#on th bright side we didnt get As fucked over as i thought we would

[trainingdummyrabbit]

once again ihave failed step 1, all of cheseds missions are done tho. apparently. wapow (<- mistimed completely and ended up setting up to do yesods coresuppression on a memrep day)

[ssamie]

seven. do a flip!

oikawa tooru x fem langa!reader

(hq x sk8 the infinity)

warnings: spelling mistakes, swearing, 2k+ words, u have langa’s blue hair sorry 

gen masterlist.            “snow” masterlist.

"haha yeah, im with the others right now" reki said to the phone as he wiped a table clean. 

"really? are you at S?" y/n asked from the other line 

"oh no, we're at joe's restaurant." reki replied with a laugh "everyone's eating right now." he then covered the phone with his hand and sent them a nasty glare "everyone but me.. " he grumbled bitterly 

miya stuck his tongue out at the redhead and tauntingly bit into a piece of steak. "not our fault its your shift right now" he said. reki playfully rolled his eyes and brought the phone back against his ear. "anyways, y/n what're you up to?" he asked 

"i remember you mentioned joining a club right?" he said. "is it one for skating?! i didnt know schools even had those!" 

from the other line, y/n chuckled sheepishly. "ah no.. its a club for volleyball" she said "although im just a manager" 

reki furrowed his brows in confusion "volleyball? i didn't expect that" he said 

"me too reki. but it's really fun! if you ever come here we can try playing with my friends" she said excitedly 

"sure! im actually coming th-" before reki could finish his sentence, joe quickly covered his mouth and snatched the phone. "hey rookie!" joe greeted with a laugh "little reki here is busy at the moment but why don't ya chat with me?" he mused 

"oh, hi joe." she greeted him "why is reki busy? i thought you were just eating?" 

"ah well-" 

"are you lying? does reki not wanna talk to me? is he with someone else? or did something else happen?" she bombarded him with a chain of questions 

joe sweat dropped and looked over to the rest for help. "ah no, none of that happened, rookie" he reassured her "reki here is helping me out in the restaurant so he's a bit occupied" he explained 

"oh.." y/n mumbled in response "okay then" 

"dont spoil it, you slime!" miya scolded him "our visit is supposed to be a surprise!" 

"i was just excited!" reki defended himself with a huff "whatever, dude! y/n's gonna think i don't wanna visit her" he said 

"then make it up to her when you get there" shadow said as he ate . "good idea, old man shadow!" reki exclaimed "i'll do just that, but for now let me talk to her again-" 

before reki could reach for the phone, miya has already sprung up and snatched it. "y/n~" he cooed with a smug cat-like grin "how's it going?" he asked as he clawed reki's prying hands away 

"oh hi miya!" she greeted him cheerfully "everything is fine. though i miss you and everyone else" she said 

miya smiled in delight and his face exploded into a bright red hue. "you miss me?!" he asked excitedly. he then cleared his throat and scoffed. "how cute. you like me or something?" he said 

reki, along with the others watch with a deadpanned expression as miya shyly fiddles with his hoodie with a blush, although his tone of voice seems quite different. 

"of course i like you" y/n said 

miya splutters and throws the phone at reki's direction. "take it! i'm done here!" he shrieks as he turns his back at them and slaps his red face repeatedly. 

"you're my friend. why would i hate you?" she continued, although he wasn't there to hear it anymore. 

"hi y/n" reki said 

"hi!" she shrieked, followed by a loud thud, as if she had fallen. 

"hey, sorry about earlier! we can talk now if you want" he said with a chuckle 

"oh sure! lets--" 

reki's brows furrowed in confusion as the call suddenly disconnected mid-sentence. "hello?" he called out 

"huh? she hung up!" he exclaimed. "maybe she didn't want to talk to you" miya teased him. reki faced him with a look of distraught. "you think so?" he asked in panic 

"dude" miya sweat dropped "of course not. its y/n we're talking about" 

"REKI!" y/n shrieked out as she reached for the phone that was snatched out of her hands "why'd you take it?!" she exclaimed as she tried to reach for the device 

the class sweat dropped as they watched her try to reach for the phone in the teacher's hands

"i don't know who reki is, but you can't use your phone. classes are about to start" he said 

"but-- but i was on a call with reki.." she sulked 

"you can call each other after class." the teacher sighed. "i won't take your phone since its your first time doing this, but let it be the last please" 

"okay.." y/n replied as she took the phone from him "i won't call during class. sorry." she said as she bowed her head 

"good. anyways-" the teacher cut himself off as he caught sight of her hunched over and rigorously typing on her phone. "hasegawa y/n! you can't text either!" the teacher scolded her 

"but i'm not making any noise.." she reasoned with a confused tilt of her head 

"it doesn't matter. you have to stop or i'll take away that phone." the teacher said. he then narrowed his eyes threateningly and said, "along with that skateboard of yours" 

the whole class sweat dropped as they watched y/n shudder in fear and quietly place the phone into her bag 

"sorry." she muttered as she placed her hands on the desk and tensely kept her eyes on the blackboard. "apology accepted." the teacher said. "anyways, let's start.." 

oikawa side eyed her, watching as her eyes and hands twitch , as if she was itching to pull her phone out again. the brunette leaned over iwaizumi, who groaned in annoyance, and poked her shoulder 

"yahoo, y/n-chan~" he whispered quietly 

"oikawa-san, please go away. if i make noise he'll take my phone and my board." she said 

oikawa frowned and poked her again. "don't be so cold to me, y/n-chan~" he cooed "i just wanted to ask you to join me for lunch later." he said. "lunch?" y/n hummed. "yup. let's do something fun together" he replied. 

"okay, oikawa-san" she agreed with a curt nod. "i'll join you" 

"hasegawa." the teacher called on her. y/n jumped and shakily faced the man. "yes?" she replied. "answer the question on the board." the teacher said 

"i can't!" she quickly denied. 

"why not?" the teacher said with a sigh "this is english class. you're from canada right? all im asking is for you to say something in english." 

"sorry!" she replied in english. "please don't take my phone and my skateboard away." 

"good job." the teacher gave her a nod before moving on 

"sorry" oikawa chuckled sheepishly "lunch later, okay?" he cooed. y/n simply nodded and gave him a thumbs up, refusing to speak a word. 

"shut the fuck up, shittykawa." iwaizumi grunted as he pushed the brunette away. "you're causing everyone problems" 

"ow! just for that, you're not invited to our lunch" oikawa said, to which iwaizumi simply replied with an eye roll 

"you didn't even plan on inviting me anyways, didn't you?" iwaizumi huffed

"duh!" 

"so why did you want to have lunch together, oikawa-san?" she asked him

"i see" y/n hummed. "im glad you enjoy my company, oikawa-san" she grinned

"no reason~" he cooed in response. "i just wanted to be alone with you, that's all" he said

oikawa nodded along as he transferred some food from his bento onto hers. it was placed on top of her board as she lightly rolls it around. "tell me about that reki guy, will you?" oikawa said with a curious hum. "i always hear you talking about him.." 

y/n peered up at him with a look of confusion, but nodded nonetheless. "i don't know why you'd like to know about him but okay.." 

"reki is my best friend. i met him when i moved to okinawa with my mom. he was my first ever friend and he was the one that taught me how to skate" she explained 

oikawa watched as a fond smile lightly grazed her lips, followed by a distinctive glimmer in her eyes. 

"reki is really amazing. i admire him a lot." she muttered 

"i see." oikawa hummed. "i'll love to meet him one day" he said. y/n perked up at the statement. "really?" she asked "don't worry, if you ever met him you'll get along just fine! reki is very friendly" she said with a smile 

oikawa simply nodded and quietly ate his food. she did the same, and they both sat in silence. "hey, y/n" oikawa muttered "you really like skating huh?" he mused 

"oh well... yeah, i guess so" she said. "can you teach me how?" oikawa asked with a cheeky grin. "teach you..?" she cocked her head to the side. "why?" 

"no reason." oikawa huffed "but will you do it?" 

"sure!" 

"put your foot here, and push with the other" she demonstrated as she explained. "then you just have to keep your balance" 

oikawa watched with calculating eyes, nodding along from time to time as he listened. "usually, tricks should come later on when you've already mastered the basics. but it was pretty easy for me, so maybe you can do it too, oikawa-san" she said 

"that was an ollie. reki said that if you got that down, you'll be able to do other tricks." she said. "it should be easy enough to learn" she grinned "just watch videos like i did!" 

she did an ollie and skated closer to him. 

oikawa sweat dropped and timidly placed his foot on the skateboard. "i don't think it'll be that easy, y/n-chan" he chuckled 

"yo, what the hell are you two doing?" 

they both looked back to see hanamaki, matsukawa, and iwaizumi walking towards them. hanamaki laughed and pointed at oikawa "are you learning how to skate?" he snickered 

"do a flip!" matsukawa hollered 

"i can't do a flip yet!" oikawa exclaimed "and don't laugh at me. you're probably no better than i am" he rolled his eyes. "but y/n-chan could probably do it" he said

"oh y/n?" matsukawa mused. "can you enlighten us with your skating?" he snickered 

"you always carry that around but we've never actually seen you skate" hanamaki chimed in 

y/n blinked at them and looked down at her board. "i guess i can do that" she said "but we'll need a bigger space than the grounds" she said as she motioned to the outside of the gym, where they were standing

"something like..." she trailed off as she looked around the area "like the roof?" she muttered 

the boys sweat drop and look at her in concern and confusion. "the roof?" they simultaneously asked 

"yeah. i'll jump and do a flip like you asked." she said with a shrug as she makes her way to the stairway leading to the rooftop 

"hey hey! hold on!" matsukawa interjected "are you trying to kill yourself?!" he exclaimed 

"no im trying to jump off the roof and do a flip." she shook her head 

"exactly! it's the same thing!" hanamaki shrieked out "you'll die!" 

"i won't die" she reassured them, thought it did not work in the slightest. "i've done this numerous times." she smiled at them 

"is that supposed to be comforting?" iwaizumi sighed and rubbed his temples in distress. "shittykawa. do something about this" iwaizumi said as he sent oikawa a glare 

"ahaha, right right" oikawa chuckled sheepishly. he then turned to face y/n, only to be met with thin air. "y/n.." he muttered "where is she.." he spluttered and looked up, eyes widening as he spotted her on the rooftop preparing to jump off "hey! y/n-chan get down! this feels like a crime scene in the making!" he rambled as he tried to persuade her to come down 

"oikawa-san, please watch carefully!" she yelled 

"no way! get down here right now!" oikawa yelled back at her 

"jump down?!" she yelled "okay! im gonna do it now!" 

oikawa paled as he shook his head and made an x with his arms "no! i said get down! but use the stairs! don't jump!" 

she simply ignored him and jumped anyways, much to the boys' horror. "this feels nostalgic" she muttered to herself with a smile as the wind made her hair fly around 

she spun around and grinned as the adrenaline started to make her heart pound. she placed her hand on top of her chest and kept her eyes ahead, although her mind was wandering back to her moments back in s

"holy shit" oikawa muttered as they watched her maneuver through the air as if it was no big deal 

"y/n is fucking amazing" he blinked his widened eyes and watched in bewilderment as she lands on the ground with a loud thud, followed by the mild screeching of the wheels against the concrete. 

"oikawa-san, this is called 'siderail slide' miya taught it to me." she said as she kicked her board around and let it land on its side by the edges of the concrete 

(WAIT IDK IF THAT'S THE NAME LMAO I MADE THAT UP I TRIED TO LOOK IT UP BUT I CAN'T FIND WHAT IT'S CALED SORRY CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG PLS LOL) 

her feet landed on the side of the deck as she maneuvers her way around to turn. "stop explaining and get back here!" iwaizumi scolded her "are we going to let the fact that you jumped off a roof slide just like that?!" 

"and this is a kick flip." she said as she ignored iwaizumi and did the trick as told. "it should be easy enough to do if you know how to ollie." she said 

"hey, what's going on here?!" 

her eyes widened as she heard the same teacher's voice and desperately tried to halt her movement. although she wasn't fast enough and she was now frantically ushering the man to move away 

"ah! sensei! move! im gonna hit you!" she shrieked as she tried wobbled around 

"what the-- hasegawa-san you shouldn't--" 

he couldn't finish his words as her board suddenly got dangerously close to his face. the whirring wheels and the snow monster design almost slapping him right then and there. 

"SORRY!" she shrieked as she jumped over him and fell on the ground, rolling around, along with her board until she hit a wall nearby 

"y/n-chan! are you okay?!" oikawa shrieked in distress as he pushed the man away and sprinted to the girl. "im okay, oikawa-san" she said with a wince 

"but my butt hurts from that fall" she pouted "and my hand-- BLOOD!" she shrieked in fear. she holds the bleeding hand away from her as her expression turns into dread. "wipe it off.." she gagged as she looked at it in horror

"this is what bothers you the most out of everything that's happened?!" oikawa sighed in exasperation, though he did as he was told. 

"i don't like blood." she shuddered. "broken bones are what im used to" 

"im starting to worry for your well being if broken bones is something you consider 'the usual'." oikawa sweatdropped

behind them, the teacher glared and held his hand out expectantly. "i was wondering what the screaming was about." he said "but i didn't expect to walk in on whatever that was" 

"give me the skateboard, hasegawa-san." he demanded, making her whole body go ghostly pale 

"no uh.. i'll take detention instead" she bargained with a sheepish smile. "nope. give me the skateboard." the teacher shook his head as he went to grab the deck 

"NO! you can't take that!" she panicked and quickly grasped the other end "i can't skate without it!" she exclaimed 

"exactly." the teacher said. "you need to learn your lesson." 

"but -- but reki made that! i can't lose it! what if it breaks?!" she shrieked, now starting to gradually get more desperate 

"its not gonna break. and i don't know who this reki boy is, but you have to stop including him in everything." the teacher sweat dropped "and let go of the damn skateboard, kid. im not gonna throw it away, im just confiscating it" 

she shook her head as she peered up at him with exaggeratedly teary eyes, each looking like a pool of water waiting to just overflow. 

"will i get it back tomorrow?" 

"no." 

"then im not giving it!" 

"kid, cmon. your making this job harder for me" the man sighed in exasperation ."just give it." he said as he pulled it away from her and walked away. "hope you learned your lesson, kid. you'll get this back soon enough" 

y/n watched his retreating figure with a deadpanned look. she slowly faced oikawa and grabbed his hand. "should i break into his office and steal it?" 

oikawa sweat dropped and shook his head. "you shouldn't. you'll get into more trouble" he said 

"y/n!!" matsukawa and hanamaki yelled as they dove in to check her for injuries. "are you okay?! that was sick as hell but be careful!" hanamaki exclaimed. "you're bleeding!" 

"and your board got taken! don't worry, that teacher's nice. he'll give it back to you soon" matsukawa reassured her 

y/n drowned their voices out as she laid back down on the concrete, looking absolutely lifeless. "i crave death" she squeaked out as her eye twitches in horror 

"cmon now" iwaizumi sighed "it's not that bad" 

"yes it is. i just lost the only thing i have left of reki. it's over" she sulked 

"someone make the pain go away" she pleaded 

"which one? the heartbreak kind or your injuries?" 

"both please." 

a few buildings away from the school adam sat by the balcony of his newly rented hotel room. he held a binocular by his eyes as he watched the scene go down with a wide grin

"my eve hasn't lost her touch i see" he mused as he took a sip of his wine. "her skating is still as immaculate as ever" adam said as he let out a sigh of pleasure

"it makes my skin crawl!" he exclaimed

"and she.." he trailed off as his vision averts over to her, who was being helped by the boys. "is frowning. my eve is frowning." adam muttered as his grip around the device tightens, causing a soft snap to be heard.

his smile then fell as he watched the teacher walk away with y/n's skateboard through his binoculars. "but that nuisance is taking my little y/n's skateboard..?" he muttered

"you, dog." he called

"yes, mr.ainosuke?" tadashi replied

"get that skateboard back." he demanded as he threw the binoculars away, not caring that it had broken due to the impact. "and give it back to her as soon as possible" he said. 

"but.. are you not worried she'll know you're here?" tadashi asked him with furrowed brows 

adam snapped his eyes towards him and glared. "what was that? we're you about to disobey my orders just now?" he scowled through gritted teeth 

"do you have something to say? tadashi?" 

tadashi slightly bowed his head and replied. "no sir. i have no opinions." 

adam scoffed, followed by a grim laugh. 

"yeah. as always." 

sorry for the spelling / grammar mistakes if there are any :<

[is0gild]

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 17

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 12,131

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

Day three of Operation Boyfriend But Shh Not Really and so far, so good.

Though the thought of this triple date had my inner recluse curling up into the fetal position, I'd manage to convince myself it actually was a good thing when you really thought about it. One, it gave me more practice for trying to do this whole couply… thing I was trying to do. More practice meant I'd eventually, hopefully be more comfortable with it all, as well as less chance for screw-ups in front of my parents when the dreaded but inevitable weekend with them at last came. Two, we were trying to maintain this image of being boyfriend and girlfriend in front of everyone else at the mall. And boyfriends and girlfriends went on dates. What better way to be seen going on said dates than by going out with other actual couples? And three, we couldn't forget about the person the Duke had hired to tail Anna originally and could quite possibly still be keeping tabs on me now. If they were still out there lurking, it was important that they, even more so than anyone else,see me dating.

It was still kind of weird to think about - that an actual, real life PI or whatever had been surveilling me constantly for who knows how long and I'd had no idea. It felt so surreal. Unreal even. But the Duke was absolutely that crazy and I wouldn't put it past him to still have someone keeping an eye on me, looking for any cracks in the story, any slip-ups or mistakes. I'd have to start paying attention more when I was out and about, see if I could figure out who it was, spot any faces that seemed to always show up everywhere I went.

But then, even if I did identify a likely culprit, I would have absolutely no idea what to do with that information once I had it. Even if I marched right up to them and told them their cover had been blown so they may as well scram, the Duke was just insane enough and rich enough to keep hiring new people to do the job instead.

...jeez, I was really starting to sound paranoid now, wasn't I?

With my luck, it'd turn out the Duke no longer had anyone following me after he'd confronted me in the food court.

Best not to think about it too much, because honestly? It'd get me nowhere.

Sighing, I banished the thoughts from my head as I watched the buildings blur past my window from the backseat of Riku's silver Ford Focus. The three of us were on our way to the restaurant now and Lea, Kairi and Sora were going to meet us there. My hand anxiously smoothed out the creases of my outfit - a dark magenta sheath dress with long sleeves and a hemline at the knees. It had a tastefully low v-neckline and a double layered skirt, the top layer made of a shimmering gossamer material. Nice, but nothing too fancy for our "nothing too fancy" date, to use Kairi's words.

Per Lea's request, I'd also worn his leather jacket. It made sense, after all. Nothing screamed "dating" more than one half of a couple wearing their other half's clothes, so it certainly helped maintain the facade. His boy scent still lingered on it, even though he hadn't worn it in a couple of days now, given it had been in my possession. The smell was somehow both soothing and butterflies-in-the-stomach inducing at the same time. It was an odd mix of emotions, to say the least.

I felt a buzz in the jacket's pocket. Pulling out my phone (gosh, it was so weird having one again after going so many weeks without) I checked my notifications to discover I'd received a text.

Well, speak of the devil.

Still cant believe u didnt lemme come pick u up

Shaking my head with a small snort, I tapped out a reply to Lea.

It just made the most logical sense for me to ride with Riku and Rayne since we were all coming from the same place.

Rayne suddenly cried out happily, drawing my attention to her as she clapped and bounced in the front passenger seat. "Ahh, I'm still just so excited for date night! Good food, great company, hot hubby," she slyly pinched Riku's cheek, which he endured with dignity as he drove. "What more could a girl ask for?"

He chuckled as he shifted the car over into the turn lane. "You make it sound like I never take you out."

"You know that's not what I mean!" she playfully smacked his shoulder. "But with the baby on the way, I don't know how many more of these I'll have! This is one of my last chances to enjoy freedom! Jesus take the fucking wheel, hallelujah!"

I felt my phone vibrate in my hand again and I looked down at it.

I know not this logic u spk of

I felt a tiny smile pulling at my mouth as my thumbs typed.

Don't worry about it. Tis beyond your mortal ken.

"I just hope no one's drinking tonight," Riku snerked as I watched those three dots bounce at the bottom of my screen. "Don't need you dancing on any more tables, thank you very much."

"Your face dances on tables!" Rayne shot back, sticking her tongue out at him.

"That doesn't even make any sense."

"You don't even make any sense!"

Rude. Ill have u know I had half a mind 2 drive ovr n get u NEway, logic b damned

My smile turned a touch wicked.

I'm impressed. That's half a mind more than you usually have.

"Here we are!"

My head shot up as I heard the engine shut down. I hadn't even realized we were in a parking lot. I hadn't even realized the vehicle had stopped moving.

As I looked out my window again, I heard Rayne saying, "Have I mentioned how happy I am we're doing this?"

"You may have said something about that once or twice." I could hear the smile in Riku's low voice.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her leaning over towards him, her hand coming up to run slender fingers through his long, ashen strands. "Yeah, but maybe I should show you."

"Maybe you should…"

And that's when I, being the absolute clueless, blissfully naive little fool that I was, chose to turn and fully look at them, just in time to get a front row seat to their little game of tonsil hockey. I blushed, threw up a hand to block my line of sight and made a tiny noise of disgust in my throat. "Ugh! You know you're not the only people in the car, right?"

Rayne pulled away to smirk back at me. "Well, other people can shoo," she flicked a dismissive hand in my direction before grabbing Riku by his collar and yanking him over for a deeper, more passionate kiss. Ding, ding, round two!

Squeaking, I fumbled with my seatbelt until I heard the click release, threw my car door open, stumbled out and slammed it shut behind me with a huff.

Oi, that was the main drawback to this group date plan. We were going to be around actual couples, and actual couples actually, ahem… snogged. Rayne and Riku were going to be bad enough, but let's not forget Sora and Kairi were along for the ride too and I'd seen firsthand how gross those two could be as well. Mark my word, this night was going to have more than its fair share of uncomfortable moments with those four around, being all besotted and smitten and other such rot. But I would survive this and make it through to the other side. Somehow.

Sweeping my braid forward over one shoulder, I glanced up at the building before me now. It bore a colorful banner over its entrance that read Fuente Del Oro. A local, family-owned Mexican restaurant, or so Rayne had told me. I could already tell this was going to be a very different experience from the types of restaurants my ex used to take me to for our dates. Those restaurants had all been about the look, the prestige… you didn't go to any of those places for the food, you went there to be seen, to give off an air of importance. Those places were… dull. Lifeless. This place before me now, on the other hand, was… nice. Colorful. Vibrant and full of character. Not elegant or frilly, but warm and inviting. And the aromas that I could smell coming from it, even all the way out here? Delicious.

I was actually kind of looking forward to this.

Phone still in my grasp, I looked back down at it and frowned.

No message back from Lea yet.

A giggle suddenly echoed out across the parking lot and my eyes snapped towards the source. It didn't take long to spot Kairi a few vehicles over, squirming and laughing in Sora's arms as he hugged her from behind, blowing raspberries against her neck. They were standing with a very familiar redhead who was leaning against a very familiar black muscle car. Said redhead had pulled his hair back into a ponytail again and was dressed in a snug, black tee with a second shirt on underneath, red and black horizontal stripes running down its full-length sleeves. His slim, dark jeans made his already long legs seem even longer and he was sporting his bright red Converse. He had his phone in hand in front of him, but it wasn't the phone he was looking at. Our eyes met and a grin tugged at one corner of his lips.

Suddenly, whatever boldness that I had felt behind the safety of text on the tiny, glowing screen in the palm of my hand had abandoned me and I felt a small pang of anxiety pierce my chest.

But I rallied.

Alright, Elsa, pep talk time. You can do this. You've been mentally and emotionally preparing for this since yesterday. Let him throw at you whatever fluffy, sappy moves he decides to today, all in the name of pretending to be your boyfriend. You can take it.

Shields raised and at full power, captain!

Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I pocketed my mobile and started making my way over to those three. Probably hearing my footsteps against the asphalt, Kairi and Sora looked over at me as I approached and greeted me with waves. I gave them a shy smile and returned the wave as Lea held his phone up, turning the screen towards me and showing the last message I'd sent him as he tsked, "Brutal. You wound me, madame."

I stopped a few feet away from him, my smile twitching wider. "You like it."

"True. What can I say, I've always been a bit of a masochist," he hummed a low chuckle, slipping his phone into the back pocket of his pants. His head tipped to one side and he stared at me for another second, then his eyes crinkled as he stretched a hand out towards me with a soft, "C'mere."

I bit my bottom lip, hesitating for a heartbeat before moving another step forward to take his offered hand.

"Lookit you," he whistled, closing his fingers around mine and leading me into a little twirl. "Digging the look." He then gently pulled me against him, drawing my arms up to hug his neck before slipping his hands beneath the jacket to wrap around my waist, enveloping me in his cinnamon scent. "Didn't get a chance to say it the other day, but my jacket suits you."

I rolled my eyes up at him, doing my best to be impervious to our sudden closeness. I wasn't succeeding. "Not really. It's too big."

"Yes really," he insisted, bowing his head slightly towards mine. "It looks way better on you than it ever did on me."

"Where's Riku and Rayne?" Sora interjected and I turned my head to look at him.

"They-" my words tripped over my tongue as Lea pressed a tender kiss to my temple.

Critical hit, captain! Shields down to thirty percent, but holding!

Ignoring the heat rushing to my face, I did my best to regather my scattered thoughts. "They, uh… they're back in the, uh… the…" Drat, what was the word again? "...car! They're back in the… the car."

Sora pulled a face. "Swapping spit, no doubt."

"Oh-ho, we'll see about that! C'mon, Sora!" Kairi cackled with an evil gleam in her eye, slipping free of her boyfriend's hold to instead grab his hand and pull him behind her as she ran off towards Riku's car.

