#i really wish he replaced it with insects

[breadwasnthere]

I wish that Danny released his big mess version of running on a treadmill this remaster has me on a chokehold it makes me feel emotions I can’t describe

[autisticlancemcclain]

“Keith?”

Keith hums. “Yeah, Lance?”

Lance doesn’t answer right away. Keith can hear his breathing, quicker than everyone else’s, if only slightly. After all they’re the only ones awake. Everyone else is conked right out, curled up around the low-burning embers of their campfire. He’s quiet long enough that Keith is half-convinced that he isn’t actually awake, and only called out for Keith in his sleep.

(Keith couldn’t stop the smile spreading across his face if he tried. He doesn’t try, though. The idea of Lance dreaming about him is a nice one.)

There’s a sharp intake of breath from beside him, confirming Lance is not asleep, then a beat of hesitation.

“Do you ever wonder what happens when we die?”

Keith blinks. He opens his mouth to answer, but stops himself. He looks up at the unfamiliar stars, tracing random constellations. There’s a sword, where Orion usually is during Earth summers. And a lick of flame, replacing the Big Dipper.

The brightest star in the sky shines red.

“No,” Keith says softly. “It’s — dangerous. Letting myself think about that. We’re too close, you know? I don’t want my last thought to be panicking about what’s to come. I want it to be — not that. I don’t know.”

“Oh.”

Keith waits for Lance to offer an explanation, a reason for his curiosity, or even a subject change. When nothing comes Keith shifts, propping himself up on his elbow and glancing over at the red paladin.

“Why do you ask? Just curious?”

It’s a long time, again, until Lance answers, but this time Keith knows he’s not asleep. He’s tense, lying ramrod straight, head centred on his pillow and arms hooked over his blanket. His brown eyes — almost black in the dark night — stare straight up, but there’s something off about his expression, something fixed and plastic.

“I was surprised, is all. It was — nothing like I expected.”

It takes a moment for Keith to process what Lance said. He almost wishes he hadn’t, when it finally clicks. Never in his life has cold dread seeped through his bones so quickly.

“…What?” He can barely hear his own voice. He can’t at all, actually, the hoarse shock of it swallowed up by the crackling of the coals and cooing of nocturnal insects and wildlife.

Lance, though, must have heard him anyway, or been expecting his shock, because the plastic stiffness melts from his expression as he shoots straight up, scrambling to his feet and pacing back and forth barely paces away from the small flames. Bizarrely, Keith chokes down the urge to warn Lance about the uneven ground that he might trip on.

“I — I was never religious, you know?” One of his hands tugs at his hair, making the dark curls frizzy the more he messes with it. The other waves frantically back and forth, faster with every word. “None of us really were. But Mamá dragged us to church anyway. Every Sunday. Maybe to give us something to be bored about, I don’t know. She never really explained herself. I didn’t ask.” Lance stops abruptly, loud hands freezing, marching back to his bedroll and standing on it for a moment, looking lost. “I don’t — it’s not that I liked it. It was boring as hell. But I — I guess I believed some of it. I dunno.” Before Keith can blink he collapses on top of his blankets, like his strings have been cut. Both hands slide in his hair, now, dark strands clenched between his fingers, elbows resting on his knees. “It was just…dark, though,” he says softly. “Empty.”

Keith feels as if he’s encased in ice. His heart pounds, galloping against his chest, rushing blood through his ears so quickly he can hardly hear anything else. Part of him hopes Lance is playing some kind of cruel joke, but he knows he isn’t.

“When did you —” he doesn’t even know how to phrase it. Hell, he doesn’t know what he’s phrasing, really. “What —” He trails off again, lost. He looks at Lance blankly. Something bitter floods his mouth.

He imagines, for a moment, making this trek home without Lance. It’s not something he’s allowed himself to think about before. Even with Shiro missing, he’d stubbornly refused to even entertain the idea that Shiro was gone for good. The only time he’d let himself think about it was — was Naxzela. And even then, he was the one sure would be going.

They come to him now, unbidden, thoughts. About life — without Lance. Without his loud teasing and big smiles and quiet kindness, without his begrudging but unwavering support, his steady hands and clear voice as he says we’re all behind you, Keith, we’ve got you. I’ve got you.

A tear burns hot down his cheek, startling him back to the stillness of the night, the cool air and quiet noise. Another follows, and another, and then he’s swallowing the giant lump in his throat and holding back a sob.

“You nearly…when?” He can’t bring himself to say the word, to ask directly. To ask would make it real, concrete.

“The Omega Shield,” Lance whispers. He has yet to look up, but has stopped pulling so harshly on his hair. “A blast just —” he shudders. “Right through me an’ Red. You know when — when it’s cold out, and you walk a while without gloves? And your hands get so cold they burn?”

“Yeah,” Keith says softly. His lips taste of salt.

Lance glances at him. His eyes are big and brown and desperate, aching. Glassy, wet and ready to break. “It was like that. All over. Like every molecule was tearing itself apart, like I was unravelling. I was almost grateful when it stopped.”

“And when it stopped?” Keith chokes out.

“Nothing. Endless, nothingness. For a thousand eternities. I lived and grew and died for the rest of time, alone.” Lance heaves, like he’s about the sob or throw up or both.

The first tear finally drips down Lance’s face, tracing from the corner of his eye down his nose, pausing at the tip of it before dropping, finally, into his lap. It springs Keith into action, and before he can even think he surges forward, gathering him in his arms and pulling him into his lap, squeezing tightly and rocking them back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Lance doesn’t so much as twitch, crying great hiccuping sobs into Keith’s chest.

“I’m afraid to sleep,” he chokes out. “I haven’t in days. Every time I do I’m terrified I won’t wake up.”

“I’ve got you,” Keith assures, at a total loss. He lays his hand on the back of Lance’s head, holding him tightly. He can feel Lance’s heartbeat where their chests are pressed together, stuttering and sprinting.

“I don’t want to die.”

“You’re not gonna die.”

Lance only sobs again. Keith is aghast, terrified to hold him any tighter but unsure of what else to do. Lance has never been fragile, to him. He’s more stubborn than an ox, a streak of fire lighting up his spine, dark eyes shining with fury every time his forehead’s pressed to Keith’s, screeching ‘till he’s blue in the face that he’s right and Keith’s wrong and he’s gonna show it to him, just you wait and see. He’s seen Lance angry, seen him annoyed, seen him golden with the fire of competition and glowing with the brightness of his laughter. He’s seen Lance worn and insecure. Never, not once in the years Keith has known him and fought with him and led with him, has he seen Lance fragile.

But he is, right now. Now, quivering in Keith’s arms, sobs shaking his frame, Keith feels like he’s holding him together, like if he lets go Lance will shatter to shards on the floor.

So Keith holds him. He holds him until his arms ache, and past that. He holds him until his shirt is soaked and cold in the chilly air, until his knees burn from the tiny bumps of the ground. He holds him until Lance’s sobs peter out, until the orange sun of the system they’re stopping in peeks out from the horizon, stars blinking out of sight.

Hours later, Lance shifts, pulling away slightly. Keith holds tighter, refusing to let him pull away too far.

“Don’t,” Keith says, before Lance can apologize.

That cracks a smile on Lance’s face, to his own surprise. “No?” His voice is wrecked, throat no doubt raw.

“Save your apologies for when you actually do something stupid,” Keith affirms. He hesitates a second, then reaches out, brushing the frazzled curls from Lance’s forehead and wiping the tears from his cheeks. Lance winces slightly as Keith’s thumb brushes his cheekbone.

Keith pulls away. “Sorry. Rough hands.”

But Lance’s hand darts out and grabs Keith’s. “No, it’s — I don’t mind it.” He places it back on his face, shutting his eyes, breath shuddering. His sleeve falls down his arm.

Keith narrows his eyes. Criss-crossing Lance’s arms are dozens of jagged white scars, like lightning bolts across his skin.

“I wake up with more every day,” Lance explains, noticing Keith’s expression. “I was — I died, Keith.”

Keith flinches. Lance swallows, carrying on.

“I felt my heart stop. I don’t know how long, but it was…there was a severance. Something permanent. I felt it.” He runs his hands through his hair again, but much gentler this time. A fidget instead of a panicked tugging. The roots are white, like Shiro’s. “Allura did her best, I think. But I was gone so long. And she’d never done it before.”

“Is everything…working alright?” It’s an awkward way to say it. But Keith doesn’t know how else to say am I going to lose you? Later? Are you here to stay?

Lance shrugs. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to hear her tell me it’s not.”

“I don’t want to wake up one day and find out — find out, Lance.”

Lance swallows. “I know. I don’t — what do I —”

“We’ll talk to her,” Keith promises. “We’ll figure it out. I’ve got you, Lance.”

Lance’s chin trembles, but he slumps forward, exhausted. “Promise?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” He’s silent for a moment, face tucked in Keith’s neck. The muffled sounds of the team waking up starts to fill the air. “I’m tired, Keith.”

“I’ll watch for you. I’ll make sure you wake up.”

“Okay,” Lance whispers again. Keith feels his eyelashes flutter closed, feels his heartbeat slow, his breathing even. “I trust you.”

As Lance starts to grow heavier in his arms, Keith tightens his hold. He presses a kiss to the top of Lance’s head.

“I’ve got you.”

I won’t let you fade away.

———

part two

[drakiandh]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Prohibited Wish AU

Okay, so AU idea. NVW is a really great movie, and it has a lot of bugs yeah? So I was thinking that maybe I'd add a sentient bug species that is meant to replace humanity as the top species when the last of humanity eventually died out. And this bug species (haven't decided on a name yet) would be the leaders of the forest. We see the Ohm as the top bug species, being literally the top protector in the forest, but what if this custom species ruled the Ohm? So Scrabby would be a top dog in the forest, and I was thinking maybe making him a king of kings? More like a sovereign instead of a king to the species. Oh, I've got so many ideas and so much lore made up already.

So what about our boy Prismo? I was thinking he'd be a very closely trusted friend of the Vally of de Wind royal family cuz King Jill and Prismo's parents were super close so he and Nausicaä would have grown up together and basically become siblings. So Prismo, instead of everybody's pal, would be the accidental prince who showed up and now is treated as part of the royal family because he just won't leave. And he'd be part of the whole plot n stuff, plus Scrabby, and then I'd add onto the story because honestly, not enough NVW for me in the actual movie. I've got so many ideas piling up already, and I've already got the first chapter written. Lemme know if y'all want anything more on this or not. Also, imma give you the intro to the fic to get y'all an idea of what I've got going.

(i swear my style changes with every single fic)

In the hushed embrace of a silent world, a quilt of pouring white clouds enveloped the realm. The sun, in the early throes of ascent, merely grazed the horizon, gently rousing the land with the tender hues of its awakening glow. Across the expansive canvas of seas and skies, a symphony of reds and pinks danced, creating a kaleidoscope of beauty visible only to the twilight’s lingering witnesses.

This ethereal light, a delicate brushstroke against the canvas of night, did not penetrate the profound darkness that cradled the healing heart of the jungle. It traced the contours of the ancient, poisoned lands, coaxing forth a resurgence of life that echoed across the epochs. From the depths of the rejuvenated soil, spores unfurled, awakening colossal sentinels of insects from their slumber.

These magnificent creatures, bathed in the azure luminescence emanating from the forest’s pulsating core, existed with a singular purpose—to safeguard the toxic sanctuary of the jungle. Amidst these colossal beings, christened as monsters by the despoilers of the planet, roamed the true sovereign, the last defender of the recovery of the world.

[lasplaga]

If Osmund were to meet Mother Miranda (or if he already has) what are his thoughts? Would he have any thoughts on the Lords? Is there a secret meeting between cult leaders we don't know about?

-;┊ 𓆙 𝕺𝕺𝕮 ; ◥ 𓆙      —      𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 --- ALWAYS Accepting!

Not canonically because Osmund was in exile until 1984 at the earliest. However, in my verses where Osmund was resurrected post 2004, I do explore a dynamic with Mother Miranda. I've been a mutual of @fallesto for a while, who writes her VERY well, so I do suggest a follow if you're not already.

Osmund pities & sympathizes with her because it is extremely traumatic to lose a child. Lord Saddler has endured his fair share of trauma itself to the point it was insanity inducing ( such as with Glenn, sound familiar? ), so he really resonates with her in that aspect. Mother Miranda's power & influence is also respectable, but not nearly on the same level as him, as he was motived enough to eventually target / infiltrate people close to The President & United States government as a whole. We don't have anything to support if Las Plagas & Mold is compatible besides them both being related to fungus, so unfortunately, they wouldn't be welcomed into Paradise if they were incompatible. Whether or not Osmund would go out of his way to kill them is a different story. Mother Miranda only wanted her daughter, whereas Osmund wanted the entire world, so if he could / can bribe her sect to look the other way while he dominates the globe, if not assist him outright, I'm sure they would get along swimmingly. Osmund has no quarrel when it comes to experimenting upon children, therefore he has no moral issue with finding a suitable vessel for Eva, no matter how long it takes or how many times he fails. A part of him internally asks why Mother Miranda simply wouldn't make "another one" to replace Eva, but this VERY GROSS line of thinking is just a byproduct of his ancestral lineages life expectancy being extremely poor. Lord Saddler is very desensitized to the loss or suffering of children as he grew up in an environment where it was normal to cannibalize your siblings / comrades.

I haven't had the chance to interact with an Alcina, Karl, or Salvatore, ( so I won't comment exactly on them yet ), but Osmund finds Donna FAR from hideous, & does wish that she would eventually leave from her isolation. There is an entire religion that would not see her as a failure, nor disfigured, or as an abomination. To them, mutations are a blessing & it is something his congregation seeks to obtain. With @dollhidden's Donna specifically ( I also recommend following! ), he truly enjoys her company, & feels terrible for her. It's important to keep in mind that he values a mutant much more than he would a human, as he sees the latter as biologically imperfect & inferior.

Any of The Dimitrescu Daughter's he is fascinated by & feels a sense of kinship for, due to being more related to arthropods / insects than a human being, additionally with the fact he worships them. Lord Saddler is aware of the whole "man-eating" sentiment & is absolutely down for that sort of thing, but he is to dense to see that THAT also applies for himself. Lord Saddler doesn't see himself as masculine since he is not BIOLOGICALLY masculine, there's also a whole historical thing with male monks dressing / behaving feminine but that's an entirely different conversation, however it does contribute to his identification as non-binary & androgynous, he is a parasitic hermaphrodite, & sometimes he is pretty clueless to the fact that not everyone is inside his own head, 24/7. Some information he expects others to know without prompting because he is so used to implanting / exchanging thoughts via a Hivemind, & that God doesn't really have a gender, he's "just" God. One day he will learn that he is also a disgusting "man-thing", sadly. Unless he's offered an exception on the basis he can literally make / have children by a parasitic technicality. Which, he does consider his plagas offspring his own children, the same as a human would with a baby.

[greypetrel]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @melisusthewee, thank you so much! :3

I like Looking hot Ending wars they cannot 🎶 (It's @ndostairlyrium's fault -also hi Ali you're tagged) (it's a cit, if you know the musical let me kiss you on the forehead)

Going on with DadWolf. I like flashbacks, sue me.

Aisling getting kidnapped by all kinds of Hawkes, this time it's Raina. I tried to colour an old sketch. Still not convinced, but they're having fun.

Art nouveau thing that's kind of a secret for now.

Some writing from Monster Fic under the cut, I'm slowly progressing with all the fics.

Tagging: Ali as above, @shivunin @rowanisawriter @zenstrike @salsedinepicta (if you have something!) @scribbledquillz @layalu @daggerbean @rosella-writes (of course ignore the tag if you mind it!)

Dear Aisling, I’m sorry about the Herald. I think no one understood, here, how much it really upset you. I had no idea it was so bad, for once. I will stop it, forgive me if I didn’t really listen. I’m not upset because you’re down there and just working through mails and reports. I am not, really, nor is Leliana, nor is Cullen (even if he’s grumpier than usual). The workload is higher without your physical presence, yes… But I get that the Temple is important. And we did ask a lot of you. I’m not telling you you’re stupid, you’re not. But it would be a little difficult to replace you, particularly because Corypheus is looking for you… I don’t know what to say, Aisling. It’s… It’s late to step back, I think. Just that. I am sorry. I understand the need to throw everything in the gutter, but it is really not a good moment. But you’re not Yvette and I know you don’t need me scolding you. Forgive me. How are you, for real? Beside the dress -it would be nice to know, but please don’t take it as it’s my main goal in writing you! Life here it’s chaotic, but nice. I’m still not really used to the forest and its rhythm, and I do hate how many insects there are. I saw a moth the other day which was… The colour was pretty, but it was the hugest moth I’ve seen. I don’t wish to see another one ever again. But! It’s nice to fall asleep cradled by the sounds of the crickets and the parrots. It reminds me of when I was a child, in our family’s country house. My room had the lightest white curtains who would float in the wind, and I thought they looked like clouds. I miss those times. And swimming in the sea. Have you ever swam in the sea? I don’t remember if I ever asked you. Maybe when this is all over we could all go by the sea and relax. That’s a cute drawing! Is it a pheasant? A hug back, Josephine

(in the intention of the original artist, it was one of the parrots in the Arbor Wilds)

[darklordofthesimp]

Could you imagine how much it would hurt könig to see birdy being soft for the first time? Not with him of course, no they’d still be a long way off from that, but the first time where he sees her really relax. She’s finally healed enough to not constantly be on edge; and she has no need to be seeing as ghost is at her side as always, like a personal bodyguard. He’s telling her little jokes, quietly bantering with her and… she looks happy- not just content, not just unafraid, but happy- smiling full force and completely at ease. She’s leaning softly against ghost and he must have said something particularly funny because she laughs, and it must be one of the most divine sounds könig has ever heard. Once her chuckles fade out she somehow looks even more beautiful than before, with blush on her cheeks and a contented smile. It sends his heart racing to see her so happy, so cheerful. It actually makes him feel a bit lighter than air himself- but everything that goes up must come crashing down, as he does once he notices ghost is watching him.

Ghost’s cold and piercing gaze pins him, taking him apart bit by bit, like observing an insect under a microscope, hateful intent clear. Birdy notices ghosts sudden tension and follows his gaze- right to könig. He can almost physically feel her walls going back up; the way her back straightens out and her jaw clenches, her eyes glaring a hole through him- if looks could kill he’d be in the morgue already from her and ghost combined. The thing that hurts most though, is the way her smile dropped from her face the moment she saw him, replaced with the usual scowl- what he wouldn’t give to see her smile again, to be the one that makes her smile. But the glares are clear enough; he saw a moment of vulnerability that he was never meant to see and has long outworn his welcome. He flees the room without a word and escapes their silent wrath, but even back in his own room he daydreams about that laugh and smile, how nice it would be to bask in her joy and have her trust him enough to lean on him, physically and emotionally, to be granted the position of her personal guard. Daydreams are just that though, dreams, and he knows how unlikely (impossible, some part of him acknowledges, but he refuses to full accept it, it would shred whatever tiny, bruised sliver of his heart is left) it is that she would ever put that much trust in him. Not that he thinks he deserves it either- he knows how abhorrently selfish he’s being by even wishing it were true- but the heart wants what the heart wants and he supposes it’s only karmic for him to be tortured this way. So close yet so far from his missing half that not only doesn’t want him but loathes him as much as he does himself. No, What he did to her- what he continues doing by subjecting her to his presence and even more selfishly doing it more than necessary to put his own heart at ease- can never be forgiven. Birdy is the angel he’s ripped the wings off of, forever tormenting her in and out of her dreams as her personal demon. If there wasn’t already a special spot in hell for him after all he’s done to his combatants, there is for what he’s done to her.

Did someone order more angst? I think yes! I love semi religious metaphors for guilt and redemption, it just hits different. hope you don’t mind that I stole some lines directly from one of your replies 💀

EVERYONE STOP WHAT YOURE DOING AND READ THIS COS ITS CANON END OF STORY. THANKS.

Dude just to add my two cents in on that, can you IMAGINE THE FLIP SIDE OF THIS???

The first time Ghost sees König and Birdy interacting calmly, Ghost watching as Birdy begins to chuckle at things that König says and doesn't leap away when they're knees brush. When she smiles at him in front of Ghost?!??@@?@?

Jesus fucking Christ.

The anger.

The hurt.

The longing

[biggunsaguni]

Continuation from this beautiful piece written by @cheshire-shuntaro. I love you, I love this AU and I'm so glad we got your writing back.

'What is it?'

Tears, leaving her eyes like waterfalls and ruining the beautiful makeup she was wearing, the work of artists hired by Takeru to make sure she was the most stunning bride the world had ever seen. As if she needed it. As if she wasn't the most gorgeous creature on Earth seconds after she woke up, before the her lips curved in the first lopsided grin of the day.

'Don't get married to him.'

Ready, willing, and able to lose it all if she said she wouldn't do it. A useless plead, for Gods who were deaf and blind. But how else could he express his wishes, put them into words? It should have been him, waiting for her on that black-wood dais.

Andrómeda blinked a few times, in confusion, as if she couldn't believe the words that had left his mouth. Lightly shaking her head, she looked away, before replying.

'There's no other way.'

'Why?'

Aguni didn't mean to sound so aggressive, so desperate. But he couldn't mask his feelings, not with her, and probably not with anyone else, if he had another drink. The ethanol cursing through his veins revealed emotions he would have kept buried, otherwise. Deep, deep under the ground. Rotting, beetles and worms and countless other insects making their claim to them.

'You know this, it's a political marriage, of sorts. I'm nothing but a mere decorative figure, not that different from the figurine of the bride on top of the four-tiered cake... It was a vital alliance for my father and his last words before dying were...'

'I'm not talking about those reasons, Andrómeda!' A harsh tone, that of a heartbroken man, who for a while had everything he wanted and, suddenly, had it taken away from him. His face, red with repressed anger, knowing it wasn't really her to blame, but he had to dump all these emotions somewhere. 'Don't your feelings matter? You're not a bargaining chip.'

She tried to grab his hand. He took it away.

If she was hurt by that, she didn't show.

'No, they don't.' When had she become so fragile? When had her fire burnt out? There had been so much life inside of her, but Aguni was looking into her eyes now and seeing... nothing. Void. The abyss he had wanted to jump into the night they had met had swallowed everything around it. Even light. Like a black hole. Didn't they say there was a supermassive one at the center of every galaxy? Ironic, then, that her name was Andrómeda. 'If it was just me... but Cass, and Hércules...'

The older sister. The mother figure. The shoulder to cry on, the biggest support, the best friend, the caretaker. She fulfilled all of these roles in her younger siblings' lives. Aguni knew this. And she had made sure he understood. They are the first loves of my life, tied at number one, she had said, pointing a finger at him before throwing both arms around his neck and kissing him passionately, but that doesn't mean you can't be number two.

What was left of that? How was he supposed to go on?

'Look, Aguni, I...' how good it sounded, his name on her lips. Screamed, whispered, muttered under her breath. It didn't matter. 'There's no time, someone's going to come looking for us soon and... please, don't think this was a choice, because it wasn't. What we have is special, there will be nobody like you...'

'I feel there's a but coming.'

'But...' She sadly smiled, before continuing. 'I can't. I'll always love you and Takeru won't replace you in my heart. Nor will anyone else. This is what I have to do, but you still have a chance. Find someone else, fall in love, forget me. Our lives should be big enough to contain a multitude of romances, and not be defined by just one.'

And with those words and a last caress to his cheek, she dried her tears and abandoned the maze, leaving him stunned and unable to conjure up the words to make her stay.

Our lives should be big enough to contain a multitude of romances...

Aguni agreed with that, in theory. Not in practice. He couldn't. He had lost sight after contemplating the most breathtaking scenery. Taste, after enjoying the most mouth-watering foods. Hearing, after listening to the most haunting melody. Touch, after feeling the most wondrous materials. Smell, unable to enjoy ever again the flowers, the cherries, the vanilla of her scent.

Left alone, he thought about the popular saying "nadie se muere de amor".

Nobody dies from love.

Then, why did he feel like he would be the first?

[fakestype]

Trope x3!

For every “Trope” I get, I will post a TV trope for my muse.

CASSANDRA TRUTH

Upon introduction to his character, Gatekeeper tells to not take an interest in him or he will kill the person asking (in this case, Hajime). During the story he does repeat how he can, if he so wishes, kill anyone he wants to. However, most of the cast hearing so never take him seriously, mostly because in their more peaceful world view, it is impossible that someone has enough power to just casually kill someone without any authority or pressure of one stopping someone to do so. The reality is that Gatekeeper definitely can, and has power to clean a murder mess up. However, most of the times those threats depend on context: killing someone is easy for him, it is the complications of the aftermath of a murder that stops him to do so. It is messy and requires a lot of resources to cover up. Atop of it all, as someone who has had experience in such, you cannot kill just anyone you do not like or else you have no pawns or resources in your hands: keeping bothersome individuals you already know around is much more useful than risking them being replaced by someone more dangerous. Still, as a no nonsense individual who puts pragmatism above all, he still could kill people he sees as insects who would not be missed, just the fact that he alone can kill a human without hesitating (atop of the power he has) is telling enough of how dangerous he is, and characters like Anzu and Hiiro realize this.

EVEN EVIL HAS STANDARDS

Although Gatekeeper has ruined countless lives in various awful ways, he does find it cruel when... it's done to basically throw a tantrum. He absolutely disapproves of Priest's pseudoscience methods which have no clear goal but him grasping at the idea of someone who is gone and dead. The grooming and kidnapping of children? The trauma inflicted on minors and adults alike? All good, as long as the reasons are for something outside you not being able to handle emotions. The results? Him helping out some kids damaged by Priest, so they can be useful to something other than the drama he inflicts on them. He sighs and tries to make things right.

TALL, DARK AND SNARKY

Gatekeeper has the classic Tall, Dark and Handsome mysterious appearance to him. He is very well groomed, both his hair and suit screams high quality products and subtle cologne. Compared to other characters, his silhouette on his art also show to be more muscular, giving him a more powerful feel than the slim idols and teachers: his shoulder and chest are broader and the way his clothes fall on him imply this guy, alongside with his background, workouts a lot. And, since he is not an idol, said workout is for physical strength rather than form, going on the more muscular side. His design is sharp all over, and he constantly has this sinister expression on his face. The snarkiness comes that... well... this man cannot open his mouth insulting someone. He belittles constantly everyone and their cow, for seemingly no reason than him finding everyone around him stupid (and, really, he finds himself stupid too to a degree, he finds all humans absurd but he gives himself brownie points for self-awareness). It is to the point of being comically villainous, which makes him the perfect antagonist punching bag. Go for it. He got the abs and pecs to take it.

[wild-stray-renegade]

"Reece's Cups"

Author's note: My writing is sponsored by commas and em dashes. Do not expect anything above a thirteen-year-old's writing on Wattpad or else you'll be sorely disappointed. This was brought to you by my 5 am energy bursts and those who sat on voice channel to listen to my incessant rambling. They're the real MVPs here. Also cursing and bullying warning Word count: 2758

Reece scribbled away on his ragged notebook as his teacher droned on in the background. Periodically, he would look up and see draining math equations scrawled in bright red and green dry erase markers contrasting the white background This typically wasn't a problem for him. Today he couldn't focus on them. He couldn't focus on anything really, but today was definitely not a math day.

"Hey, Reece! Are you paying attention or do I need to send you to the office again?"

Reece snapped out of his trance. His gaze shot up to meet the teacher's in a slight panic. "I'm listening!"

The teacher squinted her eyes in distrust. "Okay then—" She points back at the board. "If 2x2(5-x)(3x+2) = 0, then what is the sum of all of the possible values of x?" Before he could answer, the bell's call rescued him. She dismissed the class with a groan and a hand wave. Only having two notebooks and a small pencil pouch, Reece was the first to bolt out of the door and into the hallway. His three-year old shoes quietly squeaked with every step on the cracked tiled floor. Students slowly filled up the narrow halls around him. Grateful for the disguise, he snuck to the basement where his favorite class awaited- band.

Once in the basement, Reece walked to his assigned locker in the corner. The paint was peeling off in spots, centering around a decent sized dent in the door. Every day, that dent made it harder for Reece to yank it open. He wished that the locker was closer to the entrance but it was one of the only large-sized ones that could fit his tuba so he was stuck with it. He slowly pulled the hand-me-down instrument out from its jail, being extremely careful not to damage the thousand-dollar item. After carefully setting it down on the stool in the corner, he shut and locked his locker. Sounds of footsteps thundered down the hall behind him.

Reece braced himself for the worst with a heavy sigh.

A long shadow loomed over Reece as a stocky jock towered over him. Dark brown hair hid the light; a pair of grey eyes glaring down at the smaller male. A sense of impending doom radiated from his frame as a small smirk brushed across his stoic features.

"Hope you enjoyed your weekend break, pipsqueak."

Reece sniffed quietly, his sinuses stuffed from the spring allergies. At least he couldn't smell the body odor slowly filling the room. "Enjoyed is a strong word, although I did enjoy the peace and quiet that I felt away from here. Better than whatever chaos your parents had to deal with since you were home." His feet lifted from the floor as the jock picked him up by the collar and crushed him against the wall. He sucked in some of the missing air as a squeak escaped, his hands gripping Sam's arms. Yeah, I asked for that one. "Oof- decided to live up to the 'football quarterback bully' stereotype moves there, Sam? I could have sworn I've seen this move pulled in any typical bullying movie. I thought you were smarter than that. Friday's attack with a wasp in a jar was at least creative. This is just disappointing."

Sam growled as his grin quickly disappeared, replaced with bared teeth. His eyes hid a sting of pain that Reece's words left in their wake. "Listen here, you insect. Your voice is annoying and it digs into my brain like a disgusting cockroach." Spittle covered Reece's face as the grip on his collar tightened as Sam spoke, ensuring his hold on Reece. His breath drifted towards Reece's nose. The hot gust reeked of foul, rotten flesh. The scent reminded him of when they had to dissect a frog freshman year and he ran out of the classroom bawling his eyes out. "All you do is sit around and never actually accomplish anything. You're lost in your mind for some godforsaken reason."

