was feeling warm but preferred to stop because of your condition...

"We'd better stop here..." he said his cheeks were flushed and his breathing accelerated

"yes... but it was wonderful" you agreed without bellows

"Is this the first time you've done something like this?" he asked with embarrassment, looking maliciously at you

"Y-yes... I've never had moments like this with anyone... except with you" his look rejoiced he snuggled into bed and pulled you to his chest

"I..." he wanted to say the words but he was afraid

"You don't have to say it... I know, but now let's go to sleep I'm getting tired... i-i love you Credence" you lay on his chest and almost instantly fell asleep.

"I love you Y/n" Credence said softly "good dreams" and snuggled up to you instantly falling asleep in your lap.

A week passed and you would meet a childhood friend, Newt Scamender, the two of you had met in your 4th year in hogwarts, he was called by Dumbledore to teach you a little about animals and magical creatures.

Since then Newt and you became friends almost instantly, at the beginning of the week you received a letter from him saying that he was going to New York in passing, so he decided to visit you, you were really missing him, and you obviously wanted to help him in what he needed.

You were a few hours away from going out to meet him when you heard Mary Lou talking to Credence.

"You can't hide behind her forever... you're getting too attached to her, and when you really need her support she'll deny it to you." She spat the words arrogantly in a way that seduced Credence into thinking you'd abandon him, his posture continued upside down as if he was agreeing with her,

There were tears in your eyes... you couldn't believe he was believing her, after all she did to him, he still believed the words of that liar.

You took your coat and passed them both, Credence got scared at first and when she saw your look she realized the mistake she had made, Mary Lou just looked at you with a signic smile on her face, she disgusted you, but you couldn't deny that what she saw Credence concocting with her made your heart break into a thousand little pieces.

You left home quickly and walked quickly to the place where you would meet Newt, your head was heavy, you couldn't believe what would happen.

Credence looked at Mary Lou in anger, Mary Lou had never seen that look coming from Credence.

"Don't look at me like that, she's the one to blame for all this, if I'd never taken her in, none of this would have happened, not even that disgusting little romance between you, or do you think I didn't realize she's a witch?" Mary Lou threw the words in his face, he just nodded and stared at the ground.

"I only want your good..." she put her hand on the credence shoulder "now go help your sisters it's almost time for us to go out and hand out our word" she said seducing Credence's head once again that he was confused, he didn't want to hurt you, maybe it was for the best.

Soon you'd be at the cafe where you'd meet Newt.  You walked in and saw Newt sitting next to two people.

You approached and when Newt saw you, he got up quickly to hug you.

"Hey, how you've grown!!" Newt said sitting down again.

"Hey! You hardly changed a bit, and these are?" You look at him referring to the two people who were with him, sitting in the chair next to their feet.

"Tina Goldstein, ex-Auror pleasure" you look at him with expanto, what did Newt do to walk with an ex-Auror by his side? "And this is Mr. Jacob Kowalski a No-Mag." Tina introduced them with a smile

"Nice to meet you, my name is Y/n" you smiled softly it was strange to be near wizards again. "So what are you doing here Newt?" you asked funny looking at Newt again.

"Well I've come to present my work on magical creatures, to sensitize our fellow wizards, but I ended up having some unforeseen events" he said putting his suitcase closer to you "For sloppiness some of the creatures that were here have escaped and we have to find them and Tina and Jacob are helping me, but you...well you know a lot about magical creatures and I was hoping that you could help me. "he explained in the hope that you would say yes.

"Okay, I'll help you, I need to be a little distracted," you said, looking at your hands and reminding yourself of what happened this morning.

"TIME SKIP"

A few hours passed and everything passed so quickly, you had spent the day helping Newt with the missing creatures, so to repay them both took you home, or rather the place where it would be, it was all destroyed in rubble your first thought was soon about Credence only he would have enough strength to destroy that whole place.

"CREDENCE!!! CREDENCEEE" you screamed running towards the rubble, where was he? was he all right? the fear of losing him went through your mind, you shouldn't have left him that morning, you walked among the destroyed stones and saw Mary Lou's body lifeless, the thought of relief went through your mind, you knew it was wrong to think that way but you couldn't deny that you were happy to see the body of that lifeless monster.

