#lucky i even saw them to be honest. was sitting down to charge my devices and heard a strange noise worried it was a mouse or something

[peridots-pixiwolf]

[Start ID. A picture of a small plastic bag containing hundreds of tiny yellow mantises hatching from an ootheca. End ID.]

BABY MANTIS INCIDENT!!!!!! WHAT DO I DO

[itsagrimm]

Imperial Tech 5

CN: soldier life in a fascist state, getting observed and recorded, violence, drug abuse, getting drugged without explicit consent, memory loss, forbidden relationship, getting carried + lifted up, tech & ONCE doing a lot of selfreflecting

Summary: The scenario plays out with Techs and not Crosshairs inhibitor chip working. Y/N is part of the elite squad working under commander Tech. Y/N gets called ES-01 or ONCE by their team somethimes. Previously, they killed senator Tarr, took the Syndullas into custody and are now on the hunt for Hera. (Basically everything just like in the show except for Tech in charge instead of Crosshair)

Imperial Tech X They Them Reader

Part 4

XXXXXX

Ryloth was starting to become Techs least favourite planet to been on. The planet had a challenging terrain, Admiral Rampart was continuously holding him back, but most importantly the dust forced Tech to clean his glasses several times per rotation.

But even with the dirt gone from the lenses the screens showing surveillance data from all Ryloth gave no clue to Hera Syndullas whereabouts.

Tech leaned back. He just needed to be patient. Hera would turn up sooner or later. Children had a high dependency and emotional connection to their caretakers and were unlikely to leave them behind even it was the most rational decision to ensure their own survival.

A part of his mind kept observing and evaluating the data. Another part wandered off. This morning Y/N had cried. Tech had wanted to keep Y/N close so that he could keep the one person calming him down safe, but he had failed. His miscalculation and lack of information about Y/N inner workings had come with the cost of Y/N breaking down into his arms. The regret of carrying out a killing order was too much for Y/N. His command was the direct cause for their pain. And yet Y/N only had whispered about the Empire and service to it itself as root for their misery. A grand and dangerous claim, still Tech could see some causality between the Empire existing and Y/N’s suffering.

But he still hated himself.

Tech had scrambled the recording in Y/N’s helmet to keep this treasonous confession off the records. And he had sedated Y/N to buy them some time to collect themselves. Extrapolating from the way the former clone force 99 had been treated the Empire would never allow a soldier like Y/N to feel regret or be critical and would punish every kind of perceived treason or weakness. And so, his report noted a minor concussion. As a trained medic and commander no one had questioned his claims. For now, he had at least in some way kept his ONCE safe even it was just picking up the pieces of his previous mistake. Another wave of self-loathing washed over Tech.

But at the same time, he felt pride swelling up his chest. The feeling of him carrying Y/N into the security of the LAAT. Their head resting on his shoulder. Half-closed eyes searching for answers from him and lips whispering Tech.

He grinned.

Oh yes, he could get used to that.

The memory was intoxicating. His overclocked mind stuttered at the thought of Y/N’s body in his arms. Like always Y/N calmed and slowed his thought process like nothing ever before.

Tech breathed in and took another look at the data before him. Still no sign of Hera Syndulla. The comm was silent as well. Surprisingly pleased he took a sip of caf before devoting his main attention to Y/N again.

Tech had arrived at the conclusion that he cared for ES-01. He wanted to know everything about them. A part of his brain spiralled around with a constant loop of thoughts about them and their well-being. And just the thought of Y/N’s physical presence near him gave him a calm he had never known before even with his brothers.

He knew that his attachment to his subordinate was forbidden. And he knew that whatever his feelings and basically needfor Y/N in his life were likely not reciprocated. He was just a clone even with his desirable mutations. And he was their commander. Any kind of romantic interaction - not even including physical interaction - was unlikely, overreaching and a danger for them both.

All he had for himself was a little mental box of lovely little memories and even lovelier fantasies of Y/N that kept him occupied in the refresher. That had to be enough.

Another sip from the caf and glance at the monitors. No Hera Syndulla to be found. Nothing of particular interest to note. He checked the comm chatter for news about the Empire or his brothers but there was nothing as well.

But it was fine to ask if Y/N was fine, right? He was their commander and he had given the order to give them some rest, so he was his duty to require report, right?

Tech thought about his brothers. They would know what to do now. Wrecker would support and reassure him no matter what he did. Echo would keep his opinion to himself until asked or in severe disagreement. Hunter would sit down next to Tech, pat him on the shoulder and tilt his head for 12,4 degrees right before giving advice. And Crosshair would just grumble about Tech overthinking again and then just pointing out the most straight forward action.

Crosshair decision making was the easiest to replicate for Tech now.

So that is what he did.

“ES-01?”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The bunk room on Ryloth was dark. Someone must have pulled down the blinds. The other members of the elite squad and commander Tech were gone. Y/N checked their comm. Apparently the team was on the hunt for the little Twi’lek girl, that had escaped. Y/N was expected to rest.

What happened?

Their memory was still foggy. The last thing Y/N remembered was being at the canyon, the overwhelming feeling of regret, of breaking down and of commander Tech.

He had…

Y/N checked their arm. A little puncture was visible there.

Yes, a part of their memory slowly returned.

Tech had sedated Y/N. He had drugged them. He had carried them and-

Y/N pulled back the thin blanket. He had removed their armour. Y/N blushed. The memory of his long fingers with little scars carefully peeling Y/N out of the plastoid was rising from the depth of their mind like a lazy fish breaking surface of a deep dark pond.

The door to the bunk room opened. Y/N looked up expecting to see one of the returning elite squad members. Instead, Captain Howzer, clone commander of all the regular troopers on Ryloth, entered. Y/N rose and saluted. He was not in charge of the elite squad, but he outranked Y/N immensely. Howzer just waved them to stand comfortably.

“ES-01, there is no need for such formalities. I hope I am not disturbing you?”

“Not at all. I was left to recover from the last mission. But I am well enough now. How can I help you, sir?”

Howzer smiled. It was a friendly smile, honest and a bit sad.

“They call you ONCE, right? And your squat uses they/them for you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mind if I do that too? Numbers and assignments are a bit impractical sometimes so us clones use monikers, but I don’t know too much about naturally born’s and their naming traditions.”

Howzers smile turned a bit shy.

“Not at all, captain. It’s alright.”

Howzer sat down on one of the bunks in front of ONCE. ONCE followed his lead and fell back on their bunk. Now they sat in the small room, their knees nearly touching and smiling like young cadets in polite anticipation.

An awkward second none of them spoke.

“I appreciate you checking on me. But I am sure you are not only here to ask about my health, sir.”

Howzer looked away like he got caught pranking.

“Well… I do think it is my job to make sure everyone on my base is fine. Even if you are not under my command and it isn’t technically my base anymore.” He cleared his throat. “But I do actually need something else from you as well.”

ONCE studies his face. He was a high-ranking officer, an experienced soldier and - like all clones - a warrior. And despite the harsh realities of war that shaped all the clone trooper’s life’s, Howzer had maintained youthfulness in his demeanour. Even now, he looked at ONCE with an open and careful expression.

“What can I do for you, captain?” ONCE finally answered and hinted at the helmet and the build-in listening device as a careful reminder that their conversation wasn’t confidential.

“ONCE, I need to know what happened up there in the canyon.”

“Sir, I am sure I can’t add to what you already know from the reports.” ONCE replied defensively. Whatever Y/N might feel about their life as a soldier, talking openly about their work was a luxury they could not afford. Especially when Y/N was still working through the fragmented memories of being carried and stripped out of their armour by commander Tech.

“The reports do not mention anyone up the canyon.” Howzer continued. “And yet I know that commander Tech had carried you nearly unconscious and a sniper rifle with you both to an LAAT ship that picked you up. And I know that the Twi’lek senator Tarr got hit by a precise blast coming from somewhere of the top of the canyon. I was there. I know what I saw. And I can add all these information together. You need to tell me why it happened.”

Howzers voice had become demanding and intimidating.

And yet he still had the expression of a young man in disbelieve of the atrocities happening in plain sight. ONCE felt hopelessness and regret rising again. Howzer just wanted to understand but it was impossible to explain the banalities of evil at work. The Empire was power hungry. The Twi’leks were resistant. And Tarr had died because he outlived his usefulness as a pawn in this power struggle, killed by ONCE. They remembered that much. But with the listening device in their helmet close by ONCE was in no position to confess without getting court martialled afterwards - if they were lucky.

There was nothing ONCE could say.

“I am sorry, captain. I can only recall very little. But it seems you already know what happened. I am sure you will understand why it happened and that I had no pleasure in following command. But I am a soldier -maybe a bit like you. We are expected to follow orders whatever the costs and then continue on like nothing happened.”

ONCE smiled, hoping he would understand.

Howzer nodded, his expression now nothing but hopeless and lost like a little boy without his family.

ONCE took his gloved hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

It was a familiar gesture between two equally helpless hostages not in control of their life’s.

A desperate look crossed Howzer before he silently formed a word with his lips, carefully hiding his message from the listening device.

Hera

It was the Twi’lek kids name that got away. The kid, that the elite squat was hunting down.

ONCE shook their head.

No, they don’t have her. Yet.

Y/N’s comm lighted up – the Commander calling in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Commander Tech was in the observation room. Various monitors displayed a never-ending racing flow of surveillance data in aurebesh, numbers and holo transmissions.

Most of it was in in Basic, some wasn’t.

Staring at it with a cup of caf in his hands was the commander.

“How are you feeling?” He asked without looking away from the screens.

“Better.”

In the blue tinted electronic light coming from the holo screens Y/N could see Tech raising an eyebrow.

“I am not only your commander but also your medic. Are you sure you are fine and therefore fit for duty?”

Y/N considered the underlying question. Do you want to return to being a soldier?

“Sir, as long as I am well enough to perform, I am expected to serve.” I don’t have a choice but to return. I can walk steady on both my feet and hold a gun therefore I am good enough to be cannon fodder again. That’s what I signed up for.

Tech tilted his head and took a sip from his cup.

“That is valid point you’re making. As you can see, I am a bit busy with searching the run-away Hera Syndulla. Officially, I can’t examine and clear you fit for duty right now. But I will take your word under the condition you stay close to me in case something happens. Is that alright with you?”

ONCE considered. The commander was asking for a favour. He wasn’t ordering. And he had not only covered for them once but was concerned about their safety. In the oddest way possible and considering the circumstances ONCE was tempted to call this romantic.

“Yes, sir. It is.”

Y/N sat down next to Tech.

“Do you remember everything from this morning, ONCE?”

His tone was casual. But there was more to it.

“I…yes, I think I remember everything.” ONCE paused looking at Tech. His face was unmoved and impression-less. His eyes hidden behind the lenses, blue by the mirroring screens. “Sir, I am very thankful for your… actions.”

Still, nothing. Maybe all his kindness and patience with ONCE was imagined. Maybe he was just their commander and his reasons from saving ONCE from military questioning and punishment was purely practical.

ONCE felt like an utter fool.

“Fascinating.”

“I am sorry, sir?” Confused they looked at the commander.

“Comm the squad and get your full gear. We are getting attacked.”

An alarm went off.

ONCE saw several alarms popping up on the screens.

A feeling of dread and terror rose in ONCE. Returning to duty was one thing. Entering a fight was another.

Tech grabbed them at the arm, pulling them closer and forcing them to look up to his towering dark height. “Remember, stay close to me.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Y/N left Tech with a look of anxiety and confusion in their eyes.

*crack*

He grimaced painfully. He had broken the cup in his hands, caf dripping down on his armoured leg now. Maybe hiding everything about himself from Y/N would be harder than he thought it would be.

He sighted and allowed himself to linger a bit more on the thought of Y/N and before devoting himself to the tasks ahead.

Someone had attacked the refinery.

What an odd choice. Was it a coincidence with the Syndullas in custody here on the base? Or was there a plan and connection between those facts?

His eyes squinted to see better. Damn Ryloth and its dust. His googles were dirty again.

The Surveillance data showed the leaving troopers going to the refinery. Quiet a lot of them.

If all those troopers left, who would guard the prisoners?

Tech leant back. Caf dripping down his leg, glasses dirty and surrounded by idiots. What was he doing here?

Movement on the screens made Tech face the wall of monitors again.

The surveillance camera transmitted a stream from the refinery with two clones running over the fortified walls.

Echo.

Hunter.

His brothers were here. Tech felt his body respond with a rush of endorphins he quickly tried to ignore.

Think Tech! Don’t let these traitors distract you! What does their presence mean?

He was sure now. Directly attacking the refinery was too simple. Even without him the strategies of his brothers always were absurdly chaotic and erratic. The straight attack just had to be a distraction.

He opened a comm channel to his elite squat.

“Commander speaking. Come to the base shipyard as soon as possible.”

“Sir, isn’t the attack on the refinery?”

“I know, ES-04. Just follow your orders.”

“But sir-“

Tech ended his connection and rolled his eyes. His brothers never had reacted like that. They always knew he had reasons behind his actions.

Frustrated he threw away the broken cup and put on his helmet.

The shipyard was nearly empty. Most LAAT’s and smaller ship were off to the refinery. The attack had drawn nearly all forces away.

ONCE and the Elite squat waited for commander Tech. A couple of regs were with them.

“Who are those?” Tech required.

“Sir, the regular troopers were off duty. I called them in for back up.”, ONCE replied. As always, they were the only one thinking and getting what he had already figured out.

“Good. Get into position before the main gate. Facing inward.”

“The enemy is inside already?”

“Likely. And this is their way out.”

“They? Who is our enemy?”

“Clone force 99.”

The door opened.

Both troopers and elite squad raised arms. But instead of prisoners or the bad batch, Howzer stepped outside.

“Oh.” Tech stated flatly. He hadn’t considered the inner emotional workings at play. Again.

