#on another note though; back to the topic of kk:

[starsmuserainbow]

She wasn't going to admit to it, but in a way, Blackfire was really thankful that Vergil already made plans with her for their future trips. That, together with the comfort and understanding he offered earlier to her opening up about the whole insult thing (and, somehow, even about her whole story more or less which she absolutely hadn't planned on revealing) and now the distraction with the food he was making, helped a lot to get over any thoughts about the insults and insulting treatment from the club. Or maybe she was just pushing any feelings about it all away, but that was okay too, it worked for her so far so there was no need to change it.

"I'll make sure to plan us a fun challenge route." Or at least a few places, in case one didn't work out or ended up being much more boring than she expected. "We could start with it after eating, if you're still up for it?" She wasn't quite sure what daytime it was - looking outside though, certainly not brightest day anymore - but Blackfire barely cared about daytimes anyway. Being tired or not, and having slept enough or not, was way better to go by than a schedule just because someone set it up, especially when you travelled planets as frequently as she did. "Of course I won't be able to plan much ahead, in that case, but I know enough worlds we can try without preparation too."

The idea of facing off against a new type of enemy excited him, for such a long time, it was nothing but demons, more demons, superhero's and villains, and demons, the list of enemies always remained the same, and with his vast knowledge of all the known demons in the demon world right now, he knew their weaknesses and what made them a threat, with that piece of information, it made any encounter with them nothing short of a cakewalk.

There was also the thrill of fighting alongside Blackfire that added to it. When it came to team-ups, while Vergil was capable of working in a team if needed, he often chose to work alone -- but Blackfire on the other hand, was almost like him, she had her own ambitions, and big plans of her own, so many things about them were similar, everything accept their race, as he was a demon, and she was an alien.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Excellent. In that case, I'll let you lead the way." He says, giving her command of this trip, it was better for her to take charge for the simple fact that she was well used to outer space, while Vergil in turn, was not.

At the thought of finding treasure in the process, it only served to widen his sinister grin even more. No doubt, this was going to be quite the trip, one that was easily out of this world, so many planets, so much potential targets, he couldn't contain the anticipation building within him.

[{ 🗡️ }] - "Hmm. A very good point, perhaps we will. May as well make ourselves a profit while we're at it. I'll let you pick the first location, space is your playground after all, I'm just here for the ride."

[holidaywishes]

the on and off thing

Part four: the on and off thing

  Summary: You’re back home in BC and finally starting to deal with your breakup when your Mom invites Brendan for dinner when he comes home

  Warning: some swearing, angst, some fluff, mention of Car Accident (to be continued)

  Author’s Note: I had originally planned for this chapter to have more of the car accident in it but decided to instead move it to its own chapter because I liked the suspense of the ending of this one instead.

  masterlist

  You had been to every game or at least watched every game. Even though he wasn’t yours anymore, you still wanted to support him; you still loved watching him play. You stayed in Montreal for a few months after the break up because you couldn’t just quit your job and leave but after what happened, after telling him you didn’t love him, the city became dark and lonely.

  So, you left. You seemed to be doing that a lot. Leaving. But this was the best thing for both of you. Distance would prove to be the best decision. But it wasn’t easy. Montreal had been your home for four years and every part of it had good memories but so many of those memories belonged to you and Brendan and you just couldn’t look at those parts of the city without seeing him. And leaving those memories behind hurt almost as much as leaving Brendan behind. The Canadiens were on a pretty good streak for a while, only losing one away game, but they ran into some bad luck in the first round of the postseason.

  “They lost…” your Mom said as you stared blankly at the T.V. screen

  “What?” you asked, shutting it off and walked over to the window

  “Montreal, they’re out of the playoffs again,” she answered and you stared out the big bay window in your family room, “that cup seems like an impossible dream at this point huh?”

  “The season is over. They’ll get over it. Try again in October…” you said absentmindedly, watching the squirrels chase each other up the tree in your parents front yard.

  “You gonna see him?”

  “Huh?”

  “Gally… when he comes home. Are you going to spend some time with him?”

  “No, Mom. I left. I told him I’d give him space…” you sighed, rubbing your temples

  “You’ve given each other months of space and you see how well that’s gone for him. And you’re not any better off either…”

  “Mom, please. Don’t start this again…”

  “I just think you should give him another chance,” You stormed out of the room, intending on hiding out in your room until she let this go but she blocked your path, “he was the best thing that ever happened to you…”

  “I’m over this conversation with you, Mom! We broke up. We’re not getting back together. I’m sorry that upsets you so much. I... have to get out of here..”

  “(Y/N)! Wait, stop! Come back here” your Mom called after you as you stormed out of the house, your feet starting to quicken their pace without you realizing. You were pissed at your Mom. You hated when she did this. She thought it was fate that the two of you lived two towns apart growing up but only met when you decided to go to a Habs v Canucks game one day; becoming immediately smitten with him. You never expected your Mom to get so invested in the relationship and yet, she seemed to be taking the break up harder than you. You knew she was probably calling him right now, talking about how sorry she was they weren’t in the playoffs this year but that she’d love to see him and he’d say he’d be in BC to see his family soon and he’d love to stop by and you weren’t prepared for it. You began mumbling things to yourself when a text came in from Max

  “Why did you say you didn’t love him?”

