#do you think he ever tried putting nail polish on his horns? just for a little glam?

[briefcasejuice]

heres my personal vision of what matts horns/tail would look like :P

THIS IS SO FUCKING CUTE I'M IN LOVE (more than i already am)!!!!!! that is a man who has a foggy that definitely tries to put socks on his tail when he's not paying attention.

[beels-burger-babe]

All is Fair in Dice and War

***Soooo, @bagelsinatoaster I love this request. However, you didn't specify which board game and as I am a huge nerd I decided to take some creative liberties and combine this with another idea I've been meaning to write which is: MC introducing the demon bros to Dungeons and Dragons. I certainly had fun with this and I hope you like it!*** Summary: Leviathan's world is flipped upside down when MC tells him there is a game that basically allows him to be the Lord of Shadows in real life!! He demands that his brothers join him as MC introduces them all to the chaotic shit show that is Dungeons & Dragons. For once, it was a peaceful day in the House of Lamentation. Lucifer was lounging in the living room with a cursed record playing softly in the background. For once, Satan had willingly joined him and was sitting by the fireplace, thumbing through a book on the human world. Belphie had been passed out on the couch when he arrived and was still laying there with an impressive puddle of drool collecting near his mouth. Even Asmodeus and Beel had joined in, with Asmodeus gently humming to himself as he painted his nails and Beelzebub happily munching on a snack as he enjoyed the sight of his family getting along. Yes. It was perfectly quiet and peaceful, and Lucifer didn't even have any traces of his regular migraine. But of course, nothing good lasts forever. Everyone jumped as the door slammed open and a wide-eyed Leviathan dragged you into the room. The two you very closely followed by Mammon loudly complaining. "Oi! You're gonna hurt them! Cut it out, Levi!" Lucifer sighed and closed his eyes, momentarily mourning the peace that he had just barely begun to enjoy, and closed his book. "Leviathan, let MC go. What are you freaking out about this time?" Lucifer regretted asking the moment the words left his mouth. Levi looked at it with the expression he only ever got when his limited edition Ruri-Chan merch arrived; his eyes were wide and glittering with excitement while his face bore a grin so large that Lucifer was surprised it didn't rip his skin. The third-born was practically vibrating as he let go of your wrist and pushed you forward. "Tell them! Tell them about the game!"

You laughed at Levi's excitement and casually rubbed your wrist. "I was just telling Leviathan about a game that we play in the human world called Dungeons and Dragons-" "You get to make a fantasy world that everyone plays in, and everyone makes characters. You can be a wizard and cast spells against a huge monster! Or a war hero fighter that has been betrayed by his brother! Or a noble knight who is looking for his lost kingdom! And the best part is that it's real!" Levi interrupted, nearly jumping in place as stars danced in his eyes. You put your hands out towards him to try and calm him a bit. "Well, not entirely real. It is played in person, but it's a role play tabletop game, meaning it mostly relies on the players' imagination. That is unless you have thousands of dollars to spend on 3D maps and figurines of your characters." Levi's eyes grew even wider, if possible, as he started shaking his hands up and down. "I CAN HAVE A FIGURINE OF A CHARACTER THAT I MADE?! GAAAAAAAAAHH!" A pillow flew across the room and hit Levi square in the face as a now awake Belphegor glared at him. "Will. You. Shut. Up?" the Avatar of Sloth hissed as a dark dangerous aura grew around him. Beel gently patted his twin's head in hopes of calming him. Leviathan pouted as he noticed no one else seemed to be getting excited about it. "C-Come on guys! This isn't even a video game! It's a thing that we can all do together and personalize it to be something that everyone will like. It'll be fun! Right MC?" You nodded as you gently tossed Belphie's pillow back over to him. "Yeah. I love D&D. I played it all the time in the human world. There's action, suspense, and even romance if you really wanted it," a couple of the brothers perked up at that. "I could put together a one-shot for you guys to try it out if you'd like? I'll help you make your characters, and we can all get together for an evening and play it sometime in a couple weeks." The room went quiet as everyone thought it over. Most of them had no interest in the game itself, but if it was organized by you... "I'm in," Beel decided with a nod. "I think it will be fun. All of us trying something new; it could be neat." Satan casually flipped a page in his book, "The creative aspect of it is definitely appealing. We'd be the masters of our own fate, and that most certainly piques my interest." Asmodeus smirked as he put the cap on his nail polish. "And you said it could be whatever we want? My, one might say that this game could help our wildest fantasies come true~" he made sure to wink at you as he giggled. Belphie, who had only just got back his pillow, scrunched up his face in disgust and launched it at Asmo. "Don't make this weird Asmo," he looked over at you and shrugged, "So long as you do all the work in putting together the character thing, sure. Why not?" Mammon looked over at you from the corner of his eye. "Ya mean to tell me, that you can make it so I'm some awesome, rich, and powerful prince?" Asmo scoffed as he pushed the pillow off his lap. "Please Mammon, even the world of make-believe has its limitations." Mammon blushed as he growled at his brother. You just chuckled and teasingly elbowed his side. "Don't listen to him, Mammon. There is a set amount of how much money you start out with depending on your class and background, but I'm sure we can find something that will make you happy." The second-born blushed even more as he grumbled quietly under his breath. Lucifer tilted his head in thought. "I suppose that if everyone else is playing, naturally I must as well," he stood and began to make his way to his office. "I look forward to seeing what you come up with MC." The next two weeks were spent planning and carefully figuring out the details of the one-shot and the characters that everyone was going to play. Levi was, of course, the first one who came to you to build his character. The two of you spent hours going through the Player's Handbook and sourcebooks to find the perfect build to recreate the Lord of Shadows. In the end, you put

together a human fighter that you gave a couple magic items to make Levi's vision really come to life. It seemed basic, but for the Lord of Shadows, it was perfect. The moment the two of you finished, Levi dove to his computer and ordered a custom-made mini that looked exactly like his character. Satan was genuinely interested in the game, especially after he learned about all the lore and rules behind the different classes and races. You had just been chilling in your room one day when the door burst open. Satan stood there with wide eyes holding a copy of Volo's Guide to Monsters. "MC, why didn't you tell me there are cat people?!" You chuckled, knowing exactly where this was going. "They're called tabaxi, but yeah, they're basically cat people. Would you like to play as one?" He scoffed and snapped the book shut. "Is that even a question? Of course, I'm playing as one." After some discussion and bouncing back and forth between classes a couple of times, Satan settled on a tabaxi druid; that way he not only looked like a cat, but he could speak to them as well. After a few days of you spending time with his brothers focusing on getting their characters ready, Mammon came to you wanting the coolest, most epic character ever. At first, it was clear that he wasn't fully invested in the process, but as he saw the customizable options and all the cool stuff that his character could have, you got his attention. You ended up designing a golden teifling rogue (you tried to tell Mammon that teifling usually wasn't yellow, but he gave you such a sad look that you couldn't say no) that was decked out with piercings and gems all over its horns and tail. He tried to act like he wasn't that excited about it, but one day during class you caught him doodling what looked like a stick figure version of the character on his sheet with a big smile on his face. Asmodeus came in shortly after Mammon finished,

insisting on having the most charming and beautiful character there was. You tapped your chin at the request. "I mean, stereotypically bards are extremely charming and...well seductive...almost too seductive. But that's only thei-" Asmo had hearts in his eyes before you could even finish. "That's what I want to be!" You sighed and made a mental note not to include any dragons in the session as you marked Asmo down to be an elven bard and helped him create his character sheet. You hadn't heard anything from Lucifer for nearly that entire first week, until one day as you were lounging in the living room, he walked in holding a stack of resource books. "Ah, MC. I've been looking for you. I wanted to inform you that I will be playing a half-elf multiclassing as a paladin and hex-blade warlock." You blinked at him as he put all the books down in front of you. "O-Oh. Would you like help putting together your character sheet?" He just grinned and began to make his way out of the room once more. "I've already done it. I must admit that this was quite a bit more interesting than I thought it would be," and with that he was gone, leaving you to try and figure out what had just happened. With only a few days left until the one-shot, you had to go find the twins and get them to make their characters. Beel apologized like crazy for you having to track him in down in order to get his character made. The poor guy was in the middle of peak Fangol season and had completely forgotten. Once the two of you sat down in the kitchen with an empty character sheet in one hand and snacks in the other, Beel gave you his full attention. He put a lot of thought in his character and wanted to make it really good since he appreciated that you were doing something that they could all do as a family. He bashfully decided to play a halfling. Not only did the little creatures share his love for food, but he thought it would be neat to try being small for once. His class was also a surprise. After carefully flipping through all of the class options, he had eventually settled on a cleric. "They're the healers, right? This way I can help the others if someone gets hurt." You gave him a huge hug then and there. Belphegore, on the other hand, was not so easy to work with. "Belphie, come on. Just flip through the book and choose something!" He groaned into his pillow and rolled onto his side to glare at you. "I told you I would play if you did all the work for me. Me flipping through a book is work. It's not happening." After an entire hour of trying to get him to cooperate, you gave up. In retaliation you made his character a goblin barbarian, just to drive in the fact of how much of a brat he was acting like.

Finally, the day came for you all to play the one-shot, and much like you expected, it was complete and utter chaos. You had tried to maintain some structure and keep everyone on track, but it was hopeless. Levi and Satan were taking the game seriously and, Diavolo bless them, were the only reason their party was making any progress. Mammon was trying to pick-pocket every non-player character that they met while Asmo distracted them by flirting. This worked great for them until Mammon got caught and would've died from the resulting injuries if it wasn't for Beel. Speaking of Beel, the poor fella was trying his best to do well in the game but kept getting confused by all the rules and different stats and modifiers. Belphegor spent most of his time, trying to explain it to his twin, but in the end, Beel accidentally ate his dice and Belphie passed out on his shoulder. And then there was Lucifer. He had been mostly quiet the entire game. Surprisingly, he let Levi and Satan take the charge in any investigations and puzzle-based interactions, but he did so with a smirk. You had a funny feeling in your stomach that he was up to something, and you were right. It was the final boss. Satan and Levi were on the edge of their seats, having worked so hard to get the party to this point. You smiled, knowing that one of the best parts of D&D was finally taking down the big bad. In this case, you had prepared a beholder for them to fight. It would be no easy task. The fight should have required them to work together in an epic battle of wits, magic and melee attacks. Only, when everyone rolled initiative, Lucifer went first. The eldest smiled as his eyes sparked menacingly. "For my bonus action, I'd like to use my hex blade's curse on it, which allows me to add my plus four proficiency bonus to all damage, and makes any rolls of nineteen or twenty critical hits. I will then use my long sword with divine smite at third level to attack him and attack him again using my extra attack," barely giving you time to process what he said, Lucifer rolled his dice twice. "And that would be a nineteen and a natural twenty, meaning they're both criticals due to the curse. That should hit, yes?" "Wha-" You could only watch as Lucifer, now with twice the amount of damage due to his critical rolls pulled out a disgusting number of dice and rolled them all. And of course, with his luck, they all rolled high. "So that's 90 points of damage plus the extra damage from the curse and the bonus from my duelist ability per attack, brings this 102 points," he smugly perched his chin on top of his hands as the table gaped at him. You gulped and looked down at the beholder's character sheet, "Y-You just took o-over half of his hit points in one round..." His grin widened at the information, "What, like it's hard?" You never got the chance to finish the game, as Satan burst into his demon form and pounced on Lucifer, the eldest laughing like a mad man, while Levi tore up his character sheet in a fit of jealous rage. Levi never asked to play with everyone again after that. ***This was just so self-indulgent and I just- I loved it. It combined two of my favourite things and I have never been happier. This was more crack than fluff, but either way, it was fun and I hope you nerds out there enjoyed it 🥰 Thanks again for the request @bagelsinatoaster!*** Taglist: @mimik248 @roseytoesy @ester-is-here

[sakusasbunny]

𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬.

this fic is inspired by the amazing artwork of @xzatanna !! this is also in collaboration w @ali-seu and @azo-musxas who made fics for kita and oikawa so go check it out <3

collab m.list

pairing: kuroo tetsuro x f!reader

cw: dub/non-con, degradation, dacryphilia, face-fucking, 

wc: ~3.6 k

a/n: maybe a p. 2 of the aftermath of the race against seijoh and inarizaki >:))

m.list

The crowd started to surround Kuroo’s car as he drifted to a stop, leaving tire marks on the concrete floor of the parking garage. Roaring chants of his name echoed through the streets as the mob cheered Kuroo for yet another win. His spiked black hair peeked out as he opened the car door and made his way out. You wanted nothing more than to slap the shit-eating grin on his face as the adoring crowd rushed around him. The jackass had ruined the hours of work you'd poured into your car, and it hadn't even been five fucking minutes.

Scoffing, you pushed yourself off of the hood of your car, squeezing past the swarm of sweaty bodies, “Hey. What the fuck, Kuroo.”

He smirked as soon as he saw your approaching figure. Closing his car door, he walked to the front and clasped the headlights, swinging his hips onto the hood of the car. Metal rings clicked against the polished surface as he leaned back on his hands, cocking his head towards your pissed expression.

 “What’s the matter, darlin’?” He shamelessly eyed your body as you walked up, his tongue playing with his silver lip piercing, “You’re not gonna congratulate me? I won ‘cause of your car, you know.”

“Congratulate you? For what, wrecking my fucking car?” 

You stood directly in front of him now, so close that you felt his breath fan your face as he let out a low chuckle.

“That’s just the price of winning, I don’t see anything wrong with that.” Curling a finger around your belt loop, he yanked you forward, grinning as you stumbled in between his open legs

“Besides…” The hand previously on your belt loop trailed up to your waist. “That’s more money coming in your pocket, right?” He whispered, lips grazing your ear. 

Blood rushed to your cheeks and your face flushed, suddenly hyper aware of the murmuring crowd watching the scene unfold.

You watched Kuroo as he reached out for one of the members of the Nekoma Crew to hand him a portion of his winnings. Turning his head back towards you, he made a show of counting the gleaming cash

“‘S all in here, sweetheart.” he said, holding the wad of cash in between his fingers.

You made a move to grab it but he pulled his hand away. Kuroo grinned at the annoyance crinkling your features. His hand slid around your waist reaching for your back pocket, placing the money inside but not before giving your ass a slight squeeze. You jumped and instinctively hit him on the chest. As mad and as embarrassed as you were, you couldn’t help but notice how hard his chest felt underneath your palm. Chastising yourself at the thought, you tried to pull yourself away from him to make your leave. However, his hand kept you in place against his chest, gripping even harder.

“Kuroo. Let me go.” An amused look graced his annoyingly handsome face, the neon lights only highlighting his features.

“Don’t get all embarrassed now, darling, come on,” His nails dug into your wrists, the same one you used to hit him with, “You don’t like people watching?” He looked to the crowd, rousing a laugh.

“I got what I came for, Drift King.” You had to look up at him to even meet his eyes but you held your ground. “Don’t bother dropping off the car at my shop. You can find someone else to fix it.”

With that, he let your hand go with an uncharacteristic look of seriousness on his face as he stared you down. You cowered from his intense glare as you let out a stuttering breath, backing away to head for the comfort of your car.

Opening your car door, you ducked your head and sat down on the plush leather seats. An exasperated sigh left your lips as you leaned your head on the wheel. The slick growing in between your legs dripped down, soaking your panties. You squeezed your thighs together to get even a little bit of relief, the friction already making you whimper.

As much as you felt contempt for the arrogant racer, you couldn’t ignore the way your pussy clenched as he took his domineering tone with you. All you could think about was the look he had on his face as you told him off. The usual smug look on his face was replaced with hard, piercing eyes and a scowl. Your breath grew heavy as you recalled his intimidating gaze on you, following your figure even as you took your leave. Fuck. You hadn’t noticed the way your hips started to buck against the seat and the soft moans that had slipped out of your mouth.You had almost forgotten where you were. 

Thank God for tinted car windows. 

Huffing in annoyance, you started your car and pulled out of the parking garage. The neon lights of the city passed you by in a blur as you sped through the streets of Tokyo, trying to make it back to your shop as quickly as possible. The revving of your car engine didn’t make your situation any better as you felt the vibrations on your cunt. The soft purring sensation tickled your exposed legs and drew goosebumps onto your thigh. 

Your foot pressed harder on the gas as you raced to get home cutting off multiple cars and hearing horns honk in the distance. 

As you approached the front of your shop, you noticed a light glowing beneath the garage door. Had you left it open? You were sure you had locked up just before you left to watch the race. You slowly made your way towards the front door and unlocked it. A pit formed in your stomach afraid of what might greet you on the other side. Placing your hand on the doorknob, you prepared to open the door as you positioned your keys in between your fingers to make a make-shift weapon.

Pushing the door slightly open, you poked your head through. You didn’t notice anything else strange in the hallway leading to your garage. Taking a breath of relief, you relaxed your tense shoulders. It was just an oversight on your part.

 You made your way past the dark hallway and entered your garage. Immediately, you took notice of the busted up Mustang Fastback, your Mustang Fastback. It’s red paint was tattered where the car was dented. You slammed your keys on the table by the door and closed your eyes in frustration.

“K-”

A hand grabbed you by the back of the neck and slammed you on the wall. You groaned as your head throbbed from the impact. 

“You asshole. What the fuck is wrong with you?” You struggled to free yourself from him but his hard chest pinned you to the wall. You couldn't even turn your head to look behind you as his hand gripped the back of your neck.

“What’s wrong with me? Hmm? My favorite mechanic just dumped me in front of everyone without fixing her car. What, you don’t want it back?

He pressed against you ever harder now, putting all of his weight on you. Kuroo’s hot breath fanned on your neck as he leaned his forehead against your temple.

“K-keep it.” You struggled speaking as your cheek scraped the wall.

“Nah, darlin’,” He whispered, you felt the cold metal of his lip ring graze your ear, “I’d rather keep you.”

“Oh, like you fucking own me?” You spat, thrashing against his hold in an attempt to free yourself.

“Of course, I do, sweetheart.” You felt the rumble reverberate in his chest as he laughed.

“You feel that, hm?” He dug his fingers in your hips as he grinded against your back. You could feel his hard cock straining against his jeans, “Fuck, darlin’, this is all because of that lil’ stunt you pulled,” He pressed even harder.

“P-please, Kuroo, don’t-” Tears started to prick your eyes and you clawed at the wall in a futile attempt to get away from him.

“C’mon, we haven’t even gotten to the fun part yet,” He chuckled. 

Kuroo loosened his grip on you as he flipped you over, once again shoving you into the wall. He cupped your cheek and gestured you to look at him, “Get on your knees, darlin’”

Staring at him, eyes wide, you were speechless at his request.

Kuroo slammed a fist on the wall right next to your head, making you jump. Clenching your eyes shut, the tears rolled down your face as you whimpered.

“Are you that fucking stupid that you can’t follow a god damn order?” The hand that cupped your cheek brushed the stray tears away from your face. It was almost soothing, the way his thumb rubbed soft circles on your cheek. You leaned into his touch. 

“I’m not asking. Get on your knees.” You made a move to kneel down on the floor as he backed away and gave you space. You could’ve made a run for it, you should have made a run for it, but his intimidating gaze kept you cemented. Looking up at him, you awaited his next command. 

He smirked, looking down at your tear-stained face, “You know what to do, darlin’” 

Hesitating, you made quick work of his belt. As you pulled his pants down, along with his underwear, he cock sprang out, freed from its confines.

You stared at it dumbly.

“Well? The fuck are you waiting for? Suck.” He said as he palmed the back of your head and encouraged you to put your mouth on him.

Kuroo hissed as you placed a hand at the base of his cock and gave it a slight squeeze. Moving yourself towards his cock, you started giving his head tiny kitten licks before placing the tip on your mouth and sucking.

Bobbing your head up and down, you started at a slow pace taking him in deeper in your mouth each time. Whatever you couldn’t fit in your mouth, you took care off with your hands, pumping his base. However, this was not enough for him as he used his fingers to grip at your hair, keeping you steady.

He bucked his hips particularly hard and you choked, gagging around him. Kuroo only moaned in pleasure as your throat constricted even tighter around his shaft. Nails clawed at his thigh, and you tapped him twice signaling you were at your limit. As he let you go, you took desperate breaths of fresh air, and leaned forward with both your hands on the floor. 

“You fucking asshole. I hate you…” You whispered meekly.

You thought you had said quietly enough that he couldn’t hear you but his large hand took hold of your hair and yanked you back, forcing you to make eye contact. 

“You hate me?” Whimpering at his grip on your hair, you could only shake your head ‘no’, “Well don’t change your mind now, sweetheart.”

Letting your hair go, he bent down, and scooped you up from the floor. He hooked your legs around his hips, and placed his hands, slightly slipping into your shorts, on your ass. Instinctively, your arms tightened around him, burying your head in his neck.

His chest let out another deep rumble, chuckling at your reaction. Kuroo started walking, taking you with him. Making it to his destination, he placed you down on a cool, uneven, metal surface and it only took you a second to guess that it was your car. You removed your hand from his neck and placed them on the jagged exterior of the car unsure of what to do. Clenching your fists, you cowered at his icy stare. 

You felt his cat-like eyes move across your body, surveying the sight in front of him.

“If you hate me so much then what the hell is this?” You made an attempt to clamp your legs as he ran a finger across your clothed slit, visibly wet with your arousal. However, his legs, in between your own, kept you from closing them.

It was only then you realized how uncomfortably wet you’d gotten. His finger, repeating the same movements over and over, only spurred you on even more. Biting your cheeks to hold in your moans, your legs trembled against his own. 

Kuroo stopped his movements on your clit and a whimper slipped out at the loss of friction, “If you want me to continue…” He brought his hands to your chin, tilting your face up to meet his smoldering stare. His usual hazel eyes appeared dark and predatory as he studied you with unwavering attention, “Give me a kiss.”

“I-” 

“Come on, darlin’, give me a kiss.” 

Letting out a breath, you leaned into his face. Hesitation was apparent in your movements as you gave him a chaste peck on the lips.

“You can do better than that. Try again.” A hand found itself on your thigh and he squeezed at the soft flesh prompting a sharp inhale.

You leaned in once again, eyes fluttering shut as your lips met his own. Interlocking in an exchange of saliva as you parted your lips, inviting his prodding tongue. Clutching on to his shirt, you effectively deepened the kiss as you pushed him closer. Soft exhales could be heard in quick attempts to catch your breath at the intensity of his kiss. 

He pulled away, only a trail of saliva connected your swollen lips.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” A wave of embarrassment washed over you at his condescending tone, “And now you get a reward.”

His large hands pushed you down until you were laying on the hood of the car. Staring at the ceiling, you breathed heavily, knowing what was to come. You weren’t supposed to be enjoying this as much as you were, but you couldn’t keep your walls from clenching around nothing at the feeling of his hot breath on the junction of your thighs. 

“Mmm… Fuck.” You heard him curse through clenched teeth as he buried his nose in your clothed pussy. His eyes stared at your writhing body from his position on the floor. Your back arched slowly as a slew of moans filtered from your soft lips.

Leisurely, Kuroo peeled the shorts off from your legs, savoring every moment. The black lingerie adoring your pussy was soaked through completely, some even dripping down on your thigh. 

He trailed kisses up your leg, leaving hickeys in his wake. The sensation of his wet lips leading to your wanton pussy only made you buck your hips in search of more friction. 

“Patience, darlin’” Kuroo reminded you as he gripped the legs hooked over his shoulder, and kept you from moving.