"Seriously," Lea spoke up again, his voice hushed as I slowly returned my gaze to his. "Pretty sure I've lost all claim to that jacket. It belongs to you now."

My eyelids drooped. "That's not how that works."

"Sure it is." He rested his forehead against mine and I could feel his thumb rubbing light circles against the fabric of my dress just above my hip. "You don't choose a leather jacket, it chooses you. And trust me, that one has definitely picked you over me."

I gave a soft snort. "I'm giving it back to you after tonight."

"Don't you dare," he chided, his breath warming my lips. "You'll hurt the jacket's feelings."

"Stop anthropomorphizing the jacket." I was fighting a smile now.

"Make me," he murmured, something in his voice causing my insides to do that whole warm, fuzzy, squishy thing.

And the academy award for best leading actor in the role of Elsa's boyfriend goes to this guy right here.

But had to say, I thought he might be overdoing it a bit. I mean, Sora and Kairi weren't even around anymore to hear any of this. And if we were being monitored by someone under my great uncle's payroll, they certainly couldn't hear it either. I suppose Lea just… really liked getting into character?

Clearing my throat, I unclasped my hands from behind his neck and shifted them down to his chest in an attempt to push myself free of his grasp as I whispered, "We, ah… should probably go speak to the hostess now."

However, his hold on me didn't loosen, his arms remaining firmly secured around my waist. He didn't say anything, just continued to grin down at me. His eyes became hooded as they flicked down to my lips now, making my heart skip a beat.

What was he-?

A sudden loud yelp ruptured the air around us.

Rayne.

Followed by an annoyed yell of, "Goddamnit, Sora! Kairi!"

And that would be Riku.

The two delinquents in question blurred past us and towards the restaurant's front doors, whooping and snickering and razzing their tongues back at their victims climbing out of the Ford Focus. "We'll grab us a table!" Sora called quickly at the same time Kairi shouted, "See ya inside!" Then they both disappeared through the entrance with Rayne and Riku hot on their heels.

I heard Lea sigh. Or maybe he didn't. It was so soft that it was fully possible that I imagined it. Then he released me, slipping one hand into mine and jerking a thumb towards the restaurant with a lopsided smile, "Shall we?"

I stared at him, feeling the night air cool my warmed face. Then I gave a tentative nod and let him lead me inside.

The others hadn't made it far past the doors and we stepped in to find Riku doling out Sora's punishment: death by a thousand noogies. Sora was smacking his cousin's arm and trying to wriggle free, but to no avail. Apparently Kairi had gotten off with only a warning for she was standing off to one side with Rayne, both cracking up as they watched the boys. I looked past them, taking in the restaurant. Strings of fairy lights hung from the ceiling intermixed with strings of multi-colored papers, each bearing cutouts depicting various imagery. The walls were painted with murals of fantastical, mythical creatures of various shapes and sizes with wings and prismatic fur, feathers and scales. This place was absolutely beautiful.

Once the roughhousing had finally settled down, we all approached the hostess, an extremely tiny, extremely old lady wearing a name tag that read Coco who seemed far more interested in napping than greeting new customers. However, she woke up long enough to squint at her list and find our reservation before calling over a man to seat us. He led us through the restaurant and to a large booth in one of the back corners, leaving menus, chips and salsa on the table before flashing us a warm, genuine smile and saying he'd be back to take our orders in a minute.

I started shrugging out of the jacket, feeling Lea assist me before folding it over his arm and gesturing towards the booth with bow and a, "Lady's first." Smiling at him, I took a seat and scooched towards the middle. Lea wasn't too far behind, sitting close enough for our knees to bump against one another. He tossed the jacket on the back shelf of the booth before draping his arm across the top of the cushioned seat behind my head. Rayne took the spot to my left with Riku of course beside her, and on the other side of Lea sat Kairi and Sora. The waiter came back after giving us a little time to peruse the menus and he gathered our food requests before dashing off again.

"So Ray," Kairi piped up, popping a heavily salsa-laden chip into her mouth, "how's the preggers-life treating you?"

"Really well," she nodded contentedly, one hand going to her tummy. "The jellybean's happy and healthy so far and I've just started barely showing in the past couple weeks. No weird food cravings yet, thank god, but those are supposed to be right around the corner."

Sora leaned forward, propping his chin in both hands and beamed, "Do we know yet if I have a lil nephew or niece on the way?"

"We're cousins, Sora. Nephews and nieces would only be if we were brothers," Riku corrected with a wry curve to his lips.

"We don't know yet," Rayne shook her head, "but I'm about four months along now, so hoping to find out at our next appointment."

Lea had shifted his hand to dangle down so he could idly twiddle my braid between his fingers. I could also sense his gaze on me, causing a bit of a flutter in the pit of my stomach. Reminding myself he was just playing a part and it wasn't real, I resisted the urge to squirm and instead pretended not to notice, directing all my focus into reaching for a chip to dip into the salsa.

"Well whatever the wee monkey turns out to be, you can bet Auntie Kairi and Unkie Sora will be here to shower it with all the love and kisses!" Kairi cooed.

Riku twitched and frowned. "I just said that isn't how it-"

"Shush, hon, they're just teasing you now," Rayne poked his cheek with a laugh before looking back over at Kairi. "And you? How's the new gig over at Mickey's going? You've been there, what? About a week now?"

"Mm-hm! It's been a lot of fun working the jewelry counter. Oh sure, there's the occasional asshole customer, but turns out I'm really good at killing them with kindness."

Riku kicked Sora's foot under the table, "What about you, ya freeloader? Any prospects yet?"

He shrugged with that big smile he seemed to always have permanently glued to his face. Just looking at it was starting to make my cheeks hurt. "Couple of interviews coming up, so we'll see!"

Smirking, Riku said, "Can't wait to hear how you screw them up this time, knucklehead."

"Hey!"

Kairi turned to look our direction now. "So what's new and exciting with you two, hm? Lea, you just had that big test, right?" Silence was her answer as I went for another chip. "Lea? Hello, earth to... ah-ha, there!" She rocketed up to her feet, slamming one hand down on the table and pointing the other right in Lea's face. "Lost puppy look!"

"Hm, what now?" he jolted, his hand jerking away from my braid to lay across the booth backrest once more. "Lost pup-? Bah, I told you already, there's no lost puppy look. You need to get your eyes checked, princess."

She scoffed, plopping heavily back down into her seat and smugly take a sip of her soda. "Please. You were bad at hiding it when you guys were dating in secret, and you're even worse at it now that it's all out in the open."

"What's the deal there anyhow?" Sora cocked his head at me. "There's all sorts of wild rumors flying around the mall, like that you're runaway royalty from some far off country just living off the lam now."

"What?!" I blanched, gawking in disbelief. Doing my best to recover with a tiny, awkward laugh, I hastily said, "No, nothing quite so, ah… dramatic. My parents, they're… well off, to be sure, but certainly not royalty. And not from so far away either. Just Arendelle, which is only about an hour north of here."

Chewing on her straw, Kairi eagerly leaned in closer, "I'd love to hear the story of how you two met!"

I stiffened.

Fudge.

Welp, add that to my ever growing list of things I should have thought about in advance but failed miserably to do so. I fiddled a chip between my fingers as I tucked in my bottom lip. Shoot, what was I supposed to tell her? It's not like I'd gotten any better at lying in the past few days since my visit with Father. In fact, I'd been mostly skirting by since then by dodging questions and letting people fill in the blanks for themselves so I didn't have to. Heart thudding in my chest, I opened my mouth, not quite fully sure yet what was going to come out.

"Last summer," Lea was quicker. "In another city."

"Oh, during that big cross-country road trip you took?" Rayne asked him as she leaned into her husband who slung an arm around her shoulders.

Lea tapped his own nose, "That'd be the one, Raindrop."

Kairi gasped, "You two met in a foreign city? How romantic! That's the dream!"

"You have to leave the country in order for it to be a foreign city," Riku shook his head.

"Cram it, you knew what I meant!"

"It was like one of those scenes straight outta a movie," Lea planted an elbow on the table, rubbing a curled finger over his smirk as he watched me out of the corner of his eye. "There I was, just strolling along minding my own business, smack dab in the middle of a jam-packed city street. But then the crowd parted and there she stood. The most gorgeous creature to ever walk the face of this or any other planet in all the cosmos."

Cue my face turning all new shades of red never before witnessed in the history of human eyesight.

Jeez, laying it on a bit thick there, Lea, don't you think?

"So whatdja do?" Kairi pressed, eyes bright and on the edge of her seat. "Sweep her off her feet right then and there?"

He snerked, "Shit no, I walked headfirst into a lamppost."

I smothered a grin behind my hand as the rest of the table erupted into laughter. Sora reached over to punch him lightly in the arm, "Smooth, ya stud. What city was this anyway?"

"Corona," I was the one to answer, surprising myself. Suddenly self-conscious with all eyes turning to me, I quietly added, "I was there for part of my vacation last year."

"By yourself?" Rayne quirked a dubious eyebrow at me. She knew this story was as made-up as my current relationship status was. I could only assume she was trying to poke holes in order to help us solidify this little tale that was being spun so we'd be more prepared for the next time we had to tell the lie.

The thing is, the best lies have a grain of truth to them. I really had been in Corona last summer. "No, I was taking the trip with Anna. We were actually staying over in Traverse Town, but had planned to visit Corona for the day to enjoy a festival there, since it was only a short train ride away. However, Anna disappeared with a guy before we could go. I'd really been looking forward to this festival though and didn't want to miss it, so I took the train over on my own."

"Wait," Kairi slapped both hands down in front of her, eyes widening. "Are you talking about that big lantern festival they do every year?" At my nod, she squealed. "Lucky! Punzie has shown me pictures in magazines, it looks so goddamn pretty! Oh man, I've always wanted to go! Hint, hint," she shouldered Sora, who just chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"It was actually right as they were launching the lanterns that I saw her," Lea said, folding his arms atop the table now. "She was wearing this cute sundress. White with a lil diamond patterned hem. Split sleeves that were all flowy. Hair down and dancing in the slight breeze." Wow, he was really selling this. He'd even nailed that whole far away look in his eye, like he was seeing something the rest of us couldn't. "And the way those lanterns lit up her smile as she watched them float up, I knew my lowly mortal self was in the presence of a goddess. Knocked the wind right outta me."

"As did that lamppost," Rayne sniggered.

"As did that lamppost," he agreed with a chuckle.

Totally enthralled now, Kairi breathed, "So what happened next?"

"Yeah, what did happen next?" I grinned over at him, the barest note of a challenge to my tone. To the others, it probably just sounded like I was teasing him since obviously I was already supposed to know this story. But now I was almost as invested as Kairi and was genuinely curious where he'd go with it next.

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he looked over at me and he leaned back, propping his elbows up on the back rim of the booth and once more slipping an arm behind my head. "Well after the lantern bit was over, I watched her get onto her train heading back to Traverse Town. So I did what any self-respecting, red-blooded, utterly bewitched male would do: I followed her."

"Stalker," Riku singsonged.

His wife smacked his leg, "Hush, it's sweet!"

He snorted, eyelids drooping, "Yeah, so sweet, the dumbass left his car behind in Corona."

"Psssh, I just took the train back for it later," Lea brushed off. "Anyway, when I found her on board, I sat across from her and worked up the nerve to strike up a conversation."

Rayne looked at me. "You? Talk to a handsome stranger on a train?" She squinted, repeating for emphasis, "You?"

"Heh… what can I say? He can be very charming," I smiled down at my drink, swirling the ice with my straw.

"Even with all of my roguish charm and devilish good looks though, it wasn't easy," Lea laughed. His hand had drifted down to start toying with my braid again. "But she warmed up to me eventually. By the time we arrived at Traverse Town, I was completely smitten. A total goner. She still needed more convincing though, so I managed to persuade her into joining me for a night out on the town. Luckily for me, Traverse Town has a very active night life that goes on for hours long after most other cities have gone to sleep."

"Yeah? Like what?" Sora burbled out around a mouth full of chips, making Kairi giggle as she put a hand over his face to hide it.

He pursed his lips to one side, looking up at the ceiling, "Oh, nothing too exciting. Few odds and ends here and there though… wandering around a record store… a café with a palm reader… a street poet at one sidewalk corner, a belly dancer at another, some stargazing in a park…" Now he smirked over at me, "A carnival with a kiss at the top of the ferris wheel."

A mock gasp from Rayne, "Scandal! And you with a fiancé, young lady!"

I looked away, suddenly feeling guilty and flustered over something that hadn't even really happened. "...ferris wheels can be very enchanting."

And my streak of helping the lie along while not actually lying myself successfully continues!

"And then, and then?" Kairi insisted impatiently, just eating this whole bit of fiction right up.

He chuckled and shrugged, "Just mostly a lot of meandering the streets and talking. We were out all night and watched the sunrise together. Eventually, she had to go meet up with her sister so they could move on to another city for the next leg of their lil vay-kay. But I didn't let her leave without agreeing to meet with me again in a few months."

Kairi was slackjaw now as she whispered, "And did she?"

"Mm-hm!" he hummed happily. "And from there, we kept meeting up, our little get-togethers getting longer and more frequent over time."

"Then what?" She was relentless.

A wolfish curl tugged at one side of his mouth. "What else? I slowly seduced her until she fell helpless into my bed, hungry for the pleasure only I could give her," he waggled his eyebrows.

Of course I'd chosen that exact second to be taking a sip of my drink. And of course I promptly spluttered and choked on it. "Excuse me?" I coughed, laughing incredulously as I elbowed him in the gut.

He gave a pained grunt, but grinned and snagged my hand before I could retract it, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. "I mean that in the most gentlemanly and respectful way possible, of course," he winked at me before looking back over at Kairi. "From there, I convinced her to run away from her family and ditch her two-bit, loser fiancé to be with me. And the rest, as they say, is history!"

"Wow!" she sighed dreamily, slumping back and fanning herself. Then she blinked, "Wait…" A gasp. "Oh my god! You swore off dating about a year ago, which was last summer! Was it cuz that's when you two met and it was love at first sight?!"

"Huh. The two certainly seem to line up perfectly, don't they?" he chirped. He'd rested my hand back down onto the table, his on top of mine, threading our fingers together.

Our waiter popped up again just then. "Your food will be just another moment. In the meantime, please allow us to entertain you with some music." He then turned, clapped his hands twice and called out, "Miguel!"

Out charged a boy in his early teens wearing a red hoodie and lugging a guitar that was white, etched in swirly patterns, and nearly as big as he was. He flashed us a smile huge enough to rival one of Sora's and without further preamble, started strumming away and singing. The kid was actually really good too!

Kairi clapped in delight and Rayne cooed over how adorable he was. Sora gaped in awe at the boy's obvious talent while Riku just grinned, digging into the chips. As I watched him perform, I couldn't help but feel Lea's eyes on me once more instead of on our little musician. I shifted in my seat, slipping my hand free of his and bringing it up to tuck some bangs behind my ear, hiding the growing warmth I felt in my cheeks behind my fingers.

At this rate, I didn't know how I was going to survive fake dating this guy for the rest of the evening, let alone for two more weeks.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Lea's hand closed around mine, stopping me in my tracks. I glanced over my shoulder at him, then back towards where Rayne and Riku were climbing into their car across the parking lot. "With them?"

"Ahhhnt," he made a buzzer noise, grinning. "Wrong! Would the contestant care to venture another guess?"

I gave him some side-eye, feeling one corner of my lips turn up. "...with you?"

"Bingo!" He started walking towards his car, gently tugging me along with him. "I was already so rudely denied my god-given right as the boyfriend to pick you up from your place. No way am I missing out on giving you a lift over to the movie theater. Same goes for driving you back home later tonight, so better make your peace with it now. It's happening."

I felt my smile twitch a fraction wider as I fell into step beside him. "I suppose being my chauffeur is quite the honor and privilege. Wouldn't want to take that away from you."

"Glad that's settled then," he gave a chipper nod, unlocking the front passenger door of his vehicle and holding it open for me as I got in. As he then jogged over to the driver's side while I buckled in, there was a loud meep meep of a car horn and I looked up just as a hot pink Jeep blurred past where we were parked - Kairi and Sora, it seemed, going on to the cinema ahead of us. I waved at them just as Lea had settled in himself and started the engine.

"So," I began once we were on the road, resting my temple against my knuckles with my elbow propped on the window sill, still grinning as I watched him out of the corner of my eye, "you took a road trip last summer?"

He gave a low hum of confirmation, reaching over to turn down the volume on the rock oldies station coming through the radio. "Decided to have one last big adventure before I really buckled down and started taking school seriously. Did a lil soul searching, that whole shtick."

"Ah." My gaze focused on the road ahead once more and I hesitated for a second, gnawing on my lower lip. "...that was a nice story you told. About how we met."

Lea chuckled, leaving one hand on the wheel while moving the other to lay atop the headrest of my seat. "Liked it, didja?"

"Oh definitely." Now I hid my growing smile behind my hand, trying to keep a straight face. "Though I have to admit, I think I was a bigger fan of the original movie adaptation."

I watched him visibly stiffen. "The…?"

Tapping a curled finger to my chin, I muttered, "What was the title again? Before Sunrise, I believe?"

He snerked, then broke out into a full laugh. "Crap, ya caught me. Yeah, I may have borrowed from the plot there a tad."

"Just a bit," I shook my head at him. "You're lucky Sora and Kairi haven't seen the film."

"Kinda surprised you have," he turned the car down a road that would take us towards the mall. "Pretty sure it's older than you are."

"Nothing wrong with old movies," I shrugged before wrinkling my nose at him slightly with a tiny smile. "Kind of sappy though. Wouldn't have thought that'd be your kind of movie."

Looking my way, he smirked, "What can I say? I'm a sappy guy. And hey, at least I didn't steal everything from that flick."

"True. The stuff before the train was all you."

"You helped," Lea pointed out as he pulled up to a stop sign. He then tapped his index against the steering wheel a couple times. "...outta curiosity, why'd you say Corona? Out of all the other places you must of visited on your trip, what made you pick that city?"

As the car accelerated once more, I tilted my head in thought. "Don't know really… I guess I just felt it would be a nice place to meet someone new in. That'd it make for a good story." I paused, watching some tail lights streak past us. "...the lantern festival really was beautiful. Have you ever seen it?"

Lea shook his head as he glanced up at the rearview before shifting lanes, "Nah. Had plans to on the road trip, but something else came up."

"A shame," I sighed wistfully. "You missed out."

"Wouldn't say that," he murmured, a warm flicker in his eyes. "'Sides, there's always next time."

"Suppose that's true," I nodded. "Nice touch, by the way, describing the dress I was wearing. I think I might even own one that's pretty close to it." Don't think I'd been wearing it in Corona though. But I couldn't really remember. It had been over a year ago after all.

He laughed again, fingers combing his scalp before returning the hand to my seat, now on a spot next to my ear. "Well, I did help you pack your clothes from your old condo just a couple days ago. I probably saw it then."

"Good point." That made sense. It would have been too much of a coincidence if that'd actually been what I'd had on that day. But now… should I be worried that I hadn't really been in that dress? What if someone found out the mismatch in the story? No… no, that was just me overthinking things again. Even if the tale ever reached the ears of the Duke's goon, it's not like they could go back in time to fact check. "Just one more thing now." My eyes narrowed at him, at odds with my grin. "Might want to edit the ending a bit."

"Which part?" he asked a touch too innocently, already turning us into the Dusk Town Center parking lot. "Running away to be with me? Hasn't that been the story all along?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Try a little before that."

Wouldn't have thought it possible to both purse one's lips and smile at the same time, but Lea proved me wrong in that moment. "Hmm… oh! Well, figured wooing you over the course of months sounded more believable, but if you think it works better as weeks or even days, then-"

"No no. Little after that."

"Well then, now you got me stumped cuz I know you just couldn't possibly be talking about the absolute masterpiece that was the slow seducing, helpless bed falling, pleasure hungry part."

A snort. "Why yes, actually, I could be talking about that and in fact am."

"But that's the best part!" he protested, turning to park in a space right next to a familiar Ford Focus. "It's the heart and soul, the very essence of the story! The pièce de résistance, the crowning glory."

With a good natured scoff, I unfastened my seatbelt as the car shuddered into powering down. "Well decrown it because you're dropping that bit."

He lifted his chin slightly and gave a dignified sniff, "I am a storyteller, El. An arteest. You wouldn't ask Leonardo da Vinci to remove the smile from the Mona Lisa."

Well someone had a high opinion of himself. Which honestly came as zero surprise. I fixed him with a dull stare. "Drop it or your jacket gets a giant, sticky stain before the night is out." And with that, I opened my door.

Lea scrambled out of the car and rushed over to join me on my side just as I slammed the door shut behind me. He had the decency to only spend a couple seconds looking mildly miffed at having been denied the opportunity to open and hold the car door for me before his frown melted into a smile once more. "Jeez, blackmail? Never thought you'd stoop so low. But eh," he shrugged, "jacket's black, it'll be fine."

"You're failing to see the big picture here," I crossed my arms as I waited for Rayne and Riku to get out of their own vehicle. My guess was they were probably going for another round of Seven Minutes in Heaven in there. Smirking at Lea, I elaborated, "Because then I'll wash it."

"Egads," he mocked gasp, splaying a hand against his chest, "the horror."

My smirk curled wickedly. "In a washing machine."

As my roomies finally vacated their car (faces flushed, I might add), Lea actually paled. "But it's dry clean only!"

"That's right," I said smugly and turned to walk away. "So nix that line or the jacket gets it."

"You fight dirty," he muttered as he caught up to me, slipping his hand into mine. However, he was grinning.

Huh. That wasn't what I'd been expecting. IE the face of a man who'd just suffered a crippling defeat by my hands.

I narrowed my eyes up at him. "You certainly seem pretty happy about the impending, inevitable demise of your jacket."

Now the grin was joined by a dimple as we walked. "Well, it's just that in order for you to make good on your threat, you have to take my jacket hostage. Meaning you're gonna hafta keep it after all." His head dipped down closer to mine as he swung our hands slightly. "I count that as a win for me."

...well crud.

Score one for Lea there.

Shrieks and giggles suddenly erupted behind us before Sora tore past us towards the mall's entrance with Kairi riding piggyback. Rayne laughed and tugged Riku into a stumble behind her so they could catch up while Lea and I continued to take our time, bringing up the rear.

We made our way through the food court and over to Cinema XIII. The manager with long, silver hair that I'd seen there last time was present again, off to one side where he was setting up a huge cardboard display for the latest Star Wars movie. I watched him scowl and fiddle with the lifesize lightsaber cutouts as our group purchased tickets from a blonde chick with a weird hairdo that kind of resembled antennae. As we'd approached, I could have sworn I'd seen her boredly cleaning her fingernails with a small knife, but there was no sign of the blade by the time we'd reached her register. Perhaps my eyes had just been playing tricks on me.

Tickets for our whodunit comedy flick in hand, we then moved over to concessions which was being worked by that same teen with the emo haircut that I'd also spotted here a couple weeks ago. He hardly glanced up from the book he was reading as Riku and Rayne ordered snacks and drinks from him, Sora waiting in line behind them with Kairi still latched onto his back.

"Alright, whatcha want? My treat," Lea asked as he watched the flat screens hanging behind the counter scroll flashy ads for crisp, buttery popcorn and fizzing, bubbly soda.

I blinked. "What?" Then I frowned at him. "Oh no, not happening. You already paid for dinner despite my multiple protests. I'm not letting you buy me candy too."

We were only fake dating after all, and I wouldn't even want to make a real boyfriend pay for everything!

"But it's my right as-"

I put my finger to his lips, silencing him as my eyelids drooped. "Enough with playing the boyfriend card already. You're having too much fun with that."

He puckered up and planted a tiny peck on my fingertip, sending a small jolt straight to my heart as I quickly jerked my hand back. He chuckled, "Just tell me what your fave candy is."

"Shouldn't you be able to guess?" I arched an eyebrow, stubbornly ignoring the way the tip of my finger still had a slight tingle. "Isn't that like your special gift or whatever?"

"Only with ice cream," he lightly corrected.

"Right," I crinkled my eyes at him. "How's that coming along again?"

His shoulders bobbed up and down. "It's a process."

"My turn!" Sora suddenly proclaimed loudly in front of us, dropping Kairi off his back and spinning around to get behind her.

His girlfriend gasped, "Sora no!"

"Sora yes!" he cackled, jumping onto her back, arms hugging her shoulders tight and legs wrapping around her waist as her hands automatically shifted to grasp beneath his knees. To her credit, she managed to stand for three whole shaky seconds before collapsing beneath her boyfriend's weight into a tangled heap on the floor with him.

Ah, to be young.

Never mind the fact that I was pretty sure I was only like a year older than them.

With a soft snort through my nose, I glanced back at Lea. "Well, while you keep processing, I'm going to go find our seats."

I turned to go, but he pulled me back with the hold he still had on my hand. "C'mon, just lemme buy ya something small," he insisted as he hopped over the Sora/Kairi knot that was still trying to disentangle itself, forcing me to gingerly step over the two of them as well.

Shaking my head with a sigh, I said, "Why won't you just let it go?"

He beamed. "Cuz what schmoopsie-poo wants, schmoopsie-poo gets."

Oh no he didn't.

"Uh-uh, no. Veto. You are not calling me that," I jabbed a finger into his chest.

There was a sly gleam to his eye. "Tell me what candy you want or I won't stop."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna bet?" he flashed a toothy grin as we stepped up to the counter now that my roommates had stepped off to one side, already munching away at their newly purchased sweets. "You'll think you died and went to schmoopsie-poo heaven."

I gave a small huff and looked away. "Small price to pay. Not budging on this."

"Fine. You've forced my hand." He turned his head to the concession worker, slapping his palm down on the countertop and proudly declaring, "I'll have one of everything, my good man!"

"What?! No, no, stop, he's joking," I hastily told the cashier, who froze mid-ringing the order up as he gave us a flat look with the one blue eye not hidden behind bangs. To Lea, I whispered, "What do you think you're doing?"