"Might I interrupt your beautiful interlude for a second here, I'm making solid A's and B's, which is better than what you can say. I've seen your report card from last month where you dropped it in the hallway. You should really start taking notes there."

Sam threw him into the corner with a loud grunt. "Shut the hell up, smartass! I don't care about what grades you make or that you think they matter." He picked up the tuba, the lights reflecting off of the metallic surface. The sight struck fear into Reece. "You know? Getting caught up in foolish hobbies like music or dance won't get you anywhere. You'll end up chasing a worthless dream and wind up nowhere."

He threw the tuba against the brick wall, severely denting the metal. He turned around and looked over his shoulder. "At least my baseball skills will get me far in life- my father is the coach for the Mets, after all. Where will your tuba skills get you?" Following that statement, he strutted off with his chest puffed out.

Reece set up and rubbed his head. It took all of the willpower he had to fight back the waterfall that threatened to break from his eyes. The pounding of his head attempted to distract him from anything going on around him. As if in cohorts with Sam, the light above him flickered a few times before shutting off. He was left alone in the darkened corner of the locker room. He pushed himself up and off of the crumbling wall with a stumble. despite his wavering balance, he made it to the bench where the tuba lied. He slowly lowered himself onto the wooden surface as a creak responded in protest. He stared down at one of his only prized possessions in pain- the tuba was comparable to his poetry notebook in that category. His head was muffled with thunderous pulses while his thoughts were incoherent. Other classmates came and went in droves around him. Their chittering filled the room as they either grabbed their instruments or placed them back into their holes. No one noticed him, and if they did then they didn't care about how he was.

Only one student noticed him- Conner, his best friend of 8 years. He could see right through any frail attempt of a front Reece would put up to deflect. Normally, Reece would be happy to see his best friend's optimistic face, but today was the worst day for him to show up.

Conner slipped over to where Reece was sitting with his own tuba in tow. "Hey, you good dude?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just dropped my tuba." Reece leaned down to pick it up with a slight wince. His side sorefully ached from being rag-dolled at the wall. He didn't want to admit to Conner about how Sam bullied him yet again; last time he told Conner about their altercations Conner got sent to detention for a week straight. "Let's just get to class."

The duo walked to the bandroom and took their spots together, the director watching them. He noticed the dent in the side of Reece's tube but didn't comment on it. Today they were practicing their set for May's competition and wanted everyone to have their full attention on rehersal. Reece's tuba sounded slightly off, but no matter what he did it wouldn't go back to how it sounded last week. He decided he would have to discuss it with his director. He managed to survive the practice— stopping halfway through as his tuba was more damaged than he initially thought.

Reece and Conner made a direct beeline for the lunchroom- Conner excited for the mozzarella sticks on the menu today and Reece excited for another chance to write. The former hopped in the lunchline immediately, salivating at the smell. Reece went to their regular seat in the furthest corner of the packed cafeteria. He sat down and flipped open his notebook to the poem he was previously working on, his handwriting barely legible. He was giving haikus a shot as he's never tried writing them before.

The breeze flits drifts around

Holding Carrying a golden leaf;

Gentle as the a doe.

As he finished writing the rest of the haiku down, Conner approached with two orders of mozzarella sticks, some chicken, chocolate milk and a scoop of applesauce on a blue plastic tray. The corners of his mouth practically touched his ears as he plopped down. "Bro, I'm so glad today's mozz stick day." He took a giant bite of one and started chewing, poking at the other things on the tray. "Mmmmm….the chicken looks drier than my grandmam's ashes but I'm not here for that. They have cinnamon applesauce so that's another bonus!"

Reece chuckled at his friend's excitement over their lunch. Conner was one of those guys that spoke through his stomach. He was one hell of a chef and he could consume a meal fit for a whale. Reece pulled out his lunch box and pulled out a grilled cheese sandwich, a thermos of tomato soup, a can of knockoff Dr. Thunder and a Hershey's bar that his mom had packed for him, along with a little note. It was rare he got this type of lunch; normally it was just a sandwich and some chips, but yesterday was his birthday so he was spoiled a bit. He read the note and smiled. A shadow crept over him as he finished reading the note, but when he looked over his shoulder no one was there. He put the note away and started eating his food, Conner raving beside him about how good the food was as Reece's mind drifted elsewhere.

He wanted to be at home more than anything in the world. He loved hanging out with his chaotic mess of a friend, but there was nothing he loved more than when him and his mom would sit on the couch swaddled in some blankets with popcorn, drinks and a Disney movie marathon playing in the background. They would sit there and talk about his mom's work week, what he learned in class, the movie themselves and topics that just pop up in passing. After the stress of today...he needed a movie night.

When the two teens finished eating, they started to migrate towards their next class. They made a quick pit-stop at the bathrooms so Conner could hop in while Reece hung out on the metal bench outside. He was writing in his notebook when Sam strutted up like he was the alpha of the school.

"Hey, pipsqueak. I saw your mom was shopping for groceries at the dollar store yesterday. You that broke that you can't afford food from Walmart?" He cackled, Reece's eyes not leaving the page. "At least I get a healthy meal of steak for lunch every day. You get, what, a disgusting ass cheese sandwich and some knockoff tomato soup from a can?"

Reece snorted. "My sandwich was fantastic and so is my mother's cooking, so don't you dare mock her for that. At least I got homemade tomato soup." His eyes darted up to meet Sam's. "Judging based on how you act and your 'expensive' lunches, I'm assuming that your parents' love language is gifts and money. Your mom screamed at you when you guys lost the last baseball match."

"How dare you-" Sam started just to be cut off.

"I was there with the band, dumbass." Reece pushed up his glasses as he lkept his eyes locked with Sam. "She and your father both treat you like shit anytime you do something even slightly under the best of the best. When you finally get something perfect, you get, what- a pat on the back? A smile periodically? A fancy new pair of shoes?" Sam stood there, silent for once as he continued. "I got a question for you Sam- when was the last time you got an actual hug and not just a pat on the back? I get an actual hug from my mom every night before I go lay down- can the same be said for you?"

Daggers stabbed into Sam's chest with every word that Reece said. It didn't sting because of the way he said it, but because it was true.

"Listen here motherfucker. You don't know me nor do you know my life. I actually have fantastic parents- yeah, I may not get hugs or whatever, but those are for weak ass pussies like you."

Reece chuckled. "Wow, you must be popular with the girls then. No hugs? You don't want to show your girlfriend that you actually love them and don't see them as an object? You think your girl is a- how did you phrase it? A weak ass pussy?"

Sam growled with anger. He was being shown up by a nerd with a smartass mouth. He grabbed the top of the notebook Reece was holding and started to tug but Reece clung on this time. He wasn't about to let his notebook be ruined. They fought over it before Sam kneed Reece in the stomach, the notebook flying out of their hands and papers flying everywhere.

Reece knelt down in pain with a cry. He tried to breathe but with every inhale he kept feeling a stabbing pain on his right side. He looked up to see the papers flying and started grabbing for them, stacking them to his chest.

Kneeling and picking up one of the pages, Sam began to read it aloud with a strong and assertive tone.

All of the things you said

Keep running through my head

Even when I’m trying to sleep

Forcing me to lie awake in my bed

All of the things you said

Weighs me down like a ton of lead

To the point I truly wish I was dead

All of the things you said

Keep running through my head

????

Towards the end of the poem, Sam's voice started to falter and grow softer as what he was reading slowly sank in. It wasn't until he read the third stanza that he stopped, noticing the small Reese's cup doodle at the bottom of the page. Once the realization of what he was reading hit, tears began to prick at his eyes. His gaze left from the paper to Reece's face. The injured poet's gulp could be heard down the hall.

Sam slowly inhaled and exhaled in an attempt to keep his composure. His voice was wavering and his posture completely changed. "Reece...do you happen to post these online?"

Standing up with an armful of secrets and keys to his soul, he nodded. "Y-yeah...I write them here and then post them to my Tumblr; it's the only way for me to escape from here and, frankly, escape from your bullshit that I've been putting up with for the past ten years. Why?"

Sam locked eyes with Reece as a tear threatened to slip from his barricade of emotions.

"Because you're my favorite poet."

The world stopped for Reece. He swallowed slowly as he tried to process what he had just heard. "Wait… you read my work? How did you find it?"

The taller male grabbed Reece's arm and yanked him into the bathroom in an attempt to avoid the crowd of students wandering down the hall. Sam didn't seem to notice Conner washing his hands right beside where they ended up standing. "I've been reading poetry in general since I was about ten. It helped distract me from all of the fighting and the fact that I honestly didn't have a support system. Yeah, I have money and all of the things you could wish for but it's not the same as having caring parents. It's not the same as what *you* have. You have a pair of caring and loving parents that love and cherish you- even though you're broke, you're always happy."

Reece cleared his throat. "That still doesn't answer how you found me."

Sam looked at the floor and watched a cockroach scuttle away. "I was one of your first followers. I found you through another favorite poet of mine- back when you two did a collaboration together. Ever since then, I've read your works, commented on a few of them and even showed them to my friends here. No one would've even considered you were the author of them."

The poet bit his cheek in thought. "Tell you what. If you swear up and down not to bully me anymore, I'll let you be the first one to proofread my poems."

An offended "Hey!" echoed in the bathroom as Connor walked up. "I thought that was my position!"

"Okay, the second one to proofread them."

A genuine smile spread across the jock's features; a pleasant change.

"I'll take you up on that."

[swangtup6]

EP Review: Esophagus - Killing for Sport (2022)

mannn ive been sleeping hard on this band. like for the last year since ive heard of em ive been like that one dude in the story where he sleeps a really long time. ig id always kinda subconsciously categorized them with slamcore and tiktok bdm bands for some reason? which i guess they kinda are a tiktok band (at least recently) but thats ok.

this EP has a really interesting style of writing, where it kinda just plods along aimlessly for most of it, which i actually shockingly really like because i think it fits the band's sound well. most of the drumming and guitarwork is super super simple, and it compliments the very catchy sound the band is going for, while staying pretty brutal. this is real meathead slam, and it lets the vocals (the obvious focal point of their music) shine. however, it does sound pretty amaturish at times, and not in a good way (especially considering this band formed in like 2008)

im also a big fan of the production, surprisingly. it's relatively clean, but i think thats mainly a result of the mix having like nothing going on in it. when the only instruments going are some really basic, relatively sparse guitar riffs, with simple drumming to match, and some vocals layered on top, there isnt really a ton you can do to filth it up, unless they wanted to make the guitars wayyyy louder. im usually a bigger fan of super rough production (i make raw black metal) but i think the cleaner production serves the band better as listening to their first demos, they clearly dont shine as bright as they did on this EP.

the guitar tone is pretty standard; crunchy, but not overly so, and without a ton of feedback. it's also thin and mixed pretty quietly, which makes this project not as heavy as a band like say Cephalotripsy or Agonal Breathing, but that doesnt really seem to be what this band is going for so i think it works. theres no bass on this project. the drumming is also mixed well, with a very poppy snare (which i can NOT get enough of). overall, the mixing is sterile but serviceable.

now, the vocals. the vocalist is 10000000000000% the most important member of this band, and it's clear that the band thinks so too. this guy sounds like if Don Campan (Waking the Cadaver) and Joe Wolfe (Heinous Killings) had a baby, with a healthy mix of predator purring (HK style) and insect trilling (WTC) making up just about all of the vocals on this release. it's interesting, actually, that they dont really utilize any significant amount of standard slam gurgles, and i think it really sets this band apart. the vocals are definitely the draw on this release, which i think is a plus and a minus. im sad that they replaced their original vocalist with Don Campan, because even though Don is the deathcore GOAT, i really liked the original guy.

overall, this is a solid release by a pretty solid band. it's not mind blowing, but i like listening to insect noises as much as the next girl. actually prolly a lot more than the next girl but that's besides the point. i do kinda wish the instrumentals were less stripped and more heavy, because i usually like heavier death metal than this. however, still a good EP and i would recommend it if you really like Waking The Cadaver or Heinous Killings.

i also think the band theming most of their music around the Predator franchise is pretty cheesy for what it's worth

7.5/10

standout track: Killing for Sport

[yamanaka-shin]

Calling

@kankuroplease  here it is, the fic in its entirety. The other two parts will be taken down soon now that the whole thing is up. Please, please forgive me for being the most late weasel in the world. Life has gotten in my way at every turn for the whole year so far. Hopefully the rest of this fic you have not read yet, like the other sections you have, will spark joy.

Her recollection of the day when he graduated from assistant teacher to full fledged official Sensei is a fond one. When Shino had first stepped up to Iruka and announced that he would like to teach students at the Academy, of course the older man had been equal parts surprised and overjoyed. Katsura herself was told she should have been even more surprised but to her she knew it was something her beloved husband would be perfectly suited for. He was not the most boisterous man in the village nor was he what one would call a social butterfly but he had a way with kids that was incredibly supportive and a desire to guide any and all of those who needed it the most. Really, if you asked her why she wasn't supremely shocked that her socially reserved and introspective husband had chosen teaching as his calling, Aburame Katsura would simply think you insane. Out of his entire class he was the most suited for this line of work and she was very reassured of that fact.

Now that he had actually passed that threshold from helper to leader, the day had come that would assign him a class of his own. From all of his time helping out Iruka and Anko and all of the other senior teaching staff at the Academy he damn sure knew most of what it was like to be the one imparting knowledge and life skills upon the incoming generations of Konoha's future Shinobi. However, he was also well aware that there would be challenges unique to being the actual primary instructor of a set class. Challenges that might wring him dry at times and have him seeking aid and advice from those with more experience as him. Though she herself had put her ninja career in the past, Katsura was committed to helping her husband all she could as well with anything he might ask for her input in. Teaching wasn't her forte. But leaving her love to flounder when faced a daunting task was unthinkable, especially when he wanted her input before or in addition to that of his seniors.

Her train of thought carried on as she put away the remnants of the day's breakfast and her husband was busy getting into his chosen uniform for his new career choice. Shigeki was most likely in his room doing his own thing but the twins were still seated at the table whispering between themselves. When she finally brought herself out of that frame of mind, she stepped over to where Shino had been adjusting his eccentric new eyewear in the mirror so that she may get a good extra look at it too. Sure it was a little odd as a choice for his line of work but it had its practical functions and he'd replace it with a more casual set of shades when he came home every day so it didn't seem like the most questionable choice in the world. His small smile as soon as he got the setting just right reassured her that he was happy with his decision to sport the visor and that's really all she needed to adopt pleased contentment as well. Besides, with his smooth new green jacket accented with insect brooches *and* the new way he wore his hair, Katsura thought he was a damn handsome sight indeed.

"What sort of hellions do you think you'll be working with for your first class?" She pipes up, a little amusement in her voice. It's no secret that she wishes she could be a fly on the wall for his first few days just to see how it would all go down, but alas she had other obligations of her own.

He keeps himself firm and steady so as not to look like he's worried a single bit about what he may face going into work that day. "I've looked over the roster sheet of enrolled students for this year and I don't think any of them will give me any trouble." There's a small pause for a moment and his finishing sentence is just a hair quieter. "But I won't rule out troublemakers."

"You're probably right." She puts one finger to her chin in thought. "It's not like this batch will contain the likes of the Hokage's rowdy son or his cohorts. That's still a few years off."

A minute shiver passes through Shino at the mere thought of that day coming to pass, but he puts on a brave face so as not to look like a coward. "I'm sure when it comes time for Boruto to enter my classroom I will be well prepared to cope with him. This is because by then I'll have had a few years to figure out my student handling style."

"Also because you'll have Anko Sensei to run to in the case he and his friend group give you the runaround." Katsura smirks just a little, a devious look in her eyes, as she pokes fun at her spouse.

"Yes, yes, of course." Shino adjusts his visor on his face as if he were pushing up glasses. A leftover nervous habit. "But I am hoping it won't come to that."

The two of them are so enraptured in their own little world that when Niwa comes up to them with something held up to them in her hand, Katsura is almost embarrassed at her lack of spacial awareness. It seems her beloved five year old had some sort of insect cradled carefully in her small but capable hands. Whatever it was at a cursory glance, centipede or millipede she assumed because of how many legs it possessed, it seemed that her child was somehow proud of its capture. And it wasn't until her little voice spoke up that reality would set in.

"I found him, mom."

"Found who, baby?"

"Tomo. He got out of his cage."

Tomo. That name sounded awfully familiar. But why? She wracked her brain, cursing the affectionate haze that has settled in from her teasing of her husband, until it hit her hard. Tomo was the name of Niwa's favorite pet. A long and hardy centipede they had captured on a bug hunting expedition a year and a half back. But did she say it had gotten out of its cage? Just a little panic had settled into her ribcage as the concept of an escaped pet bug was usually cause for alarm in most people. Thankfully she reigned on her panic quickly with reassurance that this was the safest place for such an incident AND because the creature had, indeed, already been found. She sighs heavily through her nose and runs one hand through her hair in resignment that she'll have to fix the enclosure and thus be late to work that morning. Which also meant not properly seeing her husband off as he went to his first day in his new position as well.

"Dammit." She sighs again, under her breath in hopes the impressionable child will not hear such a naughty word. "Okay, okay. We need to go check out how he got loose so it won't happen again. We can't have him get lost or hurt."

Katsura bends down to pick up her daughter, careful not to jostle the additional passenger she is still carrying, and then turns to Shino once more. He seems to comprehend the gravity of the situation without uttering a word and she's grateful for his power of perception. Still, she feels guilty even though this is no one's fault, and he can probably pick up on that too. So to reassure her just a little that he's not even remotely upset he leans down to press a kiss to her cheek and then moves to give one to the top of Niwa's head as well. At this, the quietly proud child offers up her beloved bug friend to her father and Shino obliges with a featherlight kiss to the cherished beast, not enough to disturb or harm it. It makes Niwa very happy, she dons a smile to show it, and that reminds both of her parents that this one misstep isn't the end of the world.

"What are the plans for today? I'm sorry I have not had time to go over them with you again yet." He apologizes with a genuine tone and hopes his wife will forgive him.

Katsura isn't th least but mad and makes sure her response reflects as such. "I was going to drop the twins off with Aori for the day but I think now I'm going to see if Shibi and Kin can take them. Shigeki is coming with me to work, he asked yesterday and I told him it would be okay."

"I'm sure my parents would love to have the two as company today." He nods, hopeful that the elder Aburames will indeed enjoy spending time with two of their grandkids. "In the case that they are busy, please tell Aori that I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I had already asked her a week ago if she could watch them so she was aware this was going to happen. If anything I'll have to apologize for robbing her of time with her niblings."

It must have slipped his mind in the commotion that his wife had already asked her sister in advance to take Niwa and Yasuo. He breathes an invisible sigh of relief and allows his brain to jump to the next subject. "I will call you immediately if anything goes terribly awry on my first day."

She's very aware that this is his attempt to resume teasing her and it does her heart good to see that he's still in such good spirits. "And I promise to rush right over and bail you out when the 11 year olds have you at their mercy."

Husband and wife share a little chuckle and then lean into each other for a proper kiss. Niwa makes sure to cup Tomo protectively in her hands, wary of anything t happening to disturb their precious companion animal, but says nothing in protest. She's just content to know the beloved pet is located and safe and that his enclosure will be fixed so he doesn't escape again. Shino then backs up a couple of paces, looks one more time into the mirror, and squares his shoulders. It's time to get going now and pray that he has an excellent first day as leader of the pack. Iruka Sensei is counting on him to do a great job and he refuses to let the man down. Especially when down the line he will face much greater teaching challenges and he has to be up for said challenges. It would never do to look incompetent in front of the man who taught the class full of the greatest troublemakers of recent memory.

"I know you'll do great today, this is something you're meant to do." Katsura makes sure to speak in a way that eliminates all doubt in his head.

"Yes, I believe this will go well." He echoes to her. "I will give you the full report on how it went when I am home this evening."

"And I cannot wait to hear it. Good luck, beloved."

"Thank you."

And with that he makes for the door. She watches him go and stands for several moments in silence, no particular thoughts coming to mind, before coming back down to earth and assessing her next course of action. Niwa is still in her arms and the matter of Tomo's cage situation has got to be addressed now. The blue haired woman casts her gaze over to where Yasuo still sits at the table and it seems to beckon him to her side just then. She sets the child she's carrying down gently on the floor and takes a deep breath. "Let's go see just how that crafty little critter got out now, shall we?"

Both of her children nod in tandem and take the lead to bring her into their room. As she walks, she allows herself to idly think. One day it will be her eldest son Shigeki that is going to his first day at the Academy with his father, and then it will be the twins too. She will watch her brood grow up and graduate and become everything they want to be in life, no matter if it's the path of the Shinobi or anything else they could desire. That day was yet far away but it wouldn't be far forever. Today she was bringing Shigeki to work with her but soon enough he would be going with his dad instead. Off to learn how to walk on walls and throw kunai. As she walks past his room and catches a glimpse of him watching a favorite show on the tv, she is grateful that both he and his siblings have their whole lives safely and happily ahead of them.

~~~~~~

That first year feels almost like a dream in the way it passes without a hitch. A full class of promising students and every single one makes it through their course and then through graduation effortlessly. Shino is a proud man, both in his now former students and in himself as a teacher, and carries the confidence it brings him into the next school year. His hopes remain high from when he is given the class list all the way through to when he meets the new entrants into his Academy classroom. But the first major snag in his path sets in a few weeks into the current semester and it comes in the form of one lone young man who seems to struggle intensely with all of the more "boring" technical learning: Yuino Iwabe. For the first time in his hopefully lifelong career as a Sensei at Konoha's ninja academy, Aburame Shino has no idea how to navigate these troubled waters. This cannot be what breaks him, he's determined not to break just as much as he's determined to help every student who passes through his class.

At first it had seemed like nothing was the matter. He understands that it will take some children more time to settle in and get the hang of the lessons as well as the classroom setting than others. No matter if a child was from a large and well known clan or a civilian family, he had made it clear that he wanted to make sure each and every one he took under his wing would be guided and cared for and given the chance to pursue all dreams and aspirations they held. So as he monitored the students during the adjustment period, hopes remained high as nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be taking place. Until a couple of solid weeks learning nothing but hand signs and tracking strategy out of books began to take its toll on some of the more restless individuals. Obviously not every kid learned best through reading and he sympathized with the plights of those not as suited to it as the others. But this was simply just as important to impart on them as any practical display of weapon throwing or sparring.

Slowly he manages to find ways to help his less book inclined students properly learn the material and one by one it's layers of stress that melts away. Until there is but one individual young man left that seems to be unable to find a style that works for him. And the more things Shino tries in order to make the lessons easier for Iwabe, the more the boy seems to get irritated. There comes a point where all communication from Iwabe stops and he becomes a silent, glowering presence in the middle of the classroom though thankfully the other two kids sharing the seating row with him are not scared away from their spots. He doesn't make an attempt to talk to them either, meaning bare minimum that a physical altercation is unlikely to break out, but Shino is very aware that that may not always be the case. All he can do is keep his hopes up and try to make the material digestible for his standout pupil.

At home, it is clear to his family that he's stressed out by the stalemate. The first to try and  offer forward reassurance is Shigeki. He approaches his father, not entirely up to date on the situation at hand but willing to help anyway. "Dad, can I come sit in on a class with you?"

Shino had just removed his visor for the day and hadn't even had time to slide on a pair of shades to replace them when he looks down at his son. Dark green eyes look up with conviction and all the man can do is let out a sigh. He hates telling the boy no, but this time his hands are tied. "I'm sorry, but right now that wouldn't be for the best. If I can manage to figure out a way through my current blockade then I will make a request of Iruka Sensei to allow you to join us as a spectator."

Shigeki crosses his arms and huffs indignantly. "But this is exactly why I want to go with you. Maybe I can figure out something when you can't."

"I said no, I'm sorry." Having to be that firm makes him feel like an asshole but it's necessary. "This is something I have to handle on my own. If I need assistance, I have to go see either Anko or Iruka."

"Tell me why I can't go and help. I know you say you gotta do it yourself, but i wanna know why."

The boy is stubborn and brazen and if it were any other time Shino might openly praise him for being so forward. But the way the boy seems to be attempting to grill him makes the man feel like the metaphorical floor under his feet is crumbling just a little. Explaining the details of this matter to a child was not something he was equipped for in the spur of the moment. Sure he spent all day teaching kids...but they were a little older than Shigeki and at the end of every day all of them went home to their actual families who taught them everything Shino wasn't required to. So really, the lessons he brought to the table were very situational and thus he felt like his role as a teacher of children wasn't as well rounded as it looked on paper. Fatherhood should have prepared him for this better! Or maybe it did and he was just hitting a horrible low point. Frustration and doubt welled up more and more in his chest as he thought about it and it truly was like hitting a brick wall. So much so that he, without realizing it, clammed up and became stiff like a statue. It was the concerned grab of his sleeve by his son that snapped him out of his spiral and he could not apologize deeply enough for that show of behavior.

"I just want to help. Please? You always act like you're so stressed and it's making everyone worry."

Shino takes a deep breath in and out before he opens his mouth again. He places one hand on his son's shoulder and makes sure not to sound upset with the boy. "I know you want to make it easier for me and I really appreciate that. But right now, I don't even know what I could ask for from you that would clear up what's wrong. I don't know the actual problem and not knowing is making it worse."

The defeated but benign sigh that comes from the nine year old then signals a now mutual feeling of uncertainty. "I wish I knew how to figure it out for you."

He pulls Shigeki gently to him and the boy hugs his father from the side. "I do too. I would give anything for us to be able to brainstorm a way to get through this together."

Taking the conversation to heart, he tries to go about his days from then on with the mindset that no matter what, he will find a way to solve this problem. It is not the fault of his student that the material isn't sinking in as it should. Shino could half fondly recall the days when he was just a student and one of his own classmates struggled in a similar matter. Back then, Naruto was considered the most difficult child that Iruka had ever had to instruct. But the older man simply chose not to give in or give up on the boy no matter what challenges presented themselves to him. And little by little he could see all of his efforts paying off as Naruto made more friends and eventually graduated to be placed on what would become the strongest four man squad in the history of the Leaf. All things were possible when you put all of your best effort into it. A student was not a lost cause just because they couldn't absorb what was being taught to them the same way others could. Even if it meant that Iwabe would repeat the class over again next year...Shino was not going to give up. Like his entire roster last year, now graduated into full fledged Genin, he would make sure this boy had his time too. Maybe it was a bad fit, the group he had been placed into, or maybe it was something else. He'd figure it out one way or another.

The rest of the year passed fairly uneventfully and will it came the graduation exam for all of his students. Shino kept his hopes high for every single person he had had the honor of instructing over the months though he would not fault a single one of them in the case that they were unable to make it to Genin status. And as expected, unfortunately, the only one who did not cross that line was Iwabe. The written portion of the test had stopped the boy in his tracks and saw to it that he never was able to reach the practical skills section. It was an extra heap of salt onto the wound because Shino knew damn well that Iwabe would have aced the second half of the test. He was far ahead of at least half his classmates in his abilities and showed zero fear or hesitation when he needed to use them. The kid would have made an excellent Genin and eventually more, but this was just not his year. The proud but still upset Sensei went home that evening doing his best not to let his sense of doubt overwhelm him once more.

The one who was there to greet him first was of course Shigeki. His first son knew what today was and had hopes just as high as his father to hear good news when Shino made his return. But the look on Shino's face told Shigeki all he needed to know and the two shared a deep sigh in tandem. Without another word, they both went to the table to sit where Katsura and the twins had also been waiting. She first looked at her oldest for confirmation and did not find the upbeat reaction she had been hoping for before turning to her husband and seeing much of the same. It out a bit of a frown on her own face but she did not want to let the day's defeat drag the entire household into a stormy atmosphere.

"Don't worry about the first pitfall, dear." She tries to sound as resolute as she can and hopes it will be infectious. "Not every child is going to wce every class the first time. He's not the first to be held back a year."

"What happens if it's the same next year? Or beyond that? It's hard enough to watch everyone you got to know move on without you once, I don't want to know what it will be like repeatedly. That's not fair to him."

Katsura takes a moment to think on how her love worded that last statement. Putting his students first always, not even once thinking about how it will reflect on him as their Sensei. Now wasn't the time to become even more endeared to her spouse but part of her just could not help it. Though, she managed to control that rising feeling before she spoke, not wanting him to think she's making light of his plight. "Maybe that group just wasn't the right fit. Next year is a new year with new kids and new course material. I'm confident you will make it work no matter what."

"And if I can't again?"

"Then you will figure out a better approach the third pass. Even if it gets harder each time, you never give up on kids."

This pep talk he had been given just then was able to lift his spirits just enough even if some form of doubt still lingered in the back of his mind. His beloved was right, the world wasn't ending just because there was one left behind. It was his duty and his honor as a Sensei to do right by every child who came into his classroom even if some required more unique handling than others. And this was only his second ever class. Surely there would be further instances of kids who needed more from him than the average entrant and he had to make sure he was ready for it. Being faced so early in his career with someone fitting that bill just meant his brain has to work a little harder than usual. A good way to keep sharp and not get complacent or lazy, that's what this was. Next year he would come back with fresh eyes and make sure every young person who came into his care would receive the proper training and attention they needed.

With that creeping fear finally put to bed, he turns his attention to where Niwa and Yasuo are talking between themselves. Maybe he's just a little suspicious that he cannot actually hear what they're saying. "And what did the two of you do today?"

Niwa is the first to turn to her father with a curiously interested look in her eyes. "Mom took us to see Okami today. We wanted to meet the new puppy."

"Oh I cannot believe I've forgotten about that. What is their name?"

"Akemaru. He's red and looks a lot like his dad."

Shino turns to Katsura for a moment when he hears her laugh just a bit. His eyebrow raises in an attempt to wordlessly ask her what she finds so humorous. "I just think it's amusing that the actual red dog wasn't given the prefix that means Red. Especially when father and son look so much alike save for their coat color."

"Ake means scarlet! He still has a fitting name." Shigeki pipes up, proud of himself for correcting his mother. She can't scold him if he's right, after all.

But she doesn't seem fazed in the slightest. "I know that Akamaru has his fur turn red when he's hopped up on those soldier pills, but he's usually white. And then he goes and has a pup with naturally red fur. It's just a little ironic is all."

Yasuo, not swayed by the current talk of colors and names, finally interjects with a subject of his own. "Did you know Akamaru has fleas?"

This gets Katsura to sober up immediately. "And how did you find this out, sweetie?"

The boy brings up a glass jar onto the table and sets it down with an accomplished look on his face. "I caught some of them."

Immediately, Katsura slaps a palm to her face and groans. "I leave them alone with the dogs for five minutes and somehow manage to miss my children picking parasites off Kiba's companion. Incredible." She's not mad, not by a long shot. In fact she probably would have been praising both of them for their good eyes if she had known about this hours ago. But right now, she thinks it's time for the two of them to hop in the bath to make sure they haven't brought any "friends" home that aren't in jars. "Okay, okay, we can talk about this later. I'll put these guys in your room where you can keep them safe. But right now I'm going to run some water so you can hop in it and make sure you haven't picked up any of the dog's fleas too."

Neither of them go to protest, very aware that mom's word is final and it's probably a good idea even if it's not going to be fun. Shigeki gets a quick laugh in at his siblings even though he's gotten into plenty of nonsense himself in the past. Katsura takes the jar from Yasuo and carries it gently so the glass doesn't break and the fleas aren't terribly rattled as she shepards the twins out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. Shino watches this flurry of activity without saying a word, simply impressed by the way his wife manages to get control of any situation no matter what, happy for the distraction after the stress of the day. It's then that Shigeki grabs something off the counter and sets it in front of the two of them.

"Mom made you something today after she got home. There's no fleas in it, I promise."

Shino examines the cake with a picture of a large beetle made out of frosting iced onto it. He's never been one for overly sweet things, but from time to time he will indulge just a little. Katsura's consideration for him means that the treat will not overwhelm his senses but it will still appeal to the children as well. It brings a smile to his face and before he can even make a request his son brings over a plate and silverware. Even though it's been a day, he still has his family through all of it and they have made everything feel a lot better. As he cuts into the cake and puts a piece on his plate he cannot thank them enough for being the center of his life.

