#sorry I got lost in the sauce because like I think he really is tragically attracted to men

[bloobluebloo]

It's up I hope you enjoy!! I am finally committing to the That Man Is Gay headcanon 😌🙏

AGHHJHGGJJHGJJG-I HAVE BEEN DOING YARD WORK ALL DAY time to read Ganondorf accepting his status as a gay man through Rauru 😭 Honestly, when it comes to TotK Ganondorf I can't see him not being immensely interested in men. Even if he is taught and told that he is different from the others, seeking a relationship with a voe specifically is such a hallmark trait of the Gerudo of the wilds era that there is a non-zero chance that Ganondorf isn't affected by that. Growing up I'm sure he is told he is a voe, but as a boy surrounded by girls only he must not really absorb what that means. He just thinks himself like any other Gerudo, and so surrounded by young girls chattering about voe and relationships and marriages, I can't imagine him not being swept up in the hype, not imagining what it might be like when he's older and sets out on his quest to find his dreamy voe. I often imagine that it is when he realizes that he is *voe* that he starts to truly internalize the alienation that comes with being the only man amongst his people, where he becomes the object of desire that all the girls around him fawned over all this time instead of getting to fawn over finding a voe like everyone else. He must ask himself if he's even allowed to want a voe given the burden on his shoulders of being the only one amongst his people. ANYWAYS linking the fic here for anyone else who is interested (and if you're interested in Ganrauru in general I highly recommend reading the entire series called Questions of Kingship! As you all know I enjoy how disastrous these two are and this series does such a good job fleshing it out 😭)

[sarunohadaki]

DQXI/The Last of Us Part II Crossover

Crossover week: Home | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

Enter a fic idea that started because I was thinking of luminerik in a zombie apocalypse when I realized there was already a game I could plop them into! I really enjoyed The Last of Us and, to a greater extent, TLOU Part II, although to be fair I only watched playthroughs of them.

They’re action-packed and emotionally driven, especially the sequel.

More under the cut for another longer post. Content warnings for depictions of violence, death, zombies, that sort of thing. Spoilers for The Last of Us 1 and 2, some DQXI canon parallels, and a potential future Saru fic (though doubtful).

Rating: M. For sure M.

Pairings: luminerik. Some friendships I haven’t figured out yet. Is it possible to throw in a slowburn and have this be an action/adventure fic? Who knows.

Premise: Eleven is Ellie in this, nice and simple. He’s the child who is immune to the Cordyceps virus that rapidly infects a shit ton of the human population and leads him to go on a whole adventure at the tender age of 13 or so.

However, this fic would take a lot from the events of TLOU II, when El is older. I have no idea what the main theme of this fic would be. In TLOU II, it was revenge.

About revenge…

Ellie’s father figure is murdered in front of her, the same man who took away her chance to help the world by him saving her from her self-sacrifice at the end of TLOU. Ellie felt like her life didn’t matter anymore because Joel took her life’s purpose away from her, but she was going to try to forgive him. Before Ellie could do that, Joel was murdered. Held down and beaten to death with a golf club while Ellie was forced to watch.

Ellie must have felt guilty about that— for holding her grudge over an aging man’s head for so long, a man who wanted her to live and be happy. And that just makes her angrier after witnessing his death.

The Eleven I know would never resort to murder, and he doesn’t have the same harshness to his character as Ellie did in TLOU. However, given the right circumstances, anyone can probably break. I just don’t know that I can replicate the same emotions and motives Ellie had behind her actions, or the relationship she held for Joel. There’s nobody like Joel in DQXI as far as I can throw it.

So, yeah! I’ve seen mention before of AUs where Jasper or Hendrik are Eleven’s father figures, and I could see that as more likely than Chalky or Rab slotting in for Joel in this. But also, Jasper, Hendrik, etc., would slot in very well as replacing Abby.

A bit of plot

The fic begins with Erik and Mia foraging for firewood in a snowy forest. They’ve been traveling for years with a posse of older men who keep them around as lackeys and possible zombie bait. You know, because people are horrible. The posse had picked up Erik and Mia when they were barely teens; that’s when the infection had started and the siblings hadn’t had much choice in whether they were going to go with the men or not, considering the alternative was likely death.

Anyway, when Erik and Mia return to camp, they find they have a new visitor! It’s a boy, gagged up to a chair in the center of the room. He has a bruise across his forehead and doesn’t look too happy about the arrangement.