He shrugged, grin not faltering. "Figure ya gotta like at least one of 'em."

I stared at him. Then my shoulders slumped and I hung my head, grumbling, "...Junior Mints."

"You heard the lady," he chirped to the theatre employee. "And throw in a small popcorn and large Kupo-Kola too please!"

Once the junk food was acquired and paid for, we moved out of the way to join Riku and Rayne as Sora and Kairi bought their own goodies. While we were waiting, I opened up my candy and reached inside, retrieving a minty, chocolate-coated treat and popping it into my mouth.

"Can I have one?" Lea asked beside me.

I gave him a blank look. Then I glanced down at his hands, otherwise occupied with a full soda cup and a bag practically bursting with popcorn. Digging another Junior Mint out and holding it up between us, my gaze met his once more. "Say ahh."

Face brightening, his lips parted wide.

I inserted it into his nostril.

He blinked a couple times, then snorted which had the byproduct of dislodging the Junior Mint. "Okay, guess maybe I deserved that for being a lil pushy about getting you the candy."

"You most certainly did," I said matter-of-factly, eating another one. A pause while I slowly chewed before swallowing and mumbling, "...but thanks for doing it anyway."

"Heh. Don't mention it."

Kairi and Sora rejoined us then, arms piled high with sugary delights. Jeez, all that on top of the gigantic Mexican dinners they'd both devoured less than an hour ago? One had to wonder how the two of them managed to stay so skinny.

It didn't take long for us to locate our theater and when we entered, all the lights were dimmed for the trailers that had already started to play. We quietly found our seats close to the middle of the auditorium and we settled into them, Lea to the right of me and making up one end of our group while Rayne took up my other side, the rest of the gang to her right. It seemed the cinema had recently renovated with new, barely-used cushiony sofa seating, the kind that reclined.

As I pushed the button that popped out the chair's footrest and made myself more comfortable, I caught a glimpse of the others. Half way through a strand of red licorice, Rayne flinched when Riku was suddenly in her face and chomping down on the other end of the candy. Grinning, he took a few more bites, bringing their lips closer together until he could give her a smooch before pulling away, looking quite pleased with himself as she blushed and snerked, giving his shoulder a light shove. Kairi was tossing Milk Duds towards Sora's open, awaiting mouth and rewarding him with little kisses every time he successfully caught one.

Worrying my lower lip between my teeth, I glanced towards Lea out of the corner of my eye as he crunched away on some popcorn. Should we be acting all… couply right now? Like the others were? I mean, it was a dark theater… did we really need to keep the act up in here too? Would anyone really notice? Then again, I'd noticed our friends being all sickeningly cute and I hadn't even been trying to, my eyes had just wandered. So maybe it wasn't such a stretch to consider the two of us were also possibly being observed, even in here.

My gaze flicked down to the armrest I shared with Lea. It was wide enough for both our arms to lay on it side by side, elbows touching. He wasn't holding my hand at the moment, instead just resting his about an inch away from mine. Which, now that I noticed, actually felt a bit weird, oddly enough. I guess I was starting to get used to it. But perhaps I should look at this as an opportunity for some more practice. An exercise in me being the one for once to initiate a display of affection. I seriously couldn't get away with him being the one to start it all the time, right? Surely, I had to act like I liked him too.

Which, to be fair, I kind of did.

Even if it was a secret.

But now I had to wonder how does one go about, ah… what was the term? ...making a move? I'd never had to do it with my ex. I'd never particularly felt the urge, nor had he ever really encouraged me to have more initiative in that area. He'd always been the one to take charge and that seemed to be the way he'd liked it. It seemed to be what was expected of our relationship, by him, by my family, by the world of upper society that I had lived in for so long. But I was no longer in that world. Things were different here. I was different. And I needed to show that to my parents. And one way I could show that was by doing this.

So then… exactly how do I do this?

...well I suppose I could start by moving my hand in the general direction of his. Seemed simple enough… right?

Gulping and holding my breath, I slowly, oh so very slowly started reaching for his hand. As my fingers crept closer, the pounding in my ribcage grew louder and louder. A hairbreadth away from skin contact, I hesitated, what little courage I'd mustered already dwindling. But after a second, my face hardened. I needed to do this. For the sake of Operation Boyfriend But Shh Not Really. For the sake of a continued future free from my parents' control. With a newfound resolve burning in my chest, I pushed on.

My pinky barely brushed against his knuckle.

Nope! No way. Mm-mm, not happening!

I snatched my hand back, blushing furiously.

The blush of a failure. Pathetic.

However the touch, no matter how light and brief, hadn't gone unnoticed. Lea glanced my way, his head tipping slightly. Then he smiled, shifting his popcorn out of his lap over to his right while moving the soda from the cupholder between us to the one on his other side. Then he lifted the armrest separating us, folding it back between our chairs before slinging an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close so my head was pillowed by his chest.

I tensed for several seconds before relaxing against him, clearing my throat and, if possible, blushing even harder.

Well then.

Guess I no longer needed to worry about us not looking couply.

Even if I hadn't been the one to initiate.

...tomorrow. I would do a better job tomorrow.

As the last of the trailers ended and opening credits for the movie began filling the big screen, Lea ducked his head down next to mine. I could feel him grinning against my ear as he whispered, "This boyfriend model comes equipped with all the latest technology, including hilarious movie commentary. Would you like that feature enabled now?"

I leaned my head back a bit as I turned to look him in the eye. He cocked a playful eyebrow at me. Feeling one corner of my lips tug up, I whispered back, "Commentary on."

"You got it."

I was not disappointed.

"Is this really totally necessary?"

"Oh absolutely. Your uncle's spies could be anywhere, ever vigilant and watching at all times."

"Even here? In the parking lot for my own apartment?" I frowned dubiously.

I could feel him nodding against my hair. "Especially here. I'll have you know I've seen at least three cars pass us already, each one more suspicious and shady than the last."

Date night had been a rousing success, if I did say so myself. We'd had a good time with friends, dinner was amazing and delicious, and the movie had been excellent. But as everyone knows, all good dates (even the fake ones) must come to an end. And at the end of every date, some sort of goodnight ritual is often at the very least customary, if not absolutely essential. Traditionally, this usually takes the form of the infamous goodnight kiss. However, since I'd already taken any sort of liplock completely and one hundred percent off the table, Lea had instead opted for a hug.

One… extremely and uncomfortably long hug.

...okay, that was a lie. It wasn't uncomfortable at all. In fact, was actually quite nice. Pleasant, even. Ten out of ten, would recommend.

We stood next to his car at the moment, my apartment building just a few yards away. After he'd parked and we'd both climbed out, he'd pulled my arms up to wrap around his neck, his hands once again finding their way under the leather jacket to encircle my waist, hugging me close as he'd rested his cheek atop my head. And so we had remained for quite some time now.

Kairi and Sora were no longer with us, having parted ways back at the mall, but I could see Rayne and Riku off to one side near their own vehicle, enthusiastically taking part in some cuddle time themselves while they waited for me. Which actually I really appreciated. Without their added presence here, I'd probably be getting a lot more awkward a lot more quickly about The Hug That Would Not End.

That said…

"We've been at this for at least five minutes now. Wouldn't you call that a bit, er.." I shifted my feet, resisting the urge to squirm, "...excessive?"

His hold on me didn't budge. "Gotta be convincing. 'Sides, we're obviously still in the honeymoon period of our relationship. You know, when the couple takes forever and a day telling each other goodbye a thousand times before actually leaving. Otherwise known as the No-You-Hang-Up-First phase."

My brow furrowed. "I thought that was only made-up for TV. Real people don't actually do that, do they?"

"Yup," I felt another nod. "Trust me, I'm an expert. I know these things."

I squinted off into space. "...haven't you only ever done one night stands?"

"Shush, I said trust me on this," he murmured.

And shush I did. I suppose I could look at this as a sort of… endurance training? Get me more used to his hugs so I'd be less awkward about them in public? Make them seem more natural? Yeah, okay. This might be good for me. Let's see how long I could keep this up.

...answer? Not long.

Tentatively trying to pull away, I began, "Alright, maybe we should-"

"One more minute," he insisted, squeezing me tighter and shifting his head down now to instead nuzzle against my neck. His nose was cold and his breath tickled against my skin, making my cheeks warm. Welp, so much for not squirming.

Huh. He really seemed to be taking this whole pretend boyfriend thing very seriously. This was some extreme dedication to the role.

And there my insides went all over again, doing the whole warm, fuzzy, squishy thing. Alright, just breathe. Deep, calming breaths. Remember: Conceal, don't feel.

...maybe just focus on the concealing part. The not feeling part was already a lost cause.

"Ya know," Rayne's voice suddenly piped up nearby, causing me to jump, "maybe you two don't have to say goodnight just yet." Lea straightened up, loosening his grip on me just enough for us both to turn our heads to see she'd joined us. Gracing us with a sly smirk, she said, "I mean, if you want to really drive this date home for any eyes that might be prying, Lea could always, ya know..." her eyebrows bounced as she leaned in closer to whisper conspiratorially, "stay the night."

"What?!" My face erupted into blistering heat, the likes of which would've put the Sahara Desert to utter shame. "N...No! Absolutely not! How could you possibly even-"

She laughed, her finger booping my nose. "Relax, you silly goose. Of course he'd only sleep on the living room sofa! S'not like your grunkle's minion would have x-ray vision into our home."

Oh.

That's what she'd meant.

Well of course that's what she'd meant. It's not like she'd ever really suggest…

Actually, no, this was Rayne we were talking about here. I honestly wouldn't have put it past her.

She elbowed Lea in the arm, "So whaddya say, stud?"

He smiled, removing one hand from my waist to rub at the nape of his neck. "Well, I'd planned on getting some reading done for my classes tonight. But I do have my book bag in the backseat, so I suppose I could just as easily read here on your couch." His gaze shifted back down to mine, "That is of course, as long as you're okay with it!"

My face still recovering from its abrupt and devastating heatwave, I looked down and muttered, "Well, I… I suppose, ah… sure. Okay. I mean, just to keep up appearances… " My eyes flicked back up towards Rayne, "Thanks. I guess that's… actually a pretty good idea."

"Of course it is! I came up with it!" she beamed, planting her fists on her hips and puffing up her chest. Then she turned back to her husband, pressing her lips to his cheek as she linked her arm in his and led him over to the building entrance. Lea at last fully released me, but only long enough to unlock his car and pull out a messenger bag that looked heavy with textbooks. Kicking the door shut, he slung the strap of the bag over his head to hang across his chest before slipping an arm around my shoulders, grinning down at me as we followed the other two inside.

Once in our apartment, he removed the arm while Rayne pulled some spare pillows and bed sheets from the closet, tossing them onto the longest couch for Lea. Then grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, she unscrewed the cap and held her drink up high. "A toast! To Lea's sleepover! May it be the first of many!" she declared before tossing her head back to chug half the bottle.

Riku just snerked, shaking his head while Lea scratched his cheek with a weak chuckle and walked over to drop his bag on the sofa next to the blankets. I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my fingers between my eyebrows with a soft sigh. Still, she had a point. I suppose it was only natural for my "boyfriend" to stay the night with some amount of frequency. Oh gosh, I hope this wouldn't be too much of an imposition on Lea.

As Rayne recapped the water bottle and put it down on the kitchen table, Riku stepped up to her, taking both her hands in his and pressing their foreheads together. "Hon, why don't we head to bed early tonight?" he asked, tone low and eyes hooded.

"Mmm," she breathed him in, smiling up at him through lowered lashes and nodding, "sounds good." As he pulled her towards their bedroom, Rayne glanced back at us. "Good night, you two! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" she winked and waved before disappearing through the door, closing it behind her.

Silence followed. It felt strangely sudden and almost deafening.

I slowly turned to look at Lea.

He looked back, giving me a tiny smile.

That's when it struck me.

This was the first time in two full days I'd been alone with Lea. Like, really alone. Not in public, not where we had to put on the boyfriend-girlfriend act. Even when it'd just been the two of us in his car earlier tonight, even then we'd still had kind of been in the relative safety of pretend date mode. Besides, driving around in a car was completely different from being alone with him here, now, in my apartment late at night. Now that there was no more reason for all the hand holding, forehead kisses, and other little touches, things felt… well I wouldn't exactly say wrong per se, but more felt just kind of… off?

Panic was beginning to set in.

My mind was drawing a total blank.

I… didn't know how to be around him now. Not when we didn't have to fake a relationship anymore.

I'd forgotten how to act normal.

I think he could sense it too. The weirdness that had suddenly popped up out of nowhere. His eyebrows knit together, his gaze shifting about for a couple seconds. Then he opened his mouth to say something.

"Good night!" I loudly blurted out first.

Then I was in my bedroom so fast, you would have thought I'd spontaneously developed the power to teleport.

I slammed the door shut behind me, pressing my spine flat to it, eyes wide and taking shallow breaths through my nose. A few seconds passed where I just forced myself to inhale and exhale slowly a few times, trying to calm down. Then I winced, lightly banging the back of my head against the door.

Good job, Elsa. Way to make things mildly awkward. And for no real reason at all, you useless, hermitic dope!

With a small scowl, I shrugged out of the leather jacket and tossed it onto my bed. Then I unzipped my ankle boots, kicking them off and started pacing the length of my room back and forth, my hands twisting at my braid.

I couldn't just leave things like that. I had to talk to him. I had to toughen up and find an excuse to march my butt back out there. But what excuse?

My feet paused mid step as I glanced around my room for a minute before landing on one of my walls. Not just any wall. The one I shared with Riku's and Rayne's bedroom. Then I lightly tapped one fist into my palm. That's it! I quickly moved to my nightstand, opening the top drawer. Amongst its contents was a plastic baggie of earplugs. Digging out a pair and dropping the bag back into the drawer before closing it again, I then stepped over to my door. I took a second to take a deep breath and gather myself, standing up straighter and flicking my braid back behind me. Then with a firm, determined nod, I turned the knob and pulled, walking back out into the living room.

Lea was sitting on the couch that would be doubling for his bed tonight, arms splayed out wide to either side atop its backrest while he read the textbook that laid open in his lap. He'd pulled his hair out of its ponytail so his crimson locks were once again wild and free and he'd taken off his long-sleeved undershirt, now just wearing the tee.

Looking up at me, he all but leapt up to his feet. "El! Hi! I-" he grunted as the book he'd apparently forgotten was in his lap crashed down hard onto his foot.

I sucked in a tiny breath through my teeth with a frown, taking a step forward and reaching a hand out, "You okay?"

"Fine," he groaned. "I didn't need that toe anyway. It was only holding me back. Just dead weight." He laughed it off as he picked the textbook up off the floor, tossing it behind him onto the cushions before crossing his arms, "So, was there, ah… did you forget something?"

"Yes," I took a little step towards him, then frowned, glancing away. "Well, no…" I started to take a step back before catching myself. Wrong way, dork. "That is to say, sort of… er, I just...hm…" I thrust one fist forward, opening it palm facing up to reveal the earplugs, "Here!"

He stared down at them blankly. Then at me.

"Oh!" I gasped. "Right! Some sort of explanation would probably help." I gave a nervous heh. "So… uh… you know, those two," I gestured with my chin towards my roommates' bedroom door, "well, they just… the look they were giving each other before they went to bed, it's… well, it's a look I'm very familiar with from them. You know the look, the kind that should come with its own Marvin Gaye soundtrack. And those two… when they get going, they can really rattle the old headboard, if you know what I mean." A beat. Then I blanched. "Of course you know what I mean! Right, moving on. So uh… they are not quiet about it and they're definitely not quick. And these walls? They're thin. I'm talking like tissue paper thin. And not even the good Kleenex Deluxe kind of tissue, more like the cruddy, two-bit kind you'd get at the dollar store that just disintegrates if you even so much as breathe on it." Great, now I was just plain babbling. "These walls may as well not even be there for all the sound they block. Or rather, don't block. Then again, if they weren't there, then we'd not only hear but also see-" Wrap it up, girl, wrap it up. "A-Anyway! So just… just take these. You'll thank me later, believe me."

His eyes crinkled and he nodded, plucking them from my hand. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. Thanks."

Good. Okay. Yes, this was going well.

...huh. Though… slight hitch in the plan…

What now? I hadn't exactly thought this far ahead.

Maybe this was enough. I could now just make a graceful exit, leaving things in a better place than where I had previously. Yeah, that sounded good.

I gave him a tight-lipped grin, inching backwards as I pointed towards my room. "Okay then, I think I'll just…" But as I turned, my eyes landed on Rayne's and Riku's door again and I froze and grimaced. "Ah, shoot," I hissed under my breath.

"Problem?" I heard Lea ask behind me.

I shook my head, "I meant to ask Rayne to unzip my dress before she went to bed since the zipper is just where I can't reach and-" I blinked, then glanced over my shoulder at him sheepishly before fully turning to face him. "And why am I even telling you this? Forget I said anything. It's nothing, I'll figure it out."

"I can do it," he tossed the ear plugs onto the coffee table between us before stepping around it.

Waving my hands rapidly back and forth in front of me, I said, "No, it's fine. Really, you don't have to-"

"Don't be silly, just let me help you," he came to stop in front of me.

I tucked in my lower lip. Maybe I was just being silly about this. I mean, what was the big deal? Really? "...o-okay," I sighed, turning my back to him once more and sweeping my braid forward over one shoulder, running my hands down its length a few times. At least my old nemesis, The Blush, had the common courtesy to wait until I was no longer looking at Lea before creeping its way up into my cheeks.

I could sense him taking another step closer to me, could hear his gentle breathing as I felt his fingers undo the clasp at the top of the zipper. One of his fingertips incidentally grazed my skin and I couldn't stop a tiny shiver. Then there was a pause. Like… a long pause. I frowned straight ahead, uncertain. Nothing seemed to be happening. I turned my head slightly, stopping just short of actually being able to look back at him. "...everything okay?"

"Uh… yeah, the uh…" he cleared his throat, "...the stupid thing just got stuck for a sec there, but it's all good now." At last, the sound of the dress unzipping reached my ears. "There ya go, you're all set!"

My hand darted to clutch at the back of my dress, holding it together as I whipped around to face him. My blush? Only seemed to be growing in strength. I started backing away, "Th-thanks… for that. That was really… something. Nice! That was nice. Of you. To do that… for me. I-" I crashed into my door frame and stumbled. "Oops. Heh. Who put that there? Um… anyway…"

And on that eloquent and fully formed note, I dashed into my room, banging the door closed. Then I puffed out a breath, slumping down to sit on the floor as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

Great. Just dandy. I hadn't left things mildly awkward this time. Oh no, I'd only left them mega, ultra, super awkward now. Progress! Superb. Just perfect.

That's it. It's decided. I'm not fit for human contact. I was just going to barricade myself in this room and never come out ever again. Ever. Period. The outside world would be better off without me anyhow. Good bye, people. Hello, sweet sweet solitude. I-

I heard a muffled buzz and my head snapped up. It'd come from Lea's jacket on my bed. I squinted at it for a second. Then it clicked. My phone! I half crawled, half scrabbled over to it, digging into the pocket and pulling it out, swiping the screen.

There was a new text from Lea.

2nite was fun

I blinked, looking over at my door. Then back down at my phone, pursing my lips to one side. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard for a second. Then slowly I began to type.

I thought so too.

I waited as those three little dots hopped in a row.

We shud totes do it again sometime

A huff of amusement escaped through my nose, the tension starting to leave my body.

I'd really like that.

Then I tipped my head to one side, grinning slightly as I tapped away further.

I'm paying next time though.

The dots were dancing on my screen again.

Aight, if u insist. But b warned, Im not a cheap date

Now I actually laughed.

I can live with that.

Perhaps I'd been a bit too hasty. Maybe there was no need to barricade myself in here. Not just yet anyway. I'd hold off for a bit.

At least long enough to see what tomorrow would bring.

Author's Note: Anyone else notice Lea's shirts seem to be getting tighter and tighter every new excuse he has to see Elsa out of his work clothes? I think he's subconsciously putting on a courtship display to present himself as a sexually viable mate xD Ahem, moving on… Fun Fact 1: Fuente Del Oro is a real, Coco-themed restaurant over in Disneyland Park in Paris! Google translate says the name means "Gold Fountain", oooOOooo pretty! I really hope Coco makes it into one of the future KH games eventually! Fun Fact 2: Elsa's dress this chapter is inspired by her purple dress from when she sings Into The Unknown in Frozen 2! Just picture it shorter and more cocktail-dressy. And I know in the movie, that purple dress is a nightgown, but shhh, we'll just forget that part. And the dress Lea described in his "how we met" story? Loosely based on Elsa's Show Yourself dress - again just picture it shorter, more practical and more sundressy xD Also if you haven't heard of it, Before Sunrise is a real movie, not to mention a real SAPPY movie. Kind of slow, but cute. I'd actually never heard of it until I started writing this chapter - saw a gif go by on tumblr of the lead couple from the movie doing something adorable that made me go "oh gosh, that's SO Lea and Elsa!" and had to watch it xD I'm kind of happy it came along when it did though, cuz it gave me inspiration for Lea's "how we met" story :)

Next chapter, what new challenges will Elsa face in her adventures in fake dating? Will she ever be able to work up the courage to initiate a display of affection herself? Just how much of a "not a cheap date" is Lea really? What about his shirts? CAN they get any tighter? Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

[spantch]

Am I not monster enough for you?" Copper's cool and low voice emanating from where he still lays on their bed puts something in his chest at ease.

"What?" He doesn't fully turn as he continues to get dressed.

"You go on these stupid hunts, putting yourself in danger, because you need it right? you need a monster to fight?"

"Copper, it's more complicated than that. I have a duty to protect."

"So? Protect yourself if its adrenaline you need I'll give it to you."

"Just go back to sleep, I dont want to talk about this right now."

"Sunlight. I dont want to wake up alone and then have my first thought be if I'm ever going to see you again. If it's a fight you need or blood or whatever, I'm here. I'll be the monster," Mikely saw Copper's stripes dim for a second as he came close to losing composure, "I want to help you, I want to keep you safe, but I don't know how to keep you safe from yourself."

"I appreciate your conviction, but you cant fix everything."

"Why not? I know I cant make the world all sunshine and rainbows, but I can try. Please, at least let me try."Copper says as he reaches out to hold Mikely's hand.

"No." Mikely crossed his arms and drew away from the only person who has ever truly loved him, "Its more complicated than that, this goes beyond us and- and you dont understand."

"Your right I dont understand, but I want to. please just tell me, show me, whatever, just let me help you."

"Its my duty ok? this is what I was raised to do. to be."

"You know that's a crock of bull, sunlight, Nobody breathing expects you to keep throwing yourself to the wolves." his tone is infuriatingly gentle, it always is.

"I do."

"Why?"

"I dont know!" he snaps.

"Sunlight please, I'm not trying to upset you, I just- I just want to help."

"I know."

"Will you at least tell me this?"

"What?"

"When will it be enough? When do we- you get your happily ever after?"

"I dont. Ok? I dont get one. I was never meant to."

"So you're just going to keep throwing yourself away until you're dead?"

"What else is there for me?"

"Me, Metock, Nolk. Whatever else you want, I'll get it for you, Sunlight."

Mikely makes a frustrated noise and barely restrains himself from stomping his foot like a bratty child, "You dont get it. It's more complicated than that!"

"Maybe I dont need to 'get it'! Maybe you just need to trust me for half a second. You know what? Maybe you- dont get it."

"Dont get what? that you're some spoiled, self absorbed, greedy fairy?"

"You know what maybe I am but your the one refusing to accept that if you keep doing this nonsense you will die."

"So what?"

"So what? Mikely-," He grit his teeth and glared at Mikely while he calmed himself down enough to not yell at him "Mikely, You're right. I absolutely am a selfish bastard, and that's going to manifest right now. Mikely, if you die, I'm going to be alone again. And You dont understand how absolutely terrifying that is. I love you, but I- I cant watch you do this to yourself."

"To bad." He turned away from the creature staring slack jawed and broken hearted at him, Copper deserved better, "I'm going now, Youd best be too." The door closed with a satisfying thunk that he pretended he didn't feel in his chest.

---

Their room was empty when he returned, his neck was stiff, he couldn't open one eye and he had lost feeling in his hand. realistically the most severe injury was the slash that cut deep in his shoulder, it still slowly seeped but adrenaline was keeping the ache at bay for now.

He sat in his chair, the one coated in waxed fabric with extra padding, and waited for Copper to return from where ever he was having his fit.

But he didn't.

Mikely drifted in and out of unconsciousness as he waited; sunset turned to night, to mid night, to early morning, to sunrise.

Copper did not return.

Why?

He sat up and his head swam as the room spun.

the cracking of dried blood barely registered in his ears over the thrum of his own heart. His hand was cold and his eye wouldn't open and his shoulder burned.

Where's Copper?

Why didn't he come home?

He stumbled out of their room and down the hall.

"Oh shit, Mike?" Metock called as she saw him, "Hey, hey, you dont look good" She held out her hands to steady him as he swayed to a stop. He winced as his nerves revolted against touch.

"Copper?"

"Copper? What, oh shit. Copper left last yesterday, said he was going away for a bit. Mikely were you waiting on him?" she ushered him to sit.

He slumped forward I'm his chair and nodded. why was it so bright in here?

"I'll go find a physician, please just stay put."

he nodded into the table again.

Time passed, or maybe it didnt.

life felt sluggish right now, and all to much at the same time.

Where did Copper go?

"Hunter? I leave you alone one night, and you find your way to death's door," There he is.

"Do-dont call me hunter." He slurred "Y-you call call me moonlight, or sun- su- sunlight or s-starlight."

"Why should I call you any of those things? you are the one who made it very clear we're just acquaintances."

"Yu- Love me."

"I do, and as much as it pains me to admit it, I probably always will, But hunter, you chose to reject me. Our deal was I'd stay by your side forever and always until you told me to leave. You told me to leave, I left."

"Di-nt mean t-too"

"Sure felt like you did."