“Brothers!” Howzer call out to the troopers. “What are we doing? We came her to free Ryloth from separatist control. And we succeeded. But look around you. Now we are being ordered to target the very people we sworn to protect! And I will not be a part of it any longer.”

The captain threw down his weapon.

“Who is with me?”

For a short second no one moved. Tech felt his head running at high speed, calculating every option for further action. ONCE, standing next to him, started shaking.

He went cold.

If ONCE threw down their weapons now, they were dead. Tech could do nothing to save them from the empire. Admiral Rampart or whoever imperial was in charge would court martial them. Y/N would be dead. He didn’t need to calculate the chances for that, to know their survival rate were slim.

Please don’t leave me. Tech, suddenly ready to pray to whoever gods were willing to listen to his pleas, leant towards Y/N, unable to stop himself.

They stopped shaking the moment his armour touched theirs.

Some of the regs laid down their weapons. ONCE kept their rifle, unmovable. Relief washed over Tech.

“Arrest those traitors.” He ordered, thinking of anything else but the one person he truly wanted to be saved right now. Even if he had to sacrifice a battalion of regs for that to draw attention away from Y/N.

The elite squad and the loyal troopers moved in. Tech felt detached from what was happening. Nothing mattered. Not even the shuttle with his brothers lifting off somewhere.

He wanted Y/N, wanted to hold them and whisper sweet words and promises he damn well intended on keeping just to make sure that they would be fine and safe. He looked up to see his Y/N putting hand cuffs on Howzer, sneaking a small blade into his boot. His brain registered it but did not care. As far as he was concerned ONCE could commit every act of treason and he would still be ready to commit mass murder just to cover their tracks. Whatever Tech had thought he could keep to himself was brought bare before him the moment Y/N had been in mortal danger, his need for Y/N unable to be hidden.

>>>>>

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<<<<<<<

Part 6

[baeklooming-day]

Meet me at the game arcade | Baekhyun

𓍢 Summary: There is this boy at the game arcade who is determined to win not only the plushie, but you together with it.

Masterlist

𓍢 Mini-playlist 💖 Moodboard by @kjikaila​

𓍢 Genre: 90s!AU, Fluff, Cheeky Baek is back (you know the thing!!)

𓍢 Word Count: 6.6k

𓍢 A/N: Big credit to my beloved Tokyo, because I used to hang out at game arcades after school and often cute boys could be found there. 😇

Purple-ish, violet-ish, even blue-ish looking twinkling beams were soaking through the two lonely, candy floss bearing resemblance to fluffish clouds which appeared to cover the city beneath for a little while.

It wasn’t even summer anymore, but the sun seemed to be in a mood to let the light spill on everything beneath, letting little sparkles of vitamin D play on the walls of buildings, shining through the glass in windows, gleaming on all these colorful advertisements plastered around the district and making it seem as if the city was floating in the glinting sensation, warm light reflecting all possible kinds and shades of beautiful lilac color palettes.

Usually, you wouldn’t be the one to appreciate a similar weather very much, but given that the last two weeks had been nothing but wholly rainy and generally anything but pleasant in terms of weather outside, you found yourself being happy to be able to welcome the prickling sunlight on your skin.

You rested your chin on your knuckles, slowly closing your eyes and letting a lazy smile fall onto your scarlet tinted lips. You considered yourself lucky enough that you usually managed to arrive in class before all of your classmates, given that in that manner you could always pick the best seat without having to rush through the hallways to reach the classroom and dash to your desired desk.

And today, after all those gloomy days soaked in cold raindrops and weighing dust grey clouds, you found your seat to be even more than perfect.

The classroom wasn’t big, it was actually way smaller than you would like it to be, but as if to recompense that it had really large windows. And large windows meant a lot of sunlight to pour into the room through them, an obvious fact of which you couldn’t be more content about as you sat comfortably in the penultimate seat right beside one of those windows.

You had stopped paying attention to the lesson for what already felt like a whole thirty minutes ago, the dancing sunbeams only making you feel lazier and also kind of sleepy, completely switching off your usual concentration. You continued letting your face bathe in the pleasant sun rays which, now playfully peeking through the glass were gracing the monotonous classroom in cheerful gold shimmers. Your thoughts in the back of your mind started to slowly mix together with your teacher’s soft voice speaking about the last pages of your Japanese lecture in the background of which, right in that moment, you couldn’t really bring yourself to care about.

Your classmates were surprisingly quiet today, and in that current state you would probably soon drift away into your own personal dreamland even further, if not the little vibration coming from your phone placed under your hand on your desk.

For a split second you almost got a mini heart attack as the sudden text message made your pastel purple Nokia 3310 let out some rattling sounds as it moved ever so slightly on the wooden surface of your desk. You looked around a little bit startled, hoping that nobody noticed the brief faint noise.

Pulled back into reality, you quickly slid the device behind your equally purple colored pencil case, unblocking the screen with a click of one button and checking the received SMS. You felt a wide smile spreading on your lips as you read the text, it being from your friend announcing to you that her classes ended earlier today, and that she would be waiting for you to join her outside by the school entrance.

As you threw a quick glance at both the clocks on your screen and on the wall above the door, you found yourself seriously envying your friend, because it looked just as if she was always getting the cooler and chiller teachers who were actually able to understand that on the last lesson on Friday the kids weren’t the most likely to sit still and obediently follow the lesson anymore. Also given that today’s schedule, just like every other Friday which was simply laughable in your honest opinion, was absurdly long. Your lessons extended from eight in the morning until past three in the afternoon, which compared to the earlier weekdays you just refused to acknowledge.

You let out a deep sigh as another long minute had passed on the clock, mentally begging the time or whoever or whatever might be in charge of time management in the universe to quicken it up a bit.

Almost fifteen minutes left until the long awaited, two days freedom, also commonly known as the weekend. Just like everybody else, you were always impatiently waiting for the last lesson to be finally over and to let you hang out with some friends, and do other longed for fun activities for which you unfortunately didn’t have any time during the normal school week.

Until just now, you had always been included in the casual hangouts at the mall with your wide group of school friends, in going to the theater to check out the latest movie releases, or meeting up at your, by now beloved, cute small diner to eat some cherry cakes which quickly became popular around the area. But as of recently, the loud ringing sound on Fridays which announced the end of the lessons and beginning of the weekend, totally changed its meaning for you.

You weren’t as thrilled as you saw the large advertisement for the opening of a brand new game arcade for the first time on your way home one day, but as soon as you and your friend Miko decided to quickly see what it was all about and peeked inside on the big opening day, you already knew that you would visit and spend your coins at that place much more often than anyone could even imagine.

It was one of the branches belonging to SEGA group, it wasn’t any super large game arcade but at the same time it also wasn’t the smallest you had ever been in.

It was just ideal, and managed to balance perfectly the two things which you used to be crazy about the most when you were a little younger.

With that being said, the new game arcade was divided into more or less two sections, one being filled with all kinds of games starting with The Legend Of Zelda and ending on Pokémon, Super Mario, and many, many more in between. The second section was a little bit different, but not less interesting, perhaps only overlooking the fact that most of the time it tended to be a lot more nerve-wracking than you could ever expect from its harmless and pretty appearance.

The free space was filled with all kinds of plushie and toy automats, the whole room being so eye-catching and colorful that it was almost impossible to just pass by without giving it a proper look. It had literally everything you could ever dream of, soft and lovely teddy bears in every possible color, dolls, game characters, manga figures, even little charms which you could attach to your keys or your bag.

Truly a magical place flowing with milk and honey, if not the one unnerving fact that very often it was literally impossible to get the doll you wanted out of the automat at first try. Of course, it wasn’t such a big deal given that one turn costed exactly one hundred yen which wasn’t a handful of money after all. But if you calculated all your losses and all your future, probably failed as well, attempts together, you were very likely bound to leave at least around one thousand yen at the game arcade for literally nothing in return.

Sometimes you couldn’t hold yourself back from wondering that maybe that was the secret of the success of game arcades, and that the companies designed the automats like that on purpose to always drop the toy before it could even reach the hole and land safely in your hands.

There were times where you would loose even more than a thousand yen in an attempt to win the plushie you wanted, almost throwing your wallet against the glass as it became always much lighter and lighter with passing of each failed round.

There were times like this at the very beginning of that arcade fever, but after a while you found yourself becoming always better and better at fishing out all those dolls and bears. As the time flew by, you also found your bedroom nearly starting to drown in all those soft joys of every childhood.

But you didn’t really care.

And as soon as you got a notice that there was a new plushie automat to be about to be installed in the game arcade, you just knew that you needed to try it out immediately with the first better opportunity.

Which just came perfectly today.

You almost let out a squeak of joy as the bell finally rang, announcing the long awaited end of the last Friday’s lesson.

You quickly collected all your belongings from your desk and your seat, swinging your lilac bag over your shoulder and rushing out of the classroom in the direction of the stairs.

Luckily enough, you managed to dash through the corridor and down the stairs before the crowds of other students could block you.

As you reached the exit of the school building, you saw Miko standing right in front of it, her back turned at you. She was lightly swinging to the left and to the right, probably listening to some music on her brand new MP3 player she’d been talking about lately.

A little mischievous smile fell on your soft lips as a marvelous idea popped up in your head.

You took a few steps forward, careful to be quiet but, considering the fact that the music in her earphones was probably blasting, you didn’t exactly need to. You slowly pushed the glass door open, sneaking up on her and swiftly throwing your hands before her eyes to cover them.

„Holy freak!” Miko let out a startled scream, gaining a muffled laugh from you. „Who’s this? Y/N?” She started to turn her head to one side and to another, making you chuckle even more at the sight.

„It’s me. Mario.” You said, still covering her eyes and trying not to laugh out loud, seeing that you were visibly in a great mood today.

„And I’m Luigi. Can I get my vision back now, please?” She said, placing her hands on yours and pulling them away.

„Do you have enough ready money for the afternoon?” You asked, moving to stand in front of her.

„No duh, I’ve got exactly ten of one hundred yen coins just for the occasion.” She held up her blue wallet for you to see, the sound of loose coins bumping into each other audible as she gently shook it. „And I’m not going to spend a single yen more today, last weekend was fly but I became poorer of a whole six thousand.”

You sent her a scrutinizing look. „And you really think that it will be enough? You know, I’ve already told you before that they have a new automat and stuff.”

„Yes, you have, but still. If I don’t get the doll I want after two tries, I’m bouncing. And I will play Super Mario for the rest of the evening.”

„As if! I know you Miko, you will get just as addicted as every other time.” You let out a laugh, grabbing your friend’s hand and pulling her forward together with you.

„No, I’m telling you!”

The two of you continued to chatter along as you walked in the direction of the game arcade. It wasn’t that much of a long walk, knowing that it was located just a few streets away from your school.

The sun had yet quite an amount of time to start setting, but as you walked between the buildings decorated with bright and colorful advertisements of all possible kinds, it started to throw even more beams which reflected all those purple, blue, and yellow colors, surrounding you with a fairy like atmosphere in the afternoon hours.

„You know, last time as I was in the arcade I asked which dolls will the new automat have, and they told me that it would be supposed to have teddy bears, and-” You talked, being completely caught up in your own bubbling excitement about the new gain in the game arcade.

„Teddy bears?” Miko interrupted your flowing thoughts. „Y/N, you’ve already got like, a whole room of teddy bears. Not mentioning that last time you won not one, but TWO identical Totoro plushies and a Sailor Moon doll, too.” She rolled her eyes, giving you a questioning look. „You own a whole load of them. A whole storage! I’m actually asking myself if there is anything in the entire arcade what you haven’t got at home yet.”

„Well, I mean, that new automat is supposed to have a panda bear plushie and a plain white teddy bear, so, you know, I need to enrich my collection with these two.” You said, reaching your hand to your bag to pull out your phone.

You failed to notice the small group of boys, more or less around your age, walking past you and directing themselves straight into the game arcade building which finally came into your view.

You were just about to answer a text message from one of your other friends, when you were rapidly pulled back into reality with a not so gentle nudge to your side.

„What-” You turned your head to your left to look at Miko, question marks visible in your eyes as you were met with your friend’s amazed expression. „What? Why did you stop all of a sudden?”

„Y/N, I think you don’t see what I’m seeing. Look.” She pointed her finger at some point in the distance, a little blush coloring her cheeks.

You followed where she was pointing, finally noticing the group of boys from earlier which you failed to see.

There were four of them altogether, standing before the open arcade entrance and talking eagerly. Two of them were really tall, whilst the other two were rather short in their height, but all of them were wearing plain white tees. Your eye caught one of the shorter boys, who as the only one among them was wearing a blue bomber jacket with white prints. He had what you would call a baby face, his features were soft, or at least you could observe that much standing a few meters away from him. His hair was of a chocolate brown color, and as his voice reached your ears, you had to admit that it sounded truly so smooth like velvet.

You felt your own two cheeks warming up a little, a sensation which you didn’t like even a bit, as the boy locked eyes with you, his wide smile immediately disappearing from his lips only to be replaced by an expression of awe.

You stood there completely frozen in your spot, clenching your purple Nokia in your hand and feeling slightly flabbergasted by the whole sudden situation, not really knowing what was going on.

The last thing you saw before you were harshly pulled back into reality once again, was the other three boys looking questioningly at their friend who’s eyes were fixed on you, soon the entire group looking right at you.

And then you heard it, the loud ‘ooooooh’, ‘damn’, and ‘oh my god’ followed by the three of them lightly hitting the shoulders of their friend, starting to shake him and becoming even louder when he didn’t react, instead still looking at you.

When you finally snapped out of the weird trance, you quickly turned to your side to Miko who was now covering her mouth to prevent the invasive giggles from escaping.

„Oh snap.” You only said.