"We have to find him..." you said by taking his coat that was under some wooden boards.

"You lived here? What's your relationship with credence?" Tina asked worried, Newt and Jacob were standing behind her.

"Yes I lived here, I was adopted by Mary Lou after my parents died in an accident" you explained, Newt's expression saddened him, he didn't know why you moved to America " Credence and I  get closed... I fell in love with him and tried to protect him, but that freak seduced the credence mind thinking I was going to abandon him, when I heard that I ran away and came to you" you felt the tears running down your face.

"don't worry we gonna find him" But some instinct of yours knew where he was, you could feel that he was frightened, he needed you, you threw yourself out of your arms and ran.

"where are you going" says Newt running after you.

"I KNOW WHERE THIS IS" you continued on your way "take it easy Credence, I'm on my way

You could feel his aura, he was scared, nervous, and that helped you to decipher where he was, you passed through the middle of the population that gathered around the subway stairs, you stopped in the middle and you turned to the three people that followed you.

"Please don't let anyone in, he's very unstable, I promise to bring him back" you said quickly running to the subway.

When you arrived there Credence was in his obscurial form, he was scared and his form kept changing.

"Credence is me..." you said calmly to calm him down, he seemed to recognize you "credence come back to me, you don't have to be afraid, I'll protect you" you came closer.

He gave in and went back to his normal shape, sitting on the rails, he was crying, you ran to him, you pulled him into your body, he let himself be tucked in your arms.

"Im here my love... Im sorry... Im sorry, i'll never let you go" Your tears fell on his face, you were so happy that he was all right, but then everything happened too fast, one moment he was in your arm and the next he was already in his obscure form ready to attack.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM, HE IS SCARED!!! "Your words flowed through the tunnel as you ran to the front of the creed to protect him like the first night you were together.

In a few seconds wizards attacked Credence killing the almost immediate "NO!!" you couldn't stand on your knees with tears of anger in your eyes, you looked at people in front of you remembering the gentle smile of credence, you got up quickly and ran to Grindewall that by now had unmasked pushing his body against the wall, many tried to stop you were being controlled by anger

"Give me a reason not to kill you right now" you put your wand around his neck, the anger you felt was huge you just wanted to make someone pay for his death.

Someone grabbed your body and pulled you back it was Newt, two of MACUSA's gullible guys grabbed Grindewall's body, but not before he asked to come close to you, he looked you in the eyes and approached your ear.

"He's alive, it's just a matter of time," he said like a whisper, and then he was taken away...

[writer-and-artist27]

An Unbent Person

Note: Even though I haven’t finished the movie Remaining Sense of Pain from Kara no Kyoukai as a result of my being triggered by the intro, Asagami Fujino has been lingering in my head lately. And since it’s your birthday, @withanina / Aqui, I wanted to revisit her in a way that both honors you as one of my best friends and that helps me process the complex character that Fujinon is.

I just hope I did Fujinon justice with this oneshot. I’m still trying to figure her out, even when she’s one of my best Archers in my Chaldea and I’ve been in a writing slump to the point of defaulting to S&S verse to try to get back something. But we’re still here and I’m rambling, so enough of that. I’ll just insert this song as a theme since Yuki Kaijura also composed Credens Justitiam for Madoka Magica after working with Type: MOON, and let’s go. The lyrics used for the song are taken from lyricstranslate.com. This story canonically takes place, I think, after the aforementioned Remaining Sense of Pain (possibly around Extra Chorus) and S&S 24, before Kannabi.

Happy Birthday, Aqui. Thank you for sticking with all my stories. I hope we’ll keep being friends for years to come.

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Growing up in Nagareboshi Café meant getting used to what other civilians would call “abnormal behaviors.” Or, maybe the better phrase was simply “not minding things out of the ordinary.” Whether it was the shinobi coming into the café with nothing but a few flicked fingers in my direction to ask for an order or the occasional call for a song by a tired voice from the bar area, I learned very quickly to take things as they were. After all, it was still the Narutoverse — a place where child soldiers were considered “common” of all things. Papa had lived in that very same scenario for years, and now my best friends were growing up in it.