His tantalizing fingers ran across the hem of your underwear, pushing the thin material aside. The cool air of the garage hit your exposed cunt and he watched in awe as it trembled before him. 

“Fuck, you’re so wet,” He said, astonished at your glistening pussy.

A moan tore through your throat as Kuroo delved into your pussy without warning. Hands found themselves roaming through his spiky hair and you pushed him closer against you reveling in his long awaited touches.

His tongue lapped up your folds, collecting the slick that had accumulated and circling it around your clit. Jolts of pleasure shocked your body as Kuroo continued playing with the small bundle of nerves. One of his hands found its way at your entrance, prodding at the quivering hole.

“H-hahhh… Please Kuroo, I can’t-” You bucked your hips again, encouraging his finger to move.

You didn’t receive a response but his pointer finger plunged in your pussy, and curled as he tried to locate your g-spot. The meticulous movements of his finger made it easy for him to find the spongy spot inside you, taking the loud cry that escaped your lips as a signal that he had found it.

As Kuroo loosened the walls of your pussy with his finger, his mouth continued its work, lips closing around your clit and sucking hard.

He added another finger and you couldn’t help the way your hips thrashed at the sensation of being full, “Fuck, I-I’m so close,” You moaned for him as he repeated his movements. The knot in your stomach tightened, and tightened, until finally it snapped. White, hot pleasure blinded you and you screwed your eyes shut. The strained moan you let out echoed in your massive garage, hips continuing to buck into Kuroo’s mouth.

He slowed his movements, working you through your orgasm. The wails of his name slipping out your mouth kept ringing in his ears, the strain in his jeans only growing tighter. 

As you calmed down from your high, your legs trembled against his shoulders. You watched him get up from the floor, your cum that coated his mouth and chin reflected the harsh light of the garage. 

Kuroo smirked at the state your body was currently in, taking in the way your legs continued to quiver and shake. He grabbed your arm and pulled your limp body up, no longer having the strength to struggle against him. You leaned your head on his chest, tired due to the dizzying aftermath of your orgasm. The only thing you could pay attention to was the rhythmic rise and fall of Kuroo’s chest as he breathed. It was enough to lull you into a deep sleep, you even felt your eyes growing heavy.

However, the sharp pain you felt as Kuroo began piercing the head of his thick cock in your hole jolted you awake. 

You clawed at his chest, wincing at the pain, “W-wait Kuroo, I can’t. I just ca-”

He slams you against the hood of your car, you were sure it was hard enough to cause another dent.

“What, you get to cum but I don’t, huh?” He slammed his hips against yours giving you no time to adjust before he pulled out and repeated the movement. You could only scream in pain. Even after he stretched you with his fingers and after all the slick that you had accumulated throughout the night, you still couldn’t take all of him.

 “You’re gonna take my cock, whether you like it or not, slut” He whispered in your ear.

Slowly, he rocked hips into yours going deeper with each thrust. Your throat grew hoarse from crying out at the pain, tears spilling from your eyes. Drool trickled from the corner of your lips as your tongue lolled out of your mouth.

Propelling his body forward, he leaned all of his weight against you as he bottomed out. You groaned in ecstasy, or was it discomfort you had felt?

No longer did you have control of your body as the pain faded into pleasure.

Kuroo grunted as your velvety walls sucked him in. He’d been waiting to fuck you for so long, often having been the subject of his imagination as he rutted his cock into his fist. But this was real, even better than he could have imagined. The pulsing walls clenching around him were so tight that it was almost hard to move. 

A cacophony of obscene sounds reverberated throughout  the room as you had both been lost in your own pleasure. The angle he was pistoning his cock continued to ram against the most pleasurable spots inside of you, making you flutter around him. You were approaching your high again. The both of you were. 

“H-hahh~ Fuck, fuck, fuck. ‘M so close!” You squeezed your eyes shut, and arched your back.

“Yeah, darlin’?” He said through his own heavy pants. Only slowing down a little bit, he shoved his thumb in your mouth. Too eagerly, you sucked on it, twirling your tongue around his thumb. When Kuroo decided that it was wet enough, he slipped it out your mouth and began rubbing your clit.

“God~” Your pussy clenched around him and you dug your nails in his forearm. Pleasure shot through you as you creamed on his cock, gripping your walls tighter around him.

Kuroo chased his own orgasm he continued to slam into you, movements becoming erratic. He was unrelenting as he brutally fucked your abused cunt. 

He let out a deep growl that rumbled in his chest, “‘M gonna cum so fucking deep inside ya, darlin’,” Gripping your waist, he bucked his hips one last time, kissing your cervix, as he spilled his heavy load inside you. 

Both of your breaths could be heard as you panted heavily. He pulled out of your pussy and you could feel the viscous liquid dribble out of your hole and onto the car. 

Your vision blurred as you were teetering on the verge of unconsciousness. The last thing you remember before everything went dark was Kuroo leaning over you waving a thick wad of cash in your face, all hundred dollar bills from what you could make out. He slipped it in the thin band of your lingerie.

“This should make up for all of the damages to your car,” He whispered in your ear, “I’ll need it again for the race against Seijoh and Inarizaki in a couple days, so make sure you have it fixed.”

“Oh and remember,” You could only stare at him with glassy eyes, as he said his parting words, “I own you, whore.”

[watchmebackflip75]

How to Train Your Wizard

Maybe I wrote a RED SHOES story involving a Viking. No it’s not those dragon riding Vikings. 

xx

SourceURL:https://archiveofourown.org/works/25142545        How to Train Your Wizard - BleedingHeart911 - Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs (2019) [Archive of Our Own]    

… The mermaids of the beach found the tourist humans too odd by a starfish-half. Giant umbrella over their fully clothed bodies; these landmaids were in the wrong climate. The strange landfolk separated from nature further by sitting in lounging chairs as if the boulders in the ocean weren’t cool enough.

“Gotta love that sun.” Snow White said under her sunhat. In one hand she fanned her soft chin, in the other her fingers laced in her boyfriend’s hand.

“Yes, and this fresh sea breeze.” Merlin said dozily, his eyelids closing under his sun-obstacles. He snapped his long fingers and a candle enchanted with bug-repellent burned green and smelled like a sunflower. They sighed in unison, their cares slipping away.

The cawing of seagulls became the yelps of scared mermaids. Snow and Merlin open a single eye each to see a wooden dragon raging towards the shoreline.

“Who would think building a giant dragon puppet easier than taking the beast as a pet?” Merlin asked as he dropped his lite beach-rob. He flipped through the spell-cards in his belt-satchel.

“Sweetie, that’s a Viking’s ship. You might want to pull out a big zapper.” Snow said as she closed their umbrella. Merlin had his magic, she had the strength to stab and whack. They sped-walked to the gentle waves, weapons in hand but allowing the strangers to arrive.

“Never fought a Viking before. Heard they’re like minotaur-pirates without dental plans.” Merlin said, watching the huge sails.

“That’s the stereotype. It’s not untrue but I’ve known some exceptions.” Snow said as the boat pushed into the sand.

Merlin smirked, he thought about asking if his princess had known a lot of disgusting pirates growing up in the sheltered ballrooms. He didn’t ask since the horned, hairy, man-like fiends jumped onto the beach, shaking the earth.  

The hairy beasts groaned in warning, weapons in hand though they stood in wait. A huge, maybe seven-foot-tall, yellow-haired beast jumped off the side. His smell made Merlin’s stomach turn.

“I’m going to hit him with a soap-spell first.” Merlin said as he raised a spell-card.

Snow grabbed his hand, “Wait a minute. Brutechel?”

Under the unruly hair and horned-helmet Merlin saw bright blue eyes and the scruffy stubble of a young man’s sickly smile.

“Snow! You’re alright!” The Viking exclaimed, swinging his mallets over his head.

Snow laughed and ran into Brutechel’s hug. The Viking’s thick muscles had no problem raising Snow off her feet in a twirl. The sight disgusted Merlin; he felt a flicker of lightning trickle up his thin arms.

Brutechel placed Snow back on the sand and held her fair little hands in his hammy ham-hands.

“I wanted to come sooner- when I heard about your step-mother –“

“It’s fine, we’re fine. You had your reasons for not-“

“No, my chief hid your letters. He had- I had no idea… You must have thought I was the most selfish son of troll.” Brutechel said with regret.

“Never.” Snow’s big brown eyes looked up at the young man two-heads taller than she.

Brutechel sighed deeply with tears of joy. “Thank Odin you’re alright.”

“Yes, she is.” Merlin stated loudly, stepping to Snow’s side. He put an arm around her possessively and said, “Hi, I’m the hero who saved the White Castle, among others. Merlin, leader of the Fearless Seven, I’m sure you heard of us.”

“Thought you guys were a democracy.” Snow said, dropping her hands from Brutechel’s grip.

“When my quick thinking and skill can’t find an advantage, yes we can be.” Merlin amended.

“Oh, yeah I have heard the F Seven. Thought they died a year ago?” Brutechel said, eyeing the overly-groomed fishbone holding Snow.

“Sabbatical.” Snow shrugged slightly annoyed with Merlin’s bragging, “So yeah, Brutechel this is Merlin, Merlin this is my dear old…. Brutechel.”

Both boys heard her take a beat to avoid using ‘old/ ex boyfriend’.

“Uh-huh.” Brutechel said, folding his ox-like muscles across his chest.

“Yep.” Merlin said with a pop of his lips.

Snow groaned through a smile and pushed Merlin’s hand off her shoulder. “Bea, tell me you didn’t come all this way just for me and my problems.”

“I would’ve crossed any seas if I thought you were in danger.” Brutechel said gently.

Merlin tried to say something but Snow spoke over him with, “Then the least we can do is invite you to dinner.”

“I’d be honored, Snow Bunny.” Brutechel said, barely moving his eyes from Snow, “That alright with you, chum?”

“Of course, and allow me to cook for you, bud.” Merlin said with a very fake smile.

“I’ll bring something over, that fine with you, Murray?” Brutechel said unamused.

“Don’t go out of your way, Brutus, any allergies I should know about?” Merlin asked stepping closer.

“Nope, but I don’t eat meat or dairy, dude.” The Viking said, crouching over string-bean.

“You’re a Vegan Viking, lad?” Merlin asked, noticing a few teeth were metal and gold.

“You bet your pointy hat, pal.” Brutechel said, wondering when non-Viking men started wearing perfume.

Merlin held back a flicker of lightning in his palm, “We’ll keep that in mind, and don’t trouble yourself with dessert. I know a guy.”

“I know a guy, too.” Brutechel said, curling and uncurling his fist.

“Oh boy,” Snow said drily, she clapped her hands, “You guys, hey.”

They both stared at her, their postures aligned to pounce.

“How about we all agree to meet at the castle around sunset? That good for you, Brutechel?”

The smelly oaf softened, “Oh course, Bunny, I look forward to tonight.”

“Me too.” Snow said sweetly as she grabbed Merlin’s arm, “Let’s go get ready.”

“Of course, my darling.” Merlin said, looping his arm around Snow’s elbow. “Now don’t you pillage when we turn our backs.”

Snow pinched his arm and they waved to the Vikings to Brutechel’s horde. The couple noticed some had buckets of popcorn. The Vikings waived back in a friendly manner.

On Risky Rock, Arthur’s laugh dug so deep the side of his dwarf-green abbs began to ache.

“Pure barry,” Merlin’s oldest friend said while beating the table. “Snow use to date a Viking? One of those lugs would use you like a toothpick. This has to be killing you, Merlin!” “Shut up, Arthur.” Merlin said while pouting in his chair at their oval table.

“Poor Merlin, the cute cure to your curse came with some burly baggage.” Jack said, also still green, small and polishing his nails to a shine. Pino, Noki and Kio stated different similes for Jack’s alliteration.

“I really can’t see how a girl as lovely and demur as Snow would ever even think of going near one of those filthy vandals.” Merlin said, relieved he could complain far from his girlfriend’s ears.

“Ah, la vache, you would’ve said the same thing about your squat little self when she met you.” Jack countered. Arthur was still chortlings, rolling on the floor.

Merlin rolled his eyes, “I really doubt there’s anything hidden in that bear. But it is so like her to take a stray home and try to bathe it.”

“I’ve tried to do the same thing will all of you.” Jack stated, causing Hans’ brow to wrinkle in confusion. The ginger chef came out with meatless stroganoff in a glass dish with painted candies dancing around the sides.

“Here, Merlin, I replaced the beef with tofu.” Hans said. He liked trying an old dish with a new twist.

“Right, I’ll return it tomorrow.” Merlin said, he wondered if he poisoned the tofu would it hurt Hans’ feelings. After he closed the door his friends hovered at the oval table.

“We’re going to that dinner, right?” Hans asked in the huddle.

“Affirmative.” Pino said cheerfully.

“You got that right.” Said Niko.

“Let’s bring a boardgame.” Kio said.

In the White Castle the princess set the table. The incident of her step-mother, may she rest in peace, turning her entire court and staff into trees made rehiring very difficult. Princess Snow didn’t mind setting the table, it reminded her of childhood tea parties. The memories of the princess guests judging her when she ate a cookie or scone wasn’t so nice. Snow accepted the past, forgave the foolish, remembered how Princess Katherine got kicked by a unicorn for being too boney and looked forward to her future.

“Have you thought about hiring elves? I hear they’re inexpensive.” Merlin said as he folded the napkins into swans.

“I sent notice, and I offered to pay them above the average non-human rate. Did you know Elves can catch all the same diseases we can and still don’t get health insurance?” Snow said, lighting candles.

“Shame. But they should be grateful at least one saintly princess cares.” Merlin said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it.

“Aww. Oh, thanks for getting Hans’ dish.” Snow said, raising the lid to see the home-rolled pasta Hans made. He rolled two different colored pastas to look like a candy cane swirl.

“Gladly. Do something for me, darling?” Merlin asked with a handsome smile.

“What’s that?”

“Cancel on Brute-a-chelli and enjoy a private dinner with me?”

“Merlin.” Snow said in a balanced tone.

“Whhhhhy are you making me hang out with the man who’s obviously still in love with you? How do you think that makes me feel??” Merlin whined.

Snow put a hand to her hip and raised her fingers as she made these points; “Okay, One; he’s not still in love with me, two: he’s a great guy I think you’d like after you get to know him, three: because I want to remain friends with Brutechel he needs to see the wonderful man I’ve chosen.”

The doubt that any man would be evolved enough to see his former love happy with a new beau ran deep in Merlin. He carefully considered choosing his words so he could squash her hopes in the most respectful route.

Snow placed her hands on his chest. “How about this? You really try to be nice tonight and after I’ll show you the flexible Valkyrie dress in my closet.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow, “Bribe accepted.”

Brutechel brought a salad in what looked like a giant yak skull. Merlin didn’t like pesto but he generously complimented the inscriptions carved in the bone-bowl. Brutechel the Kittenish was an animal lover. He had a zoo of pets on his ship and more at home; all rescues. At age six he tamed a sabertooth tiger and dedicated the rest of his life to respecting and caring for beasts found during sailing by the family business. Officially the ‘family business’ was exclusive pottery and dishes from ‘recycled’ materials. The wizard found the doe-eyed Viking simple and boring. Merlin became less jealous the more Brutechel droned on about different feeding tests. To his joy he noticed Snow was only polite with the guest, she appreciated the kindness but was only just not asleep in her goblet.

“Oh look, the bottle’s getting low. Excuse me, I’ll grab a refill. Any preference?” Merlin merrily asked.

Brutechel took the last glup of his goblet. “More of this, please.”

“Yes, thank you.” Snow said, her porcelain cheeks a light pink.

Brutechel watched the skinny snob leave the room. He searched for his courage and gazed at the glorious queen before him.

“So how’s your cousin with the pegle-“

“Bunny, I love you!” Brutechel admitted, his eyes wide with seriousness.

A lump formed in Snow’s throat. “What?”

“I am crazy about you, so how about we leave and talk about the rest of our lives for the rest of our lives?” Brutechel said, leaned him large hands over to hold her.

Snow gently whacked them with her soup spoon. “Brutechel, no! How can you say that to me with my boyfriend around?”

“He’s not around now. And Bunny, come on, he can’t protect you from bears.” Brutechel said, surprised she wasn’t thanking him for the out from the malnourished lizard.

“Why do you always bring it back to bears?” Snow winced and raised her hands, “No, I am not engaging in this conversation again. I say no, Bea.”

“But he’s so…. Shrimpy!”

“He’s also kind and clever and cute in all the ways and I choose him.” Snow said, putting a hand over her heart.

Brutechel felt his heart drop. He looked over Snow’s shoulder to see the smug sorcerer dancing and meeting his eyes with a poking tongue.

“I’m not sorry, I love Merlin.” Snow continued, not aware in the slightest the Merlin was making insulting gestures of victory to the denied suitor.

“You sure about that?” Brutechel asked, growing agitated at the arrogant snake’s dance.

“Yes.” Snow said with resound certainty, “I love him with all my heart.”

Brutechel groaned, “I want you to be happy, Snow White. I should go.”

“I do want you to be happy too, Bea.” Snow said, she felt pity that such a kind soul hadn’t found his right person yet.

The Viking slung his bear-skin over his shoulder and said not to worry about returning the skull-bowl.

Slipping back to the pantry Merlin soundlessly stomped the floor in glee. He picked a random wine bottle, did a twirl, and swung his arms without shame. He had no idea the Dwarf Six were watching him under Jack’s invisibility cloak. He muffled their laughter and followed the goofy friend to the dinning hall entrance. Merlin exhaled his delight and put on a façade of indifference when he approached Snow.

“Here we are, darling. How’s your goblet, Brutty? Oh my goodness, where did he go?” Merlin asked in phony surprise.

“He said he had to turn in for an early sail.” Snow fibbed, her face a little slumped.

“I see. Oh, dear. I’m sorry you’re disappointed.” Merlin wasn’t completely fibbing.

“It's how it goes.” Snow said as he kissed the top of her head.

“It’s getting late, we can raincheck the skimpy outfit you promised me.” Merlin said, he was already happy with the night so he could extend the excitement.

“Really? Honestly yeah, I’m not feeling it right now.” Snow said, placing her napkin on her plate. “I’ll clean up if you get the pillows cleared off.”

“I’ll clean, you get the cuddle chamber ready.” Merlin said as he took Hans’ dishware to the kitchen. Placing the dish in soapy water Merlin caught his reflection in a shiny tea pot.

“Hello gorgeous,” Merlin said to himself, “The smelly beast is gone and now Snow can get Merlin’d happily.”

Lightly parting his hair Merlin noticed a figure on the slant of the teapot. Instinct had him swiftly crouch down and miss the blow of the sink-size mallet. Merlin jumped up to see Hans’ dishware was intact, good, and he slapped a spell-card on the assailant behind him. The man was four times thicker so there was plenty of target. Merlin slide to the side and clapped his hands for a blast of lightning.

Brutechel blew the smoke from the burnt spot on his pec. The blast stung like a bee.

“Okay, let’s talk about this.” Brutechel offered, he felt a bad sport to attack such a soft puncher.

“Oh lets.” Merlin raised more spells in his fingers, “You got dumped, I make Snow happier,”

The wizard said this as they walked around a kitchen island. “Brute, chum, you can leave with a smidgen of dignity and I can be alone with the woman I adore. Or I zap you until your thick skull is a soup bowl”

Brutechel scoffed as they circled the steak knife set.

“You have tricks up your sleeve where Snow lays out her heart. My Bunny doesn’t need that.” Brutechel said as he threw a ladle at the wizard’s head.

Merlin dodged the ladle and threw a lightning bolt at the Viking's face. The stubble wouldn’t kindle but the ungroomed eyebrows burned clean off. Brutechel grabbed the saucepan and swung it in his palm.

“From what I heard you haven’t a clue what she needs.” Merlin said, he held up his arms so her magic could block the blows. “And you are the worst listener!”

Braced for another punch Merlin felt winded when nothing met his sizzling force fields. He lowered his guard to see Brutechel kneeled on the floor, hands down at his side.

“Go ahead, demon-whisperer, take me out so my Bunny can live in peace.” Brutechel said sadly, offering his thick neck open to a strike.

“Oh get up. As much as I loathe hearing you call my love ‘Bunny’,” Merlin rolled his eyes and shook with revulsion, “it’s no sport to disfigure a martyr.”

Brutechel nodded at the reasoning. He stood up, a head taller than Merlin, and wiped his hands, “If I ever hear you hurt her, I will use your straw arms for oyster forks.”

“Sure. Want a meal for the road, er, sea?” Merlin offered, he pointed to the pantry of fresh vegetables.

“Oh come on!” An oh too familiar voice bellowed from the shadows. Merlin groaned with annoyance while the spooked Brutechel searched for the demon source. Arthur threw off the cloak and slapped Merlin’s thigh.

“Mate, if you don’t defend Snow-belle’s honor I will disown!” The cursed prince said.

“Demon!” Brutechel yelled, grabbing his mallet and aiming to smash the little green monster. The mini monster caught the mallet’s face and pulled it from the Viking’s hand.

“No, I wouldn’t do it right. You can go right ahead.” Merlin said flatly, the two lug-heads were already crashing and destroying the royal kitchen.

The rest of the group sat on the kitchen island, eating the leftovers. One of the triplets shook a dice inside a cup.

“Hey.” Jack nonchalantly said, signaling they would clean up before the sun rose.

“Hey yourself.” Merlin waved in a quiet thanks to his friends. He rolled his neck and walked to Snow’s bedroom.

A lit candle was left on her nightstand. Snow faced away from the glow as she slept. In the pajamas that matched hers Merlin slid between the sheets. He pulled her head under his chin and lightly ran his fingers over her skin.

“You took a while. I should’ve helped washed.” Snow yawned against his neck.

“You're fine, darling. You're perfect.” Merlin quietly told her, he snapped his finger and the flame sparked away.

[diddlesanddoodles]

Dumpling ch. 24

The last chapter was a little thinner than I normal post and I left it on a cliffhanger. So I’m releasing the next chapter early. Enjoy the pity chapter, peeps! 

Word spread fast through the castle that the leader of the Hill Tribes, a man named Gregis, had died. Of what, no one seemed to know. However, all through the early morning as breakfast was cooked and readied for the top table, footman and servants were abuzz about the human leader’s demise, murmurs of unease and conspiracy ran amok.

“I wonder who will replace him,” said one footman as he waited for Saen to fill the serving tray with sweetmeats, whole fruits that had been boiled and stirred for hours in honey and sugar and taken on a translucent appearance.

“Who’s to say,” Yale replied from beside him as he sliced portions of cold meat of the left over boar from the previous night’s meal. “I don’t think we have much influence in the Hill Tribe’s politics. King kind of lets them figure out their own affairs.”

“What if the new leader hates Vhasshalans and they start raiding us?”

Yale scowled at the footman, looking as though he were seriously contemplating smashing him over the head with his own serving tray. “Raid us? What would they do that fer? We feed ‘em ya right git!”

The footman had the decency to look ashamed. “Well, yes. But y’know how greedy they are...”

Yale bristled and he glowered. “If ya don’t shut yer gob, I’m gonna smash all yer teeth out and ya can eat soup fer the rest ‘a ya fucking life.”

“Sorry!” The footman left with his tray in a hurry after that.  

“Fucking prat,” Saen muttered after him. “And he runs like a lass.”