„Y/N, THIS, this is exactly what I’ve been talking about.” She said. „You are always so immersed in the games that you totally fail to notice all those cute boys being around!” She almost exclaimed the last words, stomping her both feet on the ground repeatedly, for some reason visibly excited.

„Well that was hella weird.” You said, still trying to process what had just happened. „Do you know them?”

„Um, well, I mean-” She started, now her being the one to grab your hand and pull you forward. „I keep my eyes always wide open, you know. And I just happened to see them at the game arcade the last time we were there. That hottie in a blue jacket seemed to have taken an instant liking to you back then already, but we bounced out too quickly for them to approach us.” She blabbered, instantly becoming a thousand times more cheerful than before.

The two of you were coming always nearer to the entrance of the arcade, and what followed always nearer to the group of boys who, now noticeably quieter, were still standing in their spot.

With your left hand still being held by Miko and your right hand still holding onto your phone, you tried your best to avoid the gaze of the said boy in a blue jacket as the two of you continued moving closer to the entrance.

What was his deal anyway?

„You know what Miko, did you take a good look at them when you said that you saw them before?” You asked your friend, feeling your cheeks heating up once again as you accidentally locked eyes with the boy one more time. „I mean, maybe from a close up they’ll be total monets.” You added, not even knowing what you were trying to convince yourself about, because as you came always closer you had to admit that the said group were even better looking from up close.

„Awe, Y/N, always the negatory. I’m sure they’re not some scrubs too, though. Besides, just look at them now.” She said, an ounce above a whisper. „They could totally be in a boy group with those looks.”

And unfortunately, you couldn’t deny, as with every following step you were getting a more detailed view, as well as you were feeling more and more being practically eaten by those two dazzling eyes which didn’t leave you even for a brief moment.

You just wanted to get inside the arcade and concentrate yourself on the new plushie automat, not on dealing with some random group of boys who apparently enjoyed staring at girls way too much for your liking.

That was right, as said it was too much for YOUR liking, but Miko didn’t seem to mind at all.

Even the whole opposite, she seemed to be having the time of her life, particularly when the other shorter boy with big cat-like eyes sent her a dazzling smile.

„Oh snap, oh snap, oh snap, did you see that, Y/N, I think I forgot how to breathe.” A scarlet blush spread on her cheeks, whilst she nervously squeezed your hand. „That guy is literally so handsome.”

„Girl, Miko-” You started gently, but as you looked at her frozen in her spot with literal hearts in her eyes, you knew she was already gone to make some lovey-dovey unthinkable scenarios in her head.

You talking wasn’t probably going to do much anyway, but you needed to snap her out of it.

You tried to gently pull her with you and finally enter the arcade. „Miko.”

Nothing.

„Miko-”

Still nothing, and as you threw a quick glance at the boys, you saw that the one with big eyes was continuing to unceremoniously smile at your friend, meanwhile she was returning all those candy smiles.

What was it, a smiling contest?

No, you thought, that was completely stupid.

„Miko, I swear-” You snapped your whole arm into the direction of the entrance to bring her attention back to the arcade a little too harshly, forgetting that you were still holding your phone in that hand.

In the result, your phone was sent flying out of your hand all the way across the sidewalk which separated the two of you from the group of boys, before you could do anything to stop it.

You watched in terror as it ended its small flight right in front of the boy in blue jacket, landing with a loud thud on the ground by his feet.

„MY NOKIAAAA!!” You yelled, not caring at all about the other people around who were now giving you weird or startled looks.

„Y/N-” Miko seemed to finally notice what was going on when you let go of her hand, and started to take large steps closer to the boy to collect your phone.

You could clearly see it as his face immediately lit up and his eyes rapidly fell on your purple Nokia laying on the ground, apparently an idea coming to his mind.

„For the love of-” You mumbled through your teeth, as you watched him bend over to pick up your item. „... all the snaps given.”

You let out a low sigh as you ruffled your silky hair with your hand, starting to finally walk into the direction of the boy, being extra careful not to accidentally lock eyes with him once more.

You had always been that exact type of person who wanted to avoid any unnecessary interaction with other people, in particular if you had other, significantly more important plans ahead of you and didn’t want to lose your time.

That could be an issue right now, you thought to yourself as with every step closer to him his smile grew wider, not even trying to conceal it.

„Um-” You started, as you stood right in front of his frolic face. „That would be mine.” You said, raising your finger up to point at your phone.

Your eyes quickly fell on the purple surface and the screen, trying to thoroughly inspect if any possible damages had been done by the fall.

The boy seemed to notice the visible concern im your eyes, letting out a soft, melodic chuckle whilst handing your Nokia to you. „I wouldn’t worry too much about it.” He said. „This model is practically indestructible. Lasts longer than most relationships.”

His remark made you raise one eyebrow at him, squinting your eyes ever so slightly whilst you retrieved your phone. „What a nice comparison. And you’ll be speaking out of experience, I assume?”

You were absolutely sure that your unpleasant comeback would make him immediately not wanting to continue to talk to you, but to your surprise you couldn’t be more wrong. Instead of a sign of dislike, you could make out a sparkle of fondness shining even brighter in his brown eyes.

Weird, you thought.

“No, I’m not.” The boy replied, smiling contentedly. “I was actually quietly hoping that mine would outlive any model of Nokia 3310.” He added, giving you a smile sweeter than the previous one.

In response, you merely granted him a brief look before taking a step away, intending to finally enter the arcade. “Good luck with that.”

Trying to completely conceal the awareness of his glowing presence still behind you, you quickened your pace, basically dashing through the open doors to the inside of the colorful arcade and not even bothering to wait for Miko anymore.

As soon as you went inside you were met with a lot of frolicsome lights and sparkles, the small alleyways between all sorts of games being flooded with light coming from the screens of game automats, each one of them showing the start menu of a different popular game on the lambent display.

It didn’t take you too long to find the longed for, newest, totally polished and even more so inviting plushie automat which has been continuously on your mind this whole time, basically calling out your name to you as soon as you finally came to a view of it.

It was lovely, appearing even more so enthralling to you in real life than as it did on the mere advertisements plastered around the arcade.

Without losing a single minute, you took your wallet out of your bag and took a large step closer to the automat, your eyes stopping on every plushie trying to decide which one to go for.

Finally, they stopped on a cute small panda bear which instead of being just plainly black and white, was purple and white.

That was the one.

You opened your wallet, taking one shining coin of one hundred yen worth.

Just as you were about to throw it into the automat, you were startled by a sudden familiar voice coming from right behind you.

“Hey home skillet, why did you run off like that?” Miko materialized herself next to your ducked down figure, leaning on the glass of the plushie automat.

You looked up at your friend, feeling a little guilty for doing so. “My bad? But I really didn’t want to talk to that dude in a blue jacket.” You murmured, bringing your attention back to the purple panda.

Miko scrunched her nose, letting out a loud sigh. “Why are you always rejecting all the sweet boys? He even picked up your phone for you, come on.” She said, before startling you again with a sudden squeak. “BUUUUT! Y/N-” She started, covering her mouth to prevent the next invasion of uncontrollable giggles from escaping, jumping up and down in her spot and causing her black soft locks to slide on her forehead. “ That hottie with those big eyes. Oh my god Y/N. I actually talked to him just now, and guess what he told me.” She paused for a brief moment, only to let out another squeak. “His favorite game is also Super Mario! And he asked me if I wanted to play it with him today, oh my god, Y/N.” Miko was breathing so quickly, that as you looked up at her once again, you started to become honestly worried if soon she would start to hyperventilate.

“And I assume you said yes?” You asked, but you already knew the answer anyway.

“Of course! I mean, did you see him? A model!” She answered.

“So you plan on leaving me all alone here?” You asked. “Are his friends still here?” You added, carefully peeking from behind the plushie automat you were still ducked down by.

Your eyes widened in terror as you sneaked a look and spotted the group walking down the aisle.

“I won’t leave you! But just let me have this one? You know how much I would love to get a proper date!” She replied, throwing longing looks in the direction of the boys. “And Y/N, if that blue hottie comes to talk to you, please be nice.” She added quickly.

“Miko, do you perhaps know something that I don’t know?”

“What? Noooooo, not at all, what makes you think that?”

You let out a small sigh, rolling your eyes at your friend. “Whatever.”

You brought your attention back to the display with all the plushies inside, finally inserting the coin into the automat and starting to try to fish out the purple panda bear.

You were still sensing a presence next to you, so thinking it was just Miko who hasn’t left yet, unbothered and completely oblivious, you continued to give all your concentration to the little plush bear you already almost had clasped.

Just as the bear was nearing to fall into the designed hole and right into your hands, the metal claws let it go in a trice, in effect the bear bouncing back, away from the hole.

Unbelievable.

A soft snicker reached your ear, so without even caring to turn your head you just rolled your eyes again. “Very funny Miko, you know that it usually never works at the first try very well yourself.” You said, taking out another one hundred yen coin to insert and try again.

“Sometimes it does.” Said a velvet like voice.

You immediately snapped your head to the left, your eyes widening one more time as you realized that it wasn’t Miko standing next to you, but the boy in a blue jacket.

You involuntarily squinted your eyes at him, looking up. “You again.”

He seemed to be completely immune to you not being the nicest, instead jumping straight into any normal conversation you would usually have with a friend.

Out of all people, and out of all days, why you and why today?

Guess you would never know.

“Your name is Y/N, right?” The boy asked. “Your friend with the black hair told me when we were still outside.” He continued, his melodic voice filling the space between the two of you, for some unexplainable reason making you kind of distracted and causing you to drop the purple panda once again, failing at the second attempt to win it.

You sent the boy a heavy glare. “And your name is...?”

“I’m Baekhyun.” He replied with a sweet smile.

You decided to ignore him, taking the already third coin out of your wallet and inserting it again.

“What are you about to get?” Came yet another soft question.

“The purple panda.” You replied briefly.

Baekhyun’s eyes left your figure for a transient while, to fall on the plushies inside the automat. “Well, guess what I would be about to get?” He said.

“On my nerves.” You murmured quietly, but loudly enough for him to hear.

You weren’t looking at him anymore so you obviously couldn’t have noticed it, but even when he received nothing but snarky replies from you, the boy was all smiles with little dazzles dancing in his brown eyes. “I actually hoped that I would get on your calendar.” He said, giving you a winsome smile as soon as you graced him with your attention again. “On a weekend when you’d be free... Or after school...” The cheekiness audible in his soft voice just seconds ago wasn’t as strong as it was anymore as he said these words.

In the result to his question, you scrunched your nose, looking up at him. “You don’t even know me. You’ve literally seen me one single time.” You said.

The moment you said that, you observed as the cheeky look fell back on his soft features. “Dante wrote forty two chapters of a whole opera for Beatrice after he saw her one time on the street, so I think I would be reasonably justified to ask you out like that.” He smiled at you in the most candy smile anyone could probably ever master.

What in the world?

“You know Dante? Are you into literature?” You asked, a little flabbergasted and surprised, knowing that most of the boys your age weren’t particularly interested in the art of similar old literary works.

That was definitely new.

“I like art in general.” Baekhyun said.

“So, how do you feel about art?” You asked, genuinely curious.

Baekhyun’s eyes seemed to have a whole million of sparkles dancing in them as he replied. “Well, I think you are really cool to talk to.”

Wait-

“What the freak man.” Was the only thing which you managed to say after you connected the dots of what he was really referring to.

This boy surely was having the time of his life right now.

You brought your attention back to the plushies, trying to suppress a muffled quiet scream which threatened to leave your lips because, even at the third try, the purple panda was dropped back into the soft pile of other plushies as if totally mocking you and your efforts to win it.

You aggressively grabbed the ziplock of your wallet, practically snatching a new one hundred yen coin and slamming it into the automat, determined to win it this time.

In that moment, it was a serious matter of life and death for you, and being completely focused on that one thing before you, you were also still completely oblivious to your surroundings.

If only you knew how your small act of chagrin to the automat and throwing the coin inside in a total state of fury made Baekhyun’s heart melt even more for you, thoughts of how cute you were flowing through his mind.

“How many more times are you going to try this?” He asked.

“You know, I’m actually really good at this. Today just doesn’t seem to be my best day.” You replied, without giving him one look.

The claws clasped around the purple panda once again, lifting it up and sliding slowly to the direction of the hole, through which you really hoped it would finally fall out this time.

“I already own a whole room of plushies and dolls I won in the arcade, so this should be no sweat.” You added.

“Well that’s phat.” Baekhyun said, his voice always sounding like a smooth velvet which, for some reason was becoming always more difficult to ignore for you.

“I know.” You said. “But I’m totally buggin’ right now.”

You watched the purple panda hanging just above the destined hole, being completely sure that you would finally win. You threw a content look at Baekhyun next to you, resting your elbows on the automat. “It’s already falling, you see? I’m da bomb. All that and a bag of chips-” You interrupted mid sentence, when to your downright disbelief the panda was let loose into the hole, only to somehow bounce out of it right back into the pile of other plushies, leaving you at the fourth failed attempt of winning. “You sick piece of-” You said through your clenched teeth, clutching your wallet in your hand and trying to stay calm.

You threw a murderous look at the automat, then glanced back at the wallet held in your hand before opening it again and taking out the fifth coin, throwing it into the automat without thinking twice.

You quickly guided the claws to grab the purple panda, but then again, as if to totally make fun of you, it was let dropped back into the pile. “Son of a SCONE.” You said, very lightly hitting your small fist on the glass.

You were brought back to reality by the same velvet voice which was distracting you just moments ago. “Y/N.”

“What.”

“You haven’t given me an answer yet.” Baekhyun said softly. “Will you go on a date with me?”

“No.” You replied.

“You are being so mean today.”

“I’m mean everyday.” You added, standing up from the position you were in this whole time. “You have a really unusual way of approaching, you know?”