It felt like death was inevitable, no matter where you were in this world, because it was made a “norm.” Ugh.

Thus, the least I could do was not judge and instead be as welcoming as possible. It was all I could do just to provide some levity in a world that couldn’t offer any.

It was with this mindset that I met her.

She could’ve blended into the crowd with her unassuming black and red spider lily-patterned kimono and long purple hair, but once she was gently walking past Mama’s figure in the front of the café and carefully making her way to a table in the corner of the building with her cane, I did my best to not stare. It wasn’t every day that someone came in with a cane in hand, and once she started gently tapping the cane against every object she came across while walking, it automatically clued me in that it was not my business to ask.

Someone with an apparent disability didn’t need extra attention drawn to them unless they needed it for a helping hand. Internally, I was very grateful, though, to see how some clientele and our own café servers stepped out of the way to let the lady slowly maneuver through the crowd with her cane, a few people even quietly moving their chairs out of the way to give her a clear path. It was such a stark contrast to how Vy’s old family at times gave one of my aunts far too much space, simply because of how emotionally stubborn and physically weak she was for reasons I never did understand even after being reborn. Family issues were family issues.

But for a second, my thoughts wandered to how things would have happened for the lady to come in the way she did. Anyone, of course, could use a cane. Everyone had their own reasons. But the cloudiness in her eyes — it said something about her cane usage. Aside from looking straight up at the sun for that direct UV light exposure, possibly impaired vision wasn’t something that just happened unless we were getting into the possibility of genetics, lifestyle choices, and/or eye strain and how eyes related to anime powers. The Sharingan was a notable example of the latter, where Canon Sauce went blind thanks to overusing his Mangekyo after fighting Danzo, and I did not want to think about Obi possibly dealing with the same consequences once his Sharingan activated.

Wait. No no no. I shook my head vigorously, clamping down on the urge to slap my cheeks as punishment. It wasn’t my place to speculate what happened to Nagareboshi Café’s newest customer, even if she was pretty and the empathy in me was screaming to help her. The right thing to do is give distance and let her come to me if she wants to, I mentally knocked my head against a library wall, much to Hisako’s raised eyebrow. Remember that, me.

How about a song to break the ice, then? Hisako suggested, eerily quiet with her arms crossed over her chest. Tomoe Mami’s theme? To stop the library knocking.

Oops. I glanced at the black and white keys underneath my fingertips and nodded to myself. You know, why not?

My Nobody beamed with pride. Much better!

I couldn’t help but agree. There was something about seeing that lady with her walking cane and cloudy red eyes sitting by herself at a table that reminded me of a yellow magical girl. A single yellow-themed, gun-wielding magical girl who went about fighting alone just to ensure some kind of future for herself. It was honestly sad to think about because her wish was “to live” and that was where it had landed her.

But the concept of “loneliness” was not one I could entertain forever. I knew I didn’t want to when I couldn’t unsee the white myself.

Thus, humming the first few lyrics to myself was a good distraction while it lasted. Plus it was a good starter for tapping my foot to get the rhythm before letting my hands play out the rest. The piano crooned softly with my thoughts, echoing the chords I wanted, and for once,  I didn’t mind feeling my chakra start to float from the interaction. It felt like I didn’t have to hold my chakra back. This time, I let the music take me away in the hopes of letting my chakra play out as it should’ve been. Free, empathetic, and open.

The Sage of Six Paths might’ve been happy with the performance. I wanted to think that, at least, when playing the piano at that moment.

Solti ola i Amaliche cantia masa Estia…

E sonti tolda i Emalita cantia mia Distia…

A litia dista Somelite esta dia A ditto i della Filioche mio Solti tola Solti ola i Amaliche cantia masa estia E sonti tolda i Emalita cantia mia distia…

Alita della Maliche sonta dia Mia sonta della I testa mia Testi ola Solti ola…

Solti ola i Amaliche cantia mia Dia, dia...