  “Max, I had to. It’s hard to explain…”

  “Then it’s not a good enough reason”

  “I’m sorry you guys are out of the playoffs but we do not need to be having this conversation…”

  “He’s my friend you know. And a good guy, I’m just looking out for him” You raised your eyebrows in disbelief at the words you were reading and you weren’t watching where you were going

  “I know it’s hard to believ--” an arm abruptly stopped you, making you drop your phone, but ultimately saving your life

  “You should probably watch where you’re going…” the stranger said, an annoyed smile on his face

  “I’m so sorry, thank you..” he nodded in appreciation and went on his way. You picked up your phone to find it completely shattered with no sign of you being able to use it again, so you wandered around town for a little before eventually heading home. To no one’s surprise when you got home, your Mom had called Brendan and told him to come visit all of you when he was in town and he happily agreed; you on the other hand, rolled your eyes and tried to come up with an excuse to leave the city before he got there.

  A week had passed and you hadn’t heard anymore from Brendan which made you think he wasn’t going to see you but rather meet up with your Mom somewhere. Your Dad talked you into leaving the house with him and going to the arcade and you laughed, agreeing whole heartedly; it had been ages since you had been to the arcade.

  “I always win at skee-ball, you ready to make a bet?” he teased

  “You’re on!” you joked

  “Loser has to buy the winner a beer...”

  “Seems pretty tame Dad”

  “Okay.. how about loser pays for dinner. For everyone…”

  “Okay…? I thought you would’ve said something like, I don’t know, loser runs through the park yelling profanities at the cops,” you laughed but, when you got no reaction from your Dad, you furrowed your brow, “what’s going on?”

  “Your Mom is still upset…” he started, eyes still staring strongly out the windshield, “she doesn’t understand the breakup. I mean she understands it but she wishes you would change your mind. You’ve barely said anything to her this last week and she wants this dinner to be a nice one…” You huffed, anger filling your body as you rolled your eyes when it suddenly hit you

  “She fucking invited him didn’t she?”

  “Yes…”

  “God damn it, Dad!”

  “Enough with the language, (Y/N)!”

  “Why are you agreeing to this? Why are you trying to back me into a corner like she has?”

  “We’re not! Your mother just wants you to give Gally a second chance…”

  “Stop the car”

  “What? No, we’re almost to the arcade”

  “Pull the car over, Dad, now!”

  “(Y/N), don’t be upset”

  “STOP THE GODDAMN CAR!” You shouted and he did as you wished, pulling over to the curb where you got out and started to walk back to your parents house before your Dad cut you off with his truck.

  “(Y/N), stop, come back here. Talk to me!” he shouted as you walked around the big, grey vehicle

  “Why? So you can just ignore what I say and do whatever the fuck Mom feels is best for me?” you shouted back at him

  “Baby, we love you. We hate seeing you in pain..” he tried

  “Well you’re gonna have to deal! Brendan and I broke up. It sucks. It hurts. But she can’t just manipulate us back together!!”

  “She’s not trying to”

  “Are you sure? Because it sure as hell feels like it. Calling, texting him while I’m here, inviting him over and to this stupid family dinner? I needed to not be around him for a while. I lost my freaking apartment, my home, when I lost Brendan. I left my job because I couldn’t stand to be in that city anymore without him by my side! But I come back here to sort out my shit and she brings him up every chance she gets. I get it. He was her favourite. But it’s over…” Tears had started to escape your eyes without you realizing and your Dad walked over to wrap you in a hug

  “It’s okay, sweetheart…” he said, rubbing your back as you sobbed

  “I miss him everyday, Dad, but we both need just a bit more time. Before we’re stuck in an awkward situation together…”

  “You sure you don’t want to get back together with him?”

 “I don’t know..” you confessed, “I just don’t really want to do the on and off thing…”

  “Maybe 2nd times the charm?” your Dad said, trying to lighten the mood and you pulled away to look at him

  “We’ll see I guess..”

  The dinner went almost exactly how you expected. You didn’t speak to your Mom much and you shifted in your chair as you watched her watch the door to the restaurant. Then he showed up. And you had forgotten just how handsome and charming he was and it was like you were meeting him for the first time again. Your face was flushed, your breathing was shallow and staying mostly in your chest and you couldn’t stop staring at him. Crap, don’t let Mom see, you thought to yourself, snapping your gaze to your plate.

  “So, Brendan.. How are you doing?” your Mom said sympathetically, the way all mother do when they pry

  “I’m fine,” he said once he swallowed his bite of steak, “yeah, I mean it sucks we’re not in the playoffs again but there’s always next year…” he caught your eye briefly and you smiled sadly at him, knowing he was putting on a brave face about this like he had been doing for years, “besides, how much of an ego would KK have if we won the cup this early in his career?” everyone at the table laughed except you.

  “(Y/N), you’ve hardly touched your food,” your Mom motioned to your plate, causing a scowl to creep over your face, “everything okay?”

  “Guess I’m just not very hungry…” you replied

  “Well, I think you should eat some. We don’t want to waste any food…” she countered

  “I could always just take it to go, Ma”

  “Yes, I think that’s a great compromise,” your Dad chimed in, hating the tension, “so, who’s ready for skee-ball?” Since you and your Dad took so much time on your way to meet your Mom, you never actually went to the arcade but instead decided to save it for later, which also meant that Brendan would be joining you. As the four of you walked through the arcade, you noticed Brendan fall back a little and you habitually fell back with him.

  “Hey…” you nudged him shyly

  “Hey” he said back simply, not even a trace of a smile on his face

  “I’m sorry. That you had to come here. I know it’s awkward and weird…” you started, “I know my Mom roped you into it. So, for her sake, thank you for coming…”

  “I mean it’s not like I was bummed that I’d get to see you…” You blushed but did your best to change the topic

  “How have you been anyway?”

  “Fine. Good, I guess. You seeing anyone?”

  “Uhm,” you stammered, “no, not seeing anyone. Are you?”

  “Nope” he said, popping the ‘P.’ The two of you walked silently for a while before eventually stopping at skee-ball

  “Alright, girlie,” your Dad taunted, “ready to get beat?”