“Well, everyone has their own ways. And everyone has their own idea of perfection.” Baekhyun said, looking right into your eyes. “Mine just happens to be you.”

You shot him a tired look. “What the freak.” You said. “Listen, um-”

“Do you know what bees make?” He suddenly interrupted you with this random question.

Without even thinking too much, you simply replied. “Honey?”

You watched as his eyes lit up again. “Yes, dear?”

You were left there completely done with the world as it was and speechless, just standing before him and looking at his smiling, glowing face, visibly happy with his own lines.

Why wouldn’t he just give up?

You didn’t even know anymore what to say to him, seeing that apparently he had a comeback line ready for each and every of your attempts to shove him away.

“You are impossible.” You said.

You observed as Baekhyun’s eyes quickly wandered to the plushie automat and as he bit his lip, another idea visibly coming to his mind. “Will you please say yes if I win that purple panda for you?” He asked, his brown eyes full of glinting hope.

“I would like to see you try. If I couldn’t win this, you won’t be able to either.” You replied.

“If you’re so sure about it, then just agree?” He said, a little smile still visible on his lips.

You crossed your arms on your chest, him instantly mirroring your gesture. “Fine. And if you fail, you will stop asking me out.” You said. “Three attempts.” You held up three fingers.

“Fine.” He said, holding up a shining one hundred yen coin before putting it into the automat.

He ducked down in the spot in which you were previously, laying his left arm on the free surface and lazily resting his chin on it, his right hand managing the little controller on the automat, effortlessly.

In complete and utter terror, you watched as the purple panda bear successfully fell into the hole right away, soon swiftly falling out of the automat straight into Baekhyun’s hands.

You couldn’t help it but let out a gasp of shock.

“No.” You whispered shaking your head, not believing that he just got it at the first try, because how probable could it even be?

“Yes.” Baekhyun held up the purple panda, flashing you the brightest, happiest smile you have seen on him that day. “I told you, sometimes it does work at the first try.”

You just stood there, not able to say a word, still looking at him in a complete disbelief.

Again, how probable could it be?

“I, um-” You really tried to say a full normal sentence, but it seemed like even the language decided to sabotage you today.

Before Baekhyun said anything else, he gently placed the panda in your hands, in the result his fingers softly brushing yours, may it be on purpose or just accidentally. “Please just say yes?”

As much as you despised this whole thing, you were a girl of your word, and you made a deal.

Which you obviously lost, now that you were holding the purple panda bear in your hands.

Even so, looking at Baekhyun’s dazzling brown eyes, you still wanted to give him the benefit of doubt, even though you were perfectly aware that it was pointless at this stage.

You opened your mouth to say something, but he quickly interrupted you before you could say even one word. “You won’t regret it.” He added, a little faint plea visible in his eyes as they looked at you.

You felt one corner of your mouth slightly lifting in a half smile. “What if I will?” You asked, meeting his chocolate gaze.

“You won’t.” He quickly said. “Just give me a chance to win you over.”

He asked you for a chance, but deep down you started to feel that he already was winning you over with his impossible sweetness and persistence.

But that was something which he didn’t need to know right now, was it?

You held the panda plushie closer to yourself, burying your face in it for a brief moment to hide the bubblegum blush which was shamelessly spreading on your dewy cheeks totally against your own will.

“I like onigiri with umeboshi filling.” You said. “And dark mocha.”

A honey-dripping smile fell on Baekhyun’s lips as his chocolate eyes traveled across every feature on your face. “What an unusual pair.” He said, the smile never leaving his lips and eyes.

“If you want to date me, you need to be prepared for weird combos like that.” You said, facing away as you felt the blush becoming stronger, your entire cold barrier finally giving in into the charm of his smile.

“I’m thrilled to know more.” He grinned winsomely.

And who would think that when you left the game arcade, you would have gotten your plushie and a cute boy together with it?

Undisputedly not you.

But sometimes, sometimes the universe put things on your way, things which you would least expect to cherish the most.

Author’s End Note: Thank you for reading! Remember to REBLOG if you liked it! Also, I tried to build in some classic ‘90s phrases into dialogues, so let me know if I did well or not!! 💖 Maybe it won’t be the end of the ‘90s AU. 💜

[thewritewolf]

In Due Time Chapter 8: Don’t Tell Me What To Do

Chat Noir and Turtle!Marinette argue before fighting the akuma.

@marichatmay

Enjoy!

First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Read on Ao3

“Shell on!”

“How do you feel...?” Chat prompted

“I feel- Oh! Right, a name. Um… how about Tortuga?”

“Works for me,” Chat said. It felt weird talking with another hero after so long with just one other person. How well would she take to this miraculous?

“To be honest?” She hefted the tool her miraculous had given her, getting used to the weight. “Kind of wishing I had something more than just a shield.”

“Sorry. I wanted someone who could cover me when I rushed the akuma, and I felt the power of protection would be best suited for that.”

Marin- Tortuga shook her head. “Wouldn’t work.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, it wouldn’t work?”

“There are too many mind controlled people. Just because I can make an invincible shield doesn’t mean I can’t be pinned down by the weight of bodies. It’d be obvious that we would be coming and the akuma could just throw people at us until we got stuck.” She raised an eyebrow right back at him. “I’m just not sure how well thought out this plan was.”

Chat crossed his arms, his tail flicking back and forth behind him. Now that she had pointed it out, he felt like an idiot for thinking of it, but he wasn’t about to admit that.

“Fine, I’d like to see you come up with a plan, rookie.”

“Gladly. Give me a second.” Tortuga looked out the window Chat was using before she so rudely interrupted him. He tapped his foot impatiently as the seconds wore on, but before long she had returned to be in front of him. Her eyes were bright with a contagious enthusiasm. “Okay, here’s the plan…”

--------

Letting someone else take the lead took some getting used to - most of all a new recruit giving him orders - but Chat Noir was willing to swallow his pride and follow along. Of course, the fact that the plan actually seemed like a pretty good one made it a little easier for him.

His cataclysm was charged and ready to go as he stood next to the balloon cart. Tortuga had her shield held in front of her as she stood in front of the makeshift ramp they’d built on top of the building. Getting the cart up here had been a story all by itself, but that didn’t matter now. They just needed to wait until-

The akuma appeared in the middle of the street. Tortuga jumped, her feet clearing the rooftop by a meter.

Still in midair, she called out, “Shelter!”

A sphere of glowing green energy encased her completely like a hamster ball. Once the ball had landed on the ground, he slashed the balloon cart’s helium tank, which sent out a tidal wave of pressurized air against her. Just as planned, she was shot like a rocket out towards the akuma. Unfortunately, he was also blasted against the wall fairly hard. Even through the pain he sighed. He was so sure he’d manage to get through this fight without any injuries and here he was getting beat up by an inanimate object of all things.

Standing up, he saw that Tortuga had connected with the akuma. Darting back into the store, he found a closet that would be safe to transform in.

“Claws in!”

“Great choice, kid. You sure you don’t want to bring her on full time?”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Not now, Plagg.”

“Still, something to think about, right?” Tikki said. The kwami exchanged a smile. “...You do seem to like her already.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Adrien grumbled, “Tikki, spots on.”

Mister Bug left the closet and leapt toward the spot that Tortuga had pinned the akuma, pleased to see that she was doing just fine.

With the Shelter sphere sitting right on his chest, the villain couldn’t reach his wrist to command their now directionless horde. He was left to writhe fruitlessly against the impenetrable barrier, snarling noiselessly in rage at them.

Slipping the device off his wrist, Mister Bug crushed it in his bare hands and released the akuma.

“So you’re Mister Bug, huh? Nice to finally meet you.”

He caught the akuma with the yoyo and looked back into the bright blue eyes of Tortuga. There was curiosity there, but also distrust. Which was surprising until he remembered what they had talked about during their time on the Eiffel Tower yesterday. No one had managed to figure out Mister Bug and Chat Noir were one in the same. Master Fu wasn’t kidding - the identity concealing magic of the miraculous was incredibly strong.

Tortuga turned off her Shelter and helped the confused man to his feet.

“That’s me alright.” He quickly summoned a lucky charm, getting a sketchbook which he quickly tossed it back up. “Miraculous ladybug!”

A swarm of ladybugs cascaded through the streets, fixing everything that had been broken. It swirled around Tortuga, but her eyes were only for him.

“So, uh, I’ll take back your miraculous now,” he said.

“I don’t think so. I’ll be handing it back to Chat Noir. He knows where to find me.”

And just like that, she was leaping away. He had half a mind to call her back, but swallowed the words and went to find a safe place to switch back. Maybe keeping these identities separate was going to be more of a pain than he thought. Still, at least making it seem like there were more heroes around would help keep Hawkmoth from smelling blood and getting bold.

Ten minutes later, he landed on Marinette’s balcony, back in the shiny magic leather that he was used to. She had left the window open for him and was sitting on a chair with her arms crossed. The box was sitting on a nearby table, the bracelet of the turtle sitting snugly inside it.

“Thanks for your help, Marinette,” he said with a smile. “I’m sorry I put you on the spot like that, but I’m glad I ran into you. I’m not sure if anyone else could have ended that fight as fast as you did.”

“Thanks. Did you know that Mister Bug tried to ask for my miraculous? And where did you go?” Her eyes narrowed. “I get catapulted through the air and instead of a man in black I get a guy in red. Weren’t we supposed to be partners?”

“I… I’m sorry,” he slumped his shoulders. “I got blasted by that balloon cart too and by the time I got back up, Mister Bug was already on the scene. At that point, I figured it was best to let him take over to purify the akuma and everything.”

Technically speaking, he had barely even lied there. He’d certainly told his father bigger lies over the years. But why did he feel so awful anyway?

“Oh,” she said, her stern expression melting into concern. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, the ladybug cure patched me up like usual. And, for the record, Mister Bug and I are on good terms. You can give him the miraculous in the future.”

“Is this going to become a thing then? Me and you, fighting akumas?”

“...Maybe. We’ll see.”

He stuffed the box in his pocket and had one foot outside the window when he felt a tug on his arm. When he looked back, Marinette threw her arms around him.

“If you ever need help… super help or just regular old help… I’ll be here, okay?”

Unable to find any words at that moment, Chat Noir just swallowed and nodded. He went home, the weight on his shoulders feeling lighter than it had in years and years.

[jeongyunhoed]

You’re traveling to another dimension It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity It is the middle ground between light and shadow, Between science and superstition It ties between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge This is the dimension of imagination

An ATEEZ Twilight Zone!AU (masterlist here)

A/N: Best not read this in the summer. I hope this lives up to the previous chapters! 

VII. Heat (Wooyoung)

11:30 p.m.

Jung Wooyoung wiped the sweat trickling down his face with the hem of his shirt or rather, the only other dry part of his t-shirt. He trudged towards his kitchen, in the hopes of sitting in front of the refrigerator for an hour if the power has not been cut off yet. He hoped he would be able to take a drink of whatever water he had left. He was lucky he had a supply, hoarding case after case of bottled water just before the Earth’s orbit shifted along with the gravitational pull. Even though it was getting close to midnight, the sun shone through the windows like it was high noon, through his curtains, as if boring a hole into the fabrics. The temperatures were getting hotter, and Wooyoung felt like his body would give in at any minute. 

That was his situation and the situation of everyone else on the planet. The Earth was moving closer and closer to the sun, bringing on a heatwave unlike any other. Based on the news reports he heard and saw, the oceans had evaporated, the food and water supplies were becoming more and more scarce, and the power companies have announced that they would be gradually cutting off the electricity, and it meant people didn’t have much time to charge whatever devices they had. 

Wooyoung tried not to use his phone as much as possible, knowing that he had to preserve the battery life, especially when the electricity was gradually getting turned off. What made things seem a little bleaker was the fact that he was one of the last two residents in the building, the other one being his neighbor Jea, Ahn Jea, who wasn’t much older than him, but behaved like a recluse and hardly spoke to anyone. He knew she was probably having a hard time trying to cope with the extreme heat as well. 

Their former neighbors either moved out to search for a place that was a lot cooler or suffered from heat strokes in their homes. Wooyoung trudged towards the door and peeked outside, already seeing his neighbor standing by the threshold of her apartment, holding up a hand fan to her face. Both of them were sweating through their clothes, and if he was the only one around, he would’ve been walking around his place and all over the building with a lot less clothing on. But he wasn’t. 

“The reports,” She breathed, glancing at him. “The reports say this is only going to get worse,” She said. 

“Yeah,” Wooyoung wiped his face again. The hallway was the only part of the building that was a tiny bit cool as there wasn’t any sun shining through. “It is, it’s only going to get worse, but we can make it, I hope,” He said, in an attempt to stay positive. 

“Do you really believe that?” She asked. 

“Not one bit,” Wooyoung immediately replied with a sigh. “It’s so hot I can cook eggs on my kitchen counter.” 

“The face spray I used, the water inside it evaporated,” Jea leaned against her door. “It’s going to take a miracle for this to stop, for something to change,” She whimpered, turning her hand fan off and fanning her face. 

Wooyoung pushed his sweat-slicked hair back. He showered during the one hour that the water supply was on, making the most of the hour by staying in his bathroom to keep cool. “When will this end?” He whined, slinking down on the marble floor. “When will this end?” He whispered, wiping his face with his sleeves. 

“This is how we’re going to die, isn’t it?” Jea opened her eyes to look over at him. 

“Yeah, it seems like it” He nodded. “If we aren’t going to die, then this is one story to tell the grandchildren…” He slowly got up. 

“Good luck with that…” Jea slurred, her eyes closing again. 

Wooyoung turned to her. “Why don’t you stay with me? I know it can be suffocating all alone” He said. If he couldn’t bear with the heat, at least he knew he didn’t need to bear with it alone. “It’s just the two of us left here, we need to stick together in case anything happens to one of us.” He helped her get up. 