For her part, Nenani spent the morning gathering up rocks that were scattered around the camp. Some were smoothed and polished river stones and other were chunks of layered earth that sparkled when the light hit them just right. Anything that looked pretty, she added to her pile. The freedom to wander about as she wished was a somewhat novel thing. Normally the kitchens were so busy in the morning, she had to stay put so as not to get in the way or get stepped on by an unobservant footman. The yard where they had set up the temporary kitchen was wide with plenty of space. To one side, the rampart loomed high above them, stone facing that stretched high into the sky, while the other was the wooden backsides of the guards’ barracks and armory. Just a bit further along was the stables and smithy.  

She had managed to accumulate a respectable collection by the time Farris finally returned. Even from a distance it was clear he was in a particularly fowl mood. Tucked under one arm was a small chest. Yale was the first to greet him.

“Mornin’ boss,” he said tentatively. “Everythin’ go alright?”

“No,” Farris snorted humorlessly, dropping the chest heavily onto a table and making the serving bowls clink and chatter. He stared into it for a moment, scowling and growling. “I suppose ya heard th’news by now.”

“About Gregis? Yeah,” Yale replied. “We heard the horns last night.” Yale watched Farris dig through the chest and when no further elaborations came, he pressed him. “What happened? Farris?”

“Gregis tried to break up a fight between two other humans,” Farris replied and then paused to pull out a small bottle, eyeing the contents inside and giving it a little shake to loosen the material within. He replaced it back into the chest and continued his rummaging. “One of the lil’ fucks stabbed ‘im. Pierced his heart and he bled out right in front of the whole damn tribe.”

There were muted gasps and curses from everyone. Bart grunted and turned to spit, “What a fuckin’ waste.”

Nenani watched from her place next to the hut, noting their reactions. She knew the name Gregis from overhearing Keral and King Warren the time she got lost in the halls and just before getting nabbed by the Ranger Captain. Gregis’s wife had made something for the King. Some sort of talisman to help protect his unborn child. Nenani wondered what kind of man he had been and was aware that she would likely have known him if Farris had not chosen to keep her as his ward.

“Poor man,” Saen said, looking grim. “He was married, wasn’t he?”

Yale nodded. “Aye. Has a young son too, I think.”

“They’ll be holdin’ the funeral tonight,” Farris continued, closing the chest at last with a little more force than was necessary and seemed deeply dissatisfied with the whole thing. “Then they’ll hang the lil’ bastard who did it a few days from now.”

“Any idea what the fight was over?” Avery asked.

“Somethin’ stupid would be my guess,” Farris answered, tucking the small chest under one arm. “Doesn’t matter though. He’s dead. There’s talk of Warrick bein’ nominated to replace him.”

“Warrick?” Bart snorted incredulously. “Ain’t he that skinny twat ya brought back from Dornbey a few summers passed?”

Farris laughed darkly. “That skinny twat grew up, Bart. Got big. Fer as big as a human can get.”

“Will ya be going?” Bart asked, leaning against the table with his arms crossed. “To the funeral.”

“Thought about it,” Farris replied, something hard moving across his face, but in a flash it was gone. “Not certain I much care fer watchin’ a dead human roast. Saw plenty ‘a that durin’ the war and I don’t care to see it ever again.”

“It ain’t the same,” Bart replied, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder and squeezing. “Not at all.”

“Aye,” Farris sighed, looking world wary and tired. Nenani could see the dark circles under his eyes and she wondered if he had slept at all. It did not escape Bart’s eye either and the burly giant, patted Farris’s shoulder.

“Ye look like hell, Farris,” Bart said quietly. “Go take a bit ‘a rest. The boy’s and I know what needs t’be done.”

“No time,” Farris replied shaking his head and making his way towards the larger tent. “Maevis is needin’ some things.”

Farris ducked inside to place the chest on a small table near the front before turning back, a fresh apron in his hands. He was tying it around his waist and moving towards the prep tables.

“Well,” Bart said to him “He ain’t needin’ ‘em right this moment is he?”

The kitchen master stopped and considered it. “Nah. He ain’t.”

The butcher huffed and waved Farris off. “Go on then. We can handle this fine. Maevis has the patience of a saint and won’t care if he has to wait till after lunch fer his order.”

Farris paused, considering and finally he sighed and nodded. “Fine. Come and wake me if it gets too late.”

Bart’s answer came in an affirmative grunt before he returned to his work. Farris warily entered the hut, pulling the apron off. Nenani watched him and there was a nagging feeling in her chest and almost as though it were a compulsory thing, she stood and went to the hut’s open door and peeked in. Farris was sitting on the edge of his cot, wiping one hand down his face and she could more clearly see the toll taken on her guardian. His shoulders slumped as though bowing under the weight of something very heavy and though he was often seen scowling at nothing in particular at any given moment, his frown looked...very sad. Suddenly, green eyes turned to face her and Nenani bristled.

“What is it, Dumplin’?” Farris asked, his voice hoarse. She eased herself into the hut and slowly approached, wringing her hands. She stopped at his boots and looked up. Farris was peering down at her and his green eyes seemed duller. “Hm?”

“Are...” she started, licking her lips. “Are you okay?”

Farris seemed confused and a little taken aback by the question. “...I’ll live.”

She frowned. “That’s not what I asked...”

Farris quirked an eyebrow at her. But when she just continued to frown at him, crossing her arms and waiting for her answer, the forlorn lines of his face broke and he smiled. “I’m fine, lass. Just tired is all. Lot of things happenin’ all at the same time. Beats ya down after a while.” He snorted and wiped something from one eye. “Startin’ t’ pitty the nail...”

She studied his face before asking, “Did you know him? Gregis?”

He nodded. “Aye, I did. Wouldn’t ‘ave called him a ‘friend’, but we worked together gettin’ humans outta Dornbey and settled into the Hill Tribes. Knew ‘im fer a long time. A very long time...”

“Is that where they sell humans?” She asked. “At the market? Where Kent came from? And Sawyer?”

He winced and shook his head. “It ain’t something ya should be hearin’ about, lass,” Farris said, waving his hand. “Not fer a lil’un’s ears.”

She wanted to protest, to say that she wasn’t stupid. She had heard enough of Dornbey market to understand a little of what kinds of nefarious dealings were to be had there. And she also understood Farris and Yale’s trips there were not only purely to acquire produce for the kitchens. They were looking for Vhasshalans violating the King’s creed against eating humans. But seeing the stern warning in his eyes, Nenani dropped it.

She put a hand on the leather of his boot. “But...you’re okay?”

Warmth returned to his eyes and he nodded, a small smile tugging at the edge of his lips. He reached down and ran his finger tips across her head. “Aye.”

The fingers at head her dropped down and he cupped her back with his palm, steering her to face the door and gave her a gentle nudge. “Go on and play, Nenani. Weather’s turnin’ and it won’t be much time at all till the snows taller than ye are and ye’ll be stuck inside fer months. Best enjoy it while it lasts.”

She turned back as the hand retreated and in a sudden, in-the-moment decision, she ran back to grab onto his fingers, squeezing as tightly as she could manage. She released her grip to turn and run out the hut’s door, calling back over her shoulder, “Sleep well!”

Farris was left slack jawed as he watching her run off, a warm feeling spreading through his tired and aching body. As he laid down onto his cot, covering his eyes with his folded apron, he smiled and for the first time in a long while, slept soundly without the faces of the dead to accompany his dreams.

……………………………………………………..

She almost did not recognize him in his fancy clothes. Instead of the well worn slacks and tunic, Jae wore a formal doublet made of green silk with delicate gold embroidery and proper black breeches. His boots had even been polished. For the first time since knowing him, looked to Nenani like a proper King’s ward. Prince like almost. His hair was even combed.

“Not the most comfortable thing to wear,” Jae told her, lifting his arm up and spinning to show off the embroidered trim along the side. “And it makes climbing harder and Lolly will skin me if I rip these pants. But I promised Rosanna I would try to look more the part. She’s still kind of…not all that happy with me, but I guess we’re making progress. Apparently she had some weird idea that Warren wanted me to be in line for the throne and be in competition with her baby. So once we cleared that up, she was a lot more open to me being around. She just doesn’t really talk to me, which is fine. I don’t have much to say to her anyway. But I’m trying to show her I can actually behave and be a good King’s ward. A lot of standing around while someone drones on for an hours about protocols and junk. Ibronians are obsessed with court etiquette. They have rules for everything! Mostly I only need to wear this getup at official functions or when I’m working.”

They had taken up a corner of the camp away from the cook fires and busy staff to quietly chat and catch up. Nenani sat wrapped in her quilt, her collection of river stones in her lap.   

“Working?” she asked. “What are you working on?”

“Oh right!” Jae said, eyes bright. “You wouldn’t have heard. Warren’s made me Assistant Steward.”

“What’s that?” she asked, confused.

“Y’know, I asked him the same thing when he told me,” the boy replied with a smirk. “Basically, I trail along with Donal when he makes his rounds, keeping notes mostly, and delivering messages between the staff. The Steward and the Matron are the head servants, making sure everything runs smoothly between all the different departments.”

“Oh. So who’s the Matron?”

Jae looked at her oddly. “...well, Lolly is of course.”

“She is?” Nenani asked, feeling thrown for a loop.

Jae laughed. “You didn’t know?”

She shook her head. “No one calls her Matron...”

“No, that is true,” he replied conceding the point. “I don’t think she cares for the title to be honest. It does kind of invoke the image of someone much older.”

“Have you apologized to her?” Nenani asked. Jae coughed into his fist, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

“Yeah. Yeah I did,” he replied. “She came to see me late after...all that stuff happened.”

“So, does that mean everything’s okay now?” Nenani asked. “You can sleep in your own bed now?”

Jae rolled his eyes, but nodded. He stepped up onto a large boulder sticking up from the ground and eased himself into crouch. “Yup. Lolly even had it cleaned for me.”

“That was nice of her.”

“Yeah, but now I can’t find anything!” he laughed. Careful of his stiff clothing, Jae slowly sank down to sit onto the rock, letting his feet dangle just above the grass, appearing carefree and...content. More than she had ever seen.

“So what about you?” he asked. “Heard that Wyvern messed you up pretty good. These guys were beside themselves. I could heard Farris trying to break down the infirmary doors from Donal’s office.”

“Scariest moment of my life,” she replied. “Even worse than when I thought they were gonna eat me. By far!”

“We could hear it from the great hall. All the BANG and CRASH and WOOSH!,” Jae said, animated as he mimicked the sounds of a wyvern attack. “Everyone just started freaking out and started running around all useless. Thames even fainted!”

“It was so big!” Nenani said, flinging her arms out as far as they would go. “Like, a hundred feet long! It made everyone look small and Quinn said that Dragons are even bigger!”

“I’ve never seen one,” Jae replied with a shudder. “And hope it stays that way. Maevis told me once that Dragons weren’t only dangerous because of their size. They’re smart too. Like proper people smart.”

“I don’t think I wanna meet a dragon either,” Nenani made a face and Jae laughed.

“Oh!” he suddenly said, perking up. “That reminds me. I wanted to asked you about something Yale asked me...”

“Hm?”

“What’s this thing about dead people in the tunnels?”

Her heart gave an odd hiccup and for a moment, she could only stare at Jae. “Oh...yeah. He wasn’t suppose to say anything.”

“So, does that mean it’s true?” Jae asked, leaning down towards her, his eyes alight with curiosity. “You found...bones in there? Where? Why didn’t you anything before?”

She struggled to answer him, but to her relief, Jae did not press her on the fact that she had never told him. Instead, he leap to his feet. “We’re gonna have to find it again.”

“What?” Nenani balked. “No! It was scary!”

“Listen to me Nenani,” he said with a determined expression. “I have lived here for years and thought I knew those tunnels forwards and backwards. Now you’re saying you found a whole new tunnel? I have to see it for myself! Can you remember where it was? Any clue at all?”

“Well,” she began reluctantly. “When I ran away from it I ended up in a hallway and the King was there...it’s where Keral nabbed me...”

“What kind of tapestries did you see? Describe them.”

“Um...there was one with a tree and a horse and some ladies dressed in blue and..”

“I know where that one is!” Jae replied and then looked confused, tapping a finger to lip pursed lips. “But there’s not a door to the tunnels there...”

Nenani shrugged. She half expected him to feel defeated, but instead he looked as though this mystery was rejuvenating him and she was suddenly struck with the notion that he and Keral looked very much alike when they were excited.

“Alright!” He said in finality and turning back to Nenani. “I’m busty this afternoon and most of tomorrow with Donal, but after that I’m free. We’ll go searching for it then.”

“I...I don’t really...”

“Oh, come on! You stared a wyvern down and almost got chomped for real, but you’re too scared to go look for some old bones?”

“T-they’re not the same...”

“Well,” he said with a shrug. “You have two days to get over it. And then we go hunting.”

He turned away and began to walk away. Gaping at the back of Jae’s head, Nenani rose to her feet and yelled after him. “I didn’t agree to any of that!”

“Sorry,” Jae called back, now fully sprinting away. “Can’t hear ya!”

She stomped her feet indignantly. “JAE!”

…………………………………………………

It was well passed the luncheon hour when Farris emerged from the hut and the first thing he did was walk up to Bart and punch him squarely in the back of his right shoulder. “Ya fucker, ye was suppose to wake me if it got late.”

Wincing against the pain, Bart smirked. He rolled his shoulder. “Ah, sorry ‘bout that, Farris. Th’ time must’ve gotten away from me.”

Clearly not believing a word of what Bart had said, Farris just rolled his eyes and tightened his apron while muttering under his breath. Regardless of his protests, he did look very much improved by his rest, Nenani was quick to note. He carried himself in his the familiar way and took no pause before barking out orders and getting updates from everyone on where they were in their tasks.

“The iron one will do for now,” he was telling Gjerk. “We don’t need much ‘a the sauce fer the roast and I don’t want to be wastin’ anythin’ fer no good reason.”

Everyone went to their tasks, performing like a well oiled mechanism despite their heavy impairment with the kitchens still being repaired. Farris swept his gaze across the camp, noting where everyone was and mentally knocking off items from his list. He spotted Nenani under one of the prep tables set up near the cook fire, stacking rocks.  

Nenani glanced up when she heard Farris approach, his boots making light crunching sounds. He crouched down to peer under the table at her, smirking quizzically. “Playin’ with rocks, lass?”

“No,” she replied and held a particular river stone. It was a blushing pink color with a cream stripe down the center. “Just the pretty ones.”

He shook his head. “Well, no one could accuse ya of not bein’ easily amused.”

She stuck her tongue at him.

“I got a job fer ya, lil’ un,” he said as he reached out to lift her up. Once she was secured in the crook of his arm, he then reach back down to grab up her quilt. Her collection tumbled out into the grass.

“Hey!” she protested.

“They’re rocks, lass. I think they’ll be fine.”

He took her into the large tent that was set up beside the hut where he had created a makeshift spice pantry. There were no shelves, but chests and boxes filled with the bottles and jars and crocks that normally stocked the shelves of his pantry in the kitchen. Nenani watched from the work table as Farris dug through one of the boxes. He was muttering something under his breath as he searched until at last he stood upright, something clasped in his hand. “Ah! There it is...”

He took a stool from the other side of the table and pulled it closer, easing into it and lowering his hand close to her, the items still clasped in his fist “Thought this was lost fer good. Surprised me when it showed up again when we cleaned everythin’ out.”

He opened his hand and nestled in his palm was a mortar and pestle made of dark stone. It was small and clearly meant for human use and for a moment, Nenani was very confused. Looking up at the spice master, she tilted her head in bafflement.

“It was Kent’s,” Farris explained. “He’d been gettin’ frustrated about bein’ useless, so I threatened ‘im that if he didn’t quit ‘is gripin’ I’d go ahead and give ‘im something to keep ‘im busy. Little bastard called my bluff. So I had this made fer ‘im.”

Farris plucked the tiny object from his palm and set it in front of Nenani. “Taught ‘im how to mix tinctures for Yaesha and that was ‘is job.”

She grabbed the stone pestle in her hands and lifted. It was heavy and large with her hands barely fitting around it. The inside of the mortar’s bowl and the end of the pestle were both rough surfaced while everything else was a smooth and polished back.

“And now, it’s yours.”

Nenani looked up at Farris, gaping. “Wha...really?”

He nodded. “Yale’s been teachin’ ya well on the all the herbs and yer picking it up quick. I’ll started ye on simple vinegar based recipes and we’ll work from there.”

Looking to the mortar, she ran her hands along the bowl, feeling the cold stone. The gravity of what this meant was not lost on her and inexplicably, she found her eyes were watering. Blinking them away, she craned her neck to look back at Farris who was watching her.

“Thank you,” she said. “I promise I’ll work really hard to learn.”

Farris smiled, chuckling as he stood up. “And don’t be thinkin’ I’m gonna let ya be slackin’ off just ‘cause ye a lil’un.”

“I am not a slacker,” she told him and Farris laughed loudly.

“Ya certainly won’t be when I’m done with ye.”

[silverfootstepswrites]

Northern Lights [6]

title Glitter summary Life doesn’t have a rewind.

The rain drizzled steadily over Hong Kong. Pattering off the rooftops. Down the sides of glittering skyscrapers. Pooling in the uneven spaces in the sidewalk. 

Sakura closed her eyes. The tea warmed her palm, steam rising to kiss her chin with warmth for an instant before it turned cool. 

“Tea. That’s rare. Unless they’ve found a way to serve wine hot,” commented Sai as he walked into the office. He rubbed the back of his neck, turning his head this way and that. Sighing, he dropped his jacket onto the back of a chair. Sakura lifted her chin, appraising him through the steam still rising from her teacup. 

“Either have good news or get out. I’m not in the best mood,” she warned him. The smile faded from Sai’s face. He reached into his jacket to pull out an envelope. Sakura noticed the rosy stain on his palm as he handed the envelope over to her. 

“He’s sorry,” Sai told her. 

Sakura’s eyebrow rose. She pulled the wad of cash out of the envelope. She began thumbing through the bills as she asked, “He said that?”

“No. But I made sure that he was,” answered Sai. 

Sakura paused in the middle of her count. She eyed him past the stack of money. And for just a moment, she was in a slightly better mood. 

She hesitated just in front of the threshold. Sakura almost expected to hear a loud sigh. And the flick of a lighter. Before he said: “You’re late.” The soundtrack from some old Hong Kong film playing low on the radio in the background. 

But she blinked. And the silence returned like a wave crashing on the shore. Suffocating her. 

The room was spotless, in that a thorough scan of the place would reveal no DNA. Blood, fingerprints, even hair had been scoured from the place. Otherwise, though, it was dirty. Because it was covered in an even layer of dust. Almost as if someone had draped a veil over every surface of the room. 

She could imagine Hashirama turning in his big leather chair. Eyes crinkling in the corners as he beamed at her. 

Jing-Mei! Fuhn ying! What did you bring me today?

His whole face had lit up most days he saw her. She knew. She had always known. He hadn’t been lying when he had called her his favorite. Hashirama had been many things, but a liar hadn’t been one of them. He had foolishly believed that others were just as honest. In the end, that was what had gotten him killed.

Sakura stared into the darkened room for a while longer. There were still so many things she had wanted to say. So many questions she had wanted to ask him. But his body lived on the bottom of the ocean now. Any questions she had would have to be spoken into the waves. And there was no telling where those would tumble to with the tides. 

Tobirama stared at her for the longest time when she showed up in the prison at Chek Chue. His hair was still wet from his shower. His arms rested at his sides as he sank into the metal chair. His eyes narrowed as he inspected her through the transparent barrier. 

Neither of them said anything. Neither of them tried to pick up the phone that would let them talk anyway.

She wore a lavender dress, a pattern of white and pink flowers fanning across her torso. The blushing color of the petals was the same shade as her hair. Nails, makeup, everything in matching pastels that she knew would soften her. To try to mask the sharpness she knew Tobirama could see in her face. 

She forced her eyes to move to Tobirama. It took a moment for her gaze to focus. Like the lens of an old camera. Blurring in and out until her eyes could settle on him. 

He had shaved. And he looked less angry than the last time she had seen him.

When he picked the phone off the receiver, she copied him. She hesitated to press it against her ear. But when she did, he didn’t say anything. They locked gazes. Like they had done so many times before. 

The corner of Tobirama’s mouth twitched up.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m going to think that you’re happy to see me,” he said. 

“Still delusional, I see,” she answered, turning her face away from him. 

She saw him put his elbow up on the counter. His tattoo of Guan Yu glowered at her from his left bicep. A black and red snake wound its way up his forearm. She remembered when it had gleamed on his white skin. The black deeper than black. The red like blood oozing from a fresh wound. Time had taken that vibrancy from it. Like it had taken everything else. 

Tobirama stared right back at her.

“What do you want?” he demanded. 

“You know who’s holding on to Sai Wan and Happy Valley right now?” asked Sakura. 

“You said he was dead,” he accused, eyes narrowing.

“I lied. Big shock,” she retorted, copying his tone. 

Tobirama scrutinized her again. He pointed at her. The action managed to look threatening even through shatterproof glass. 

“Why? Tell me,” he demanded. 

“Because I don’t trust you,” she answered without hesitation. Tobirama’s eyes narrowed. Then he leaned back, snorting. 

“Good. You shouldn’t. Especially after what you did,” he warned her. As he leaned forward, Sakura had to resist the urge to copy him. 

“I’m going to kill you, Jing-Mei. Don’t forget that,” he whispered. Her expression didn’t change. His did, though. Like he saw something in her expression.

“Why are you asking me about Sai Wan?” Tobirama inquired. 

She drank in the suspicion that honed his eyes into knife-points. The look that had set the city aflame, brought the most hardened gangsters to their knees. Unwavering. Sharp like an obsidian blade. 

She touched her fingers to her lips as she matched his gaze. 

“Now, Tobirama. You know better than that. This game is no fun if I just tell you all the answers,” she answered. Leaning in close, she pressed her lips against the clear divider. When she pulled away, it left the outline of her kiss. 

“I’m giving you a gift. Use it well,” she then said as she got to her feet. Just his eyes followed her. His hand clenched into a fist. She hung up the phone, feeling the weight of his hatred sizzle into her. 

On her way out of Chek Chue, Sakura locked eyes with one of the guards. She said nothing, but he gave a single nod as she passed. 

There was no driver waiting for her when she left the prison. She hadn't let anyone know where she was going. Except Sai. Who she knew was more likely to become a cop than a rat. Her car sat in the lot, the windshield dotted with droplets. 

She thought she saw movement in the reflection on the glass. She paused, gripping the handle of her umbrella a little tighter. But after a moment, she saw nothing else. She got into the car, folding up the umbrella and shaking off as much of the water as she could.

"Boss, you know you've got-" Sai said into her earpiece.

"I know," she interrupted. 

"Uh... want me to do something about it?"

"Don't bother. I kind of want to see what happens now,"

Sai let out a long breath. “Have I ever told you that you make me nervous, Boss?” he asked. 

“Good,” she retorted. With that, she reached into her right ear to pull out the tiny metal dot. It always impressed her how much technology they managed to fit into increasingly smaller parts. The earpiece was so small that it hadn’t even set off the metal detectors in the prison. 

She drove north following the highway as it cut through the island. She made a sharp left past a sushi restaurant. A taxi swerved to avoid her, horn blaring with indignation. She sped into the parking garage, making the attendant yelp. She could see the swear forming in his face before he recognized the car. When she tossed him the keys, he dove to avoid dropping them.

She strolled past without looking at him. Up the stairs that led into the lobby. The man sitting at the counter ignored her as she strode through, his gaze glued to the video on his phone. Her heels tapped against the polished flooring. 

When the elevator arrived, she slipped her hand into the inside of her coat. It almost surprised her when the doors slid open to reveal her own reflection. And nothing else. Still, she got in, keeping her eyes on the doors as she hit the button for her floor. But again there was nothing when the doors opened.