  “Ready to beat you!” you laughed, teasing your dad before looking back at Brendan quickly to gauge his reaction. The game went on for a few rounds before your Mom got bored enough to take Brendan on a walk through the arcade to ‘find a game that better suited them,’ whatever the hell that meant. Before too long, you and your Dad wrapped up skee-ball and tried to find the two remaining members of your group; whack-a-mole is what they chose, interesting choice…

  “Who won?” You heard your Dad say before you could make any quips

  “I did, of course” Brendan said triumphantly and you noticed the pout on your Mom’s face; you had to force yourself not to make fun of her. Your Dad directed the four of you up to the prize table to exchange the winning tickets and you were pulled back by your Mom, completely catching you off guard.

  “Talk to him” she whispered to you and you rolled your eyes

  “I have been talking to him, Mom…”

  “And..?”

  “And nothing. It’s weird. You gave it your best shot and that’s all we can ask for” you teased, placing your hand on her shoulder, earning a disapproving stare from her as she knocked your hand away.

  “And there you go!” Your Dad said happily as he gave your Mom a plush cat, with neon ‘fur’ and a weird grin on its face.

  “Wow, thank you honey. This is.. somethin’” she teased but gave him a loving kiss, walking ahead to the car, leaving you and Brendan alone to walk together.

  “Did you drive here?” he asked you, pointing in the direction of the parking lot

  “I came with my Dad..” you answered, “he’ll drive me back…”

  “Sounds good. Did you have fun today?” he said quickly as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly

  “I did! Surprisingly, did you?” you turned to him just as you got out into the bright BC sun

  “I did.. I uhm..” he stammered, shifting on his heels in front of you, “I wanted to give this to you. I saw it at the table and thought you might like it. He handed you a small black box and your heart stopped for a second, hoping it wasn’t what you thought it was, but you opened it to find a heart shaped key chain.

  “It’s a Sweetheart for my sweetheart…” he said, squeezing his eyes shut at how dumb it was. God you missed that.

  “It’s adorable. Thank you..” you said, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek as a goodbye, when he moved just enough that his lips connected with yours. The kiss was soft. Soft enough for you to break away like you thought you would but you stayed there, embracing his lips with yours and beginning to wrap your arms around his neck as his hands settled on your hips. The two of you were being bumped occasionally by the crowd exiting the arcade but nothing pulled you apart until you heard your Dad honk his horn.

  “I should go…” your arms were still wrapped around his neck, his hands sliding up to your waist and your faces incredulously close.

  “Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow?” his eyes bore into yours and you were back to the girl who turned to jelly every time he smiled at her.

  “Maybe…” was your only response before your Dad honked his horn again

  “Bye” he said, holding onto your hand lightly until you were far enough away that it slipped away. You were in a trance. You hadn’t been like this in so long but you knew the feeling all too well.

  “She’ll drive with me. You have to go to the store anyway…” your Mom called to your Dad, forcing you to change the direction of your feet when you heard your Mom call out to Brendan, “you can follow us home Gally!” Your eyes darted to where he was, climbing into his car, and you saw him nod in agreement. You jumped in the front seat of your Mom’s prius and buckled your seatbelt, waiting for her to get in the car; surprised when she didn’t immediately ask a million questions. The ride was only quiet for about five minutes though, when she decided she’d plan your entire relationship from scratch.

  “What did he give you anyway?”

  “What?”

  “I saw him give you a box, was it a ring?”

  “A ring? From the prize table? Yes, Mom, but it was a Ring Pop and it fell and broke on the concrete..” you laughed at your own joke but your Mom was not as amused

  “Don’t be smart, (Y/N), I think it could really happen. I think he probably has something planned for later…”

  “Hold on, what?”

  “He’s in love with you and he has been since day one”

  “But we broke up”

  “But you’re not broken up anymore!”

  “Yes, we are”

  “You don’t kiss someone like that if you’re broken up”

  “That kiss was not what it looked like Mom. It’s complicated…”

  “Then un-complicate it!” She was starting to pick up speed because she was getting frustrated and this stretch of road always made you uncomfortable, having known so many friends who turned the bend too fast or couldn’t stop fast enough

  “Mom, slow down…”

  “I just don’t understand why you keep sabotaging this relationship!”

  “Mom, please, slow down” your voice was beginning to hitch and you were terrified that she was going too fast

  “You love him. I know you do or else you wouldn’t fight me so much on all of this!”

  “You’re right, okay. I love him. Now will you please just slow down?!” you shouted back at your Mom who told you to calm down as she took her foot off the gas pedal slowly and pressed on the brake.

  “We’re fine, Okay?” she said and you sighed, still nervous about the long stretch to go, “but I’m glad you finally admitted your feelings…” She put her foot back on the gas, not going as fast as before but still going faster than she probably should’ve been and then continued to nag you.

  “You promise you’re not going to sabotage this?”

  “Sabotage what?”

  “The proposal?!”

  “Proposal? What proposal?!”

  “Oh, (Y/N), really… You never listen!”

  “I told you, we’re broken up. He doesn’t have anything planned for tonight. That would be impossible.”

  “The impossible is still possible”

  “Who are you, Mary Poppins?”

  “He’s going to propose and you’re going to say yes…” It sounded like a threat, which you desperately wanted to call her out on, but when you saw a car fast approaching from the left, all you wanted to do was avoid a collision

  “Stop!” you yelled

  “(Y/N), I’m serious”

  “No, Mom, Stop the car!” you yelled, eyes growing wide and the last thing you remember was the sound of wheels screeching as your car toppled over itself.

[rhosinthorn]

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice?