“Sure, sure, let’s leave our doors open, it’s hot enough with it closed” She suggested and he agreed, pushing his door all the way back to keep it open. 

Wooyoung heard his phone beep, and he padded towards the kitchen to get it. There was an emergency notification telling him that the temperatures were approaching 50 degrees celsius and that there may be people trying to break in and loot as the police officers were now just as scarce as the food and drinking water supply. He groaned, feeling his body grow weaker the longer he was awake. Was this his apartment? Or was it a desert that he was living in? He could no longer tell if it was day or night either.  

“Do you mind if I take my shirt off?” He looked over to ask. It seemed pointless to ask given the circumstances, but he wanted to make sure anyway. 

“I don’t care, it’s too hot to care” He heard her mutter. 

Wooyoung pulled his shirt over his head and stood next to the refrigerator, opening it slightly to let some of the cold air out. He suddenly heard a loud crash coming from the hallway. He stood up straight and reached in his drawer for a kitchen knife. It was probably one of those looters, he thought. “Jea?” He called out softly, and to his surprise, he saw her already collapsed on the floor. “Jea!” He knelt down, checking her pulse before seating her upright. “Jea, we’ve got company, please stay awake,” He said. 

“Awake?” She slurred. “It’s too hot, it’s too hot” She whined, on the verge of tears mixed in with the sweat trickling down the sides of her face. “It’s too hot…” She wiped her face with her hand. 

“Yes, please stay awake, someone’s at the door and they might try and steal things from you and me,” He said. “It’s on the alerts, people are looting-” He paused when he heard footsteps. Wooyoung picked up the knife and crept towards the door. “Don’t think about coming in here! I’ve got a knife and I won’t hesitate to stab you if you try” He managed to threaten. 

A man burst in before Wooyoung could register what was going on, taking the knife and knocking him over. “Get out of my way!” He said. 

Wooyoung followed close behind, cracking his knuckles as if poised to fight in case the man would go after his neighbor. Instead, he noticed him make a beeline towards his kitchen, towards the refrigerator and grab a bottle of water to drink. “You could’ve just asked you know” He called him out. 

The man paused upon seeing him and the girl on the floor. He dropped the knife. “I-I’m so sorry… I didn’t know what came over me, it’s too hot you know, it’s too hot-” He said, on the verge of tears. 

“You’re lucky the police aren’t around, or you would’ve been caught already” Wooyoung mustered up the energy to speak. It was getting too hot to talk, and if he wasn’t going crazy from the heat yet, he could sense that the sun was only shining brighter, only confirming that it was growing worse and worse by the minute. 

“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” The man knelt down as if to beg for forgiveness. “My-my fiance and I were about to elope, but she suffered from a heat stroke, and now it’s just me- Just me, there’s hardly anyone else out there- I’m a honest man, I swear, I didn’t mean to break in” 

“Hardly anyone else?” Wooyoung saw Jea mumble and he rushed over to her, trying to hold her to keep her awake. 

“Yes, hardly anyone else… I’m Jongho. Choi Jongho- forgive me, you won’t see me again” He stumbled back onto his feet. 

Wooyoung nodded, and Jongho fled, the sound of his footsteps echoing out in the hallway. “Wooyoung, tell me about something cold, please” He heard Jea mumble and he kept her close. “Something cold, so we can get away from this hellhole...” 

“Alright,” He said, sitting down. He knew he needed that just as much as she did. “A swimming pool,” Wooyoung closed his eyes as he tried to imagine what he was telling her. “A waterfall, an oasis in the middle of a desert, the nearest water park from here,” He whispered, in the hopes that it helped. “The waves from the sea…”

“I can feel it” Jea mumbled, her eyes still closed. “The water all around, the waves splashing, I don’t want to leave” She whispered, before collapsing in his arms. 

Wooyoung stared at her, checking her pulse again and freezing at the realization. Jea no longer had a pulse. The heat had killed her. “Jea? Jea?” He called out, hoping that he was wrong. “Jea,” He tried to shake her awake, but to no avail. He heard something burst. It was his phone, having been exposed to the sliver of light from the window. It burned and melted on top of his kitchen counter. 

He saw the painting on his wall begin to melt, the fabrics of his curtains beginning to burn. The heat was becoming more and more unbearable. “No, no, stop!” He yelled, shocked at what was happening around him. Wooyoung looked up at the clock. It was already midnight. “No! No! Stop! Please!” He screamed before collapsing. 

~ 

“Please, stop, stop the heat, please, please, it’s so hot,” Wooyoung was mumbling in his sleep. The doctor, Kang Yeosang, was holding up a thermometer. He was tossing and turning in his bed that night. The city outside was dark and appeared to be covered in a heavy blanket of snow as his neighbor Jea, who kept watch over him, saw from his window. 

“He’s got a fever, hopefully, he’ll be recovering in a few days, give or take,” Yeosang told her. 

“Okay, thank you for making your way here,” Jea said to him, following him to the door. 

“Both of you should bundle up, it’s only going to get colder from now on,” Yeosang told her. “I’ll be leaving in a few days. I will be meeting my family down south, where it’s warm.” 

“When will you be back?” Jea asked him. 

“I don’t think I’ll be back. Didn’t you see the news? Over time, our planet’s moving further and further away from the Sun. Over the next few years, we’d be as far as Neptune, or Pluto even, at least that’s what the news is saying. Sooner or later we’ll all be covered in ice, in eternal night,” Yeosang said quietly before bidding her goodbye. 

She returned to sit by Wooyoung’s bed, pressing a cold compress over his forehead. 

[cinna-wanroll]

Chapter 2 Excerpt

4 hours after mission start, 1 datalog entry input

Excerpt: Everything is well here, no hiccups yet. The ship is running as it should, and the only thing out of place is Qui-Gon, really. He keeps complaining about bumping into things. Oh, and the ship doesn’t have a caff maker, which is unimportant but relatively inconvenient. Regardless, there isn’t much to discuss, which I suppose is good. Boring, but I don’t suppose you’re looking to be entertained. I might go check for a pack of cards, I’ll tell you if I’ve found them when I return. 

The ride to the Mandalore system was smooth and mostly silent- save for a faint rattle that came from the back of the ship every so often. 

After about an hour and a half or so of Obi-Wan staring out into the abyss, Qui-Gon came back into the room and suggested Obi-Wan meditate. It was a good idea just because he was bored anyways, but there was an uneasiness that had been pricking at him since their departure from the Temple. Like his world was about to be shaken up and flipped upside down. 

He reasoned that it could just be his lack of sleep, or Quinlan sending ominous feelings through the Force simply to mess with him, or even just negative past experiences- but there was only one way to find out. 

He obliged and smiled politely, agreeing that meditation would most likely do him some good. 

So would some rest, he thought, even while knowing the prospect was pointless then. All the thrills and anxieties of a new assignment were sending sparks through his body, no matter how sluggish his mind felt.

Which is why meditation might be an even greater help than Obi-Wan had first thought.

He left the front of the ship for his quarters, dragging along his belongings and entering the cozy space. 

He smiled faintly as he entered, the cool air soothing his troubled spirit a bit as he dropped his belongings in place and walked to the bed area. Usually, there was a lot less space for beds in ships, with only a bunk and maybe a nightstand if you were lucky. This room lacked the stand, but made up for it in a normal, twin-sized bed. 

Obi-Wan sat comfortably atop his mattress, focusing on the low rhythm and hum of the ship as his mind drifted slowly, becoming one with the Force. 

The first thing to reach him was his master’s steady breathing in the back of the ship, searching for a new cloak among his items. The second was the faintest traces of triumphant feelings on a nearby planet- no doubt long since past. The longer he remained suspended within the unity, the more he became centered in all things- aware of his place in the grand scheme of everything, aware of his purpose. 

The Force guided him to his sought destination long before he arrived there in his physical form- a barren world with devastated land and a people in search of healing and leadership. 

Obi-Wan breathed in slowly, trying his best to hone in on his charge. 

There she was in the midst of the throng of beings. Her spirit stood out like a steady, determined blaze- a fire burning with new purpose. He felt her mind, calculated and intelligent, and her heart, kind and lost. 

He bit his lip. There was something else that he couldn’t quite place at first; the willingness to prove herself. 

Obi-Wan winced. All of the traits he’d observed so far could make her a terribly formidable opponent, but a flawed one at that. It was all too easy to manipulate a good heart and a pleading, orphaned being. 

He knew that better than most. 

Not to mention everything he’d heard about her being prideful and stubborn. 

With reluctance, he realized that keeping her out of trouble would be a harder task than it would’ve originally been, and he found himself growing more frustrated by the second. 

It would be so much easier if she would just trust and stay out of the way- but the more he learned of her, the less likely that seemed. 

Frowning, he hoped to the stars he wouldn’t have to deal with another arrogant ruler. She might be uncertain on the inside, but he found that many insecure people would mow you down before they showed it. Unfortunately, their defenses hardly ever masked anything that well and Obi-Wan was left picking up their messes for them.  

Resurfacing from the clarity of the Force and into reality was a dull experience, but he was getting too bitter over something that hadn’t even begun yet. 

Qui-Gon entered the room, evidently having found his other robe. This one was more structured and tightly threaded, a bit rougher than his softer, less practical one. That meant one thing; sand. Obi-Wan groaned internally.

His master offered him a similar one, but a smaller version as the rougher fabric rubbed against Obi-Wan’s palms. 

“Something’s troubling you,” Qui-Gon observed, eyes narrowing at his apprentice. He didn’t pry, but Obi-Wan could tell this was one of the rare moments he would be able to confide in his master.

Obi-Wan sighed and dismissed the tension between his shoulders, meeting his master’s gaze. He was reluctant and embarrassed to admit his anxieties and prejudices, but he closed his eyes briefly and told himself to let go. After all, it was more important that Qui-Gon help Obi-Wan rid himself of clouded judgment than it was for Obi-Wan to bury his feelings. 

“Yes. It’s about the duchess- I’m quite worried she won’t be easy to protect.”

Qui-Gon saw right through him, “to cooperate with, you mean.”

Obi-Wan pursed his lips and nodded guiltily, “It’s not just because she’s Mandalorian, master. I’m afraid her headstrong attitude along with her status may make her… vulnerable.”

Qui-Gon cracked an amused smile, “Goodness Obi-Wan, you haven’t even met the poor woman yet.”

“I know, and yet for some reason- it feels as if I have.”

The older man closed his eyes, contemplating. 

“To be quite honest Obi-Wan, I think she’s a lot like you. At least from what I’ve heard. But it isn’t fair of me to judge someone I’ve not even met in person yet. After all, stories and point of view can be misleading.”

Obi-Wan considered his master’s words, but countered, “I don’t have anything to prove.”

That earned a raised eyebrow, “Oh, but don’t you? Isn’t that what drives you, Obi-Wan? Your quest to prove yourself as a Jedi before not only the order, but the council. Or to me? Especially after the corps.” 

Obi-Wan felt his chest tighten at the mention of his past; they hardly ever spoke of it.

He lowered his gaze, “If it is, that was never my intent. I simply enjoy the life I have- and I want to be the best I can be for the people of the galaxy.” 

His master’s eyes caught a glow and he smiled gently, sitting beside Obi-Wan and resting a hand on the young man’s shoulder, “But padawan, don’t you think that’s precisely what the duchess wants for her people?”

Obi-Wan blinked, “Yes, but that also makes her a good target.”

“You’re just too stubborn to admit that I was right about you and her being similar.”

Obi-Wan huffed grumpily and turned his attention to the stars beyond, out his window, although he couldn’t hide the small grin that crept onto his face.

Qui-Gon shifted his tone. 

“What you’re saying is valid, Obi-Wan, but we cannot allow ourselves to make judgements before we’ve met someone. After all, many people have similar traits- but it’s how they use those traits that makes them who they are.”

Obi-Wan nodded, absorbing the weight of the lesson. 

“Yes, master.” 

“You know padawan, you worry too much.”

Obi-Wan smiled and turned back to Qui-Gon, “Luminara and Vos are quite fond of telling me the same thing, especially when Vos is about to do something ill-advised.”

Jinn snorted, “Well, hooligan or not, that boy and Luminara are right.”

Ha! ‘That boy’ and Luminara. Obi-Wan would definitely have to tell them about that one upon his return. 

He shrugged, “I never did say they weren’t.”

“Don’t sass me padawan, it’s your own fault for being such a worry wart.”

Obi-Wan threw his master a mock-insulted glance, holding up the datapad from earlier.

“Let’s not forget who’s being trusted with the information here.”

“I assigned you that job, I can take it away just as quickly.”

“Ah, but then you’d have to explain to the council why your reports were once again inadequate.” 

His master pulled a face, “It’s not the reports themselves the council are unhappy with- it’s my organization.”

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. 

“I always… tend to leave out, er- key events. And include too many opinions- no, they said a few of those are fine- strongly worded opinions were what weren’t needed.”

Obi-Wan laughed, “Oh, I will absolutely have to read one of those for myself someday soon.” 

“Perish the thought.”

They shared a momentary grin, before Qui-Gon retreated back to his own room in the ship, under the premise of making sure everything was in order. Although Obi-Wan was almost certain Jinn was just looking for an excuse to take a nap. 

He couldn’t really blame the man, Obi-Wan himself still felt very sluggish, but he still couldn’t rest with the continued uncertainty of everything looming over him. 

For now, he channeled all of his energy into his report- detailing everything from his new robe to the ship’s condition, making sure the council would be clear that everything was proceeding smoothly. And he may have also put in a request for past documents for-er, reference. 

So far, so good, he assured himself when he set the device down. 

All he could do was hope the trend would continue. 

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮

Satine knew that she had to remain healthy in order to reinforce not only her own stability, but her people’s as well.

That was so weird to think- her people. 