She kept an easy pace as she moved down the hall, eyes darting back to check for any strange shadows. Any blurs of movement. It unnerved her even more when she couldn’t see anything. She swiped her key card. The security system temporarily disarmed with three beeps to let her inside. And then beeped three more times once she closed the door behind her. Locks clicking into place and resetting. 

Sakura took a step in the foyer, her heel making another hollow echo. And then she froze. Shoving her back to the wall, she whipped her Desert Eagle out from inside her coat. Trying to even out her breaths as she stared into the darkness. There was no smell, no sound- nothing that had jumped out to warn her. But it just felt wrong. Like someone had shifted everything in her life just a few centimeters to the right. 

“Неплохо.”

Her arm jerked to the left, following the sound. 

“Relax. I’m not here to fight,” the voice said. The clumsy accent gave everything away. And the game wasn’t fun anymore. Her upper lip curled.

“Yau mou gau cho ah?” she sighed. 

She didn’t bother with the lights. Her eyes would adjust to the darkness soon enough. Shedding her coat, she tossed it onto the counter. Pried her heels off. 

“Didn’t you hear me the first time I told you to fuck off?” she then said. 

“I heard. But I also know your reputation, Dragon Head,” Naruto replied. 

She saw that the shades were drawn. And she could see him hiding in the darkest part of the apartment. The space where all the shadows seemed to overlap. Sakura snatched the remote from the kitchen counter and hit one of the arrows. The shades whirred as the motor pulled them upwards. The light from the city began pouring into the apartment. Because even at night, Hong Kong was never dark. Billboards and skyscrapers spewing into the sky, filling the atmosphere with fluorescence. 

“Reputation?” Sakura repeated. 

“That you’re good at making money. And I happen to be really good at making money for other people,” Naruto told her.

The city’s strange lights made him pale blue as he stepped in front of the window. He wore diamonds in his ears. Diamonds glittered in his watch too. 

“There are plenty of people in this city who’ll make money with you. Your explanation is shit,” she scoffed, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. And he took a few more steps toward her. 

“My old man wants business. But me? I don’t see why they have to separate things,” declared Naruto. 

Perhaps in her youth, she would have been attracted to someone like him. Young and cocky. Broken Fang had been like this, too. At the time, that arrogance had been so reassuring. Manly, in her eyes.

“Hm... a pleasurable business relationship,” she hummed. He loosened his tie as he stepped closer to her. But when he came close enough, she stopped him with a push to the chest. 

“Listen, I’m rich and I’m still hot. I have no shortage of men who’d be happy to fuck me senseless. I’m really not desperate enough to want that little thing anywhere near me,” Sakura then declared, pointing at his crotch. 

She loved watching the shock flicker across his face. Men never expected her to speak that way. As if wearing designer dresses and makeup suddenly erased the fact that she had grown up on the streets just as much as they had. 

Men were predictable that way.

So predictable that she knew what would happen next. Because that rejection turned to shame. And shame turned to anger. Always.

His cocky smirk warped into a glower. 

She clicked her tongue at him. “Look, I’m tired. I really don’t have the patience for this today, little boy. Just go home before I get pissed off and shoot you,” she sighed, gesturing toward the door with her Desert Eagle. 

When Naruto glared at her, she stared back just as hard. “Out,” she ordered. She cocked her gun. As added incentive.

Her eyes followed him as he slunk to the door. Like a dog with its tail between its legs. When he opened it, the barrel of Sai’s gun met his forehead. Naruto’s throat bobbed, but he didn’t cry out. Which was mildly impressive in itself.

“Oh Sai, it’s like Christmas every day with you,” remarked Sakura. 

“I’ve never heard anyone scream for mercy in Russian before. I’ve always wondered what that sounds like,” Sai told her. He pressed his gun hard against Naruto’s head, smiling. 

“Well, Sai. You’ll have to keep wondering. This little boy needs to run home to daddy,” answered Sakura. 

“You’re too nice, Auntie,” Sai lamented. He slowly lowered his firearm. And then gestured for Naruto to pass. The young man managed to walk for several steps. But then broke into a run partway down the hall. Sai leaned out the doorway. And when Naruto stole a glance back, Sai waved at him.

“Do I follow him and blow out his tires? Shoot him through the windshield?” he inquired. Straightening, he pivoted to face Sakura. She examined her nails as she thought. They had grown out a little. It would be time for another manicure soon. 

“No. We have to be more gentle in our approach, sai lo,” she corrected him. And when she glanced at him, she watched very carefully. How he digested the hint. His eyebrows rising as he understood what she meant. 

“Hm....how about we... send someone to Chungking Mansions? If he hasn’t moved on already, a man named Ivankov should be there. Why don’t we take him out?” Sakura said, like she hadn’t planned everything out already. 

Sai’s forehead wrinkled. “That’s in Kowloon, Boss. Things would get ugly with the Suns if they caught us in their territory,” he pointed out.

“Then don’t get caught,” she replied.

[fundeadasylum]

Phanniemay 2018 Day 11: Stars

He sinks into a pool of calm, clear, cool water and floats away.

He’s free here.

Free of pain, free of fear, free of responsibilities.

Here there are no school bullies to trip him or shove him into lockers. Here there is no nagging sister or embarrassing parents. Here there is no homework, no ecto-tainted food, and no ghosts.

It’s just peace and quiet and freedom.

He could stay here forever.

Something brushes against his leg and his eyes snap open.

He is not underwater. He is in space.

Or something very much like it.

Inky purple darkness ripples around him, shimmering with pinpricks of light like stars. It seems vast and infinite but also very small and contained. It plays tricks on his eyes and makes his head spin so he put his face in his hands and tries to remember how to breathe.

“Shh, child it is all right…” A soothing voice, delicate, soft, the most comforting musical tones he has ever heard. A gentle hand brushes through his dark hair and it reminds him of his mother. He peers through his fingers and see a pair of softly glowing eyes, the outline of a vaguely humanoid shape, the curl of violet horns.

“A-are you a ghost?” He sounds so small and frightened, a frightened kid hiding from the dark.

“Not quite. A little more powerful than those flimsy, ectoplasmic beings.”

“What are you? Where am I? What did you do to me?”

“I am Nocturne, King of Dreams, and right now you are safe, away from those horrid nightmares that were eating you alive from the inside. I have brought you into my sphere, a sort of…pocket dimension. You are safe here. Nothing can harm you.”

“What do you want with me…” He draws away, curling in on himself. It wouldn’t be the first time someone or something had tried to use him to get to his friend.

“Want? I want nothing from you. I am only here to offer.” A hand extends, pointed fingers uncurling to reveal a star, shimmering molten silver in the palm of the hand, “You are afraid of many things, child, haunted by so many nightmares. I can help, if you like, I can give you the power to fight back, the strength to stand on your own. No one and nothing will ever harm you again.”

It sounds oh so tempting. Deliciously tempting. To never be afraid again, to be able to help his friends instead of being terrified and useless.

But still he does not reach for the star.

There is a sensation of a gentle smile, “You are a dreamer, child, and your dreams call to me. I can help you achieve your deepest desires. I can help you reach the stars.”

He does pull away then. It sounds too good to be true. And if there’s one thing he’s learned over the years fighting ghosts beside his friends, it’s that if something sounds too good to be true, there are usually some very deadly strings attached.

“Ah, I see. You think me like that pitiful wretch Desiree.” Nocturne sounds amused but does not take the star away (and the boy won’t admit that he’s glad because he desperately doesn’t want to lose that silver light kissing his skin), “I assure you, I am not like her in the least. She twists the wishes of those around her. I only provide you with the strength that is necessary to achieve your goals on your own. Your dreams are powerful, child, and you have the strength inside you to achieve them. All I offer is the key to unlock that strength.”

Honey sweet words, encouraging in a way he hasn’t heard from many adults, gentle and kind. This King of Dreams only has his best interests at heart, a creature made of stars and visions and the taste of ice and that warm scent of the earth after the first rain of the summer.

He can reach the stars, the moon, and even beyond them. He could achieve his dreams.

He reaches out and cups the offered star in his trembling hands.

Darkness swirls up his legs and the shadows seep into his eyes but he’s smiling.

Everything is all right.

*****

Sam bursts into the gymnasium, ectoplasm already charging in her clenched fists. Tucker isn’t far behind. She can hear his boots skid on the polished floor. The dark creature looming towards the vaulted ceiling turns to her slowly, its horns massive, its eyes fierce.

“You found me faster than I anticipated,” It says in a lilting, almost hypnotic voice, “Although, I was not exactly going out of my way to hide from you.”

“Undo what you’ve done! Wake everyone up!” Sam orders, aiming a sparking palm at the creature, “Or I start blasting!”

It grins in way that she can feel down her spine, nails on a chalkboard that makes her hair stand on end, “Oh, come now, as if I’m going to let it be that easy.” It sweeps aside, warping its shape as it slithers out of the gym and out of sight, and Sam nearly falls out of the sky.

Floating in the air, dark hair laced with a silvery sheen, is Danny.

He looks at them stoically from across the gym, head canted slightly to one side. Blackness and stars dance up his arms, his legs, cling to his neck, and drip from his eyes. And his eyes…where once was blue is now an impenetrable and infinite darkness. The freckles on his face are shimmering against his pale skin, flickering like points in the constellations of the night, and ropes of inky darkness curl away from him, fluttering like ragged banners in a non-existent breeze.

“Danny…no…” Tucker, choked, his words a breathy whisper. Sam doesn’t need to look to see the tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

“Danny?” Says the thing that used to be their friend and his voice is hollow and delicate, frozen porcelain in a crisp pile of snow, “I think you are mistaken,” His smile is as cold as his voice and it shows rows of thin, needle-sharp teeth,

“I am Void.”

-------

I have always loved the Reverse Trio AU and I am SO SORRY but I’m not sure who started that whole thing. If you know who did, please feel free to @ them in this post or tell me so I can give proper credit. Anyway, uh, I really like Void!Danny. His design is friggin gorgeous and ethereal, he looks like a god, it’s awesome. Honestly when I saw the stars prompt, it was the first thing I thought of.

I’m going to be out of town until Sunday night so I will be late with Saturday’s post but I should get it up no later than Sunday night/Monday morning, depending on when I get back from my trip. Have a nice weekend, everyone!

[ink-splotch]

The day after the battle, Hermione Granger got up before the sun did. The Lake was covered in fog, and she was used to having somewhere urgent to go, to be, to fight.  She closed the tent flap up behind her. Hogwarts had something like enough beds, but Hermione hadn't had it in her to climb those moving staircases, to step through the painting's open frame and make her way to the Gryffindor girls' seventh year dormitory. Her bed would have been there, months untouched except for the bras and scarves and bottles of sparkly purple nail polish Parvati and Lavender had strewn onto every open surface.  The fog rolled in off the Lake and Hermione stood at the damp shore and shivered until the sun rose and burned it all away.  - The day after the battle, they buried their dead out on an island in the Lake, the day after the battle. Madame Pomfrey fretted and hovered, but every injured witch, wizard, and squib made it out to those conjured chairs. They might sit with assistance-- with spells, with braces, with a friend's shoulder-- but they sat quiet and they listened to Flitwick read out the names.  - The day after the battle, Ron Weasley stood on tiptoe when he stepped back into the Great Hall, looking over a sea of bent heads to find a cluster of red. They'd brought the tables back.  The cluster was only a tiny blip of three-- Bill and their parents were flitting about, helping Flitwick float steaming bowls of pasta down onto each table. But Ginny and Percy were sitting on either side of George, keeping up a lively conversation about Gilderoy Lockhart's hair.  Ginny was sitting half in Harry's lap, like if she didn't he wouldn't be able to stop himself from getting up to help, or to pace the castle, or to walk out to the Forest and not come back. She was holding his hand, her freckled thumb running over the words written into his skin.  Ron thought about sitting with Luna, instead. Percy tried to laugh at one of Ginny's jokes, and Ron didn't know how to be kind like that. Ginny held Harry's hand. Ron had thought for a long terrible stretch of heartbeats that he had lost two brothers yesterday.  He could sit with Dean. He could walk out to the Forest and punch Aragog in his ugly eyes, because normally when he walked away from everyone he loved it was because he was scared and maybe change was good for the soul.  Ron pushed his hands through his hair. He crossed the Great Hall, swung into a seat next to Harry, and filled his plate with lukewarm pasta.  - The day after the battle, Luna Lovegood climbed up to the Astronomy Tower, because it was the furthest she could get away from everything. She laid on her back on the cold stone and cast balls of light and enchanted birds to chase each other across the ceiling until she felt like descending down to the ground again.  - The day after the battle, Neville Longbottom went down to the greenhouses to see what the damage was there. He had sat all night and all morning in the infirmary, fetching water for Anthony Goldstein and holding Dennis Creevey's hand and folding extra blankets down over Professor Sprout's cold feet. Madame Pomfrey had banished him to go get a spot to eat and some sleep, so he walked down to the greenhouses to see what was salvageable.  Whole panes of greenish glass stood jagged and shattered. Protective spells had put out any fires, but stray blasts of magic had killed beds of vegetables and flowers and taken almost all the silver-green leaves off an olive tree that twisted in the corner of Greenhouse 4.  Neville went in through the door, even though there as a broken hole in the glass wall big enough for him, and almost fell back through it when Hannah Abbott stood up from the row of pots she'd been crouching behind. Dirt streaked every crease of her hands. "Hey," he said, and let the door click shut behind him.  "Hey." When she saw where he was heading, she added, "The olive's still alive." The bark was rough under his hand, gnarled from decades of slow growth. He could hear the green magic whispering down its xylem.  "I was thinking I'd try to mend up the walls, close this place up again," said Hannah. "But I wasn't sure I could do it alone."  "Alright," said Neville. When Professor Sprout argued her way out of the infirmary and thumped downhill with the wind throwing her cloudy hair in her face, she found every pane of glass healed and Neville and Hannah asleep on the softest patch of moss in Greenhouse 2.   - The day after the battle, Parvati Patil sent an owl to Lavender Brown's parents.  - The day after the end of it all, Hermione skipped lunch and found her favorite secluded corner of the library instead. The chairs stood silent and sober, all gouged dark wood. The high windows threw light gleaming across the polished table, catching on the dust motes drifting through the air above it.  She dumped her carry-all down on it and reached inside-- up to her elbows, her shoulders. She tried not to feel like it was eating her alive and she pulled out protein bars and unicorn horn and crumpled wanted flyers.  She wasn't sure when it had gotten so cluttered-- sometime before the night in the ditch outside the little Scottish village with the awesome curry shop. Sometime after the time they hid out from a storm in an unknowing Muggle's barn, wrinkling their noses at the itch of hay as they ate their dinner. Hermione had taken first watch, listening to the thunder roll over the shallow hills outside, and she'd gone through her bag pouch by endless pouch. Harry had twitched in his sleep with every flash of lightning, but everything in her bag had been where it was supposed to be.  She summoned a wastepaper bin to hover beside her and got to work. Quills and ballpoint pens went in a neat heap to her left. Books she stacked by subject matter around her, except for the ones she flew back to their homes on Hogwarts shelves. She checked potions ingredients for decay, tossed the bad ones and wrapped the good ones back up in their oiled cloth and ziplock bags.  She ate a protein bar while she piled duct tape and the radio and a travel-sized magnetic foldable Muggle chess set and a depleted first aid kit all up around her. She threw the wrapper away and wondered if the smell would ever come out of the bag's insides, or if she should just buy another one.   - The day after the battle, they started putting the stones of the castle back into place. They put bones back together, first, skin and knit muscle and tendons. McGonagall escorted every statue and suit of armor back to where it belonged.  Sue Li sat atop a pile of rubble and ate the biggest chocolate bar she'd ever seen her life. She thought she could still taste a film of Polyjuice on her tongue, but she told herself that was dumb. She dropped little pebbles down the ragged tumble of stones, counting their bounces and calculating averages, until Astoria Greengrass showed up with a glass of water and a pasty and put them down beside her.  Astoria got her hands dirty every chance she got, put her back into sweeping up glass shards or hauling bandages or Wingardium Leviosa-ing stone blocks the size of a horseless carriage. She would stay in the castle as long as she could, finding odd tasks and errands and corners to lurk in. When she finally went back to the Greengrass family estate, it would be to pack her bags, kiss the old house elf on the cheek, and steal her dog away with her.  - The day after the battle, Ron went out to Hagrid's cabin in the stubborn chill of the afternoon and sat in his pumpkin patch. He didn't go knock on the rough-hewn door, and Hagrid didn't come out, but after twenty minutes Fang trotted into the yard and patiently got slobber all over his shirt.  Ron watched the sway of the shadows beyond the Forest's edge. Buckbeak's old tying post stood among the twining squash vines and their giant fuzzy leaves, the metal ring hanging empty against weathered wood. He thought about Ginny brushing her thumb over Harry's scars and wrapped  his hands over the pale marks that curled around his wrists.  When the air started biting and the sky started darkening, Ron pulled himself back to his feet and climbed up to the library. He had never lived there, never really liked its labyrinth of stacks and dusty air, but he knew the way there better than he knew the way to the Quidditch pitch or the Room of Requirement or all those other places he liked so much more.  It was empty, except for Hermione, and he was glad. She squeezed her last book into her bag and looked up at him, shoving her hair back off her forehead.  "They doing dinner down there?" she said, her dry throat rasping on it.  He shrugged. "Mum's organizing, I think. It-- helps, I think."  She nodded, looking down to do the clasps up slowly, one by one.  "I just wanted to go back to the tent," said Ron. "Be alone. It's quiet."  "I won't get in your way," she said. "It's still pitched down there."  "I know," he said. "With you, I meant." "That's not alone," she said. "I'm not quiet," she said. She clasped and unclasped the bag.  "Words. Accuracy. I never claimed to be the clever one."  "But you are, Ron--"  "Hermione," he said. "Come with me? You shouldn't be sitting here alone. Come home." They went down the grass through chilling air. Ron could hear his mother in his head, telling him to take her bag and carry it for her, but he just reached out for her hand.  - The day after the end of it all, Ron laid on the floor of the tent, counting stitches in the canvas, while Hermione read Hogwarts, A History like she didn't have it memorized. She read her favorite parts aloud, stopping mid-sentence when the tent flap rustled and opened.  "Ginny's sitting on Neville until he agrees to sleep in a real bed and not a pile of shrubbery," Harry said, stepping inside and shutting it up behind him. "She got Luna to help because she says otherwise Luna will just fade into a corner and not come out for food." He hunched his shoulders. "I'm not intruding, right?"  "Don't be daft," said Ron and patted a bit of floor next to him. "C'mon, join in, Hermione's trying to bore me to sleep. I suspect it's an act of caring concern." Hermione threw a pillow at his head without looking up from the pages.   The day after the battle, they fell asleep in a tangle in the center of the tent that they had lugged across their country, across these long, cold days of the war. They had danced here to the radio, had chewed protein bars, played chess and bled and yelled at each other.  But the war was over and they were growing into it, slow, staying up too late as they leaned into each other and whispered on this threadbare rug. They meant to wobble to their feet and get to bed, but Harry was clinging to Hermione's hand and none of them wanted to go.  They would get too old for this-- hard floors and the way Harry's neck was cricked up on Ron's bony shoulder. Hermione's snoring would get worse and Ron would have to sleep with four carefully arranged pillows to stop his back from aching in the mornings, but Harry would always have a place here. He had slept on Ron's bedroom floor at fourteen, leaned on Hermione outside his parents' broken home.  In the weeks after the battle, Hermione would track down her parents and move back home, and they would all help the Weasleys rebuild the Burrow. Harry would move in Andromeda Tonks's spare room. "We're almost like family, after all," she'd say briskly, shooing him into the house and showing him where she kept the tea, Teddy's diapers, and the whiskey. They'd come for visits and talk through the night in each of those homes, curled up under Molly's quilts or out on the Granger's back porch swing or over fingers of firewhiskey with Andromeda.  In the months after the war, he and Ron would get a flat while they went through Auror training and Hermione would crash there five nights out of seven. Her university textbooks would take over their countertops, shelves, tables, and floor and Harry wouldn't tease them (too much) for how hilariously long they tried to pretend it was the couch Hermione slept on.  Every home Ron and Hermione lived in, for the rest of their lives, would have a place for Harry-- a spare room or a patch of floor or an old sofa. He would know how Hermione took her coffee, and his favorite cereal and Ginny's favorite oatmeal would always been in the cupboard, and their children would have giggly cousin-sleepovers in magical tents they pitched on the living room rug.  When the kids came shrieking in to wake them at absolutely unacceptable, ugly hours, Ginny would groan curse words they'd repeat gleefully among themselves, but Harry would let them grab his hands in their little sticky ones and pull him barefoot and messy-haired out into the morning.

[mnm-inc-miles]

JAMES (part 5) - 01/28-29/2021

James had been pacing his room restlessly for an hour before he texted Byron for company. He knew the other wouldn’t stay the night, which he felt was for the best anyway, but he also knew that Byron had a very positive effect on his demeanor and energy. When his friend came for a while then left James immediately felt more at ease. Instead of pacing he was able to settle into bed and begin to unwind. He didn’t consider himself one to have anxiety, that was definitely more Remus’ personality, but he didn’t lack worry or concerns. Thursday’s full moon definitely left him riddled with fear, but he tried to keep a positive outlook on it all. He was confident in his abilities even if the fortune cookie told him he was out of his depths.

EVEN THE GREATEST OF WHALES IS HELPLESS IN THE MIDDLE OF A DESERT.

As much as it made him laugh at the irony, it definitely fueled the worry that he wouldn’t be able to handle what was coming his way. Nonetheless, he literally released a load and felt far more relaxed than he had a few hours prior. He lay on the bed with the fan blowing on him and the window cracked open for the cool air. He hadn’t yet caught pneumonia from all the cold, so he figured it wasn’t going to start now. Stripped down to only his boxers, he stared at the ceiling, still unable to sleep but at least coming to terms with the fact that it was all likely about to go down soon. The agony of waiting and wondering would soon be over. Or so he hoped.

Eventually his eyes grew heavy and sleep came like a warm blanket. As his body rested the dreams came. He’d been haunted by thoughts of what was to come, games that might be played and leverage that might be used. This time however, his dreams were different, in fact, he wasn’t quite sure they were dreams at all.

“You’re alone.” The voice was cold and distant, it felt familiar but he couldn’t pin point it. He tried to speak but no words came. Was it simply his own fears verbalized in his mind?

“Come to me child.” The voice spoke again. He smirked. He wasn’t alone after all. “You very much are alone, your mind is with me but there is no one around you. You are at my mercy. Come to me.”

Feeling a pull but the surrounding area was still darkness, James focused on planting his feet. Whatever was happening, whoever was calling him, he wouldn’t make it easy for them. There was a wicked laugh that made his knees buckle but he gained footing again and focused on rooting his mind in place. Whomever wanted him would have to come to him.

“You cannot fight this child, you are mine for the taking.” The confidence the other exuded was chilling and that familiar sense of danger crept into his soul. It was the witch he’d known from before, but something was different. “No one can rescue you, I’m here to consume you fully and wholly.”

No.

“Yes child,” she laughed and James could feel his body moving once more. “No one can save you because no one is there. I told you already, child. You. Are. Alone.”

No. He wasn’t. He was sleeping by himself, surely, but he wasn’t alone, no matter what she said. He had his friends, nearby and in his heart. Laughter once more, cold and all encompassing. His knees buckled and he moved again.  