‘I’m on a mission to find the best tasting pumpkin spice latte, want to join me?’

Sakura was rounding the corner of the student union when she heard the yelling.

“I’m on a mission to find the best tasting pumpkin spice latte!” a familiar looking upperclassmen was shouting from atop the chair dragged into the middle of the student union’s porch as others shuffled by as quickly as they could, averting their eyes. “Who wants to join me?”

Next to her, Sasuke hunched down even further in his sweatshirt, as if he was trying to disappear, tugging his hood up to cover his hair. “Why is it always me?” he groaned.

Snagging his sleeve before he could teleport away the way he always did when faced with uncomfortable situations, Sakura tugged him forward. “Come on grump,” she teased, heading for the doors of the student union. “You’ll be better once you’ve got some food in you.”

They had almost made it to the door when their luck ran out.

“Sasu-cakes!” Shisui crowed, abandoning his previous post in the center of the porch in favor of an easy victim. “I have a task for you!”

“No. No way, I have class.” Sasuke’s eyes were slightly wild, and his nervous twitch was back. Sakura had thought he had been trained out of it, but apparently one encounter with his cousin was enough to bring it back. “Find some other poor soul to be your victim.”

“But my little duckling,” Shisui wailed, draping himself all over his younger cousin, who froze immediately. “I need a buddy, and Itachi’s in class.”

“No.”

Before Shisui could throw a tantrum worthy of a three year old (Sakura knew he’d do it, she’d seen it before), Sakura intervened. “I’m free for the afternoon, so I’ll go with you,” she offered, conveniently leaving out the midterm she had the next day that she probably should be studying for. “Where do we start?”

“Here!” Shisui perked up immediately, abandoning Sasuke in favor of looping his arm through hers. “We’re starting with the Pit, and working our way around campus to finally finish up back here at Starbucks.”

Sasuke’s teeth grinding was almost audible as the trio made their way into the building.

He was still grinding his teeth as Shisui lounged in the chair next to him, rhapsodizing about the pumpkin spiced coffee clutched in his hand. Honestly, the elder Uchiha could put wine connoisseurs to shame, the way he talked about depth of flavor and notes...Sakura was almost impressed.

She’d be more impressed if she wasn’t constantly feeding Sasuke fresh chopsticks because he kept breaking them in irritation. Although, considering Shisui had been provoking him throughout the ten minutes they’d been seated, she was amazed those chopsticks hadn’t been used to stab someone.

Under the cover of the table, Sakura slid her phone out of her pocket and sent off a quick text.

[dr haruno] send sos 2 hot topic

[dr haruno] b4 he murders hamlet

It only took a quick second for it to vibrate in her hand, and she grinned as she saw the response.

[darwin award] kk

[darwin award] jailbreak 2 hard 2 arrange 2day

Half a second later, Sasuke’s phone, in clear display on the table, vibrated, and he lunged for it like a dying man to a life preserver.

“The idiot’s panicking over his calc exam,” he announced, already slamming the lid on his half-eaten fake chinese food and picking up his backpack. “I need to go rescue him before he jumps into the river.”

It wasn’t the best excuse either of them had ever come up with, but it worked. Before Shisui could really protest, Sakura was gathering her own garbage and motioning to Shisui. “Let’s head for the cafe in the library,” she suggested as Sasuke made his rapid exit. “I think they’ve got coffee and lattes, and I’ve been meaning to try their pumpkin chocolate chip bread.”

Obediently, Shisui allowed himself to be led away. “You made notes about what I was saying though, right?”

“Of course. What type of experiment would this be if it wasn’t properly recorded?”

The tables in the tiny cafe in the main library were crammed full of students panicking over midterms, so Shisui’s analysis of the coffee and latte that he had collected was witnessed by the crowd of desperate students filling the all-hours study space across from it.

On his thirteenth minute of lecturing, Sakura cast a wary glance at the students occupying the table across from them, several of whom looked suspiciously wired and as if they hadn’t left that table for three days, given the clutter, general unwashed appearance, and overall demeanor of a cornered wild animal. Given that they seemed about ready to let loose a hail of assorted school supplies if Shisui didn’t shut up, she escorted him quickly to the next location. Her biology professor was a hard-ass who would require her death certificate to allow her to retake the exam, and unfortunately, whatever the crazed students might do, it was improbable that they would manage homicide.

The cafe in the engineering building was much more secluded; most of the students cloistered in the adjacent computer labs with headphones, easily-portable snacks, and their own coffee makers in the room with them. Shisui was able to wax poetic about his latte in peace, as Sakura munched through her second slice of pumpkin-chocolate chip bread and made notes on Shisui’s oration while simultaneously running through her flashcards.

That is, until Shisui realized that he did not have her full attention and draped himself across her lap.

Startling in surprise, Sakura dropped her flashcards on his face, which was suddenly in her lap. The rest of him was sprawled out across the rest of the battered couch they had been sharing, and his latte had been set on the table in front of them. He was lucky that her legs, with her feet also on the table, had been pinned, so her reflexive twitch at finding him well inside her personal space hadn’t sent the drink flying.

“Sa-ku-ra,” he said, voice stretching out in a sing-song across the syllables of her name. “Are you paying attention to me?”

“You just said that this had less pumpkin and more cinnamon than the one at the library, but much less nutmeg than the one in the Pit, which is good because that one tasted like someone had dropped a bucket full of nutmeg in the coffee,” she recited dutifully, retrieving her flashcards. “See, I was listening.”

“But you were looking at something else,” Shisui wiggled as he whined, shifting his head to a more comfortable position on her thighs and relieving some of the pressure from where his shoulders had previously been. “I thought you liked spending time with me?”