"Sorry."

"Dont apologize, just… just dont. I cant take this anymore."

"St-ay?"

"Hunt-"

"Stay. I-mm uh, co-ld" he turned to face copper, why wasn't he next to him? why did he look so sad? "Sad?"

"Hunter. Somebody I love is dying, you are dying, of course I'm sad."

Mikely wined and thunked his numb hand on the table a few times. "N-o"

"Humter I'm sorry, there's blood building up in your skull and its putting pressure on your brain, you are going to die."

"No, S-sad."

"Its okay to be sad hunter-"

"N-no! Sa-d, You." he whined and thunked the table a few more times. This time Copper understood he was trying to get him to sit down next to him.

he shouldn't, but he does.

Mikely flinches when copper puts his arm over his shoulder.

"Hurts."

"Dying usually does." He adjusts his position to share as much body heat as he could without putting pressure on Mikely's wounds.

"Fix?"

Copper sighs "why should I? All that's going to happen is you're going to do this again and again, and- I cant do that Mikely, at least in death you would be at peace. No more fighting no more hurt, for either us."

"N-no m-more Th-Th-ief?"

"No more thief."

"No." Mikely shifts in his seat, slow and laboriously against his protesting muscles, until hes pressed up under Copper. "N-o more safe?"

"of course youd be safe, I'd never guide you somewhere you couldn't be safe, hunter."

"No Th-ief, no safe."

"Hunter-"

Mikely wines "No, st-stay I-ll Fix it. Don-t leave."

"I'm not going anywhere, there's nothing left to fix."

"Alone?"

"What?"

"Y-you? Alone?"

"Yes, when you're gone I'll be alone, we've discussed this already."

"n-no, Fix. I p-pro-promis-ised."

"You already broke that promise hunter, when you told me to leave."

"No."

silence fell between them. Mikely's quiet sniffling drilled holes behind Copper's heart, but what were they to do? Metock and the physician wouldn't be here in time.

"Hurt." Mikely whimpers.

"I know, sleep for now, it'll be gone when you wake." Copper cards his hand through Mikely's hair like hes done a thousand times before, careful to avoid the bruises.

Mikely relaxes under it, hes safe now.

---

Mikely wakes up alone. Both eyes open, both hands twitch in the sheets, and his shoulder only smarts a little as he sits up.

He runs a hand over the side of his face and into his hair. He's clean and his hair has been braided in the very specific way copper does it when he going to be on his back for a while.

Where's copper? That wasnt a dream. is he home now?

Mikely stumbles out of his room, only slightly more sure footed than last time.

The only people in the dining room are Metock and the physician Daria.

"Sir, you should not be standing!" She jumps to her feet and guides him to a seat. "Sit, sit, it's a miracle you survived, so you probably shouldn't push your luck further!"

"Copper?" he says

"What?" she says

"The friend he'd been out hunting with. he hasn't returned yet so Mikely is worried." Metock lies. She was good at that.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll show up at some point."

---

Physician Daria left soon after, her only instructions being for him to rest and drink lots of water.

He didn't think he'd miss her chipper bed side manner, he much preferred Physician Copper. She was a good doc, but he trusted Copper a lot more.

"So, What happened?" Metock said with a tone that indicated she would not tolerate side stepping from her husband right now.

"Copper and I had an argument,"

"Ok? That happens a lot between you two. Doesn't explain why he left right before you went on a hunt."

"He didn't want me to go."

"Ok?"

"And we got mad, and I fucked up, and told him to leave."

"Mikely"

"I know!"

"You fucked up."

"I know."

"But its probably salvageable."

"How?"

"Did you do your hair?"

"No."

"Hm, when Physician Daria and I got here you were out cold, cleaned up, and already mostly healed. It was Copper, right?"

[ultsracha]

Friends to Lovers w/ Eric (tbz)

Request: Anon -  Ok uuuh I’ve never requested before so idk how to word all this but could you maybe write some Eric (the boyz) catching feelings for his best friend and him trying to ask her out ?? And maybe like the other 00 liners making fun of him for being all soft :( I’m sorry I’m trash at explaining stuff <3 Have a wonderful day A/N: Thank you for requesting! im sorry that this isnt the best but i tried !  Warnings: mild angst & swearing

*He looks so teeny tiny in this gif ouchies my heart*

you and Eric had been friends for literally your whole lives 

all of your childhood memories had him in them 

running around the back yard? Eric was right behind you 

Learning how to ride a bike? This dude was the reason you had the courage to do it

So it was no surprise to everyone that all throughout school you stayed friends 

Joined at the hip every second you could be

In class you would sit together and help each other with the work

Of course you had your other friends, 11 of them who were all part of Eric’s band they called ‘The Boyz’ 

They accepted you into their group with open arms

Most nights after school were spent in the practice room with them 

Watching them dance and run around 

Eric always tried to get you involved but that’s a big, fat, nope 

But you literally had the best, best friend 

So, like every other day you’re sat at the lunch table waiting for Eric to get out of his class while you sat with Sunwoo and Hyunjoon 

“You coming stargazing with us tonight?” Sunwoo asks as he shoves a few grapes into his mouth

“Of course, I’ll bring some food if you guys want as well?” you replied

This wasn’t uncommon for you all, to go sit on Kevin’s roof with blankets and snacks and just look at the stars 

“Is Eric coming too?” You ask because let’s face it everything's more fun with him around 

“OoOOoooOOOOoooOOh ‘Is Eric coming too?’ oOOooOo” Hyunjoon teases, nudging your arm 

“Ah fuck off you know it’s not like that, we’ve been friends forever! I can’t go anywhere without him now” 

They both continued to tease and nudge you around until you saw Eric walking over 

As per the routine, you got up and met him halfway across the hall for a massive hug 

“Hey! What’s up? You’re bright red?” He asks after hugging you

“Ohhh nothing, just dumb and dumber trying to steal my last brain cell” you giggle as you both settle into your seats 

Eric draping his arm round your shoulders like he always does 

Sunwoo giving you a sly smirk like he a l w a y s does when you and Eric even look at each other

It wasn’t hard to understand why everyone gave you these looks

Most people assumed you were together

Even some of your family had suspicions because of how close you two were 

but you could only dream... 

This little crush you had started mid teens and had persisted ever since 

Now it was nearing the end of school and here you were, hopelessly in love 

Honestly it had just become a normal part of your life by now and that was okay, as long as you had him with you being your best friend. It was okay

“You’re coming to Kevins tonight yeah?” Eric mumbles into your ear 

Resisting the urge shiver you simply nod and turn away and continue to listen to the bickering of the boys 

After that the day goes on peacefully, Eric walks you to class and kisses your forehead before jogging to his own class 

The bus journey home you guys sit together and share earphones, taking it in turns to choose a song 

“I’ll see you later yeah?” You ask as you both get off the bus at your stop 

“Yeah I might be a bit late though, I’ve got some things to get done beforehand” he replies, throwing his bag over his shoulders 

“Alright, I’ll see you later then!” you start to wave goodbye and of course, as per usual he brings you in for a hug and to kiss your forehead 

and yet again your heart swells and you inwardly scream because why not your lips hm? 

Later that evening Sangyeon picks you up, with Sunwoo and Haknyeon already in the car

Sunwoo on the aux playing some random country music to annoy everyone 

It’s an amazing night to stargaze, you get to Kevins just at the end of sunset where the sky is mostly dark but a lilac hue still coats the edges of the sky

The stars already sparkling 

Kevins roof was your favourite place to be as he lived at the top of a hill, meaning the view of the city below could be seen 

As well as the roof itself having a large flat bit for everyone to cosy up together 

Most of the group are already there setting up blankets and pillows and the speaker

As expected Eric wasn’t there yet so you just dumped out all the snacks you gathered next to the speaker and went to speak to the host

“Did Eric tell you what he had to do tonight?” you ask, watching Kevin struggle to smooth out a massive blanket

“Yes but I’m not telling you, it’s a secret” he replies

“Why? What is it?” your heart starting to race

Did he have a girlfriend? Was he keeping her a secret? Was he bringing her tonight? 

Yes, that’s where your mind goes because, well every girl in the school would be lucky to have him 

“Y/N calm down he’s gone to get something for tonight, don’t worry he’s still your mans but not really your mans” he smirks, patting the top of your head and walking away

You just stand there blinking before realising what he even said, leading you to pursue him to where everyone was sat already 

“He’s not my ‘mans’ Kevin we all know he’s got every girl in the school whipped for him” you sigh, plopping yourself next to Jacob

who was munching on some chips 

“Y/N you’re kidding right?” Sunwoo smirks while Hyunjoon giggles lightly and nods 

“No I’m not, I’m honestly surprised he hasn't got a girlfriend already...” you mumble 

The sad truth being explained to your friends hurt but it wasn’t hard to see, he wasn’t in love with you 

“He has THE biggest crush on you Y/N how do you not see it?” 

You look up from your lap to see everyone nodding in agreement 

Who knew your friends would play such a prank on you

“This isn’t funny guys, you’re just teasing and it’s painful so please can we just change the subject?” 

lets be real it would always hurt knowing how everyone could see how in love you were but how obviously he wasn't 

“Seriously, everyday we see him he talks about how cute you look or how smart you are and how he can’t wait to show you this dance because he wants to impress you” Hyunjoon giggles while Changmin over dramatically nods 

“and how you smell nice all the time” Sunwoo adds rolling his eyes

“they boy’s whipped for you” Hyunjoon continues 

“It’s almost annoying how literally no one exists when you’re around because he’s so focused on you” 

Your heart has literally stopped 

Because ??? Eric???? liking you???? 

“Right let’s quit the teasing because we weren’t even meant to tell her so now you’re gonna have to explain to him about this” Sangyeon scolds the younger ones 

You just lay back into the pillows still not computing 

They have to be lying? He’s never shown any interest in you? 

You hear them still laughing about how your face looks when you’re shocked 

Jacob leans over to whisper “just ignore them, they’re rooting for you” 

You’re just lying on the roof, looking up to the sky with butterflies bursting your stomach and your heart beating like crazy in your chest when you hear Kevins bedroom window open 

“Hey guys, sorry I was late” Eric bursts through the window “I was just getting a few things” 

Everyone greets him but you stay silent, looking up at the sky because you were just TOO nervous to say anything

“You okay?” He asks you, laying down next to you and propping his head on his arm

“Yeah! Just looking at the stars” your voice betraying your panic

He just nods and rolls over to lie on his back next to you 

The night goes on as normal, everyone chatting, listening to music and enjoying the view 

You hop in the conversation every once in a while but the others seem to understand why you’re being more quiet 

Eric hardly speaks to you but never leaves your side, just lying next to you also in his in thoughts 

“What’s up?” You whisper to him after a while

“Just thinking about stuff” He whispers back shifting to lay on his side to look at you 

You look into his eyes and he looks,,, nervous?

“What you thinking about?” you ask, shifting to mirror his position 

“It’s nothing don’t worry Y/N” He replies shaking his head

“You know you can tell me anything Eric we’re best friends...” 

At this he sighs even more and stands up 

“What? What did I do?” You also stand 

He’s already climbing back through Kevins window 

Naturally you follow, heart beating out of your chest at the thought of Eric being upset with you

“Seriously whats wrong? Why can’t you tell me?” You follow him into the room

“Because if I tell you we can’t be friends and it’ll all go wrong so it’s better if I don’t say anything” 

“Why? We’re best friends we’ve always told each other everything whats changed?” 

“Will you please stop saying that?” He almost shouts and spins around to face you

You’ve never seen him this upset before 

Sunwoo and Hyunjoon were wrong, he doesn't love you he doesn't even want to be friends anymore

“Y-y-y-you don’t want to be friends with me anymore?” You splutter out,  tears already brimming in your eyes 

They were so wrong and they couldn't have said what they did at a worse time, giving you that small bubble of hope in your chest for it to be crushed an hour later 

“It’s not that I just....” he trails off, wringing his hands nervously 

“Then what Eric?” You burst into tears, heart almost breaking in that moment 

“Y/N I love you. Fuck. I’m sick of hiding it and being teased all the time for not having the courage to tell you. I fucking love you” 

The tears didn't stop when you rushed over and wrapped your arms around his neck 

Standing on your tiptoes to hug him you felt his arms wrap around your waist 

You both just stood there holding each other

His erratic breathing indicating he’s crying too

“I love you too Eric, so much, for so long” 

You just stayed put in his arms, him stroking the back of your head

“I didn’t believe them when they told me...” you giggle while pulling away to look at him

His eyes just go so wide 

“They did what?” He yelped

“Oh they told me all about how you talk about me all the time and how whipped you are” you giggle even more

The look on his face just makes you laugh harder 

“I’m going to kill them” he growls and charges back through the window

You just smile and follow him onto the roof where everyone was just laughing and nudging Eric around

“So he’s finally confessed!” Jacobs asks you grinning from ear to ear

“It’s about time, now we don’t have to spend every dance practice brainstorming ways to get him to do it” Sunwoo laughs, earning a slap from Eric

Once the teasing died down Eric joined your side leaning against the wall by Kevins window

“So does this mean you’ll be my girlfriend?” He asks 

And despite the dark you can tell his cheeks are dusted pink

“Of course I will, but what did you need to go get earlier than meant you were late?” 

“Oh,” he wriggled to grab a small packet from his pocket “I was going to confess to you tonight and I bought you this” 

Handing you the packet you open it to find a dainty necklace 

Silver with a small heart pendant on it 

“Eric this is so cute but you didn’t have to buy me something to confess to me” you blush, heart feeling so full it could burst 

“I know but I thought it would help” his smile is so bright and warm

He helps you put on the necklace and the night ends with you falling asleep cuddled into his arms admiring the view 

[negasonicimagines]

Gladdest (Soulmate AU)

For this, I’ll be using the soulmate AU where what happens to your soulmate’s body happens to you. I’m not sure who originally came up with this. Basically, how it works, is like, if your soulmate gets punched in the face, you feel like you’ve been punched in the face. If your soulmate dies, you don’t die, but you feel it. Same with broken bones, you’ll feel it, but your arm won’t actually be broken. But not just pain, other stuff. Like if your soulmate cries, you’ll feel it, but you don’t cry unless they’re super heartbroken, or if they get a really good hug you feel it, too. In my version of this AU, the pain and other feeling doesn’t start until you turn sixteen. Imagine how fucked up it would be if that wasn’t the case and you had a partner older than you? Like, while 13-year old Bill gets in a fight, his soulmate, who is only 3, feels the same punches and kicks. It’d be so fucked up.

warnings: nsfw (but no actual sex, just a lot of talking about it [and masturbation] and some sexually tense scenes), the reader nearly has a panic attack (again, i know, sorry. what can I say? I project), & reader has a thing for.... erotic asphyxiation. let me know if i missed anything.

I am very open to writing a part two with smut... I just chickened out with this because I felt it wouldn’t be good writing.

You’d been sixteen for a little while now, and there hadn’t been much contact from your soulmate aside from the occasional feel of a phone falling on your face and smacking it.

It’s the beginning of a new school year at Xavier’s, and you’re pretty thrilled. Your roommate this year is your best friend, Ellie. Okay, not just your best friend, she’s your crush, too. Do I really have to say, at this point?

“Hey,” she greets you, sounding rather sullen as she enters your dorm, where you sit on the edge of your bed.

“What’s up?” you ask.

“I turned sixteen over the summer and I haven’t felt anything to give me a hint. All my soulmate does is cry.”

“All my soulmate does is drop their phone on their face,” you offer a complaint in return, and the two of you lock eyes for a moment, one of realization.

“No,” Ellie says. “No.” She’s bright red, immediately thinking of just how many hot summer nights she was kept up, orgasm after orgasm after orgasm, gasping for breath at the way her soulmate’s fingers curled just right, just fucking right. There’s no way you, her crush and her best friend, were that good.

“No, can’t be,” you agree.

“Could be,” she reminds you.

“It’d make sense,” you admit.

“I hate everyone else but you.”

“We could try to find out,” you suggest.

She pinches herself.

“Ow! Not like that!” You whine, clutching at your arm. “Oh, well, I guess it’s too late th-” Ellie cuts you off with her eyes alone.

“Where does all that energy come from, Y/N?! What are you, the Energizer bunny?! At least three times a night, every night! What the hell?!”

You blush deeply, scratching the back of your neck. You hadn’t exactly expected you’d meet your soulmate anytime soon, or that they’d be bold enough to comment on your habits.

“I dunno, I thought it was normal for kids our age…” you mumble.

“Oh, yeah, well some people like sleeping and not screaming into the pillow because their soulmate has a little too much fun doing the five finger shuffle!”

“Please, louder. I think a few people in Antarctica didn’t hear you,” you retort, looking up at her from where you were sitting with a challenging expression.

“We’ve been friends for all this time and I never knew what a horny bastard you are,” she remarks.

“Well, I’m not the one who was ‘screaming’ in pleasure,” you mutter.

“I heard that!” she says, her expression still adorably indignant.

“If you hated it so much, you should’ve just got those over the counter meds, Antifel or whatever.”

“I- I…” She sighs. “Yeah, I didn’t hate it that much,” she admits, and you smile a bit. “But I wasn’t a fan of the choking,” she adds, gesturing at your scarf, your favorite one that she never would’ve guessed hides the bruises from where you’ve choked yourself with a belt, at least not before. “I’m more of a choker than a ‘chokee’, but, I guess that’d be obvious, wouldn’t it? Considering we’re soulmates and all.”

You nod, your eyes now on your lap, the floor, her tee shirt, the lamp in the corner, anything that isn’t her eyes, and she smirks.

“Oh, so now you’re shy?”

“A little,” you quietly reply, and she sits next to you on your bed.

“Let’s cool down,” she offers. “We’ve just seen each other after months of purely texting and the occasional phone call.”

“Thanks,” you respond, finding it easier to breathe.

“Why were you crying so much?” Ellie asks, addressing her original observation.

“Just depressed and lonely and stuff. I don’t have friends in my hometown, not like you.”

“You’ll always have me,” she says. “I mean it.”

“I’d hope so, soulmate,” you laugh off the seriousness of the conversation, and she sighs, looking to your eyes with her own soulful ones.

“I’m glad it’s you,” she tells you.  “I don’t think I’d be able to stand anyone else.”

“Yeah, right!” you huff out a laugh, confused at her sudden emotional openness. Sure, she was more honest about her feelings with you than anyone else, but that didn’t mean that she was a completely open book. Who was?

“You’re not disappointed, are you?” Ellie wonders because of your remark.

“God, no! I- I actually have a really big crush on you,” you admit.

“Yeah?” she asks, the cutest little grin on her face, you know the one. “I have a crush on you, too.”

You blush again.

“Sorry… I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I’m not very good at flirting or anything like that. I don’t really care about much of anyone at all, and you’re definitely the only person I’ve really cared about in a romantic way, so…”

“No, it’s not that! I- You- You being really good at flirting is what’s got me like this. And the fact that I’m a dork who’s really bad at flirting contributes,” you explain.

“I am? Good at flirting, I mean.”

“Well, with me, at least,” you tell her.

“Um… Sorry if it’s lame to ask, but… Can I kiss you?”

“Of course! And it’s not lame to ask at all, El, I appreciate it actua- Mmf!”

You could live forever in the feeling of her lips on yours, her hands oh-so carefully holding your cheeks.

“Sorry,” she shyly says, as she slowly pulls away from you, looking in your eyes. “I’ve just been wanting to do that for a really, really long time. Pretty much since we met, actually.”

“R-really?” you ask, a bit breathless and definitely still flustered.

“Yeah, you’re perfect. In, like, every way. It’s the worst and the best.”

“I’m perfect?! But you’re- You’re you!” you argue, and she shakes her head, rolling her eyes. “I’m so lucky.”

“No, I’m the lucky one,” she disagrees.

“We can both be lucky,” you tell her, and she sighs.

“I suppose that’s a good compromise,” she decides. “So, what should we do before dinner? We’ve got a couple hours to kill, but I don’t think either of us has much more to say that wouldn’t be repetitive or… Something.” She blushes again, cheeks bright pink.

You blush back, reminded that she knew all about you and the things you did to yourself behind doors. “R-right,” you reply. Hey, you may be a horny motherfucker, but that doesn’t make you any less of a bottom.

“Can I see?” she asks, touching at your scarf. You nod, and she unwraps the scarf. She carefully touches the spotted bruises with her fingers. “With the belt you’re wearing?”

You can’t even speak. You nod, and the ghost of a smile graces her face before she just barely presses her lips to the bruises closest to her, on the side of your neck. Your hand quickly grabs her bicep tightly, and she stops, looking to you with concern.

“I’m so sorry, I got a bit carried aw-”

“No, no, it’s good, I’m just… Sensitive there,” you admit, and one of the biggest smiles you’ve seen her wear is on her lips.

“Yeah?” she asks, taking her crossbody bag off of her shoulder and opening it. She takes out a bottle of Antifel pills. “How sensitive?”

“Oh God, um… I- Um…” Your nerves are really getting to you, and your breathing gets heavier as you stare at the bottle. This is really happening. It’s really happening. You’d always wanted to, especially with her, but now that it’s a reality, you feel on the brink.

Ellie can recognize that look in your eyes, and it’s a look she’d hoped she’d never be the cause of.

“Shit, Y/N. What’s going on? Talk to me.”

“I- Um, I just- I want to? But I- I just- I don’t know, it’s just getting really hard to breathe, and uh, not in a hot way,” you joke nervously.

“Hey, you can want to and not be ready to right this minute. We haven’t even been on a date yet, okay? I’m really sorry if I made you feel like you had to do anything you didn’t want to,” Ellie tells you, and she feels immensely guilty either way.

“No! I liked you kissing me, especially where you did, but, you’re right. We should probably adjust to the news and put a label on whatever this is before we do anything too serious.”

Ellie nods. “You always were the more logical one. I’ll put these in the medicine cabinet and we can just… Talk about stuff, like we always do.”

“But with more kissing and cuddling, I hope?” you request, and she nods, going to put the bottle away before returning to find you bundled up in her comforter. “It’s so cozy…” you practically sing, at least to her.

“This is a dream,” she sighs happily, slipping off her shoes and joining you in her bed. You spoon her side, and she hums in content, stroking your hair.

“You’re in a good mood,” you comment. Ellie is not a very cheerful person, at least not openly. So, to see her like this was surprising.

“Yeah, of course I am. It’s you. It’s really you. I’ve never been happier in my life,” she says, having really been hit with the fact that you’re her soulmate. All hers. “All mine…” she hums.

“You really know how to make a girl feel special… I mean it. I’m really not all that.”

“Please be my girlfriend,” she requests.

“Only if you’ll be mine,” you reply, and she scoffs.

“I think that’s how that works, babe.”

Your heart skips a beat and you stare at her in wonder.

“Sorry for not asking if pet names were okay…It’s just something I like, it’s really stupid.”

“No, I really like it, hence the dumb stare and the lack of breathing.”

She chuckles, holding you tighter. You smile with her, glad that she’s happy.

“I hope you don’t feel like you have to over-exaggerate how happy you are. It’s okay if you’re not ridiculously happy about finding your soulmate.”

“Oh, no, I’m as happy as I sound. I’m, uh, definitely a textbook case of Lesbian That’s A Grumpy Bitch Til She Gets A Girlfriend. But then again, I’ll probably just be a significantly less grumpy bitch to everyone but you, sorry.”

“I don’t mind, I like you being your bitchy self,” you reply, being rewarded with a kiss placed atop your head that sends tingles dancing down your body. “Mm… I like that.”

“Good,” Ellie responds. “I’m glad.”

“I’m gladder,” you tease.

“I’m gladdest...”

[elliotthezubat]

DEATH CITY DAYS CHAPTER 114

 Kid: *reading in bed*

stocking: *nuzzles up to him*

Kid: "..." *puts an arm around her, soft sigh*

stocking: *sleeping on his chest* u///u

Kid: *strokes her head carefully before he puts down the book and turns off the light* =\\\\= *nuzzle*

stocking: =///w///=

Kid: *lies by her side, holding her softly* =w=

-elsewhere-

Kepuri: =~= *collapsed in front of her computer's keyboard*

akaderu: *picks her up and carries her to her bed*

Kepuri: "Hmm...Babe?"

akaderu: yeah?

Kepuri: "...Love you."

akaderu:...*small smile* love you too.

-elsewhere-

miyuri: *already asleep*

sonia: *getting into bed*

Chuuya: *tucking Sonia in* "Comfy?"

sonia: *nods* ....papa? are you sure you're alright?

Chuuya: "...Yes, I am."

sonia:...see you tomorrow then, good night

Chuuya: "Good night. I love you."

sonia: love you too, papa...

Chuuya: *nods* *gets up, turns off the lights* "Night..."

-morning-

Tanizaki: "I'm all packed. Ready to check out?"

atsushi: yep.

Kenji: "Yes!" *holds up a suitcase--that has clothes poking out of the edges*

Tanizaki: ^^; "I'll check on the girls..." *knocks on their door*

naho: almost ready~!

Tanizaki: "Okay--we'll bring our luggage downstairs..."

Kenji: "Hey, what do you think it would be like to see our kind of stories on the TV? Like vampires and pyro-people and us detectives?"

atsushi: ^^; seems like a bit much for one show.

Tanizaki: "I mean, Hollywood runs out of ideas--the new thing is 'genre crossovers,' like how every superhero movie is also another genre? Like that 'superhero romance' film they're making?"

atsushi: ^^;;

-elsewhere-

Emine: -____-; "Mom, he's not getting up." *pokes the top bunk bed with Tool's scythe*

setsuna: let's let him sleep for now. he'll be up soon.

Emine: "Hmm...Fine. I don't know why he's like this--everyone has been weird since we got home."

setsuna: well...things were quite eventful...perhaps even traumatic for some...

Emine: "..." *nods* "I...saw something."

setsuna: ??

Emine: "That dream-maker...I saw my...birth mother."

setsuna:.......

Emine: "...It wasn't real...I wanted it to be."

setsuna:..........