By the time the last few keys faded into the air, I knew without opening my eyes that someone was sitting next to me on the piano bench. Miyako-bachan’s teachings were close to becoming second-hand nature to a point, but it didn’t stop me from squeaking a little when glancing over to find the very same lady I was thinking of at my right side.

Maybe I was too invested in remembering the first Heroine of Justice…

Even up close, it was obvious my newest visitor had gone through a lot at her age, with the little creases on her cheeks and the occasional white line of scarring crossing along what skin her kimono showed past the collar. Once she wrapped her red shawl tighter around her shoulders, hiding the scars with one hand while clutching the handle of her cane with the other, she slowly blinked in the vague direction of the piano. It took a moment before she went about turning her head towards me. Her gaze was unfocused, but still pointed my way. “Hello,” she said very quietly, her long purple hair brushing her shoulders with the greeting. “Are you the one who played the song just now?”

“Y-Yes,” I replied gently, nodding my head. “I am Hoshino Tomoko, your pianist for the day. Welcome to Nagareboshi Café, um…”

“Asagami,” the lady said, bowing her head in return. Her red eyes blinked again, as if focusing past the clouds in the irises, before she added, “Asagami Fujino,” with a small smile. “It was a beautiful song, Hoshino-san.”

“Thank you, Asagami-san,” I said respectfully in return. “Is there another song you would like me to play for you while you’re here?”

To my surprise, Asagami-san shook her head, her long purple hair swishing against her clothes enough to reflect the café lighting. It took an extra moment for me to realize she was wearing a black ribbon in her hair. “Not a song,” she said, voice all the more quiet in spite of her closeness. “I wanted to ask you something.” She blinked for a moment, her eyes narrowing in my direction in that small interval of time before widening minutely. “What were you thinking of when playing it? It was…” Asagami-san trailed off, turning her head back to looking at her lap as she gripped her cane. “It felt different. I never heard such a song like yours before.”

Oh. Uh. Just in case, I turned to the other person in the room. Hisako?

It didn’t even take a second for my Nobody to answer. Reliable as always. Yes, dear?

Chakra or no chakra explanation?

Hm. Hisako thoughtfully pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Keep it simple. No chakra. Best to not add any confusing elements.

Alrighty. Simple and no chakra it is.

To Asagami-san, I admitted honestly, “I was actually thinking of you.”

Asagami-san raised her head in my direction so quickly, I would’ve thought she’d have given herself whiplash with how her neck turned. Her red eyes were still cloudy-looking, but they seemed to be shining with a newfound light of some sorts now. It felt like she was shocked. “Eh?” With that said, Asagami-san then lowered her head, no longer gazing in my direction but still exuding that same aura of surprise. “…Me?”

“Yes,” I continued, in spite of the growing blush no thanks to anxiety and embarrassment. “I-It looked like today is your first day here, so I just wanted to play something that made you feel welcomed—”

“No one has ever done that for me before,” Asagami-san interrupted, her voice one octave louder than before. Her knuckles were turning white against her already pale skin as she gripped her cane. “Not after…” She inhaled one long deep breath. “It was not painful.”

I took a deep breath too. “I didn’t mean for it to be,” I said softly.

Asagami-san gave me a small smile past the shoulder of her red shawl. “You seem to be a kind person, Hoshino-san.”

“I try to be, every day,” I said, doing my best to keep my voice from wobbling. This conversation was definitely starting to hit something heavy, and for once, it felt like I was doing something right and stepping into territory I couldn’t exactly parse out on my own. After all, it wasn’t every day a grown woman was relying on a teenager of all people. But the situation was happening, and there was no stopping it. “It’s what I was taught to do, and I want to keep doing it.” For the people I care for, for the people I lost, for myself, was left unsaid. “Everyone deserves a chance to feel safe and be themselves. I just help make the space for that, without pain and with as much kindness I can muster.”

Asagami-san said nothing for a while after that, merely tapping her cane against the pedals of the piano for a small moment. I did my best not to wince when one such tap happened on my foot, but by then, it seemed like Asagami-san was in her own thoughts. My bit of pain didn’t matter. Right now, something was up.