~~~~~~

The form the next challenge takes is much more complicated and delicate than the last and it requires Shino Sensei to really put his brain to work in solving or at the very least redirecting it. A child from one of the newer clans to the village is placed in his class roster that year, a friendly but nervous girl named Onikuma Enko, and at first everything seems like it'll be a breeze. He's not a stranger to the various hallmarks of the village's numerous clans and he knows the Onikuma have a peculiar but very powerful family technique. It's not something he's an expert on but he had made sure to do some extra reading up on it the moment he had seen her name announced on his class list for the current year. From the available information, he was able to gather a list of what to expect from having such a student in his classroom. However...research and facing a physical reality would soon prove to be be widely different things. As much as one might think themselves prepared for anything, there's always an exception to the rule and it's just his luck that he seems to have found one. Maybe that was just his lot in life; to be handed all sorts of eccentric students who would challenge his abilities to connect effectively with them.

Half of the problem in this case proves to be that some of this year's kids seem to like to whisper amongst each other about some of their other classmates or school mates. More than once he had to break up a circle of boys saying unkind things about someone else from the next classroom over. Nipping that behavior in the bud was essential if he wanted to maintain harmony and foster bonds between the kids he and the other adults were teaching. Allowing harmful gossip about or isolation of even one child was simply unthinkable. So after that particular incident, Shino did his best to keep vigilant both visually and audibly to assure that there would be no more occasions of such meanspirited behavior. Though he was also well aware that as one human being he couldn't catch every issue ever and just had to hope nothing major would escape his notice. Besides, he tried to make it well known that any of his students could come to him at any time if they were having any sort of difficulty. What he missed hopefully they would come to him with. No plan was perfect but this was as good as possible.

What he didn't anticipate, however, was that not all of the children attending his class had a home life that was ideal for them. And he kicked himself internally for it as soon as he became aware of such an egregious oversight. The day has begun when all of his students were filing into the room that morning roughly 10 minutes before the class was to begin, another point of pride from him that they would show up early to his lessons. But he became acutely aware that something was quite amiss with Enko when he heard not one peep from her while bidding good morning to everyone. Though a little nervous, she like everyone else would always happily return his greeting and face the day's teachings with bright and curious eyes. It was as if there was a personal storm cloud hanging over her head all morning and he did not like it a single bit. Once class was done for the day, he made it a plan to gently pull her aside and see what was wrong.

Only...they did not even make it to that point. There must have been some sort of incident between her and one of the other kids in the building during intermission because what before was reservation and silence swiftly turned into anxiety and then panic the moment she walked back into his classroom. All of her classmates seemed to pick up on this and, instead of inquiring what was wrong, made a point to keep quite a distance from her. To his knowledge they did not know the depths of what her clan was known for but it wasn't impossible that they had educated themselves outside of class. Though, even with that information, they should have known damn well the girl was no threat to anyone. He'd never seen her use her innate powers to cause harm or even threaten another person. So what the hell was going on?

Shino got up from where he had been sitting, trying to calmly approach all of the kids together to address what he was seeing, but it must have been the wrong move. "Please, don't come near me." It was the first thing she had said to him all day. And as she spoke, he could see she had her fingernails dug into the wood of the seating area nearly hard enough to make her fingers bleed. Alarm bells went off in his head like never before.

"Please tell me what happened, I would like to help you no matter what it might be." He uses his most gentle tone of voice possible because he would never want her or anyone to think they're in trouble while visibly distressed.

"She flipped out on someone who said something to her in the hall. It was really freakin' weird." Another student chimes in, his tone not one Shino liked.

"I'm sure there's a very good explanation for this. That is because I know each of my students and I know none of you would lash out unless in self defense."

None of his words seem to be getting through to her, instead it may have made the situation worse. He can feel a strange pulse of chakra ripple through the girl and the switch that flips soon after is like night and day. One moment there is an average and well behaved kid in front of him and the next she's something one could only describe as feral. This has to be what the literature was talking about...how the clan had a very peculiar family jutsu, a sort of summoning that acted more like a bodily possession than a calling forth of something separate. All he knew now was that one of the most polite children he'd been assigned to instruct this year was growling at him, partially transformed into a version of herself he could not have thought possible, looking ready to attack. Whatever was up didn't look to be under her control. Before he could even utter another sound, he released a swarm of his insects from within one sleeve as a defense mechanism and directed them to form a wall between Enko and the other kids.

"What do I do now?" He mutters to himself, not wantiyto jump the gun and risk causing harm to someone not maliciously in control. Shino has had plenty of cases in the past where he had to think on his feet but never before was it something like this.

As he tries to think of a course of action, the possessed Onikuma girl leaps from where he had been in the seating area and lands a few feet in front of him. One swipe from her now unnaturally long arms (that came with some dangerous claws, to boot) nearly got him before he jumped away at the last second. More of his insects flew out from his other sleeve in an effort to put space between her and him. Being backed into a corner by an out of control 11 year old was not something he ever thought could happen. But here he was, losing ground to her because he didn't want to harm her, rattling his brain for what he could do to end this crisis. Until another voice spoke up fairly loudly from the doorway. Whoever it was, the wall of bugs obscured them from his sight and he was too preoccupied to try and place the voice so he just had to trust that they were there to help.

"Earth Style: Stone Brick!" It was the voice of a young man. He slammed the staff he was carrying on the floor of the classroom and the tiles began to rip up so that the earth below could gather around his long weapon. Once it has changed the pole into a hammer, he raised the thing above his head and brought it down even harder on th ground, shouting a follow up command. "Earth Style: Gravel!"

A cocoon of dirt and stones began to snake its way from the ground upwards towards Enko. Unable to move away in time, the material had her firmly ensnared from all sides up to her chest and upper arms. Being unable to move or get out of the rocky wrap meant that the danger was curbed and Shino now had a second to breathe and make a new plan. His visor obscured gaze traveled to the one who has come to his aid and he found last year's repeater standing there still with his temporary hammer still touching the ground. Iwabe must have noticed somehow that Shino's eyes were on him but he made no move to speak or get up. It was almost unbelievable how fearless and ready to roll the young man was in this situation. Sure he was late to returning after intermission, but that was no real crime. Especially when he hadn't even needed to be asked to jump in like this.

Without even asking to come in, another Sensei darted into the room on the heels of the crisis, most likely having heard all of the commotion and needing to check to see what all the fuss was about. Kamizuki Izumo, another long time superior to Shino just like Anko, and fellow teacher had come as backup. He seemed out of breath just a little but took no time in shouting to ask what was going on. Shino had to tell him firmly not to yell because that was only going to make it worse and no one needed to feel like they were in trouble even if he himself had been a moment ago. Izumo looked from Shino to Iwabe and finally to Enko, drinking in the visuals of what had transpired, and felt like he had just entered into a foreign land. This was not the usual setting one would find in an Academy classroom. But this *was* Konoha so he knew better than to expect predictable sights.

"What are you going to do about that?" He tilts his head towards the still growling Enko and then to the ripped up floor. "And that."

Shino takes the deepest breath of his life and tries to be a professional as well as a good guardian. "I don't know, but I'm going to figure something out. I have to."

"I saw what happened with the other kid." To their shock, the words come from Iwabe. "Some other punk was giving her hell because they saw her cower when her dad yelled at her in front of everyone this morning."

All the facts began to line up in Shino's head and he could not paint a clearer picture in his head of what domino effect lead to the current scene. Onikuma Tora was not an agreeable man. He had spoken to him but once before the school year began and found a distaste for the way he regarded everyone else around him. But not once did Shino think he could have been a horrible or even abusive father. One who sent his daughter, unprepared to handle her own skills, to the Academy like he was dumping off a problem he didn't have time for. The blood in the Aburame man's veins began to boil just at the thought of such disregard and cruelty directed at a child, let alone one's own. Izumo had to bring Shino back to reality with a hand wave because the man has gotten so wrapped up in his irritation at such behavior that he was brought out of the present for a hot minute.

"Thank you very much for your assistance, Mr. Yuino. I appreciate it more than I can express." Shino does his best to convey genuine thanks to the young man despite his anger. But, as expected, Iwabe simply huffs and says nothing back to him. Another day, then. Another day. So he turns back to the problem at hand and speaks so that Izumo can clearly hear him. "I don't want to hurt her and make it any worse. Is there a chance this will revert by itself if left alone for some time?"

"Hmm." The older man pauses. "I couldn't tell you. But it's a possibility, I guess."

"If there is no progress in 15 minutes...I will have to make some calls." Then he turns to his students. "Please clear out of the room. We need to let her calm down and relax. Go home early today, we'll pick up the rest of the lesson another time."

That's all they need to hear. Half the class says nothing, nodding quickly, before clearing out. The other half lingers a moment until Izumo gives them his most stern look and they follow their fellows out of the room. Now it is just the four of them left, Iwabe staying behind because he's always been more stubborn than his peers and Shino doesn't want to widen the rift between them even more. Besides...he owes the boy greatly for this help. Though it wrecked his classroom floor, tiles could be replaced while human lives could not. It's a small price to pay for a peaceful resolution. But Izumo knows he has to get back to his own class now and hesitantly bids farewell to Shino and his students, hopeful that all will go back to normal without more fuss. Shino watches him trot out the door the way he came and lets out a sigh.

Thankfully the best case scenario wins out and she does manage to calm down and come back to herself after some peace and quiet and reassurance is offered. He knows that this isn't over, not by a long shot, but it's a damn good start. Tora will be hearing a lot from him in the coming days as he makes it clear that no child passing through his class should be made to feel like shit at home. As a teacher but more importantly as a father, Shino is beyond livid that this could happen to a child. He hopes deeply that it will be the first and only time when something like this happens. And when Enko is back to being herself, Iwabe makes his own exit. He likes to act tough and aloof most of the time but Shino knows he's a deeply passionate and caring person. It will still take time to connect with him and help him get through the lessons but he's confident that the boy will indeed go far in life. And that whoever he considers important to him is lucky to have someone like him around.

The half destroyed floor is a problem for the Shino Sensei of tomorrow. Iruka may have a cow over it but he'll understand too once all is explained artfully. Right now Shino just wants to go home to his wife and children and let the emotional highs of the day finally flow out of his body. If he doesn't, he may just go over to the Onikuma clan compound and have a few nasty words with that bastard Tora. Katsura would surely support him but she would also rather he come home and unwind first before unleashing the fury of a thousand hornets on the most pathetic parent alive. She is, luckily for him, the first one to greet him as he tromps though he door and she can already tell he's had one hell of a day. Shigeki makes sure to scurry out of the room, dragging his siblings with him, as soon as he catches wind of the mood his father is in. Of course he'd never take it out on the kids. But the boy knows the value of personal space too. And right now, his father needs just that. Well...that and to vent to his beloved.

It turns into an all evening affair, getting the frustration out in full, but sometimes life is simply like that. Shigeki makes an appearance once more in the kitchen while his parents sit and talk in order to filch a couple of muffins his mother has baked earlier to try out a new flavor. Shino makes sure to give him a reassuring half smile when the boy sneaks past and gets one even brighter in return. Katsura watches her boys wordlessly communicate with each other and thanks the stars that neither have ever thought it appropriate to take their stresses out on each other even by accident. Their home is perfect for them and even the down times pass without further incident. Once the boy is out of the room, she presses a kiss to the side of her husband's head while she stands next to him. He, as not one to be outdone, swivels in place and gingerly pulls her down for a proper kiss. The playful smile that snakes its way onto her face while their lips are pressed against each other tells him that maybe the ending he needs right now is for their eyes only.

"Come with me, I'll show you a better place to channel all your energy right now." She's just direct enough to get his engine running.

"This is the only outlet I will ever need in my life."