“A little more child, don’t fight it.” There was almost a licking sound and he could feel an icy cold almost wrap around his heart. “There is no one in here, it is only but a beating muscle that pumps blood and nothing more.”

James suddenly felt as if he were choking, all the warmth was sucked from his body and his mind, his hope was fading. All his happy memories were flashing before him and just as quickly disappearing. Is this what a dementor’s kiss felt like? He could see nothing...but he could hear her cackles, he could feel her cold breath upon his face, and it seemed as if there was nothing left.

“Yes...” she seethed as he felt nothing but despair take over his entire being. The beating of his heart had slowed to a near stop and his thoughts began to dissipate. He could hear her moaning begin to fade as the heartbeat slowed even more. Could this be it? Was he dying?

A flash of light and James felt a jolt in his body. He heard the voice scream in pain. Then suddenly his mind was lit up. He saw around him, a dark forest. He heard a mumbled voice in the distance that he couldn’t quite make it out. James looked around then broke into a run, searching for something, anything. The voice spoke again, and he smiled. He couldn’t make out the words but he felt the warmth and he knew it was Remus.

“I’m not alone,” James spoke, his voice now his own, loud and clear. “Where are you?” There was no sound but James knew she was there. He could feel her ever looming danger lingering. “Stop being a coward, come out and face me.” His heart was beating fast, renewed. More voices were muffled in the distance. “Are you afraid now that I’m not as alone as you’d like?” James suddenly stopped running and the smile on his face grew. “Then I’ll wait all night, I’m not afraid of you.”

“Come to me child.” The voice finally spoke again. “I am not afraid of you either.” He felt the pull on his body in her direction.

He focused and rooted himself. “Then show yourself and we’ll see who’s power is greater.”

“Come to me child.” She merely repeated. The forest moved fast around him, she kept trying to drag him to where she needed him.

“This is my mind,” James growled defiantly. The world around him froze, the trees leaves began to glow and sparkle. James smiled. “I can do as I please here, if you want me, come get me. Or are you too weak?”

There was another scream but this time she was angry. There was a flash of lighting that James didn’t create himself and then she appeared with the light of the full moon behind her. “You are not in control here child. You think you are, but I have taken over your body. Your mind will soon be mine and then I can swallow your soul.

“Strange diet,” James merely scoffed.

She screamed again as lightning flashed and then the world around him went dark again. Something was wrong. The light was gone, why couldn’t he see? Everything was quiet, even the witch seemed to be gone. Then there was laughter. A deep insidious cackle that chilled his bones. He felt movement around him and hands suddenly gripping his body and pulling him down. The nails dug into his skin and burned from the icy grip.

Something was wrong. He needed help. Why? Why couldn’t he control his mind now, what had changed? He focused as hard as he could but he couldn’t stop the feeling of being drug deeper, his body continued to get colder. The choking sensation was back, it was happening again. He was dying.

A warm set of hands took hold of his body, familiar hands that he had felt before. The familiar danger, the woman who he’d met weeks ago, the one who put him in this situation. There were two of them? How did that make sense...

“Don’t give up, James.” But then she was gone.

The hold hands dragging him down, cackling. “Yes...” as the laughter proceeded.

No. He fought with every ounce of strength in his mind, he would not go out this way. He would not die again. Dark magic would not take him this time. Then the dragging down sensation halted. It was a standstill.

“Come to me child,” her voice broke the silence.

“No,” he finally spoke again. “No, if you think I’m going down without a fight, you’re mistaken.” He paused then smiled. “In fact if you think I’m going down at all, you’re in for quite the disappointment. Now. Give me back my body.”

His surroundings slowly began to illuminate. He wasn’t sure what had changed but it didn’t matter. The playing field was evening out once more. He focused on gaining control of his mind and waited patiently for the forest to return. He felt himself sitting as he waited, the moon slowly coming into view once more. Then as the forest lit up, she sat across from him mumbling some spell.

He could see her clearly now for the first time. Her face was pale, her hair a pale shade of purple. Horns grew from her head as she fiddled with some artifacts at her side. Her fingers moved slowly, her faded black nail polish occasionally pulsed with light, shooting waves of cold air in James’ direction. The young wizard was very much confused, nothing about anything that was happening made any sense to him. He only hoped that despite his massive disadvantage in knowledge, that the utmost certainty in his self would be enough to pull him out of this alive.

“If you are not willing to come to me, then I shall make it so you don’t have a choice.” She seethed then looked up, her eyes flashing white light. Then as she gazed up at the moon they flashed once more and he recognized the light exiting her body as the same that had happened to him when he saved Max.  Her body shook slightly for a moment and James felt compelled to jump at her throat and kill her while he had a chance, but he was frozen. Whether it was his own heart telling him not to kill or the witch’s magic keeping him locked in place, either way James accepted it and focused on watching and waiting for the next move.

A flash of blue flames erupted between them and James’ eyes widened. Max suddenly and slowly began to materialize within the flames, confused at first then she began to scream.

“Absolutely not.” James found it within him to stand and he walked up to the flames and put his hands out as if to touch them. “You will leave her out of this.” The witched was seizing still, and James couldn’t get a read on what was happening but she let out a scream. He could feel that she was fighting him so he fought back just as hard. “I will not let you make her a part of this. This is between you and me.”

The image of Max began to fade and the flames began to elicit new forms. They were like images from a movie, nothing that James recognized and yet again, he was confused. What was happening now? Where these her memories he was seeing, and that seemed to be confirmed when a flash of the car crash and the image of the dead man and Alex appeared and seemed to linger. Then fluttered away, replaced with a dinner with her family, replaced with the girl she had been working on music with, then two girls running around chasing butterflies, James recognized them as Max and Noah. Then slowly the image of a boy. This image seemed to settle and the flames began to flicker as the image of the boy became clearer.

“No one else should be here,” James spoke with less confidence. The moon above them began to glow and pulsate, as if providing more energy to the witch.

No. James’s voice was gone yet again. The witches voice spoke, “If I can’t have her then I’ll have someone close to her...” She cackled, “You wouldn’t want to disappoint the poor girl, you wouldn’t want to break her heart.”

Lucas? How close could that boy possibly be to Max? Focus, James, keep him out of this.

“She has a crush on the boy, nothing more. I said this is between us.”

It was too late, a flash of lightning again and Lucas screamed as he pulled himself from the blue flames. He fell to the ground and rolled as the flames licked at his clothes. James went to help him but found himself frozen yet again.

“Let him go...” James growled.

The witch was back now, her eyes dark once more and her smile larger than ever. “It’s not easy to bring people into another person’s mind, but once you’ve got them they’re trapped.”

The flames finally subsided and Lucas looked around, his chest racing and his eyes searching, but his face appeared more calm. “What his happening?” he spoke. “James...where are we?”

“In his mind,” the witch spoke.

“How...”

“My magic is capable of many things even when limited to the mind of another.” She then pointed her finger at Lucas, “Sit,” she mused and his body moved closer to them and then buckled to the ground. “Now let me explain something, you have two options now child. You ready to listen?”

“You’ve got my attention, yes.” James kept his temper as even as possible as he looked over at Lucas. The young man had a very similar energy to himself, calm in the face of danger and very collected. He hoped that would work to their advantage if the boy didn’t panic.

“This boy is now locked in your mind. I have brought him here with my magic that dwells in you and there’s only one way for him to be free. Relent to me and give up your soul. Once you are mine he will be released.”

James was quiet as he let her words soak into his thoughts, repeating them over and over in an attempt to dissect and understand. “You said I have two options,” James spoke. The witch raised a brow and waited. “What’s the other option?”

“Foolish child, were you not listening? I said he is locked in your mind. If by the end of the night I have not taken your soul, you will awaken and he will not. It is either your life or his.”

“James...” Lucas spoke. “Don’t do anything she says.”

“Silence boy!” the witch cursed then snapped her fingers. James watched as Lucas’ lips were sown shut. He cried out in pain and begun to reflexively pull at the string that intertwined his lips. The witch snapped again and the boys fingers grew thorns. He left a few scratches on his face but immediately stopped clawing to free his mouth.

James watched as Lucas gathered himself once more, he could see the young man’s mind reeling. Lucas looked at him and shook his head.

“So what will it be, child?”

James paused then pursed his lips, thinking of how to find a way out of the situation.

“I’m sorry, are you saying his consciousness is stuck inside my mind? Because obviously his physical being isn’t here...”

“Obviously,” the witch growled. “But what is a body without it’s mind. If his mind is here, then his body is nothing but a shell.”

“Like yours,” James said coolly.

“What?” The witch’s eyes flickered with anger. No. James smiled. With fear.

“I think you underestimate the power of my mind.”

“You think you’re clever,” she growled. “You don’t know my power. I am not merely limited to what is happening within your head. I can mirror the outside world just the same as it looks in here.” She pointed to Lucas and his ailments.

“So he’s got some Frankenstein's monster stitches and prickers in his fingertips, I’ve seen this world and there is far worse that people have recovered from.” James paused a moment, thought, then gave a nod. “No I think it is you who overestimates the power you have.” James stood and moved closer to her, pointing a finger at her forehead. “You are currently residing in my mind too, and if I wanted to lock you away, I probably could. Then you would be the one stuck in my subconscious.”

“If you think this is a game, then fine. I will play along. You’ll regret trying to manipulate me.” She paused and rose to her feet. Pushing her forehead into his pointed finger and cackling. “Remember child, all of this will end and this boy will be free and completely unharmed if you simply give yourself up. Now sit.”

James unwillingly buckled to the ground, his brows furrowed in frustration. Then he watched as she approached Lucas, her fingers dancing through his curls and along his body. He watched the young man shiver. He knew her touch, it was like ice.

“Now these simply won’t do anymore,” she smirked, a grin so dark it gives the Cheshire Cat a run for its money. She drug her nail along his lip line and broke the strings that kept his lips shut. “There we go, so we can hear you scream.”

“James, you’re doing the right thing...no matter what she does. Stick to it.” Lucas’ voice didn’t falter.

“You are a brave young man,” the witch smiled, sinister as always. She snapped her fingers and Lucas’ body flew back and hit a tree, hard. James tried to move but he was frozen.

“Lucas...” James’ eyes softened, and his heart ached to help him.

“We can survive this,” Lucas breathed heavily, nearly having the wind knocked out of him. “She clearly can’t take you, you have to give yourself to her willingly. Don’t do it.”

The witched cocked her head as she approached Lucas, then put her fingers to his temples. Her nails dug into their sides and he hollered in pain. Lucas saw flashes of his friends faces then tombstones and his eyes began to water as his heart sank. “What a very selfless fear,” she spoke. “The loss of your loved ones, hmm, will they mourn you when you die?”

“No one is dying,” James growled, but he still couldn’t move his body to save him.

She removed her hands from Lucas and his head dropped to his chest. It swung lifelessly for a moment then he gasped and looked up at them. He swallowed hard, glanced over at James with eyes that radiated determination. James could see it, he was telling him not to give in.

“You have a very good poker face, little one, but you cannot hide from me. You may be able to be stoic to everyone else in your life, but I will learn all of your secrets.” She cackled again and looked back at James. “Let’s see what is his greatest desire, shall we?” Then she pushed her hand through his chest and touched his heart.

Lucas let out a howl of pain like James had never heard before. He remembered having that icy touch near his own heart, earlier. Tears streamed down the blonde’s face and James tried to shut his eyes but the image didn’t disappear. It flickered but merely remained.

“You cannot hide from this James, you cannot shut your eyes and tune us out. We are in your mind.” She laughed viciously as she read Lucas’ desires. “Hmm,” she mused. “Typical. Love, every stupid human wants love. You do know it makes you weak, right?”

“James,” Lucas cried. “You said you could lock her away...now would be a good time...” his body was shaking from the pain.

The witch cocked a brow, ignoring them, “So the question is then, who do you want above anyone else, shall we dig a little deeper?” She turned and spoke to James, “Do you think he’ll survive if I get to the center of his hearts desire?” She pushed her finger further and Lucas screamed out even louder in helpless agony.

James had been trying to focus on finding a way to put the witch out of commission, but the other boys plight made it difficult. “Alright, fine!” James suddenly yelled. “Fine, stop...just stop hurting him. If I need to...” he paused, searching his mind.

The witched pulled her hand from Lucas’ chest and walked closer to James, reading him, “Go on.”

“James, don’t...”

“Lucas please, just…shut up for a second.” Lucas obediently stopped speaking.

The witch smiled, “Not all of us enjoy the sound of another person’s suffering.” She sat beside James and grabbed his hands. “Take me there child,” she glowered, a toothy grin plastered on her face. “Let me devour your soul.”

James kept his face muted, his eyes looked over at Lucas sadly, the young man shaking his head vehemently. “I’m sorry...” James offered the other.

“Yes...child, yes. Give in, let me have you. Take me to the deepest darkest recess of your mind. Let me have it and the rest will be easy. It doesn’t hurt...”

James began thinking of all the things that made him happy and then slowly let them go sour. From his marriage to Lily and birth of their son, to her untimly death and the orphaning of Harry. From the warmth and love he received from his friends to the bitterness of their disappointment. He let the witch inside his mind and they began to fall deeper into that pit of despair.

“Let me have it all, child. Right down to the darkest part of you...”

The darkest part of him was exactly where he was taking her. James realized that very few people must have seen the whole picture. Most of them must get caught up in the sadness and the hopelessness, that they failed to remember who was making them feel that way to begin with. James was going to use her own dark magic to lock her away. He wasn’t sure if it would consume and destroy her, but he could at least rid her from her control over his body by locking her magic away in his mind. He smiled and she suddenly realized the trap, but it was too late.

His heart pumped vigorously as he yearned to return to the forefront of his mind where Lucas was waiting. She screamed in anger as he left her tucked deep into his subconscious, enveloped in the darkness that she created, her cries muffling the further back to the light he went.

When he returned to Lucas, he found him slumped against the tree, catching his breath. “What happened? How are you...”

“I figured it out, I think...at least for now. You okay?”

“I uh…I don’t know yet, am I...” he swallowed hard and his brave exterior was cracking. “Am I really stuck here? What’s...what’s going to happen to me?”

“I won’t let that happen,” James stated.

“How? James...if she brought me here and you’ve locked her away...what if I am stuck?”

“You do realize that you’ve been telling me this entire time not to listen to her…which implies you were willing to risk being stuck here.”

“Yeah...” Lucas shrugged. “Yeah well...the immediate threat is gone and now...I just want to go home...”

“Then let’s take you home,” James stated. He held out his hand. “If you can trust me, I’d like to try something...take my hand and think of home. Take me there.”

Lucas took hold of James’ hand and slowly the surroundings began to change. Where there were once trees, now were mountains and nothing but wide open sky.

“Is this your backyard?” James stared up at the sky in awe.

“Yes...well, it looks a little more fantastical here, but...we’re dreaming after all.”

“Hmm, that’s true.” He paused and soaked it in for another moment. “Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve confirmed that I now have control of your subconscious. If I can reach inside your mind, that means I can release it too. So...I’m letting you go now...I truly hope what she’s done to your body is as nonexistent as her control of your dreams now.”

“I doubt it, how dramatic would that be?” Lucas shrugged, “As long as I can still live my life, I don’t mind a few cuts and scrapes.”

James smiled, “I like you kid, not sure you’ve ever taken those silly quizzes before but...you’re a Gryffindor through and through. Take my word for it.”

[lightsburnbrite]

Young & Wild: Part 13

Daniel sat back in the chair, ankle resting atop his opposite knee, fingers furiously drumming against his thigh. He told himself, before coming into this meeting, that he’d remain polite no matter how frustrated he became.

He’d been in this position before. As soon as the new coach arrived, he and Daniel seemed to lock horns on everything. Not long after, Daniel requested a chance to sit down and talk, an attempt to make sure they were both on the same page. He left the initial meeting feeling better, Daniel was assured that he was an integral part of the squad and would be given ample starts as well as being named as the vice captain. But now, he was back in the same position; no communication, being relegated to the bench and tactics that Daniel knew wouldn’t work against    Arsenal.

The new coach, a broad, imposing Irishman, strolled in and made no apologies for being late. “What do you want, Agger?”

“I want to know where I stand with you.” Daniel contemplated leaning forward but instead, stayed how he was.

Rodgers did all but scoff. “Same as always.”

“You’re everything is the same but I’m just not good enough to start anymore?” He couldn’t help taking on a mocking tone. “Why should I stay here when other clubs are trying to get me to leave?”

“So you think that tattooing your knuckles means anything to me?” Pushing his chair back, Rodgers kicked his feet up on his desk. “Or you going and climbing into bed with the owner’s daughter is going to guarantee you things around here? If anything it makes me want to drop you completely.”

Daniel sat for a moment and tried to discern if Rodgers was being reactive or if that was really the way he felt. After a moment, he shook his head and stood to leave. “Fine.”

He took the drive home to contemplate what all of that meant. He loved the club, he loved the city and he knew that Georgina was just starting to feel settled. The problem was that he was becoming unsettled. Something was going to have to give, he just didn’t know what.

When Daniel got home, he could hear Georgina talking, but knew she wasn’t talking to the dogs. Her voice was chirpy, more lively and bubbly than when she spoke in general and it made smile to hear her be so happy. As he walked closer, he saw that she was skyping with her friend Ella from New York while polishing her nails. Quietly, he walked in and kissed Georgina on the cheek before opening the party for a snack.

I still can’t believe you’re married. You’re the last of us that I thought would actually get married.

Georgina laughed and shook her head while glancing back at Daniel. “I was engaged before, remember?”

Well, yeah, but we all knew that wasn’t going to happen. I mean, we didn’t like Preston, but neither did you. It might as well have been an arranged marriage. I’m just bummed you had to move.

“I know,” She sighed before even realizing what she was doing. “Truthfully, I am enjoying myself here. It’s different, of course, but this is where Danny needs to be and I go wherever he goes. Speaking of, he’s home now so I’m gonna go. I’ll catch ya later, k?”

K. Call me later.

Closing her laptop, Georgina spun around on the stool and stood up to greet Daniel. “Hello, my incredibly handsome husband. How was your day?”

“Just fine.” He rested his hands on Georgina’s waist before leaning in to kiss her. Daniel had decided a long time ago that whatever happened in his day during training or during a match, it stayed in the dressing room. “Of course it’s better now, my devastatingly beautiful wife.”

Georgina smirked to prevent herself from laughing. “Devastatingly beautiful?”

“You are to me.” He shrugged as he gave her backside a quick swat and stepped back to avoid retaliation.

“Whatever,” She rolled her eyes. “I know there are prettier women than me.”

Daniel smiled smugly. “Beauty is subjective.”

“You mean to tell me that you haven’t had girls just throw themselves at you?” With a smirk, she folded her arms over her chest as if to emphasize her point.

With a shrug, he intentionally kept his body language neutral. “I have. I’m just saying that you were the first time I met someone that I wanted but couldn’t have.”

“What do you mean?” Georgina quickly dropped the game that she was playing and moved closer to him.

He smiled again, but this time it was genuine. “I was instantly attracted to you as soon as your father introduced you to the room. I was trying to think of a way to speak to you when you were seeking me out.”

“But it’s not like you couldn’t have me…” Georgina subtlety took hold of his fingers, a gesture which he learned came to mean she was searching for some sort of security from him. “I mean, I pretty much ran away with you on the spot.”

“Yeah.” He shrugged again. “But if I recall correctly, you had a boyfriend and later a fiancé when we met.”

Georgina laughed. “And how long did that last? Granted, I never wanted to marry him anyway, I was just going to keep putting it off. But as soon as I met you I knew there was no way I could even be with him.”

“Ok,” He titled his head and smiled. “I’ll rephrase that. When we started talking regularly, when you were still engaged and before Copenhagen happened, I had decided that I would rather be alone than to be with someone else.”

Standing up, Georgina wrapped her arms around Daniel’s neck and kissed him. “What were we talking about again?”

Daniel nodded. “Doesn’t matter. Listen, I was thinking…do you want to go home for a visit?”

“Really?” Georgina frowned. “I guess I could.”

He shook his head. “I’m not saying you need to, but I know it’s a long way away. You should visit whenever you want to.”

“Well,” Georgina kissed him again. “What I really want to do right now is go out and grab a bite to eat before watching a movie that’s going to scare me so bad I spend the entire time in your lap.”

Daniel wrinkled his nose as he smiled. “Yeah, we can probably do that.”

It wasn’t until Daniel had mentioned it that Georgina really realized how much she missed New York. Her father had emailed her with a few housekeeping items that needed to be taken care of like paper work that needed to be signed and some things she had left behind in the apartment.

Georgina took the opportunity the next time Daniel had an away game to go back. It wasn’t going to be a long trip so she left the dogs in the care of their neighbors, a pensioner couple who often invited Georgina around for tea, and set off for a long weekend.

“Even jet lagged, you look undeniably happy, Georgina.” Linda kissed her on both cheeks as she opened the door of their Beacon Hill town house. “Married life suits you.”

Georgina shook her head. “I’m not happy just because I got married.”

“I know, I know.” She paused and directed the housekeeper to take Georgina’s bags to the guest room. “It’s just, ever since I met your father and then you, you’d been very protective or yourself. Now, you’re warm and open…and smiling.”

All Linda got in response was an eye roll.

“Can you just accept that I’m happy for you?” She gave Georgina a nudge with her elbow

With that, she laughed. “I do. So what do you have planned this weekend? I know I can’t just stop by for a visit with you you having something scheduled.”

“Well, I know your father would like it if we went to a game.” Linda smiled and tilted her head towards georgina letting her know that it wasn’t really up for discussion. “And then because you have the dividend checks you need to deposit back in New York, I got us tickets to see The Book of Mormon. And dinner too.”

Georgina smiled. “I guess it’s a good thing I brought my Pedroia shirt with me then.”

Before they made it inside the stadium, Linda felt she needed to warn Georgina of two things. First, the team was having a historically bad season and that put both the fans and her father in a bad mood. Second, the box next to their’s belonged to the firm that Preston worked for. He wasn’t usually there, but it was a remote possibility.

Great, she thought to herself. With my luck, he’ll show up today.

The usher showed them to their section and Georgina immediately knew that they had prepared it for Georgina and Linda. In addition to the Rosé and Perrier, there was an assortment of subs and fries from Al’s (a personal favorite of Georgina’s) and little cups of Hood ice cream. They walked to the outside seats, Georgina watched a bit of batting practice while Linda went on about how she had made some changes to the suite.

“But enough of that,” She turned around to see Linda holding two champagne flutes filled with pink, bubbly wine. “Here, have some.”

“Is that Rosé?” A blonde in an obnoxiously loud pink and green Lily Pulitzer dress called to them across the divider. “Can I steal a glass? There’s only beer over here and it’s awful. Please don’t make me beg!”

Linda looked at her quizzically before handing over a glass. “Sure.”

“Awesome!” The blonde eagerly took the glass from Linda and took a sip. “You’re a life saver. I’m Taylor, by the way, my fiancé brought me here today but I hate sports. It’s family day for his firm…is that why you’re here too?”

Taylor spoke so fast that the words all seemed to blend together to Georgina and she didn’t even realized that the prey chatterbox had asked a question.

“Not exactly.” Linda had come to the rescue. “Enjoy.”

Linda brushed Taylor off as she gestured towards the inside of the box, indicating that she and Georgina should head in for a bit of respite. She started to pour a class for Georgina before she was interrupted.

“I don’t think I’m drinking today.” Georgina wanted to laugh at how hesitant she sounded.