Emine: "..." *holds his head in his hands* "Sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

setsuna:....*hugs*

Emine: "..." *sniffle*

setsuna: it's alright, emine...

Emine: "I...just don't want this pain anymore."

setsuna: ....

-elsewhere-

Libra: *sighs* "He's still unconscious..."

King Leo: "I can wake him..." *pulls out a sword--*

virgo: D8>

Libra: "..." *takes her PDA--and slaps it equally across both sides of Leo's face* "NO! NO MORE STABBING!"

King Leo: "GAH!" *ROARS* "THEN YOU THINK OF SOMETHING!"

Aries: *still unconscious*

gem: *takes orange juice and squeezes it up aries' nose*

Aries: "... ... ..." *eyes snap open--before he screams, swinging his fists wildly*

gem: yay!....

ini: ....success!

Aries: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU--" *groans, holds his head*

Libra: "...Here." *offers a can of cola*

Aries: "Ug..." *sips* "Ah, that's the stuff..." *rubs the can against his face* "I missed you, baby..."

Libra: "..." >_>; "You're welcome."

aquarius: oh look he's alive. that's no fun

Aries: "Yeah, I missed you all too..." *looks* "Where did you take us?"

capricorn: some old factory or something.

Aries: "So, let me guess--Queenie didn't win?" *finishes the cola*

scorpio: got locked up in the tartarus prison.

Aries: "Jeez, that blows..." *shrugs* "A'well. That screws things up..." *shrugs* "A'well. Libra, did he call?"

Libra: "No. And when he does, you know he is going to be furious how Fear Factory overstep its boundaries."

virgo: Q~Q uuuu....

Aries: *shrugs* "That's for the Observers to deal with. Aquarius, Scorpio, keep an eye for any Federation thugs popping up. As for you, Virgo..."

virgo: i-i-im so-sorryyyyyy >~<;;;;

Aries: "...You really feel bad about what happened back in Toykyo?"

virgo: i-i-i d-di-didnt m-meant to, h-he-he asked me a-a question a-and it would have b-been rude not t-to answer....

Aries: "I get it, I get it...Well, it's in the past. And we still need you for what comes next--you got that?"

virgo: y-y-you're not m-mad at me?

Aries: *smiles* "You hook me up with another cola, and we'll call it even."

virgo: y-y-yes s-sir! r-right away!

Libra: *sighs* "That's hardly balanced, _sir_."

Aries: *lies back down* "That's your job, not mine..."

King Leo: "..." *pulls out another sword--*

Libra: *SMACKS HIM WITH A TABLET OVER AND OVER AGAIN* "NO! NO! NO!"

aquarius: *sigh* im bored. i think i'll bully pisces for a bit~<3

Pisces: O_o "Um, my tank's filter needs to be replaced? It's kinda murky in here..."

Aries: "??? The fish ain't dead yet?"

-elsewhere-

Denki: *holds up a box labeled 'fireworks'* "This is what summer training is all about!"

jirou: you're going to smuggle fireworks onto the campsite?

Denki: "It's not 'smuggling'--it's packing!"

jirou: kaminari......*shaking him* ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND!??! NOT ONLY COULD YOU CAUSE A FIRE, THE CAMP'S LOCATION IS SUPPOSED TO BE SECRET AND IT COULD POTENTIALLY REVEAL WHERE WE ARE TO PEOPLE!!

Denki: @~@ "SO WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO FIRE OFF THE WORKS?!"

jirou: OUT IN THE DESERT MAYBE! MAYBE GET STUNG BY A SCORPION! AND IN THAT REGARD, TAKE MINETA WITH YOU!!

momo: easy now, jirou... ^^;;;

Mineta: "...Am I the only one turned on seeing her shake down Kaminari like that?"

momo:....on second thought, maybe jirou has the right idea.

Mineta: D8<

Denki: "Desert fireworks aren't fun! Deserts need dark smoke, and fireworks are all bright smoke!"

jirou: since when are YOU a pyrotechnics expert?!

Denki: "I read a book about it."

jirou: sure you did. 7_7

mina: hmm. *lightbulb* i got it! BRB!

Denki: -_-; "Oh, what did you read? Something from the _jerk_ factory with all the other _jerks_?"

-meanwhile-

itsuka: and that's how the regulations were set in place for the sports festival.

Bakugo: "Huh. What about that near-fatal injury at the 5th annual festival?"

mina: *enters the library* BAKUGOU! FOUND YA! *walks over* sorry itsuka, i gotta kidnap your boyfriend for a sec.

itsuka: eh?

Bakugo: "WHAT THE F--"

mina: nothing suspicious, i just need him to help us with explosion related stuff bye! *runs off with bakugou*

itsuka: ah............................wait WHAT?

Bakugo: *SCREAMING* "I WILL BLOW YOU UP AND ALL THE OTHER MORONS WHO--"

Poe: "SHHHH!"

-and so-

mina: i brought the expert!

jirou: *has kaminari in a choke hold* oh good.

Denki: OwO "I am so happy you're here, Baku--"

Bakugo: "...You're going to kill Pikachu here? Ashido, it's not my birthday."

jirou: i wasnt gonna hurt him THAT much..........yet.

Denki: T~T "I just wanted summer fireworks...and they said bringing them to the training camp would be stupid and reckless--"

Bakugo: "I AGREE."

jirou: thank you for being sensible, bakugou.

Denki: "Mina, help me out!"

mina: i think it does sound fun, but i gotta listen to smokey bear.

Bakugo: "I'LL SMOKE YOU!"

Mineta: "That doesn't make sense, dude. And Kaminari just wants to see fireworks--help a brother out!"

Bakugo: "FINE! SHOULD I ALSO HAVE SPARKLERS AND MAYBE A SHINY UNCLE SAM HAT WHILE I'M AT IT?!"

Denki: OwO "Could you?!"

mina: ?? hey mineta, i think someone carved boobs into the desk here.

Bakugo: *face going red with anger, sparks around his fists...*

Mineta: *gasps!* *looks under the desk* "WHERE?!"

mina: on top of the desk.

Mineta: *jumping* "I can't see! Curse my height!" *gets up on the chair* "Where, where, where?!"

mina: riiiight here- *SLAMS HIS FACE INTO THE DESK*

Mineta: "URK!" X___X

Denki: D8

Bakugo: "...Nice."

mina: welp, that's ONE problem solved!

jirou:.....god i love you.

mina: ^w^

Bakugo: "Okay, I assume you idiots set up a space for me to do my thing? Yaoyorozu, your house is big--you got a field or something?"

momo: i suppose we could use the tennis court.

Bakugo: "Fine. Just don't go inviting more than this idiot, Earjacks, Ashido--"

Hagakure: "And me!"

Bakugo: "... ... ...HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?!"

Hagakure: "When Mineta got a face full of desk."

Mineta: *bleeding* X____X

momo:...i'll get the shovel.

-elsewhere-

Free: "Okay, now just take it easy..." *standing in the shallow end of the community pool* "You can do it!"

milia: *doggy paddling*

Free: ^^ "Great work!"

Kanin: "Oh, hello, Mr. Free, Milia."

milia: hiyaa!

Free: "Yo! You two trying to beat the heat, too?"

Kanin: *nods* "It's unbearable..."

amelia: hello.

Free: "Hey, Amelia! You swim?"

amelia: a little bit.

Free: "Milia's learning how--and she's getting to be a natural!"

eruka: ^^

Kanin: "Neat! Maybe even work up to the high dive?" *points to the diving board*

-elsewhere-

*someone is walking through the forest...she's barefoot, with a small baby strapped to her back*

Medusa: "..."

neian: *asleep*

Medusa: *looks up ahead at a cottage* ("There...") *approaches*

-it appears empty-

Medusa: "..." *opens the door*

neian: mmm? *opens her eyes*

Medusa: *enters* "Shh..." *looks around* "...Sanctum..."

*a magical barrier forms around the cottage*

neian: maman?

Medusa: "Did you sense that?"

neian: uu!

Medusa: "Amazing..." *smiles* "Let's see what else you'll notice..."

neian: bubu!

Medusa: *sets Neian down...opens her knapsack to reveal magical items* "How about this one?" *holds up a small pyramid*

-elsewhere-

Black Star: *at the airport* *looking around* "..."

otogiri: i think that's them now.

Black Star: "Oh, cool!" *looks*

-the plane lands-

naho: we're hooooome~!

Kenji: *carrying Atsushi* "You can calm down now, we landed!" ^w^

atsushi: QwQ

Tanizaki: "Here's your bag, Maki."

maki: thanks. ^^

Kenji: *picks up Naomi's luggage* "Here you go!"

naomi: ah, it's good to be back!

Tanizaki: *nods* "Yeah...I'll call Kunikida to see about picking us up. Naho, you need a ride?"

naho: *spots otogiri and sakuya* SAKKUUUUUUN! *TACKLE HUG*

Sakuya: .\\\\\. "H-Hey?"

Tanizaki: ^^; "Guess that answers that one."

naho: >w<

Black Star: "Welcome back! How was the flight?!"

-elsewhere-

Shotaro: "Nea, can I ask you a question?"

nea: yes?

Shotaro: "Why do you like Shinoda?"

nea: ...you're much too young to know this answer.

Shotaro: "Man, that's what all adults say, and I'm really confused!"

nea: ask shinoda then!

Shotaro: "Fine! Hey, Shinoda!"

Shinoda: *walks in* "What?"

Shotaro: "Why do you like Nea?!"

Shinoda: "... ... ...Uuuuuuuuum, how much time do I have?"

-elsewhere-

Hyde: "--then they combine the music with the fireworks! So that's why I'm going to bring an M-80 to your next performance. Also, you'll need a helmet. And life insurance."

licht: .........

ochako: ._.;; hyde that sounds a bit dangerous.

Hyde: "Really? 'Cause I was going to go with 12 M-80's but thought I'd tested the one first. I already have Guil setting it up--"

*BOOM*

Hyde: "... ... ..."

julian: *SCREAMING*

ochako: .____.

romina: AW HELL, GET THE HOSE!!

Hyde: "... ...What a lovely morning! I think I'll go for a walk!" *opens the window, approaches to jump out--*

licht: get back here, coward.

Hyde: "NO! I'M NOT GOING TO PRISON FOR THIS!"

licht: prison will be the _least_ of your concerns.

Hyde: *falls on the floor, whining* "No! I don't wanna--"

-too violent to show-

Guil: *walks in, half the whale suit burnt off* "... ... ...I wanted you to save some of him for me."

-elsewhere-

Axel: "--and I want us to get to be bad-butts out of this training camp so we can be the best weapons for you possible!"

zeke: yeah!

hibiki: thanks you guys.

Axel: *smiles* "Now we just have to figure out what kind of training this'll be. Did your grandmother go through something like this?"

hibiki: she probably did.

Axel: "Maybe it'll be dueling with each other? ...Ah, man--I don't want to deal with Duncan and his yo-yo form."

-elsewhere-

Dazai: "Hey, I see them coming!"

Lucy: "?!!! HE'S HANGING FROM A NOOSE AGAIN!" *pulls Dazai back inside*

Dazai: "D'aw!!!"

naomi: *waves*

Kyoka: "Welcome back. How was your flight?"

atsushi: exhausting.

Lucy: "Aw..." *pets his head* "Maybe you should take a break--"

Kunikida: *shoves papers into Atsushi's hands* "You got work."

Lucy: -_-;

atsushi:.... QwQ

Tanizaki: ^^; "Kunikida, we did just come back from making a big breakthrough on a murder investigation--"

Kunikida: "I know--so file this, too." *drops a stack of papers into Tanizaki and Naomi's hands*

Kenji: *sneaks into the room...dragging a heavy bag behind him...something in it looks sharp and angular--*

yosano: kenji, can we talk to you a moment?

Kenji: "I SWEAR, IT WAS A GIFT! ...I mean, yes?"

yosano: ??

Kenji: *sighs* "The actors had this made for Naomi--I was keeping it a surprise..." *holds up a giant Walk of Fame star with her name on it*

naomi: ......*teary eyes of happiness*

Tanizaki: "Ah, that was really nice of them!"

Kenji: ^w^ *hands it to Naomi--and it's heavy as a weight*

naomi: ^w^;;; t-thank you...kenji...

Kenji: "You're welcome! Where you going to put it? Maybe hang it on the wall?"

naomi: s-sounds good.

yosano: right, now kenji, could you help us out with the rooftop garden?

Kenji: "Oh, sure! You keep the tomatoes watered?"

-elsewhere-

David: *sits up in his hospital bed* "Melissa..."

nurse: good morning, mr shield.

David: "...Hello. Ow, my arm..."

nurse: easy now.

David: "...Police still outside?"

nurse: ...yes.

David: "I suppose that's to be expected. Just a matter of time before I'm transferred to a prison cell."

nurse:....

David: "...I'll keep it down." *lies back down*

-elsewhere-

Foien: "??? You okay?"

dia: ??

Foien: "You were looking off to the distance--the drills ended 5 minutes ago."

dia: was i?

Foien: "Yep...Maybe you need a break? Vacation?"

dia: i was thinking......with father's day around the corner....i was thinking of....something to give the commander. 7///7;

Foien: "Oh, that'd be good! But he is kinda hard to shop for...You getting him meat?"

dia: im being serious about this. he's....done so much for me already...i wanted to thank him somehow.

Foien: *nods* "I get that--he does look out for you. Well, how do you think you'll thank him?"

dia: i want to get him something nice...

Foien: "Hmm...Want to take a walk, look around?"

dia: that may help.

-elsewhere-

-rain begins to fall-

stocking: >~< *rushes to the cram school*

Rin: "Yo! Cuz!" *waves under the cafe umbrella*

stocking: mind if i take some shelter here for a bit? ^^;

godaiin: im sure it's fine. we're just waiting on bon to get here for lunch.

stocking: thanks. *sigh* should have brought an umbrella with me.

Rin: *looks around* "Speak of the--...Well, looks like you weren't the only one without an umbrella*

Bon: *soaked*

stocking: oh! you alright there, suguro?

Bon: *shakes water off his head* "Great--just got caught in this freak storm."

godaiin: hey bon, we got your lunch for you.

Bon: "Huh? Oh, wow--thanks...Happy to have something not unhealthy or served with fries..."

stocking: overworked by lewin?

Bon: "You could say that..."

konekomaru: speaking of work, amaimon's been-

stocking: what did he do this time?

Rin: -_______-#

stocking:...that look isnt exactly reassuring.

Rin: "He sat on the desk, ate spicy candy, and burped up fire before explaining why we women-inclined folk should all desire strong women who can kick our asses."

Shima: "...I mean..."

stocking: i...see....

godaiin: wait, i thought his name was ambrosius?

stocking:......the hell kind of name is that?

Bon: "German...-ish....Wait..."

izumo: what are you talking about?

Rin: "Oh, hey, Izumo!"

shiemi: sorry we're late. ^^;

stocking: oh hey guys.

Shima: "We were talking about Amai--Ambrosius's fascinating ideas about men and women."

izumo: ....want me to punch him?

shiemi: why dont i handle him? i've learned a bit about keeping him in line.

Rin: "...That's scary, Shiemi--but in a goody way."

stocking: ^^;.... !!! yukio! what happened to your arm?!

Yukio: "Oh, a mission went sideways." ^^; "Still recovering after that trip with Shura, too."

stocking: right...so much has been happening it's been hard to keep track of everything.

Rin: *looks to the side* "Yeah..."

Yukio: "Rin...Do you have a moment? About...Mr. Misumi's wake?"

Rin: "..." *nods*

stocking:.....

Bon: "... ... ..."

-text on bon's phone-

Bon: "..." *picks up his phone* "..."

-it's from lewin-

Bon: "?!!! Um, I got to go! I'll pay you for food later!"

godaiin: wait we-....already...paid for it...

stocking:.....

-elsewhere-

Mephisto: =w= *reclines in the bubble bath*

???: MR LIGHT YOU CANT JUST BARGE IN THERE!

Mephisto: "??? What the me?"

-SLAM-

lewin: yo!

Mephisto: "...EEK!" *covers his chest*

lewin: sorry to interrupt the 'me' time, but i gots some questions for ya, is that cool?

Mephisto: "BELIAL?! WHY IS THIS THING IN MY HOME?! GET HIM OUT OF HERE--"

lewin: *shoves a phone with a picture in his face* this seal was on the neck of a man killed a while back from a contract of morinath, HOWEVER! said contract isnt in the record of seals, why is that?

Mephisto: *muffled* "HELP! HELP! I'M BEING ASSAULTED!"

lewin: just answer the question; what is sector 13, exactly? you arent experimenting with elixers, are you?

Mephisto: "..." *looks away* "And why would you think of little old me?"

lewin: you are the king of time, which puts you quite close to the shinigami race, including old death himself, and by extension, the two stripers, including one who killed this man.

Mephisto: "Hmph!" *slaps away Lewin's hand* "Such outrageous accusations..." *blows bubbles from a toy pipe*

Bon: *stares*

Mephisto: "...Fine. I don't want any more trouble. I'll tell you the location you seek..."

lewin: that wasnt so hard, now was it?

Mephisto: "You'll want to go when it's dark...Just put the key into the hand."

lewin: right. *ears perk up* i think your wife's coming now. so we better skedaddle before she serves our asses on a silver platter, haha!

Bon: "..." *follows*

Mephisto: -^- "Such ruffians....No fun at all!"

felisia: are you alright? i heard you yelling!

Mephisto: ^^; "Quite fine, dear~ Just got a little too into my bath..." *picks up a rubber ducky* "Quite a rude chap, this one!"

felisia: *looking at his markings*........

Mephisto: "..." *looks down at the floor*

felisia:....*hugs him* please, dont overwork yourself so much....

Mephisto: "I won't. I promise."

-elsewhere-

Tezca: *humming* "New mission, new mission, new mission-onie!"

enrique: ^o^

Tezca: "And you and I need to look the part! I suggest shades and the most expensive flip flops."

enrique: *thumbs up*

Tezca: "Then just around this corner, let's head out--" *turns the corner--and trips over someone* "UMPH!"

esther: oh, pardon me.

Tezca: "Oh--hey, Esther! What you up to?"

esther: just doing some paperwork is all~

Tezca: "Ah--you got back from a big mission with Kirara?"

esther: ah yes, it was quite exciting.

Tezca: "Neat! You two will have to tell us--we're getting ready for a tropical mission!"

-elsewhere-

Axel: "Okay--donut run, or ice cream run?"

hibiki: maybe a salad for something different?

Axel: "Huh--sure! Maybe add some cheese to it..."

zeke: or croutons! can never go wrong with croutons!

Axel: "Bro--a salad...of croutons and bacon."

hibiki: *sigh* it's a start i guess....

-elsewhere-

yosano: so yeah, the tomatoes are-oh!

frances: *putting flowers around the garden*

Kenji: "Hi, Miss Frances!"

frances: hmm? oh hello dearies~ ^^

yosano: i wasnt expecting anyone else up here.

frances: oh, is the garden private?

Kenji: *looks at one plant* "Ooooooo! This one looks healthy? Is this one yours?"

frances: why yes, i thought the plants could use some flower friends to help them grow. ^^

Kenji: "Good thinking! Hello, Little Petunia!"

yosano: ^^; (well, kenji seems to be fine with it...)

Kenji: "It's great to have so much green life up here! It feels like a bit of home." ^w^

frances: you're from a farming village, right?

Kenji: *nods* "Ihatov!"

frances: how lovely~ ^^

Kenji: "Have you had greenhouses, ma'am?"

frances: oh why yes indeed. i have one in my home, both here and back in england.

Kenji: "Neato! I bet they are real happy, if they are like this one!"

frances: why thank you. ^^

Kenji: ^w^ "We just got back from Los Angeles--but I didn't get to see the orange groves."

-elsewhere-

Kimizuki: -_-; *has bandages on his arm* "Stupid cactus..."

hyakuya: *stomach growling*

Kimizuki: "...I better cook you something."

hyakuya: =3= i can cook too, you know.

Kimizuki: "??? Without burning it?"

hyakuya: >3< i used to cook for my family all the time back then.....

Kimizuki: "Oh? What's your signature dish?"

hyakuya: im pretty good at making curry. *proud face*

Kimizuki: "Oh yeah? Prove it."

hyakuya: i will!

shinoa: ^^

Yoichi: "Sweet! We're having curry!"

mitsuba: good to see she's in high spirits again.

Guren: "Yes--just needed a change."

mitsuba: how long before we're back on the field?

Guren: "When the next mission is approved."

-elsewhere-

Belkia: T~T "I'm so happy you're home! Do you feel okay?"

naho: im fine, belbel. ^^

Black Star: "Maybe take a nap--that was some powerful adventure you had!"

naho: yeah, i'll go do that now.

Sakuya: *small smile...pats Lilac's shoulder*

lilac: w-welcome back, naho. we missed you a lot.

naho: thanks guys. *hugs*

-she seems to be shaking slightly-

Sakuya: "...Hey, Naho, can I talk with you before you sleep in?"

naho: oh, sure, what's up?

Sakuya: "You feeling alright?"

naho:...why dont we talk in my room a bit?

Sakuya: *nods, follows*

naho: *enters her room*......

Sakuya: "Naho?"

naho:...*hugs him*

Sakuya: "..." *hug, strokes her head*

-she tells him about what happened-

Sakuya: "I'm so sorry...That's awful to go through that."

naho: it was so scary...it was like i wasnt in control....*trembling*

Sakuya: "Hey...You're okay...You're home, and we can figure this out."

naho: *sniffle* i...wanted to tell you privately...s-so the others dont worry.

Sakuya: *nods* "I get that...I think you should later, as they know more than me...But for now, yeah..."

naho:.....

Sakuya: *strokes her head* "You're a good person, Naho...You're so many things..."

naho: ....sakkun...could you sleep here with me tonight?

Sakuya: *nods* "Sure."

-elsewhere-

Eijiro: "Hey, Yaomomo! I brought the hot dogs, burgers, and veggie patties! Where's the grill?"

Bakugo: "WHO THE HELL INVITED YOU?!"

momo: the grill is on the patio.

Eijiro: "WOOT! Thanks!" *humming* "Fireworks, FIRE-WORKS!"

Bakugo: *stares at Momo* ಠ_ಠ

-elsewhere-

himiko: *spinning in a spinny chair* iiiiiim sooooo booooooooreeeeed.

fang: *baby babble*

Kurogiri: "Perhaps you would like to help with some tasks?"

himiko: can i bring the baby?

Kurogiri: "It should be fine to do so--just a quick errand before our 'guest' wakes up."

himiko: OK!

Kurogiri: *hands her an address* "Try to blend in."

himiko: *salutes* come on baby~ you and mommy are gonna do stuff~<3

fang: gaba!

Kurogiri: *nods* "Glad someone is being productive..." *looks around*

banshee: see? like this, clockwise to unscrew it, counter-clockwise to screw it in.

Spinner: "Huh. Kind of like spinning it around..."

Dabi: "Fascinating...I'll remember that when I can't see because it's dark inside."

banshee: ^^;

Kurogiri: "I'm still tidying up after the last mishap--I'd like to keep things organized before--"

*SMASH*

Muscular: *broke a door handle* "Oops."

kinuta: oh dear. *covered in a bedsheet*

Spinner: .\\\.;

Dabi: -_-;

Kurogiri: *sigh* "Banshee, how are you at door repairs?"

banshee: ._.;;

Muscular: "Hey, it's not my fault some things around here are made of weak stuff."

twice: waaait a minute. did you two like...y'know?

Muscular: "Did we what, shrimp?"

kinuta: 7w7

twice: did ya play twister in bed?

banshee: *almost chokes* O-O

Muscular: "...Yes. Want me to help you reach left hand red? I can do that by ripping off your arm--"

Kurogiri: "Please, there are children present."

twice: so you did f*ck her then.

banshee: TWICE!

twice: myeeeess?

Muscular: "Twice? No, at least five times."

Spinner: .\\\\\\\.

twice: she meant my name is twic-... OOOOOHHH DAMN! that explains the loud screaming and creaking.

tomura:.............................................................................you people are fucking disgusting.

Kurogiri: "Oh, for Pete's sake, could we have some tact here?! We have broken light bulbs--"

Spinner: "I said I was sorry."

Kurogiri: "--broken doors and now beds--"

Muscular: *grunts*

Kurogiri: "--AND NOW I NEED TO SOUNDPROOF THE ROOMS!"

kinuta: ^^~

twice: wait a sec- shouldnt that mute chick and her teddy be back by now?

Spinner: "...You don't read the news, do you?"

twice: oh yeah.....i forgot.

Kurogiri: "There is nothing to be done about it--we move forward. However, there are some people to look into..."

banshee: oh?

Kurogiri: "Since USJ, more villains rising...including some other groups. Keep an eye out for them..." *hands over a folder*

banshee: *examines it*

*the file shows a small person in a mask, some man in Roman armor, a cheerleader, and someone looking like a Venus flytrap*

-elsewhere-

Sagittarius: *clop clop clop* "Hmm...I have lost track of the prey..." *holds up his bow...with a plunger arrow on it* "Where did those two go..."

gem + ini: *giggling*

Sagittarius: *small smirk* "Could they be...there?" *fires a plunger arrow at the wall--*

capricorn: ??

Sagittarius: "Oh. Sorry. I was not attempting to shoot at you, just the children."

capricorn:...*holds the core closer* get your own apple, dude.

Sagittarius: "I have no interest in your apple. ...And I'm still sorry for the William Tell incident."

capricorn: *huff* yeah whatev. *walks off*

Sagittarius: "..." *looks around for the sound of giggles*

Scorpio: *growls* "How freaking annoying!"

cancer: no need to get all pissy about it.

Scorpio: "I'M NOT PISSY--I'M PISSED!"

cancer: tch- whatever.

Aries: *staring at a tablet* "..." *turns it left* "...Yeah, I don't get it. I'm tired of looking over security footage--can this thing stream that cop show?"

Scorpio: >_<# *angry scorpion chittering noises*

libra: *sigh* let me see it.