The two make a beeline for their room then, a trail marked by giggles from her and the sound of feet on nice hard wood. Wood that was thankfully still very much intact. Shigeki pretends not to hear the way his parents are fawning over each other before they make it into their sanctuary, too busy enjoying his baked goods. At least whatever was plaguing his dad tonight will not haunt him into tomorrow.

~~~~~~

To say that he had been dreading this year and what it would bring wasn't quite correct, but Shino certainly did have his reservations about what chaos the newest batch of students to his classroom would bring. From the moment his wife had handed him the sheet containing the names of who would be his responsibility that year he knew it was going to be one hell of an experience. Katsura seemed to know before he did that something about this year would be special and so she was all too quick to take the paper from Iruka in order to confirm her hunch. It only took but a moment of visually scanning the contents of the page for her suspicions to gain merit. Shino felt his stomach drop just for a moment while watching his wife vet his next class roster, knowing that if she was looking it over before his eyes could even grace the page that something fishy was going on. When she finally lowered the paper from in front of her face, revealing raised brows and an implacable expression before she slid the sheet into his hands, he prepared himself for devastation. He chanced a look at the column of names and one after another the bombs hit him...until he reached the bottom and there it was. Uzumaki Boruto. The Hokage's oldest.

"Good luck my love, I will keep you in my thoughts every day." She teased, making sure to fill her voice with half-faux pity. It was all in good fun but damn the acting was convincing. So convincing that he actually considered asking for her prayers for real.

It had completely escaped his mind for a hot minute that this would *also* be the year that Shigeki would be starting, and the remembrance of such was a welcome shift for his outlook. When that fact had time to set in, giving him that much needed renewed sense of hope, it occurred to him that Iruka hadn't placed his son in his class. Meaning that another of the Senseis would be the one with the honor of teaching Aburame Shigeki the most important parts of being a Shinobi. The fact that Shino would not be his son's first Sensei didn't particularly surprise him even if it was a bit of a letdown, really he was more surprised that he dropped Shigeki's Academy entry from his mind just at the mere thought of having to wrangle Boruto on the daily. Boruto, and whoever else decided to flock to him because charisma ran in that family like horses on a track.

"And good luck to you, my little grub." Katsura turned to her son then and pulled him to her. It wouldn't be long until he was taller than her and it would be him doing the pulling in for a hug. Damn, the way time flew around here made her head want to spin.

"Dad is gonna need it far more than me." He crosses his arms in front of his chest and takes a bit of a cocky stance once his mother lets him go. "I just hope Izumo Sensei is ready for me."

"I'm sure you'll get along just fine. Try not to run laps around your classmates though, if you can. Be nice."

"No promises."

"If I get a call from his husband saying that you bullied him, I'm going to make sure Iruka gives you at least a week's worth of mandatory extra credit." She knew her boy would give everyone a run for their money but was confident he would fit in very well regardless. If it took some time to settle in, that was understandable. Time and effort were all that was needed now.

***

Watching the two of them take off in the same direction for the first time leaves her feeling just a little bit of melancholy. Of course, she still has both Niwa and Yasuo here with her for a couple more years, but before she knew it they would be making their ways too. For now she needed some time to think about about this and really process it so the first thing that popped into her head was to go out back and see how the plants were doing. The twins would understand when she told them in case they asked, they were old enough now to grasp slightly more subtle feelings. So she made sure to let them know where to find her as soon as her husband and oldest son were way out of view. Perhaps she would spend a few hours in the backyard, tending her flowers and hanging out with the local pollinator species, really just let her mind work through everything that was weighing on her. Yes that sounded very nice.

Several hours were spent in the company of the flora and the smallest fauna, watching the way the wind blew the grass and the leaves the flowers around, observing all of the insects checking out her well cared for gardens. Around the middle of the day, the twins came out to join her, bringing Tomo out with them to get some fresh air on his old body. Seeing the hardy little thing getting to enjoy the natural surroundings from which it came despite being advanced in age made her want to go out on an insect hunting expedition some time soon. Bring her entire family out and see what sorts of critters they couldn't uncover. Maybe even find another centipede to bring back with them to keep Tomo company (from a distance, in another enclosure, of course) if they were lucky. It had certainly been a while since any of them had gotten the chance to do something like that with all the preparation that has to be done for the new school year. So enticing was the thought of it that the rest of the time she had to herself had passed before she realized it. Shino and Shigeki had made their way home with plenty of things to say.

"I'm sorry, he did what now?" Her shock and awe and at the revealing of Boruto's antics was indeed great.

"Unfortunately we had to suspend him for an entire month and that means he will be responsible for catching up with the material at home. I have spoken to Hinata about it and she will make sure he doesn't slack in his studies."

"Now I'm really glad I'm not in that class. Can you imagine messing up that bad before the first day even begins?" Shigeki scoffs. He knows he's above all that type of stuff. But both of his siblings give him a *look* and it brings a very slight red tint to his cheeks out of embarrassment. "What? I'd never do anything like that. Lord Hokage should ground him. Though it does take some kind of crazy skill to not only crash a train into Hokage Mountain but land exactly on your own father's stone face."

Katsura places one hand on top of her bragging son's head. "I told you to be nice."

"It's not like he's around to hear it." He mutters.

"I know you'd never behave like that. But you can't let him hear you talk shit or it could turn into a rivalry that's more trouble than it's worth. Rein it in now lest something accidentally slip the next time you're sharing space. Trust Me on this one."

There is much left to be discussed but it can all be saved until later. She also remembers that she wants to bring up the little insect hunting excursion concept to the lot of them at some point as well. They're all going into this year with high hopes and Katsura will make sure that it turns out better than the previous two years. Yes her husband still has two students who had not managed to pass yet, as both Iwabe and Enko were repeaters this year, but she had a good feeling that this would be the year it all changed. Something (or maybe multiple somethings) would swoop in and make it all better. Shino would finally see his entire class off once again. Onto bigger and better things, a clean slate in preparation for the year after this one. And then her son, too, would make it just as far in his own studies. Being a Shinobi may not have suited her all that well but it seemed like a better path for Shigeki and it was important to support him in that decision. Both her head and her heart are full that evening, all the thoughts buzzing like busy bees in her brain and all of her pride in her family evident in every way that she spoke with them. Shino and her share a look before sending the kids off to bed that night, and he knows that she's willing this year to be different for the better. Better for everyone.

***

Better, it turned out, was very much a process. Because as soon as Naruto's troublesome son returns to class for real, the ball gets rolling in several insane directions. First Boruto gets into a scrap with none other than Yuino Iwabe and they go to duke it out in the sparring room without even letting their Sensei know about it. But the outcome of that one on one blows Shino's mind when the two come out the other side with a good understanding of each other and a brand new friendship. Boruto, of course, doesn't come into the relationship alone either. He comes flanked on one side by another boy that seemed the opposite of someone with Boruto's energy level could hang out with, Kaminarimon Denki. And then there's the case of one Nara Shikadai and one Yamanaka Inojin. They come as a package deal and are easily tacked on to the new little clique headed by the Hokage's son. So a feud between two hotheads managed to come in and begin on the process of solving the current longest running issue in the class. Who would have thought. The power of one optimistic fool was more potent than expected. But who was Shino to complain, really, because sometimes the best friendships were forged from the most unusual of circumstances.

Next up on the docket of nonsense however was a quarrel between the boys and the girls. It started, apparently, over some food and quickly spiraled into ridiculous back and forthing primarily between Boruto and Sarada. Shino should have expected his charges to have some growing pains with their status as the children of all his beloved weird friends but this was ridiculous. No matter. Being 12 was difficult and he wouldn't begrudge them that fact. He would instead solve this just like he solved everything else that came his way. When the students were busy with other matters, he so brilliantly laid a series of traps and obstacles around their wing of the building and announced to them that if they wanted to resolve their feud then he was giving them the opportunity. A free pass and on school grounds too. It seemed like a foolproof plan. Until the children did exactly what they were told and literally brought the house down in the process. Their classroom looked worse than the time Iwabe tore up the tile the year earlier. Instead of just the floor of one room, it was a sizeable chunk of the entire building. Whoops. Now classes had to be held outside until repairs could be completed.

And THEN amidst the chaos of outdoor class, a brand new transfer student was placed into his class. Mitsuki, a strange but seemingly mellow child from the Hidden Sound, here after an agreement between Naruto and none other than Orochimaru so that the boy could experience life in the Hidden Leaf. The ordeal had him going back to his own childhood Sensei, Yuuhi Kurenai, for guidance when he needed a little extra reassurance and she managed to give him a grounding pep talk that he badly needed. Though the action he took on the heels of said conversation had both his wife and oldest son laughing at his new choice in outfit. Shino was going to throw a welcome party for Mitsuki while wearing a pair of goofy shades and red jacket over his usual attire. That obviously did not go as planned but his new student did not hold it against him one bit and managed to adjust just fine. For every sign of trouble, a light at the end of the tunnel awaited. Shino counted his lucky stars that this sequence managed to keep up with him through the adjustment period. If this was the outcome of every hurdle then he'd gladly accept some gentle ribbing from his family every time he brought his eccentric solutions to the table.

Until another, far more serious predicament came to a head. Dubbed the "Ghost Incident" by Boruto and his clique, people were put in serious danger by an unknown sinister force. He himself had even become one of the victims and damn near brought serious harm to three of his students as a result. It was like a horror story when he came back to himself only to realize what has just transpired. Never in a million years did he want to hurt a single child, no matter who they were, and he'd almost killed three in one go. Katsura knew something was dreadfully wrong when he arrived home late that day and told her everything without taking enough breaths between sentences. She held him tightly and reassured him over and over that it wasn't his fault and that the kids did not blame him. Whatever this Ghost Incident really was would have to be solved as soon as possible so no more harm could come to anyone in the village. It took him a while to let it sink in properly, but he was grateful to have his beloved wife there with him through it.

Again and again there were reports of people being possessed for a short period and only brought back to reality with physical force. Eventually, the victims began to lose their chakra to whatever was possessing them and that's when Sai had to get involved. He took over looking into what was going on and Shino had to put all his faith in the man to actually find out the root cause. But that cause...turned out to be something that turned his blood to ice in his veins. If he thought the first time one of his students had trouble at home was bad, he was not ready for this revelation. Kakei Sumire. The girl everyone liked to call Class Rep. Sweet and friendly, a bit skittish but a great friend to have, turned out to be the one behind the entire Ghost Incident. And it was all because her father forced this initiative on her. If it wasn't for the intervention of Boruto when the situation reached a critical mass then it could have razed the village to a crater. Once more, the undaunted son of the Seventh Hokage had reached out to help someone who really needed it with his special way of connecting with others. And it worked. He, with help from Mitsuki, pulled Sumire back from the brink and solved the Ghost Incident in a brazen sweep. Shino was floored at the way this boy had with his friends. Whatever reservations he had before about teaching him that year has to take a backseat to the amazement.

Each and every time he came home with new incredible (often almost unbelievable) stories to tell his family, the more Shigeki envied his father's class. He rethought his position on being glad not to be placed in it and found himself wishing a transfer was possible. At this, Yasuo made sure to tease him about doubting his first stance because his older brother always tried to stick to his convictions when he made up his mind. To see Shigeki have clear doubts and jealousies over something like this was novel and Yasuo didn't want to miss it for anything. Niwa, meanwhile, sided with her oldest sibling. He should be able to change his mind whenever he wanted and not be poked fun at for it. Katsura made sure to let all three of them know that they shouldn't be squabbling about this because their father had been through hell and back in just a few short weeks of the new year beginning. She was right, of course, but Shigeki in particular simply huffed and cursed his rotten luck with placement. Dad was living life like an action packed Kagemasa movie and he was going through the motions as normal. No fair.

Shino had other things to worry about though rather than the fact that his son was jealous that he got Izumo as his Sensei instead of his own father, even if the actual jealousy was over having an eventful environment rather than who was teaching the lessons. Once Boruto and Mitsuki has managed to save Sumire from her dreadful and miserable life path imparted to her by her deceased father, the matter of what to do with her became a concern. She was clearly very shaken and afraid to hurt the rest of her class even more and there were plenty of people higher up than him that thought her a danger even though she no longer was. So her new fate hung up in the air in limbo and he knew as her teacher and as someone who had made a vow to protect all of those who needed it most, this was the time to step up and say something. All of his remaining students shared a lot of his worries about their dear friend and classmate. It did his heart such good to see, so now it was on him to see to it that they didn't lose her and that she didn't lose them. The value of bonds in times of crisis simply could not be understated.

"Do you know what you can do for her? I wish I had any ideas, but I'm lost." Katsura had expressed to him while he was deep in contemplation over it. She hated watching it eat away at her husband and it killed her to know that this has been brought down on a child who already had it hard enough.

"I'm going to go back to Sai and ask him something important. If he can help me here, then I believe we will have a workable solution." His face was stern and his words were solid. She hadn't seen him this determined to figure out a solution to a problem in a while, and it gave her confidence that he would be able to do it.

"Good luck. If you need any reinforcements, call me and I will come double down with you no matter what I'm doing."

Katsura watched him take off that morning not for his classroom but instead in the direction of where his shaken up student had been given quiet refuge while awaiting her fate. Though he said he had to speak with Sai, it seemed that he most likely wanted to keep her in the loop first. It was always like him to be so considerate of the needs of his students, this class in particular felt like an extension of his own family in a way after all, and it only made her hope harder that he would be able to steer this the way he was clearly envisioning. Unfortunately it wasn't as clear to her how long the process of stabilizing Sumire's life would take but Katsura knew her husband would waste no time or energy in the task. Everything he set out to do had a purpose and she couldn't wait till the time he came home to tell her the good news she knew could be the only possible outcome. Having faith in Shino never failed her before, and this time would be no difference.

And she has never been so proud to be right. There has been a couple days of deliberation between himself and (as it turned out) more than just Sai but it was all worth it for Shino. Especially when he was able to bring his wayward student back to class, the looks on the faces of everyone else made him internally emotional every time he thinks back on it. When she asks him for the details and he allows a smile to creep up slowly onto his face she knows that she will enjoy everything he's about to say. Details about his talks first with Sai and then Iruka, reassurances paid to several high ranking members of village security, and of course what Sumire herself had to say when he sincerely asked her if she wanted to return to class with everyone. Katsura stood in awe at the dedication and compassion her beloved spouse had shown in his efforts to ease the burdens off a child who had had it so rough until now. It fully reinforced her belief that teaching and guiding was the right path in life for him.

"I must find a proper way to thank Sai myself for agreeing to this." He begins. This part immediately made her perk up her ears. "And of course, Ino as well."

"Both of them?" She cocks her head to the side just a little in order to express curious confusion.

Shino nods just slightly before continuing. "Because of the shared link back to Danzo's cruel pet project, there is much he can offer Sumire in the way of support and healing. He's in fact the most qualified for the job. It took a little longer than expected because he had to run the idea by his wife before bringing me a final yes."

"I think I know what you're implying..."

"None of us are keen to leave the girl to fend for herself after all of this. I wish I had been made aware of things sooner because we could have made it easier on her and perhaps avoided this entire traumatic explosion. As of this week, she will be permanently staying with the Yamanaka family."

With that, Katsura reaches up with both hands and holds her husband's face. Reverently she looks upon him and feels like the most fortunate woman in the world to not only know him but love him too. There was no length he wouldn't go to in order to help a friend, a loved one, or a child who needed it. This time he had expressed his thorough methods to their fullest extent and closed an important case for good. He revels in the warm touch of his wife for only a moment longer before reaching up to remove his visor. Their eyes lock and he knows she's mesmerized by all that he is so he has to be the first one to break that hold by slowly leaning down to kiss her. She shifts her hold to around his neck as he lifts her up, making sure to support her weight fully so that she may cling to him like a koala. The two are just a little too wrapped up in each other to properly notice when the door opens and Shigeki enters. He looks his folks up and down and decides he's going to elaborate about his day regardless of what they're doing.

"Inoe had it out with this cocky little Fuuma boy today. She won, obviously. But then Izumo Sensei ruined all the fun."

The lovebirds spend just a few more moments in their lock before letting out a mutual sigh, releasing their grip on each other so that they may turn their collective attention to their storytelling son. Another time...they'd pick this back up later. Shino, knowing that if this story involved Kiba's daughter it would surely be one to pay attention to, addressed Shigeki on behalf of both himself and his amorous wife.

"And you didn't get yourself wound up in it too, did you?"

"Well..."

***

"Are you kidding me!" The gripe is loud enough to damn near echo through the entire first floor of the house. Shigeki is not happy.

"I wish it were possible for you to go too, but your father has informed me that there's an ulterior motive behind this entire decision so it's best you stay back and continue with class." Katsura knows how unfair her son thinks all of this is. She doesn't blame him one bit for his reaction. But at the end of the day, her hands were tied.

"Who cares what the reasons boil down to! I wanna go to Kiri too. I want to see everything they're going to get to see." His arms cross over his chest and he puts on his best unhappy face. It doesn't improve even when his mom puts one hand on top of his head to smooth back his hair just a little.

"I'm sure he'll bring back something good for you to treasure even if you're not allowed to go." She sighs, hopeful that she's not wrong. "Whatever business is going on behind the scenes I'm not sure...but I'm confident that you won't be forgotten in all of it."

"Why is it that my class doesn't even get half of the interesting shit happening to it but theirs seems like they're the main focus of an adventure novel?"

"I wish I could give you an answer that made sense, I really do. One day you'll get to see the Hidden Mist too. It will just have to be on a mission. And there will be plenty of those."

"I don't wanna have to wait that long."

Katsura feels for her son in this moment. He's done pretty much everything right in his studies and barely gotten in any trouble yet. Izumo Sensei isn't even to blame for not taking his own class on an extended field trip the way her husband would be guiding his students through Kiri. No, she was sure that the ones who arranged for that were above the heads of the average teachers. Shino had told her that Anko was to accompany them when they went over to Water Country and there would be more than one "meeting" with the former Lady Fifth Mizukage. All of it sounded more than a little fishy and it made her wish she could be a fly on the wall to hear what was to be said at those gatherings. If not for her own sake, than for the sake of her oldest who was missing out on seeing more of the world simply because he has been placed in the "wrong" class from the start.

"I'll make a deal with you, does that sound okay?" The idea pops into her head after she's done feeling petulant on his behalf.

"What kind of deal?" He's skeptical, both eyebrows raised to not quite meet his hairline, but willing to hear his mother out.

"After all of this travel is over and done with, I will ask your father if he would be willing to take all of us somewhere else to make it up to you." She steels herself for the next part. "And if he isn't, then I will let him know that I'll take you somewhere myself. Just the two of us. So you get to see somewhere beyond Fire Country's boundaries too."

The sparkle in the boy's eyes do not betray him. Such a vow has his immediate attention and he looks at his mother like she has superpowers. Katsura is just a little proud of herself for steering his unhappiness into better territory and finds that even just the talk of getting out excites her. With any luck she would be able to weasel their collective way into going to the border of Kusa and Taki because that was prime territory for hunting rare insects. The environment was hospitable to such creatures with its abundant plant life and warm temperatures. Now the only thing she could see as a blockade to the plan was the fact that, if it were her husband taking the lot of them, he would have to have someone fill in for him in class. Though...Anko could probably manage. Especially if she was even partly behind the ulterior motives for this Kiri trip. She owed him, that was for sure.

"I know asking you to keep this hush-hush feels like a big thing but we don't want to overload him right now because he's already stressing over this entire Mist mess."

Shigeki shakes his head so as to banish any traces of guilt she may have. "If it's for the chance to go out, I can do it. I promise."

Katsura beams brightly at her son and his tenacity. "What would I do without you."

Events feel like they pass slower than usual after that conversation but Shigeki knows he must learn patience. It's worth it to wait this out because no matter what happened he would get the chance to go somewhere he had never been before. Maybe even somewhere cooler than Kirigakure, and then he could brag about it to everyone back at the Academy when he returned. Bragging rights sure did sound like a great incentive to keep his patience in check so he made a promise to himself to act like nothing was out of the ordinary so as not to rouse suspicions from either his Sensei or his classmates. Both of his parents seemed rather impressed with his unusually put together behavior though only Katsura knew what it was for. If Shino were to ask, she too would play coy and go on with business as usual.

Not seeing her husband for between one and two weeks was the only part she truly thought was shitty. Everything would be fine at home but lacking his company was a downside she wish she did not have to take on. So distractions from his absence would absolutely be in order. From the moment she saw him off, watching him go down the same path he took every day but knowing this time he'd not be home later the same day, she willed herself to focus on other feelings aside from primarily missing him. Shigeki would at least be back later on and hopefully he would still be in a good mood. In fact, she could probably let Niwa and Yasuo in on her little plan now too since their father was out of the house and the temptation to tell him was removed. Oh that was an excellent plan. One she began looking forward to right away.

Until...her son arrived home after class was done for the day. He had a similar sparkle in his eyes that she had seen when she divulged the plan to him several days ago and it gave her the funny feeling that the plans were now in need of a serious update, if not being put off for a while altogether. He found her seated at the table looking over an unfurled scroll full of her beautiful handwriting and could barely take a seat across from her without vibrating out of his own skin. Katsura set her brush down carefully and rolled the scroll up to continue with later as it would be unfair not to give her child her full attention when he clearly had much to say.

"Uncle Torune's boyfriend stopped by today when I went to go talk to Iruka Sensei."

Immediately her right eyebrow shot up. "What did you do this time?"

"Don't worry about that we talked through it I promise it's not a big deal." He glazed over all details in order to move the plot along. "He was bringing some documents or something in for approval and I was there to hear about it!"

"We're going to talk about that first thing later but what did you hear from Fuu?"

That's when all of his energy came to a peak and he jumped out of his seat, voice raised to match his motions. "They're taking our class to Kumo!"

Katsura blinked like a Nara deer caught red-hoofed eating out of someone's garden. "Who's taking you?"

"Not my Sensei that's for sure." He scoffed. "Uncle Torune and Fuu are taking us. I don't know why yet but we're going to the Cloud next month!"

Having to process all of this new information so suddenly felt like cramming a novel's worth of words into her brain just then. It wasn't that complicated but the suddenness of it took her by enough surprise that she hadn't had enough time to adjust yet. Of course she was excited as hell that her son would finally get his chance to see another place, ecstatic even. It meant that her plans had to be put on hold but it was worth it for the sake of Shigeki's happiness. Maybe it would even work out better because now there would be more time to plan in tandem with her husband when they would go, how long they would stay, who he could get to cover his class, and what they'd be bringing to and back from their destination. Somehow this wrench tossed into her plans was shaping up to be more of a solution than a hindrance. All of her mental gears were turning beautifully in that moment.

"You're going to be good for them and not cause problems, right Shigeki?" She gives him a look and accompanies it with a smirk. This kid is too much like her and she knows he's bound to get himself up to something. "I won't have to hear a laundry list of your shenanigans from Torune when I get back?"

"Even if I could give Uncle the slip, I doubt his emotional support Yamanaka would be as careless." He's laughing, clearly having fun being caught up in the concept. "So whether I want to or not, yes I will try to behave and not start an international incident."

"Good boy, I know I can count on you."

The rest of the evening is spent in high spirits. The twins come around later after the loud commotion has died down to ask what trouble their brother was in this time only to find out that it was good news he had brought home instead. Katsura was only all too happy to watch her three beloved children talk about what was going to happen together around the table as she made what would be their dinner that evening. The idea that maybe class trips to far away places was becoming the norm had both Yasuo and Niwa intrigued about someday possibly doing the same as their big brother. Both were still two years off from entrance into the Academy but they had more patience than Shigeki ever did. And by the time they *did* get to where he was, who knew what would be in store for them. All of the joy shared between the three of them was contagious and had Katsura in a good mood all the way to bed that night. Though she still was missing her husband, it was made much easier to bear with the upbeat atmosphere at home.

***

Shino looks like he had been through two weeks of hell by the time he makes it home from the field trip. He makes sure to reassure his wife from the get go that he's okay but will need some time to come down from the constant action of the last half of his time in Kiri. Katsura is eager to hear the entire story but makes sure to give him enough time and space to decompress enough in order to properly interact with his loved ones again without feeling like a cornered animal. Shigeki opts to sit the conversation out as he doesn't want to divert much needed attention away from his father's understandable concerns with his own hype to take off in a couple more weeks. But in his place both of his siblings come to comfort and hear out their father, a gesture he appreciates very much so. Being surrounded by most of his family who he had missed dearly does wonders on his frayed nerves.

"What happened where you went? I don't think I've ever seen you this upset, dad." Niwa speaks first. She's a smart and observant girl and very much concerned about her father.

"Did you guys get attacked?" Yasuo picks up where his sister left off, hoping the answer to his question will be a resounding no.

The now less frazzled man takes a deep breath to collect his thoughts and swivels in his seat to face his children. He hadn't even bothered to don his visor so the look on his eyes was on full display, which only added to everyone's worry. "There is still an incredible amount of instability over in Water Country. We knew, going there, that it was still working on healing from everything that has gone on in the past but apparently some individuals with valid points are very good at keeping their plans under the radar until it's time to move. This is probably because giving away their tactics will have the Mizukage's security forces on top of them in a heartbeat."

"Is Chojuuro really doing that shitty of a job picking up where Lady Mei left off?" Katsura interjects. She knows little of the blue haired maan personally. Most people speak kindly of him, but she's aware that it's very possible to carry biases.

"No, he's doing the best he can as someone still new to his position." Shino very lightly shakes his head side to side. "Obviously not everything he does will sit well with every person. It's going to take several years to find the right balance like his predecessor had established for herself."

From the other room, Shigeki admittedly is listening in the best he can to the conversation going on. He shouldn't pry why he made it clear he didn't want to be present for the talk but it's impossible to resist when the talk of instability in another land is the topic at hand. Konoha all around him is doing pretty well for itself, as far as he can tell, but it seems that wasn't a universal thing everywhere. Would he arrive in the Hidden Cloud in a couple of weeks only to discover something similar...or was this a unique problem of just the Mist? All of this questioning made him truly feel like he did not have enough experience beyond the walls of the village and that wasn't a good thing. Maybe later he would talk one on one with his father and ask about the world around him that he wasn't seeing. Just to get an idea of what he was going out into after he graduates. It would never do to jump into something ill prepared and end up fucked over. Just the thought of the scope of what he didn't know made him equal parts jealous that he couldn't go on that trip...and thankful that he hadn't been there to see the raw state of things.

He got his chance just before bed, after both of his siblings were in their room and their mother was taking a nice long bath to soothe her stuff shoulders. Shino had sensed that his oldest was having some sort of troubles he was hesitant to voice and opted to make the first move. The two of them spent some time together at the kitchen table discussing exactly what had gone down in Kiri and talking about what the world at large was like outside of Konoha. It was difficult being so young and inexperienced and not having a way to safely see everything firsthand yet. While the world was moving towards true peace, it was still a time of transition and not everyone was going peacefully. There was still more safety in a three man squad (four counting the instructor) than for a solo Academy student when it came to venturing beyond the gates of the Leaf. Hopefully that would not always be the case, but for the moment it was just reality.

"What's going to happen to everyone that followed Shizuma off the deep end?"

"Right now, almost all of them are being detained in a special holding facility for further observation. Kagura is being granted leniency as he had been manipulated but the others are still of unclear fates."

"Do you think it's fair that they're behind bars for acting out for justified reasons?"

"That's a very complicated answer. While yes they were justified in being upset with how their village treated their families, their methods were too radically violent to just trust them running free. Eventually it will hopefully change for the better."

The two of them go back and forth until Shigeki is truly satisfied and caught up. He still is unsure how to really feel, be he trusts his father's words and wants to believe that the best will come of this misfortune. Shino knows it's a hard dose of reality to give to a child but he valued honesty when it was something this serious. Shigeki had asked and wanted to know so that's what Shino told him: the truth. And when the mood finally began to settle after that topic was over, the thought occurred to the younger Aburame that there was something he wanted to make his dad aware of. He was going on his own class trip to the most prominent village in Lightning Country and despite his uncertainties he was still quite excited for it. Upon hearing the news and seeing the hope written on his child's face, Shino allowed himself to finally smile and truly be happy for the boy as well. Kumogakure was a beautiful and relatively relaxed place. It would be a great experience for him. And, hopefully, one wholly unlike what he himself had just weathered in Water Country.

They spend the rest of their time together talking about what it was like in the elevated landscape of the Hidden Cloud and all the sights that were there to behold. Shino mentioned to him that he may even have the honor of meeting one of the only perfect Jinchuuriki in history, Lord Killer Bee, if the man was keen to entertain the class. Thankfully his wonderfully hammy nature would probably ensure that to be the case. And of course, the fifth Raikage would surely welcome everyone in the class warmly. Shigeki went to bed that night with renewed eagerness to explore a land he'd never seen even though just a little bit earlier he had heard than another village was still having its own struggles. Shino was simply glad that his son was able to face the unknown world with such determination rather than fear and hesitation. He, and Katsura when she came out refreshed from her bath, took the time to do their own private catching up before allowing sleep to take them. They all managed to rest easy.

***

Time seemed to fly past and before anyone knew it Shigeki had gone and returned from his trip. Both of his parents knew the moment he was home because all of the ruckus behind the front door could only have come from him. Katsura had volunteered to be the one to slide that door open to greet her son and was surprised to see that he had not returned home alone. There with the happily buzzing boy was his uncle and said uncle's partner. A happy smirk slid onto her face right away upon recognizing them and she pulled Torune in particular in for a hug. While the former Root agent was momentarily tied up in greeting his sister in law, Fuu had to grab a hold of Shigeki's shirt collar to keep the boy from darting into the house like a madman and risk tripping and falling on his face. Or worse, running into one of his siblings as they were probably both around here somewhere. He shot a look back at the copper haired Yamanaka and only received a sly smirk in return.

"No you don't."

"You're lucky I don't bite."

"Be careful what you wish for, maybe I bite back."

When Katsura pulls back from her beloved brother in law, she puts a palm to her face and laments how forward her child could be. Though...he did get it from her, so maybe it was hypocritical to chastise him for it. Either way, her son was home and they had extra company that was very much welcome so she made sure to invite the two adults in a long with Shigeki. Her husband would probably be along shortly as well so it was just a waiting game until he joined them. Sure enough, it was only 45 minutes until Shino had made his way home and he too was pleasantly surprised to see his older brother and almost-in-law in the company of his family. Torune offered a gloved hand to his younger sibling, a gesture Shino was all too happy to return, and the two shared their first familial hold on what felt like forever.

"It was amazing, dad, I can't believe how beautiful it is over there." Shigeki could not wait to start delving into his tales.

"Don't let him fool you, he got himself into plenty of trouble. Scrapped with Darui himself. I'm actually impressed with this bold little bastard."

Katsura's eyes went wide and she turned to her beaming son. "You started shit with the Raikage?"

"Just a friendly challenge. Obviously he beat me...but he gave me something to bring back home for my forwardness. Right now it's in my Academy locker but I'll show you tomorrow."

"What is it?"

"A sword." He's all too proud of himself while announcing this. "And I got to see something else really cool too!"

"He's talking about the Eight Tails. We ran into Lord Bee while touring around the village and he let out Gyuuki to see the entire class. I've never seen my nephew speechless before." Though it's subtle, everyone can see a smile on Torune's face as he speaks.

"I know you said Lord Hokage has one of those Bijuu things too...but I've never seen it before. I want to see it now."

Shigeki babbles on happily about everything he had seen and done in the 10 days he was away from home. Both his siblings are awestruck themselves at his tales and Katsura can tell that the two of them are probably hoping to have the chance to go to another village someday too during their time as students. She, too, hopes they get that chance. It had really lit up Shigeki's life and that made her overjoyed for him. All of her babies deserved the opportunity to experience unbridled joy and nuance like this. She's also happy that at the moment the three of them are locked in a hot debate about Kumo food vs Konoha food because it allows her to tune in to what her husband, brother in law, and honorary in law are currently discussing amongst themselves. And it shocks her when she finds out just what it is.

"This has really helped me decide." Torune begins.

"Decide what?" She inquires, head cocked curiously.

"I'm not ready yet to take on a team. In a couple of years I think I'll be able to. But not yet."

Now Fuu picks up the slack. "But I'm going to this year. As long as Iruka is all right with it, I am more than ready to handle some Genin."

It's just their luck that Shigeki picks that moment to inject himself into the conversation with a petulant whine. "No fair! I want to be Uncle's student!"

Torune holds his hands up halfway in apology. "I'm sorry buddy, I just need more time. Maybe when your brother and sister have graduated. I'd be happy to show you some things in your downtime, though."

This drives the spike deeper into his heart. "That's even more not fair! They might get to be your students but I don't."

Fuu picks up the slack just then. "Maybe you'll be assigned to me instead. I'd be happy to deal with you and your ways."

"If that's the case then I'm warning you right now. I won't make it easy on you." If he had been an Inuzuka or an Izuno, he surely would have bared his teeth to rile up his almost-uncle.

"Challenge accepted. Now I hope Iruka DOES assign you to my team." The two of them lock gazes across the table from each other, the competitive spirit palpable. Everyone around them is caught between shaking their heads and chuckling.

"Oh this is either going to become the most embarrassing period in his life or the most enlightening." Katsura laughs. "Either way I feel like it'll do him some good. Give him a teacher as forward as he is."

"I'm not afraid of the big bad beetle child. In fact, I think it'll be fun."

It's an exchange that ropes the whole family into a good time catching up and sharing their hopes and dreams for graduation in a few months. Of course, the exams will not be easy, but no one doubts Shigeki has what it takes to pass. And he is in fact beginning to feel very okay with the idea of answering to Fuu as his next Sensei. It's not what he wanted at first, because Uncle Torune would have been an amazing option, but he's not as sad about losing out on that as he thought he would be. Besides. Maybe, in two more years, Torune would indeed be ready to take a team and have the honor of teaching either one or both of his niblings. There was much they could pick up from their wonderfully skilled uncle and just the thought of his brother teaching his children made Shino feel fond.

When the visit comes to a close, everyone happily sees off the pair of former Foundation nin and hopes that they can reunite again soon. Especially when the current school year is over and Shino has a lot more free time on his hands. Though, if Fuu does end up getting a Sensei role, he will probably become the much busier one. No matter. They'd find a way to make a gathering or two work in between everyone's obligations. The ability to even have these get togethers was something no one would take for granted every time thoughts of what was almost lost in the war resurface. Shino holds onto everyone precious in his life tightly and thanks the forces at work that he would have them around for a very long time to come. And as Shigeki goes on about both his trip to Kumo and his hopes for graduation, his father counts every lucky star in the sky that his children will never be at risk of losing what was most important to them (nor their opportunities in life) like his own generation did. Without war being the norm, they could grow up knowing and learning from their relatives and they could go anywhere they pleased in peace.

***

Graduation day comes for Shino's class and it blows his expectations clear out of the water. The teamwork and performance of every single one of his students, including the two left behind from previous years, nearly makes him cry. Boruto had had an extremely profound motivational effect on the lot of them and it carried the entire group of 18 children through to the triumphant end. They had done it, they had beaten even the likes of Lord Sixth (no easy task) in order to earn their titles as Genin of Konoha. The moment their adorned white cloth headbands transformed into proper Hidden Leaf headbands was the moment real tears began to flow from several kids. He finally saw the passing of an entire class for the first time since his first year and it made his heart feel fuller than ever. Shino is able to hold his head high when he returns home that day to report on how proud he was of everyone he'd spent the past several months instructing and guiding.

Shigeki, after congratulating his dad on everything, then had to face down his own graduation in four days time. His nerves thankfully did not get the best of him though they had certainly made a solid attempt to do so several times. When he noticed his older brother having conflicting feelings, Yasuo invited him out to the yard to mindlessly spar in order to relieve the stress and pressure. The older child of the family was too quick to agree and easily sank into the motions as soon as the rules were laid down. He let a cloud of insects fly and spent the next hour dueling with his little brother until the two had let off enough steam to carry them through the rest of the day unbothered. This routine became their norm every day up until it was time for Shigeki to face the music.

And face the music he sure did. He even got the chance to go toe to toe with his father as Shino had been asked to help proctor the exam. Shigeki faced the challenges presented to him like a champ and did not allow his nerves to overwhelm him for a second. He and all of his own classmates made it through to the end just like Boruto's group before them. Kakashi may not have been involved with this graduation, but that was all right with the Aburame boy. All he needed was to get over that hill and earn his place as an official Genin. The feel of the headband, the weight of it around his forehead was a sensation that he simply couldn't put into words. Shino, Katsura, Niwa, and Yasuo were tremendously proud of the boy for sticking to his guns and passing with flying colors. His mother had even made him a selection of his favorite desserts afterwards to celebrate the amazing job her boy had some becoming a full fledged Shinobi.

The final hurdle came in the form of being assigned to an official team. One by one the others around him were grouped up and told to meet their Jounin in another room until his name had finally been called. With him would be Kiba's daughter Inoe and a quietly observant but usually friendly Hyuuga girl by the name of Meisu. When they arrived in the room labeled with the number 11, the sight that greeted the new trio was one Shigeki felt was inevitable. Yellow eyes and copper hair, a tall stature, and the undeniable aura of self assured strength. Yamanaka Fuu. Destiny had seen to it that his almost-uncle would be the one overseeing his progress from here on out and he could not find a single argument against it. The two shared another look, yellow locking onto green, and the mutual competitive fire was ignited. Shigeki grinned broadly and set his hopes high for everything he would do and see and experience with his teammates and their Sensei from then on out.

~~~~~~

The joy of seeing an entire class, especially one full of troublemakers you personally watched grow up, all graduate together and truly start their careers as Shinobi was something so profoundly special. It was like being on cloud nine where nothing bad could reach you. Shino's pride became his teaching and passing of the class containing the children of nearly all of his lifelong friends in addition to all of the other promising young Shinobi of the village. Though of course there had been a little discourse between the new members of Team 7 upon placement in a squad together, that too had been resolved neatly and completely over the course of assignment day. It wasn't a surprise that Boruto and Sarada had butted heads like that, if he was honest, but he was honestly impressed with how the fiasco came and went with minimal quarreling. Everyone else had slotted in beautifully with no fuss at all to their three man teams and seemed to be enthusiastic about the senseis appointed to them. That was all he could ask for. It was all anyone could as for, really.

Except the daydream met with two particular pitfalls in the months that followed graduation and the formation of permanent teams. First up had been the injury and subsequent dropping out of formation of the Jounin overseeing Team 25. It wasn't unheard of that a leader could be removed from their position in charge, both by injury/illness and other means, but it was never news anyone wanted to receive. His parting of the ways with his three Genin caused strife between the trio that carried on until the intervention by one Hatake Kakashi. Lord Sixth, donning his Sukea getup, personally meddled with their affairs to get to the bottom of their quarreling and managed to gently resolve everything. And then even better news came about when Kakashi's former fourth student Sai stepped up to take the mantle as Sensei over from his predecessor. From that moment on, the problem had been but a thing of the past. Sure the circumstances and resolution were a little eccentric (personal involvement by a former Kage was certainly not an every day event) but there were no complaints to be made with how effective Kakashi's nosiness had been. Shino thought he could breathe easy afterwards but misfortune would once again resurface just a few short weeks later.

And as it turned out...the next unfortunate souls to face hard times were none other than Team 40. This time, it had not been because the team's most volatile member had done something out of her control. No, it once more fell on the shoulders of their Jounin. *He* had been poisoned on a mission and did not receive aid in time. The substance in his system wrought a terrible havoc on him that brought with it serious illness and incapacitation. In fact, there was a damn good chance he would have to retire completely from the Shinobi way. A retired nin could not be the person taking fresh faced Genin on missions to give them the world experience they needed. At least...that was what common sense said. And Aburame Shino liked to think common sense was a generally good guide for life. He'd been wrong before, but in this case it seemed foolhardy to believe otherwise. So the only option was to begin looking around for at least a temporary solution to make sure that the infighting between Team 25's trio did not see a repeat in Team 40.

That turned out to be far harder than he was expecting. Every single team-less qualified Jounin he asked seemed to be either wrapped up in their own missions and life obligations, or just flat out uncomfortable in a Sensei role at this time. And it was impossible to seek help from anyone of a lower rank because the (very important and correct) law stated that no one under Jounin rank was to take on a permanent Genin team. As capable as many of the village's Chuunin were, especially as mission leaders, they were simply not allowed that level of responsibility. And he himself was in no position to step up as their new instructor because he still had obligations to the Academy for as long as he felt he could handle it. Taking time out of that part of his career to one on one lead a team was just not feasible even though there was a part of him that wished he could. Frustration had Shino in a chokehold and it was made worse when he couldn't magically resolve it with the skill and finesse that Lord Sixth had employed with Team 25 not but a few weeks ago.

Katsura had been observing her husband in the days following the complex tragedy and she could see him slowly feeling more and more conflicted. This was a problem in life that did not carry an easy answer and probably wouldn't be the last time her beloved had to really put his brain to work to solve something. Though she could not give him a magic wand to wave so that it would clean up nicely, what she COULD and would do was give him attention and the chance to vent his frustrations the next time they were able to be alone and calm. So she gave it a few more days in the case that he was still trying to exhaust all other obvious options before making a move. He was informed the night before that his spouse was interested in having some intimate alone time so that he could free up his schedule and focus on nothing else but her even if parts of his mind were still stuck on the matter of his former students free flying without a Jounin. Katsura knew that he could not scrub the fixation from his brain entirely and was not going to demand him to. She knew he could give her the attention she wanted while also stewing on his troubles. When it came down to it, the love of her life was good at multitasking. And that's all she could ever ask of him.

Once he made sure Shigeki was off to meet his team and the twins were both occupied, Shino made his way up to the second floor of their recently renovated home. The addition of a few spiral staircases had been something he knew his wife had badly wanted and it made her very happy when everything was done. He kept his hand firmly on the guard rail while climbing though his desire to reach out and touch the various hanging plants nearly got the better of him. Thankfully the the temptation was short lived as he got to his destination quickly enough and made his next move to seek out where he thought Katsura might be waiting for him. There wasn't any noise coming from this entire wing of the house but that wasn't particularly unusual for a Shinobi family (even if not everyone carried that label anymore) so he simply let of a few of his insects loose discreetly to check in places he himself wasn't at the moment. The surprise came when he had thoroughly searched every room of the upstairs and found no trace of his spouse. When he was about to command the same bugs to spread out and look downstairs, a voice from below caught his ears immediately.

"Come down here." Katsura made sure not to shout in a way that could be mistaken for anger. "Or actually. Just a moment."

Shino fast-walked over to where the staircase connected the floors just in time to see his wife ascending them. She was quick to cover the entire thing and before he knew it the two stood what would be nose to nose if she had not been far shorter than him. When he tilted his head to look down at her, she bore one hell of a closed mouth smile and seemed eager about something. One of her hands snaked over to take his own without him noticing and he promptly felt himself attempting to be guided in the downwards direction by Katsura. She lead the both of them back down the same spiraling steps that he had come up not long before and then the two took a turn towards the also newly renovated expansive private bathroom the kids were not allowed to use. Everything began clicking in his head piece by piece after that and a small subtle subtle finally made its way onto his face to match her earlier one.

A lovely light but still quite present smell wafted info his nose as soon as the door was unlocked and pushed open. The sight that greeted his eyes brought with it a new desire now, as he could see that she has already filled the beautiful tun of their private hammam with water and set several candles around the edges of it. The earlier smell was then identified by him when his eyes caught sight of the smokeless incense burning on a nearby counter. Next to the burner was the lighter she had used to light it and it was good to keep it close enough so that the candles could in turn also be lighted. Shino took the initiative and went over to grab the lighter and get a headstart on that process. One by one tiny flames were lit into the decorative glass candles and their glowing lights projected beautifully onto the tile of the tub beneath them. So absorbed with his careful work was he by the time that he set the lighter back down on its counter and turned around, his wife was half undressed. When she caught sight of him looking a new cheeky smirk graced her features and she basked in the one on one attention.

"Are you going to join me?" She purred, doing everything in her power to make sure this afternoon would take away some of his worries for a little while. To be honest, she needed it too. So it would be a respite for them both from the demands of life.

He begins to calmly but meaningfully work off his clothes before daring to answer. "I apologize, I must have been too caught up in the preparation of the atmosphere."

She beat him out in the process of removing all of her clothing but did not let it stop her from approaching him as the last of his was being stripped away. "That's okay, I forgive you."

With her standing there before him, bare to a world that only included him in that moment, he truly did feel a lot of his worldly cares melt away even if just enough not to burden his mind. He reached down to take one of her hands in his own to bring up to his lips so that he might place a kiss on the back of it. This gesture seemed to encourage her further and as soon as her hand was her own again she went to assist him in the removal of his final cloth barrier between the two of them. Down came his tasteful underwear and though she did not dare vocalize it, somewhere in her head a very appreciative internal version of Katsura wanted to make an appreciative whistle at the view she was receiving. However now was not the time to stand and stare. After getting back to the situation at hand, she made the first move to approach and get into the beautifully tiled bath and reveled in the feel of the water against her skin as she sank in inch by inch. Shino was no slouch in following her this time and before the two knew it they were both comfortably submerged up to their chests in the warm water she had drawn for their couples bath 10 minutes ago.

Both took a little while to adjust to the feel of the water on their skin before they made any move to interact further. But even in the quiet, he watched her nearly swim around getting the feel of it and felt nothing short of admiration for being blessed with such a sight. Katsura remained the most beautiful woman in the world to him and he could not be more grateful for this alone time with her during such a frustrating time if he tried. Once she seemed content enough to settle down, and once she noticed that his comfort level had maxed out as well, she broke the silence between them. "I know you have been hitting a wall a lot lately and I wish there was more I could do for you in all of it."

Shino takes a deep breath in and releases it through his nose. "Come closer please."

Though she seems a tad confused, she quickly complies and joins him. Her back lays against his front and both seem to enjoy the feel of direct contact. "Please, tell me if there is a way I can make any of it easier on you."

Both of his hands reach up to comb through her gorgeous dark blue hair, wet down by the water around them. She leans into his touch closer and decides immediately that she is in love with the way he knows just how to touch her. Shino keeps his voice low and even as he continues their ongoing conversation. "The problem is that we have no unoccupied Jounin that are also ready to take on the responsibility of minding a team. I also do not want the three separated and placed as extras onto other teams. This is because they have bonded as a triad and it would be cruel to break that up. Though it is technically possible, I would not feel right about it."

Her heart aches as she listens to his carefully thought out purposeful rambling. "There really is no one left to ask at all?"

He shakes his head side to side even if she cannot see it. "I've gone through all of my options. The only possibility is one that is not ready yet but may be in the near future. Waiting is risky and I'm unsure if it's wise but right now it's all I have on my radar."

"...who are you thinking?" She's cautious, unsure who exactly could be giving him such confliction."