“Well,” Linda frowned slightly. “If you say so. More for me then.”

After helping herself to some fries, Georgina stepped back outside to watch the first inning. Without even turning to look, she heard a laugh that she knew must have belonged to Taylor. What made her head turn was the person she was laughing with. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and decided to be the bigger person. Moving closer to the divider, she put on a fake smile. “Hello, Preston.”

“Oh, do you two know each other?” Taylor stepped over and placed her hands over Preston’s arm.

When he hadn’t said anything, Georgina smiled. “We were briefly engaged. I was the fiancée before you. How are thing with you, Preston?”

“I’m still a junior partner.” The disappointment in his voice wasn’t well hidden. “Because I’ve been put on probation.”

Georgina looked at him for a moment and wondered if he was going to offer any explanation. “For the pictures?”

“Yeah,” He nodded as he took a sip of his beer.

She willed every muscle in her face not to smile. “Good.”

“Good?” He scoffed. “What do you mean good?”

Now she couldn’t help but to smile. “That was an awful thing you did and I’m happy that there are some repercussions.”

“And it wasn’t awful what you did to me?” He didn’t quite sneer, but the irritation was there, in his voice.

Mustering up all of her sincerity and whatever sympathy she had left for him, Georgina shook her head. “It was a break up. Break ups happen all the time. People suck it up and move on, they don’t retaliate.”

“Come on, Babe.” Taylor took Preston by the elbow. “I don’t know why you’re wasting your time with her.”

Not half an hour ago, Taylor was trying to be her best friend and now she wanted to think she had bested Georgina. Preston glanced over at Georgina and nodded as if he wanted to rub his new relationship in her face. “Yeah, she had a chance at a decent life and decided to throw it all away.”

“It may have been decent,” Georgina spoke louder so they both could hear. “But it wasn’t good. I’m happily married to a wonderful man now and we’re expecting our first child so you can think you’ve bested me all you want but I’ve never been happier. Enjoy the rest of the game!”

She turned and walked back into the suite where she knew at once that Linda heard everything. “It’s still very early and I haven’t even told Daniel, I don’t want to tell him over the phone, so will you let me tell my father?”

“Of course!” Linda practically ran over to hug Georgina. “I’m just so happy for you!”

Georgina smiled in return. She truly was happy and she was mostly sure that Daniel was going to be as well but she wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy this new part of their lives until she was able to share it with Daniel.

[thankguard]

RECAP: OUR TOP 50 AUSTRALIAN HIP-HOP/R&B TRACKS OF 2016

2016 was the year that this scene was finally accepted by mainstream media outlets, played regularly on Triple J and given the opportunity to throw mad rap events at some of the countries’ best live music venues. The number of local rap: artists, releases, managers, parties, radio shows, even blogs exploded too. MANU CROOKS was put on BEATS1 rotation & posted on The FADER. SAMPA THE GREAT racked up over half a million streams on “BLUE BOSS”. BARO blurred cultural/sonic boundaries. TKAY MAIDZA dropped a huge album + landed that KILLER MIKE collab. MIDAS.GOLD, CULT SHOTTA, BIG SKEEZ, I AM D, NICO GHOST & SAVOUR THE RATIONS all dominated live-stages across the country. The GREMLNS, PLAYBACK 808, 1 HUNNID RECORDS & TREXON WAVE showed us the future. These squads are all barely out of high-school, have a strong African heritage and are blowing up against the odds. Almost all of the above was soundtracked by producers: DOPAMINE, MIRACLE, JAMES DAMIAN ANGUS, MITCH GRUANKE & HARVEY who don’t get enough credit. JUNOR launched his AUD$ radio show on SYN which is legit. The PROPHECY BOYZ launched SAUCE - a new brand that will probs do huge things in 2K17. RARE FLOW TV, provided an essential piece-to-the-puzzle, bringing this all to life in quality music videos. Australian rap music is at an all time high. But tbh, it’s going to take another miracle to push it any further. Now that there’s money to be made here, cashed-up copy-cat rappers/labels/magazines/venues with no imagination will find a way to suck the life out of your music for a quick profit. Historically, this has happened many times over, preventing Australians from truly impacting music culture on a global scale. WTF is the diff between us and: Canada, England or America? Terrible artists will succeed if you let them. Donald Trump was elected president. We’re always a stones-throw away from making the next generation of AUS rap fans (and the rest of the world) cringe at us. Question everyone. Even THANK GUARD. Oh, btw. This blog still doesn’t make money. Here’s 50 songs that inspired us to keep hustling in 2016 in between dem long-ass shifts. 50. “VIEWS UP” - NYUON (MELB)

NYUON - an essential character in the MELB rap scene - stretches out the parameters of his sound a little more with each release. “VIEWS UP” saw him lean back towards centre after the experimentally hazy, lilting vibe of his ’15 BYMYSELF tape. With the help of producer ROOKIEPRO he pooled that self-effacing, conscious rap-swagger into his most polished track do-date. 49. “SORROWS” - BLESSED (SYD)

Taking cues from CUDI, UK alternative-pop and their own minds, BLESSED managed to instantly stand out from the rest of the trap-heavy SYD scene last year. Their output in ‘16 was super consistent, and “SORROWS” (our fav) has already amassed over 127K plays on Soundcloud. Early days, but their potential for global appeal is already proven. 48. “I.D.C.A” - 18K (BRIS)

“I.D.C.A” gives you a real wow moment the second those bars come in. 18K’s on that: modern-day BONE,THUGZ & HARMONY/vaguely MIGOS ATL, super-quick flow. His beats are perfect too. Hard hitting, modern trap sounds AND a hint of like CLAMS CASINO cloud-rap as well. 47. “30 DAYS” - DENNIS (MELB)

Mysterious producer/singer DENNIS dropped this one to no reception whatsoever. The mastering isn’t professional, but the song itself and the man’s vocals are world class. You gotta pump the volume ride it to the peak for full-effect fam. Like some new BON IVER shit without the cringe, pretty sure this came out first too. 46. “PRESSURE (ft. JACE XL)” - BILLY DAVIS (MELB)

BILLY DAVIS & JACE XL (RYTHYM SECTION) are both heavily associated with THE OPERATIVES (who monopolised vibes in MELB the last decade). JACE shows off his life-changing soul crooning over some classic BILLY DAVIS instrumentation. This would be a lot higher if it were more relevant to our needs. 45. “NO MORE” - DEEVILLA (SYD)

With this track alone, SYDNEY-based DEEVILLA proved he can write the type of song this scene needs. His flow, lyrics and overall mood on “NO MORE” summed up 2016 perfectly in terms of music & vibe. FLIP TRILL’s production on this one did all the above and more. 44. “RUN UP (ft. FLYBOII & L.U.I)” - LIL SPACELY (SYD)

Got the vibe that BLACK DANNA head honcho SPACELY had a tough 2016. But, being an essential SYDNEY rap-character that he is, the dude still managed to drop some of the livest AUS rap tracks of 2016. On “RUN UP”, he took the chunky, horn-filled instrumental from FAT JOE and REMY MA’s “ALL THE WAY UP”, puffed out his chest, and along with a couple talented homies delivered a growling, arrogant battle track that signalled his readiness to take his music national. He’s already dropped several tracks in ’17. Stay woke. 43. “FIRE” - SQUIDGENINI (MELB)

SQUIDGENINI a.k.a Bella, is one of Melbourne’s better-kept secrets right now. She’s been honing her craft for some time: playing in bands, producing solo tracks and supporting huge artists. “FIRE”, one of her only releases in 2016, instantly put her on our radar. This highly ambitious track features no-bullshit lyrisicm, eccentric production and some straight up vocal-fire. 42. “NAH BRUH, THIS IS WAGE GANG!” - VEENO (SYD)

When BABY VEENO dropped this insane freestyle in October it was criminally over-looked by many (including us). Choosing YOUNG THUG’S timeless “SEE YOU” beat from that G.O.A.T RICH GANG tape proved to us that the man has taste. The ensuing bars instilled visions of VEENO becoming SYDNEY’s trap-SKEPTA in ’17. 41. “CLAP BACK” - SAVOUR THE RATIONS (SYD)

SAVOUR THE RATIONS were one of the most influential, pro-active and entertaining AUSTRALIAN rap crews of 2016 (especially towards the end). KWAME, DOMBA, JAYJAY ASSASSIN, GYBRYLLAH SHYNE & RAJ MAHAL made their biggest moves via videos/live performances. “CLAP BACK” which was dropped on Jan 2nd, 2016 showed the boys doing their ting for their own entertainment. This year they’ll be doing it for thousands no doubt. 40. “BEST FRIEND (YOUNG THUG REMIX)” - BIG SKEEZ (SYD)

This was probably the local track we played most last year. BIG SKEEZ really stood out in ‘16 for his song-writing hustle & originality (highlighted on his S.A.T.T mixtape). Remixing such a familiar, iconic song allowed SKEEZ to let loose in the booth more than ever before, resulting in 3:14 of explosive, feverish trap-fury filled with icy-cold local references/flips. 39. “ALIVE REMIX (ft. BARO & CAZEAUX O.S.L.O)” - ESESE (MELB)

Couldn’t think of a more suitable 2016 MELBOURNE summer-rap anthem than this BARO remix if I tried. It feature local pillars: CAEZEUX O.S.L.O, SKOMES and the ESESE crew - and oozes those heavenly FITZROY day-party vibes. Hearing HENOQ and O.S.L.O both spit new-gen AUS boom-bap masterpieces in rapid succession would’ve brought a tear to the eye of every true BURN-CITY rap-fan this year. 38. “NO MORALS (ft. $KINNY DOM)” - BLACK NAPOLEON (WA)

On “NO MORALS”, BLACK NAPOLEON brought equal parts: slow, deliberate and estatic D double E style booth raps - the kind you’d hear on some UK Pirate radio set to the table. LUCHII, another PERTH-based genius jumped into the mix sounding more like a 6K Gucci, nailing the perfect guest verse. The CAMERON PARK directed-visuals for this one featured no guns, knives or punches thrown, but it still stands as one of the most violent local vids of ’16. #HOMEBAKED. 37. “FUCK THE JUDGE (ft. REMI)” - BARO (MELB)

When BARO dropped the second taste of his soon-TBR JPYNTK tape about 6 months ago, the world was torn in half by the racial violence sweeping the US. It was literally with you everywhere you went, no matter ur skin colour. “FUCK THE JUDGE”, which was released at the very hight of this chaos featured inspired verses from REMI + BARO and was accompanied by the statement: “They're killing my people. They're killing PEOPLE.” The song itself also made another (less important statement) about BARO’s unflinching confidence as a dude/rapper. It was his first absolute crystal clear “fuck u” to industry/fan expectations - a sign that he might be giving the typical AUS rap-sound a much needed kick up-the-butt in 2017. 36. “POTENTIAL (I SEE)” - LORD LEVI (MELB)

When it comes to MELB underground anthems in 2016, LORD LEVI’s “POTENTIAL (I SEE)” is practically unrivalled. The hook, flow and production on this one truly encapsulates the rise of the BURN-CITY outer-suburb high-school trap scene in 2016. LEVI and the GREMLN squad built a dedicated following last year on the back of songs like this. Trek thru any BURN-CITY suburb and “I SEE POTENTIAL” follows u through the streets. 35. “FLEX MODE” - ERIK SANDERS (BRIS)

Brisbane’s ERIK SANDERS blew up out of nowhere last year on the back of several highly-polished, US-influence nu-trap singles. “FLEX MODE” bursts out of the gate with a series of auto-tune inflected bars that twist-and-turn, merging multitudes of impressive melodies in quick succession. This one gets real wild at the end too. 34. “RIDE (ft. REZT)” - LUCHII (WA)

LUCHII has always struck us as an interesting character, but we still slept on the man in ’16. When he dropped “RIDE” like a month ago, we swore to stay woke on the PERTH creative forevermore. This one rides an island trap wave that reminded us of CHILDISH GAMBINO’s “CALIFORNIA” and MAC MILLERS new stuff, but it also hits on something completely new. The vocals reference ATL rhythms/tones AND something else, which MUST have been born in a cloud of green smoke on one of those pristine PERTH beaches. 33. “PULL UP (ft. CIDI, LORD BRAVO, DUT BOL & RANDOLPH)” - BONKI CHOL (ADEL)

In 2016, the TREXON WAVE squad was our guilty pleasure. We legit found ourselves rinsing their proficiently rugged trap cuts more than CHANCE or FRANK. “PULL UP” is the song that started the whole affair. I remember being high af on a Tuesday at like 2PM about 8 months ago just blasting this enchanting MIGOS-style cut on my speakers for an hour straight. Jut listen to BONKI CHOI and homies: CIDI, LORD BRAVO, DUT BOL, RANDOLPH bring the sauce one time. They all flaunt separate styles, personalities and lyrical tendencies on this one, but their skills/delivery are at 100 throughout. 32. “HOW U FEEL” - NICO GHOST (MELB)

Close your eyes and “HOW U FEEL” will take you to a dark, nondescript club setting. Smoke settles in over those eerie trap bells - the calm before the storm. That amazing harpsichord removes any sense of time/location. Your mind is finally empty. Nico spits that FB generation mantra: “I couldn’t really give a fuck how you feel”, lulling you into a false sense of security before ruining your life with intensity. NICO’s 2016 was pretty-much dominated by his wild live-show. But in between sets he found the time to gift us with this the premiere for this one. Was a huge step forward for us. The man’s legit. 31. “MONSTER TRUCK” - ALLDAY (MELB)

ALLDAY is huge - has been for years now. In 2016, he went through a bit of a sonic evolution and we fucked with it heavy. “MONSTER TRUCK” is a song that pushed Australian rap to places in the world it rarely reaches. This one features earnest lyrics, euphoric melodies and a skin-tight flow - years of work/experience all coming together. ALLDAY made some serious global waves last year as unique voice in the world of post-OVO rap music. 30. “LIONA” - NASTY MARS (MELB)

On “LIONA”, future-star NASTY MARS took warm, wavy, lo-fi production ripped straight from a SOULECTION cassette and crafted his own rap/soul-experiment around the peaks and flows of the beat. Although, hardly representative of this guy’s unreleased material, live show and overall position in the AUSTRALIAN rap/soul scene - “LIONA” still managed to take on a life of it’s own… just suss the comments. 29. “BLOOD THICKER THAN WATER” - LUTHER (BRIS)

One of BRISBANE’s most charismatic up-and-comers, LUTHER teamed up with AUS production royalty JAMES DAMIAN ANGUS early last year for a YOUNG THUG/LIL WAYNE style cut that blew us away. The production bangs. LUTHER’s wild, warbling trap-jitterings are fierce, crunchy and at times hilarious. Everything you want in a track like this. The dude is associated with the WORLDWIDE BOYS who will blow up this year. 28. “THIRSTY” - ANFA ROSE (SYD)

“THIRSTY” came last year amidst a never-ending avalanche of consistently jaw-dropping ANFA ROSE & DOPAMINE joint-efforts. Everything on this one from the samples, to ROSE’s perfectly structured verses - to those 808 snares cutting thru your entire being - to the lyrics enforced our theory that these dudes aren’t human. They are computer programs or clones or holograms or something. 27. “MARIA MARIA” - GEEK, CHARLES X & SELASIE WUSSAH (SYD)

This one - easily top 3 most iconic “THANK GUARD” anthems in our entire history. Seeing it live at one of our BONEY parties inspired some of the most emotional dabs ever dabbed. When it dropped back in Jan, it brought out some of our best writing ever too… so I’m just gonna quote myself here.

“On the most polished THANK GUARD Premiere to-date, a dynamic trio of epileptic acid-rappers exchange contrasting melodic flows - in a bid to win a Spanish bae’s heart.” If you don’t know GEEK, CHARLES X (of CULT SHOTTA) or SELASIE WUSSAH by now we don’t trust u. 26. “1 3 1 6” - E L K (ADL)

Adelaide teen E L K bursted onto the scene with last year with “TUTEN KARMEN”, which would have easily made the top 10 if he didn’t remove it from SC. “1 3 1 6”, a different (but equally impressive) joint also blew us away. This one brings guys like MF DOOM & JAY ELECTRONICA to mind instantly, but channeled thru the purity of a fresh, young mind with the voice of a rap-god. In 2016 alone, E L K and his PLAYBACK 808 crew went from bedroom rappers, to the creators of a legit AUS rap movement that looks poised to climb mountains in 2017. 25. “FEELING GOOD FEELING GREAT” - TOYOTOMI HIDEYOSHI (WA)

2 months ago, FourAM head-honcho TOYOTOMI HIDEYOSHI teamed up with producer SNOWEE for a sun-drenched 6K anthem. Some rare RAE SCHREMMURD vibes (if they were slightly more sober). Truly peaks at the end. TOYOTOMI is another young dude whose influence on the culture went beyond rapping last year. From short films, events to supporting those around him - this kid did it all in 2016. 24. “DOPER THAN DOPE (MACHINEDRUM REMIX)” - SK SIMEON (MELB)

One of AUSTRALIA’s best rhythmic-vocalists had a huge 2016. SK SIMEON has been a worldwide reggae force for a minute now. Born in Uganda, recorded his first song at a studio in Dandenong… But last year “DOPE THAN DOPE” - one of his best tracks to-date was remixed by MACHINEDRUM. This version (which sounds good anywhere) took SK’s insane rapid-fire singing and infectious tongue-in-cheek delivery to dance-floors around the world. 23. “NULIFE” - MAIA (BRIS)

BRISBANE neo-neo-soul singer/producer MAÏA returned to form in 2016 with her nostalgic, intimate “LOFI” Mixtape. “NULIFE” - a definite standout will swallow you up whole in a blanket of warm, jazzy melodies and pulsating rimshots. Coming very early in the year, this track really pre-empted a lot of trends that are dominating American music culture as we speak. We predict huge things for MAIA in 2017. 22. “$AUCE” - GREMLNS (MELB)

2016 was the year of the GREMLN in the suburbs of MELB. No other underground AUS rap squad made more of an impact than these guys in the last 12 months. This “SAUCE” video came about after months of anticipation and was defs worth the wait. It showed the GREMSQUAD more polished-than-ever, a bunch of real young talents standing at the crossroads between street-fame and industry acceptance. The video itself is like a cross between an old-school Tarantino movie and a London GRIME vid, but set in some unmistakably murky Burn-city graffiti spots. 21. “BERETTA” - MATT BLACK (SYD)

SYDNEY-based vocalist MATT BLACK exploded out of the blocks last year with a series of MIRACLE/DOPAMINE produced R&B/SOUL singles - the type big labels dream about every night. “BERETTA” is the whole package. A high-concept, slow-burning, futuristic love-song which cleverly compares a lover to a pistol. Two things that (depending on the circumstances) can save you or destroy you, make u feel like a man or a mouse. 20. “EVERYDAY” - DREAM$TEAM (ADEL)

So much love for duo’s with vastly different voices. When you listen to a DREAM$TEAM you got no time for boredom. You’ve got CHARLTON on the first verse who always goes in with this SHAKE070-style flow and A-grade emotionally-charged lyricism, then the other G comes in riding world-class auto-tune vibes that sit somewhere between YACHTY & TRAVI$ SCOTT. The production, which features ZAYTOVEN-style piano, is the opposite of corny… bounces hard & leaves plenty of room for vocals. These guys are insanely talented for their age-bracket. Anythings possible for them in 2017 19. “TENNIES” - TKAY MAIDZA (ADEL)

TKAY MAIDZA, easily one of the most successful artists on this list had a huge 2016. She was spun on SKRILLEX’s OWSLA radio show, played a tonne of festivals in AUS & FRANCE, but most importantly dropped a huge studio album, TKAY, which featured guest verse from KILLER MIKE (Run The Jewels). “TENNIES” was our favourite track from the album, because it combined her signature worldly sugar-rap with some hella uplifting footwork vibes. How often is boundary-pushing music this much fun? 18. “LAPUTA (TAYLOR MCFERRIN REMIX ft. ANDERSON PAAK)” - HIATUS KAIYOTE (MELB)

The one and only MELB-based GRAMMY-nominated future-soul quartet that we probs should have posted by now had to have a presence on this list, at least to show you all what’s possible. Their second album “CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON” is a must listen, but was released waybach in 2015. Last year, TAYLOR MCFERRIN recruited ANDERSON PAAK to rework standout single “LAPUTA” for a remix EP. The results speak for themselves. 17. “PEACEWALKER” - GALLU$, RAIDER KING (BRIS)

GALLU$ was real cult-force down in BRISBANE last year. His influence on the scene transcended his recordings - a huge statement considering the quality of songs like “PEACEWALKER”. This one features some heavy statements screamed with a natural Aussie accent over “GLASSSS” by PYRMDPLAZA. 