Erik’s shocked at this new development, but it’s not his place to ask questions. Good thing he doesn’t have to, because soon enough there’s another stranger knocking at their door. And they want Eleven back.

Which. You can imagine how that exchange goes. The stranger gets what they want, although not without shedding some blood in the process. It’s not like Erik is one to complain so long as he and his sister are safe, and they do survive the ensuing shootout, despite almost being used as a meat shield at some point.

Eleven urges his savior — a family friend — to take Erik and Mia in, and they relent. I don’t know who saves Eleven. I know Eleven probably lives in Jackson with others who all treat each other like family.

And that’s all I’ve got. The plot unravels from there. The only other thing I have in my notes is obligatory sexual tension, gore, some close calls with the infected, and Eleven’s big reveal that he is immune to zombie chomps. (Full disclosure, I don’t think Erik would feel betrayed by the news.)

More overarching plot

I don’t know if Eleven sets off on a revenge plot like Ellie did in the games but hey, I’m here for that. He has a dark side he doesn’t show the others (Darkspawn, anyone?). That, or he wants to search for another doctor (one Joel didn’t murder thankyouverymuch) to help him save the world by developing a vaccine.

As I mentioned before, Jasper, Hendrik, etc. could be Group B in this fic, replacing Abby. I am so sorry to them if this fic closely followed TLOU II’s plot because that means pretty much none of that team is going to come out of this fic alive.

I DO like the idea of Erik agreeing to go on an adventure with Eleven in exchange for letting Mia stay in Jackson. So, Eleven obvs agrees and lets Erik join him. Imagine Erik unknowingly joining a revenge/murder plot and seeing his new friend slowly losing his sanity as he gets lost in the sauce of killing people. That would be terrible! Particularly if Erik said, “Sure, I’ll follow you while you do whatever” and only later discovers El’s darker motives.

The Obligatory Luminerik

No one ever needs a reason for romance in a fic but by god it was in TLOU II canonically anyway so that’s all the reason I need. Give me two boys gently mending each other’s injuries after fights. Meaningful glances over campfires and tag-teaming to overcome obstacles while traveling together. Give me that sad as all Hell guitar solo with Ellie singing to Dina only make it Eleven singing softly while Erik’s heart shatters into a billion pieces and— agh. If you don’t know how that love story ends, I don’t have the heart to tell you.

(P.s. oh I forgot to mention that El's parents were probably tragically murdered in front of him by a clicker that had heard their noise, and therefore El has residual trauma from it. Might be selectively mute or just afraid to speak around anybody really, to the point that others think he's "slow" whereas he doesn't give a shit what other people think about it and probably hasn't told anyone about the parent-murdered thing.)

[a-student-out-of-time]

Do you like the new characters that DR3 introduced, if only for the potential they held (that you are now proceeding to follow up on in this blog?)

//Oh yes, absolutely. Chisa, Miaya, Koichi, Juzo, Munakata, Seiko, Gozu, even Ruruka and Izayoi, all of them had so much potential and the character moments we saw with them were great. And then they all died.

//I think that’s the most disappointing thing about DR3. They had the opportunity to do something different, give us new characters to meet, and instead we rarely got anything detailed about them before they were ultimately killed off.

//Some would argue that those moments of their pasts, them being good people, is to make their deaths feel all the more poignant or tragic.

//And I’m sorry, but I hate that argument. Because you shouldn’t need to see characters at their best or expressing moments of emotional vulnerability in order to feel bad that they’re dead. That’s not evoking more tragedy, that’s not poignant, it’s atrociously wasteful. It’s killing off a character who could’ve had so much more you could’ve explored, but instead we’re just gonna toss them aside for a few minutes of sad music and then hardly ever bring them again.

//I get it, it’s Danganronpa, not everyone’s gonna make it out alive. But it still feels very disrespectful and emotionally manipulative when they pull that, but refuse to actually kill off main characters like Kyoko and Aoi.

//A lot of people fixate on Kyoko’s death and resurrection, but at least it had some minor foreshadowing. Aoi’s fake death actually pisses me off a lot more because it ended the second episode on a heavy note, where it seemed like it was made clear that nobody was safe and this really was a hardcore conclusion to the series.

//The next episode makes it clear not only is she alive, but that her death was just a joke. Seriously. The entire reason they made the blood red in the Future Arc was just to pull a joke on Makoto and the audience by saying it was actually tomato sauce and a fake knife. That’s not DR’s usual quirky sense of humor, that’s a gigantic middle finger to the viewer.