The way he answers her next gives her quite a shock. "Morino Ibiki."

The shock reverberates through her entire system and in the end she pivots fully around to face him as if to receive confirmation. "Head of the T part of T&I Ibiki? The village sadist Ibiki?"

Shino sighs just a little. "Yes, one and the same. I spoke with him as a last ditch effort a few days ago and was told he may be willing to help after taking care of some scheduled business. He will be handing over much of his duties to the other half of the department in the event we change the leadership of Team 40 over to him."

"You have got to be kidding me." She gapes at him. "You really have to be joking right now."

"I am fully, sincerely not pulling your leg."

Katsura slowly spins back around and lays heavily against his chest once more. He takes it as a sign to pick up where he left off with washing her hair but waits to see if she has more to say on the matter. As it turns out, she does indeed. "You're sure that this is going to be a correct move for the three of them?"

"I do not know how it will play out but I have trust in him as someone with far more life experience than me. But the problem now is what to do with the squad between now and when he is ready to officially become their Jounin."

"Well." She takes a deep breath and lets it out dramatically. "Fuck."

"I am in agreement with you."

"What if..." She places one hand to her chin in contemplation. "Maybe I'm crazy, but..."

Shino cocks an eyebrow, again not visible to his wife, and presses her to continue. "What is on your mind?"

"You said it'll be a temporary downtime while you're waiting for Ibiki, correct?"

"I did indeed. Something you don't like about that?"

"No, no. Quite the opposite really.

Her keeping him in suspense has him divert all his attention onto her. Damn his impatience right now. "Please tell me what you're thinking so that I may understand."

"Shino, love of my life. I don't know how this occurred to me but maybe. If it is okay with everyone and the three of them do not mind having to take the lowest ranked missions until they get a proper leader again, do you think they would benefit if I took over as their short term temporary Sensei? That way you could rest easy knowing the last of your students are in good hands and we don't see a breakdown in their working relationship like you mentioned happened to your other squad."

The gears in his brain begin to truly turn in earnest as he processes exactly what his wife has just proposed to him. Katsura had retired from the ninja lifestyle what felt like ages ago BUT it was true that forgetting the skills one learned on that path was not so easily done. She was no Shinobi in title but he knew damn well her abilities were still sharp and she knew exactly what she was doing. Even if she personally did not take the three on frequent out-of-Konoha missions it would still be good for them to have that sense of structure and guidance that was fostered in the four man cell environment. And, as both of them had said back and forth, it would only be temporary so there was no real worry about atrophying skills in the young Genin because they were only taking local D ranks. The stars seemed to be all aligning in an ideal way and he could find no reason to oppose her proposition. He'd probably have to run it by Naruto briefly to make sure this was even possible. Though Shino could see no real reason why his friend (and current Hokage) would say no to the arrangement. As long as his students had their needs met, it should be approved just fine.

"Are you sure you would be up for such a task? I do not want you to take on more than you're comfortable with."

"I promise that I am sure." Her confidence ebbs into her words. "Like I said, they may have to cope with low rank missions but I will happily watch over the three for the time being until Ibiki is done with his business. How hard could it be?"

That last comment elicits a small chuckle out of him. "Please be careful what you wish for."

"I can handle any of it. Trust me on this."

"I trust you completely, my love."

The rest of their afternoon is spent enjoying the bath a little bit longer before getting out and getting dressed again. Shino makes sure all of the candles are blown out and the lighter is stashed away. The twins seek him out as soon as he emerges fresh from the hammam where they are not allowed and request some sparring time just between them and their father so he informs Katsura that he will be wrapped up with that for as long as they need. It doesn't bother her a bit, she decides to take that following alone time to spend in her personal creative outlet room and put a brush to paper. It'd been a while since she last sat down to write and there were enough ideas swirling in her head that day that would make for interesting tales to weave. The decision she had made earlier that day was going to affect a lot of her life for the following at least several weeks as soon as it was approved by Lord Seventh. For now, all she could do was wait and busy herself with her writing. Shigeki would probably be home soon-ish and join in going up against his father with both of his siblings. So for now, it was just her and the scroll awaiting ink unfurled before her. And she could not be happier with herself for it.

***

The weeks flew by faster than she had anticipated ever since the approval was given for her temporary leadership. It was like being given a small taste of what her husband went through in his career choice, but thankfully on a smaller crowd scale. Thankfully the three Genin now under her for-now command were some of the most well behaved in his class (he had given her that reassurance in advance and turned out to be very right) and her only "worry" was the possibility of Enko accidentally losing her grip if something were to trigger her still unstable abilities. But Katsura was no fool nor did she treat such a volatile situation lightly. Children with still developing skills, and control over said skills for that matter, needed adults in their life they could trust to guide them and handle any problems that were fielded their way. That was what she strived for every day she had with the three of them. Shino was continuously impressed with the progress he heard they were making in teamwork and abilities but he expected no less from anyone under his wife's command.

Most of the missions were exactly what she had spoken of beforehand: low rank and within the walls of the village. For a while, it was a bit of a bummer for the kids as they knew other teams forged from their same class had farther reaches and more challenges given to them as they progressed in training. But that envy slowly ebbed away when they also began to consider the lack of life threatening danger their current schedule offered. It was all well and good to escort important political figures or businessmen but not all bandits and rogues were built alike and it paid off handsomely to never have to tussle with a single one. The very few out-of-village missions they took still saw the quartet roaming close to the Leaf's boundaries and thus ensured quick back up if an emergency were to arise.

Though, if asked, Katsura had noticed that her temporary kids seemed to like helping her a lot with her gardening and baking duties so it was very possible they would choose those over several official mission options. The more she watched of them at work in those fields the more she herself pondered if maybe one day any (or all) of the team might decide the Ninja's way of life simply wasn't for them. It made her just a little wistful because it reminded her of her own choice to stray that path once she and Shino had established a stable marriage. He never once judged her for taking a route in life that she loved more even if it was still half expected for all adults her age to still be living in the Shinobi way. What made his wife most happy and excited were the things that towed the line evenly between hobbies and paying jobs. If she wasn't actively working in her family's bakery these days, he would not be surprised if she had constructed her own plant nursery and greenhouse or possibly went to work with the Yamanaka clan in their blooming flower shop.

Shino, thankful that it was still the off season for the Academy, got a front row seat often in watching his wife work her magic as a Sensei. He knew damn well the job was not something she would ever be interested in making her full time commitment but for now it was agreeing very nicely with her. He watched as the love of his life made sure that the trio of Genin in her care always had up to date survival skills for when they went on long term away missions, knew how to safely handle and store their weaponry, and were familiar with ninja companion animals of all varieties. The Aburame family may have specialized in the symbiotic use of insects (and sometimes arachnids, depending on the individual in question) but they tried to maintain a healthy level of knowledge and respect for all species options. Shino himself had grown up working alongside an Inuzuka so he had the experience of seeing how ninken were handled in real time. It was a subject he often discussed with his wife and together they kept their personal knowledge of all manner of ninja animals fresh. It certainly came in handy when Katsura now had to impart such information on the future of the village. She knew her time as their Sensei was brief. But she also knew, just as her husband knew, that everything she taught them would be things they thanked her for many times in their lives.

"I have received word back from Ibiki about when he will be prepared to take over for you." Shino began one afternoon. The two of them were enjoying the evening sun out in the yard as her "kids" watered the plants and marveled at the variety of butterflies and dragonflies flitting about.

Katsura swivels her body in her deck chair to give him her full attention, one eyebrow raised slightly in inquisition. "And what's the good word from everyone's favorite Exam proctor?"

He has to resist the urge to chuckle ever so slightly at her phrasing there. The memory, oh how he could never forget, of sitting in that room listening to the tall man give their 12 year old selves the business truly did mark simpler times. Times when their now-Hokage was just a brainless kid. "Give it five more weeks and he will be officially taking the reins. And you need not worry about his methods being too harsh because his wife has reminded him every day that these kids do not need reprimands. Compared to some he's dealt with over his lifetime these three are angels."

It's now her turn to laugh but she does not hold back. "I don't know what Eiko sees in that man but I am in awe of her. Fearless, truly fearless." And then a grin snakes onto her face. "You're right though. I'm not going to worry. Between her reminders and the fact that I'm sure these kids will have him at their beck and call in no time, I'm sure it will all work out handsomely."

She turns around and leans back in her chair, head tipped up just have the warmth of the sun bath her face in its lovely light. There's a pair of strong sunglasses covering her eyes so as to prevent sight damage. Shino, meanwhile, keeps himself pivoted just enough to allow his vision to behold his wife for a while longer. He enjoys seeing her so at ease while there's little to worry over. Aori has her niblings for the day and Shigeki will soon be back from the mission he went on with his team the day before. It was his first multi day assignment and they were both sure he would return with some interesting tales to tell. For the moment though, he was simply content to share the space with her while Team 40 tended the duties assigned to them by Katsura Sensei. And of course, they would all be allowed to stay for dinner if they pleased before being sent home that evening.

A voice begins to pick up as people round the corner and it gets Shino's full attention promptly. "You should have let me keep chasing that man. I would have caught him. And then he'd have been sorry." It's Shigeki. He knows the bragging ways of his son anywhere.

"Not on your life, kid. I'm not gonna be the one explaining to your folks while we're getting chewed out by Sakura in the ER that I allowed you to go one on one with a wanted man." Fuu is the one responding this time. He ruffles Shigeki's hair to further rile the boy up and has to pull it away just in time before the preteen in question smacks it.

"Are you guys back already? Has it already been two days?" Tsuru pipes up, turning to face Doushu. She seems to have noticed just when Shino did that they had incoming company.

Doushu responds with a shrug and a haphazard guess. "More or less. Maybe we just lost track of things."

Shigeki pulls up next to his folks after a short sprint to close the gap and whistles as he looks out at their populated backyard. "Forgot we had company tonight. You gonna make them stand guard duty here all night or something?"

"Very funny." Katsura sighs dramatically. "I'm sure the plants will still be here and fine in the morning without round the clock monitoring."

"Ya never know who might come in with a weed whacker."

"Ignore him, he's hopped up on adrenaline because we ran into a speed bump on the road home." Fuu clarifies. "I tried to tell him that's not going to be the norm everywhere but he seems to have beetles jammed permanently in his ears."

"Are you taking a shot at my time honored abilities?" The 12 year old stands up taller like he's putting on a threat display.

"I definitely am not. You are just not ready to come down off cloud nine yet and it's making you speak impulsively."

"Thank you for bringing him home, Yamanaka-san." Shino bows his head for a quick second in gratitude. "Was everything smooth and accomplished?"

"Absolutely zero problems even though your son likes to act like he's in charge half the time."

"Forgive him for that, I will make sure he minds his manners."

"Don't worry about it a bit. I like that he doesn't sit quietly and just nod at my every order. He and his teammates make everything interesting again." There is a genuine smile-smirk adorning the face of the Yamanaka man then. Shino thinks back to his past in Root and understands how positive and different this way of life is for him now in comparison. "Anyway, sorry to hang around like a gaudy pair of drapes. Had already brought Inoe and Meisu home. His stop was my last because I had plans with Torune tonight."

"Feeling a little touch starved from a couple days away from home?" Katsura teases. A very subtle red tint colors Fuu's cheeks in turn.

"Something like that. Do you know if he's here or out?"

"He's with his parents right now. I think the three went to go speak with Shikaku and Choza about something. Clan business, very clinical I'm sure."

"Crap. I can't let Kin see me looking like I just crawled out of the jungle. Gotta go home and wash off the two day filth then hunt them down."

"You may use our shower if you'd like." Shino offers. "This is because you are always welcome in our home as family and we owe you for watching over Shigeki as well."

"I promise not to streak grime on the tile or leave a towel on the floor. Thank you kindly for the offer, I will be quick about it."

Fuu gives a mock salute to the three of them, turns to wave a little at the three Genin milling about in the yard, then pivots on his heel and makes for the inside. It's no secret that he had definitely become an extension of the family by merit of being incredibly important to Torune. Even so, as the one with the honor of instructing Shigeki it felt only right to extend common kindnesses to him like this. Shino appreciated the man for his dual no-nonsense in serious situations and then very Leonine approach to interacting with loved ones personality. Someone like him, just like someone like Torune, deserved the chance to have the life they wanted following such a rocky start to their Shinobi careers. It's an honor to have them both in the inner circle Shino and Katsura keep. Shino looks to his son as he contemplates everything and sees how upbeat and excited the boy is from everything he had experienced on the mission they'd just returned from. It's a source of parental joy for him, and for his wife too, to witness their oldest son enthralled with life. Neither would change a thing even if given the option.

"So what trouble did you give Fuu Sensei this time?" Before anyone realized it, Team 40 had pulled up beside the family. They took wanted to know what Shigeki had seen and done the past 36 hours. Enko was simply the most brave this time so she posed the question.

"Only as much trouble as he gave me. I'm not going to let him win every war." Shigeki boasts. With the way he's bragging, it makes the situation sound almost intense.

"Uh huh. Sounds like you're a sore loser."

"You wouldn't be saying that if I was allowed to apprehend that criminal."

Katsura watches the exchange between her son and one of the three kids she was currently in charge of. From what Shino had told her of the day Enko lost her control in class, she was fully aware that the girl was naturally wary of having that happen more times in the future. So right now it was a soothing sight to watch the previously class repeating student fearlessly and harmlessly squabble back and forth with Shigeki. It was a benefit of being an instructor that she was their Sensei would not get tired of. All kids in  her care, and in general really, deserved space and opportunities to be kids without fear. This interaction would also do a good job of humbling her son just a little because she knew Enko could not be intimidated by big talk. And, because Doushu and Tsuru were there to backup their teammate, Shigeki would be outnumbered if he really wanted to try and come out on top anyway. Winning every war was a nice dream but just not possible and he was learning from enjoyable peer interaction that it was good to learn how to handle a loss. Eventually he gave up and allowed his opponent to be the right one in the equation and instead settled for giving a play by play of his time in the field on duty. Thankfully, his entire audience were all too happy to listen and found themselves looking forward to when that would be their lives too.

"Do you think you're ready to let them move on?" Shino asks, breaking his wife out of her reverie.

"I want to believe I am." She pauses a moment but picks up where she left off easily. "But it'll probably still be a little hard."

"They'll still come around, I'm sure of that much. Just like how we will never stop seeing a lot of Fuu. Shigeki would probably go looking for them if that wasn't the case."

It was true really. Though the four did not spend an obnoxious amount of time together, they crossed paths enough to have formed a good friendly relationship and would probably be readily maintaining it for the foreseeable future. That was a lovely thought for Katsura to keep in the back of her mind at all times. For as stubborn and mouthy as her boy could be, he was still a good kid and a good friend. Forging good bonds now and keeping them going for as long as he could would be a boon in his life just as it was for her husband. Shino, even though he'd been an awkward and quiet kid, managed to get close with those he went to school with and to this day would never dream of parting ways with them. The thought of such things flooded her chest with the warmth of affection that only receded a little when she remembered that her own time with her for-now students would be over in just a month. Yes they'd still come around, but she still had to let Ibiki step into the role of their Sensei in due time.

"I hope that they will find everything they're looking for in life. No matter how or when."

He looks at her with a little concern. "Are you sure you're okay letting go?"

"I'm very sure. Just like I'm sure that one day Shigeki, Niwa, and Yasuo will all be off on their own ways too. It'll be even harder to let go then but I will support them no matter what they pursue."

He reaches over to lace their fingers together wordlessly. Katsura considers that day one of her warmest, with the sun and the atmosphere and the support all coming together to make her soul feel like eternal spring. It helps to look back on it after Ibiki had indeed officially taken the team under his wing five weeks later and she got back to her daily life without planning their schedules along with her own. Though, when she sat down to write a couple times a week, there would often be mentions of her students (by different names, of course) in a collection of short stories she had currently been penning. Maybe there would come a time when those found their way to official publishing and she could tell them that their time as teacher and students had left that sort of lasting impact on her. Until then though, she watched her son develop into a fine Shinobi and made sure to have Shino catch her up on the exploits of Team Ibiki.

~~~~~~

What a whirlwind it had been, facing the winding road presented to those who helped raise the future Shinobi of Konoha. Every obstacle that had tried to tear him down thankfully did not manage to get the best of him even if there were some close calls. Part of his continuing to push on even when the skies were stormy and unstable was owed to the support he got from his family. Having the four of them standing with him through it all gave a sense of stability and warmth that nothing in the world could replace. Even if the best they could do at certain times was provide encouraging words, it went a long way in assuring that he would be able to confidently continue on as a guide and guardian to every student that passed through the Academy, directly in his classroom or not. Katsura in particular was enamoured with the way he conducted himself as a positive figure in the lives of the children. Of course, she might have been biased as she got to see his efforts as a father firsthand every day, but she didn't much care if one wanted to get that technical. Everything her beloved husband was doing was wonderful and it was a gift to watch him work.

So when the day came that Niwa and Yasuo would finally enroll just as their brother had two years ago, it was a sad occasion for both of their parents as they were placed under the tutelage of the newest teacher rather than Shino himself. Once again he was not to be the primary first Sensei in the lives of his children. All of his trust was in this very sweet woman, one Kaka Hana, but it was still bittersweet to know he would not have the pleasure of directly instructing the twins just as he hadn't had the chance with Shigeki. Yes they all took countless lessons from him at home on demand...but that twinge of missing out still got under his skin as much as he wishes it wouldn't. And he wasn't alone in it. Katsura, ever hopeful that this time he'd be able to take the title of "homeroom" teacher, had her bubble burst once he announced to her that Iruka had informed him otherwise. The couple shared in a mutual lament but ultimately were happy for their children. No matter who instructed them, it was just good to see they would have a chance to learn the things their older brother had.

Speaking of said older brother. Shigeki had still been nursing the pain of two failed Chuunin Exams back to back, even now. The most recent had been three months ago but the sting felt as fresh as if it had been just yesterday. All the circumstances involved in the failing of the first attempt did not fall on his head. First the Hokage's "precious" oldest smartass son decided to cheat his way through the whole thing and then there was a hostile invasion. These damn Exams, as Shino reminded his pride-wounded child, seemed to be a beacon for everyone with a vendetta against the village so that they knew exactly when to launch an assault. Thank the gods that every Kage was in attendance that time as they were the ones who put down the attackers once and for all. Still...the damage was done and the Exams were ruined. Shigeki lost out on his opportunity to rank up and spent a while moping over it. It had been Yasuo who first managed to get through to him and convince him that the world wasn't ending just because he flunked his very first foray into the Exams. That perked up him up just enough to trudge on and vow to get better. Both of his teammates, who has of course failed just like him, personally made sure to thank his little brother for getting the boy back on his feet since each of them had gotten over the loss much easier.

Then came the second opportunity to prove his worth and make a break for the Chuunin rank. Everything was lining up in his favor, he and Inoe and Meisu were clear of that first pain in the ass test, it was like a dream come true. Until the second phase fell on the three of them like harsh reality loved to do. That blue haired showoff (Shigeki thinks he heard the name Kaito thrown around, but he wasn't fully sure) swooped in and claimed the spot for himself. The eldest Aburame child and his closest allies lost their bid at advancing to the next round then and there. Waiting outside the gate to watch as others secured a position in the head to head final round made him feel bitter like there was no tomorrow. Even going out for food with Yamanaka Sensei and the girls didn't do enough to cheer him up in a lasting way. Yasuo took it upon himself again when he saw his big bro cursing his back luck but all of his efforts this time seemed in vain.

"I don't know why he won't listen to me." Yasuo confided in his sister. He sighed heavily, feeling the weight of defeat, but knew there was no point in wallowing.

"Maybe he's just upset that he lost on his own merit this time." Niwa offered. "You remember how the last time was a combination of interferences. It's not the same now."

This seemed to make a lot of sense to the boy and suddenly his pity response kicked in. "I think you're onto something there. But what can we do?"

"I don't know. And it'll have to wait anyway...Hana Sensei says we got a lot to do in class tomorrow. I wanna make sure I'm ready."

A sense of pity and guilt was shared between the twins but there was only so much they could do for Shigeki on their own. And with their Academy obligations, that range was further narrowed. So they simply offered to him their services as loved ones to vent to and spar with if that was something he was interested in. At the time he gave them each kind of a crestfallen noncommittal answer but the hope remained that he would perk up just enough to take them up on said offer in his own time. In the meantime there was indeed a lot heaped on the younger Aburame children in class thanks to the newbie Sensei still trying to find her niche as a teacher. All of the adjustment period gave the twins a lot to contend with and left them in need of their brother as a listening ear. Shigeki was still a bit down on his luck but he still stepped up for them and found that focusing on their minor problems helped him slowly ease out of his own.

Katsura watches as the two make solid attempts to get their brother into a better state of mind and decides to step in so that Shigeki doesn't end up feeling overwhelmed. They mean well, but sometimes space is just as valuable as sympathy. She and Shino create a divide and conquer plan with the aim to redirect both the crestfallen defeat Shigeki feels and the brotherly/sisterly swarming concern into destressing activities for the trio of children. Shigeki is excused from his missions and Genin duties for a few days so that he may accompany his mother to her family bakery while Shino has Anko fill in for him in class so that he may spend time catching up with the twins on everything he's missed due to conflicting schedules. The three siblings end up seeing the least of each other that they have in a long time but the tense energy that had sprung up between them notably dissipated gradually.

"We have this exchange student in our class, Kae." Niwa begins, recounting to her father. "From all the way in Bamboo Country. She's an heiress apparently."

"Are you making sure she feels welcome in both school and the village? It can be scary and intimidating to temporarily live somewhere far from home." Shino knows full well about the Kae situation. But he is all too happy to hear his children recount their growing knowledge of it to him. It shows him that they are socializing well at the Academy and making new friends.

"Doing our best, yes dad, we promise. We also have Lord Hokage's daughter as well as Kagemasa's daughter with us in class. And someone whose mom works for the big Kaminarimon company. And an officer's son, from the Fuuma clan. There's a lot of interesting kids." Yasuo picks up where his sister left off. The twins would probably always be in sync on some level, thankfully their father had no trouble maintaining such an eccentric method of conversation.

"Have you ever been to the Land of Bamboo at all?" Niwa cocks her head in tandem with her question. She's definitely thinking back to when Shigeki got to go to Kumo not long after their father took his own students to Kiri. A little bit of travel curiosity has settled in her brain.

"No, as of now I have not." He answers. "But I would love to see the land that she hails from. Is that something that might interest both of you, as well?"

"I think it would be fun to see her home and what it's like."

"I wanna know what it's like compared to the Leaf. Of all places she could have come...why here?"

"That's complicated and I am not sure I have an answer that will properly suffice right now." He feels guilty for not being able to relay every bit of information to the kids. But it's a matter of safety and security so his hand is forced. "Just know that she has a safe place here with us as long as is needed. And will always be welcomed back in the future when she eventually has to return home."

It's a difficult thing to tell almost-teenagers that someone they're bonding with will eventually have to leave. Connections forged as children have carried many Konoha residents to incredible heights in the history of the village. Lifelong friendships, sometimes even turning into more with time, are a hallmark of the Hidden Leaf Village. Shino thinks back for a moment once more about how getting to know his class so well when he was just an awkward kid really changed his entire life for the better even though it took a lot of time and trial. All he wants in life is for all three of his children to form connections that are just as important and to hold onto everything that matters to them as they chase their dreams. To see that the twins are well working on that makes him feel a deep sense of pride as a parent and as a teacher. When they someday had to say goodbye to Kae, he knew it would be on good terms and that theu would be eager to welcome her back when she was able to return to Konoha.

"I wonder if Hana Sensei will take us there like how Shigeki got to go to the Hidden Cloud. Or if not there, where else we could go." Niwa wistfully wonders aloud. Between the two of them it's clear that she's more vocally eager to venture outside the walls of the village just as her brother before her had.

"Don't you think it's more likely that we'll go somewhere like Suna or Iwa? You know, one of the Great Nations due to our big alliance. Smaller places probably don't have the accomodations like bigger ones do." Her brother responds. Shino knows he means well but this is where he has to step in for a moment.

"While it is true that villages like ours or Kirigakure are more suited to large visits for extended periods, there are many smaller villages that are more than capable as well. This is because we have carefully fostered good relations with them and made sure to share funding and additional resources that are needed in order to make sure we as a broader community prosper equally. I know that wherever you are able to go will be more than happy and equipped for the visit."

Both of the twins look at their father with a level of awe that makes Shino almost self-conscious for a minute. When he gets started like this it can be difficult to rein it back in. But neither of them are upset at all and in fact very grateful for his knowledge on the subject and refusal to keep quiet about that. The man believes firmly in being honest with not only his own brood but every child in his care, no matter if temporary or long term. He answers Katsura do not desire to hide crucial information from Shigeki, Niwa, or Yasuo as it only teaches them to distrust the adults who are there to help them and they covering things up is a good idea in the future. Both of them (and their brother) do not need to be taught such things because the domino effect will catch up with them someday and someone will end up hurt and/or confused. Sure that may be years from now, but Shino likes to plan ahead thoroughly and he cannot risk it. Good parenting is a conscious and ongoing effort. And with the way his kids are regarding his words now he has nothing to worry about in their present or their future.

While the pride of the Aburame clan and his younger two children talk, Shigeki helps his mother at work and is able to get his mind off his woes little by little. Customers who come into the bakery sometimes have knowledge about how the last set of Exams went (as friends of the family, this is to be expected) and offer their genuine heartfelt sympathy and hopes that he will be able to bounce back in no time. Yes it has been a handful of months since his last loss but he appreciates the sentiments just the same. Being able to redirect his unhappy feelings into siding his mother with her work as well as having the kind words of family friends is a far better soother for him than being forced to bottle up his troubles and stew on them until a trigger is tripped and he yells at someone by accident. Katsura watches her beloved oldest doing so much better over the course of the few days he's accompanying her and breathes the largest sigh of relief. She hopes, too, that Shino has had just as much luck with the twins.

"How sore do you think Sensei will be that I haven't been there to handle all the dirty work?" Shigeki opens, placing a tray of Mochi on the counter. These are destined to go to a certain principal later in the day.

His mother chuckles a little at the bold statement. "You don't think they can manage without you huh?"

"Nahhh." He waves it off. "They'll live. They just are missing out and probably are complaining about not having me around to help."

Her heart feels lighter as she sees the light back in her son's eyes, the fire coming back to his words. It's not a healed wound yet but the scar tissue is strong. "I'm sure they'll tell you all about the cool things you've missed while you were here with me. And you can show them your stuff again first thing next mission. But please make sure that tray isn't too close to the edge right now as we don't want to have to remake those mochi."

"Whoops." He makes sure to move the tray away from the edge. "But now I gotta wait for two more days."

"You will manage. Tomorrow is our last day together here until you need a break again."

There is a certain feeling of melancholy that settles in his chest when he mulls over his mother's words. Sure he is eager to jump back into ninja life, but it's been nice spending the downtime with his mom. When they weren't making pastries and desserts for customers they were tending her beetle colonies and making sure the plants all around their home were all well cared for. It was exactly the respite he required in order to get his confidence and fire back. Yasuo and Niwa meant well...but he could not focus on himself enough with them prying into his feelings like they were. Now though, he knew he could face them honestly and be upfront about everything going through his head regarding his Exam failure. They deserved to see the better side of him that had a clear head. And now they would get just that.

"Please make sure you label that box properly too when you store it. There's another mochi order that is going to someone else in the morning. I want to make sure Iruka gets the flavor he ordered." She reminds him gently before going back to check on the cheesecake currently baking.

"I won't let the orders get crossed." He vows. A sharpie in a cup on the next counter over is retrieved then, and Shigeki carefully writes the name of his principal on the box plain as day.

***

The passage of time seems like it flows flaster and faster with every milestone that Shino can remember reaching. Just yesterday it seemed like Yasuo and Niwa were brand new to the Academy but that simply wasn't true. He heard from them stories on the regular about the mischief the entire class got up to as a group and the growing pains that had to be weathered between certain individuals. Osuka in particular was a bit of a tough but to crack but Himawari managed to get through to her with patience. What a surprise, just like her brother, the younger Uzumaki child seemed to be gifted with the ability to connect with those around her in ways no one else really could. Both of them took after their father so much. He just wished that he had the chance to teach her class personally because, for all his anxiety over dealing with her brother at first, it turned into a year with the finest memories he had made as a Sensei. But he was sure that group of kids was in good hands despite Hana being a newbie in comparison. She was a sweet woman, though a little clumsy at times, and wanted the best for the kids in her class. Even going so far as to organize a school play to honor the contributions of the Three Sannin to the history of the village.

Everything seemed on track to flow well up until graduation...until the worst erupted. Hana, who was the picture of the ideal instructor for Academy students, was revealed to be behind a horrific plot to inflict serious harm on the class' exchange student. All of it was a plot to create chaos and mutiny back home in Bamboo Country and the only ones with the reach at the time to prevent total disaster were her students. Which included the Aburame children. Both were put in serious danger all because of political upheaval in a far off land that had gone under the radar. The part that feels the most horrid is in learning that this sweet and well meaning Kunoichi they had put in charge of a whole class of young future Shinobi had been, all along, an implanted assassin from the very same land as Kae. Such an ugly conflict was dragged cross country and sucked in a class full of kids without any way of them being able to get help from anyone else.

It was a nightmare. Her children were on that island, stuck with a dedicated killer, where neither she nor her husband could be of any help. And the knowledge of any of this had not come until after it was settled. Her babies and their classmates had gotten the problem under control but hearing about it from them damn near gave her a heart attack. It was just their luck that they managed to have excellent teamwork and the Hokage's kids in the group with them. They had even spared the life of the woman who was revealed to be the center of the danger because further revelations exposed the winding spiral of deception within. Hana had another side to her, one that cropped up from her meek personality not being suited to the horrible lifestyle she was forced into, and it took charge in this crucial hour of violent political strife. That wasn't something she ever could have dreamed of happening to any children in the village much less her own. It drove her mad, thinking about the layers of ill intent involved, and how close her kids had gotten to death. But through it they and their classmates had pulled off a solution and exercised mercy because they knew that more violence was not the answer to an already tumultuous situation.

Shigeki, after he had been informed, could not stop staring an owl with those big eyes. He could not believe his siblings has gone through something that significant and that dangerous. And the most surprising part was how unshaken they came through it in the end. He liked to talk a big game but he knew if he had been in their shoes he would have felt overwhelmed. What do you do when your enemy is your Sensei? It didn't compute properly in his brain because his "homeroom" teacher had always been so boring and his Sensei refused to go into detail about the days he spent in Root as a child. Yasuo did his best to inform his brother about how everything went down in order to assure him it was all takem care of for good. Still, through the myriad of conversations had about all of it, Shigeki felt himself unable to believe that this was able to happen without the Anbu at least catching wind of it. He had to talk to his father about his doubts following all of it.

"Aren't the Black Ops supposed to be able to sniff out this sort of trouble? And if this is happening...does that mean we're going to go back to what it was like when you were my age?"

"I cannot tell you why our Anbu had no clue about the details of this incident." He spoke with an even tone so as not to make Shigeki feel belittled. "But I can assure you that we will not allow our progress to regress like that. I give you my word that you and your sister and brother will never see war like I did."

The questions swirl in his head like buzzing bees for days after that conversation. When it gets the better of him, he looks for his siblings and asks them to spend their next day off with him so that they may clear the air together even though he knows they are moving on better than him despite him not being directly involved in the slightest. Niwa knows her older brother tends to react stronger than her or Yasuo and vows that the two of them will be there for him for the day until he feels assured again. Shigeki is so much like their mom, it takes a lot of talking and a lot of time for things to sink in, but they refuse to just abandon him when they know he needs them. This time it IS them he needs, both their parents, and it's the perfect opportunity to strengthen their bond as siblings. He tells them that he worries about this becoming a more frequent scenario on their modern world despite their father assuring him it would not be allowed to happen. He expresses uncertainty over many things, and they admit that they are just as unsure as him. But it is not good to dwell on what ifs that are so negative. He's a Genin with a bright future. Soon they will be too, and he will rank up to Chuunin. They'll be okay even if it's a bumpy road. And whenever there are scary situations they will all have each other, their parents, their teachers, and their friends to fall back on. It's not a cure all but it does help him relax his stuff shoulders just enough to breathe deeply again. Yes. Even in the worst of times, there will always be a way out.

***

Perhaps the most surprised when the younger Aburame kids graduate is their older brother. Shigeki is beginning to share his father's disbelief with the way time flows when he realizes the twins, two years his junior, are now technically the same rank as him. But the worst part of all is how they get the Sensei he himself had once wanted so badly. Torune has not been ready then to take on a team of Genin but this year with the graduation of his niece and nephew he had stepped up. Fuu, still proudly leading Shigeki and Inoe and Meisu, found it just a little funny that his hothead headed stubborn student was envious of his own siblings even though he had long since gotten comfortable with the hand he had been dealt. The two of them were placed in a unit with the cat cloaked girl Kura, a friend they had grown close with during their Academy lessons, and together they knew they would be able to reach heights just as great as their brother before them. Still. The oldest sibling had to be just a little petty and stuck his tongue out at the twins when the news of their teacher assignment had been given. Because he wanted to have at least that last word in.

Shino himself felt pride in his children and in his brother for finally reaching this point in their lives. Though he has not been their teacher, that job has remained in the hands of Hana at the behest of her class, he still oversaw their journey from newbies to Genin from a safe distance. And now all three of his kids were on their way to becoming the next group of protectors of the Hidden Leaf. Just as his brother, and future brother in law, had the current honor of guiding the children there as their Senseis. The kids were in the best possible hands. Now all he and his wife had to do was sit back and watch, and offer any help that was asked of them, as their brood climbed their ways to the top of whatever peaks they were aiming for as Shinobi. Though at the moment they both knew Shigeki and his teammates had vowed to put off the Chuunin for a little while so they could train properly and be fully prepared to take the plunge all the way to passing. It was an odd decision, from the perspective of Fuu, but he applauded them for having a sense of temperance rather than impulsivity when it came to such an important milestone. He knew Shigeki would not sit by forever and watch his siblings rank up first. He also knew, of course, that the stubborn boy had at least learned his lesson from his past failures and would not make the same mistake thrice.

"Do you think they'll all pass together at the same time?" Katsura poses to Fuu. She's in a good mood, though a little devious as well.

"We'd like to hope so but who knows." Fuu shrugs. "I know Meisu is ready. Always trust a Hyuuga to clean up in a competition. Inoe I'm truly on the fence about, but I think Shigeki will get by on the skin of his teeth the next time theye try. It'll be a hell of a spectacle."

"You're probably right. We'll have to cheer extra loud for him when he's hand to hand fighting whoever they put him up against in round three. Maybe it'll help."

"You should definitely embarrass him then."

"Oh I plan to, trust me." The two share a hearty but benign laugh together at that notion. Katsura would never go out of her way to make her son feel too seen in such a crucial moment in his life.  She also knew, of course, that his beloved Sensei would never dream of throwing a wrench into his bid for Chuunin. Not in a million years.

And when the day actually came that the 15 year old stood proud as a brand new Chuunin of Konoha, his family and teachers could not be more proud of him. He and his teammates pushed each other extra hard to pass as a squad and managed to pull off the feat with little room to spare. As expected, Inoe had to be nearly dragged across that line, her Inuzuka father practically howling at her not to pass out in her fight, but she made it all the same. And that made their celebration afterwards all the sweeter. What they began as a team they finished as a team. Katsura did her best not to shed any tears in public while watching her son receive his green vest but in private she was the visage of a deeply proud mother. She could not let up once while privately talking with her husband at how impressed she was at the display of skills Shigeki had shown in every round. It was a testament to the combined efforts of everyone in his life that had thrown their hat in the ring of guiding and teaching and helping him. That high she rode in the wake of his victory gave her hope beyond hope that, in a few years time, she would again celebrate the graduation of Niwa and Yasuo. Time would certainly tell but Katsura chose optimism because she knew her children would never have the limits she or Shino did in an era when there was a good chance you would not live to see a Jounin promotion.

""How does it feel to not be their keeper anymore?"

"You should ask them instead what it's like to be responsible for themselves fully now. They know they can get any help they need from me still, no matter what it's with."

"Do you think it'll be this hard for Torune someday?"

"Yeah." Fuu pauses a moment. "But he knows that it is necessary. You can't keep em leashed forever, it's not right."

"Thank you for doing so much for them."

"I could say the same to all of them, for being a constant reminder that it'll never be that way again."

Shino watches as his wife and practically brother in law talk amongst themselves about life after you watch your kids leave the nest. He is not ready yet, fully, to see his brood off. But there will come a day when they will indeed be on their own. Though it will be a joyous day too as he is confident they'll be prepared for anything and he owes it to his brother and to Fuu for seeing to it. Shigeki. Niwa. Yasuo. Just teenagers now, a Chuunin and two Genin, but that would not be the case for long. He knows he will practically blink and be faced with the sight of a trio of Jounin before too long and that means they all might even become team leaders if that path suited them. Whatever they wanted to chase he was sure they would be able to succeed in. Even if that meant, ultimately, letting his kids out into the world fully on their own. Katsura caught his eyes from across the yard and a smirk found its way to her face. She, too, would have to be ready for that day.