Did I say something wrong?

“…You can see,” Asagami-san said finally, her voice a bare wisp in the air, “life even without pain?”

As expected from a moment of silence — it sounded and felt like a loaded question. Still, I lifted my hands from the piano keys to place them into my lap, taking a breath to formulate my answer. There was no way I could leave this standing. “Maybe. Maybe not. I just know that life is full of many things, Asagami-san. Pain can be a part of it, but that’s not all there is to it. There’s the trees outside, the bright blue sky, the warm air, the food in the café, and the people that live here.” With the warmest smile I could make, I turned to her, even if a part of me could guess she wouldn’t fully see it. “It’s because of what happens in this life that I got to meet you, right?”

Asagami-san looked up in my direction again. Her red eyes were wider than before, letting in enough light to expose my reflection in the cloudy irises before the first visages of tears dotted the edges. “You…” her bottom lip quivered. “How can you say that, Hoshino-san? I-I…” Asagami-san shook her head vigorously, enough to jostle the black ribbon in her hair, making it crooked. “I’m not—”

Maybe I shouldn’t have shared. Maybe I was going too far, considering we were in the middle of the café and the privacy seals weren’t turned on and I needed to turn them on. But the words were leaving my lips before I could stop them, interrupting whatever thought Asagami-san was about to voice. “You’re fine, Asagami-san. I just wanted to play the song for you because I’ve been hurt before, and I don’t want anyone else to feel the same way when there’s so much more in the world to discover and enjoy.”

Asagami-san’s shoulders shook against her shawl, causing the red cloth to fall back and expose the barely hidden scars against the black collar of her kimono. “…I thought I couldn’t feel anything outside of pain. Not after Keita-san a-and Shiki-san.” Keita-san? Shiki-san? “But you—”

“I’m sorry if I overwhelmed you,” I said honestly, raising my hand for a moment before lowering it. Even if I was tempted to pat her back as a form of sympathy, from the way Asagami-san was hunching into herself, it wasn’t the best time to intrude on her personal space bubble. I made this bed, and I was going to lie in it even if I wasn’t sure of what was going on. “I put a lot in what I do. But I meant everything I said. And what I felt when I played the piano.”

It was at that very moment I saw a small droplet hit the edge of Asagami-san’s kimono sleeve. Oh. Oh dear. “Wh-why…” there was a dainty sniffle, “why didn’t I meet you sooner? If I knew you before, then—”

Screw it.

I reached over to gently rest my palm against the hand Asagami-san was using to grip her cane. “But you’re here, Asagami-san,” I said, feeling my smile wobble all the more at seeing more droplets fall onto Asagami-san’s kimono, creating dark wet circles in the black cloth. “You’re still here now. And I’m glad that you are.”

Asagami-san shuddered, her shawl barely covering her back with the gesture tilting her center of balance. “I-I feel like crying. It hurts. I-It all hurts. C-Can I… Can I cry?” For a grown woman, I was not expecting the childlike tone of wonder in her voice. “Hoshino-san, can I cry?”

My heart hurt. Something must’ve happened for her to react so much. Even then, I still curled my fingers so that they could brush against Asagami-san’s hand and hopefully relax her grip on her cane. Physical comfort was the least I could give after unearthing something so heavy. “Of course you can. That’s a part of what makes you human, Asagami-san. Crying is a part of what helps all of us be alive.”

The first sob I heard from her then sounded more like a relieved laugh than a cry for help. Even then, Asagami-san shrunk into her seat at the piano bench, purple hair shrouding her face all the while. I simply kept my palm against her knuckles, controlling my own breathing to not cry myself from the shared emotion.

“M-May I—” Asagami-san choked around another sob as her hand relaxed minutely under my grip, “May I come here again, Hoshino-san?”

“Yes,” I said faintly. “Of course. I wouldn’t say ‘no,’ Asagami-san. Feel free to visit Nagareboshi Café whenever you’d like. I’ll be here.”

It felt like a promise I couldn’t turn my back on. I wouldn’t.