//I didn’t want her to actually die, but when you pull that, it really shows disrespect to your viewers and to the characters who actually die, especially when the narrative ultimately undoes everything potentially meaningful about it.

//The biggest example: Munakata and Makoto were actually very good foils in Future Arc. The former has a serious hatred for the despairs, and while he was still a dick about it, he points out that Makoto’s had it comparatively easy. It’s easy to talk about hope when you’re not on the front lines getting your hands dirty and watching friends and civilians die.

//So, when Chisa dies, it drives him over the edge and he begins suspecting everyone might be out to get him. Considering Makoto helped protect 77-B, it’s easy to see why he’d be so suspicious, not helped by the fact that Chisa had been a despair all along and been nudging him down this path.

//So, when Kyoko “dies,” Munakata is confused by Makoto doesn’t go down this same path. They both lost the women they loved, but Makoto still chooses to believe in hope and be happy that he had the chance to be with her. Munakata had been ready to discard all his memories and the noble ideals he’d associated with Chisa, but Makoto gets through to him.

//Those “empty platitudes” he’d been complaining about reveal more about Makoto’s status as the Ultimate Hope: he inspires people to try to be better. And in Munakata’s rage, he’d cut down everything and everyone close to him and only perpetuated the cycle of vengeance, including Juzo, the other person who was in love with him and completely loyal to him. And he resolves to put an end to things in a better way.

//But that all feels really undercut by the end, where Makoto gets Kyoko back and Munakata walks away with everyone and everything he believed in destroyed. Where does he go? What does he do? We don’t know, because he’s not a main character and thus apparently not important enough to answer that question.

[bang-and-a-blintz]

Through the Darkness

CHAPTER SIX - ROSEMARY GRITS

Fandom: Dracula (2020)  

Relationship: Dracula/Roxana(OFC)  

Rating: Mature  

Warnings: None  

Word Count: 4,475

Cafe Rose Nicaud had a moderate crowd for the afternoon rush. This allowed Dracula and Roxana to squeeze into a small booth in the far corner without having to wait. It was a cozy spot; the dark walls were lined with brightly painted caricatures of revered local musicians and the glass in the windows was covered with a colored film that reflected purple, green, and gold across the tables. Kermit Ruffin's trumpet cooed and floated casually out from the speakers in the ceiling.

A waitress shuffled over to drop off some menus and waters, when she smiled her cheeks were dotted and rosy and half her teeth were missing. Roxana thanked the woman and took a swig from the ice-cold glass. The midday sun heated the city quite nicely, making her light jacket feel a little too warm, so she shrugged it off and folded it up next to her. Dracula, on the other hand, and despite his all-black three-piece-suit, looked as cool as a cucumber as he lazily put his sunglasses into his breast pocket and picked up the menu.

The image struck her as strangely normal, too normal, to see Dracula sitting across from her at a small cafe tapping his claws against the tabletop and glancing over the menu with an almost bored look. Roxana used the opportunity to properly inspect him in the daylight. She couldn't deny that the man was attractive. His thick black mane was only slightly mussed from the walk, but otherwise impeccably maintained. He had such a distinguished facial structure that she couldn't help but to be in slight awe; from the serious, Slavic brow to the prominently defined cheekbones; he was every bit a good-looking villainous trope. She took particular notice of his full lips; what a soft and pillowy barrier between his vicious teeth and any poor soul that got too close.

By the way his brows knitted together as he read the menu, she gathered he was unfamiliar with the world of modern cuisine. It made it her wonder if he knew anything about human food at all.

"Do you even eat food?" Roxana asked curiously.

Dracula shook his head, "No, but I do find it intriguing how much stock you all put into food here. It's as if you really care about what you consume. I like that."

"Because food is lives. A single plate can tell the stories of the past or create visions for the future; it can soothe your soul, shed your tears, and inspire your senses. It allows us to survive but can just as well be a cause of death." She took another sip of water before continuing. "I believe that flavor is the essence of life and it is blasphemy to claim otherwise."

He stared at her for a moment with what almost looked like fondness. "I completely agree."

"It's a shame though."

"What's that?"

"Well, that you missed out on such a wonderful dish last night," Roxana's lips curved as he cocked his head, "I had really put in the effort and for that chateaubriand to be wasted on you is just tragic."

"To be perfectly honest, I had been thinking about a different kind of meal you could've offered." Dracula grinned, leaning closer across the table, "You know, it's bad for business, not providing for your client's needs and wants. That is something we shall have to work on."