The pout that followed should have been illegal for a fully grown twenty-something.

“Shisui,” Sakura began, trying to muster her resistance. “I do have an exam tomorrow, and as you can see, I am capable of multitasking.”

“But Sa-ku-ra,” he whined, commandeering her hand and placing it on his head. Obligingly, she ran her fingers through his hair. “I thought you wanted to spend time with me…”

Just then his phone beeped, and Sakura caught a glimpse of the screen as he pulled it out of his pocket.

[weasel] How’s your grand plan going? Has she hit you with anything yet?

Raising her eyebrow, Sakura glanced down at the Uchiha in her lap, who she was gratified to see looked somewhat sheepish.

“Tell him about the flashcards,” she recommended dryly, lifting his upper body just enough so that she could slip out from underneath him. “See if that gets you any sympathy. Ready to finish up at Starbucks?”

She should have expected that Starbucks would be the second most-crowded place on campus, given the proximity to midterms, but it at least allowed her to claim a comfortable armchair and keep an eye on the adjacent one while making Shisui wait in the line from hell. Spotting him sandwiched between a pair of sorority girls, who were busy making eyes at him and the frat boys in front of him, she delighted in the anguished look on his face.

Usually, he was probably one of the smoothest talkers on campus, able to charm, flatter, and cajole his way through any situation.

Stuck listening to trivial bullshit like the snippets she could hear, he seemed to be going slowly insane.

Serves him right, she thought with a smirk, reaching for her phone. Snapping a discreet shot of Shisui, she dropped it in the group chat she shared with her two best friends.

[dr haruno] <picture>

It only took a minute for Naruto to send back the picture, now covered in enough pastel hearts that it wouldn’t look out of place in a middle school girl’s locker. Sasuke’s response was a significantly subtler thumbs up.

[Hot Topic] y r u still there

[Hot Topic] u can run away

[Hot Topic] nobody would blame u

Before she could respond back, Naruto was back.

[darwin award] y u  make out w/hamlet

Glowering, Sakura punched out her response, unaware that the poor grad student who usually got stuck teaching her biology class was slowly backing away from the empty seat next to her, coffee clutched in his shaking hand.

[dr haruno] wtf

[dr haruno] i was not!!!

[dr haruno] who tf said i was????

Another chat notification popped up. Normally she had the notifications for the group chat from her dorm muted, but they had been organizing a movie night for yesterday so she had unmuted them. Opening the chat to mute it, she clenched her phone so hard she was certain the case was going to leave imprints on her skin.

[ramen king] <picture>

[ramen king] see

[ramen king] pictures don’t lie

[ramen king] u were totally making out w/hamlet

The picture was a grainy shot from somewhere behind the couch she had occupied at the coffee shop in the engineering building, taken probably as Shisui was busy flopping onto her lap. From the angle and the bad camera quality, it did sort of look as if there was something going on between them.

Before she could respond back to Naruto in either chat, the dorm chat exploded.

[k9 king] whoa sakura

[k9 king] u move fast

[k9 king] <picture>

This time it was another picture, taken moments later and from a different angle, showing Shisui’s head in her lap, turned towards her.

[bombshell] y didn’t u tell me?

[bombshell] he’s hot

[bombshell] + y r u letting him put his head in ur lap like that

Notifications for her private chat with Ino started going off as well, but Sakura was too distracted trying to put out the fire in the group chat to deal with her roommate.

[YOUTH!!!] y not me????

[YOUTH!!!] i was going 2 bring u flowers

[Hyuuga Neji] Shut up Lee.

[Hyuuga Neji] She’s been trying to politely refuse since you met.

[cinnamon roll] Neji! Be nice!

[mulan] stfu both of u. w2g S

[bombshell] do u think he would set me up w/his cousin?

[bombshell] either 1

[bombshell] we could double?

[mothman] You should shut up now Kiba. You might need to leave the country.

[firecracker] back off bitch, sasuke’s spoken for

Movement next to her drew her attention away from the shitstorm that Naruto had caused by not paying attention to which chat was open, and Sakura scowled as she saw the spare seat she had been saving be taken by a pair of frankly terrifying graduate students, one of who seemed to be currently sporting stitches. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor in that case, she turned to look for another pair of empty seats.

“Hey, I brought your lemon loaf and tea,” Shisui announced as she was half-standing, eyeing a pair of chairs that were about to open. “Thanks for saving the seats.”

Before she knew it, he had set their drinks and food down, slid into the armchair she was attempting to vacate, and tugged her back onto his lap. Sakura squeaked in surprise, ashamed of the sound she made, and fell back into his chest as she lost her balance.

“Missed me that much?” Shisui teased gently, and popped a chunk of lemon loaf in her mouth when she opened it to respond. He was chewing on his own bite, she realized, and frowned at him around the lemon loaf.

“Taxes,” he replied as he swallowed. “Only fair. Now, onto the final test.”

Swallowing, Sakura grimaced as her phone blew up, vibrating so hard it fell off the arm of the chair and into the small space between them. Reaching for her tea, she took a sip, and then grabbed her phone, afraid of what she was going to find.

Shisui flinched as it vibrated again, spluttering on his coffee, but she ignored him as she scrolled past the argument over Sasuke that Ino was having with Naruto’s cousin, Lee’s wailing, Neji’s caustic put downs, Hinata’s pleas for peace...and then she found another picture.

[sharkboi] <picture>

[sharkboi] update: they’ve relocated to starbs

[sharkboi] + they’re cozy

[sharkboi] look @ the luv

[sharkboi] <picture>

[chef] did u kno that feeding the so w/the leftover half of a sweet sweetens the love?