Aries: "Thanks, L." *drops it into her hand*

libra: *looks*

Aries: "..." *leans over, looking over her shoulder* "Show me how to do it. Is it that?" *he's close*

libra: .////.; i-it's a touch screen, sir.

Aries: "..." *smiles* "So I do this?" *his finger passes her face, tapping the screen--and the tablet makes a loud beeping noise* "?!"

libra: !!

*SWISH* *CRACK* *an arrow strikes through her tablet in her hands*

Sagittarius: "...Sorry."

libra:................

Aries: ^^;;;;; "Now, L, I know you're upset, but now is no time to get all angry and sword-y--"

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *staring at a nearly empty glass* "...Top me off."

bartender: k...been busy, chuuya?

Chuuya: *slightly slurred* "Super busy."

bartender:....

Chuuya: "Just...stupid mechs, stupid Abernathy, stupid sheep...What a mess. All some lunatic..."

bartender: *cleaning glasses* you wanna talk about it?

Chuuya: "..." *sips* "...Why do Dokeshi get shat on? I don't see ability users getting it nearly half as bad."

bartender: not sure what to say about here, but other places arent as kind as here. goes for quirk humans too.

Chuuya: "Hmm. Pyrokinetics, too. People fear power...Maybe they're right to. But people aren't..." *looks at the mirror, seeing something staring back at him* "...just power."

bartender: understandable. my uncle's actually a dokeshi. he and his wife had to move to alaska to get away from the harassment.

Chuuya: "...Is it working for them?"

bartender: they seem pretty happy for the most part.

Chuuya: "Guess that's better...Don't like the idea of just running away from things..."

bartender: *nods*

Chuuya: *long sip* "Jeez...I'm going to feel this in the morning. Fucking hell...It's all just a mess, and, what, some crazy mind controller just had to make it worse?!"

bartender:...

Chuuya: *groans, holds his head* "...Rain."

bartender:....*hands him a glass of water*

Chuuya: "..." *sips* "..." *sniffle*

bartender:.....why dont i call you an uber?

Chuuya: *groans* "Ya."

bartender: maybe get to bed when you get home.

Chuuya: *grunts*

-elsewhere-

*someone in a cloak stands at the outskirts of Death City...the setting sun is behind him*

Luke: "..."

-elsewhere-

itsuka: wow, your house is really fancy, momo.

momo: i get that a lot. ^^;

*fast running is heard*

Iida: "MOMO! I apologize for being late!"

momo: oh, it's alright. you're right on time. ^^

Iida: "Oh, good!" *holds up a bag* "I brought a dessert! Cupcakes!"

mina: WOOT!

Tetsutetsu: "PUT IT OVER BY THE GRILL! KIRISHIMA, TOSS ME A BURGER!"

kirishima: you got it!

itsuka: oh, hey tetsutetsu!

jirou: seems we got more people than we were expecting.

Bakugo: *standing far away, meditating...inhaling and exhaling*

ochako: guess he's getting ready for the show later.

Todoroki: "Hmm." *noms on a burger*

Denki: "--so then we can put on the Star Wars theme and see if he can time the fireworks to Williams's score--"

sero: sick, my dude.

Denki: "Right?!

Iida: "I'm surprised Bakugo agreed--he usually doesn't seem to enjoy these social activities."

ochako: aww, he can be a team player after all. ^^

Todoroki: "Hmm. I guess he's cooled down."

Iida: "... ... ..."

ochako:......wait, was that a pun?

Todoroki: "??? Was it? ...Huh. I hadn't intended for it to be."

ochako: it's alright, if it was, it totally went over my head, haha!

Todoroki: "..." ^^;

mina: 7w7

jirou: ??? mina?

mina: i think im seeing sparks, and not from fireworks~

jirou: =///= b-babe! they're gonna hear you!

Bakugo: *eyes snap open* O^O "..." *SHARP INHALE* "Let's do this!!!"

kirishima: WOOOOT!!

Denki: *presses play on the stereo*

jirou:...are you seriously playing katy perry's 'firework?'

Denki: "It seemed appropriate, and--"

Bakugo: *blasting louder and louder attacks* "RA RA RA RA RA!"

Denki: "I knew it would fire up his irritation."

jirou:......

mina: well played.

Denki: ^^

Iida: "Ooooo! Aaaaah! Incredible use of shapes and colors!"

itsuka: woah! look at that one!

Tetsutetsu: "How does he do that?! Has he been practicing his quirk for aesthetic stuff?!"

kirishima: *shrug*

Bakugo: "..."

{Bakugo: *looks around* "..." *pulls out an art book* "Okay, so if I do it this way, I can make a bunny..."}

sero: hey! that one looks just like all-might!

Bakugo: -~-###

Denki: "...Heh. And he calls Midoriya a nerd?"

itsuka: ^^

*a spark falls onto Denki's head, igniting his hair*

Denki: .w.;;;;;

tsuyu: *tosses him to the pool*

Denki: *BLUB!* <Translation: "Thank you!">

Iida: "Oh, I didn't know this was a pool party, too."

Bakugo: *continues the display...*

sero: ^^ *spots something* ??

Monoma: *in the bushes* O^O

sero: hey monoma.

Monoma: "?!!! YOU SAW NOTHING!"

itsuka: *siiiiiiigh* monoma, are you going to behave yourself?

Monoma: "Don't I always~?" ^^

itsuka: *intense stare*

Bakugo: *LOUD EXPLOSION*

Monoma: Q^Q;

-elsewhere-

lewin: not far now....say, ever heard of the alhambra palace in spain?

Bon: "Not really, sir."

lewin: it's said the moorish king that built the palace contracted with a demon to hide a treasure. when the contract ends, a hand engraved in the gate of judgement will sieze the key. in that moment, the palace will crumble and the treasure is revealed. *holds his hand up*

Bon: *looks up* "So, that hand-shaped mark up in the keystone?"

lewin: *looks around*

Bon: "What was Sir Pheles saying when he mentioned the hand seizing the key?"

lewin: hmm. *pokes at a floor panel*

*CRIK CRIK CRIK...*

Bon: "?!"

lewin: found it!

Bon: "What the heck is it?"

lewin: turn off the flashlight, first.

Bon: *does so* "..."

lewin: *shines his light on a mirror that popped up from the panel*

Bon: *looks up at the keystone* "?!"

-elsewhere-

kyouko: *puts on her raincoat*

Rin: "Hey, where you going?"

kyouko: !! oh, im just gonna run a quick errand, i'll be back before you know it.

Rin: " 'Kay. But it's getting late--use your phone's flashlight."

kyouko: ok. if im not back by midnight, make sure momo's put to bed, ok?

Rin: *nods* "Of course."

kyouko: thanks rin. you're really dependable, you know?

Rin: "Um, thanks? That's really nice of you..."

kyouko: see you in a few. *heads out* (right. they're my family...i know it's selfish, but i want to understand what's going on with them. and if this is the only way, so be it...) .... (crazy clown guy, here i come.)

-elsewhere-

lewin: boooon... boooooooon...wake uuuup~

Bon: "Hmmm? What?"

lewin: oh good, you're alive!

Bon: *groans* "What happened?"

lewin: seems we got teleported by that beam. and look where we are!

Bon: "Wh-What?!" *looks*

lewin: any guesses?

Bon: "...This is a cram school?"

lewin: yes. the cram school's predecessor, the exorcist training school, 'asylum'!

-elsewhere-

kyouko: *ringing the doorbell to pheles manor*

Maid: "Yes?"

kyouko: hey, is mr pheles home? fujimoto sent me.

Maid: "I'm afraid he is in for the night, but if it's from Fujimoto, he likely would want to hear. Come in. May I get you something? Tea?"

kyouko: I’ll have some lemonade if you have any.

Maid: "Coming right up." *exits*

*it's quiet*

kyouko:..... *looking around*

*look to be photos, aged sepia...Mephisto seems to be in some of them*

kyouko: *examines a few pictures*

*seems to be Lord Death, Fujimoto...another with...Abraham Lincoln?*

kyouko: ?? (what the....) *notices another picture, a small painting*

*it looks to be two people with Mephisto, as they stand among test tubes and beakers*

kyouko: .....

Mephisto: "Well, this is an evening surprise~"

kyouko: !!! *stumbles* jeez! dont sneak UP on me like that!

Mephisto: "This is my house..."

kyouko:...where's your office?

Mephisto: "Upstairs. You wish to speak privately?"

kyouko: im here to talk business. and in this regard, you're really the only one im able to turn to. *mutter* much to my dismay.

Mephisto: "Very well." *removes a key, opening a closet* "Shortcut."

kyouko: *enters and sits down*

Mephisto: *pulls out his chair, sits across the desk from her* "Now, then, what's going on?"

kyouko: alright, im going to get right to the point. *inhales* i want to enroll at true cross and the cram school.

Mephisto: "...Fufufu!"

kyouko: im being serious about this!

Mephisto: "Runs in the family, does it not--barging up to me, demanding entry into _my_ school..."

kyouko: *bites her lip, gripping her fist* im doing this for my family.

Mephisto: "...Make them proud?"

kyouko: rin and yukio....and uncle shiro....i worry about them. even if we arent blood relatives, they're still my family. and i want to look after them. i know, it's selfish of me, but what else can i do for them, huh? i just...i dont want to be out of the loop anymore.

Mephisto: "Hmm..." *pulls out an application form*

kyouko: *looks*

Mephisto: "Fill this out, then you'll have to pass the entrance test."

kyouko: alright... (heh...not wanting to be out of the loop, yet i dont tell them anything so i dont worry them....im a real damn hypocrite, huh....)

Mephisto: "And you'll need your study materials--" *drops a dozen books on his desk* "Payment up front."

kyouko: ...

-elsewhere-

lewin: you know why this place is so important? go on, guess. ^^

Bon: "It looks like a school--some old True Cross buildings?"

lewin: yes. but more importantly, it's the ground zero of the blue night.

Bon: "?! Wait--it happened under True Cross?"

lewin: according to official reports, satan assumed human form and had a child with an exorcist named yuri egin.

Bon: "?! A child? You don't mean..."

lewin: that's right, rin and yukio......strange, did mephisto place this school in a barrier? either way, we shouldnt waste time! let's go! vamanos!

Bon: "STOP RIGHT THERE!"

lewin: ??

Bon: "You have been playing the fool too long...We saw someone close to the Okumuras die...You aren't even affected by that. Are we responsible for his death? Am I?"

lewin: yeah, that does kinda suck doesnt it.

Bon: "You can't even _pretend_ to give a shit?!"

lewin: im not exactly an 'empathetic person'. i was just born different is all. as a kid, i was violent and loved demon research, and people didnt exactly want to be my friend, but i wasnt bothered bit it at all. you can imagine how hard it was for my parents, haha!

Bon: "Then why did you care enough to bring me?"

lewin: it's true i love demons, but i love humans and this world even more, so im willing to protect it, no matter what. the reason you're my apprentice is because you seem like a good person with common sense, i get antsy when i cant rely on someone for advice. i'll probably abandon you if it means achieving my own ends, so if you want to turn back now, now's your chance.

Bon: "..." *sighs* "I've come this far. If you need someone with common sense to put the brakes on anything stupid you're about to do...then I'm your guy."

lewin:....you're really masochistic arent you. welp, im not complaining! let's go!

Bon: >_<# "Tch! I'm not a freaking masoch--" *staaaaaaaares* "... ... ..."

*tap tap tap tap*

lewin: ....is that a spider riding a hand? *looks* we-he-hell! look who else is down here!

Hand: *tap tap tap over to ???*

???: "Lewin Light and Ryuji Suguro...What brings you here?"

Hand: *nuzzles*

-a hooded woman leans down and takes the spider-

???: kataro, what did i tell you about wandering off?

lewin: mr and mrs neuhaus! what a surprise! ma'am you're looking really good for a walking corpse full of jorogumo!

michelle:......

Bon: "..." *slaps the back of Lewin's head* "BRAKES!"

lewin: i mean that in the nicest way possible. ^^

Neuhaus: "Hmph." *walks by him towards a wall*

lewin: heard you and the mrs moved someplace, but i didnt think it was down here. also loving the facial hair, it's a good look for ya!

Neuhaus: "..." *examining the wall*

lewin: so what's new with you guys?

michelle:....why are you here?

Bon: "..."

lewin: weeell we're investigating the illuminati and found ourselves down here.

michelle: ........*she seems tense*

Neuhaus: *his hand along the wall forms into a fist, pressing against it* "..."

lewin: we also learned some interesting things about section 13 and elixers. and the guy we learned it from up and died! how funny is that? seeing as you also placed your blood seal on a contract of morinath, right, mr neuhaus?

Neuhaus: "...Section 13 is up ahead."

lewin:....huh, still alive. welp! we better get a move on!

Bon: "..." *follows Lewin*

Neuhaus: "...'Alive.'"

michelle:....heh....the irony....isnt lost on me.....

lewin: jeez, look at this place. you can still see the scorch marks....

Bon: "Sir, how is this still preserved? Did Neuhaus do this?"

lewin: most likely this time axis was put in a barrier to perserve it, in the real world, in it's place is the cram school. this barrier world most likely contains it after the blue night. in other words, it's mephisto's doing.

Bon: "...Multiple timelines. Great. I was hoping to have a headache tonight..."

lewin: oh boy, you dont know nothin' yet. but i digress.

Bon: *looks in one room--and spots--* "?!"

*there's a doll and a broken baby crib*

lewin: this place took in orphans with taint wounds and blood relatives of demons, and raised those with potential to be exorcist, but that was just the surface....

Bon: "You think they were covering up for something? Why take in orphans?"

lewin: well, we're here.

Bon: *looks* "?!"

lewin: careful it's wet. *enters*

Bon: "Yuck...Rain runoff?" *sniffs* "Woo! No..."

lewin: *shining his light into rooms*

-one room has medical tables-

Bon: "Sir, what was Mephisto _doing_ here? Why orphans? Did he...kill them?"

lewin: *looking at a bookshelf*

*it seems to be research notes for--*

lewin: !!! bon, look at this.

Bon: *reads* " '--drug for resuscitating--' So, is this the Elixir?"

lewin: bingo. *looking through more files*

Bon: "..." *reads one* "....Wait...!!!"

lewin: *looking at one file* ......!!!! (this is....)

Bon: " 'Donors possessed by demons high in regeneration'? What the hell..."

lewin: *looks into a room*...ryuuji...you might want to see this...

Bon: *follows* "Oh no..."

-inside is a lab with incubators-

lewin: this place......was creating copies of demon kings

-elsewhere-

momo: sorry the fireworks were rained out, guys.

itsuka: it's fine.

Bakugo: *rubbing a towel through his hair* *grumbles*

mina: well, we can still make tonight totally awesome. let's play hide-and-seek!

Hagakure: "Yeah, Yaomomo's place has to have a lot of hiding spots!"

momo: well, try not to get lost or break into any locked rooms.

Monoma: "I can hide b

etter than anyone--to the point where no one will be able to find me."

kaminari:...that dude needs to get a hobby.

Bakugo: "He needs to be lost and not found."

Tetsutetsu: "He's not that bad, once you get to know him."

-elsewhere-

shiemi: *looks out the window* (it's really coming down......gotta study.) *writing*

Shiemi's Mother: *sets down tea* "Shiemi, did you bring in the saplings?"

shiemi: ah! yes mom!

Mother: "Thank you...How is...studying?"

shiemi: it's coming along. it's a bit hard, but im learning.

Mother: "...You intend to pursue this exam?"

shiemi: *nods* i've learned so many things now. and i want to be able to protect those i care about, so...

Mother: *nods* "Shiemi...You're different."

shiemi: i guess i am different now, huh?

Mother: "...Against all of my concerns, you have indeed gotten stronger."

shiemi: ....*nods*

Mother: "But I do want to talk with you first...and if you still want to pursue the exorcist exam, I won't stop you."

shiemi: of course mom, what is it?

-elsewhere-

lewin: bon, give me some light over here. *examining a folder*

Bon: *shines a light* "...Cloning demon kings...The hell..."

lewin: look at this one!

-holds up a file that reads 'ambrosius'-

Bon: "?!!! Amaimon?!"

-CRASH-

lewin: !!!

clone?: BWAPAA!

Bon: "?! Did someone release them?!"

lewin: we might wanna run!

Bon: "Decent plan!" *heads to the exit--*

-PWOOF-

???: "Darn. And they were sleeping so soundly."

lewin: mephisto? is that you?

Mephisto: "I had set off that time axis, but it looks like years have passed there too. Time is a weird thing, isn't it?"

lewin: well, im no expert in wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff, that's your thing.                        

Bon: "Ow...The hell is going on, Pheles? You just pulled us out--"

Mephisto: "Saved you is more like it." *sniff* "Ugh--you smell like death. Dead things, not Lord Death."

lewin: though im not sure how a reaper smells.

Mephisto: "Actually? Kind of like jasmine. Belial, show them the fancy body wash soap."

lewin:.....*makes a break for it*

-grab-

lewin: OwO;;;

Bon: "?!!"

felisia: ^^# where do you think you're going dear~?

lewin:....*gulp* *squeaks* mother.

Mephisto: *sips his milk*

Bon: -_____-; "The hell is even going on?"

-too horrifying to show-

Bon: O_o;

Mephisto: *finishes his drink* "Ah~"

lewin: *all fancied up* mrs pheles, how could you?

felisia: welp, revenge has been had, so im quite satisfied~ ^^

lewin:....it's official, angels are fuckin scary.

Mephisto: "Indeed. Now, since you've given us some amusement, how about I answer some of your annoying questions."

lewin: alright, why did you show us that place?

Mephisto: "To offer my own defense. Neither the Order nor I are working with the Illuminati. I assure you, we oppose them and Lucifer."

lewin: but how do the clone babies come into play here? that was fucked up.

Mephisto: "Well, you can blame lacking human imagination for that one."

lewin: ....

Mephisto: "Demons were conceptual beings. As human civilization developed, so too did their imaginations--giving demons more concrete forms. Demons even gained flesh and blood...You may not appreciate it, but as soon as demons for senses...Well, they indulged in carnal pleasures."

felisia: 7////7 *ahem*

Mephisto: "...I meant the wide range of pleasures--consumption, imbibing. In any case, flesh can't last forever. While magic can delay the rate of decay, such decay is faster for higher-ranking demons. Their egos will persist, but not their bodies."

lewin: so you're basically making back up bodies, then.

Mephisto: *shrugs* "It's a hobby. And it worked--for a bit, until the eldest baal, Lucifer, got super-pissed that his bodies were lasting only about a decade each."

lewin:....

{Mephisto: "I sympathize, my siblings--but it's not like you can extend your bodies so long--"}

{Lucifer: "Not unless we can manipulate time itself, as you can..."}

{Mephisto: ^^; "A little bit of hostility?"}

{Lucifer: *wheeze* "I'm not the only one, now am I?" *stares at Amaimon*}

{amaimon: *bandaged*.......}

{???: still, eradicating humans is a bit extreme, dont you think?}

{Mephisto: *nods* "While your body will ultimately fail, your spirit will persist. Isn't that enough?"}

{Lucifer: "..." *shakes his head* "I would rather kill myself--and take this Earth with me."}

Bon: "What the hell?! This kind of thing happened before the Blue Night?!"

Mephisto: "Let me put it this way--you know what happened to the dinosaurs? It was kinda like that--only narrowly averted."

lewin: ....

{Lucifer: "Demons will revert to mere concepts. That is ultimate equality. Why not bestow that gift to humans and the other physically embodied?"}

{???: i understand where you're coming from, but forcing it onto humans seems rather unfair to them.}

{???: "Oh, come off it! Humans have destroyed their world, plunging it into chaos--we'd be doing them a favor."}

{Mephisto: "..." *smirks*}

{???: and what do you find so funny, samael?}

{Mephisto: "Oh, nothing much--just this weird thing the humans developed. Any of you ever hear of biological cloning?"}

lewin: then what happened?

Mephisto: "So I set up shop in what you know as Asylum or Section 13. It's weird--sci fi lets you think clones are exact duplicates. On the genetic level, maybe? But environmental conditions of course will alter the look...and there is always the chance of mutations. And...well, those biological differences had an influence on the demons' spirits possessing the clones."

felisia:......

lewin: or in other cases, said clone develops its own soul.

Mephisto: *nods* "There needed to be a way to silence those souls...And to top it off, Lucifer's situation was so dire that a mere human body couldn't contain his spirit. That's why the elixirs were administered to strengthen those bodies, make them superstrong with the ultimate goal of making the flesh immortal."

lewin: let me guess, things went horribly wrong.

Mephisto: "Hey, come on--it worked fine for Amaimon's vessel--"

Amaimon: *hangs upside down* "Brother, we're out of whipped cream."

felisia:......how long has he been there?

Amaimon: "I came in during the horrific part. That was badass, ma'am."

Mephisto: *clears his throat* "Back to my story...We had been creating better and stronger bodies over the next few months. We thought we had our best one ready for Lucifer...But before Lucifer could enter it...something else did."

Mephisto: "We realized what inhabited this body...was Gehenna itself, the realm that birthed the baal. A demon of such a gargantuan scale could only be..."

Bon: "Satan..."

Mephisto: *nods* "Rin and Yukio's father. Once Satan acquired an ego...that was when the Blue Night happened."

Bon: "..."

-elsewhere-

kyouko: im home.......

Rin: *passed out on the couch* "Zzz..."

kyouko:......*puts the coat over him*......*heading to her room*

{kyouko: *weeping under her blanket*}

{Rin: "??? Kyouko? Hey, you there?"}

{kyouko: ....yeah...}

{Rin: "Okay..." *sits by her* "...I couldn't sleep. Would you like to talk?"}

{kyouko:....mom....dad.....*whimpers* t-they're...t-they're...*sniffle*}

{Rin: "...I'm sorry."}

{kyouko:....d-did uncle shiro...tell you anything? about what happened to them?}

{Rin: *shakes his head*}

{kyouko:....dad...something...took him over and....h-he killed mom.....i.....i had...i-i had to...*cries*}

{Rin: "..." *pats her back, hugging her*}

kyouko:......(they've always been there for me....at the very least, i want to pay them back...somehow...)

Fujimoto: "Hey, kiddo."

kyouko: !!! uncle shiro! jeez, you scared me...

Fujimoto: "I could say the same..." *grunts as he seats himself* "Where'd you run off to?"

kyouko: ...just running a quick errand is all...

Fujimoto: *nods* "To see Mephisto."

kyouko: !!! w-what makes you say that?

Fujimoto: "He called."

kyouko: *mutter* damn him, never knows when to shut up.....

Fujimoto: "What's this about selling your soul to get into True Cross?"

kyouko: i didnt do it _literally_!

Fujimoto: *sighs* "He always did exaggerate...Why you want to do this?"

kyouko:...can we talk about this in the morning? i had a long day and im really tired-

Fujimoto: *stares*

kyouko:.....look, i worry about you guys, ok?

Fujimoto: "Is that what this is about?"

kyouko: well what do you expect me to do, sit on my ass doing nothing while you guys risk your lives on a daily basis?! MAYBE IF I HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, I COULD BE SOMEWHAT HELPFUL!

Fujimoto: "..." *sighs* "You're so stubborn. And you know the risks, ones we're all facing..."

kyouko:....i just.....i cant fucking lose anyone else....*shaking* i just cant....

Fujimoto: "..." *hug*

kyouko:..nng....*cries into his chest*

Fujimoto: *strokes her head* "This is a heavy burden you've carried for so long...I admire that you're trying to take on so much."

momo sakura: *yawns and rubs her eyes* uncle shiro? what's going on?

Fujimoto: "Sorry--just was talking with your sister."

momo sakura: oh no, kyouko's not sick is she?

kyouko: *sniff* i-im fine momo. go back to bed, ok?

Fujimoto: *nods* "I think we all could use some sleep..."

kyouko: yeah....good idea.

Fujimoto: *nods* "Night, kiddos. We'll talk in the morning."

-elsewhere-

shiemi: *in the loft, curled under a blanket*.............

Nee: "??? ..." *nudges* "Nee?"

shiemi: *rubs her eyes* h-hey, nee.

Nee: *nuzzle* *sympathetic murmur*

shiemi: *sniff* thanks nee....

-morning-

stocking: =~= too comfy. dont wanna get out of bed.

Kid: "D'aw...Maybe I can help?"

stocking: this is the opposite of a problem, babe.

Kid: *smiles* "I can imagine one problem, though. You'd have to get out to get breakfast..." *neck kiss*

stocking: mmn~ kiddooo~

Kid: "Hee hee...Do you have to go today?"

stocking: kid, if you keep kissing my neck, you're gonna be walking a bit funny. 7w7

Kid: "I'll take that as a no~" *slides a hand along her side, kissing down...*

-elsewhere-

suzune: *yaaaawn*

Matsuri: "Hello."

suzune: good morning, matsuri.....i wanted to thank you and your dad again for letting me live here. i appreciate it.

Matsuri: "You're welcome! You sleep okay?"

suzune: yes. *looks around her room*

-the room is kind of plain-

Matsuri: ^^; "Sorry it's not much to look at."

suzune: it's fine. im not the best at room decorating, to be honest.

-text on matsuri's phone-

arisa: [hey, what's taking u guys so long? chisato and i are @ the station now! >3<# ]

Matsuri: [sorry! on our way!] "Hey, ready to head out in a bit?"

suzune: y-yeah....are you sure about me coming on this trip? kamihama is a magical girl haven, and given my past, i've certainly made a few enemies...

Matsuri: "Well, I can't let you out of my sight. So if we encounter problems, we'll deal with them as they come up. It's simplest that way."

suzune:...r-right. i'll get my bag then.

Matsuri: "Great! I left mine by the door..."

-elsewhere-

Relan: "??? What did the Commander ask you to write, Shinra?" *he looks at file folders with people's names on them*

shinra: oh this? just writing some info on the members of the 8th.