She swallowed thickly, he was a bit too close and she could see nothing but the black hole of his gaze. His eyes were truly mesmerizing and she was afraid of getting lost inside that intimidating stare. Luckily for her, at that moment the waitress came back to take the order, Roxana was grateful for the distraction and spoke up first, "I'll take the rose benedict with some gator sausage and a house bloody, please cher."

"Not a problem, babe, and what about you, handsome?"

"I'm just here for the lady." He smiled boyishly. "But I wouldn't mind trying a tall glass of yourself."

She gave a shriek of laughter and pointed a crooked finger at him before collecting the menus back up, "Oh you're nothing but trouble. Alright, baby, that'll be right up, just holla if you need anything." She walked back towards the kitchen shaking her head. "Ohh, he's bad!"

"If she only knew," Roxana muttered.

He turned to smile at her, "That word you said, 'cher', what does that mean? You called me it earlier as well."

His question was innocent but it turned her cheeks a cherry red that Dracula found very enjoyable.

"Oh it's just a, um, a term of endearment." She spoke quickly as if the more words she managed to squeeze in would save her from embarrassment. "But don't think on it, honestly, it's just habit. Memaw used to say it, along with her cribbage friends, and my old cooking instructor…It comes from 'cherie', the french word for 'dearest' or whatever."

She didn't appreciate how pleased he looked and he most definitely was. It was the little things, he mused silently, that made her squirm and fluster. Another piece to the puzzle he was starting to put together.

"You seem to be warming up to me quite quickly."

"Ever heard of 'Southern Hospitality'? Calling people babe or cher or honey is habitual because we have a friendly culture, nothing more, so don't get your hopes up, sweetie."

"I understand the social pleasantries, but that is beside the point." Dracula looked pointedly at their proximity in the booth. He was right, and she knew it, because who else in their right mind would willingly sit down and have brunch with an undead vampire warlord from the fourteenth century? Maybe she was crazy.

"Look, I don't know how to…be about everything. Seeing as this situation is a little bit out of my realm, I'm just going to be cautious and courteous lest I become a snack."

"I told you," The vampire huffed, "I'm not going to kill you yet. And besides, I wouldn't have you as a snack, no, my dear, you would be a full-on, fine-dining, four-course meal and I intend to make you last."

Her face deadpanned.

"Here you go, baby." The waitress chose the most opportune moment to arrive with the bloody mary. A godsend, truly. "I gave you an extra piece of bacon, sugar, in case y'all wanted to share."

With a not-very-subtle wink towards Dracula, she hobbled away again. Roxana rolled her eyes and immediately started gulping down half the beverage before munching the first sweetened slice of pig. "She's really laying it on thick, huh?"

"I can't help it that I'm irresistible."

"Oh I'm not so sure of that," She popped a pepper into her mouth. "I've been in your company for less than twenty-four hours and I can already tell you are insufferable."

"Roxana!" Dracula mocked gasped and placed his hand over his non-beating heart, garnering some attention from the nearby patrons, "You wound me."

"You'll survive, I'm sure." She polished off the rest of the drink and smiled widely at the noisy tourists. They immediately looked back down at their plates; the key was to always kill them with kindness. "Anyway, if you're finished with being a drama queen, please tell me more about this council and dinner and all that. We've been getting slightly off track."

The Count sighed and raked a hand through his hair, completely oblivious to the exchange, "Basically there is a peace treaty being put into place because apparently things are getting out of hand for the city. The mortals want accountability and the council is trying to solidify an agreement. And as far the dinner goes, I imagine there are going to be a few more people from Mr. Kendell's committee as well as the heads of Keres' council. We will all wine and dine, figuratively for the supernaturals, of course, we'll sign some papers and all the political nonsense, all while you graciously host us."

"And then it'll be over? I won't have to deal with any of this after that?"

"Are you already tiring of my company?" Dracula's brow crinkled upwards and made him akin to a large puppy dog, but she was not fooled. Without letting her answer, he heaved a sigh and continued. "Well, I'd imagine that afterward, at a later date, there will be a ball. Seeing as it should be around the time Mardi Gras starts to pick up, I believe it will be a grand affair. You will be invited, no doubt, Keres is nothing if not socially polite."

"Yeah, sure, that sounds safe." She was being sarcastic, but her interest piqued considerably. A gala for a supernatural and mortal peace treaty during Mardi Gras? Roxana would be lying if she said that wasn't the coolest thing she had ever heard of. Call it some sort of morbid fascination that seemed to be interred in her bones because she always did have an affinity towards dark and strange things.