[bombshell] <3

[mulan] <3

[cinnamon roll] <3

[k9 king] ur gross choji

[mothman] Shut up Kiba

[sharkboi] update

[sharkboi] totally just groped him in public

[sharkboi] <picture>

Her head shot up as she saw the blurry shot of her reaching for her phone, the actual action hidden by their bodies, only the suggestive trajectory of her hand remaining, enough to damn her in the chat.

[bombshell] getting frisky!

It only got worse after that, and Sakura closed her eyes and resolved to murder all of them at the earliest possible convenience.

“This one’s the winner,” Shisui declared, nodding to his latte. “Nothing can compete with the original.”

Caught completely off guard, Sakura stared at him wide-eyed until he indicated the drink. “Remember? The thing I’ve been dragging you around all afternoon for?”

His quest. “Right,” she said weakly, ignoring her phone as if vibrated furiously. “I’m glad you’ve figured it out.”

“Isn’t it grand?” Shisui declared, shoving another piece of lemon loaf into her mouth. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Sure,” Sakura scanned the crowded area, looking for Suigetsu. She may not be able to do anything about the pictures he’d already posted, but she could make sure he never would post again. “It was.”

She surprised herself by actually meaning it. Shisui had been...fun to be around. Not as crazy as she had remembered him being when they were all in high school, although Sasuke would probably disagree. They had spent a fun afternoon together, and the treats he bought her as bribes weren’t unwelcome either.

A phone beeped again, and he shot her an apologetic look as he jostled her getting it out of his pocket. There was a moment of silence, and then he whistled.

“Why did my cousin congratulate me on my first public groping?” he asked, and Sakura wanted to throw every single phone around them into the river.

“My hallmates are idiots,” she ground out from between gritted teeth. “And they’re all going to go home for winter break in matchboxes.”

“I think the kid over there with the white hair is spying on us,” Shisui said brightly, giving a wave. Sakura whipped about and made sure that the grin she shot Suigetsu was savage. The little shit was going to find out the hard way not to cross her.

“I’ll make sure he learns his lesson.”

“You really didn’t have to do this.”

“Of course I did,” Shisui protested, holding the door for her. “You kept me from being murdered by angry college students on three separate occasions. And don’t think I didn’t notice you letting Sasu-cakes escape by sacrificing yourself.”

“That’s what the pumpkin chocolate chip bread was for,” she pointed out, climbing the stairs to the fourth floor (what type of building has four floors, with wheelchair accessible bathrooms on the fourth floor, but no elevators? Really?) “And all of the other things I made you buy me.”

“Pfft,” the Uchiha flapped his hand at her. “Those were bribes to make you accurately record my notes on the lattes. Anyway, what kind of gentleman would I have been if I hadn’t seen you safely to your door?”

“The only dangerous thing in this dorm right now,” Sakura raised her voice so that anyone behind the closed doors would be sure to hear, “is me.”

Reaching her door at the end of the hall, she turned, key in the door, to look at Shisui. To her surprise, he was much closer than she expected, almost on top of her, a hungry look in his eyes.

“That was...far too attractive,” he mumbled, eyes fixed on her lips. “If you don’t want me to kiss you, speak now.”

Giving her a moment, he pressed forward, lips brushing hers. First gently, but then more insistently, caressing and coaxing her into willing participation. She had always known he was attractive, but had never figured he’d be interested in her, when he had his pick of the myriad of girls that surrounded him. After the disastrous crush on Sasuke that had thankfully subsided into unbreakable friendship, she had decided Uchiha’s were too much trouble to date, and instead worked on establishing an amicable working relationship with Shisui and Itachi, to make her life less boring when Naruto and Sasuke inevitably abandoned her during their squabbles.

Sakura found herself twining her hands in Shisui’s hair, the only Uchiha she knew that sported curls instead of the obnoxiously straight hair his cousins managed. As she tugged lightly on it, drawing him closer, he complied pressing her into the door as his hands came to rest on her hips.

In her pocket, her phone started vibrating again, but she was too busy kissing Shisui to care.

[extrapolatedfutures]

Global Mall Development Trends

Ask Update on mall building rates? US? Globally? Developing world? Trends in mall development

Results

Global Mall Construction Rates

In 2016, global shopping center completions were up 11.4% over 2015 levels, despite having slowed over the past few years.

However, the pace of development continues to slow, with the number of shopping centers under construction down 22%

The majority of added shopping center space came to market in Asia, but The Americas registered the strongest growth, with completion levels up 43.6%, fueled by construction growth in Mexico.

Src: CBRE via Malls.com, May 2017

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In 2016:    17% of retailers planned to open more than 40 stores    67% planned to open no more than 20 Most popular formats for expansion    76% street shops    72% regional shopping malls    45% open air shopping malls    20% transport hubs (airport, railway terminals)    18% outlets    18% retail park    15% concession counters in department stores    8% duty free

src: CBRE Research, April 2016 “How Active Are Retailers Globally?”

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Global shopping centre completions started to slow (in 2015) as parts of the global retail market witness the effects of an imbalance between significant supply and demand.

Despite this, there continues to be exceptional levels of construction, particularly in Asia. Globally, 10.7 million sq m of new space opened in 2015 in the 168 cities we surveyed; this is down on 2014, where 12.1 million sq m of space were completed; and a further 41.9 million sq m is under construction, up from 39 million in 2014.

src: CBRE, April 2016 Global Retail ViewPoint – Shopping Centre Development April 2016 [full report here]

Discussion of the above CBRE report is available here.