Relan: "Oh--like confidential profiles?"

shinra: more or less. want to see what i got so far?

Relan: "Is that really appropriate for me?" *already flipping through one on Takehisa*

-file; Hinawa, Takehisa; company commander of the 8th. 2nd gen pyrokinetic. ability type; manipulating bullet trajectory (?), age; 33, DOB; Sept 23, side notes; -very good cook, -bad taste in fashion, -intimidating, -former member of the army-

Relan: "Heh--'bad fashion.' Oh, he's a Libra! I guess that explains his moodiness--"

Takehisa: "What moodiness?"

shinra: really? im not too good at horoscopes.

Relan: QwQ; *trying to ignore Takehisa behind him* ^^;;; "Well, Scorpios are said to have a lot of intensity--intense eyes, magnetic personalities, really passionate about what they believe in...I think that sounds like you!"

shinra: oh. .////. t-thanks.

maki: OWO

Relan: ^^ "Aw..."

Arthur: "??? Oh, you're writing a biography about my heroic exploits? Then I will need to have woodcuts for visual reinforcement."

shinra: riiiiight.... -_-;

Vulcan: *looking at one file* "...You got the number of tattoos wrong."

lisa: *notices one note*

-personal note; same hair and eye color as mikami kurai of the 5th? relation? or just coincidence??-

Akitaru: "Well, that's why we're reviewing these files to make sure we get things accurate."

tamaki: are you sure about letting shinra do this? a few notes seem rather....opinionated.

iris: he's even added a few doodles. i have to say, your art's really improving, shinra.

shinra: aww. thanks iris. ^^

Akitaru: "???" *flips through Arthur's file* "...Shinra. 'Recalcitrant' has only one 'e.'" *the doodle of Arthur also has him with donkey ears*

shinra: you like how i used the word? i kind of borrowed it from petra's 'word-a-day' calender. ^^;

Petra: "...Normally I would be upset, but I admire an expanded lexicon." *reads Karin's file* "!!! YOU HAVE PLANS FOR A FIRE ROBOT LABOR?!" *shiny eyes*

karin: it's more of expanding on my mech. ^^;

Viktor: "??? Wait, Maki, I thought your cousin was one of the Nakatsukasa?"

maki: well, technically tsubaki is tsugumi's cousin on her mom's side of the family. im tsugumi's cousin on her dad's side, since he and my mom are siblings.

Viktor: "...You're sure you don't have both fire _and_ weapon abilities?" *holds up a scalpel*

komori: *CHOP* *holds up a note* <stop>

Viktor: T~T ("At least my file doesn't mention Joker...")

Arthur: "Shinra's file doesn't mention his superhero footy pajamas?"

shinra: shut up! >n<#

-elsewhere-

-SLASH SLASH-

scarlet: good, again.

nana: *slashing at mannequins with a string of fire from her blood*

Joker: "Huh. Nana's movements are getting more precise."

ivy: that ring you got her really helps.

scarlet: *nods*

Joker: "You make that, or order it somewhere?"

scarlet: let's just say i know someone.

Joker: "Huh--metallurgy, I guess."

nana: *SLASH SLASH*

*a mannequin head rolls to his feet...it has an eyepatch like Joker's*

Joker: ._.;

ivy:.....

Joker: "...Ha! I guess any motivation is good motivation?"

ivy: she puts a lot more effort into customizing them. i just tape hibana's picture from magazines onto mine.

Joker: "Huh--I was wondering what happened to this one." *shows a swimsuit cover with Hibana's face cut out*

-elsewhere-

Sakuya: *walks into Naho's bedroom, carrying a breakfast tray*

naho: *sniffs* are those pancakes?

Sakuya: "With chocolate chips."

naho: OwO

Sakuya: *cuts a piece, holds it up on a fork to her*

naho: *nom* ^w^ yum!

Sakuya: ^^; "I was worried I'd screw this up."

naho: did you make them?

Sakuya: *nods* "From mix, granted. But I did add the chocolate chips."

naho: ^^ then the fact that you made them makes them even yummier!

Sakuya: "..." >\\\\>; "I-I'm glad."

-elsewhere-

Denki: "Hee hee...No one will find me in here."

maid: *opens door* ?!?!?!?!

Denki: OwO; "...I'm sorry--was this your room?"

momo: gerta? what was it, i heard-...KAMINARI?!?!

Denki: OwO;;;;;; "...Hello. You're probably wondering why I'm hiding amongst a closet full of maid costumes."

momo: WERE YOU HIDING HERE ALL NIGHT??!

Denki: "All night? Did no one bother to find me? Did I win hide and seek?!"

gerta: and also they are UNIFORMS! NOT. COSTUMES!

Hagakure: *walks up in just her socks* "Guys, this isn't funny! Where's my shirt?!"

Denki: "...Please tell me you are wearing your full-body suit, Hagakure?"

Hagakure: "Duh, of course I am!"

momo:.....i need to make a few calls.

-elsewhere-

Bon: "..."

lewin: *snoring*

Bon: "..." *kicks him*

lewin: *snort* gu-whuh? mom?

Bon: -_-# "Get up. It's morning."

lewin: *YAAAAAWN*

Bon: "...What Pheles said last night..."

lewin: yeah, crazy stuff, man...say, can you get that bag over there for me?

Bon: "Fine..." *picks it up* "It's not going to explode, is it?"

lewin: whaaat no!

Bon: -_-; *brings it over*

-inside are files from section 13-

Bon: "...You didn't."

lewin: our little secret, alright?

Bon: *sigh* "Fine. Don't blame me if Mrs. Pheles shaves your head."

lewin:....*trembles* QwQ;;;;; s-scary....

-elsewhere-

kyouko: *sniff* ugh... =~=;;

Fujimoto: "Now, add the pepper--"

Rin: "I know how to cook, damn it! Just sit your ass down!"

kyouko: i'll be fine, really. *sniff* *shivers*

Fujimoto: "I know. That's why you need a good hearty meal! Rin! Add more chicken stock--"

-knocks-

Rin: *practically breathing fire* "COOK YOUR OWN DAMN MEAL!"

Yukio: "I'll get it--" *approaches the door*

mami: hello. ^^

Yukio: "Ah, hello, Miss Tomoe."

mami: i brought over some tea.

kyouko: hey mami. kinda sick today. *sniffle*

mami: so i heard.

Fujimoto: "That was very nice of you. Sit down--we were about to have some soup--" *sneaks a bottle of pepper--*

Rin: *slaps his hand away*

mami: well, i brought tea to help make her feel a little better.

momo sakura: can i help make it?

mami: why of course. ^^

Rin: *hands the kettle to Momo*

mami: i brought elderflower tea, since it's good for combating colds.

momo sakura: *nods*

Yukio: "Excellent choice. Shiemi had mentioned some of them."

mami: ah.

Rin: "How've things been, Mami? Keeping busy?"

mami: i've been well for the most part.

Rin: *nods* "I heard something about you traveling?"

mami: oh yes, i'm planning to visit kamihama for the magica fest in august.

Rin: "Ah, right! Hope it's fun!"

-elsewhere-

Giriko: "You going to be okay for a week?" *packing a bag* "I can tell them to go pound sand and find someone else."

arachne: we'll be alright. eva- malaria said she'd stay over and help.

Giriko: "Girls' night in."

anna: guu nait een!

Giriko: "Hee hee--right on, Anna."

-elsewhere-

Axel: "Yep! I even packed the marshmallows!"

Saria: *pops up* "We're roasting marshmallows out there?"

hibiki: sure, why not?

Saria: ^w^ "That would be fun!"

Kazue: *pops up, hanging from above* *sign* <Roasted desert scorpions provide protein.>

Axel: "...Huh."

-elsewhere-

Yohei: *grunts* ("Another month with this cast...Perfect...")

saki: morning yohei.

Yohei: "Hey...Sorry, did you want to be alone?" *struggling to open the cupboard with one hand while holding milk under his arm*

saki: need some help?

Yohei: "..." *nods* "Trying to get a mug..."

saki: *reaches and hands it to him*

Yohei: "..." *nods* "Thanks."

GET: *walks in* "Hello, Saki-gege! Good morning, Daddy-gege!"

Yohei: "..." *looks away*

chie: morning. ^^

GET: Q_Q *downcast*

Yohei: "..."

chie: morning babe. *kiss on the cheek*

Yohei: "...Morning. Sleep okay?"

chie: yeah, feeling any better?

Yohei: "..." *shakes his head*

chie:....*hugs*

Yohei: "..." *one arm around her*

chie:....why dont we go for a walk later?

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *passed out in bed*

sonia: *making waffles*

miyuri: *getting the syrup*

Chuuya: "..." *coughs, grunts, looks up, confused* "..." *sees his pants on the floor* "..." *looks at the clock*

-it's 10:36 AM-

Chuuya: "Shit..." *gets out of bed, grabs his pants, pulls them up*

sonia: *getting out the butter and fruit*

Chuuya: *exits his bedroom, heads to the kitchen*

sonia: good morning papa.

miyuri: morning~! ^^

Chuuya: *nods* "M-Morning...You're cooking?"

sonia: we figured we'd make some toaster waffles to help you feel better.

Chuuya: "...That is very kind of you--thanks." *sits* "Um...Can I do anything?"

miyuri: can you get the plates? miyuri cant reach them.

Chuuya: "S-Sure..." *wipes his eyes*

-elsewhere-

Yohei: *walks with Chie* "..."

chie: this is nice, isnt it?

Yohei: "..." *nods* "...Not too cloudy."

chie:...*hugs his good arm*

Yohei: "..." *leans his head* "Hey."

chie: you know i love you, right?

Yohei: *nods* "And I love you...And I hate myself."

chie:...*sigh* alright, how can we make you feel better?

Yohei: "...When I was there, I saw him."

chie:.....*holds his hand*

Yohei: "...Chie, a lot of this wouldn't have happened if I hadn't worked for Fear Factory."

chie:.....

Yohei: "When Fear Factory held me before...I thought I deserved to be punished. This time? ...I don't know. I just...It was like seeing if Dokeshi Hunt was trying to wipe out all humans at once...Those people who are dead now..."

chie:....*hugs* we cant change the past. we just learn from our mistakes to make the future better...

Yohei: "I don't know what kind of future I can make if my tech is still out there..."

chie:....

Yohei: "...I think I know what I need to work on next."

chie: *listens*

Yohei: "I think I need to find that tech--and get it out of hands who would abuse it."

chie:...*nods* that makes sense.

Yohei: "I can develop a program looking for the coding or news reports, then get to those locations to--...to...to..."

chie: *holds his hand*

Yohei: "...I'm going to need some help."

chie: do you want to see a therapist?

Yohei: "I-I don't know? I think seeing hallucinations is a big red flag that I probably need to."

-elsewhere-

ManBearFix: *slurps up his soup* "Hmph? Aren't you hungry?"

mimeca: ...

ManBearFix: "Come on--eat up! I'm even up for seconds!" *steals an inmate's bowl*

Prisoner 1: "..." *grabs ManBearFix by the throat*

mimeca: D8>

ManBearFix: *eyes bulging* OwO "H-Hey! Something the matter?"

Prisoner 1: "Never. Steal. My food!" *slams ManBearFix's face into his own soup bowl, holding him down*

ManBearFix: *flinging his arms*

-SLICE-

mimeca: *blade arm* *glares at the prisoner*

Prisoner 1: "..." *drops ManBearFix* "Don't they turn _off_ those abilities on you Dokeshi freaks?"

ManBearFix: @_____@

mimeca: *holds the blade up to the prisoner's throat*

Prisoner 1: "!!!! Hey, you crazy bitch! Back off!"

-SLICE-

Prisoner 1: *SCREAMS*

Guard: "?!!!" *slams the siren button as more guards rush into the commissary*

mimeca:....

ManBearFix: "Hey, you got us some company~"

Guard 2: *bashes Mimeca in the head with a baton*

ManBearFix: "?!!!!!"

-grab-

mimeca: *glares*

Guard 2: "?! Hey, let go--"

ManBearFix: "..." *glances at Prisoner 1, who is bleeding on the floor*

-SHIV-

Guard 2: *collapses*

Guard 1: *blows the whistle, as multiple guards tackle Mimeca, grabbing her arms*

ManBearFix: "Hey! Don't forget me!" *tries to choke hold a guard--*

mimeca: !!!

ManBearFix: *smushed face* "..." *muffled voice* "THAT'S IT! DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" *grabs a guard's face--and vibrates their face off--*

Guard 7: *screams, their face ripped off*

ManBearFix: *picks up Guard 5, hurling them away*

Prisoner 2: "RIOT!"

mimeca: *spikes sprout out of her back*

Guard 6: "GRRK!" *falls limp*

Prisoner 3: *flips a table, crushing other prisoners*

Guard 8: *dialing a number*

ManBearFix: "So, this more fun now?"

mimeca: ^w^

ManBearFix: "Hee hee~"

*gas pours into the room through the vents as guards put on masks...*

mimeca: !!!

ManBearFix: "Aw, poop..." *getting drowsy...falls over*

-later-

ManBearFix: *groans...opens his eyes, finding himself strapped to a table* "...Is it my birthday?"

*someone is seated at a nearby desk, writing out notes*

mimeca: oxo

ManBearFix: "???" *looks around* "Oh, hey, Mimeca. How's it going?" *looks at her* "Tied up too, huh?"

mimeca: *nod*

???: *closes her notes, stretches* "Ah, you're awake..." *her hair is messy, her eyes obscured by thick goggles*

mimeca: .w.;;

ManBearFix: "You a doc? The goggles look like a doc. That, and the hair in need of conditioner..."

Scientist: ( - ) _ ( - );;; "Yes. I am a doctor. After your injuries in that riot--"

ManBearFix: "Ha! That weren't no riot! You should've seen that time I blew up people in downtown Toyky--"

*SHNIK!*

mimeca: !!!!!

Scientist: *stabs a knife directly into ManBearFix's eye*

ManBearFix: "... ... ...AAAAAAAAAAH! WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK--"

Scientist: *takes out her tape recorder, talking into it* "Subject is experiencing the pain one would expect, despite the cartoonishly large eyes. No blood yet accumulating in the retina--"

mimeca: *tries to stop her, but ends up flipping the gurney she's strapped onto* O-<

ManBearFix: *shaking under the straps, until the knife is dislodged by slamming his head onto the back of the board*

Scientist: "Hold that thought." *flips ManBearFix's bed out of the way, approaches Mimeca's...flips the gurney back up, clutches her by the chin, examining her neck*

-there is a scar across mimeca's throat-

Scientist: *both hands are on the gurney, as she keeps talking into the tape recorder* "Subject 2, female, has scar across the throat--" *...what is holding the tape recorder if both hands are holding up the gurney?!!* "--potentially self-inflicted, given the reports of her Dokeshi ability..."

mimeca: *looks*

ManBearFix: *groans, looking at the floor...and sees things growing out of the Scientist's back*

*she has multiple limbs...*

ManBearFix: "...Handy."

Scientist: *one arm brings over a beaker full of coffee...sips* *sighs* "Ma'am, can you speak?" *holds up Mimeca's chin, leaning in*

mimeca: *shakes head and taps her finger on the gurney in...morse code?*

Scientist: *listening* "Uh huh...I hear you...So, you cut them out?"

mimeca: *tap tap* -tore them out, really-

Scientist: *clicks her tongue* "You poor dear..." *strokes her finger over the scars* "Does that hurt?"

mimeca: *tap tap* -it tickles a bit-

Scientist: *small smile* "I can imagine. It tends to happen when the skin needs to heal over..."

ManBearFix: *his eye has healed over* "Yeah, no shit!"

mimeca: *tap tap* -so who are you?-

Scientist: "A friend--as any doctor has to be." *still staring at Mimeca but speaking to ManBearFix* "I know: NoFix, the serial killer whose Power of Spin allows him to regenerate...and evidently that extends to whatever that medium did to transfer your soul into that plush bear before you experienced a secondary mutation that turned you into a tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff."

ManBearFix: "Hey, tight ass! My friend asked for your name--"

Scientist: *one limb pulls a chainsaw out from under Mimeca's bed*

mimeca: OxO;;;;;

Scientist: "Call me Dr. Sasaki." *revs up the chainsaw, and brings it down onto ManBearFix*

-outside-

Guard: "..."

ManBearFix: *screaming at the top of his lungs* "SON OF A COCK!"

Guard: *hums*

-elsewhere-

Agate: *takes a step forward--and stumbles slightly* "Wah!!!"

remina: easy now!

Agate: T~T "My legs aren't listening to my brain! Something is still off..."

remina: want me to look at it?

Agate: " 'Kay..." *lies down on the workbench*

-elsewhere-

arisa: *grumble grumble*

suzune: are you still upset?

arisa: they didnt even apologize after bumping into us! the jerks!

Chisato: "Not everyone adheres to decorum."

Matsuri: ^^; "Let's just focus on the rest of today."

???: you really need to watch where you're going, rena.

suzune: ?

rena: w-well, i was _gonna_ apologize, but then she got all huffy at me!

???: come on, rena, it's not nice to sink down to their level.

arisa: WHO'RE YOU CALLIN HUFFY?!

rena: exCUSE me? i wasnt talking about you!

Chisato: *sighs* "I think we have places to be--"

Matsuri: "Let's not fight!"

???: sorry for the interruption. ^^; we're on our way to a live concert. ^^; my name's Momoko Togame, and these are my friends, Rena Minami and Kaede Akino.

kaede: it's nice to meet you. ^^

rena: hmph. 7n7

kanami: oh, we're actually on our way to a live concert too. i think it's 'Sayuki Fumino'?

Chisato: "Greetings. I am--"

momoko: NO WAY! you're fans of sayu-sayu too!?

Matsuri: "I'm Matsuri Hinata! Hello!"

arisa: hell yeah! her song 'Turn Table Innocence' hits so close to home.

suzune: um.... ._.;

Chisato: "..." *small smile*

momoko: i take it you girls arent from around here, are you?

arisa: yeah, we're from hoozuki town. we're the akanegasaki magical girl club! i'm Arisa Narumi, club president~

suzune: i thought chisato was club president? or am i misreading things again?

kanami: i dont think it was established officially?

momoko: oh, you're magical girls too? so are we?

suzune: *opens her mouth to say something* ah-....

momoko: ah! our stop is coming up!

rena: seriously!? come on! if we're late, im going to fine you both for $100!

-elsewhere-

Gin: *holding ice to her hand*

hirotsu: what have we learned?

Gin: "...When punching, you need to make center-knuckle contact?"

hirotsu: and to make sure you have proper knuckle protection.

Gin: "This is why I stick to knives and kicks. But I was so fed up..."

naoya: what happened?

Gin: "The witness was being uncooperative...and I missed."

-elsewhere-

Akutagawa: *carrying groceries, wearing sunglasses* "..." *looks both ways before crossing*

kan: hey! *waves*

Akutagawa: "??!! W-Wait...You're..."

kan: im kan kikuchi, from salamander publishing. i found you unconscious a while back, remember?

Akutagawa: "...Yes. I remember. ...Your shirt is missing."

kan: hmm? but im wearing a shirt.

Akutagawa: "You had lent me one."

kan: oh that one! sorry, it's been hectic, y'know? so how're you doing?

Akutagawa: "Surviving. Thank you again for saving me. Yourself?"

kan: no prob, im actually on my way to the armed detective agency building to hold an interview-

Akutagawa: *tenses*

kan: ?? you ok?

Akutagawa: *squeak* "Fine--" *clears his throat* "Fine."

kan: ...well, glad to see you're alright.

Akutagawa: *following them* "Thank you."

kan: ^^ ...say, do you have plans for today?

Akutagawa: *shakes his head* "I will be returning these groceries after I see something."

kan: ah. well, if you arent busy, maybe we could get pizza or something.

Akutagawa: "...You like pizza?"

kan: it's pretty good. my friend eiji knows of a pretty good place grissom street.

Akutagawa: "Hmm...Let me drop off the groceries on the way home and meet you there."

kan: sounds good. *writes down the name and address* here you go.

Akutagawa: "Thank you. So...An hour?"

kan: sounds good.

-elsewhere-

Jacqueline: *in lifeguard outfit, blows the whistle* "No running! ??? Karl, stop dunking food in the pool--it's got chlorine."

Poe: Q__Q *hiding under towel*

kim: cannon ball! *jumps in*

*SPLASH*

Jacqueline: *drenched* -____- "..." *blows the whistle, water squirting out* "No...Oh, forget it."

rowena: *dipping her toe into the water*

lenore: im not going in there. i'll molt.

Magaki: *staying under an umbrella--covered in sunscreen* "...I have to agree. The appeal is lost on me."

lavender: it's not for everyone, i suppose.

Higan: *staring at the 'no smoking' sign* "...Well shit."

lavender: yes?

himawari: pardon me if i sound rude but, i-isnt that suit a bit...erm...flashy? ^^;;

lavender: i know.

*people are staring...with nosebleeds*

Jacqueline: -____- "I'm not paid enough for this."

lavender: ^^

Shamrock: *cooking on the grill* "And don't go swimming after eating--"

Belkia: *nom nom nom*

lilac: *avoiding the water* Q_Q *shaking*

naho: want us to sit with you for a bit, lila?

lilac: ...y-yes...please....

Sakuya: *sets out a plate of chips*

lilac: s-sorry...i-im not good with..b-being in water....

Sakuya: "Hey, a lot of people aren't--it's normal."

naho: want to walk through the gardens later?

lilac: uh..o-ok...

-elsewhere-

Asher: *fanning* =_= "It's too hot...The desert is going to kill me."

izumi: we havent even gone yet...

Asher: "Hence the operative future tense 'is going.'"

Axel: "Still not the clearest sentence formation."

Asher: -_-#

-elsewhere-

Jinn: Q_____Q *silently clutching the side of the flying chariot*

zubaidah: im actually amazed we could find such transportation, and at such a price.

Jinn: *squeak* "Gr-Great...Watch the bumpy clouds, please..."

zubaidah: -_-; clouds technically are water, so we'll go right through them.

Jinn: "It's not like airplane turbulence--"

*BUMP*

Jinn: "WHAT WAS THAT?!"

zubaidah: *looks*

*something is under the chariot...a small sky whale*

zubaidah: oh!

Sky Whale: *small noise...bumps into the chariot*

Jinn: "D-Don't they usually go in packs?"

zubaidah: perhaps it's lost?

Jinn: "Does look kind of tiny...A baby?"

zubaidah: perhaps. *throws a rope down*

Sky Whale: *sings*

zubaidah: *checking for any injuries*

*the whale has scars along its fin...and a harpoon embedded under*

zubaidah: hmm....

Jinn: "What is it?"

zubaidah: they have a harpoon on them.

Jinn: "Ah...How to remove it?"

zubaidah: im a meister and a sage, im not a veterinarian.

Jinn: -___- "I've done enough first aid, let me loo--" *looks down* "... ... ..." *shudders* "Let me get a rope..." T~T;

-elsewhere-

Rin: *sets out ice pops* "Pick your flavors."

konekomaru: i think i'll go for the melon flavor.

Shima: "Grape, thank you!"

shiemi:....

Rin: "Shiemi? Hey, which flavor--...You okay?"

shiemi: hmm? oh, yeah im fine. im just not hungry right now.

Rin: *bites into a pop* "Well, cooling down is important--the summer is a bear."

shiemi: huh?

Rin: "I just mean it's really hot and stuff, so hard to deal with...like a bear?"

izumo: what does hot have to do with bears??

Rin: "I don't know--I just mean it's really difficult getting through it!" >_<

-elsewhere-

Damon: *rolls the watermelon to the mark on the sidewalk* "Is this good?"

soul: looks good.

Damon: *hands the baseball bat to Becky*

becky: *puts on the blindfold*

Damon: *spins her around slowly* "Okay..." *steps back* "Take a big step forward..."

becky: *raising the bat*

Damon: "Not yet! Turn, um, a little bit? Like 15 minutes on a clock?"

becky: *scoot scoot* like this?

Damon: *nods* "I mean, yes! Okay, step back one foot, and you should be good to go!"

becky: ok!

Damon: "Ready? And...swing!"

-WHACK-

Damon: *gets sprayed by watermelon* .________.;

becky: *removes the blindfold* you ok?

Damon: *licks his lips* "Hmm! It's tasty!" ^^

soul: welp, let's get servin'!

Damon: *hands a paper plate to Becky*

-elsewhere-

arisa: that concert was so good!

suzune: everyone seemed energetic enough. though i dont get the part about wanting her to cut them up. *sweatdrop*

arisa: tch- probably pervy otaku fans. that's one thing about these events i could live without.

rena: totally, pervs like them are the WORST.

kaede: congrats on your tied victory in the contest. ^^

kanami: it's gotten kind of late now, huh?

kaede:...wah! i just remembered! i promised konomi i'd help her at the flower shop!

Chisato: *checks her phone* "You have enough time to get there?"

momoko: well, guess this is our que to head home. thanks for today!

Matsuri: *waves* "Nice to meet you."

arisa: well, we should probably go find the hotel now.

Chisato: " I hope it's a nice one..."

-elsewhere-

Yohei: *lies down in bed...* "..."

chie: feeling better?

Yohei: *nods* "Yeah...I'll look up doctors after dinner."

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *looking up something on his laptop*

miyuri: *staring at him* ^w^ watcha dooooin~?

Chuuya: "Just looking over a map..."

miyuri: ??

Chuuya: "Was thinking of a short trip.

miyuri: oooooh!

sonia: where to? *she's reading a book; Charlotte Briar and the forgotten labyrinth*

Chuuya: *looks up a hotel...* "How's this look?" "What do you think of the beach?"

miyuri: beech?

sonia: it's a place with sand by a large body of water, in this case, the ocean.

miyuri: woooooow!

Chuuya: *smiles* "Let's see...Clearwater, Virginia Beach..."

sonia: how far are we planning to go to the beach? somewhere in california? or the east coast?

Chuuya: "I think California...Hmm...Maybe Santa Cruz..."

sonia: *nods*

miyuri: *shiny eyes* SANTA CLAUS?!