[fierycosmos]

TMNT: Leo2012xReader - Defense

You were surprised when you came to visit the turtles one day that it was conveniently timed when Karai, also known as Miwa, came to visit and finally meet her biological father. You stared in awe as she strolled through the rotating gates. You backed away, giving the guys a quizzical look, but they kept close to Karai and observed her reactions to the lair. Huffing slightly at how distracted the turtles were, especially Leonardo, you backed off slightly but followed them as the brother announced their presence back home. You were slightly touched as Karai gave Master Splinter a hug, but you were still worried as slightly untrustworthy of her, but smiled slightly for the sake of not making issues with your long-term friends the Hamatos. Briefly, after the hug everything seemed to return to normal for the lair as the boys went back to training, you were a little way away as Master Splinter instructed you to do some katas. You were already quite skilled at boxing and street fighting, but Master Splinter wanted you to gain a more organized way to fight and protect yourself. However, while you were training, you saw how Leonardo was suddenly showing off for Karai as she was the guest viewing how Master Splinter trained his sons and it made you angry, but you couldn’t deny that Leo did look good doing what he did best. The silence was broken when Master Splinter called out, “Yame!” The boys stopped fighting and everyone lined up, except for Karai who was sitting on her knees near her father. “Y/N, would you do the honor of sparring with my daughter?” Master Splinter asked as he gestured to his daughter. You look between the two briefly. “…Of course, sensei.” You hesitantly bowed. Karai got up from her seat and you two stood a few feet away from each other. You bowed together and while doing so you whispered to her, “let’s not intend to kick the crap out of each other, kay?” “All right.” Karai smiled slightly at your remark and you both got into ready positions. Master Splinter announced for you to start and Karai welcomed you to come after her first. At first, you approached with some quick kicks that Master Splinter and Leo have perfected with you. She was easy to block but the power in your kicks was evident as you backed off and she took advantage to charge at you this time. She came close to your cheek with her fist and you knocked her arm with your elbow and tried sweeping your leg underneath her to make her fall, but she flipped back. “You’ve improved.” She complimented as she got back into a ready position. You were a little taken aback by her words but tried your best not to show it on your face as you rotated your shoulder a bit. “As have you.” You nodded and you both started to charge. As Karai went with a technique closer to her adoptive father’s style, more ruthless and intense, you went with diverging her attacks with simple movements and keeping on your toes without stopping to keep up you energy and hopefully wipe Karai out. As you continued to avoid her strikes at you, you could tell Karai was getting a little frustrated. “I still don’t understand your technique.” Karai said mid blow as you grabbed her arm twisted it behind her back and then forced her forward. “That’s the point.” You smirked as your confidence was rising. She got up with ease and then refocused her mind and got back into the fight. You charged once more and got her focus on counter-attacking you as you caught her outstretched leg and pulled it towards you but to the side of your body and was able to jab her in the stomach. Karai knelt on the ground briefly and once again you smirked. “And plot twist, I don’t have a technique. It’s spontaneous.” She stayed down on one knee for longer than you expected until suddenly she got the best of you by pulling you down by the collar of your shirt. While falling, she kneed you in the back and you toppled over onto your stomach, the wind knocked out of you. “Wow, that, that was good.” You grunted as she rubbed your back while getting up on your elbow. “Yame.” Master Splinter saw what he needed to and Karai actually outstretched her hand to help you up. You gave her a wary glance but took it nonetheless. You looked at each other and quickly bowed before turning back to your sensei. “That will all for today.” He excused everyone for the time being, Mikey and Raph went to go run to the couch to play some video games, Donnie went right back into his lab, while Master Splinter kept Leo behind to talk for a bit. Karai and you left the dojo and you two went your separate ways. You headed to the kitchen, feeling uneasy and in a serious mood for some tea. You filled up the kettle and left it on the stove. While it was heating, you picked out your favorite tea from Master Splinter’s various selection in the cabinets. You also got an icepack for where Karai kneed you in the back and you leaned back in your chair as you let the ice pack work its magic. When the kettle was humming the tea was ready, suddenly Karai walked into the kitchen as you got up from your seat. You saw she seemed a bit out of it, maybe shocked by being on the other side of the fight and realizing who her true father was. In order to help her in some way, you decided to start a conversation for her sake. “Hey, I just finished boiling some water, want some tea?” You asked as you got out two cups. “Tea, that would be nice.” Karai sighed as she took a stool across from you to sit at and you brought over a few packets of tea for her to choose from as you poured the cups. She chooses a dragon lily tea bag and you brought her the cup with hot water along with lemon and sugar. “Here.” “Thanks…” Karai gave you a shy glance before she quickly took the cup to her lips, blew on it, and sipped. She was being unusually quiet and it bugged you. “Everything all right?” You asked, Karai hesitated for her next sip, and decided to put her cup down instead. “Did I hit you too hard with that spin kick?” “No, that’s not it…” Karai gave a sad excuse for a smiled as she traced the floral designs on the side of the cup. She then took something out of her pocket that you couldn’t quite get a good look at. “What a weird looking trinket.” Karai’s eyes widened a bit and she placed it a bit away from her on the table and leaned back a bit. “It’s…well…” “…What is it?” You were getting antsy, you hated suspense and you also didn’t know what to expect from someone like Karai. “It’s something I shouldn’t have.” She mumbled as she looked away a bit, leaving one elbow on the counter and taking another, longer sip of her tea. “Is it something of the Foot’s?” You gripped the teacup you were holding a bit tighter. You tried not to sound too bitter, as you have gotten plenty hurt from running into the Foot Clan, not mention getting occasionally beat up by Karai herself and brutalized by the Shredder. “Yes…” She admitted. “Well you should hide it before Raph blows a gasket.” You lean back and blow a bit more on you tea. “It’s too late for that…” She pocketed the trinket again. Your eyebrows furrowed and you could tell that Karai was going through a lot in her head. “What, what do you mean?” Suddenly Karai put down her tea and scooted the wooden chair back from the counter. “I need to go.” She quickly began to make her way towards the exit. Knowing Leonardo would be heartbroken over the issue, you rushed after her. “Go? You just got here.” You whisper yelled, as to not draw too much attention to yourself or Karai. “I don’t belong here. I’m a traitor to my own father.” Karai admitted sadly as she continued to rush towards the subway system. “You’re doing right by leaving the Foot—” “No, Y/N!” Karai turned on you and yelled, though not meaning to yell at you, she was just sad and angry at the world, but especially at Shredder. You stepped back a bit, and thankfully no one heard you as you were little ways down the subway from the lair. She took out the trinket she pocketed. “This is a tracking beacon.” “You brought that HERE?” You snapped. “I KNOW I’m sorry!” Karai yelled back pitifully. “Sorry?” You gawked at her. You were so mad, Leo has been working so hard to try and get you here, for Master Splinter’s sake and maybe even his own, and now Karai was ruining his family’s chances at closure and happiness. “How are you going to explain this to the boys? What about Master Splinter?” “Old habits never die I guess…” This is when you really started to notice how torn up Karai was over the situation as she was at a sudden fork in the road and she didn’t know what to do. You decided to take pity on her. “Look, I’m the only one that knows, right?” She nods and you take a breath as you tighten your fists. “So you still have a chance to make things right.” “How?” She asked hopelessly. “You have to leave.” You state though with some sadness appearing in your voice. “I’ll hate having to seeing Master Splinter’s face but at least he’ll be happy to know you chose to save him rather than hand him over to Shredder.” “You really think he’ll forgive me?” Karai asked hopefully. “Knowing him, yes.” You sigh as you rub your neck awkwardly. Karai looked behind her and then beyond where you were standing between her and the lair. “Okay.” She nodded after a beat. “You have to move now, okay?” You approached her and gripped her hand still holding the tracking device. “Please, don’t let the Foot find us. Shredder has so many resources to move locations if he wanted, Master Splinter doesn’t. This is their home.” “I know, that’s why I don’t want to betray him.” Karai nodded as she locked eyes with you. “At least that’s good to hear.” You give a half smile, she gives you her best half-smile as well. You let go of her hand and she starts to make her way down the subway system. “Thank you, for not trying to strangle me.” Karai says over her shoulder. “Well you’re lucky you were honest about it when I asked.” You smile as she gives a small smile back. “Now go, I’ll cover.” Karai nods and disappears quickly and you sigh in relief when you can’t hear her footsteps anymore. You began walking briskly but carefully back to the turntables that led into the lair and once you saw everything was undisturbed you just plopped onto the ground and lied on your back, rubbing your eyes in frustration. What on earth were you going to do? How could you break this to Master Splinter? To Leo even? Suddenly you heard quick footsteps heading your way and you jolted up and saw Leo rushing to you. “Y/N, are you okay?” He kneeled next to you and placed a hand on your shoulder. He looked at you oddly, you looked like you were dealing with something. He was always good at reading you. “What’s wrong?” “N-Nothing, I’m just tired, it’s been a long day…” You sigh as you stand up without him and began walking towards the kitchen again. Leo decided to follow you there. He saw that there were two teacups sitting on the counter still. You quickly made a move for them and began washing them in the sink quietly. Then he asked the question you pleaded he wouldn’t. “Have you seen Karai?” You winced at the happiness and curiosity in Leo’s voice. You turned off the water and gripped the sink counter with your hands, nails slightly digging into the wood. “I really shouldn’t answer that.” You mumbled. “What?” You turn around but don’t look at him yet. You move some hair out of your face and then meet his eyes and sigh. You squish your eyes close. “…She left.” You finally got out. Leo’s eyes bulged under his mask. “She what? Why didn’t you stop her?” He came up towards you, more so because he was worried than angry. Being closer to you now made you almost cry as you hated seeing how worried he looked and the desperation to make his family complete for his father. Also to have Karai nearby him as they could now be together. Another pull at your heartstrings at that thought. “I couldn’t…she was going to betray us.” You turned your head away from him, still back against the sink and you gripping the counter for dear life. “You forced her to leave, didn’t you?” Leo got closer to you. “You never liked her!” His green hands were in fists now and you were very afraid as you pealed your eyes open. “It’s not that! She had this thing—” “She would never do that to Splinter!” Leo didn’t want to listen to your reasoning, riding it off as an excuse. “Well she was going to!” You snapped. Leo looked shocked a bit but not enough to keep him from pressing the issue. You were so angry and sad, Leo had never snapped at you like this. “She had a tracking device that allowed the Shredder to locate her. I told her to leave before he could find the lair!” Once you got that off your chest you felt a bit more relieved, but then you saw his reaction to the truth and the guilt came rushing back. “She wouldn’t…” He looked down at his feet, his hands no longer clenched as the energy seemed to be wiped from him completely like you punched him in the gut. “I’m telling you she did!” You yelled, why was he suddenly being so thickheaded? “I don’t believe you.” He looked at you hard and you almost growled at him. “Goddammit Leo!” You got off the counter’s edge and that got him to back off of you a bit. “I don’t know what else to tell you!” You have tried to get through to him and obviously, it wasn’t working. You then began storming out of the kitchen. “Find out for yourself I’m gone!” As you were headed out the kitchen you saw the brothers had gathered around in shock, one from never seeing you and Leo fight, and two from hearing the news about Karai’s almost betrayal. You could see Master Splinter from the corner of your eye near the dojo, but you couldn’t stand to see his face as you jumped over the turntables and rushed out of the sewers as fast as you could. You rushed back to your apartment building and decided as soon as you got into your room to head up the fire escape stairwell near your window and sit outside for a bit, as your room was too small for your heated anger burning inside. You got to the top and sat down on the ledge and watched your feet sway as they dangled over the side. You kept wiping your eyes that threatened to let tears fall, thankfully they didn’t because one tear would lead to a breakdown, and you don’t want to cause a commotion for your building. While you were up there, waiting for the sadness and anger to simmer down, you started ripping up leaves that had fallen onto the rooftop. You would do this when you were happy as a mock “he likes me he likes me not” cliche since you didn’t have flowers nearby, but instead, you were just grumbling stuff under your breath. “Stupid boy, stupid turtle, stupid ninja clan war.” You let them fall off the building and you picked up a few more. “Stupid Karai, stupid Shredder, stupid stupid STUPID!” You yelled a bit louder and more coherently, suddenly running out of patience and just took the small pile by your side and crumpled them all up and let them go off the edge as well. You shifted your body so one leg was over the edge and one leg was on the rooftop. Doing so, you leaned forward on your elbows in frustration and took a few long breaths, hoping it would help. You then realized you weren’t angry at anyone but yourself. You should’ve confronted Master Splinter on the issue, or maybe you shouldn’t have talked at all to Karai. Then again, where would that have led to? And you don’t blame Leo for yelling at you, it did hurt of course, but you would’ve been mad too if you were in his situation. Besides, Leo really did like Karai, almost as much as you liked him. I guess you just had to face the fact that their Romeo and Juliet story would have to continue and maybe everything will work out for the best later, maybe not for you, but what mattered was that Leo and his family were happy again and had each other. “Y/N.” A voice broke your concentration from breathing. You immediately knew it was Leo but for once you couldn’t read his tone of voice, but didn’t care and decided not to look at him as you heard him approach. “I don’t want to argue with you anymore, okay?” You switched back to having both legs over the edge so you didn’t have to inkling to check him out from the corner of your eye. “So please, just save it.” You sighed in defeat. Leo stopped shortly, only a foot or two away from where you were sitting. After the pause, he joined you on the ledge almost a foot away and sighed. “We found Karai…” He admitted slowly. You lifted your head up from sulking but didn’t look at him directly. “You were right.” That got you to look at her. “Things got really out of hand after you left.” You rolled your eyes and looked forward again. “You gonna blame me for more things?” You huff as you turn slightly away from his direction. “No, no.” Leo chided as he placed a hand on your shoulder, which you usually greeted warmly but you shrugged him off. “That’s not what I’m saying.” He looked forward again and so did you. “I really should just start by apologizing for yelling at you.” He sighed and looked at his hands in a defeated way. “I had no right to do so.” “…It’s funny, I forgave you right after leaving the lair. I understood where you were coming from.” You sighed, and you could tell that Leo was a little shocked at your statement, but you weren’t through yet. “But at the same time, you’ve never yelled at me like that before. It really hurt.” “And that’s the last thing I wanted to do.” He said honestly as he placed a hand on your leg to get your attention, and you finally looked at him and you could tell he was really upset, but you had to keep yourself from swooning and falling for his beautiful blue eyes  “I don’t want to lose you like Master Splinter just lost Karai.” You were taken out of your head immediately and gasped. “What, what do you mean? Is she—” “No, she’s not dead.” Leo said reassuringly, but he still didn’t seem happy over whatever happened. “But the Shredder got to her, lured us out with a trap she was in and then,” He paused briefly to breathe and you gripped his arm unintentionally. “She, she got mutated into some albino snake creature.” “Oh my god…” You gasped and let go of his arm. You placed your head into your hands and shuddered. “That’s all my fault.” “No, no it’s not!” Leo frantically reassured you. “You set her on the right path, she betrayed the Shredder. The mutation thing was an accident.” You looked up a bit at Leo, eyes starting to get red from tears still not falling and Leo put a hand on your shoulder again, and you didn’t shove him off. “She seemed happy to finally turn the tables on him.” “I still feel awful.” You sighed as you looked down at the space between you and Leo. “You shouldn’t.” He lifted your head up by your chin so you could look at him again and you slightly blushed at his gentleness. “None of this is your fault. You saved my family. Master Splinter was happy that you set Karai on the right path. He always said you had it in you to turn the worst people good.” You blushed more but you smiled at his kindness. You gave him a quick hug, which he accepted immediately. “Wish it was that easy for Shredder to turn over a new leaf.” You joked. “I don’t think he has any leaves to turn over.” Leo chuckled slightly. You smiled too and then you both looked ahead without saying anything for a beat. “So, are we okay now?” He asked nervously. You looked at him a little shocked, thinking the hug explained it all, but he really did look sorry. Another example of Leo being clueless to notions, romantic or not. “I never want to hurt you like I did ever again.” “Yeah, we’re okay.” You smiled and he finally sighs in relief. “I’m sorry you lost your chance at getting your girl.” Leo shot up and blushed red. “W-What do you mean?” He stuttered and you almost laughed at how cute he sounded but it wasn’t at your sake, it was at Karai’s. “I mean, you didn’t get to really be with Karai like you wanted.” You stated the obvious. “What are you talking about?” Leo gaped, and you gave him a funny look like ‘don’t you put on a facade for me.’ “I don’t like Karai.” “Uh, yeah, you do.” You gave a short laugh at his charade. “You usually don’t stop talking about saving her and getting her on our side.” You began to list but then Leo came in quick to respond. “I wanted to do that for Master Splinter, I wanted him to be reunited with his daughter again. That’s it.” Now it was your turn to gape at him. “Really?” “Yeah, besides.” He suddenly grabbed your hand that was resting on your lap. “I thought I lost my girl when you ran away.” You snapped your head up from looking at your hands to his face and your face felt as bright as a firetruck. Leo blushed red too and began stuttering again at your shock. “B-But if you don’t like me like that then I totally get it because we are so different—” “No, no!” You quickly grabbed his hand again that almost slipped away from you and he turned a brighter red too. You took a breath to finally get your feelings off your chest. “I do like you.” You smiled at how dumbfounded Leo looked and you cozied up to his shoulder as you twisted your arms around his arm. “I used to get, well, jealous whenever you talked about Karai. So I assumed you liked her.” “Really?” Leo asked in relative disbelief trying his best to look down at you without making you move from his side, since he was on cloud 9. “Yeah, really.” You smiled into his shoulder. Leo laughed a little in a flabbergasted way and then leaned a little back on the ledge and looked up at the sky. “We really need to work on communicating better with each other.” You almost snorted at how true that was. You decide to get off his shoulder and look at him. “Well, I think we’re on the right track now…” You cooed and he smiled at you dreamily. Subconsciously you leaned in and you saw him blush and follow your lead and suddenly your lips met his in a tender kiss. He raised his hand that wasn’t entangled with yours to cup your cheek and you placed a hand on his plastron. You parted sooner than both of you wanted but you were both in disbelief and were very flustered. “Yeah, I’d say that’s a good start.” Leo breathed out happily. “Me too.” You smiled and quickly pecked his lips again, and letting your forehead touch his. “Oh jeez, not you too!” You both snapped out of your dreamy wonderland world you created with each other and turned around to see three boys barely containing themselves. “Guys?” Leo gaped once more, you followed suit as his three bothers were grinning like idiots, Mikey with his T-phone. “Now we got another Donnie to worry about!” Raph complained. “Yeah, wait!” Donnie gawked at his brother as the two began to tussle as Mikey was laughing. “Ow!” Raph whined as they were fighting. “Gr…” Leo was about to get up and give them a piece of his mind but you pulled him back down to you and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Ignore them…” You sigh, and then get to close to his ear and whispered, “you can mess with them later.” You grinned evilly at him and he smirked in return and returned his forehead to yours. “Whatever you say.”        