---------------------

Long after Asagami-san left from the café closing for the day, I found myself letting go of the breath I was holding. Then a hand gently fell onto my hair.

“You okay, hime?” Papa whispered, patting my head for a moment before pulling me in for a side-hug. “Need anything?”

My lip quivered before I let go of my current inhibitions and wrapped my arms around his waist, converting the side-hug into a full-on hug. The fact that I was getting a faceful of his waist apron didn’t matter. Nor did the smell of what reminded me of day-old soda. No matter what, it was still Papa, and work was done. I could be selfish around him and it was okay. “M-More hugs, please, Papa.”

Papa laughed softly before resting a hand against my back and patting there too. “Alright. You did well, hime.”

“I-I followed your example, daddy,” I whispered back, finding my voice going back to Vy’s for just that moment. “Help others when you have the ability to.”

“And that, hime,” Papa replied wistfully and proudly, “is what makes your heart a good one. Just let me and Mama help you next time. You can’t do everything alone and we’re still here. We’ll play a full concert together when Asagami-san comes back.”

“Aye. Th-That’ll be nice.” If it meant one more wounded person could smile, that was enough for me. I didn’t have to shoulder everything. And one concert could possibly make one more day won from the dirty clutches of war. I’d just have to settle for that.

Maybe next time, Asagami-san could smile without tears in her eyes.

[rosettatv-blog]

Credens Clothing ( 18’ Collecion )

Dirección Zazo Canvas

Edición Zazo Canvas

[ziontifik]

ELIO TOFFANA: SPECIAL PACK + FIRMA DE DISCOS

Ziontifik

Hoy os damos dos noticias suculentas por el precio de una: por un lado, ya podéis adquirir este Pack Especial de Espíritu de Nuestro Tiempo que incluye CD + Camiseta + Poster + Pegatinas en la web de Entik Records... ¡Los que han hecho el pre-order del CD y luego han pillado la camiseta también recibirán el Poster y las Pegatinas de regalo! Todo ha sido diseñado por el gran Rubén Alonso (nuestro Rubens Ziontifik), aunque no podemos olvidarnos de dar props a Credens por la parte textil y a Álvaro Manof por las fotos.

EDNT Special Pack COMPRAR YA

Por otro lado, aprovechamos para anunciar la firma de discos que hará nuestro hermano Toffana en Triburbana este próximo viernes 12 a partir de las 18hs. Os invitamos a acercaros a por vuestra copia física de Espíritu de Nuestro Tiempo y a compartir un ratito con la fam en este ya mítico enclave de la capital. ¡El Veneno, niño!

[thedvmp]

>> H ROTO X ADRIAN GROVES "NO HAY DIOS" CREDENS CLIP VOL.12 <<

H Roto  y  el  productor  Adrián Groves  protagonizan una nueva entrega de los Credens Clip. En este volumen 12 nos sueltan el inédito "No Hay Dios" con un visual que dirige el propio Adrián Groves. Podéis ficharlo aquí arriba. Entik Records. Credens Clothing.

[ziontifik]

CAMISETAS EXCLUSIVAS ELIO TOFFANA X CREDENS

Ziontifik

Tras el exitoso periodo de pre-order del nuevo e inminente álbum de Elio Toffana, “Espíritu de Nuestro Tiempo“, tenemos el placer y orgullo de presentar, en exclusiva, las primeras camisetas CREDENS x ELIO TOFFANA. Con un diseño que evoca la línea estética náutica y deportiva de la decada de los ’90, estas prendas diseñadas por Rubén Alonso (encargado también de todo el artwork del proyecto de Elio) están ya disponibles para que las pilléis en entikrecords.com y www.credensclothing.com

T-Shirt Edición Limitada CREDENS / Algodón 190gr / Impresión a Cuatro Tintas / Sin Costuras Laterales / Para Chico y Chica, con tallas desde la S hasta la XXL.

¡Importante!: Todos aquellos que hayan realizado el pre-order disfrutarán de un precio especial a la hora de adquirir la camiseta, mediante un cupón que se les enviará al mail. ¡Estad atentos! TOFFANA, BABY!