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Global Retail Development Index Shows where retail investment has been most attractive (ranks top 30 countries). These are the top 10 countries in 2017

India 71.7 growing middle class, rapidly increasing consumer spending, overtakes China

China 70.4 market is maturing, still leading in e-commerce

Malaysia 60.9 good long-term prospects bc of tourists, higher disposable income, govt investments

Turkey 59.8 moved up two places

United Arab Emirates 59.4 most attractive market in the region

Vietnam 56.1 moves ahead, important market for retail expansion with its liberalized investment laws

Morocco 56.1 continues to rise in rankings, govt efforts to attract foreign investment

Indonesia 55.9 continued liberalization and infrastructure investments

Peru 54 outperforms other regional economies, two decades of solid growth

Colombia 53.6 despite lower than expected GDP growth, still attractive for retailers

src: ATKearney, 2017 The 2017 Global Retail Development Index™

CC’s note: These rankings are available back to 2004. Could aggregate, if this were of interest to KK. (Started to aggregate a couple years’ of data, but stopped bc I wasn’t sure if it was of interest.) Relig-Shop-Dev-Homes-Extrapolations.xlsx GRDI tab

European Mall Construction Rates

In 2016, European shopping center construction was down 6% overall compared with 2015. Western Europe saw an increase of 15% in new shopping center completions, but this was outweighed by a 17% decline in the UK, as well as a 17% decline in Central and Eastern Europe (which also dropped 11% in 2015). Further declines are expected in 2017.

src: Cushman & Wakefield, May 2017 “European Shopping Centers: The Development Story” [full report behind paywall]

US Mall Construction Rates

U.S. mall development peaked in the 1970s and has steadily declined. Just six large malls were built between 2006 and 2015, compared with 54 during the previous decade, according to Green Street.

src: Wall Street Journal, Oct 2017 “Big Mall Operator Does the Unthinkable—Builds a Mall” paywall, these excerpts via Zerohedge “With Malls In Full Meltdown Mode, GGP Goes All-In With $525MM Connecticut Mega-Mall”

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Retail Availability Rates, US, 2016

2005 7.4% 2006 8.1% 2007 9.0% 2008 10.8% 2009 12.6% 2010 12.9% 2011 12.9% 2012 12.5% 2013 11.7% 2014 11.0% 2015 10.7% 2016 10.2% 2017p 10.1% 2018p 10.0% 2019p 10.1%

Excerpts:

The oft-reported demise of the retail sector was another topic tackled by the panelists. But they were not ready to sign on to the prevailing attitude that retail is in steep decline. “Store growth continues on a net basis,” Ludgin said.

The forecast found economists equally optimistic about the retail sector. Vacancy rates (see above) are expected to hold steady at about 10 percent for the next two years, while rental rate growth will decline from 2.7 percent to 2.0 percent in 2018—still above historic averages, the economists predict.

Though the panelists agreed that many elements of the retail sector will continue to struggle—in particular, certain suburban malls—others will see an uptick, especially as the link grows between retail and distribution space. Retail space can play a key role in solving the “last mile” issue.

“The store is just a way to deliver goods to people,” Ludgin said. “You may not need the same square footage, but the store is not dead. . . . It’s performing a somewhat different function than in the past.”

Retail space linked to services and entertainment space is still performing well, Conway said. “What we’re not seeing is addition of shop space,” he said. Suburban malls will have to deal with obsolete space, but many retail spaces will evolve, as we “see the convergence of retail and industrial into one,” he said.

Many online retailers, including Amazon, are starting to invest in brick-and-mortar space, Ludgin noted. And discount department stores “remain extremely viable and are still opening stores,” including chains like T.J. Maxx and Nordstrom Rack, which offer a value proposition. “As a nation, we still like department stores, and we still shop in them. It’s just that they are less in regional malls and more in open-air centers,” Ludgin said.

Centers focused on local interests and artisan wares are also performing well, Reagen added. “There is a huge shift in people wanting something different,” she said. “These are centers that will remain viable.”

SRC: Urbal Land Institute, citing CBRE, April 2017 “ULI Forecast Calls for Moderate Growth for Most U.S. Real Estate Sectors”

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2015 Summary from research firm CBRE:

Across major U.S. metropolitan areas, completions of new shopping centre space increased in 2015 and the pipeline of new projects grew. In 2015, 13 significant centres were delivered in the cohort of major metropolitan areas, compared to only six in 2014. Lifestyle centres comprised the majority of deliveries, both in terms of the number of centres and their area; the largest of these was the Village at Westfield Topanga (54,812 sq m) in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. The greatest numbers of new shopping centres were delivered in Texas, with three in Houston and two in Fort Worth. [p.6]…

Within the U.S. there are now 15 major projects under construction up from nine in 2014. The most activity remains concentrated in the New York City metropolitan area, fuelled by the massive American Dream at Meadowlands, which is being developed by the owners of the largest mall in the United States – Mall of the Americas in Minnesota; the centre includes an indoor ski slope, among other attractions. Other projects in the city are smaller, but have a very high profile: The World Trade Center shopping centre in downtown Manhattan, operated by Westfield, and The Shops and Restaurants at the Hudson Yards, a huge new mixed use project developed by Related and Oxford on the West side of Manhattan, and City Point, a mixed use development in downtown Brooklyn (Acadia). Houston has four significant projects under construction, totalling 143,943 sq m. The 15 shopping centres under construction are broadly diversified among new lifestyle centres, super-regional and regional malls and power centres. Generally centres in the U.S. are opening with upwards of 90% occupancy rates. [p.10]

src: CBRE, Q2 2016 “Global Shopping Centre pipeline rises while overall completion levels start to slow”