~~~~~~

The first time Shino saw his oldest in that Chuunin vest, he could barely believe it. It took three attempts for Shigeki to pass those exams but the third and final time really was the lucky number. All of the celebrations that took place following his promotion were extremely well deserved. So when the day came years later that Shigeki was recommended to take the test to once again rank up...neither of his parents nor his siblings, themselves new Chuunin at the time, could believe it. Not because the young man wasn't skilled enough, oh no. More so it just felt like time has flown by way too fast and in the space of a blink he went from fresh Academy entrant to Konoha's next soon to be Jounin. Both of his teammates were also up for the test and as a team they would working to rank up together. Kiba, even more vocally excited for his daughter than expected, had invited Shino and Katsura out for a double date with him and Okami the night before the exam was to take place. It was a wonderful reunion between old teammates and friends and a perfect chance to pay homage to the growth both of their children had undergone in life.

"Hopefully they're able to ace this exam the first time through. I know that Shigeki was crestfallen for months after his second failure to try to become a Chuunin." Okami recounts. She's just a little bit tipsy, but thankfully still coherent.

"Even worse was how Niwa and Yasuo passed on their first try. He wouldn't look at either of them for a couple days after that success." Katsura added. She did feel bad for her son but he was simply prone to taking news like that hard by default.

"The look on his face must have really been something."

"You know how they made up afterwards?" She offers, dangling the unknown like a juicy carrot in front of a hungry rabbit. "They pulled him outside and showed him a new Summoning that Niwa had managed to acquire in the Forest of Death."

"Oh I don't know if I like where this is headed."

"Oh trust me, it gets worse. Well...worse for you. Sorry about that. Anyway. Poof of smoke goes up and there's this fuckoff huge centipede my daughter is standing on. Shigeki looks like he'd seen a ghost."

"Good gods, I can't imagine how she managed to pull that one off."

"Said she made a contract with it while doing her exam. Named it Big Tomo in honor of their pet when they were younger." At this she gets just a little sappy. "I've never been prouder of her or her brother than in that moment."

Okami has a shiver visibly shake through her whole body. She leans heavily against her husband who wraps an arm around her in order to remind her that no large creepy crawlies are going to get her here. When she has her bearings again, she pounds back another shot of sake and cuddles into Kiba further. This gives Katsura a good chuckle because tonight the alcohol is making the white haired woman extra cuddly and it's damn cute. She turns to look at Shino, the only one not indulging, and wonders what's on his mind. Tonight is their night to celebrate as adults do in honor of everything their children have achieved. Tomorrow there will be hangovers to nurse and an exam to get to. He wonders if Kurenai had this enjoyable of a night the evening before he and Kiba both took their shit at Jounin placement. As the enjoyer of fine alcohol she was, he was fairly confident that that was a likely happening.

"I can't fuckin' believe it though. Next thing you know the twins will be in the same position. That'll really make you feel old." Kiba, the most lost in the sauce but still stable enough so far, comments. He must be projecting just a bit.

"We're not only 40 right now." Shino fixes his glasses with two fingers. "I will not allow myself to succumb to the fear of aging and empty nest syndrome so soon."

"Never say never. Give it time and you'll be feeling the sting."

"Booooo. Terrible pun." Katsura jeers. It's all on good fun, no malice intended.

"I wasn't aware that you guys had become Kamizuru overnight." It's Kiba who's laughing now, head thrown back in disbelief.

"I don't need to be a bee to sting you." She prods his chest with one finger. Okami laughs at the interaction, knowing her husband has this coming. "But I don't think you want me to show you what I mean."

Both of his eyebrows shoot up, followed by a cursed smirk that exposes his prominent canines from behind his upper lip. The two of them last only a moment before laughing once more. The alcohol in their systems have made the world comfortably fuzzy and relaxed. Kiba is also grateful to have his wife sidled up against him because he absolutely will get clingy after enough booze has entered the equation. Shino may not be partaking but he is grateful that his loved ones are all having an excellent time. Tomorrow is a big day and it helps his nerves stay sane by taking this evening to revel with two people close with him and his wife. It's even more fitting that their kids share a team. In fact, it was particularly hilarious to Kiba because he took one look at that assignment with the addition of a Hyuuga and felt like they were looking into a mirror. Time moves on but patterns pop up in life like that that made one have to appreciate irony.

"Are you ready to welcome the next trio of Jounin to the village ranks tomorrow?" It's Okami who opens again.

"I am ready to watch the look on my son's face go from disbelief to euphoria, oh yes I am. Much better than seeing him bitter after his first Chuunin attempt was ruined by Naruto's dumbass son."

"I'm glad Inoe took that much easier than he did. I heard even Meisu was bummed for weeks."

"That is because they lost their chance to the age old tradition of people seeing these Exams as time to start trouble in Konoha. Just like when we were having our first go at it." Shino interjects. He will never forget how that time we t down. Two dead Kage and a huge mess. Horrible times those were.

"Won't happen again though. Nope." Katsura declares. She's had another glass of sake herself and is redder in the cheeks then before. "I'm willing this to be the normal time. No bullshit, not even bad weather."

That's some wishful thinking but Shino is hopeful this time that it will be the good luck charm that comes through. It would not due to have such an important event throttled by errant nonsense. Their kids had their futures on the line here and seeing them successful was all he could hope for. As he watched his wife, best friend, and Okami continue back and forth with their reveling he could not help but hope one day that, if his children chose a path like theirs for themselves, they too would have this much fun building the hype. To see your precious children soar like birds of prey on the breeze high above the world that could not ground them was surreal, incredible, and by far the most important emotion he had ever experienced in his life. There was a look shared then, between him and his wife, and he allowed his mouth to turn up into a smile at the corners.

"What's got you going, huh?" Her eyebrow cocks and she leans closer to figure out the answer.

"Something far more sentimental than I have any right to talk about right now."

She kisses his nose. "I'm sure it's not that bad. Go on, tell me. Please?"

"I am just proud of them is all. They have everything ahead of them and I cannot believe how fast that has come up on us."

"Believe it." Kiba chuckles. He's clearly being a clown again, and it's endearing.

"Does Lord Seventh know you stole his cheesy childhood catchphrase?"

"Just like he stole my hat and job."

For the millionth time that night, the two erupt in laughter. But unlike before, Shino joins them shortly after Okami does. The corny nature of their nostalgia may be obvious but it brings them all the joy in the world. And that is everything they want for their each other, their other loved ones, and their children for as long as humanly possible. Tonight, the depth of gratitude Shino has for his lot in life is fathomless.

[totally-original-artist]

Hey so uh about the pet au-

I just got the idea that demons can shapeshift a bit to make themselves smaller, bigger, and alter their animalistic features to present as another animal than what they truly are

Nearly all demons nowadays don't show the features they were born with and some will make themselves be an entirely different species just to fuck with their owners even if it isn't good for their biology (they don't get the right food or eat something they shouldn't (but that's super rare in itself and only appears in abusive homes))

If yours begins to trust you they will slowly let their actual features out as a sign of comfortability and some will shift themselves smaller (if it doesn't strain their body) for more cuddles (Mammon and Asmo)

Rehomed

word count: 1.3k

you? read it?? and wrote something?? for me??? 🥺👉👈

Ok but I really like this idea!! Beel being kept as a guard demon! He sees the way other people interact with their pets every morning, hugging and petting them, but his owners try not to touch him too much because of the wings he has. They're disgusted by them and even attempt to paint over it to make it look more 'beautiful', this breaks his heart so much. So Beel tries desperately to look more like a cat or dog, straining his body everyday and holding that appearance for hours. It doesn't take long for him to get ill, his body just can't handle being different from its original state for so long. But Beel still tries to push through, since the only time his owners genuinely smiled at him was when he looked cute. His sickness eventually leads to him being given away.