Chuuya: "Um..."

sonia: ._.; erm....miyuri, do you want to read with me?

miyuri: OK!

Chuuya: ^^; "I'll book the travel..."

-elsewhere-

Asako: "!!! Goldie, come back!" *running through a crowd*

goldie: *runs up to a store door* *barks*

*the door opens...*

louisa: oh goodness!

Asako: *catches up, panting* "Oh...dear..."

louisa: ._______________.

Asako: O_O; "Um..."

Fitzgerald: "Enough delays, Miss Alcott." *pulls Asako by the sleeve--*

Asako: "?!!!!" D8<

louisa: s-sir francis! you have the wrong person!

goldie: *head tilt* ??

Fitzgerald: "... ... ...Miss Alcott, why didn't you tell me you had a cloning ability?"

louisa: i dont! my ability doesnt work that way!

goldie: *ruff*

Fitzgerald: "Well, now I'm all confused--"

Asako: *elbows him in the ribs* "LET GO OF ME, MASHER!" *socks him in the jaw*

louisa: D8>

Fitzgerald: *unfazed* "... ... ...Well, that cost me a good $100." *rubs his jaw* "Not terrible."

Asako: *picks up Goldie* "Stay back!"

louisa *FAINTS*

Fitzgerald: "?!!!" *catches her*

Asako: ._.;

louisa: i've seen my doppelganger, does this mean im going to die soon?

Walter 1: "It doesn't really work that way." *exiting a candy shop*

Walter 2: "Dude!" *exits the video game shop* "I've been looking all over for you! Walter 3 is in line to get our pre-order!"

Walter 1: "Oh, word?"

walter 3: DOG! *pets goldie* precious doggo, kyute widdle doggie!

Asako: .___.;;; "...This is why I stick with the hospital..."

-elsewhere-

ManBearFix: *back in his jail cell...shivering* Q~Q "I feel so violated..."

mimeca: *offers a cig*

ManBearFix: *takes it* "Thanks...Hey, where did you get these?"

mimeca: *puts a finger to her lips and winks*

ManBearFix: =w= "Oh, you~" *puffs* "...So, we've done the riot, we've scoped out the infirmary...That leaves getting put on mess hall cooking duty, and we're all set."

mimeca: *thumbs up*

ManBearFix: "And you just need to keep up the friendly relationship with the lady doc...WHEN SHE'S NOT RIPPING ME APART!" -^-#

-elsewhere-

Kid: *sets down dinner*

stocking: ooh, it looks lovely!

Kid: ^^ "Thank you--I hope it tastes as well. Bon appetite." *sits with her*

stocking: *nom* mmmm~

Kid: *smiles* "I take it that it's satisfactory?"

stocking: delicious! and quite savory as well.

Kid: "That may be the thyme..." *sits closer*

stocking: it really compliments the meat.

Kid: "I'm glad...May I...?" *sneaks a bite*

stocking: *chuckle*

kirika: *groans* some of us want to _eat_ thank you very much.

Kid: "...Don't you have a training mission to prep?"

kirika: i will after im done eating and not barfing my guts out.

Yumi: "Do I have to separate you two?"

kirika: *rolls her eyes*

Kid: "No, Mother..."

lord death: here comes the airplane~ *holds up a spoon of applesauce to shiori*

shiori: *nom*

Yumi: *smiles*

stocking: so how was work for you two?

lord death: same old, same old. working out missions, planning charity events.

Yumi: "Welcoming some returning guests..."

stocking: oh?

Yumi: *nods* "I shouldn't say given the NOTers' training..."

stocking: confidential info, got it.

Yumi: "I'll stay back--they can handle it."

lord death: and yourself?

stocking: -_-; dad sent me about a ba-jillion texts of shion doing stuff.

Kid: ^^; "Not too different from Father..."

lord death: ^^;;

stocking: i still have, like, 2000 more texts to go through.

Kid: "Your poor phone."

-elsewhere-

Akutagawa: "...That wasn't bad."

gin: dammit now im hungry.

Akutagawa: "Sorry...Let me cook something. What would you like?"

gin: im down for whatever i guess.

Akutagawa: *grabs an apron* "Okay. Pot stickers..."

gin: yes, thank you.

Akutagawa: *pulls out ground pork* "Hmm...I should've bought more oil...Hope this will be enough."

-elsewhere-

Jinn: *pets the whale*

whale: *baby whale noises*

zubaidah: thank you for letting us stop here for a while, sir.

swashbuckle: tis not a problem. ^^

Jinn: "Your ship looks a little worse for wear..."

*sidekicks are hammering boards to repair damage...*

swashbuckle: yarr, we ran into a lil trouble a while back while droppin off me griece and her friends back home.

Jinn: "..." (" 'Griece'?") "Sorry to hear."

swashbuckle: 'salright, we be survivin.

Jinn: "Hmm. Should be another few hours before our destination..."

-elsewhere-

kyouko: *lying face first on the ground* *grooooan*

Fujimoto: "That's an interesting approach to reading..."

momo sakura: waaah kyouko, dont die!

kyouko: i've read at least twenty-two-teen books today and i think i hear grandma calling us for biscuits~

Fujimoto: -_-; "Momo, I think your sister needs a nap."

kyouko: naaaw it's aaaawl goooood~ i just need to deliver this pik-a-nik basket to mr flamingo and i'll be *yaaAaaAAAAAWN* good.

momo sakura: *trying to drag kyouko to bed*

Fujimoto: *sighs* "It may be easier to bring the bed to her...I'll get a pillow."

-elsewhere-

lavender: ready girls~?

naho: just about! i got to pick out my hair ties!

Otogiri: "Ready."

himawari: *nods*

Otogiri: "I have the money, so we should be fine."

tsubaki: get back safely and stay out of trouble.

lavender: i know i know.

Otogiri: "I'll keep an eye on them."

himawari: ^^;

Black Star: "Don't do anything I would."

-elsewhere-

Hemingway: *sitting on the roof with a harpoon* "..."

emily: up here again?

Hemingway: *grunts* "Thought I saw something..."

Hemingway: "Ah, thanks!" *sips* "Mmm...Not bad. Reminds me of the Kopi Luwak from Java. You ever see a civet?"

emily: cant say i have.

Hemingway: "I kept one around for the coffee--you need the little critter to make it."

emily: um.... ._.;;

Hemingway: *looooooooooooong sip* >_>;

emily:...... ._.;

Hemingway: "...So, why are you still up?"

emily: couldnt sleep.

Hemingway: "Ah--bit of that going around. I thought you finished all that paperwork, though?"

emily: yeah, same here.

Hemingway: "Hmm...You know, we all depend on you to keep our heads on straight."

emily: oh, t-thank you.

Hemingway: "I would lie on that--so, take care of your health and get some sleep."

-elsewhere-

naho: *noms a crepe* mmmh~ yum! ^w^

Otogiri: "Mmm. It is good."

himawari: it's nice to be able to do these things once in a while.

Otogiri: "It's rare--given circumstances."

lavender: *nods* but that just makes it better, y'know~?

Otogiri: "I suppose...You do enjoy risk more than some of us."

lavender: ^w^

Otogiri: "Well, fine. Might as well go nuts. I'll have another crepe."

himawari: ^^ ......*notices a nearby church* ......

Otogiri: "...Himawari."

himawari: hm? oh, i-i'll be back momentarily, i just...need to do something quick.

Otogiri: "Be careful."

-elsewhere-

Rin: *yawns* "??? Hey." *nudge*

kyouko: *groan* hnn?

Rin: "...You got something on your face..." *peels a post-it note off*

kyouko: hnn? when did that get there?

Rin: "Seems you were writing notes...What's a 'bluey bloogur'?"

kyouko: *looks*

Rin: "Must be some intensive note taking you're doing--never heard of that demon! ...Or your handwriting is bad."

kyouko: maybe....*yaaaawn* what time is it?

Rin: "10:54."

kyouko: *looks outside* OH SHIT! I HAD A JOB TODA-

Rin: "!!!"

kyouko: *stumbles out of bed* ow! nnngh...

Rin: -_-; *picks her up* "Oh, no--you need your sleep!"

kyouko: i'll be fine, rea-*ACHOO* -,-;

Rin: "Nope. You're wearing out your body too much--bed for you!"

kyouko: *groan*

Rin: *tucks her in* "Now, go to sleep or I'll get Pops to tell you..."

kyouko: ....*sigh* fiiiine....it might....do some....good......zzzzzzzzzzzz......

Rin: *sighs* *turns off the lights, picks up her books*

-elsewhere-

himawari: *in the chapel, praying silently* ........

*it feels...like someone else is there*

himawari: *she doesnt seem to notice*

???: *slithers closer*

himawari: .....

Jeje: *watching* "..."

himawari:....*gets up and turns*

Mikuni: "Howdy."

himawari: !!! *stumbles back a bit*

Mikuni: "Seems you're a bit aways from home."

himawari: i-i wasnt aware anyone else was here....

Mikuni: "No one is ever really alone, are they?"

himawari:....i suppose not. *small smile*

Mikuni: "Yep. Especially when you're being watched."

himawari: *tenses*....i should be going, my friends are waiting for me.

Mikuni: "Oh, where are they?" *walks with her*

himawari:....

Mikuni: "They as talkative as you?"

himawari:.... *tries to walk faster*

Mikuni: *suddenly leaps in front of her*

himawari: !!!

Mikuni: "Come on--it's still early. Long before sunrise..." *leans in*

himawari: *shaking a bit, backing up*

Mikuni: "I was thinking...You want to get a drink?"

himawari: i-i already have plans for tonight, s-so i should really be going-

Mikuni: *is face to face with her* "I'm sure we have something in common that would be more important to discuss in private...After all, we both come from the same place."

himawari: *trembling, not looking at him*

Mikuni: "I too was kept at C3--"

himawari: *her eyes widen in terror*

Mikuni: *sad smile* "Yep. I commiserate."

himawari:..what do you want from me?

Mikuni: "Since I last tangled with some of your friends, I've wanted to makes sure y'all aren't causing trouble."

himawari:.......

Mikuni: "That one with the strings--Otogiri? Is she behaving well?"

???: you tell us, bucko!

Mikuni: OwO "Huh--?"

lavender: *glares*

naho: leave hima alone you jerk! >3<#

Mikuni: *smiles* "What? Just having a friendly chat--"

*Mikuni's arm gets caught in strings*

lavender: then why does she seem so uncomfortable, hmm?

Otogiri: *stares*

Mikuni: ^^; "Must've been a bad memory..."

lavender: *GLARES* come on himawari, let's not let this fedora-creep ruin our night.

Mikuni: "It's a cowboy hat..."

Jeje: *blocks Lavender's path* "..."

lavender: move it, bags.

Jeje: "We're not finished talking."

lavender: pretty sure we are.

Mikuni: "Jeje, let them pass...I'm sure we'll have another chance soon."

Jeje: "..." *backs away*

lavender: hmph, let's go girls.

Otogiri: "..." *keeps a hold on Mikuni's arm as she follows...*

naho: *pulls her eyelid down and sticks out her tongue* ngh! >XP

Jeje: *snake hiss*

-elsewhere-

[ashsinmywcke]

First Blood // Chapter One

How old do you have to be, to be called a Woman? Where is the line between the child and the potential mother? For some people these questions have fairly straightforward answers – when you get to eighteen, or twenty one, or sixteen. Some people use events, the first time you bleed, or have sex or get married. Some people are a little more intelligent, they'd say such a thing comes down to individual maturity.

I know the day I became a 'Woman'. And it wasn't down to any one of these things, I didnt welcome it either. It just fucking happened to me like a natural disaster.

So here it is. I'll start from the beginning.

The sound is like this; a band of elastic pulled taught between two points, shaping the ragged screams which resonate over it like a bow sawing so hard over a violin that the strings scrape against the neck, and the horsehair breaks up into a hundred individual strands. And then nothing but a slack gurgling, muted by blood. A dull thump.

With a reflexive motion, I find myself standing. The woman in the seat behind scolds at me for blocking her view.

The puncture in my palm, caused by my vice like grip on my clutch purse, yields a cool drip of blood which runs down my middle finger and drips onto the floor by my foot. The crystal studded purse falls from my hands and shatters into two pieces on the floor like something stupidly fragile. I watch with far away eyes as they roll the body off the straight board f the guilloteen onto a black stretcher, then place the dismembered head at the top. They carry the woman away as if they were paramedics.

I bend double and a jet of searing yellow bile is ejected from my throat down the front of my dress and all down the back of the seat in front. I can feel it burning in my nose. The woman jumps to her feet and shrieks, as if my vomit were the most terrifying thing in the world. She's asking me 'what's wrong with you!?' angrily, again and again, but everybody else's faces, save the few who I've managed to disrupt in about a six foot radius are still turned toward the platform. Some are even applauding. I retch hard again but this time there's nothing to bring up save a long line of spittle which dribbles to the floor in a string as my knees give way under me, the knee split in my black silk gown tearing all the way up to the thigh with a crack as I hit the floor. I don't feel the impact but my eyes turn skyward as I go into free fall and I watch every heavenly body streaking across the black night sky like fireworks, leaving trails in their wake. The light scatters, diffuses and eventually becomes so bright that I clasp my eyes shut against it.

I become remotely aware that my mother is holding me by the shoulders, she's telling me to breathe. I think by now it has been at least three minutes since I last took a breath. A long pause in respiration, even for my species. My eyes open a crack and through the gap in the seats in front I make out the pool of blood on the platform, directly below where the blade had fallen. The sandstone is so stained from years of repeated coating that it seems black with decay, and under the white floodlights the pool seems more black than red. Black like oil, even as I watch one tiny rivulet find it's way to the edge of the stone platform and begin to slowly descend the bricks.

I open my lips to take a breath but the cool air makes my throat spasm and I retch so hard again that I think all of my ribs will break. My arm moves up my body and I hook my fingers under the fine string of red beads around my throat. I pull and the chain breaks scattering little rubies around me with a soft pattering. But it does nothing to relieve the rising nausea in my throat. The people are beginning to disperse, most of them not without a backward look at me. But I become aware of voices. “Oh Lords, Lords, blood! Blood!” They're shouting. What a stupid thing to say, it occurs to me. Of course there's blood, what had they expected? I feel my mother move me onto my side. By now my body feels like an invert lump of clay, heavy, useless, and pinned down by a deep pain that radiates outward from the bottom of my pelvis. It suffuses my abdomen, climbs my spine and shoots down my legs, managing to get right into my bones. “Look, there's blood!” Someone else yells. I cant move, or speak or sit up and spit in their stupid faces and curse them for their idiocy, and my own.

Laid on  my side I watch designer heels and hemlines move back and forth. Most away and out of the amphitheatre but a few move closer around me, so close I can see the gems grafted onto their toenails and the intricate black henna patterns around their ankles. I open my mouth and my lungs expand of their own volition, air rushing in before any words can come out. Somebody is calling for a paramedic but I hear my mother arguing with them, saying she just needs help to get me in the car. At this point I must have lost consciousness for at least a minute or two because when I open my eyes again there are different people standing around me. People in grey uniforms. One of them kneels down and peels away the bottom of my wet dress, looking between my legs. I try to raise my foot to kick him in the face but all I manage is a pitiful muscle twitch. He puts the fabric back in place and stands up, everything above his knee is now out of my field of vision. Still cradled in my mother's arms I hear their short conversation. But not the words, only the cadences. Like when you're trying to listen to a conversation through a wall, or what I oddly imagine an unborn child must hear, not long before it's born. Pressed to my mothers chest I hear her slow heart beat. Then hands are lifting me, the movement causes a spar of pain to form from my tail bone to the top of my neck. I scream, but it passes quickly as I am placed back down again. Then I feel the floor pull away from beneath me as the stretcher lifts, and my eyes swivel up to the sky again. Yaruna is full, and especially red tonight. My head falls to the side and my long hair half cascades over my face but through the veil I can still see the scaffold as I am borne away, much the way the dead woman was. It is only then that I actually wonder if I am dying, but the thought does not fill me with panic. Maybe there is not enough energy left in my body or brain for panic. My mother squeezes my hand and looks down at me. Silhouetted against the stars and illuminated only by the harsh glow of the white floodlights her frightened face looks different than usual. As far as I'm aware my mother has had her face re-sculpted twice, probably more times that she hasn't told me or even my father about. The doctors are very good at what they do, and we have the money to pay for good work. But looking up at her then I see odd new contours and ridges where before there had been none and in my addled horror her face becomes almost alien, almost grotesque to me. I swallow thickly and manage one word : “What?” She shushes me, squeezing my hand, and pushes the hair out of my face. My head lolls to the side again and I focus on the scaffold, it's the last thing I see, like a vanishing point on a far-away horizon, growing smaller and smaller before unconsciousness swallows me, and then nothing.

The Great Lake Ashara lays to the immediate south of the city, and is so dense in minerals that the salt crystals extend to and climb the southernmost walls. It stretches for nearly two hundred miles, end to end. At the eastern point, where the water once lay almost a hundred feet deep there is now a glistening forest of mineral crystals, forming enormous shards and valleys and bristling peaks between the spitting hot water springs which trickle downhill to the shore.

At the very edge of the waterline the lake slumbers almost completely motionless on a day with no breeze, glistening like opal over the salt shore. I shed my clothes and wade into the shallows until I am up to my waist in the warm water. For some reason I feel an instant relief. Cupping my hands I splash the water onto my face, slicking my long hair back. I wade out a little further, take a deep breath and plunge forward and down. My body feels strong. I've always been a good swimmer, and an excellent diver, but now I feel more fish than human. As if standing about on two legs were never really a reflection of my true self. I am a water animal, and swimming hard into the saturated water I reach a depth of twenty feet with ease. Stopping, I let my body turn, and look upward and I see the enormous mid day sun blazing through the water. I wish I could stay there, in the deep, warm, endless silence. I don't need to breathe for another forty minutes, but my own buoyancy is pulling me back toward the surface and all I can do is let it take me.

“Ella? ...Ells?” I open my eyes to the familiar voice. And the world starts to come steaming back through my eyes so I shut them again. I am aware that I am naked, laid flat, reclining at a slight angle against warmed stone. I am half submerged in hot water. Breathing in I feel thick, faintly fragrant steam fill my head and nose. Slowly I open my eyes. My friend Eden is looking down at me. She is ten years older than me. Her hair is lighter and shorter than mine, plaited back from her face in tight braids. Her frame is thin and delicate with narrow wrists and pronounced collar bones. Her pencilled thin eyebrows lower slightly with concern. Her complexion is pale as milk and often draws questions as to whether she is feeling well. She too is sitting in the water with me, her small body pressed close to mine. I reach out and lay a hand on her shoulder. “Eden. Where am I?” My voice is hoarse, but it works, and the pain that had crushed me so entirely has retreated to an insistent ache. I see Eden's face light up with relief. “You're fine. Your mother had you brought to the bath house, she left not long ago. She called me to ask if I would watch you.” I sit up, to the complaint of my back but I manage it. I look around. I usually visit the bathhouse once a week with the other women, but I don't recognise this room. I am not in the pure, crystalline white pools with their delicate fountains. I'm in a room lit by candlelight, the walls are a dark, polished granite, and the pool itself is hewn out of dark red marble. I look down into the water, trying and failing to string all the events together coherently. I frown. Reaching down I scoop up the water in my hand, and only in lifting it out of the maroon bowl do I notice that it too is vivid red. It is only then that everything starts to connect. Eden watches me do the experiment and pins a difficult, thin smile to her face. “You...you had your blood.” She reports what I see with my own eyes. I stare into the water in my hand, watching it as it trickles away between my fingers. I wonder how it can be. I had always assumed that it would never happen, and then, as the years wore on and it didn't, I became more sure of it. I put my face in my hands, and start to sob like a child. Eden pulls my into her arms, her hands finding my waist. She kisses my ear and my cheek. “Oh, Ells, I'm sorry, but-”

     “No!” I yell, the word resounding loudly in the stone room as I shove her away and clamber out of the tub with a splash, blood still trickling between my legs. I lean against the cool stone wall, my bare skin shimmering in the low light. Eden remains still and quiet in the marble pool, watching the blood swirl, barely visibly against the red marble. “I...I can make out that I was ill, that it was an accident.” I say the words realising how stupid they are. “Everybody saw Ells, and your mother too...” Eden replies quietly. I turn back toward her, casting a shadow over her as she sits in the water, her grey-lilac eyes sparkle darkly in the gloom. “I don't care, you hear me? I'm not doing it.”

     “You have to...”

     “Don't fucking tell me what I have to do!” I scream, so loud the sound is painful resounding off of the granite. Eden turns her face away, her mouth is now a sad, straight line. “I'm not, but they will...” She replies in a resigned tone. “And they've had Cael Khuder picked out for you since you were twelve years old.”

     “Fuck Ceal Khuder. I'll make him hate me so much he'll divorce me.”

     “Or he'll kill you.”

Eden's words make me fall silent. The sudden, tragic death of one's dear wife is always so much cleaner than a messy, shameful divorce. Blood is pooling by my heels. I climb numbly back into the pool. The hot water relieves the cramp in my abdomen but I just stare down at the surface numbly. “You will just have to make the best of it Ells...” My friend breathes, sitting across from me. The words chafe me so hard they graze and I look up at her, my lips twisted like I'm holding a piece of sour white lemon on my tongue. “Make the best of it?” I echo, smiling horribly. “Is that what you do Eden? Is that what you tell yourself when your husband touches you? Because...” I move across the pool so I am only two feet from her, the water still up to my waist. “...Because if he knew who you really were they'd take you away, slice you up and put you back in your box and the worst fucking thing about it is...” I smile viciously. “...After that you'd like it.”

It's an appalling thing to say, but as ever Eden says nothing. She doesn't sling the barb back at me. I can tell she's not even thinking about retaliating. And its not even as if she's weak, or stupid or afraid. Actually her acid tongue is well known, and has landed her in trouble more than once. It's one of the things I like so much about her. But it's never for me. No matter how hateful I am toward her. So I take advantage of it, unfairly, I always have. But on the other hand she has always let me. She says nothing, looking down into the hot water, blood swirling around her pale skin like red clouds on a clay sky. When she looks up at me her grey-blue eyes brim with pain. And still she is silent. A part of me wishes she would move forward and hit me as hard as she could across the face. I quite want that, but not as much as I want her as she is. She is wounded and wordless, so I get my wish.

I give a start of mirthless laughter and shake my head. I am grasping, flailing. And within moments my own eyes are full of tears and I am sobbing again. Eden takes me in her arms, then lays me back against the warm stone slope of the opening of the pool. All my cruel words forgiven.

The warmth of her pulls me in and before I think too much about it my hands are in the small of her back and my mouth finds hers. I roll on top of her, pinning her down. Wet skin on wet skin. Ravenous. I grasp onto her for dear life, as if I can fill myself up with her, then there wont be room for the rest of it. For anyone else. Her long fingers fold into my thick hair and she returns the kiss for about ten seconds and I can taste her desire. As I've tasted it before and I want it, I want it because everything else seems like more pain. Again, I take advantage. Eden pushes the heel of her hand against my sternum and parts me from her with a gentle push. She closes her eyes and I know she cant look at me. A sad smile stretches her thin red lips.  “Ells, please don't do that. Please.” She whispers. I gaze down at her and I sigh deeply, letting my forehead rest against hers. My gut twists with guilt. “I'm sorry.” I whisper. “I'm sorry.” I roll off of her, onto my side. “I'm sorry I'm such a hateful bitch.” She laughs, but there's not much mirth in it, and she moves to scoop some hot water out of the deeper part of the bath with her hand, pouring it over me as if I were coals in a sauna. It soothes me. “It's alright.” She whispers simply. I just let myself lay there, and for a while neither of us says anything.

“Did you see the execution?” I ask quietly after a little while. Eden nods. “Yes, I wasn't there but I saw the broadcast.”

     “I wish somebody had told me.”

     “Told you what?”

I think a moment. Blinking in the steam and the low light, as Eden pours hot water over my skin. “I don't know. I suppose I, never really thought it was real. Or it didn't feel real.” The corners of my lips tremble as the memory comes gushing back, but I dam it up, just about. “Your mother took you when you were fifteen didn't she?” I ask. Eden nods. “Did it scare you?” She pauses a moment before her hand resumes it's action. “I'm not sure I would say it scared me.”

     “I don't believe you.”

     “No, that's not what I mean.”

     “Then what do you mean?”

With the last handful Eden's hand comes down to slide over the contour of my waist, over my hip. “I wouldn't say it scared me, because I'd say that it broke me. Every time I saw it.” She cants her head to the side. “I've seen so many now. You don't get used to it. Ever.” My gaze falls, my hand slides across the smooth base of the pool to find the bottom of her ribs. Just the touch is comforting. I notice the still healing scar from what looks like a fresh fat implant on her thigh. My fingers move downward, brushing over it. “You had more surgery? I didn't know.” She shrugs. “It's nothing really.”

     “Was it Mikel's idea?”

     “No, his mother, Lara.” I roll my eyes. “God. I wish you'd learn to ignore that woman.”

     “If you had to spend every day with her you'd understand how nearly impossible that is.”

I laugh, an actual laugh and look up at Eden fondly. My hand moves back to her hip and I give her a squeeze. My eyes move downward to her stomach. Barely three inches above the hair on her pubic mound is another scar, this one much older. Horizontal, about five inches long. “How is Abha?” I ask. She nods. “She's doing well, already speaking two languages. Lara took her out to a runway show last week, and ever since she's been dressing her up in these horrible feathered bodices.” Eden raises her brow cynically. “But she gets complimented wherever I take her, so I suppose I'll have to get used to it.” I brush Eden's cheek with a warm smile. “She'll grow out of it. I think as soon as she can think properly for herself she'll be just like her mother.” I intend the comment kindly, but the words seem to strike Eden with painful sadness. Her face drops. My brow furrows. “What?” Eden shakes her head.

     “I hope to god, every day, that she's not like me.”