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US Shopping Center Rates of Growth, 2013-2017

src: CC’s calculation of growth based on ICSC data. See OF-charts.xls, “Shopping-Centers” tab. 2017 data: ICSC, Jan 2017 “U.S. Shopping-Center Classification and Characteristics” 2016 data: 2016 Internet Archive version of above 2015 data: 2015 Internet Archive version 2014 data: 2014 IA version 2013 data: ICSC, 2014 Economic Impact of Shopping Centers 2012 data: ICSC, 2013 Economic Impact of Shopping Centers

Definitions

GLA: gross leasable area square footage and industry share data below refer to January 2017

Super-Regional Mall Similar in concept to regional malls, but offering more variety and assortment. Avg size: 1,255,382 sq ft % Share of Industry GLA: 10.2%

Regional Mall General merchandise or fashion-oriented offerings. Typically, enclosed with inward-facing stores connected by a common walkway. Parking surrounds the outside perimeter. Avg size: 589,659 sq ft % Share of Industry GLA: 4.7% (Jan 2017)

Community Center (“Large Neighborhood Center”) General merchandise or convenience- oriented offerings. Wider range of apparel and other soft goods offerings than neighborhood centers. The center is usually configured in a straight line as a strip, or may be laid out in an L or U shape, depending on the site and design. Avg size: 197,509 sq ft % Share of Industry GLA: 25.4%

Neighborhood Center Convenience oriented. Avg size: 71,827 sq ft % Share of Industry GLA: 30.8%

Strip/Convenience Attached row of stores or service outlets managed as a coherent retail entity, with on-site parking usually located in front of the stores. Open canopies may connect the store fronts, but a strip center does not have enclosed walkways linking the stores. A strip center may be configured in a straight line, or have an “L” or “U” shape. A convenience center is among the smallest of the centers, whose tenants provide a narrow mix of goods and personal services to a very limited trade area. Avg size: 13,218 sq ft % Share of Industry GLA: 12.0%

Power Center Category-dominant anchors, including discount department stores, off-price stores, wholesale clubs, with only a few small tenants. Avg size: 438,626 sq ft % Share of Industry GLA: 13.0%

Lifestyle Upscale national-chain specialty stores with dining and entertainment in an outdoor setting. Avg size: 335,852 sq ft % Share of Industry GLA: 2.2%

Factory Outlet Manufacturers’ and retailers’ outlet stores selling brandname goods at a discount. Avg size: 238,060 sq ft % Share of Industry GLA: 1.2%

Theme/Festival Leisure, tourist, retail and service-oriented offerings with entertainment as a unifying theme. Often located in urban areas, they may be adapted from older–sometimes historic–buildings and can be part of a mixed-use project. Avg size: 147,791 sq ft % Share of Industry GLA: 0.3%

Airport Retail Consolidation of retail stores located within a commercial airport Avg size: 249,240 % Share of Industry GLA: 0.2%

src: ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers), January 2017 “U.S. Shopping-Center Classification and Characteristics”

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Trends in Chinese Mall Offerings

Wall Street Journal, Jan 2017 “China Has Too Many Shopping Malls”

CC’s summary: In 2015, 3.7 million square meters of shopping space was under construction in Chongqing — more than anywhere else in the world (and 10x the retail construction in New York). It’s also a much greater shopping stock than what’s found in China’s four first-tier cities (eg: Beijing, Shanghai) — more than 2 square meters per urban consumer, compared with 0.5sq.m in the first-tier cities. This is a problem because new demand has not been as strong as anticipated (as shoppers leapfrog stores and go directly online). The retail vacancy rate has been rising in many Chinese cities. Some department stores are reporting sharp losses, with some closing in the past year. Some retail developers are including entertainment (hotels, aquariums, sports hubs with rock-climbing, ziplines, indoor surfing, ski slopes) as well as shopping in hopes of staying ahead.

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Financial Times, November 2017 “China’s high street finds growth alongside ecommerce”

Excerpts:

[Chinese] ]Mall operators have responded to the ecommerce onslaught by reducing space devoted to retail and increasing allocations for restaurants, cinemas and outlets offering extracurricular classes for children. Electronics retailers have added in-store experiences and reallocated floorspace for ecommerce distribution.

In 2016, Shanghai’s Joy City mall installed a gigantic Ferris wheel on its top floor to attract customers.

Gome, an electronics store which is Chinas second largest brick-and-mortar retailer by sales, has added experience-enhancing elements in stores, such as virtual reality zones. It’s offline sales grew 10.5% in the first half of the year.

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KK: HERE IS A BIG RESEARCH REPORT ON WHAT’S NEW IN CHINESE RETAIL. YOU MIGHT LIKE TO SKIM. THINGS THAT CAUGHT MY EYE:

“NEW RETAIL” buzz phrase in China’s retail sector, refers to retailers with large physical stores reinventing and transforming their business models and formats. Leveraging Internet, VR, AR etc to offer experience- and lifestyle-driven opportunities.

“CEWEBRITY ECONOMY” Cewebrities are people who become famous on the Internet. Leveraging the power of their fans and social media, many cewebrities, especially fashion cewebrities, have set up online stores to sell fashion items. Some have even launched their own brands.

RURAL E-COMMERCE The rural online retail market has become a new growth engine with the near saturation of the urban online market. Rural consumers prefer shopping online because of the less developed retail infrastructure in rural areas. … Recognizing the ample growth potential of the rural e-commerce market, increasing numbers of leading retailers and e-commerce players have adopted various “going rural” strategies. For instance, Alibaba has introduced a partnership program in rural areas. Some 20,000 partners were recruited to teach and help rural residents buy online. At the same time, JD.com has made substantial investment in rural areas to expand “last-mile” delivery capabilities; for example, it has tested drone delivery services in some remote rural areas

src: Fung Business Intelligence, March 2017 “Spotlight on China Retail”

Global Mall Development Trends was originally published on Extrapolations