After you take him in he's still a little weary about turning back, and he doesn't want you to see his 'disgusting' side, so he keeps up the cute cat/dog look. You notice his health is declining and you frantically try to help him get well but you're not sure why he's sick. Beel slowly comes to see just how much you cared for him, he sees that you're terrified you might lose him. One day while you're just about to make a call to the local vet, Beel comes up to you. Curling up into a ball in your lap you see his facade slowly slip away, his animal ears disappearing and his tail too, replaced with a pair of shimmering, insect-like wings. He sighs, finally able to relax after so long and falls asleep against you. He didn't want to see the look on your face, he was too scared for that, but the fact that you didn't push him off immediately probably meant something good. You place a gentle hand on his head and watch him shrink a little to better fit on your lap. You didn't understand why he kept up that look for the past few days but you're glad he felt comfortable enough to be this close to you now.

~~~~~

Also, Lucifer being kept as a show pet for his beautiful black feathers and the gorgeous gem on his forehead but he hates his owners and just turns into a different bird (like say…a common pigeon). He loved seeing the look of shock on their faces, loved it when they whispered to each other about him. He didn't understand anything they said but it was clear it was getting to them and that's all that mattered. Eventually though, the shock turned to anger and he'd be punished; starved, isolated, and taken to multiple vet visits where he'd be poked and probed in an attempt to understand why he was 'acting up. So he'd stop. He'd stay as the beautiful little pet they bought just wishing for them to let him be.

By the time he comes to your home it's been engraved in his head that he had to stay obedient or he'd be punished. You watch as Lucifer behaves like a good little demon at your house. Doing exactly what he's told and even helping you with some small chores here and there. You notice though that he never really formed a bond with you, it felt more like he was some sort of soldier following your orders. One day he messes up, Lucifer feels the end of his shirt get stuck on something on a table and he pulls in an attempt to free it, but the table moves, knocking down the cup of water you had left on it. Lucifer's heart drops, he didn't want to be punished, he'd been so good so far how could he mess up now? He desperately runs and fetches the washcloth and wipes like his life depends on it, hoping that you hadn't heard anything but is quickly disproven. As he hears your footsteps approach he feels his heart race even more, he's terrified of what you might do if you found out he had screwed up but he didn't have time to clean it, so he flees. He runs to the storage room and stuffs himself under an old couch against the wall, his body shrinking to accommodate the space.

All you come back to is the fallen over cup with a wet washcloth next to it and the sound of a door being shut. It takes you a while to figure out what might've happened but once you realize you immediately head over to the storage room to check on Lucifer. You search for a few minutes before discovering a small silhouette under the old couch and find that it's Lucifer. How’d he get in there? It's such a small space. You try to reach for him but he just presses himself against the wall, completely overwhelmed by fear, but you didn't know that. By the time you realize that he wasn't just scared, he was scared of YOU, you could already hear him sniffling and feel crushed. You had caused this, this was your fault, and one way or another you were determined to fix it.

You try to lure him out with food, but you're not sure what his favorite is, Lucifer always ate whatever you gave him. But you wait there with a pizza bun and a small cup of water in hand, hoping he'd come out once he starts feeling hungry but hours pass and he's still stuck. You place both items down and go out for a while, maybe he'd come out to eat when you're not around? But he doesn't. You come back after a few hours to see the food and water untouched and you can't help but feel guilty. Were you really that terrifying? Did he not trust you anymore? Did he ever?

You spend the next hour trying to coax him out with praises and sweet words. Though he doesn't understand you, it's clear from your tone that you mean well, but seeing your hand reaching for him keeps reminding him of all the atrocities he had to endure in his previous home. Eventually you give up, feeling sleepy you decide to just sleep here just to keep an eye on Lucifer. Bringing out a camping mattress you lay down a few feet away from the couch and it doesn't take long for you to fall asleep.

Lucifer hesitantly takes a peek outside and is shocked to see that you're still there. He notices that you're fast asleep. What surprises him even more is seeing a small hot box next to you with a sticky note that had a badly drawn picture of him on it. Deciding he'd probably want a warm meal once he came out you left it there. Lucifer slowly crawls out of his hiding spot, feeling much braver now that you're sleeping. Curiosity gets the best of him and he opens the lunch box, instantly he's hit with a delicious smell. It was a meat dish and still really warm. Having not eaten for most of the day, Lucifer gratefully shoveled it all into his mouth, stopping occasionally when it felt too hot.

Once done with his meal he looks at you. He starts to wonder if you actually did care for him. Maybe he wouldn't be punished after all. You were clearly trying to look out for him, the meal for proof of that, and the fact that you had opted to sleep in this uncomfortably cramped space instead in the comfort of your own room just to stay with him. Lucifer feels himself tear up at the thought of being loved, it seemed like such an impossible concept but all signs led him to believe it, even if it's just a little.

The next day you wake up to a small bundle sleeping by your feet. The demon lay there holding the lunch box to his chest, you watch as he takes steady breaths, sleeping peacefully. You couldn't help the small smile that formed on your face at the sight. Sure the day he fully trusted you was probably far away, but you were more than willing to wait for it.

[showrunnerihardlyknowher]

Okay but imagine a fantasy!au with a fairy!Jacob and Edix,whose still a catboy because he’s perfect the way he is.

Fairy!Jacob would have gotten separated from his nomadic village somehow,and after searching through the forest for a few hours,Jacob feels a pair of eyes watching him from somewhere,and the forest is too quiet for it to be his friends and family.After flying blindly to avoid whatever is stalking him,a giant figure appears out of nowhere and grabs him out of the air.

Edix stares at the flying thing in his hands that had really set off his hunting instincts and notices that it’s not a bird,but a (surprisingly cute) tiny man,with a pair of insect wings that were definitely not supposed to be bent and folded like that.

oh yeah, let's answer this prompt, she said to herself, it'll be a nice easy ficlet to tide me over until i can start working on my november schedule again!

7.3K words and 14 pages later, finished at 12:36am

--

Well, Jacob was fucked.

Although, to be fair, when wasn’t he? The fuckage typically ranged from being mildly inconvenienced when the magic he was trying to practice fizzled away mid spell to being royally screwed when he had caught the ire of a woodland creature who saw fit to corner him with its blunt teeth bared. Usually, he was always able to count on someone else intervening just in the nick of time to save his hide, though not without complaints. They varied from light jabs to icy glares depending on who had to clean up his mess. It wasn’t his fault that even now, nearly two decades later, he was still...well, awful at magic! That was the consequence of stealing a human away to be replaced with a changeling, even if the swap occurred during infancy. A human was still a human and no amount of spell casting and magical binding would change the fact that the species was wholly inept at being able to properly channel the mystical energies that came naturally to fae.

Nature versus nurture, Camellia had told him once, just because it’s harder to learn for you doesn’t make it impossible!

Granted, she was the very same fae who loved to watch him bumbling along through a spell until it ended in disaster before pointing out the obvious mistake he made twenty minutes prior, so perhaps she wasn’t the best influence to rely on. In the same vein, she was also one of the few fae who put up with his nonsense on a near daily basis with no complaint. He needed to be grateful for who he had in his very limited inner circle of support, which was a whopping number of two. Cam critiqued and ultimately taught through hands-on mistakes, but Angie defended him when others grew too irritated by his incompetence. Being a stolen child herself, it was a feeling she could relate to, the difference being she learned early on that a hex wouldn’t be able to hold any power over her if the speaker had all their teeth knocked out by her sucker punch prior.

And right now, Jacob was really, really wishing he had one of them here with him now...wherever “here” was.

It had been a stupid training exercise and he knew it was a stupid training exercise, but did he do it anyways? Yes, because he was a people pleaser and was way too eager to help when another fae foolishly asked him for help. It was a relatively simple task for any experienced fae, but for Jacob it might as well have been a suicide mission. It required him to fly deep within the forest, unaccompanied, and gather a small amount of material before navigating back to the colony.

The first issue arose with the fact that Jacob had zero sense of direction, trees and wildlife blending together whereas Cam was able to pick out every individual tree he would have passed eight times. The second was that he needed to go alone, which meant not only did he not have someone else to act as his navigator, it meant he also did not have anyone to act as his babysitter for lack of better words. He was easy prey, as he had been told many times over, both to animals and nefarious hunters. But he had simply been so blindly excited at the chance to prove himself as just a little bit useful to the colony, he was willing to ignore these pitfalls.

Even more surprisingly, the task was finished without a single mishap on Jacob’s part! It was a damn miracle, even taking himself by surprise with his lack of stupid mistakes. He had taken every precaution he could think of: he tagged the trees with a shimmering dust as a way to lead him back home, he ingrained every detail of every colorful plant he saw to ensure he would recognize it if he someone got off the path, he mentally chanted his list of materials so he wouldn’t forget a single one, even going so far as bring a remembrance charm to reference what each material looked like so that he didn’t grab the wrong one by accident. It was a pain in the ass, but it was foolproof, and it worked!

Unfortunately, he didn’t account for the afternoon storm that rolled in unannounced just after he had finished his collecting. Well, that wasn’t true, the storm had been hanging heavy in the air in the hours it took Jacob to find the exact location he was meant to do his foraging and subsequent gathering, it just wasn’t until he was ready to turn tail did it decide to unleash its fury. Had he been skilled enough to feel the static charging through the sky, he might have been able to redirect its path just enough to stay dry on the way home, holding off most of the drizzle until he was back in the burrow. But he wasn’t, so he didn’t, and as a result the storm came hard and heavy, leaving him little time to seek temporary shelter before he was thoroughly soaked.

He wasn’t stupid enough to attempt to fly through a thunderstorm, the heat of the summer making it twice as dangerous with the threat of lightening hanging overhead. The fat raindrops would have easily battered his body in bruises with how aggressive they poured down, a mistake he’s admittedly made several times throughout his life. Wings dampened with constant rainfall never would have been able to hold him up the entire trip home, regardless. Essentially, he would have been pelted into the muddy forest floor and risk being washed away or trampled by hurrying creatures also seeking shelter.

This was fine, though. No biggie. He had been able to stay dry enough in the tree knot he flitted into and the materials he had worked so hard to gather were still intact. As soon as the rain cleared, he could continue on his way.

Except when the rain did clear over two hours later, so had everything Jacob was relying on as unofficial breadcrumbs. The wind and rain had effectively washed away any trace of the glittering markers he used on the trees, not that he was sure they’d be much help at this point with the overcast still darkening the sky. The flowers he had so carefully memorized were also not as they had been this morning, soggy and dropping with various amounts of leaves and petals blown off in the storm. He tried his best to keep the sinking feeling of anxiety at bay as much as he could in these circumstances, but he knew it was a moot point. Even if it should have been a straight shot right back to his colony, he had no idea which direction that path actually pointed. Maybe if he hadn’t darted around like a nectar-drunk hummingbird while trying to avoid taking any serious damage in the beginnings of the storm, he might have remembered which orientation he was originally facing to be able to backtrack.

Which left Jacob here, more or less stranded in an unfamiliar part of the forest with no aid as far as he could tell. He had been out alone before, but never this far, just the same as he had been out equally as far with company, but never alone. This created a very unfortunate circumstance given that he didn’t know if it was better to stay put or attempt to venture back home, each with equal pros and cons in his mind. In the end, he decided to brave the trek back to the safety of his colony while he still had dimming sunlight to spare, hoping beyond hope maybe to unlock some dormant magic within him that suddenly granted him the ability to locate the magic radiating from the burrow.

So far, he wasn’t doing splendidly, and as the sun began to lower even beyond the clouds, he felt his resolve following suit. He was exhausted from flying non stop, but resting was too dangerous should he risk wasting any more precious sunlight. Every now and then he would call out, both to the colony in general or to Cam and Angie, in the hopes someone would hear his cries. When the skittering of critters and hooting of owls started to become more frequent, however, he thought it best to stop lest he attract the attention of something nocturnal and hungry. His only remaining hope now was that perhaps someone was already out searching for him as well given how long it’s been since he left on the task, even if he hadn’t been delayed by the storm. If nothing else, surely his friends were worried for his safety knowing his tendency to do poorly when it came to severe weather and directions. They wouldn’t trust him on his own, would they? He certainly didn’t.

The cold realization that no one might be searching for him made his heart sink further. Yeah, he was kind of a pain in the grand scheme of things, but he technically belonged to the colony as part of their changeling swap. They wouldn’t just leave him, right? They wouldn’t have purposely led him astray, right? No. He was getting too deep in his own anxieties again, thinking only of the worse instead of the facts. Like the fact that he was absolutely, without a doubt, lost in the muddy woods with no help. That was plenty about to worry on its own, no need to drag his self worth down with it.

Taking a deep breath, Jacob tried to steady his nerves while taking another turn past a tree he was only vaguely certain he passed once before (but was it because he passed it going in circles, or did he pass it when he left the colony? Was he potentially getting close?) yet no matter how hard he tried to calm his heart, it continued to speed up. Occasionally, the hairs on the back of his neck would send a prickle down his spine, and every time he turned around he would be met with neverending trees on a soggy landscape. Maybe...that was a good thing. Maybe it meant he was finally starting to sense something. What was he sensing, Jacob hadn’t the faintest idea, but he was certain by the twist in his gut that it wasn’t good.

So when he turned around for the seventh time to get a read on what was making his instincts go haywire, he knew the eyes shining back at him from the treeline was not something he wanted to fuck around with.

The surprise to see them at all was enough of a fright on its own, but to now have the knowledge he was locked in something’s sight made his blood run cold. They weren’t yellow like an owl’s or any bird of prey he knew, instead a rich green like a field twinkling with morning dew. It was a pretty color, admittedly, only it was a shame Jacob didn’t stick around to admire them as he turned around with a yelp to fly as far and as fast as he could in the opposite direction of those eyes. Much to his dismay, his seeker decided to follow in pursuit, at least that’s what he was assuming based on the sound of foliage crunching behind him at an alarming frequency. He zigged and zagged wildly as one of the survival techniques that had been drilled into his head since he was a child, a good way to avoid any lunging nets or mouths. In the back of his mind, he knew he was only hurting his chances of finding a somewhat straight path home with his unruly changes in direction, but that was a problem for future Jacob. Current Jacob was too busy flying for his fucking life to be bothered by the schematics of how he would return to the burrow after his escape.

As it turned out, future Jacob would never need to worry about what to do post escape as nimble digits were quick to surround him, crushing him against a warm palm as they closed him into a fist. He cried out, more so because the action squeezed out all the air in his lungs. The burning in his throat was not helped by the rush of bile he swallowed back down, trying to gulp in as much air as possible given the constraints against his hammering chest. Naturally, he tried to squirm within the hold, but he was quick to realize the hand that had snagged him refused to budge under his tiny struggles. With his arms pinned to his sides and his vision still clearing, he was powerless as the being pulled its limb back to turn him around and force him to face his assailant.

And of course, of fucking course, it had to be a cat.

Not a normal cat either, because that would be too easy, but a cat...person? He wasn’t really sure of the term they used, namely because he didn’t know much about them beyond that they were the combination of two very dangerous species and should be avoided at all cost. Granted, there were many dangerous species that should be avoided at all costs when you only stood the height of a frog and flew around like an insect, but at least fae had the advantage of magic and trickery on their side. Most fae, anyways. Not Jacob.

It was a little unnerving to watch as the slitted pupil in those emerald eyes expanded back to a larger width as the cat looked him over. It...they? he? would have been quite nice to look at from a safe distance far, far out of reach, the sharp features of lean muscles contrasting nicely to the soft, dark curls that framed his face, but it was the expression that was resting on said face that made Jacob tremble twice as bad. It was blank, totally void of any readable emotion he could have tried to use to his advantage to weasel his way out of this. The cat didn’t look happy, or annoyed, or hungry (as far as he could tell hopefully), just...unimpressed. He wasn’t even sure he caught the subtle changes of him quirking an eyebrow and tilting his head a fraction to the left as it continued to give his shaking form another glance.

“You’re not a bird,” the other said.

Yes. That was correct. Jacob was very much not a bird which cats were known to love to chase and hunt and kill and eat. Therefore, Jacob should not be subjected to any of those things, thank you.

It took a few attempts to make his throat constrict in a way that made the appropriate noises he wanted, but eventually he was able to squeak out his own affirmation. “N-no, I’m...I’m not.”

The cat hummed and Jacob felt his world skew in several dizzying directions as he rotated his hand around to a full look at every visible part of him that wasn’t concealed by his hand. The tan skin felt unnaturally hot, overheating his own clammy touch quickly which only served to worsen the nausea forced upon him. He wanted to shout out at him to stop before he lost the battle of keeping down the bile that still burned in his stomach, but thankfully the other did before he had to fight to speak up.

“Why are you out here? I thought fairies didn’t bode well in storms,” he said, seeming to finally have his fill of scrutinizing every detail of Jacob’s miniature stature. For now.

He gulped. Now that he was back to an upright orientation, he found it difficult to maintain eye contact with someone so intimidating. He could typically handle it in social interactions, even if he was being chewed out by someone for destroying half of their flower bed by accident. This was an entirely different ballpark, not only being glared down at by someone ten times his size, but someone who quite literally held his life in his hand. One wrong move, one wrong answer, and Jacob could be hacking up entrails as opposed to casting anymore spells. The mental image of choking on his own intestines as they were forced into his throat by a mere squeeze was enough to dash any bright idea of lying to get out of the situation faster. If he satisfied the cat’s insistent curiosity, maybe it would let him go.

“We don’t, I-I don’t,” he mended, not wanting to endanger anybody from poorly phrased words. Fae might be clever with their tricky bindings hidden in simple statements, but Jacob was never quick witted enough to catch someone in a contract on the fly. He wriggled his shoulders again as best as he could, uncomfortable beyond belief. “I-I was just running an...an errand. F-for a friend. I’m t-trying to get home if y-you could please let me...go?”

The last word of his request was a pitiful squeak, but he hoped the message was clear that he truly and honestly just wanted to go home. Nothing wicked or scheming, just a stupid, lost boy. The cat only furrowed his brow in response which made Jacob’s heart stutter.

“There’s no fae clans around here. Where exactly is your home?” he asked.

Oh no, Jacob was definitely not giving that information. Catching a fae could already grant a person a small fortune of power if done right, the possibilities were endless with a whole colony enslaved to a single master.

“That...is n-none of your concern,” Jacob forced out, trying to sound firm with conviction, though his eye contact still wavered with uncertainty.

Mercifully, the cat did not seem put off by his attempt at authority. Perhaps the other already knew it held all the power here and that Jacob was utterly screwed, because it tried a new tactic instead.

“What’s your name?”

“You can’t have it,” he was quick to bite out. Now that was a trick he was plenty familiar with, one he wouldn’t let the other try to turn against him.

The cat only rolled his eyes. “It was just a question, goodness. My name is Edix, because I’m polite and like to give people the ability to call me something.”

Well now it was Jacob’s turn to give him an incrediously expression because who in the fuck willingly gives up their name to fae!? Then again, it could be a fake name, a nickname even, but Jacob didn’t feel too confident betting solely on that fact. He was not going to be deterred against this potential slip up, not even to counter the unsaid insult that Jacob was being what was considered rude to the other.

“Let me go, Edix,” he said again, his voice coming out surprisingly strong. It was amazing what adrenaline will do to the nerves when they physically cannot move under the cat’s oppressive grip.

He appeared to consider this. “If I let you go, will you fly away?”

Fucking obviously. “...no,” Jacob lied. Edix wanted something from him, evidently, enough that he wanted the fae to stay longer than Jacob wanted to. After a moment of a silent stare off, one that Jacob felt himself on the verge of losing if those unblinking eyes didn’t stop trying to glare into his very soul, the grip around him slacked and the wrist tilted back so that he was partly laying down in an open hand. Open was still open anyhow, and without hesitation, Jacob sprang up and leapt off the palm with his wings flittering at mach seven to get him the hell out of here before the cat pounced on him again.

Except, the strangest thing happened. Rather than shooting straight ahead and disappearing into the treeline, hopefully camouflaging himself amongst the shrubbery with his green long sleeve shirt and brown pants, he instead felt himself continue to drop down to the ground. The speed from the freefall alone made his stomach flip uncomfortably, but the added fact that no matter how hard he buzzed his wings that he couldn’t go up, made every muscle clench with fear. The ground was rapidly approaching now and Jacob tried to flap his wings with all his might, the one thing he could do right by fae standards. With nothing else to keep him afloat, all he could do was brace for the brutal impact with the mud below, wondering if he would splatter upon landing or if the softened ground would allow him to lie in agony until the cat decided to finish him off.

With an oomph, Jacob found that he had, in fact, not crashed into anything cold or wet or bone crushing. The wind was still knocked out of him once again, enough that the sudden rush of going up like he had originally wanted had little effect as he gasped deeply for a second time. The surface under him was soft and burning to the touch, an all too familiar hold he had escaped a moment prior. Perhaps he should revisit the idea that this new ground wasn’t bone crushing like he had thought…

“Shit…” he heard Edix mutter, his voice rumbling around him just as the thunder had earlier in the day. Jacob screwed his eyes shut tight and tried to hold back as much as a whimper as he could, though it still slipped out. He fucked up. He didn’t know how he fucked up this bad, but there was no getting out of the mess he created now. Due to the angle of his fall, he was laying flat on his stomach with his back facing the cat, a stupid decision in the obvious predator and prey dynamic they had between them, but not one that he felt he had the strength to correct at this given moment. His stomach still hurt from the impact even if it had been softened, diaphragm sending an ache through his core with each labored breath.

A pressure settled between his shoulder blades and Jacob tensed, another whine caught in his throat that sneaked out when he grit his teeth. He could only assume the weight was from a finger pressing down along his spine, holding back the strength it would barely need to exert to completely paralyze him from the neck down. Or, he realized with sickening hyperawareness at the claws adorning the tip of each digit lightly caging him in, one quick swipe down his flesh could easily have the whole column exposed, ready to be plucked out like a stubborn splinter.

“Sh-sh-sh, it’s okay, just don’t move,” Edix crooned and Jacob listened, if only to prevent his death from being any more gruesome than it needed to be. After all, what else could the cat have in store for him? He didn’t give him his name, he didn’t tell him where the colony was, he lied and tried to flee, of course the other was going to put him through hell for those transgressions. Furthermore, he was still a cat, hybrid or not, and cats have always been well known to play with their food.

Jacob couldn’t help it though when he felt the touch move off of his back and towards the base of his left wing, the light touch of his nail sending a tingle sensation through his entire being. His eyes snapped open and with a yelp, he jolted to push himself up and far away as he could physically manage. Sadly for him, that wasn’t very far given the wobbling of his arms. “Wh-what are you doing!?” He gasped.

His sudden movement shook the finger away from his wing thankfully, but only a second later it returned to trace along the delicate film. “I’m just looking at your wing, it’s okay.”

It was not okay. Jacob was not okay with that idea in the slightest. He understood now what the other was trying to do; he wanted to rip off his wings for...one reason or another. To prolong his suffering, maybe, or to use them as ingredients in an unethical potion. There were several reasons people liked to rip off the wings of fairies, much like any other flying creature. Because they were pretty to display, because they were useful in a spell, because it hindered any escape. No way, he refused to let himself be subjected to such a fate, not when his wings were the only thing he truly had to tie him to his fae culture. He may not be able to grow a sapling to save his life, but he loved to fly!

“N-no, no! Let go!” he started to flail his thin limbs in an effort to gain some footing against the shifting hand trying to ensnare him again, “Let go! D-don’t take my wings!”

The poor little fae was roughly pushed back down against Edix’s palm again, the thumb of the same hand moving to curve over him and settling squarely against his back just as the finger had done previously. He was immobilized in a matter of seconds, unable to turn himself over or wiggle out from under the digit. With a strangled sobb, he focused all of his strength into his arms to push against the hold and be able to sit up, but naturally, it failed to make the other budge an inch. He let his arms crash down around him and dug his nails into the thick skin of Edix’s hand in an attempt to draw blood and make him let go through stinging pain. That, too, had zero effect, much to Jacob’s dismay.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Edix tried to soothe again while rubbing the thumb that pinned him down back and forth, “I’m not going to take them. I’m just trying to help.”

“Let me go…” Jacob sobbed again, letting the tears that had been steadily clouding his vision run down his cheeks. This would be the perfect time for Angie or Cam or the entire colony to come bursting from the trees to rescue him, any minute now. Please.

The strange touch returned to stroke against his wing, tracing near the sensitive base of where skin met dazzling chiten before thinning out into slender, translucent dragonfly wings. It was an unpleasant feeling only in the sense that Jacob hated the anticipation of what was going to happen to his beloved wings, though the touch itself wasn’t outright painful.

“Does that hurt?”

Jacob didn’t respond, opting to clamp down on his tongue to prevent egging the cat on in his search for validation. He didn’t want to lie again and risk any more punishment that was coming to him, but he also didn’t want to prompt him into upping his tactics to inflict actual damage. His silence was only met with more rubbing against his back.

“C’mon, honey,” Edix cooed encouragingly and Jacob tried not to heave at the sugary sweet nickname, “I’m not trying to hurt you, I need to know if touching your wing causes pain.”

He didn’t trust his voice to be anything but a choked cry should he open his mouth, so Jacob reluctantly settled for shaking his head once. Well, if he was going to lose his wings anyways, at least it wouldn’t be too painful of a procedure anyways depending on how deeply Edix tried to yank them out. Jacob just wanted this whole ordeal to be over, mutilation or none. The faster this was over, the faster he could get on with his next life that might reincarnate him into an actual fae.

“Really? You can’t feel anything?” If he wasn’t mistaken, it almost sounded like there was a hint of concern in Edix’s words. Probably because it meant he wouldn’t be able to have all the fun he was originally planning.

“I...I,” Jacob hiccuped, sniffling down a few more cries before they could tumble out, “I c-can...I can f-feel i-it.”

“But it doesn’t hurt.” The cat confirmed with a sigh and Jacob nodded. “Okay, that’s good, I guess. It means they’re not broken too badly then.”

“Br...broken?”

Jacob had no idea what Edix was talking about. Nothing felt broken. He fluttered his wings experimentally, though they weren’t able to full touch with Edix’s thumb between his shoulders. He tried to turn his head, eyes shining with tears that had come to a stop in his perplexion. Given the angle and the cat’s refusal to let him turn around fully, he wasn’t able to see his wings from where they were blocked from view no matter how hard he tried to splay them out.

“What d-do you mean?” he asked. “Wh-what’s broken?”

He glanced up, barely catching Edix’s expression out of her peripheral that twisted into something of a grimace. “Well, maybe not broken...I don’t see any tears, anyways.” His finger touched the left wing in question again and realization began to sink its claws into Jacob’s heart.

“What’s wrong? Wh-what did you do?”

“Your wing is, uh...bent.”

His wing should not be anything but straight, so hearing that it was sitting at a crooked angle was news to Jacob. It must have been why he wasn’t able to fly early. But he clearly had no problem going from point A to point B all throughout the day, so why had the injury suddenly occurred at what could only be described at the worst time imaginable? The only logical explanation would be that it happened sometime during the initial interrogation when Edix caught him, though he didn’t recall being physically hurt beyond the discomfort from his tight grip...oh. Oh.

“Y-you…” Jacob was shaking again, his fear renewed now that he had confirmation the cat was out to hurt him. “You broke m-my wing…”

Jacob wished he could see the expression the cat was making, if he was making one at all as that stony glare seemed to be his natural facade. He just wanted to be able to judge where these revelations would be leading them in the near future--if Edix had successfully worked up an appetite or if he was only getting started.

“...yeah,” he admitted with another sigh, “I think I did.”

On one hand, he didn’t sound giddy with excitement, but on the other hand, he was admitting he was the one at fault which, by Jacob’s standards, meant he was admitting he would be doing it again. He knew the cat must be able to feel his heart rabbiting against his chest as he started to hyperventilate. However, he wasn’t expecting to be shushed again, like he was supposed to be comforted by all things in the midst of this.

“Hey, listen, it’s okay, I can fix this.” Edix said, finally removing his thumb off of Jacob’s back. The fae didn’t have a chance to move an inch as the hand cradling him was already turning him around so he could face the other. His free hand that had been poking and prodding his injured wing came up to cup behind him, hovering but mindful not to touch the evidently fragile film of his wings. “Okay, well, I can’t fix this, but I know someone who can.”

The way he pursed his lips in afterthought did not do anything to quell the anxiety that gnawed ravenously at his insides. “...maybe, anyways. She knows a lot about tiny things like you, she could probably figure something out.”

That was probably supposed to be something akin to reassurance, but Jacob only felt his heart drop further into his twisted guts. So now he was meant to be handed over and experimented on!? For what? It wasn’t like the cat felt sorry for his actions, did he? Of course not, he was probably the type of feline that had more fun in the chase than the actual capture and merely wanted to return Jacob to full working order to prolong the fun before having himself a snack. It was only when Edix took a step forward was Jacob able to break free from his terrified stupor, frantically shaking his head and flinching away from the hands around him like he was being suddenly burned by their touch alone.

“No!” he yelled, stopping Edix in his tracks who tilted his head to the side again.

“No?”

“No, no, I don’t want to go,” the words were tumbling out of his mouth as quick as his heart was racing. His eyes, wide and shining with unshed tears darted around for any feasible escape that wouldn’t lead to his immediate capture and/or death. “I don’t want to go, I-I, I want to go home, let me g-go home--”

“Okay, easy now, calm down,” Edix’s gentle command had the complete opposite effect on the fae, leading him to brace a thumb across the little one’s midsection to keep him from doing anything too rash. He stilled almost immediately when the touch made contact, but he was quick to regain his senses and start fighting against the hold to no avail. Obviously, the poor thing was locked in a fight or flight response, both of which were impossible to act upon thanks to Edix.

He sighed for the millionth time. “Listen,” he tried, “if you want to go home then you need to tell me where it is because you aren’t making it back on your own like this. Otherwise, we’re going to Ylva’s place and she’s going to fix you up so you fly back on your own. Those are your options.”

They were not his options if Jacob could help it. He couldn’t help it very much, but it wasn’t going to be for lack of trying on his part. Bundling up all of his jittery courage as he could, he focused the budding indignance for this situation in what he hoped was a halfway convincing glare. He doubted that it was anywhere near as threatening as the one the cat wore so easily, but it was all he could manage with his shuddering breathing and tear damp cheeks.

“Let me go,” Jacob said slowly as to keep his words from wobbling too much, “or I’ll curse you.”

So much for not lying anymore to keep from making his impromptu kidnapping any worse than it was already going. If he had been a wooden puppet, his nose would surely be stabbed within Edix’s chest with the boldness of that entirely false promise. Jacob couldn’t even manage to sweet talk the petals of a weed into bloom half the time, let alone to any damage to someone through the powers of magic. Quite frankly, he never wanted to learn how to do those types of attacks, even though Cam insisted they would be for his own protection. If only she knew how much he regretted not taking her up on her offer now. Even Angie’s offer of learning how to chuck a sharpened porcupine quill into an enemy’s eye was sounding incredibly appealing.

Despite his best attempts at appearing high and mighty in the realms of magic, Edix did not appear phased by the threat that would normally have others clamping their mouths shut and scurrying out of fae territory. The cat instead narrowed his eyes in challenge and regarded him with the same tempered patience as a parent with an unruly child.

“Okay. Do it then.”

...that wasn’t the answer Jacob had been hoping for. Realistically, Jacob had been hoping for an apology before he left forever, for his wing to suddenly be healed, and for his friends to come take him home where he would never have to interact with this terrifying creature for the remainder of his life. Well, maybe that wasn’t wholly realistic, but he was at least hoping it would have made the other back off to some degree! Instead, his bluff was immediately called and the fae had no tricks up his sleeve to pad out the threat enough to make Edix reconsider.

He tried to hold out on the staring contest that was going on between them to make Edix crack first, but that simply wasn’t happening. All the cat had to do was raise an eyebrow during the uncomfortable stretch of silence as an unsaid well? and Jacob was a trembling mess all over again. Not only did he have the bitter feelings of anger and terror pooling in his stomach, he was also given the bonus unpleasantness of his cheeks burning with shame that he was unable to fulfil his promise, caught in a lie as soon as he said it. Was he really that pathetic that the other could tell he was no match no matter what bravado he tried to sell?

“Mm. That’s what I thought.”

“I could,” Jacob snapped.

“How?” Edix said with a light poke to the little one’s cheek with his knuckle, wiping away some of the wetness that remained. “You haven’t got any magic in you.”

“How do...th-that’s not true,” he tried to defend, cutting himself off before he foolishly admitted straight away that the cat was right. This could also be a bluff, a much better one, but one he should still take with a grain of salt. He grimaced and pushed the hovering finger away in favor of scrubbing his face dry with his sleeve to the best of his ability. It was only for a second, but he could have sworn he saw the corners of Edix’s lips twitch up at the display, like he thought it was cute. Gross.

The finger did move away, but not before Edix playfully tapped the top of Jacob’s head. “You don’t have any magic in you, not naturally anyways. Just kind of sprinkled over you. The scent is way too faint to have any real use.”

“You can smell magic?” Jacob wasn’t sure just how much he believed that, but it was better than the alternative that Edix knew he was lying right off the bat because he thought the fae was too pitiful to dole out any damage in the first place.

Edix shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, all venandi can.”

“What’s a ven-an-di?”

“Me,” he said, like it was the most obvious thing ever. To other creatures of the natural world, maybe it was, but as it was stated Jacob was not born into this world and thus had very limited knowledge. He didn’t know if venandi was the name of this cat species as a whole or just Edix particularly and wasn’t sure he wanted to find out lest he get himself tongue tied into something he couldn’t talk himself out of.

So instead, like the genius he was, he decided to blurt out the first thing that came to mind which was, “what do I smell like, then?”

Edix grinned and before Jacob registered the weight of his own request, the hands were pulling him too close for comfort towards the cat’s face. Despite his protesting squeaks, the fae was soon subjected to a nose pressing itself eagerly into the crook of his neck with a deep inhale. The body heat mixed with the soft puffs of warm breath over his body was enough to make him sweat, yet all he could do was shiver when the nose proceeded to rub against the fluttering pulse of his throat and down to his sternum. Each exhale was punctuated by a rumbling that worsened Jacob’s shaking purely because of the vibrations running through him as a result. If the deafening purrs weren’t enough, then the smile he felt widen against his stomach was all the proof he needed that Edix was thoroughly enjoying himself.

And yet another example of why he was such a pisspoor fae, he couldn’t even word his own questions right to keep himself safe. He whimpered when Edix moved to nose at the brown locks on top of his head, warm lips brushing against his cheek. The knowledge that behind the somewhat innocent smile were pointed fangs ready to sink into his flesh made him squirm to push the intruding face away at last. Edix obliged his physical plea to stop, snickering as he pulled back to see the burning bright red from head to toe.

“Honeysuckle.”

The fae swallowed thickly as he regained a modum of composure, “H-huh?”

“You asked what you smell like. Honeysuckle.” Edix hummed in thought, the grin on his face splitting open to reveal the fangs Jacob had fretted about seconds ago as a devious idea came to mind. “I wonder if you taste like honeysuckle, too?”

The color that had tinted Jacob’s cheeks drained absurdly fast at the mention of being sampled, a littering of freckles standing out against the newly paled skin that Edix had never noticed until the fae was inches from his face. The fear stricken expression made the cat laugh again, but Jacob couldn’t find it in him to get huffy about his legitimate fears of being consumed being played off as a joke, not when those teeth were still so close to nipping his flesh.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding…” the cat relented.

Except he wasn’t kidding when he let a beat of silence lower Jacob’s guard just enough to dart forward and swipe his tongue up the little thing’s cheek and through his hair.

Jacob let out a very unflattering squeal, a mixture of terror and disgust that came with the fact he had just been licked of all things. Thankfully, the partly coarse tongue meant it wasn’t saturated in saliva, but that didn’t stop him from trying to wipe the feeling off of him like he would wipe it from his memory all the same. Fucking hell, that was gross. Would only be worse if the mouth was still dripping with the blood and viscera of Jacob’s remains after he chomped him down in two bites.

Now, Edix seemed to have had his fun in giving Jacob as many heart attacks as he could in a single setting, cooing in mock disappointment as the fae tried to wipe off the remnants of his markings. “Oh, it wasn’t that bad.”

“I don’t like that,” Jacob shot back with a shiver.

“Well, if you do anything often enough, you get used to it,” at last, Edix lowered his hands a respectable distance away from his face to give Jacob some breathing room, “Just throwing that out there.”

Jacob shifted around between his hands, uncomfortable at the notion this would potentially be a reoccurring thing. How long would these teasing tastes last before the hunger overtook? Was he simply going to be a snack for the road, something to lick and suck on like a candy before he was eventually chewed up? The cat must have noticed his creeping anxieties because he rubbed his thumb against the cheek he had just licked, as if he was trying to help rub away the feeling of unease he caused, Jacob let him, only because he found he didn’t have much strength left to consistently fight the other over everything. In the end, Edix was always going to get his way.