[mia-salazar]

Change and Redemption: Part 2

((For @ninjacat1515. Final part. I forgot to mention that this particular story takes place in the US. I feel like the gang would travel just to put an end to this for the sake of the continuing peace talks.))

Deep in the heart of the industrial section of the town, an unassuming warehouse housed the group of missing vampire children. All of which were huddled together in the middle of a locked room. Their captors had managed to ventilate in the scent of lavender and cinnamon mixed together to torment the little ones even further. They cried and called for their parents to no avail, only earning a frightening BANG as one of the slayers threw a piece of debris to the other side of the door.

“Quiet in there!! Stupid fucking brats.” Came the intimidating gruff voice of the one posted there to guard them. Peering into the peephole, he saw with a smug smirk as the children gripped each other tightly; a couple burying their faces into the shoulders of their slightly older siblings. Shaking his head, chuckling at his companions. “Damn things do what they can to trick you. Would almost call them human kids if I didn’t know any better. I still hate how I have to guard these things. We’ve already got the room rigged to blow sky high in case they try to get out, so why do I gotta stand here?!”

“I don’t see why we don’t just kill them outright. Those leeches aren’t going to know they’re worm food before they surrender themselves AND their cash.” A woman growled, sharpening her blade out of boredom. Another slayer turned to her with an annoyed tilt of his head.

“Because, Sarah, they CAN tell if their hell spawn have been killed. It’ll be ten times more of a pain in the ass if we can’t get them in a secure position.” “Why did we give them such a generous time limit, though? Gives them the advantage of plotting against us. I almost agree with Sarah. We’re getting restless here, Max!” The second in charge, Eric, glanced at his leader.

Max had situated himself at one of the huge windows overlooking the industrial park. “If you lull them into a false sense of security, they’ll make mistakes and be easy to track. We’re almost to the time limit anyway. Only five minutes left. For all they tote around about their so called ‘family bonds’, they don’t seem to care enough about their young at this moment.”

Sarah grinned darkly. “I say we kill one right now. Show them we mean business.”

Her leader waved a hand dismissively, “Fine, make sure the others don’t get out. We need as much leverage as we can get.”

“Keep your pants on, Maxie. I’ll keep it nice and clean.” She muttered, grabbing her pistol and heading towards the locked room. A minute later, she had one of the cubs by their wrist as they kicked and screeched out of terror. “Oh shut the hell up and sit still!”

Pointing the pistol at the child’s head, the sadistic woman grinned darkly. “Say goodnight, freak.”

Her finger never became taut on the trigger. Instead a bullet erupted out through her right eye in a mini fountain of gore, ending the miserable woman’s existence. As her body fell with a meaty thud, the rest of the slayers stared at their fallen comrade in shock. The cub scrambled away from the carcass and back toward the others, all clinging to each other for comfort.

“My sincerest apologies but this gathering ye lot have set up be not something the rest of us agree with.” A gruff voice with a foreign accent drawled over from the large double door serving as the warehouse’s entrance. In the doorway stood none other than Hector Barbossa himself with a still smoking gun primed for another shot and a triumphant smirk on his bearded face.

“Well if it ain’t the pussy-footed old pirate himself. Come all this way to give us a class on how to ‘tame’ these snot-nosed brats? I’ll be honest with you, I never expected a bunch of talented hunters, such as yourself and your group, to chicken out so hard that they think they have to achieve peace with these things. What a goddamn waste.” Max put his hands on hips, mockingly disappointed. “Sorry but I’m going to have to decline the offer since we’ve already got a buyer for their fangs. I suppose they make good jewelry.”

He waved his hand to the men stationed up in the catwalks. “Kill him.”

Just as the first man was about to take the shot at Barbossa’s head, the wind was abruptly knocked out of him. Dumbfounded, his eyes slowly left his target to stare at the blade that had pierced through his chest cavity. He gurgled, “Max...buddy…”

Henry didn’t let him finish. He yanked his sword out with such a ferocity that it was clear on what the normally more docile hunter thought of this group. The rest of Max’s men found themselves in near identical situations. Seems that the rest of Barbossa’s group had made their way up to the rafters before his grand entry. They needed the element of surprise and they certainly got it. None of the kidnappers had been expecting them. Any that had recovered from their initial shock had been ironically frozen in place the same way the vampire parents had been on the night of the kidnappings.

Carina, having just finished up a joint hex with Shansa, shot a proud smirk at her father from the far side of the room. The slayer’s own witch subdued at their feet. Unfortunately, victory is never assured without at least one last complication. Max remained mobile in the middle of the warehouse with a brightly glowing stone in right hand.

“You ain’t gettin’ me tonight! See this?! It’s a little something to keep me from getting hexed as long as I hold it. I’m WAY ahead of you idiots!” The irate slayer snarled, holding up the detonator switch in his other hand. “You think this is the end?! Ha! I still have the brats locked up. I can press this button at any time and blow the fuckers to hell myself! Hell if I care anymore, I’m having the last goddamn laugh!”

Fashionably late as always, Jack saunters up behind him. Picking up a metal rod from off the ground, raising it high above his head to swiftly bring it down on the slayer leader’s head. The man crumpled in an instant, detonator delicately swiped from his hand by the crafty man above him. Grimacing at the nasty device, he sauntered around the room as the two witches breaking the lock on the door to get the children out as soon as possible. Smirking as the last cub was carried out, Jack turned to the immobilized slayers with his arms spread out.

“Unfortunately lads and-” He glanced down and toed at Sarah’s corpse disgustedly. “Former...lasses, this little charade is coming to an end now. Wasn’t hard for us to hear about it, the whole world’s been on the hunt for a week. Lucky we found ya when we did. You’ve all caused enough trouble for the human race. Endangering peace talks, almost kick starting a war, taking a few perfectly innocent children in the process to use as black market fodder. Ye must be proud of yourselves for terrifying them within a inch of their very impressionable lives.”

Jack moseyed on back and squatted to lean into Max’s face with a grin, “Wonder how ye’ll fair against a vampire that’s grown proper. Let’s say we find out, savvy?”

It was almost like a tidal wave of relief had swept through the town as the kidnapped cubs scrambled out of the cars and leaping into the arms of their sobbing parents. Rumbling purrs soothed frayed nerves and in turn warming the hearts of even the most stoic of audience members. Each child was accounted for and not a single hair on their heads had been harmed. It was a miracle really, it could have ended so much worse. The joint efforts of both the gang as well as law enforcement were deeply appreciated by the supernatural community.

The peace talks would continue with gusto this time. It was now clear that while there were those who would seek to harm the delicate progress that had been made, there were far more who would seek to maintain it. News crews covered the ongoing story, broadcasting worldwide. The police chief took Hector to the side to question him.

“How did you manage to find their location? Nothing pointed towards them being in that warehouse.”

The older man smiled secretively. “Ye might be bound by the law but we have a slightly...different way of going about our business. That aside, we have a gift for our vampire friends. A token of our friendship.”

Murtogg and Mullroy grinned at each other as they opened the door to one of the blacked out vans and grabbing at the still frozen slayer leader. A few surviving group members were pulled out of the van by Jack and Pintel. Every single one was chained up, practically tied up like a bunch of presents. The only thing missing was a bow, Barbossa mused.

The gang dumped the slayers at the feet of the vampire parents; all of which growled and hissed menacingly, pulling their children to them protectively. Jack bowed to them, “All yours, mates!”

[recentanimenews]

I Wanted to Write a Tourism Article, But I Touched a Mysterious Glowing Portal and Somehow Ended Up in Another World?!

So, cards on the table, this wasn't the article I was originally going to write.

  The plan in my to-do list—and the plan in newsroom chat—had been for me to head out to Japan, meet up with a friend there, and review a bunch of the collab cafés currently running. (Astute readers may have gathered that, since I cover the news pieces for like 90% of them, I'm kind of infatuated with them.) I had the reservations all set for all of them, I had my round trip ticket, got my passport renewed, the whole nine yards.

  Then on the layover in San Francisco, I killed some time looking at the modern art pieces scattered around my gate, and... long story short, things happened, I touched what I thought was an interactive NASA display but oh silly me it was an interdimensional portal.

  No lectures, please. Lessons were learned.

  At the moment, I have two issues. One, I have ended up getting so turned around in my efforts to get home that I've actually ended up going through a total of seven worlds, none of which are the one I'm trying to get back to. Two, I have a feature due, like, now. So I figure while I'm waiting to meet up with this mysterious guy who looks and sounds eerily like my childhood friend, I might as well knock out two birds with one stone.