“THIS INDUSTRY’S FAKE & THE PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT // THAT SOUNDS PRETTY OBVIOUS // SO WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING? // QUESTIONING MY OWN MUSIC LIKE // EVERY LINE THAT I WRITE // CAN’T HELP BUT FEEL STUPID.” - nuff said. 16. “ALL OF MI LIFE (MACHINEDRUM REMIX)” - YAW FASO (MELB)

2016 was a year where artists like POPCAAN & J HUS were getting love on THE FADER + DRAKE/BIEBER/SKRILLEX were jacking sounds from the Caribbean and breaking billboard records. When our own YAW FASO shared this MACHINEDRUM remix of his sun-drenched single “ALL OF MI LIFE” the timing was perfect, but as the hook declares, he wasn’t riding any trends. Reggae is one of the few genres that makes you smile, dance and forget about all your issues. This song, bursting with: FASO’s highly motivational reggae mantras, sugary buildups and super-refreshing production does all the above. 15. “IDK” - GILL BATES (BRIS)

With his LESS STRESS, MORE SUCCESS EP, GILL BATES showed a whole new side of himself to the world in 2016. Standout cut “IDK” took the catchier side of AUS rap into unknown territory: substance & self-awareness. Above all tho, it’s just a great song. That larger-than-life JAMES DAMIAN ANGUS production grabs you from 0:01… GILL’s opening line “BEEN DROWNING MY SORROWS // BOTTLE AFTER BOTTLE” takes you into his psyche… Then GILL & JAMES drag you deeper and deeper into darkness before flipping things with a bittersweet xylophone-driven hook. A world-class highlight from one of the best local releases in 2016. 14. “NEVER BEEN” - TYRØNE (SYD)

In the last 12 months, few local artists worked harder than TYRØNE. The SYDNEY rapper/producer legit dropped a full EP Trilogy, brimming with GOAT Australian rap lyricism. Song, after song the guy managed to craft a unique aesthetic for himself and his music – darkness that isn’t fake. “NEVER BEEN”, a real standout encapsulates this dedication to his craft more than any other. That skin-tight baritone flow just doesn’t stop on this one. “I SAY LIFE IS EVERYTHING YOU MAKE IT // ONE THING DAMN RIGHT I AIN’T NEVER BEEN FAKE BITCH” 13. “HIT EM” - I AM D (BRIS)

BRISBANE one-man-movement I AM D flew way under our radar until we heard this one. “HIT EM” showcased D’s near iconic nu-AUSSIE rap tone, through a stream of SKEPTA-like vocal punches that explained every move he would make in the local scene. Little did we know at the time, but he actually went on to achieve everything he rapped on this track. In a matter of months after its release: he got signed to a major label, dropped a hugely successful EP, landed a national tour and stamped his influence on the local culture. 12. “NO FATIGUE (ft. GEEK & SELASIE WUSSAH)” - CULT SHØTTA (SYD)

The video for “NO FATIGUE” really set the tone for CULT SHØTTA season in 2016. They were always a truly unique presence in the Australian rap game, but on this track, they toned things down, unleashing line-after-line of vibrant acid-raps over a relatively sparse bass-driven trap beat. As per usual, CHARLES X, GEEK & SELASIE WUSSAH each brought their A-game, showing off vastly different styles/personas, each challenging different “AUSTRALIAN RAP” taboos in the process. It also marked the beginning of director RUFFY’s much-needed string of ambitious video-work that helped elevate many-a local rapper last year. 11. “FOR GOOD (ft. SAMPA THE GREAT)” - REMI (MELB)

Couldn’t think of a better ’16 feel-good Aus-rap summer anthem than REMI and SAMPA’s “FOR GOOD” if I tried. When your air-con breaks on a 35 degree day, this song could actually save ur life. The production, hook and overall vibe really feels like a classic Triple J anthem, the type that soundtracked our lives. But, obviously everything has been re-worked for the next-generation, creating a crisper, more sonically diverse hit than we’re used to. 10. “EXISTENTIALITY” - OJIKAE (MELB)

“EXISTENTIALITY” is a lovesick vision that’s refreshingly different from the over-saturated BILLBOARD TOP 100-style R&B that the likes of TORY LANEZ and BRYSON TILLER put out. It was also the very first track released by 17 y.o VCE student Matt Cicero, which blew us away immediately last JULY. The guy wrote something original, produced the track himself and whipped out a spine-tingling vocal performance that singlehandedly dragged his ass all the way to the top 10 of this list. 9. “ASSUMPTIONS” - MANU CROOKS (SYD)

“ASSUMPTIONS” was premiered on ZANE LOWE’s BEATS1RADIO show… got our mag a global shoutout AND tore stages apart across the country in 2016. We heard more sides of Sydney game-changer MANU CROOKS than ever before on this one. With help from production masterminds DOPAMINE & MIRACLE, CROOKS departed from them brooding Toronto vibes to show Australia & the world that he can can TURN UP like the best of them. 8. “CALL ME” - DEVARN (MELB)

This song is what THANK GUARD is all about. Sonically, it’s right up our alley… but more importantly it came from a creative young dude who: thinks for himself and punches well-above his weight considering the resources/money some people on this list have at their disposal. It also tells a story we have witnessed for years now…

“ALL OF MY N*GGAS THEY WORK IN THE SUN // WAITING FOR LABELS TO HIT UP THEY PHONE // I WANT SOME MONEY TO GET ME A PHONE” Few rappers can get you on their side like Melbourne’s DEVARN. His vocals are earnest, intimate - when he raps, it feels like he’s letting you into his world. He doesn’t slur his words, or smother them in auto-tune either - you can hear every word the man is saying. Also, huge props for referencing some of our fav underground anthems >> SAUCE (GREMLNS) >> MOOSHAMAD // I HAD A DREAM WE GON’ MAKE IT. Damn. 7. “000000” - MIDAS.GOLD (BRIS)

Last year, Brisbane’s MIDAS.GOLD elevated himself to the Mount Rushmore of this new-wave. Of all the wild trap releases & intimate soul-searching cuts on his huge FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH EP, “000000” had the biggest impact on the scene. It dropped all the way back in JANUARY when local rappers were all bumping FUTURE & YOUNG THUG 24/7, but still didn’t truly believe that an Aussie could incorporate these sounds into their music so convincingly. MIDAS truly made this quality JAMES DAMIAN ANGUS/MO LIASON beat his bitch from 0:01, before abruptly taking the track down a notch in its last third, flipping the beat and creating a Schoolboy Q-esque bleary-eyed, kushed-out vibe that eased the track out from its original energy. 6. “WHIP IT” - BIG SKEEZ

We’ve been huge supporters of BIG SKEEZ for a long time. Every track he dropped in 2016 wreaked of originality in both vision and character. SKEEZ, a dude climbing his way up a ladder of: elegant email signatures, cut-throat managers and concrete industry rules, often collaborated with us thru a simple fb message - or just bumping into him in the city. This made us question the likelihood of his success to some extent, but when this video for “WHIP IT” dropped, it turned all our dreams into a reality. The WAVY BADMON, along with his SYDNEY crew absolutely owned the big screen, turning up like a pro to one of the standout tracks from his under-rated debut mixtape. Seeing this whole evolution transpire before our very eyes gave this CERNE STUDIOS production a real sentimental value for the whole THANK GUARD team. 5. “ABSURD” - ANFA ROSE (SYD)

ANFA ROSE and DOPAMINE’S magnum opus will make you cry like a Canadian watching Drake sing the national anthem. The silky smooth, “Absurd” is a beautifully executed blend of 808s, pianos and harmonies. When it comes to polish, no local track released in 2016 comes close to this one. DOPAMINE stripped back that instrumental, focusing on an ethereal and ominous beat with a chordal pattern that slides effortlessly from note to note. ROSE’s delicate melodies fuse perfectly with the instrumental and his lyrics, which are reminiscent of DRAKE’s odes to RIHANNA, or THE WEEKND’s odes to drugs. 4. “RUN IT (ft. LEVI, PHANTOM & KMALITH)” - MIKE WANG (MELB)

When low-key GREMLN MICHAEL WANG dropped this fire squad track all borders between Australia & America went up in flames. The MELBOURNE underground literally outshone the AUSTRALIAN i-Tunes charts. Nothing would make sense ever again. In terms of flow, lyricism and local impact… this was without a doubt one of the best Australian rap tracks released in 2016. WANG, LEVI, PHANTOM & KMALITH came out, guns blazing with their own jaw-dropping take on that MIGOS-style flow (and this was all before “BAD & BOUJEE” blew up). That little OVO-style hook/breakdown “I GOT BANDS…” really added a whole other dimension to the song too. Don’t even get me started on the message behind these lyrics and their relevancy to our scene, the city of MELBOURNE and the racial/cultural tensions often overlooked by most Australians. 3. “BLOWIN’ UP (ft. MIRACLE)” - MANU CROOKS (SYD)

“BLOWIN UP” was MANU CROOKS flipping the switch and making a statement: his rise to success is about much more than bangerz. Being able to rap and record full-time is any local rapper’s dream and seeing the SYDNEY rapper get premiered on The FADER must have motivated thousands of Australian teenagers to keep hustling in 2016. Honestly, didn’t think someone from this new AUS rap-scene would make the pages of a mag like The FADER for at least another year. That stamp of approval means a lot. Manu’s tuned-up, magnetically charismatic vocals definitely stole the show on this one…Dude just seems to know exactly what to rap and when. But, none of this would have been possible without his equally talented bros: DOPAMINE & MIRACLE who both shined, bright as ever on this one. 
DOPAMINE always knows just the right amount of syrupy autotune to sprinkle over his mates vocals & this beat speaks for itself. MIRACLE’S production and vocals contributions always help bring a track to the next-level. All 3 of these guys will no-doubt make even more Australian-rap history in 2017. 2. “WDUBI (ft. NASTY MARS & MARCUS)” - BARO (MELB)

When the mind of a black sheep is re-configured to entertain the mindless masses, an artist has reached their final frontier. BARO (NASTY MARS & MARCUS) did this last year with “WDUBI” - the first taste from his eagerly-awaited JPYNTK tape. On first encounter, it plays as the perfect Australian new-gen rap jam. But on further inspection, everything about it: the production, vocal stylings and somber sonic undertones expose it for the beautiful alien it really is. All three verses loosely acknowledge US 2K16 rap (CHANCE, GAMBINO etc), but overall this track really does’t follow the rules set by the American market at all - which is why we love it so much. That NIC MARTIN production plays a huge roll in this also. Something about those double-timed snares/claps and the tempo made this one feel so damn refreshing. We really played the fuck out of this one last year. THANK GUARD. Oh btw “AND IF WE HAVE A SON I THINK WE’LL NAME HIM STEVEN” - line O.T.Y 1. “BLUE BOSS” - SAMPA THE GREAT (SYD)

LMAO. In 2016, a lot of local bro’s hyped their shit like crazy. Walking around like the TUPAC reincarnate, talking smack online & sharing videos on FB 10 times a day… and SAMPA THE GREAT quietly drops a song that makes them all look foolish, raising her to instant-legend status. SAMPA is emotionally mature, intellectually elegant, socially conscious. Her words can fight wars or comfort a child. She is the type of person you’d want running for president, let alone running the local rap scene. “BLUE BOSS” is like a world-class 2K16 surprise rap-hit, but also feels timeless. Unlike kindred spirits NONAME & KAMAIYAH, SAMPA keeps her production and overall-vibe as earthy as possible, creating her own unique place in the rap-world. Considering the desperate need for more female rappers in this country, the quality of SAMPA’s vocals and her all-too-rare modest demeanour, we had to give “BLUE BOSS” the #1 spot. Posted by PAULINE HANSON

[lovingalexlots]

Chapter 3 is up on Ao3 everyone!

Or you can read it bellow the break, but don’t forget to show your love on Ao3 too!

Waiting for the results of the exam was driving Izuku up the wall.

He already went through his normal training routines, studied, played some video games with Kacchan, and did his chores. There hadn’t been any hero incidents that day, so there wasn't anything new to analyse either.

With a bored sigh, he sits down at his second desk. This one he uses for his villain business in his own little office. It’s in the family’s hidden villain quarters below their house. The quarters are a cozy, lair esk maze, with each high ranking member having their own office, a general meeting room, a gym, interrogation rooms, cells, labs, a clinic, a kitchen, living quarters, and a lovely lounge area.

After some shuffling through papers and a bit of research, he finds a great victim for Devil Swinger to go for next: Kobo Ishiwari.

The man is a small business owner. As far as the law knows, Mr. Ishiwari’s used electronics store is just a rundown electronics thrift store. In reality, it's only partially that. Izuku has it on good authority that Mr. Ishiwari buys and sells way more than just used tech.

In fact, most of the used things he does sell was stolen by Mr. Ishiwari’s little ring of thieves. Said thieves don’t just steal simple electronics. Izuku has found evidence on organ trade, security backdoors to companies, illegally filmed porn, and much much more.

The man had his own little black market going and Izuku couldn’t let that go unchecked.

Not to mention the man tended to do his business partners dirty. His father’s villain network and Shigaraki's growing “League” had no need for someone who doesn't keep their end of bargains.

With that settled, Izuku dawns his Devil Swinger persona.

Ink cascades down onto his head, making his green curls turn black and limp with liquid.  It continues to run down past his forehead and stops right above his mouth while sliding down his cheeks to drip off of his chin. It covers all his freckles without any hassle. With the extra drops, Izuku coats his neck. He puts in black contacts that will make his sclera and iris completely black. An inky portrayal of a demon.

He then slips on a black button up and a grey vest, along with smokey black skinny jeans and black combat boots. The last thing he adds is a few drops of ink on each fingernail as if he painted them with polish.

Izuku decides to take his violin, feeling in the mood to play some Lindsey Stirling .

…

It only requires simple humming for Izuku to have the three large buckets of ink follow him to the location.

Standing under the streetlamp’s spot light in front of Mr. Ishiwari's shop, he lets the buckets clunk down around him.

Lifting his bow, he drags it across the strings in one long note.

And thus the song begins.

Ink shoots out of the buckets, blobs congealing together to form into his Little Devils. “Little Devils” is a loving term Izuku calls his little gargoyle/gremlin beings of ink which is where his villain name was coined from. The ink creatures have two pointy horns, huge grins, claws, and stringy tails that end in a spear.

Under Devil Swinger’s command, his Little Devils break through the glass door and windows of the shop.

Normally, ink wouldn’t be tough enough to break through reinforced glass, but his father added a few bonus features to the ink he uses for his Little Devils. Including, but not limited to: lacing the ink with heavy lead particles to make the ink pack a stronger punch, different poisonous batches, and acidic batches. But examples of those in use is a story for another day.

The Little Devils rampage the shop, breaking displays, stealing tech, breaking unwanted things, all around making a huge mess. Izuku steps inside. His steps flow like a dancer’s. A bounce whispers in his moves match the beat of his violin as he plays Master of the Tides , by Lindsey Stirling.

Izuku always thought the song was rather fitting for Devil Swinger. The music allowing him to be a master of his own tides of ink.

It also has a good beat, so there’s that...

Two of his Little Devils drag a man out from hiding behind the counter. Izuku recognizes Mr. Kobo Ishiwari instantly, instructing his ink to manhandle the man until he was kneeling in front of him.

Devil Swinger lowers his violin, his foot continuing the beat seamlessly. Heedless of the shattered glass and electronic parts all over the floor that Mr. Ishiwari kneels atop of. Izuku leans down and threads a hand through the sweaty, balding hair of the shop owner, pushing it out of his face.

“Ah, little Mr. Kobo Ishiwari. You’ve been a naughty man, haven’t you?” Devil Swinger says cheerily, an eerie smile splitting his face

“Pa-please! No! I’ve been good! I haven’t broken any laws! Please!” the man babbles pathetically.

Izuku tsks at him like a chiding parent. “Now now, Mr. Ishiwari. I don’t like it when people lie to me. Why don’t you try again?”

“But I have been good! Honest!! Please!” the man was a blubbering mess, ugly crying as if he was the child in the room, not Izuku.

“A whiny lying child. A type of person I hate having to deal with.” Devil Swinger crouches down so he’s eye to eye with the man. With a sharp whistled note, the little devils holding Ishiwari dry out and harden tough as brick. Another useful way to utilize the lead inside of them.

“Now, I’d normally kill you at this point and get things over with before any heroes are able to show up, but I’ve been bored out of my inky skull, so you’ll be entertaining me for tonight.” He leans closer to whisper in the man’s ear, “then I’m going to go collect all your little thieves and serve them up to the police on a dinner tray of evidence.”

Yeah, okay, that was a little cheesy, but whatever. Everyone loves cheese. Damn, now he was craving Nachos.

Izuku stands up, giving Mr. Ishiwari a big smile. He starts humming, droplets of ink stretching up to join the few on each of his nails.

“Oh Mr. Ishiwari tell me,” he starts singing as the ink on his nails elongate into talons, “Is it true that fear is agony?”

A claw whips out and stabs the store owner in the shoulder before retracting into a normal talon again. The man screams, but Devil Swinger continues singing his parody of Mrs. Potato Head originally by Melanie Martinez.

“Hope they cover this under warranty,” another slash goes from the man’s chin, up his cheek, and to his eyebrow in a crescent motion, “Will this scar ever heal over?”

“Oh Mr. Kobo, I’m not sorry” he sings above the man’s screams, “They’ll never remember your story.”

Devil Swinger steps behind the man and grabs his jaw to angle his head back. “Don’t you promise to have virtue,” he leans down to threatenly whisper the next lyrics into Mr. Ishiwari’s ear, “You’re much more than a simple delinquent.”

It’s then that a hero shows up. They seem to have been doing a late night patrol, dressed in all black with a weird type of grey fabric flying all over the place. Ishiwari screams anew for the hero to help him

“Did you really think you’ll get out of this?” Izuku growls the last lyrics out before deeply slicing the man's throat with his claws and running.

With quick whistled notes, he gets all his Little Demons to follow him out the back.

The hero is fast on his feet, cutting Izuku off in the small parking area behind the building. Izuku has a Little Devil hand him his violin and he prepares to fight, but before he can start playing, all of his Little Devils collapse into nondescript piles of ink goo and stolen tech from the store. He tries whistles, a few sung lyrics, even a stanza on his violin, but the ink isn’t responding to him.

His quirk…

It isn’t working…

The hero lunges for him, but he just barely dodges. He cups a handful of ink off the ground, flinging it at the hero’s face to blind him and give Izuku some time to get away.

It works. He runs back through to the front of the store, trying his violin again. This time the blobs of ink that were left behind respond to him.

Devil Swinger has the ink cling to any exposed color on him, turning his entire body black as shadows. He can hear the hero crashing through the back of the store, trying to make chase, but it’s too late. Izuku is already leaping through the frame of the broken glass door and disappearing into the dark of the night.

...

Once he’s a safe distance away, Izuku stops to take a breather.

Well shit …

That was a close call AND he lost a lot of ink and gadgets in the process! He hated when he went into the red with an outing. Getting no profit for his efforts is so frustrating. As soon as Kacchan hears of this, he’s gonna grill him into next week!

He sighs, making sure no one is around when he sheds his ink. At least he was able to keep ahold of his violin. It always upsets him when he loses or brakes one of his instruments.

He has the ink cover his legs under his pants so it’s not noticeable. Then he takes off his vest to fold up into a small square and shoves it in his pocket. His button up shirt gets tied around his waist, leaving him with just his undershirt. He purposely wears normal clothes underneath just for this reason. Today he’s wearing a light green shirt that says “Sweater Vest” in French, written in old English font (Chandail Gilet).

Now he’s going to have to go back to his boredom.

Luckily, the letter from UA arrives the next day...

_________________________

Songs used:

Master of the Tides by Lindsey Stirling Mrs. Potato Head by Melanie Martinez (tho Izu changed the lyrics)

[bartarb]

RECAP: OUR TOP 50 AUSTRALIAN HIP-HOP/R&B TRACKS OF 2016

2016 was the year that this scene was finally accepted by mainstream media outlets, played regularly on Triple J and given the opportunity to throw mad rap events at some of the countries’ best live music venues. The number of local rap: artists, releases, managers, parties, radio shows, even blogs exploded too. MANU CROOKS was put on BEATS1 rotation & posted on The FADER. SAMPA THE GREAT racked up over half a million streams on “BLUE BOSS”. BARO blurred cultural/sonic boundaries. TKAY MAIDZA dropped a huge album + landed that KILLER MIKE collab. MIDAS.GOLD, CULT SHOTTA, BIG SKEEZ, I AM D, NICO GHOST & SAVOUR THE RATIONS all dominated live-stages across the country. The GREMLNS, PLAYBACK 808, 1 HUNNID RECORDS & TREXON WAVE showed us the future. These squads are all barely out of high-school, have a strong African heritage and are blowing up against the odds. Almost all of the above was soundtracked by producers: DOPAMINE, MIRACLE, JAMES DAMIAN ANGUS, MITCH GRUANKE & HARVEY who don’t get enough credit. JUNOR launched his AUD$ radio show on SYN which is legit. The PROPHECY BOYZ launched SAUCE - a new brand that will probs do huge things in 2K17. RARE FLOW TV, provided an essential piece-to-the-puzzle, bringing this all to life in quality music videos. Australian rap music is at an all time high. But tbh, it’s going to take another miracle to push it any further. Now that there’s money to be made here, cashed-up copy-cat rappers/labels/magazines/venues with no imagination will find a way to suck the life out of your music for a quick profit. Historically, this has happened many times over, preventing Australians from truly impacting music culture on a global scale. WTF is the diff between us and: Canada, England or America? Terrible artists will succeed if you let them. Donald Trump was elected president. We’re always a stones-throw away from making the next generation of AUS rap fans (and the rest of the world) cringe at us. Question everyone. Even THANK GUARD. Oh, btw. This blog still doesn’t make money. Here’s 50 songs that inspired us to keep hustling in 2016 in between dem long-ass shifts. 50. “VIEWS UP” - NYUON (MELB)

NYUON - an essential character in the MELB rap scene - stretches out the parameters of his sound a little more with each release. “VIEWS UP” saw him lean back towards centre after the experimentally hazy, lilting vibe of his ’15 BYMYSELF tape. With the help of producer ROOKIEPRO he pooled that self-effacing, conscious rap-swagger into his most polished track do-date. 49. “SORROWS” - BLESSED (SYD)

Taking cues from CUDI, UK alternative-pop and their own minds, BLESSED managed to instantly stand out from the rest of the trap-heavy SYD scene last year. Their output in ‘16 was super consistent, and “SORROWS” (our fav) has already amassed over 127K plays on Soundcloud. Early days, but their potential for global appeal is already proven. 48. “I.D.C.A” - 18K (BRIS)

“I.D.C.A” gives you a real wow moment the second those bars come in. 18K’s on that: modern-day BONE,THUGZ & HARMONY/vaguely MIGOS ATL, super-quick flow. His beats are perfect too. Hard hitting, modern trap sounds AND a hint of like CLAMS CASINO cloud-rap as well. 47. “30 DAYS” - DENNIS (MELB)

Mysterious producer/singer DENNIS dropped this one to no reception whatsoever. The mastering isn’t professional, but the song itself and the man’s vocals are world class. You gotta pump the volume ride it to the peak for full-effect fam. Like some new BON IVER shit without the cringe, pretty sure this came out first too. 46. “PRESSURE (ft. JACE XL)” - BILLY DAVIS (MELB)

BILLY DAVIS & JACE XL (RYTHYM SECTION) are both heavily associated with THE OPERATIVES (who monopolised vibes in MELB the last decade). JACE shows off his life-changing soul crooning over some classic BILLY DAVIS instrumentation. This would be a lot higher if it were more relevant to our needs. 45. “NO MORE” - DEEVILLA (SYD)

With this track alone, SYDNEY-based DEEVILLA proved he can write the type of song this scene needs. His flow, lyrics and overall mood on “NO MORE” summed up 2016 perfectly in terms of music & vibe. FLIP TRILL’s production on this one did all the above and more. 44. “RUN UP (ft. FLYBOII & L.U.I)” - LIL SPACELY (SYD)

Got the vibe that BLACK DANNA head honcho SPACELY had a tough 2016. But, being an essential SYDNEY rap-character that he is, the dude still managed to drop some of the livest AUS rap tracks of 2016. On “RUN UP”, he took the chunky, horn-filled instrumental from FAT JOE and REMY MA’s “ALL THE WAY UP”, puffed out his chest, and along with a couple talented homies delivered a growling, arrogant battle track that signalled his readiness to take his music national. He’s already dropped several tracks in ’17. Stay woke. 43. “FIRE” - SQUIDGENINI (MELB)

SQUIDGENINI a.k.a Bella, is one of Melbourne’s better-kept secrets right now. She’s been honing her craft for some time: playing in bands, producing solo tracks and supporting huge artists. “FIRE”, one of her only releases in 2016, instantly put her on our radar. This highly ambitious track features no-bullshit lyrisicm, eccentric production and some straight up vocal-fire. 42. “NAH BRUH, THIS IS WAGE GANG!” - VEENO (SYD)

When BABY VEENO dropped this insane freestyle in October it was criminally over-looked by many (including us). Choosing YOUNG THUG’S timeless “SEE YOU” beat from that G.O.A.T RICH GANG tape proved to us that the man has taste. The ensuing bars instilled visions of VEENO becoming SYDNEY’s trap-SKEPTA in ’17. 41. “CLAP BACK” - SAVOUR THE RATIONS (SYD)

SAVOUR THE RATIONS were one of the most influential, pro-active and entertaining AUSTRALIAN rap crews of 2016 (especially towards the end). KWAME, DOMBA, JAYJAY ASSASSIN, GYBRYLLAH SHYNE & RAJ MAHAL made their biggest moves via videos/live performances. “CLAP BACK” which was dropped on Jan 2nd, 2016 showed the boys doing their ting for their own entertainment. This year they’ll be doing it for thousands no doubt. 40. “BEST FRIEND (YOUNG THUG REMIX)” - BIG SKEEZ (SYD)