"I'll admit, Keres can be a bit uptight and a tad pretentious, but let me tell you, that woman really knows how to throw a party!"

"What's the deal with you two anyway, y'all an item or something?"

"Why, are you jealous?" He smirked as she went to protest but cut her off with a lazy wave of his hand, "No, no, no, she is definitely not one of my brides."

That stopped Roxana in her tracks and she stared at him incredulously, "I'm sorry, did you say brides? Plural?"

"Yes." Dracula's brows rose innocently. "I never have more than three at a time."

"What the fu-?" She was cut off by a steaming plate placed in front of her face. The smell wafted up to her nose and she deeply inhaled the tantalizing scent, momentarily distracted from the beast across from her.

"Anything else, hun?" Where the waitress stood, Roxana could only see an angel sent down from the heavens.

"Another bloody and make it a double, please."

The woman nodded knowingly and was off again.

Roxana took a moment to stare at the beautiful dish and appreciate its display. The rose benedict was one of her favorite brunch items; the succulently poached egg perched on top of a fluffy and flaky biscuit baked to perfection, layered with fresh arugula, sliced tomatoes and avocados, a juicy alligator sausage link, and the homemade hollandaise sauce that was magnificent. It was all placed neatly over a bed of the cafe's famous rosemary grits.

Simply divine.

Dracula watched with intent as Roxana delicately used her knife to break open one of the eggs and the yolk oozed out over the side of the dish. With precise hands, she cut a piece that contained a little bit of everything and brought the fork to her mouth. As she bit down and closed her eyes, she let out a little moan that should not have affected him the way it did. He began to salivate as his eyes focused on how her tongue dipped out to lick the little bit left on the corner of her lip and they slowly drew downward towards her neck, where he could hear her heartbeat thump solidly beneath her flesh.

The cheery waitress came back with Roxana's drink; she thanked the older woman and took a large swig, her eyes closed briefly in happiness at how strongly poured the beverage was. Thank the gods for vodka, she thought gratefully and then brought her focus back to Dracula. "So are you saying you have three brides right now? That sounds exhausting. Honestly how could you have time to follow me around all day?"

"No, no, I'm currently in the market." He leaned close and spoke conspiratorially, "It's really not all that difficult, you see, they're fairly easy to control once put in their boxes."

"You're horrible."

"I'm joking," Dracula reclined back in his seat and laughed, "Haven't done that in a few hundred years. No, nowadays it's a bit more complex, isn't it?"

"Relationships?"

"If you want to call them that, sure." He said, watching her for a moment as she cut into the second egg with the same precision as the first. "I've had some difficulties acquiring the right bride."

"Maybe if you practiced a little respect and some monogamy, you might have more success." Roxana took a sip of water and then made a facial shrug, "Or if they're into polygamy, then that's fine. It's not my bag but to each their own. Though I will say, the whole box thing is really fucked up and you've definitely got to cut that shit out."

He found her candor endearing. "It is an attempt I'm making."

"Is that why you wasted the day stalking me?"

"I have an eternity. One day is insignificant and therefore cannot be wasted." As he spoke, one of his large hands waved about and emphasized his speech. "Besides I wasn't stalking, you passed by my window near the square and I had nothing better to do."

"You followed me all the way from there?!" The Count just shrugged and folded his hands together in his lap. She rolled her eyes, "You need to find yourself a hobby."

Roxana ate the last bite of her meal before polishing off the rest of her drink and set the empty glass down with a satisfied sigh. Her stomach was full and her head was beginning to enter the realm of that familiar warmth that only accompanied good liquor.

Again with impeccable service, the waitress swung by again to pick up the dirty dishes and asked if anything else was needed. Roxana ordered another double bloody to-go and the check. She then excused herself to go to the bathroom and Dracula sat back to observe his surroundings. Idle chatter and clinking utensils on plates filled filling the cafe, but the vampire could hear nothing more than a symphony of heartbeats all thumping in a wild orchestrated sonata. He was getting very hungry.

The Count took a deep breath and reminded himself to be patient. All good things come with time. His companion returned at the same time as the waitress and when Roxana grabbed the check, she noticed that Dracula had latched his claws onto the other side. "I'll take care of that."

"Oh no, you won't!"

He smirked as her eyes narrowed, "Oh yes, I will."

"You didn't even eat."

"And?"

"I pay my own way."

"I insist."