  So, in lieu of what was going to be an adorable romp through anime-themed parfaits and soda, here's a travelogue of other worlds you may find yourself visiting someday.

  Yggdrasil

  If I'm going to get thrown to the four winds, this isn't the worst place to start. Yggdrasil actually seems to have the same view of the stars as Earth, which means technically I was pretty close to home? Also, things aligned pretty well with Bronze Age technology and society, so it wasn't 100% culture shock. Well, you know, except for all the magic and stuff flying around.

  Hospitality was pretty decent: all the local tribes were set up as "families," with a Patriarch at the head of each (male or female) and their followers referred to as children or siblings. Apparently loyalty within that system is a big deal around here, to the point that the success of peace negotiations can rest on that.

  Then there are the Einherjar: straight-up magic using warriors. You don't want to mess with them, but as long as you're not on the receiving end of their attacks, they're amazing to watch in battle.

  Best thing about Yggdrasil? Amazing reception. Data comes through like you're just sitting next to your router no matter where you go. Phone calls are a little tougher, though... you have to be near some kind of magic mirror to make it work. Which is fine if you've got nowhere to go. But, if someone had a loved one back home and had to keep leaving their base and knowing they couldn't call, I imagine that'd make them crazy after a while.

  Worth the Trip?: The good news is that with a few web searches and some skilled friends, you can survive the primitive nature of Yggdrasil with some familiar creature comforts. (And then they get a new skill set!) Downside is, no matter how nice people are, if you're living anywhere with anything like society, you're probably about to be in a war zone.

  Cross Reverie

  Okay, this one was a little weird. I swear I've seen this game around online (I'm more a Fate/GO girl myself), and pretty much everything I saw when I came through here matched up with the game. Same landscape, same types of people, and basically enough going on where if you know the game you can get around like nobody's business.

  Here's the thing: everyone is super low-level.

  Like, initially I was completely ready to believe I'd ended up inside a game. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing that happened to me on this trip. But everyone's "levels," even the really capable fighters were down in the teens. Then again, I guess when you're talking real-world adventuring, you're not going to spend several hours a day beating up monsters just to ding a higher level.

  Interestingly, a lot of the ladies around here don't... wear a lot of clothes? I felt weirdly overdressed a lot of the time. That's not a fast rule, but it was not uncommon to see lower- and higher-cut outfits in fashion. (Take note and... I guess don't visit when it's cold?)

  Worth the Trip?: If you're a gamer, you'll feel right at home. Things tend to function on game logic, but at a more "human" level. Just don't expect in-game creature comforts like teleportation. Though, if you're looking for actual straight-up game stuff...

  Sword Art Online

  There we go. No fuss, no messing, no wondering what translates to what. This is a game. You're in a game. Welcome to an RPG that you actually, like, do.

I'm pretty down with that. I like swords, I like adventure, and being able to do raids and quests without having to worry about spinning the camera around. Extra bonus? Your fellow adventurers are from the same world as you. So less culture shock, less having to explain your bad references in conversation. Overall a lot more welcoming. Plus, it's gorgeous there—exactly what you'd imagine a fantasy world to be, with all the cool clothes and critters included.

  There is one major down side, though... transportation out of there is not. Easy. And I don't mean like "flights are expensive" or "there's only one bus route." I mean like "you have to fight your way up a giant tower and not die and that might not even work." So not (and I speak from experience here) the best stop for a multi-stop trip where time is of the essence.

  Worth the Trip?: Really depends how into it you are. If this is somewhere you specifically want to go, yes. If you have other plans in the next, like... rest of your life? Plan with care.

  Disboard

  I mean... I'm sure it's just a coincidence that so many of the places I ended up in seem to have gaming themes to them. Maybe our world is the odd one out?

  The world of Disboard is a dream come true if you're one of two things: an adept gamer or a flawless cheater. If you are neither of those things, though, you might have a bad time. Disboard functions on games in pretty much any way you can think of. Disputes on anything from rulership of a country to whether you're about to get robbed are handled via bets and competitions. And it could be anything, from a hand of poker to God-tier shiritori.

  If you're crazy lucky or crazy smart, you'll probably rock Disboard within hours. But if you've got my kind of luck?

  It might be best to leave the gaming to the pros.

  Worth the Trip?: Even if you're a garbage-tier gamer, Disboard is really beautiful. So you can at least take in the sights and do your best to stay out of trouble.

  The Hidden Realm

  The first thing you're told about traveling in other dimensions is not to eat the food. But you know what? I'm already in too deep. Might as well enjoy myself.

  The Hidden Realm is that mysterious place where gods and demons live—and when you have a realm of gods and demons, what do you need? Come on, you've watched enough anime to know this... that's right. An inn. And inns need food. Sadly, the Tenjin'ya has some pretty boring food in its main restaurant.

  But turn a few corners and go around the back of the property, and you will find the best little Japanese/spirit fusion restaurant. Seriously, it's crazy good. And it's run by a human girl who learned how to cook for spirits, so you know you're getting quality.

  Worth the Trip?: Completely. I mean, okay. Whether or not the spirits will be nice to you really depends on their personalities, so you might meet a few jerks. But that food.

The Kingdom of Belfast

  Belfast is part of a larger world that's accessible in one of two ways: you can either cross dimensions, or you can, uh... die. I highly recommend the first one if you have any sort of choice in the matter.

  That said, dying and being reborn in this world does apparently net you some profits. There's been a case where the person reborn here was actually able to use all seven facets of the world's magic. (For reference, you're usually going to run into people who can use one or two at best.) That's going to make you popular... especially with the ladies, apparently.

  Added bonus? Finally got reception again! This is another place where, if you've got any smart devices, you can make use of them once again. I'm not entirely sure what roaming charges are here and elsewhere... frankly, I've been too afraid to look.

  Worth the Trip?: With good reception, plenty of magic to go around, and some frankly adorable fashions going on? I'll give it a thumbs up.

  El-Hazard

  And so we come (maybe?) to the end of my journey. I hope. I think. With a stop in El-Hazard, a world that's equal parts ancient tech and Arabian Nights culture. And, you know, I kind of dig it. Beautiful scenery, really cool magic and machines, and...

  Bugs? Oh. Yeah. I forgot. There's literally an entire nation of giant bug people. Called Bugrom. They also might be a little at war with the humans here, and their might be some doomsday items scattered around.

  But I mean besides that, it's actually pretty fun. Lots of room to wander and explore, a variety of landscapes, interesting people... and bugs.

Worth the Trip?: Depends how you feel about giant insects and ancient biomechanical creatures — conditional yes.

  If you find yourself in another world (whether on purpose or through a completely honest and understandable accident Nate), stay smart. Bring a solar-powered charger. Be prepared to rule at least one kingdom or tribe while you're there. Look for sad girls with glowing necklaces, because they tend to know what's going on—and whatever you do... try not to touch anything. [EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm only okay with Kara missing the cafe coverage because she brought souvenir snacks. We good.]

-----

Kara Dennison is responsible for multiple webcomics, and is half the creative team behind the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. She blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos. Her latest book, Black Archive #21 – Heaven Sent, is currently available from Obverse Books.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[aether-somerset]

Of Blades and Justice (Part 2)

O shit look I uploaded the next part

Here’s part 1!

Chapter 1: Chat Behind Bars

She’d been arrested before, but she couldn’t say it had been anything like this.

Hands cuffed behind her back, dragged far away from the place she called home, she was being escorted down an extravagant hall by a policeman who was also apparently one of the ‘Champions’ she’d heard a bit about. Truly, this was a strange day.

After being walked down a number of halls, they made it to an archway that led to a room with a cell in it. While not as extravagant as the rest of the building, it was certainly a lot better than those that she’d been in before. At very least, the bed looked comfortable – and honestly, she could ask for little more in this kind of situation.

However, he did not yet let her into the cell.

“What now?” she asked.

“What do you think?” he responded, “Are you unaware of how many knives you have strapped to you?” Right. That.

Lex removed not only the knives, but the belts containing the knives too; placing everything neatly on the desk in the corner of the room. He also decided to frisk her, obviously not trusting her in the least.

“Careful where you place your 'ands, officer,” she teased, “Contrary to popular belief, you aren’t above the law.”

This seemed to strike a nerve with the Champion, as his ever-stoic expression shifted into one that showed some unease.

“…The fact that there are people out there who would abuse a position of trust such as mine is beyond me,” he said, lowly.

Maeve was honestly taken aback by this remark. She suddenly had a bit of respect for this man. Maybe she’d give him a bit of a break… maybe.

He seemed to be done with his little search, except for one little detail.

“Those gems,” he remarked, “What do they do?”

“Glow.”

“Serious answer?”

“I’m not being facetious, that’s their only purpose. They’re probably capable of something, but whatever it is, I’ve no clue.”

“Guess I’ll take your word for it. For now at least.”

Lex finally let Maeve into the cell and locked it behind her. Now that she was behind bars, he removed the handcuffs.

After being unshackled, Maeve sat on the bed, leaning against the wall. Looked like she’d be staying here for a while.

“I think it’s about time to get into the real questions.”

Oh, here we go, Maeve thought. “This’ll be fun, I’m sure.”

Lex pulled a chair out from the desk in the corner of the room, placing it in front of the cell and sitting down. This was going to take a while, wasn’t it?

“Why were you stealing weapon crystals?”

“I like shiny things,” she smirked.

“Maeve,” he began, looking into her eyes with an almost pleading expression, “I know I brought you here under the assumption that you may be dangerous, but I’m not accusing you of anything. I don’t know anything about you beyond your name and what I’ve seen of you, I don’t even know what you are. So try and help me out here. Honest answers, please.”

As much as a part of her wanted to be difficult, most of her just… couldn’t. A criminal she may be, but she liked to think she was reasonable. Looks like she was about to come clean to this Lex guy.

She brushed her hair out of her face, looking away from the lawman.

“To fence them, probably,” she admitted, “They go for a good bit of gold. I just saw the opportunity and went for it. Should 'ave figured there’d be some advanced security measures in that shop, but I got cocky.”

“So this is something you do commonly.”

“It’s ‘ow I get by.”

“Are you homeless?”

“In a sense. The crew and I sort of claimed this abandoned village a while away from town. I guess, in a way, it’s our base of operations – but since we 'ave to come all the way to town for resources, we end up sleeping on the street more often than not.”

“So you’re part of a gang?”

“I prefer to view them as family. They took me in when I was very young, and they’ve provided for me ever since. It’s the least I could do to return the favor.”

Lex seemed to contemplate this.

“I see,” he said, “And these knives of yours…?”

“It’s a rough life out there on the streets, you know. Especially for someone my age, it’s crucial to 'ave a means of self defense. Or offense, as the case often ends up being.”

“So how old are you exactly?”

“What’s you best guess?”

“You look like you could be as young as fourteen, but the way you act seems to indicate otherwise.”

“…Sixteen. I don’t look that young do I?”

“It’s hard to say. You’re unlike any human I’ve seen before.”

Maeve resisted the urge to crack a joke about him hitting on her.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you?”

“Wish I could tell you, kitten, but I’ve no idea myself,” Maeve said with a shrug, “Our general theory is that I’m some kind of magical mutant. I’m essentially 'alf cat, but magic trails behind me when I run, and certain gems glow when I touch them.”

“An interesting affliction. Were you born like this?”

“So I assume. I was abandoned as a baby, so there’s no real way of knowing.”

The room was silent for a moment.

“When do you think you’ll let me out?” Maeve asked.

“As much as I’d like to help you out here, I can’t just ignore my job,” Lex said, standing up, “Given your age and the crime you committed, your punishment in this realm is basically just going to be sitting in a cell for a couple of days.”

Maeve scowled. “Are you serious?”

Lex put his chair back in its original location, and proceeded to write something down in a notebook on the desk.

“Consider yourself lucky I’m choosing to ignore your inadvertent confessions to a number of other crimes,” Lex stated simply, “Through you I could track down your gang of thieves and have the lot of you arrested and charged,” he looked over to Maeve once more, “Thankfully for you, I’m on the side of justice more than I’m on the side of the law. I know you’re just trying to get by.”

Maeve was uncertain how to process this. She may have been unlike any human Lex had ever met, but Lex was unlike any policeman Maeve had ever met.

“I… don’t understand,” she replied, “That’s just so…”

“Reasonable? Weren’t expecting that from someone of my standing, were you?” he smirked, “Still think I’m a 'swine’, Maeve?”

…She did call him that, didn’t she?

“Look, if I let you completely off the hook, you’d go right back to what you were doing,” he elaborated, “And even though I understand the position you’re in, that doesn’t actually justify thievery or whatever other crimes you may or may not be committing. Take this as a warning, because if I catch you in the act again, I’m not going to be as lenient.”

“What am I supposed to do, then?” Maeve asked, her voice regaining some edge, “You think I can just go and get a job or something? Not only do I have no qualifications whatsoever, but I don’t even legally exist. I’ve kind of got no other options. This is the only life I’ve ever known.”

Lex looked as if he’d had an idea. “You… have a decent point. I could try to help you with a solution, if you’d like.”

Maeve was highly skeptical, especially with that phrasing.

“I’ve heard that line from grown men before…” as she said that, Lex seemed understandably disturbed.

“Okay, that’s no longer a question. While you’re here, I’m going to help you.”

He ripped the page from his notebook. “However, I’m going to have to leave you here for a bit. I’ll send someone to check on you soon, but I have some things I need to attend to. I’ll probably be back in a few hours. Hang in there.”

And with that, Lex had abruptly left. Now Maeve felt a degree of awkwardness. She laid down on the bed with a sigh. This scenario would have been a lot less discomforting if she hadn’t bonded with the police officer, who had then promptly left her to her own devices.

With no knives to play with, she figured she’d do the only thing she could do to pass the time – sleep. Her eyes fluttering closed, adjusting her coat and clothes, she soon drifted off…