This was probably the local track we played most last year. BIG SKEEZ really stood out in ‘16 for his song-writing hustle & originality (highlighted on his S.A.T.T mixtape). Remixing such a familiar, iconic song allowed SKEEZ to let loose in the booth more than ever before, resulting in 3:14 of explosive, feverish trap-fury filled with icy-cold local references/flips. 39. “ALIVE REMIX (ft. BARO & CAZEAUX O.S.L.O)” - ESESE (MELB)

Couldn’t think of a more suitable 2016 MELBOURNE summer-rap anthem than this BARO remix if I tried. It feature local pillars: CAEZEUX O.S.L.O, SKOMES and the ESESE crew - and oozes those heavenly FITZROY day-party vibes. Hearing HENOQ and O.S.L.O both spit new-gen AUS boom-bap masterpieces in rapid succession would’ve brought a tear to the eye of every true BURN-CITY rap-fan this year. 38. “NO MORALS (ft. $KINNY DOM)” - BLACK NAPOLEON (WA)

On “NO MORALS”, BLACK NAPOLEON brought equal parts: slow, deliberate and estatic D double E style booth raps - the kind you’d hear on some UK Pirate radio set to the table. LUCHII, another PERTH-based genius jumped into the mix sounding more like a 6K Gucci, nailing the perfect guest verse. The CAMERON PARK directed-visuals for this one featured no guns, knives or punches thrown, but it still stands as one of the most violent local vids of ’16. #HOMEBAKED. 37. “FUCK THE JUDGE (ft. REMI)” - BARO (MELB)

When BARO dropped the second taste of his soon-TBR JPYNTK tape about 6 months ago, the world was torn in half by the racial violence sweeping the US. It was literally with you everywhere you went, no matter ur skin colour. “FUCK THE JUDGE”, which was released at the very hight of this chaos featured inspired verses from REMI + BARO and was accompanied by the statement: “They're killing my people. They're killing PEOPLE.” The song itself also made another (less important statement) about BARO’s unflinching confidence as a dude/rapper. It was his first absolute crystal clear “fuck u” to industry/fan expectations - a sign that he might be giving the typical AUS rap-sound a much needed kick up-the-butt in 2017. 36. “POTENTIAL (I SEE)” - LORD LEVI (MELB)

When it comes to MELB underground anthems in 2016, LORD LEVI’s “POTENTIAL (I SEE)” is practically unrivalled. The hook, flow and production on this one truly encapsulates the rise of the BURN-CITY outer-suburb high-school trap scene in 2016. LEVI and the GREMLN squad built a dedicated following last year on the back of songs like this. Trek thru any BURN-CITY suburb and “I SEE POTENTIAL” follows u through the streets. 35. “FLEX MODE” - ERIK SANDERS (BRIS)

Brisbane’s ERIK SANDERS blew up out of nowhere last year on the back of several highly-polished, US-influence nu-trap singles. “FLEX MODE” bursts out of the gate with a series of auto-tune inflected bars that twist-and-turn, merging multitudes of impressive melodies in quick succession. This one gets real wild at the end too. 34. “RIDE (ft. REZT)” - LUCHII (WA)

LUCHII has always struck us as an interesting character, but we still slept on the man in ’16. When he dropped “RIDE” like a month ago, we swore to stay woke on the PERTH creative forevermore. This one rides an island trap wave that reminded us of CHILDISH GAMBINO’s “CALIFORNIA” and MAC MILLERS new stuff, but it also hits on something completely new. The vocals reference ATL rhythms/tones AND something else, which MUST have been born in a cloud of green smoke on one of those pristine PERTH beaches. 33. “PULL UP (ft. CIDI, LORD BRAVO, DUT BOL & RANDOLPH)” - BONKI CHOL (ADEL)

In 2016, the TREXON WAVE squad was our guilty pleasure. We legit found ourselves rinsing their proficiently rugged trap cuts more than CHANCE or FRANK. “PULL UP” is the song that started the whole affair. I remember being high af on a Tuesday at like 2PM about 8 months ago just blasting this enchanting MIGOS-style cut on my speakers for an hour straight. Jut listen to BONKI CHOI and homies: CIDI, LORD BRAVO, DUT BOL, RANDOLPH bring the sauce one time. They all flaunt separate styles, personalities and lyrical tendencies on this one, but their skills/delivery are at 100 throughout. 32. “HOW U FEEL” - NICO GHOST (MELB)

Close your eyes and “HOW U FEEL” will take you to a dark, nondescript club setting. Smoke settles in over those eerie trap bells - the calm before the storm. That amazing harpsichord removes any sense of time/location. Your mind is finally empty. Nico spits that FB generation mantra: “I couldn’t really give a fuck how you feel”, lulling you into a false sense of security before ruining your life with intensity. NICO’s 2016 was pretty-much dominated by his wild live-show. But in between sets he found the time to gift us with this the premiere for this one. Was a huge step forward for us. The man’s legit. 31. “MONSTER TRUCK” - ALLDAY (MELB)

ALLDAY is huge - has been for years now. In 2016, he went through a bit of a sonic evolution and we fucked with it heavy. “MONSTER TRUCK” is a song that pushed Australian rap to places in the world it rarely reaches. This one features earnest lyrics, euphoric melodies and a skin-tight flow - years of work/experience all coming together. ALLDAY made some serious global waves last year as unique voice in the world of post-OVO rap music. 30. “LIONA” - NASTY MARS (MELB)

On “LIONA”, future-star NASTY MARS took warm, wavy, lo-fi production ripped straight from a SOULECTION cassette and crafted his own rap/soul-experiment around the peaks and flows of the beat. Although, hardly representative of this guy’s unreleased material, live show and overall position in the AUSTRALIAN rap/soul scene - “LIONA” still managed to take on a life of it’s own… just suss the comments. 29. “BLOOD THICKER THAN WATER” - LUTHER (BRIS)

One of BRISBANE’s most charismatic up-and-comers, LUTHER teamed up with AUS production royalty JAMES DAMIAN ANGUS early last year for a YOUNG THUG/LIL WAYNE style cut that blew us away. The production bangs. LUTHER’s wild, warbling trap-jitterings are fierce, crunchy and at times hilarious. Everything you want in a track like this. The dude is associated with the WORLDWIDE BOYS who will blow up this year. 28. “THIRSTY” - ANFA ROSE (SYD)

“THIRSTY” came last year amidst a never-ending avalanche of consistently jaw-dropping ANFA ROSE & DOPAMINE joint-efforts. Everything on this one from the samples, to ROSE’s perfectly structured verses - to those 808 snares cutting thru your entire being - to the lyrics enforced our theory that these dudes aren’t human. They are computer programs or clones or holograms or something. 27. “MARIA MARIA” - GEEK, CHARLES X & SELASIE WUSSAH (SYD)

This one - easily top 3 most iconic “THANK GUARD” anthems in our entire history. Seeing it live at one of our BONEY parties inspired some of the most emotional dabs ever dabbed. When it dropped back in Jan, it brought out some of our best writing ever too… so I’m just gonna quote myself here.

“On the most polished THANK GUARD Premiere to-date, a dynamic trio of epileptic acid-rappers exchange contrasting melodic flows - in a bid to win a Spanish bae’s heart.” If you don’t know GEEK, CHARLES X (of CULT SHOTTA) or SELASIE WUSSAH by now we don’t trust u. 26. “1 3 1 6” - E L K (ADL)

Adelaide teen E L K bursted onto the scene with last year with “TUTEN KARMEN”, which would have easily made the top 10 if he didn’t remove it from SC. “1 3 1 6”, a different (but equally impressive) joint also blew us away. This one brings guys like MF DOOM & JAY ELECTRONICA to mind instantly, but channeled thru the purity of a fresh, young mind with the voice of a rap-god. In 2016 alone, E L K and his PLAYBACK 808 crew went from bedroom rappers, to the creators of a legit AUS rap movement that looks poised to climb mountains in 2017. 25. “FEELING GOOD FEELING GREAT” - TOYOTOMI HIDEYOSHI (WA)

2 months ago, FourAM head-honcho TOYOTOMI HIDEYOSHI teamed up with producer SNOWEE for a sun-drenched 6K anthem. Some rare RAE SCHREMMURD vibes (if they were slightly more sober). Truly peaks at the end. TOYOTOMI is another young dude whose influence on the culture went beyond rapping last year. From short films, events to supporting those around him - this kid did it all in 2016. 24. “DOPER THAN DOPE (MACHINEDRUM REMIX)” - SK SIMEON (MELB)

One of AUSTRALIA’s best rhythmic-vocalists had a huge 2016. SK SIMEON has been a worldwide reggae force for a minute now. Born in Uganda, recorded his first song at a studio in Dandenong… But last year “DOPE THAN DOPE” - one of his best tracks to-date was remixed by MACHINEDRUM. This version (which sounds good anywhere) took SK’s insane rapid-fire singing and infectious tongue-in-cheek delivery to dance-floors around the world. 23. “NULIFE” - MAIA (BRIS)

BRISBANE neo-neo-soul singer/producer MAÏA returned to form in 2016 with her nostalgic, intimate “LOFI” Mixtape. “NULIFE” - a definite standout will swallow you up whole in a blanket of warm, jazzy melodies and pulsating rimshots. Coming very early in the year, this track really pre-empted a lot of trends that are dominating American music culture as we speak. We predict huge things for MAIA in 2017. 22. “$AUCE” - GREMLNS (MELB)

2016 was the year of the GREMLN in the suburbs of MELB. No other underground AUS rap squad made more of an impact than these guys in the last 12 months. This “SAUCE” video came about after months of anticipation and was defs worth the wait. It showed the GREMSQUAD more polished-than-ever, a bunch of real young talents standing at the crossroads between street-fame and industry acceptance. The video itself is like a cross between an old-school Tarantino movie and a London GRIME vid, but set in some unmistakably murky Burn-city graffiti spots. 21. “BERETTA” - MATT BLACK (SYD)

SYDNEY-based vocalist MATT BLACK exploded out of the blocks last year with a series of MIRACLE/DOPAMINE produced R&B/SOUL singles - the type big labels dream about every night. “BERETTA” is the whole package. A high-concept, slow-burning, futuristic love-song which cleverly compares a lover to a pistol. Two things that (depending on the circumstances) can save you or destroy you, make u feel like a man or a mouse. 20. “EVERYDAY” - DREAM$TEAM (ADEL)

So much love for duo’s with vastly different voices. When you listen to a DREAM$TEAM you got no time for boredom. You’ve got CHARLTON on the first verse who always goes in with this SHAKE070-style flow and A-grade emotionally-charged lyricism, then the other G comes in riding world-class auto-tune vibes that sit somewhere between YACHTY & TRAVI$ SCOTT. The production, which features ZAYTOVEN-style piano, is the opposite of corny… bounces hard & leaves plenty of room for vocals. These guys are insanely talented for their age-bracket. Anythings possible for them in 2017 19. “TENNIES” - TKAY MAIDZA (ADEL)

TKAY MAIDZA, easily one of the most successful artists on this list had a huge 2016. She was spun on SKRILLEX’s OWSLA radio show, played a tonne of festivals in AUS & FRANCE, but most importantly dropped a huge studio album, TKAY, which featured guest verse from KILLER MIKE (Run The Jewels). “TENNIES” was our favourite track from the album, because it combined her signature worldly sugar-rap with some hella uplifting footwork vibes. How often is boundary-pushing music this much fun? 18. “LAPUTA (TAYLOR MCFERRIN REMIX ft. ANDERSON PAAK)” - HIATUS KAIYOTE (MELB)

The one and only MELB-based GRAMMY-nominated future-soul quartet that we probs should have posted by now had to have a presence on this list, at least to show you all what’s possible. Their second album “CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON” is a must listen, but was released waybach in 2015. Last year, TAYLOR MCFERRIN recruited ANDERSON PAAK to rework standout single “LAPUTA” for a remix EP. The results speak for themselves. 17. “PEACEWALKER” - GALLU$, RAIDER KING (BRIS)

GALLU$ was real cult-force down in BRISBANE last year. His influence on the scene transcended his recordings - a huge statement considering the quality of songs like “PEACEWALKER”. This one features some heavy statements screamed with a natural Aussie accent over “GLASSSS” by PYRMDPLAZA. 

“THIS INDUSTRY’S FAKE & THE PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT // THAT SOUNDS PRETTY OBVIOUS // SO WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING? // QUESTIONING MY OWN MUSIC LIKE // EVERY LINE THAT I WRITE // CAN’T HELP BUT FEEL STUPID.” - nuff said. 16. “ALL OF MI LIFE (MACHINEDRUM REMIX)” - YAW FASO (MELB)

2016 was a year where artists like POPCAAN & J HUS were getting love on THE FADER + DRAKE/BIEBER/SKRILLEX were jacking sounds from the Caribbean and breaking billboard records. When our own YAW FASO shared this MACHINEDRUM remix of his sun-drenched single “ALL OF MI LIFE” the timing was perfect, but as the hook declares, he wasn’t riding any trends. Reggae is one of the few genres that makes you smile, dance and forget about all your issues. This song, bursting with: FASO’s highly motivational reggae mantras, sugary buildups and super-refreshing production does all the above. 15. “IDK” - GILL BATES (BRIS)

With his LESS STRESS, MORE SUCCESS EP, GILL BATES showed a whole new side of himself to the world in 2016. Standout cut “IDK” took the catchier side of AUS rap into unknown territory: substance & self-awareness. Above all tho, it’s just a great song. That larger-than-life JAMES DAMIAN ANGUS production grabs you from 0:01… GILL’s opening line “BEEN DROWNING MY SORROWS // BOTTLE AFTER BOTTLE” takes you into his psyche… Then GILL & JAMES drag you deeper and deeper into darkness before flipping things with a bittersweet xylophone-driven hook. A world-class highlight from one of the best local releases in 2016. 14. “NEVER BEEN” - TYRØNE (SYD)

In the last 12 months, few local artists worked harder than TYRØNE. The SYDNEY rapper/producer legit dropped a full EP Trilogy, brimming with GOAT Australian rap lyricism. Song, after song the guy managed to craft a unique aesthetic for himself and his music – darkness that isn’t fake. “NEVER BEEN”, a real standout encapsulates this dedication to his craft more than any other. That skin-tight baritone flow just doesn’t stop on this one. “I SAY LIFE IS EVERYTHING YOU MAKE IT // ONE THING DAMN RIGHT I AIN’T NEVER BEEN FAKE BITCH” 13. “HIT EM” - I AM D (BRIS)

BRISBANE one-man-movement I AM D flew way under our radar until we heard this one. “HIT EM” showcased D’s near iconic nu-AUSSIE rap tone, through a stream of SKEPTA-like vocal punches that explained every move he would make in the local scene. Little did we know at the time, but he actually went on to achieve everything he rapped on this track. In a matter of months after its release: he got signed to a major label, dropped a hugely successful EP, landed a national tour and stamped his influence on the local culture. 12. “NO FATIGUE (ft. GEEK & SELASIE WUSSAH)” - CULT SHØTTA (SYD)

The video for “NO FATIGUE” really set the tone for CULT SHØTTA season in 2016. They were always a truly unique presence in the Australian rap game, but on this track, they toned things down, unleashing line-after-line of vibrant acid-raps over a relatively sparse bass-driven trap beat. As per usual, CHARLES X, GEEK & SELASIE WUSSAH each brought their A-game, showing off vastly different styles/personas, each challenging different “AUSTRALIAN RAP” taboos in the process. It also marked the beginning of director RUFFY’s much-needed string of ambitious video-work that helped elevate many-a local rapper last year. 11. “FOR GOOD (ft. SAMPA THE GREAT)” - REMI (MELB)

Couldn’t think of a better ’16 feel-good Aus-rap summer anthem than REMI and SAMPA’s “FOR GOOD” if I tried. When your air-con breaks on a 35 degree day, this song could actually save ur life. The production, hook and overall vibe really feels like a classic Triple J anthem, the type that soundtracked our lives. But, obviously everything has been re-worked for the next-generation, creating a crisper, more sonically diverse hit than we’re used to. 10. “EXISTENTIALITY” - OJIKAE (MELB)

“EXISTENTIALITY” is a lovesick vision that’s refreshingly different from the over-saturated BILLBOARD TOP 100-style R&B that the likes of TORY LANEZ and BRYSON TILLER put out. It was also the very first track released by 17 y.o VCE student Matt Cicero, which blew us away immediately last JULY. The guy wrote something original, produced the track himself and whipped out a spine-tingling vocal performance that singlehandedly dragged his ass all the way to the top 10 of this list. 9. “ASSUMPTIONS” - MANU CROOKS (SYD)

“ASSUMPTIONS” was premiered on ZANE LOWE’s BEATS1RADIO show… got our mag a global shoutout AND tore stages apart across the country in 2016. We heard more sides of Sydney game-changer MANU CROOKS than ever before on this one. With help from production masterminds DOPAMINE & MIRACLE, CROOKS departed from them brooding Toronto vibes to show Australia & the world that he can can TURN UP like the best of them. 8. “CALL ME” - DEVARN (MELB)

This song is what THANK GUARD is all about. Sonically, it’s right up our alley… but more importantly it came from a creative young dude who: thinks for himself and punches well-above his weight considering the resources/money some people on this list have at their disposal. It also tells a story we have witnessed for years now…

“ALL OF MY N*GGAS THEY WORK IN THE SUN // WAITING FOR LABELS TO HIT UP THEY PHONE // I WANT SOME MONEY TO GET ME A PHONE” Few rappers can get you on their side like Melbourne’s DEVARN. His vocals are earnest, intimate - when he raps, it feels like he’s letting you into his world. He doesn’t slur his words, or smother them in auto-tune either - you can hear every word the man is saying. Also, huge props for referencing some of our fav underground anthems >> SAUCE (GREMLNS) >> MOOSHAMAD // I HAD A DREAM WE GON’ MAKE IT. Damn. 7. “000000” - MIDAS.GOLD (BRIS)

Last year, Brisbane’s MIDAS.GOLD elevated himself to the Mount Rushmore of this new-wave. Of all the wild trap releases & intimate soul-searching cuts on his huge FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH EP, “000000” had the biggest impact on the scene. It dropped all the way back in JANUARY when local rappers were all bumping FUTURE & YOUNG THUG 24/7, but still didn’t truly believe that an Aussie could incorporate these sounds into their music so convincingly. MIDAS truly made this quality JAMES DAMIAN ANGUS/MO LIASON beat his bitch from 0:01, before abruptly taking the track down a notch in its last third, flipping the beat and creating a Schoolboy Q-esque bleary-eyed, kushed-out vibe that eased the track out from its original energy. 6. “WHIP IT” - BIG SKEEZ

We’ve been huge supporters of BIG SKEEZ for a long time. Every track he dropped in 2016 wreaked of originality in both vision and character. SKEEZ, a dude climbing his way up a ladder of: elegant email signatures, cut-throat managers and concrete industry rules, often collaborated with us thru a simple fb message - or just bumping into him in the city. This made us question the likelihood of his success to some extent, but when this video for “WHIP IT” dropped, it turned all our dreams into a reality. The WAVY BADMON, along with his SYDNEY crew absolutely owned the big screen, turning up like a pro to one of the standout tracks from his under-rated debut mixtape. Seeing this whole evolution transpire before our very eyes gave this CERNE STUDIOS production a real sentimental value for the whole THANK GUARD team. 5. “ABSURD” - ANFA ROSE (SYD)

ANFA ROSE and DOPAMINE’S magnum opus will make you cry like a Canadian watching Drake sing the national anthem. The silky smooth, “Absurd” is a beautifully executed blend of 808s, pianos and harmonies. When it comes to polish, no local track released in 2016 comes close to this one. DOPAMINE stripped back that instrumental, focusing on an ethereal and ominous beat with a chordal pattern that slides effortlessly from note to note. ROSE’s delicate melodies fuse perfectly with the instrumental and his lyrics, which are reminiscent of DRAKE’s odes to RIHANNA, or THE WEEKND’s odes to drugs. 4. “RUN IT (ft. LEVI, PHANTOM & KMALITH)” - MIKE WANG (MELB)

When low-key GREMLN MICHAEL WANG dropped this fire squad track all borders between Australia & America went up in flames. The MELBOURNE underground literally outshone the AUSTRALIAN i-Tunes charts. Nothing would make sense ever again. In terms of flow, lyricism and local impact… this was without a doubt one of the best Australian rap tracks released in 2016. WANG, LEVI, PHANTOM & KMALITH came out, guns blazing with their own jaw-dropping take on that MIGOS-style flow (and this was all before “BAD & BOUJEE” blew up). That little OVO-style hook/breakdown “I GOT BANDS…” really added a whole other dimension to the song too. Don’t even get me started on the message behind these lyrics and their relevancy to our scene, the city of MELBOURNE and the racial/cultural tensions often overlooked by most Australians. 3. “BLOWIN’ UP (ft. MIRACLE)” - MANU CROOKS (SYD)

“BLOWIN UP” was MANU CROOKS flipping the switch and making a statement: his rise to success is about much more than bangerz. Being able to rap and record full-time is any local rapper’s dream and seeing the SYDNEY rapper get premiered on The FADER must have motivated thousands of Australian teenagers to keep hustling in 2016. Honestly, didn’t think someone from this new AUS rap-scene would make the pages of a mag like The FADER for at least another year. That stamp of approval means a lot. Manu’s tuned-up, magnetically charismatic vocals definitely stole the show on this one…Dude just seems to know exactly what to rap and when. But, none of this would have been possible without his equally talented bros: DOPAMINE & MIRACLE who both shined, bright as ever on this one. 
DOPAMINE always knows just the right amount of syrupy autotune to sprinkle over his mates vocals & this beat speaks for itself. MIRACLE’S production and vocals contributions always help bring a track to the next-level. All 3 of these guys will no-doubt make even more Australian-rap history in 2017. 2. “WDUBI (ft. NASTY MARS & MARCUS)” - BARO (MELB)

When the mind of a black sheep is re-configured to entertain the mindless masses, an artist has reached their final frontier. BARO (NASTY MARS & MARCUS) did this last year with “WDUBI” - the first taste from his eagerly-awaited JPYNTK tape. On first encounter, it plays as the perfect Australian new-gen rap jam. But on further inspection, everything about it: the production, vocal stylings and somber sonic undertones expose it for the beautiful alien it really is. All three verses loosely acknowledge US 2K16 rap (CHANCE, GAMBINO etc), but overall this track really does’t follow the rules set by the American market at all - which is why we love it so much. That NIC MARTIN production plays a huge roll in this also. Something about those double-timed snares/claps and the tempo made this one feel so damn refreshing. We really played the fuck out of this one last year. THANK GUARD. Oh btw “AND IF WE HAVE A SON I THINK WE’LL NAME HIM STEVEN” - line O.T.Y 1. “BLUE BOSS” - SAMPA THE GREAT (SYD)

LMAO. In 2016, a lot of local bro’s hyped their shit like crazy. Walking around like the TUPAC reincarnate, talking smack online & sharing videos on FB 10 times a day… and SAMPA THE GREAT quietly drops a song that makes them all look foolish, raising her to instant-legend status. SAMPA is emotionally mature, intellectually elegant, socially conscious. Her words can fight wars or comfort a child. She is the type of person you’d want running for president, let alone running the local rap scene. “BLUE BOSS” is like a world-class 2K16 surprise rap-hit, but also feels timeless. Unlike kindred spirits NONAME & KAMAIYAH, SAMPA keeps her production and overall-vibe as earthy as possible, creating her own unique place in the rap-world. Considering the desperate need for more female rappers in this country, the quality of SAMPA’s vocals and her all-too-rare modest demeanour, we had to give “BLUE BOSS” the #1 spot. Posted by PAULINE HANSON