They both had leaned closer and closer, not willing to break eye-contact nor their vice grips on the bill. Dracula was incredibly amused. Roxana was not. The waitress's head bounced back and forth along with their verbal tennis match.

"I will make a scene." She all but growled, eyes narrowing.

"Please," He matched her tone, "I would love to see that."

A pause.

"Damn girl, just take the free meal!" The waitress decided to take the opportunity to cut in, "Give him a little lagniappe later, ya heard me? If you don't, well, sign me up, baby."

Needless to say, Roxana was not happy when she walked out of the cafe and stormed down the street. Dracula followed, looking as smug as ever with his hands in his pockets and a little grin on his face.

After a few blocks and a few more swigs from her cup, she finally let go of her pride and slowed to walk alongside him once more. The sun had begun to set, sending its red and orange hues across the city to cut in between streets and through windows. She loved this time of day. The refraction of the sun created a heady glow that felt like a soothing hug to one's soul.

"Where are we off to next?" Dracula looked down at her, noticing her shoulders weren't as rigid as they were when they left the restaurant.

"A nice lady in the bathroom told me about some little show down by the river, thought that sounded lovely."

He made a face, "Modern toilet etiquette is baffling."

"We were just washing our hands," Roxana laughed at the count's confused expression. "Though you're not wrong. A lot more goes on in bathrooms than just 'using the loo.'"

She mimicked his acquired accent and he was thrilled to see her back to her cheerful self. Until her eyes lit up with a curiosity that he was beginning to recognize and he could already tell where her mind was heading.

"Wait, do you -?"

"No."

"But I didn't-"

"No."

"Could you let me-?"

"No." He said, chuckling as she huffed in frustration. "I know what you're going to ask and the answer is no. I have no use for a toilet. Good thing too, apparently, because according to you, there are plenty of strange things that happen in those receptacles that I have no wish of engaging in."

"Eh, it's mostly people doing drugs. You're not missing much." They turned the corner, she brushed away some hair that blew in her face and took another sip. "Unless you're into drugs?"

Dracula grimaced, "Not particularly. It depends on the drug."

"How about alcohol?" She looked up at him and he shook his head no. "So why did you choose New Orleans? You do realize this is a party city, right?"

"Because I see that there is more to this city than what meets the eye." He spread his hands out wide, "Look around! New Orleans is a delicious cocktail of artists and scholars, fighters and doctors, saints and sinners - it is a plentiful orchard of every imaginable fruit and I would be remiss not to pluck the ripened morsels. The culture here promotes hedonism and I am simply embracing it."

He watched as she paused and looked thoughtfully a bush of jasmine flowers. There were hundreds of them lining the block and wafting around their fragrant aroma. She bent down to pluck a group of three and then turned towards him, walking up close, and tucking them gently in his breast pocket.

"What's this for?"

"Something sweet-smelling," She continued forward, "You're starting to stink up the neighborhood with your evil."

"It was a compliment of the highest form - I've actually become quite fond of this city!"

"Yeah? So stop eating its people!" Roxana called over her shoulder. Dracula laughed in disbelief; she definitely would be an interesting flavor and he was very eager to try.

Catching up to her quickly, they made their way across the quarter and over to the river. By the time they arrived, the night sky had crept in, chasing away the rest of daylight. A small crowd had gathered over by the steps along the riverbank and in the center were a couple of musicians with their small amplifiers; the band was jamming and the crowd was dancing away. The music was a bit too uptempo for Roxana's taste but she could appreciate that everyone was having a good time.

"Is this your style of music?" He asked as they sat down next to each other on a bench overlooking the impromptu show. She noticed how close he sat and how he positioned his body angled towards her with his arm draped behind her. Knowing he was going towards being incredibly invasive and unnerving, she was not about to admit defeat and refused to scoot back.

"No, I'm more of a blues or tragic rock 'n roll kind of gal. The sadder the better, I say."

"But you seem so…happy."

"Yeah, well, you seem like a gentleman, but we both know what you're really after here." She gave him a pointed look. "All of us wear masks, Mr. Balaur."

"Fair enough."

They sat for a while and watched the impromptu set until the sky grew darker and the city lights flickered awake. The heat of the sun disappeared along with it and brought in the chilly air once more. A swift reminder to Roxana that she only brought a thin coat. She chugged down the remainder of her drink, in hopes of creating some sort of liquor blanket, and pulled her jacket closer.

"As surprisingly nice this evening turned out to be, I need to get home. So I'm going to head out." She stood up and turned towards him.