“It’s just a day’s trip away, I promise,” Edix spoke up, suddenly reminding Jacob of the conundrum he was in in the first place. His wing, getting it fixed, the ‘friend’ who would either end up doing more harm than good or making him right as rain. “We’ll get you back home before you know it.”

Jacob very much doubted that.

[yandere-wishes]

MONSTERS

👹 Yandere Ryomen Sukuna x Reader

👹Summary: Monsters aren’t born they're made, but Sukuna stumbles across the rare exception...

👹Warning: dehumanization, mention of gore, blood, slight dub-con mentioned in passing, death, past trauma, and abuse

👹 Edited: By the lovely @tealyjade-libran !

👹 Wordcount: 2,480

👹Alternative Tittle : If Roxanne ( from the Police song) lived in ancient Japan.

👹First Jujutsu kaisen fic! I hope you guys like it, please let me know your thoughts! Likes and reblogs appreciated!

Monsters were made. 

Slowly created as once blazing ideals, withered and died under harsh strokes of reality. Stitched together with broken promises and the ashes of rotting memories. 

Monsters were made

whisked into a role they once dreaded, once feared. Beaten into the role of the villain, the reprobate, the sinner. 

If anyone ever asked Sukuna when was the exact moment he turned his back on the laws of "good" and "evil", shedding his human skin to regrow a pelt of hate and destruction,

He would simply answer, "Never".

Because skin is skin no matter how much it decays. Even if the epidermis turns into a rotting orange shade, littered with eyeballs and teeth that shouldn't grow there.Even if the blood from all those he's slain has finally stained his dermis, tainting it in a permanent crimson that all the waters of Lake Biwa could never wash off. Even if his hypodermis is no longer made of fatty tissue but rather spiritual energy sucked from the atmosphere. It's still skin, the same old skin he was born with.

Sukuna had never shed his skin, he'd only perfected it, enhanced it, molded it into its perfect form, until he was no longer held back by foolish human limitations.

He'd never been "reborn" only recreated; only perfected. 

Spike, talon and teeth covered arms sprouting from oozing, bleeding scars, charred over by begriming infections that burned worse than the strikes he'd endured as a child. Knuckles and bones cracking over and over and over again until they grew as solid as the rocks that were thrown at him when he was all too little to understand the malice behind the insults and threats. Breaking until they could break no more, until they'd become strong enough to split a boulder with a mere flick.

There had come a time when he'd given up licking his wounds, leaving them to be kissed by the mold-covered worms who left an urticating sensation he'd soon come to associate with victory. Rotting flesh growing covered in thick layers of black tar tattoos that hid every cut he'd endured when he'd once been too weak. 

Monsters were created from quarter truths buried neck-deep in fables that snipped like red-eyed scorpions. 

Until the blood dancing through their veins was as black as the void they now called home. 

Sukuna knew the exact moment he realized he was a monster. The day he realized he liked the crunch of skulls beneath his feet, the pitiful spark in mortified eyes staring at the heavens for a scrap of mercy. Mangled mouths barely held together by fractured jaw bones, uttering prayers and pleas that died in the scorching air. 

Sukuna knew he was an abnormality, patched together by broken heirlooms and shattered family traditions. Sitting on a throne made from skulls of those who thought they could ever kill him. 

You can't kill a monster, for you can not kill that which was never born. 

You can't slay something made from good intentions with malevolent methods, something so vile that it might actually be pure. At the end of the day, no monster really admits that it is a monster, a nightmare that should have never existed. 

Yet...

Tattered hearts and cruel orbs are never quite enough. No monster is complete until they dive off that last edge, plummet into the sea of nothingness, and finally, finally break their souls on the spiked soil. Monsters, spirits, curses any malicious being that had been mended together like a half-done ragdoll was not complete until they truly let go. Until they erased all the former humanity that they had been born with. Until their eyes reflected nothing, no emotions, no malice, no want, no need. Just the absolute emptiness. 

The void in all its glory.

that was the symbol, the true markings of a real monstrosity. The void that took over their existence, that had replaced every inch of their former self. Only then could it be said that you were above all other beings, the true perfection of this world. 

There are worse things created than monsters, things that are made from nothing and everything. Things above "Yin" and "Yang". Things that have no scrap of humanity, monstrosity, or anything in them.

Things that are just empty.

So maybe -just maybe- that's why when Sukuna's rotting orange eyes landed on the epitome of emptiness, a...girl, whose face was sculpted to disreflect emotions and intents. Someone who was the void of darkness itself. The true personification of nothingness. 

His heart -for the first time in countless centuries- began to throb.

a truly dead face swarmed by a sea of buzzing ants, chasing their routine happiness. Smiles of delight and carelessness carved on their aging faces with sunlight knives and the melody of golden coins. The lust for life leaking from every pore of their bodies. 

With every face being a carbon copy of each other it was no wonder yours stood out.

There was a silver chain of attraction, dragging Sukuna towards the village girl. Not love, never love, the king of curses was beyond certain, that neither you nor he could feel such a honey-laced sensation. It was more like....something. Something paranormal, inexpiable. Some magnetic force outside of everything's control. 

It was easy enough to explain why he liked you. Why you stood out from the other insects of this middle-of-nowhere-village. 

You had dark matter for blood and dead seas for brains. 

Your eyes radiated an endless abyss. Making others shy away from your lifeless gaze. Scared to look into the void in fear that it may respond. 

You were a thrown away doll,

A living dead,

A dying star,

You were the daughter of the number zero,

The monster that had no maker nor mother. 

Something not born nor created. 

Just an entity that roamed the earth, with no desire nor hope, no wish nor dream. Not leaving, not dying, just existing in the space between today and tomorrow. 

There'd been no need for pleasantries, for hiding behind ghostly tree branches and frozen windows. There'd been no need to kill or ravage for you. No competition to eliminate, because no one ever came near you. Humans don't like what they can't explain, Sukuna knew that all too well. 

Sukuna watched from a close enough distance to almost touch. Lingering around like a phantom begging to be noticed. Orbs trailing over you, but never approaching. Until one day he'd just stood still. Waited for you to turn your head just a fraction to the left, just to see him in all his menacing terror. To finally notice the clawing, crawling sensation that had been creeping up your spine like a hoard of spiders. 

And when your dead eyes did finally land on him. Sukuna could swear that his breath hitched in his throat for the first time in his seemingly endless life.

You weren't human. Humans didn't have hollow faces or marbles for lips. 

You weren't a curse. Curses didn't lack venom dripping from their souls.

You were something better than a monster. You were the divinity of monstrosity, the void itself. Black holes for eyes, answerless paradoxes for hands, and an endless maze where your torso should have been. 

 Exploding suns danced around you, burning, burning, till they died out, leaving behind no trace that they once lit up the universe. 

The space after the end, that's what you were.

Perfect, to Sukuna you were perfect.

You hadn't run, hadn't screamed, hadn't even bothered to talk. You didn't care about him, couldn't care about him. That's what made him want you, made his mouth salivate with the thought of your flesh between his teeth. 

That night the world stood still, as Sukuna's claws penetrated your flesh like twirling needles. You were as light as a feather. You weighed nothing, were nothing. All so easy to pluck and throw about. You never made a noise when your body collided with the bamboo walls, just letting gravity and Sukuna play a twisted ball game with your lump of a body.

You hadn't protested when he violated you. As his lips bit every inch of your body raw. For some unearthly reason that even the gods couldn't understand, would never want to understand, you had found the Curse's violent actions rather...adoring. Taking every slap and slash with the earnest pride of a small child getting praised for a day of relentless chores. letting the dawn-tinted-haired monster adorn your body in blue and purple jewels. It felt right, in a  pathetically, nauseating, twisted way...it just felt right.

 It was disastrous, sure, but it was right. Like two universes crashing. Destroying each other with every kiss and every bruise. 

But...

For the first time in your meaningless life, you had truly understood what "happiness" felt like. 

For the first time in his endless life, Sukuna had truly understood what "intimacy" felt like.

///

Was it wrong to kiss you? For a fraction of a second Sukuna hesitated, blood tinged lips hovering millimeters away from your own stone-set ones. The moon's cursed rays acting like an unnoticed barrier, keeping two things out of each other's grasp. His lips curled back revealing two rows of knife-like teeth. The last resort, a final hope that you'd run away, that you'd act somewhat normal. The king of curses, the evil among men, didn't mind your lack of regularity. He didn't mind how you leaned into every bitter strike, every painful display of fading affection . He adored how you merely giggled as he slashed open your uncharged skin, creating slits for your blood to spill through, onto his waiting tongue. He admired your lifelessness, the way you radiated death. 

Oh, how you filled him with a startling aftershock every time he touched you. Every time his tongue lapped at your bleeding skin he'd feel the sort of electric shocks that came after the storms had passed. Your body had no shape, it molded to his touch, turning his favorite shades of red, with just a little pressure. 

But sometimes, in fleeting, endless seconds. He wished he had a name for what you two were. You weren't his per se, you could never be his. Being his would indicate that he cared about you, or heck even loved you and that could never be true. The king of curses did not love, nor care. He merely tolerated you; you fascinated him, that's all. 

It had been many moons since he first found you in that no-name village. Months upon months since you'd been by his side. You'd watched as he'd destroyed cities, helped him even. Eyes never shedding a single tear. Mouth never uttering a single protest. 

The two of you had become the best, the King of curses and the Queen of nothingness. With the dying speed of laboring bees, Sukuna had carved himself inside of you. Twisted emptiness into flower-covered destruction. Into molten gold lava. 

Leaving you with wounds that were stuck in a cycle of healing and opening. Until they began to harden like his. Until the need for spilled blood lingered on your tongue like the burn of boiled tea. Until under your nails were coated in a decaying crust of dried blood. Sukuna hadn't turned you into a monster, he'd simply showed you the powers that came with your apathy. With a heart as torn and cold as yours, it was a shame to let it go to waste. 

"You're not half bad," his tone is never approving. It's always laced with a strictness that keeps you nailed into place. His words are oxymorons sounding like praise, but once you peel back the lather layers they're just taunts in disguise. 

You don't answer, words die on your tongue as quickly as they are born. Sukuna can't even remember what your voice sounds like outside of small whispers in heat filled nights. 

 However, to the two of you, things like that didn't matter. Your lack of being even semi-alive and Sukuna's endless abuse had become a norm for the two of you. Where else were a two-faced monster and a lifeless girl going to find love anyway? 

Sukuna was all you had, all you ever had. You'd die for him, kill for him, turn into anything for him. Because he gave you life. 

A purpose to life, made out of raging fires and endless screams. A life fabricated from the pain and suffering of others. That was what the king of curses had given you, all wrapped in a human skin parchment. Maybe that's why all logic withered away the first night he kissed you, maybe from the first second that you sensed his presence you had finally gained a reason to be alive. 

///

Whoever said the end of the world was beautiful? Whoever said the final days would be bright and glowing and pure? 

It's just a blaze of stray flames and red crystal droplets that may or may not be your blood. Funny, Sukuna had always thought that your blood would be as black as the moonless sky, not a mundane red like everyone else's. He'd expected a grander death from you. Some sort of black hole opening to swallow the world whole. Not just another corpse motionless in a pool of their own blood. 

Although he's not one to talk. His own 'death' is lingering on the horizon. Sukuna's head tilts back looking for the flashing jujutsu sorcerers. 

"S-sukun-a..." 

He smirks, fangs sticking out at odd angles. Your voice is sweet, for the first time in forever he'd even dare say it held some semblance of emotion. 

What that emotion is, he doubts he knows or even really cares. He'd long since stopped trying to identify all those "feelings" and their associated names. 

His orange eyes lock with your fading orbs, one last time. No, not the last time, just the final time in this lifetime. He's sure he's going to see you again. In any other life, Sukuna knows he'll be able to recognize you despite whatever flesh suit you'd be wearing. 

"Shh little one," he's halfway gone before he finishes his sentence, leaving you to relish in his memory in your final moments. "We'll see each other once more, someday in another life..."

His four eyes lock on the approaching sorcerers. He finds it humorous how desperate they look. How alive and ready they seem, such a stark contrast to your ever lifeless face and dead eyes, it repulses him. 

"Or maybe in one of the circles of hell." 

The flames encircling his fingers remind him of the heat your body radiated in the dead of night. The crack from bones hum as they meet his knuckles, flash memories of your days wasted together doing nothing and everything. 

The two of you will meet once more, he's sure of it. After all...

Monsters never die. 

How could something that was never even born in the first place, ever die?

[your-highnessmarvel]

From Bleak to Bright Part Four

All other parts on on my masterlist, link provided below.

AN: OOOOH the development of this story makes me so excited for the rest!!! Loki is def in this part babies;)

Warnings: angst, language

Enjoyed this and want more? Send in your requests!

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MASTERLIST

PART FOUR

The evening sun bore down onto the horizon, coloring the sky a myriad of blue and yellow and pink. Like vagabond brushstrokes upon the canvas of the sky. A few, wandering birds called from a distance, lazily gliding in the wind. 

The door behind you opened and closed. You turned away from the darkening horizon and saw your brother offering two cups of steaming chamomile tea. 

“Steve says they might have a point of entry for you,” he said, but his tone wasn’t into it, as if the week’s dealings bore on his shoulders alone. 

When Tony had announced your role as the bait, Bruce had thrown himself at your side. No one would hurt his baby sister, he’d said.

“I don’t think he’s going to fall for it,” you said halfhearted. 

Bruce sighed, handing you the cup. You wrapped your hands around the burning warmth. “I think you still don’t fully understand the soulmate bond,” your brother said.

“Huh?”

He sipped on his tea, clearing his throat. “At least for men, it’s not really about how you feel towards that person, albeit that yes, there’s passion.” He scratched the back of his neck, awkwardly coughing. “It’s more the protection you want to have on this person. Their wellbeing is of utmost importance. It’s hard, sometimes, to differentiate between protection and possession.”

A lump formed in your throat. Possession?

“And knowing Loki,” Bruce went on. “Knowing his nature of envy and greed, he’s for sure feeling the effects of the bond as just that - possession. He feels like you belong to him.”

Astonished, you turned away from your brother, both to hide your flaming cheeks and the awkwardness forming between you. 

“Has he made anymore...” you hesitated, “demands?”

Bruce shook his head. “No.” Then he looked at the horizon. “But he’s looking for you. He went to your apartment. Your daytime job. Even the school you used to go to part-time in the summer.”

That seemed like so far behind. Like someone else. Not you. That life you’d had barely more than two weeks ago, when you’d accepted to help Bruce. That girl, living alone in a somewhat nice apartment, going to work on public transport, and studying in the summer - that girl seemed like a stranger now. The girl who used to see in black and white.

“So what happens when he finds me?” you asked tentatively. 

“We swoop in,” Bruce answered. “We get him. We hand him over to Thor, and he brings him back to Asgard and makes sure he never comes back.”

That word. Never. It rung like a Cong inside your brain. The prospect of never seeing Loki ever again, never talking to him, stroke a cord in you that you wished you could ignore. 

During this whole week of scheming, no one had asked you how you felt about all this. He was your soulmate after all. And the idea that, after all this time, you’d finally found him and he was bound for eternal life in prison made you want to scream.

Bruce put his hand on your upper back, as if sensing your discomfort. “Let’s go to bed,” he said soothingly. “Tomorrow is a big day.”

Yes, tomorrow was a big day.

***

You strolled through downtown New York, trying your hardest not to look over your shoulder. It had been a week since you’d been in a huge crowd, and returning to the crammed streets of the city made your belly buzz.

Nat sounded in your ear. “Make it look authentic,” she said. 

Right. Because luring a thousand-year-old demi-God into a quiet corner to trap him was the easiest thing in the world. Nat had tried to teach you a few things when they’d all cooped up at Tony’s secret forest getaway, but now, living it, you couldn’t remember how to act benign. 

You tried to pretend to be listening to music, the airpods in your ears actually being comms with the Quinjet hidden overhead. You stopped at Starbucks. You pretended to look through the windows of clothing stores. You stepped into a bookstore and bought a novel. 

It had been an hour that you were “baiting” and nothing. 

Not even a glimpse.

You sighed in defeat, pushing your hair behind your ears. The day’s heat was boring down on you, and you knew your nose was burnt. Your tank top was soaked, your jeans sticking to your legs. Totally uncomfortable would be an understatement.

You saw a glimpse of something gold in the Macy’s window and looked over your shoulder. 

“Y/N,” Bruce sounded in your ear. “Come in.”

You remained silent. The crowd before you changed, people walking past you in a hurry. You turned back to the window, muttering to your brother, “I’m fine.” 

“Get away from Macy’s, you have enough clothes,” your brother muttered back.

You couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s funny?”

You jumped, yelping, staring up into Loki’s green gaze. Heart hammering, blood roaring in your ears, you tried to focus on calming yourself. Your hands were sweaty as you reached up to take out one airpod.

He smirked. Under the sun, he was glorious in an all-black ensemble, his raven locks freshly cut beneath his chin, pushed back behind his ears. 

“Fancy a stroll?”

You gulped, looking at the elbow he offered. Something shimmered there, around the edges of his forearm. As if he glowed.

He’s not really here. 

You remembered from your briefing on Loki, that Thor had said the jester loved his illusion tricks.

“I presume I have to pretend to hold your arm?” you answered, feeling the knot of anxiety dissolve in your belly at the sight of his grin.

“Clever.” He retreated his arm, looked around at the crowd swiftly moving past him. “May we talk somewhere private?” he asked. 

Nat had told you he’d say that, and your job was to not look too eager. He’d smell a trap before you’d even agree.

You forced yourself to frown. “You want to get me alone?”

He huffed, his lips pulling into a dashing smirk. God, he really was beautiful. The sun, so warm and overbearing to you, seemed to grace his entire being as if he’d been crafted by the hands of the gods themselves. 

“If I wanted to get you alone,” he said, dropping his voice to a lower octave, stepping closer to you, “I would have gotten you out of Tony’s little wayward cabin much sooner.”

He stood close, not close enough to smell him, but close enough that you had to tilt your head to keep eye contact. 

There was a quiet turmoil building inside you at his words, someone whispering “Shit” in your airpod. A slight tremor began at your core, echoing out into your limbs. He’d known where you were. He knew what you were doing.

At the sight of your face - you, who could barely hide your emotions - he grinned wildly. 

“I am the God of Mischief, or did you forget?” He tilted his head, squinted his eyes. 

Your mouth was dry when you answered. “That’s why you’re casting yourself as an illusion?”

“Clever,” he said, again. Then he licked his lips, erasing the comical expression on his features and replacing it with something akin to stone. “You’re mad if you think you can fool me.”

“Takes one to know one.”

He would have laid hands on you if he wasn’t incorporeal. His eyes darkened, chin dipping so that he stared at you along the length of his nose. 

“You’re a chipper little thing,” he said, voice laced with venom. The tone, his expression, the way his illusion made the edges of him tremble instead of glow, made your heart speed with fear. “I’m sure the Avengers trained you well. I’m sure your brother thinks he can save you.”

Bruce whispered in your ear, “Son of a bitch.”

Loki’s unmoving expression slipped enough for him to smirk maniacally. “In fact,” he said, “tell him right now that I’ll win. I’ll win this battle of wits. This fucking planet. And I’ll win his sister.”

And then he vanished, leaving you to hear nothing but your drumming heartbeat, like a sea of swarming insects. The only thing that lingered behind was the smell of pinewood.

I PROMISE PART FIVE WILL BE LONGER!!!!!!!!!!

Tags:  @subtlemalice @yallgotkik @buckyandlokirunmylife @kaz11283 @legolas-bromance @shylittlemountain @tofeartheunknown @feelmyfckngsoul @kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay @caffiend-queen @tomhollandsslilslut @lady-loki-ren @nathan-no @rosaline-black @abundanceofcarolines @my-own-oracle @it-was-all-a-beautiful-dream @marvelouslovely @drbaureid @bored-as-hell-666 @youhavemyfantasticbeasts @theinfinitenerd @toe-vind-ek-jou @ink-and-starlight @blank-bakabane @sunshineonloki your tag doesn’t work bb

[agerefandom]

Only Heaven I’ll Be Sent To

Fandom: Resident Evil VIII/Village

Words: 4,000

Characters: regressor!reader, cg!Alcina Dimitrescu, Bela Dimitrescu (other Dimitrescu sisters mentioned).

Content Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence. CGLRE terminology/parental caregiver terms (Mommy). Diaper mentions. Firearms, knives, and vampirism. Reader gets injured (but cared for afterwards). Minor character death. Blood. Eldritch biology and limited insect horror. Fem reader (uses she/her pronouns). 

Author’s Notes: Y’all are clearly hungry for caregiver Lady Dimitrescu, and I hear you! I’m planning a fluffy follow-up fanfiction with a happy reader getting babied by Alcina, where there is no blood and violence, but first… we have to take care of Ethan Winters. So that’s what this is. Enjoy! 

You come to consciousness slowly, the strands of a dream still clinging to you. The memory is already fading, but you remember feeling cold. Wandering a frozen wasteland, lost and alone.

It’s a relief to breathe in the warm air of your bedroom. The fire has burned down to embers, but the windows keep out the cold winter of the mountains around the castle where you live. The rooms are always kept warm for the comfort of your big sisters.

You yawn and stretch your arms over your head, wiggling your toes against the soft sheets of your bed as you shake off the lingering fatigue. You were dressed in a onesie for the night, with a short built-in skirt, and you don’t really feel like a baby right now. Today, you want to run around and explore the castle on certain legs.

You slide out of the bed and make an unhappy sound as the cold stone meets your bare feet. You quickly make your way over to the heavy wardrobe that towers on the wall across from your bed. Far too tall for you, it was made to fit Mommy’s dresses, but you liked climbing in it so much that Mommy brought it to your room one night while you were sleeping, and filled it with your own outfits.

You reach up to the handle and pull the doors open, looking up at the many dresses and onesies that fill the wardrobe. It’s winter right now, so there’s a whole section of fur-lined dresses that will keep you warm if you want to play with Mommy outside. You don’t do that often, because your sisters get jealous, but Mommy is really good at making snowforts that you can climb inside, and you like playing with her in the snow.

For today, you pick out a simple ruffled black dress that comes down to your knees. Mommy can do your hair with black ribbons and crow feathers, and you’ll blend in with your sisters’ dark dresses.

Humming to yourself, you bring the new outfit over to the statue in the corner. The door to the bathroom is hidden in an alcove, and you have to push the statue’s elbow to open it. This seemed odd when you first moved into this room, but now it’s just another part of your daily routine. The castle is full of tricks and hidden passages, and you still haven’t explored all of them.

You slip past the statue into the revealed doorway, and dump your clothes on the floor as you rid yourself of the onesie and the diaper underneath. Baby stuff! You’re not a baby today.

You replace the diaper with a pair of soft bloomers, and the onesie with the black dress. It has a line of buttons that run up your spine, and you can’t quite reach them all, so you leave a few undone and decide you’ll ask one of your sisters to help. Mommy has been busy a lot for the last few days, so you don’t know if you’ll see her today. You hope so, though. You miss her.

You pull a pair of stockings on, sighing happily as your toes are finally protected from the cold tile floor. The rest of the bathroom visit is boring, brushing your teeth and washing your face. One of your big sisters will brush your hair: hopefully Bela, she tugs your scalp the least.

Once you’re all dressed, you skip out of the bathroom and slip on a pair of shoes. They’re flats, because you’re too young to walk in heels, but they click on the stone floors and make you feel like a little tap dancer. And they have bats printed on the sides in white, which makes you happy.

You run into the hallway, letting the golden door to your room close behind you.

This castle used to confuse you, with all its winding hallways and grand staircases. You would get lost whenever Mommy wasn’t holding your hand, and one of your sisters would find you and drag you back to your room. They didn’t like you very much at first, but they’ve gotten nicer. Daniela reads to you sometimes, and Bela plays pretend when you ask her. Cassandra is… Cassandra, and she tries to feed you lots of nasty things, but she also likes to do your makeup. So she’s okay.

The four of you cuddle sometimes, when Mommy’s away and the castle is a little chilly. They like your body heat, and you like the contact.

Through the years, you’ve gotten comfortable both with your big sisters and with the castle itself. It’s second nature to dodge through the secret passage to the staircase into the main foyer, peering around for any of the other castle inhabitants. Mommy gave up on the servants again last week, so it’s just you and your family members right now. Unless you want to go down into the basement and play with the remains, who stumble and hiss and take care of the rats. They don’t attack you, only intruders, but they aren’t very much fun to play with.

“Mommy? Sisters?” you call out into the hall, tapping one foot against the ground.

For a few moments, there’s nothing. Then Mommy ducks through the door behind you, fully dressed with her lipstick on. Maybe she’s already been out today.

“Sweetheart?” Mommy rushes over and kneels on the stone floor to embrace you. “What are you doing out of your room?”

“Hungry,” you say. “Missed you.”

“I missed you too, little one.” Mommy draws back and puts both hands on your shoulders. She makes you feel so small. You almost wish you’d worn a onesie today. When you’re a baby, Mommy carries you everywhere and never lets you out of her arms. That sounds nice, especially when you missed her so much. “Listen to me, sweetheart.”

Mommy looks… serious. You blink and try to focus. What is that look in her eyes? It’s so unfamiliar. Could it be worry? No, Mommy doesn’t worry about anything.

“I need you to go back to your room and lock the door, okay? I’ll bring you food soon, but you need to stay there.” She isn’t blinking as she stares into your eyes. “Some prey has escaped. Your sisters will handle him swiftly, but he is armed. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

This isn’t the first time this has happened. Sometimes, Hunters come to the castle and try and hurt your family, and you have to wait in your room. They bring knives and guns, but they can’t hurt any of the others. You aren’t like your sisters, you’re fragile. So Mommy keeps you safe.

“I’ll carry you there, little one. And remember, don’t you leave.”

“Yes, Mommy.”

Mommy wraps her arms around you, and the ground drops away. Settled on her hip, you cling to her side. Mommy runs hot like you, not like your sisters. When you lay on her chest, you can hear her pulse, a rapid double-beat. Your sisters don’t have a heartbeat, but you can hear the fluttering wings that fill their chest if you hold your breath and listen closely.

You like Mommy’s warmth, and you like how strong her arms are around you. You can barely feel the rhythm of her steps as she drifts down the hallway towards your room.

“I’m a big girl today,” you tell her. She’s carrying you like a baby, but maybe she just missed you as much as you missed her. Or maybe she really is worried.

“I can tell! You got dressed all by yourself,” Mommy teases, wiggling a finger into the gap left by the buttons you couldn’t reach.

“Uh-huh!” You’re proud of the outfit you picked out. “Can we play outside soon?”

“Once the problem is taken care of, I would love to watch you play in the courtyard.” She rests her hand at your back, keeping you close. “Big girls need their fresh air, after all.”

“Thank you, Mommy.”

She sets you down all too soon, straightening them hem of your dress. “Here we are, darling. Don’t open the door for anyone other than your sisters, and protect yourself if you must.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more.” Mommy presses a lingering kiss to your forehead, and then ushers you inside the bedroom. You turn in time to watch her close the door behind you, and you obediently turn the lock. Only Mommy’s key can open your room, like many others in the castle.

You flop onto your bed with a huff.

You got to see Mommy for the first time in days, but she’s busy with some stupid human who escaped from your sisters. You hate the stupid human who’s costing you time with Mommy, especially when she said you could play in the courtyard.

And you’re hungry! Mommy said she would bring you food, but you’re hungry now.

You kick your feet against the mattress. It’s a half-hearted tantrum, since no one is watching, but it makes you feel a little better.

Eventually, you hop off the bed and pace the room, your shoes going click click click on the stones.

It’s just one human, right? And you’re a big girl today. And it’s a big castle! He’s probably nowhere near the kitchen. You can run out, get some food, and then go right back to your room. Mommy will never know that you left.

You reluctantly retrieve your weapons from the top of the dresser, adding your belt of throwing knives on top of your dress. You aren’t supposed to use them when you’re little, but you’re not that little, and Mommy said to protect yourself if you needed to.

You take two of the knives in your hands, and try spinning them. It’s easy, body memory taking over. You toss one across the room, and it slices through the swirl of curtain you had been aiming at.

There, it’s settled. You’re a big girl and no manthing is going to scare you.

Nodding, you tuck the remaining knife back in its sheath, and turn your attention to the fireplace. It’s the fastest way to the kitchen from your room, and you’ve used it as a shortcut many times in the past. Your sisters don’t care if you get your dress dirty, they get blood and dirt on theirs all the time. So a little ash and grime is fine. (Mommy would disagree, but Mommy isn’t always around.)

You pour some water on the remaining embers from last night’s fire, and shuffle carefully into the fireplace. The wall at the back of the fireplace has crumbled away, revealing a passage that once needed to be triggered by pressing a certain brick. Now you can just crawl straight into it.

The rats like the passageways by the kitchen, and you brush past a few of them in the dark. Cassandra once trained a bunch of the castle rats to attack intruders, and you’ve had a fondness for the little friends ever since. They were scary in big groups, but just like everything else in Mommy’s castle, they would never hurt you.

You emerge into the kitchen, and stretch up to standing. As expected, your palms are covered in grime, and your skirt is heavy with soot and ash. You do your best to brush yourself off, and then start towards the sink to wash your hands, when a terrible screech fills the air.

“You stupid manthing!” you hear Bela scream from the next room.

Your headspace makes a quick shift into adulthood, startled to hear one of your sisters so distressed. Immediately, you run to the gate between the kitchen and the lower levels of the castle. Through the gate, you can see that one of the windows has been shattered. Dozens of your sister’s insects lie on the floor, unmoving, as she stumbles in the wind blowing through the broken glass.

“Bela!” you cry out, scrambling to open the gate. That’s when the first gunshot rings out, tearing through your sister’s shoulder. Her insects reform around it, but she cries out and you can tell that it hurt. As she stumbles to the left, you see the man standing behind her.

He’s covered in blood and grime, barely recognizable as human, but the stubble scattered across his cheeks marks him as prey to your family.

“Get away from my sister!” you scream, as the manthing shoots again at her. This shot hits her head, and insects scatter from the impact. Her face is gone for a moment, then reforms, her mouth wide open in rage.

Bela charges the stranger, her scythe held high.

You watch them struggle, and the man pushes her back into the frigid wind. He switches his attention to the windows, and breaks another one. You feel the winter air sweep inwards, and Bela wails.

“Bela, run!” You throw the gate open. “Get out of there!”

“He’s mine! My prey!” Bela hisses, advancing on the man again. Fear beats in your chest. You’ve never seen your sisters outmatched, but this man is too smart, and Bela is at a severe disadvantage in the room with broken windows. “How dare you bare your teeth at us!” She launches herself at the manthing again, and you watch his blood drip from your sister’s blade.

You’ve hunted with your sisters before. You’ve seen humans face death more times than you could count. You know how pain looks on their faces.

This man barely flinches as he pushes your sister back into the swirling snowflakes coming through the window. His face is set in a mask of determination, as he reloads his weapon and levels it again at Bela. This is no human like you’ve hunted before.

“Bela!” you scream, and throw one of your knives.

It sinks into the manthing’s thigh, and he hisses, pausing to pull it out and toss it aside. That brings your sister enough time to swoop towards him, but she’s moving more slowly in the cold air. The stranger manages to get his weapon back up before she can hit him, and fires straight into Bela’s face.

Both of you scream in unison, and you run forward into the room. The cold air prickles at your arms, but it doesn’t debilitate you the same way it does your sisters. You tug Bela backwards, as she writhes and hisses against your grip.

“Bela, find the others!” you yell. “Get out of here!”

The manthing seems to have finally picked you up as a threat. The next shot goes through your calf, and you lurch to the floor with a shout.

“How dare you!” Bela screeches, and throws herself again at the stranger.

You manage to get to your feet, and stumble towards the door. If you and Bela can get on the other side and then lock the manthing in the basement, Mother can deal with him without fear of the cold air or his stupid bullets. She is stronger than your sisters, stronger than anyone else.

Bela takes two more shots to her chest and begins retreating after you. You know that your sisters are unused to running from fights, but you don’t want to risk anything with this strange manthing who pulls knives out of his leg and tosses them aside without hesitation.

Another shot clips your shoulder, and your shaky grip on your adult headspace falls away. You topple to the ground, unable to stand the pain in your left leg.

You hear a scream, and it takes a moment to realize that it’s coming from you. You take your fear, your pain, and give it a voice. It echoes through the hallways.

“Mommy!”

The manthing seems to hesitate as your scream echoes around him.

You take the chance to throw another two knives. It’s a sloppy attempt, thrown haphazardly from the floor in pure self-defence. But they both strike true, one between his lower ribs and the other just above the mark from the first knife.

Red fluid seeps from him, dripping onto the tile.

He stumbles backwards, pulling a green bottle from his pocket and pouring its contents over his leg as he yanks the knife out. You watch as the blood is washed away, and the wounds close.

He came prepared.

“Ethan Winters!” a familiar voice snaps, and you almost collapse from pure relief. Mommy.

Mommy drifts in from the kitchen, ducking through the gated doorway and ushering Bela behind her. Bela is still snarling, but she’s clearly hurt, and allows her mother to push her back.

“You sneak into my house, you attack my daughters, youngest and eldest alike?”

The manthing fires his weapon again, directly into her chest, and you cover your ears against the noise. It echoes against the walls and although you know it can’t hurt Mommy, it scares you to see him try.

“You bring your filthy body to my property, you draw blood from my baby, and then you dare to raise your weapon to me?”

You haven’t seen Mommy this angry… ever. Her claws are extended, her back rigid as she faces down the man named Ethan Winters. Bela’s arms wrap around you and she drags you away from the fight. The movement jostles your wounded leg, and you cry out in spite of yourself, trying to twist out of Bela’s grasp.

Mommy looks back towards you. The man takes her lapse of attention as a chance to pull out a heavier gun, firing straight at her head.

It does nothing.

Mommy stands tall, in the face of bullets, in the swirling snow, and her claws flex as she looks down at the manthing in front of her.

Now, Ethan Winters looks scared. Now, Ethan Winters looks human.

“I would love to take my time and truly teach you a lesson,” Mommy purrs, reaching out to grab the manthing by the throat. “But my daughters need my attention, and I am… a doting mother. So I’m afraid this will have to be quick.”

Blood is all around you, in the Dimitrescu Castle. Big or small, old or young, you’re no stranger to violence.

You still find yourself covering your eyes as Mommy tears the strange man to shreds. You can hear her spitting out pieces of him, making sounds of disgust. His blood must not be good.

“Bela, come feed. You need the replenishment.”

Mommy drags what remains of the body into the kitchen, where Bela is safely resting, away from the cold air that fills the room where you sit.

You hear your sister begin to drink.

“Darling, are you alright?”

Mommy’s arms wrap around you, careful not to jostle your injuries.

Tearfully, you shake your head. You were scared, and Bela almost died. If you had stayed in your room and hidden like Mommy had said, you were sure that your sister would have been gone. You had almost both been killed, and if Mommy had been slower….

“M’sorry,” you sob, turning into the embrace. “I left.”

“And I’m very upset that you put yourself in danger, but I am not going to scold you right now. May I carry you to your room? You need medicine.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Mommy cradles you and carefully picks you up. Your dress is ruined, covered in grime and blood. You look over and see Bela crouched over a body. It’s suddenly easier to breathe once you see its face, blank and staring. The manthing doesn’t look special as a corpse. Just another dead human.  

You turn your face into Mommy’s chest, and she presses a hand to the back of your head, keeping you there. The smell of copper blood fades as she carries you out of the kitchen and down the hall to your room. Mommy doesn’t take the shortcuts like you and your sisters. They’re much too small and dirty for her.

That thought makes you laugh.

“Is my little one amused?” Mommy asks, petting your scalp with gloved fingers.

“Mmm, m’small and dirty,” you giggle.

“You are very small and very dirty. A bath is in order for both of us once your wounds are tended to.” That sounds like heaven to your exhausted mind.  

Mommy shoulders your door open, splintering the lock, and lays you on the bed. You whine as she moves away from you, reaching towards her.

“I’ll be back in a moment, darling. Are mama o fetiţă, cat un ghemotoc, are mama o fetiţă, cuminţică foc,” Mommy begins to sing as she makes her way around the room, gathering supplies. You relax, her voice reassuring you that she’s still nearby.

Soon, she’s back, sitting at the foot of your bed. There’s a bottle of first aid fluid in her hand, like the one the manthing used.

“This will sting, but it will help.” Mommy takes your foot in her hand, and carefully unbuckles your shoe. It looks tiny in her hand, like a doll’s shoe. Dropping it to the ground, she pulls down your stocking to reveal the wound in your calf.

You turn your face away, whining at the sight of the blood streaking your skin.

“Hush, darling.” You feel lips against the wound, a brief flare of pain as she presses against it. She makes a soft sound, and you look down to watch her lick your blood from her lips. “Don’t look,” Mommy tells you, and you close your eyes again.

Then she pours something on your leg, and everything is pain.

You twist in her grip, crying out, and she holds you down.

“I know, darling, I know. It will pass. I’m sorry.” More pain, this time radiating from your shoulder. You try to kick out, and she catches your feet. “I’ve got you. Breathe, little one. It will pass.”

And sure enough, after what feels like an eternity, the pain begins to lift. You can feel your fingers again, and your toes. Your body is more than a twisting line of agony. The ache becomes gentler, and eventually it lifts all together.

You lie on the bed, feeling the tears streaking your face, and you hear Mommy sigh in relief.

“There, all done.”

She gathers you onto her lap, and you lie passively in her arms, too exhausted to do anything else.

“My brave girl,” she praises, kissing your forehead. “My brave, brave daughter. I’m so proud of you. I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”

“M’sorry.” You know she was worried about you. You can still hear it in her voice.

“No, darling, I’m sorry. I should have found him and… well. He shouldn’t have been able to hurt you. It won’t happen again, I promise.” Mommy rocks you back and forth, gently, and you can tell that your body has been healed. There is no pain in your leg, no pain in your shoulder. “I promise.”

“Love you.” There are so many things you want to say, but you’re tired and little and you just want to take a bath with Mommy and have a bottle and fall asleep in her arms.

“I love you more.”

She holds you tight, close enough that you can hear the doubled, inhuman heartbeat thrumming in her chest. Close enough that you can feel the unnatural heat of her skin. Close enough that you feel at home.

--

A/N: The song that Alcina sings is in Romanian, but I think it’s a translation of an English song. If anyone knows a traditional Romanian lullaby, I’d be happy to replace it. The lyrics translate as

“Mommy has a little girl, as small as a ball of fur Mommy has a little girl, and she’s a very good girl.”  

I do have a fluffier, lighter sequel to this story planned, so let me know if you’d like to read it!