"Would you like a ride?"

"No!" She said a little too loudly and then cleared her throat, blushing. "I mean, no that's fine, I'm just going take the streetcar."

"Nonsense, I can drive you, my car is close by."

"Seriously, I'm fine. Thank you, though."

"I'll accompany you to the streetcar then - and I won't take no for answer."

Roxana knew better than to even try and just spun on her heel, walking away and knowing that he would shortly keep up. They weaved back through the maze of the quarter towards the hub on Canal Street and maintained their amiable silence. Dracula kept a few steps distance from her and easily clung to the shadows. She thought it was strange, but made no comment. Must be his nature.

A few blocks from the bright and bustling main street, they were the only people walking around as they passed by a dimly lit parking garage. Where an attendant usually sat was only an empty booth and a single flickering light.

There was a flash of steel and suddenly a man appeared out from around the other side of the booth. He was wielding a knife. The guy pointed it at Roxana, not seeing Dracula in the darkness, and he gave her a grin that sent chills down her spine.

"Hey there, doll. Why don't we make this nice and easy?" His voice sounded like a kazoo made out of sandpaper; wheezy and scratchy and a tad too high-pitched.

Normally, this would be the moment she would grab her mace, spray, and run; but then she remembered the five-hundred-year-old genocidal bloodsucker creeping unseen behind this lunatic. Better the devil you know and all that.

"Hello."

The man jumped and pointed his weapon as Dracula materialized out of the shadows. "Where the fuck did you come from?"

"Wallachia."

"Bless you." Roxana couldn't stop the words from leaving her mouth and when he gave her an incredulous look, she just put a hand up in apology.

"Shut up, both of you, and give me what you've got." He waved the blade back and forth between the pair them. "Or I'll slice y'all right up!"

Dracula and Roxana exchanged looks. He took a deep breath and stepped towards the man. "Let's make a deal, hm? I'll give you what you want, if you give me what I want?"

"What? You crazy, old man?"

"No, no, not crazy, just a businessman." He smirked, "What do they say? Quid pro quo?"

"Well whatchu want then?"

"It's very simple, actually, I just need you to say 'yes'."

The man looked bewildered and faltered his grip a bit on the knife, "Why the fuck-?"

"Have you been drinking? On any drugs?"

"What're you a cop?

"No. I just don't like the taste." The count gave him a look and the man slowly shook his head. Compelled almost. "Good, now, back to business."

Dracula took another step closer and pulled out a rolled-up wad of money, raising his eyebrows and wagging it in the air. The guy gulped audibly, not able to take his eyes off of the prize cash.

"What…what did you want again?"

The vampire lowered his voice, "Just say 'yes'."

"…Yes?"

The tension was thick. Dracula smirked as he glanced over to see Roxana staring at them, her wide eyes with rapt attention. Oh he hoped she would enjoy the show. "That's good enough for me."

Frozen in horror, she watched as his eyes filled with a dark red, and his teeth extended to frightening lengths. He launched at the man with the knife and slapped the blade away, gripping the mortal effortlessly and latching his jaw around the tender neck. Sounds of hissing and slurping and growling battled the poor guy's cries of terror which bounced and echoed across the buildings.

She wasn't sure she could move even if she tried. Roxana just stood there and dumbly stared as Dracula drank his fill. After a few moments, she didn't know because time appeared to stand still, he looked to be finally sated. The count detached himself by brutally ripping out part of the muscle in the man's neck, making a show of spitting it across the sidewalk, and then tossed the body to the side like a useless rag doll. Even in the dark of the night, she could still see the smear of blood across his mouth and the pointy white teeth from his devilish grin.

He put the wad of money back in his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to dab at his cheek, acting as if nothing ever happened. Noting her shock, he just rose a single brow, "What?"

"What?" She mumbled and then shook her head roughly, snapping herself out of the daze. "What?! What do you mean? The fuck was that?!"

"He said yes. Verbal consent."

"You have no concept of what consent actually is."

"Oh come on, he was going to stab you, I saved your life." He stepped towards her and she could clearly see the blood now, it even tainted his teeth. She could smell it.

"You're a monster."

Dracula took another step into her personal space. "That's a terrible way to show gratitude."

The image began to repeat in her mind of his teeth tearing so viciously into the flesh and the blood dripping from the count's chin as he rolled his eyes back in ecstasy. Over and over and over again.

He noticed she had paled significantly and got a glazed look in her eyes, "Are you alright? You're not looking so well."

She felt it churn in her stomach and claw up her throat, and without any attempt to stop the inevitable, Roxana promptly vomited all over Count Dracula's fancy suit.

Taglist:

@festering-queen​ @vissidarte213​ @moony691​ @torntaltos​ @allis143​ @apocalypsenowish​

[chattegeorgiana]

I love your blog & your analysis! Part 12 was good I think that the interpretation that Sakura broke off her friendship with Ino over a boy is lopsided & not even true. I thought it was clear it was about them being the better kunochi sasuke was a side bonus. Even if it was all about a boy I thought it was also clear that Ino & Sakura were willing participants in the rivalry. Either one could've stopped at anytime. Ino was not forced to fight for Sasukes attention just like Sakura wasn't. (1)

(2) this isn't hate for Ino even when I was a hardcore ss fan (forever ago) I still liked Ino. But I don't like how Sakura is made to be responsible for the actions of other people. Sauce wasn't even present for their fight I don't get how people make Sakura & Ino's fight 100% about him when they even didn't. Although I could be missing something & maybe I'm wrong. Sorry for the long ask and for ranting!

Aww, thank you very much dear! Glad you enjoyed the read.

Well, yes, the general idea was that Sakura broke her friendship with Ino for a boy, but did she though? That’s the question we should be asking ourselves. Like you said yourself, and I think that’s a thing I forgot to even mention in the analysis, Ino also participated in the rivalry. I mean, Ino also lets her hair grow. And that is only after Sakura says she heard that Sasuke likes girls with long hair. If Ino wouldn’t have been interested in any of that, she wouldn’t have changed her hair length. She would’ve been like...whatever. But no, she isn’t like that. She grows her hair as well.

And like I said in the post, at that point their relationship seemed more like role model and protege, than friendship. Because the minute Sakura goes and tells everyone she likes Sasuke, what does Ino do? Hides it. Doesn’t admit it. Not even when Sakura confronts her about it. Only from her act of growing her hair out we get the real response.

Like I said, at least Sakura, in all her naivete and silliness of a x years old (probably around 6,7,8?) is truthful and out in the open with who she is, who she likes and what she does. She’s blunt like that. Whereas Ino acts quite shady. Not to judge any of them after all. They were small children, still discovering the world. We all do stupid things when we’re children. It’s just baffles me how quickly Sakura was judged, and Ino was cut some slack on her part of the deal, so to speak.

Hell, like I said there, with girls it was this getting boy’s attention, with the boys it was about who was cooler and popular. If we are to judge, shouldn’t we judge as objectively as possible, at least? Granted, like I said, Naruto’s reason was more tragic than Sakura’s, but Sakura also had a crappy childhood with her bullies. In the end, both parts looked for the same thing - acknowledgement from the peers.

Then they start growing, and while yes, they both do like Sasuke, it’s like their little inside bickering rather than anything else. And it is proven after the fight, when they really imo, become friends. At that point, the Sasuke argumentation is more to play with one’s mind rather than anything else, just as proven in the battle (which I’m going to talk about in part 13 of the series). But the actual core reasoning behind all that? They want to test their skills as shinobi, not who got more of Sasuke’s attention. He wasn’t even there.

But yeah, hating on Sakura has been one of the biggest bandwagon jump movements of masses I’ve ever been given to see, if you ask me. The way people lost their critical thinking around her character was absolutely insane. They didn’t hate her because they applied some critical thinking reasoning, they hated her because it was cool to hate and that was it. Granted, we had some people who did not like her that did apply some critical thinking, but those people mainly expressed dislike in most of the Naruto cast. And they expressed disliking more to Kishimoto’s writing style, than the actual character itself. Which is totally different, imo. That’s why even in my posts I always try to bring this aspect into account - is the character really that bad, or it’s the author’s writing at fault here? And well, most of the times the answer is rather the author’s writing. Kishi gave us a great story. But it’s not free from issues in terms of writing. I for example yes, I still have some things I like about Naruto, but there are also other things that lack big time. And that’s not on the characters. It’s on the writer.

So yeah. Anyway, no worries about the ranting, haha. That’s why we’re here, to have a debate about it. And as long as we keep it civil, all is good. Thanks for the message! *hugs*

[tamiddyinyourcity]

10:28pm.

Gonna be listening to this all night, it was recommended to me right as I left their house.

Since phones listening in.... very creepy.

Anyway.

Issa bop nonetheless.

"It's not that complicated, no matter what they say! You'll never meet another me!" Bars shed, my guy.

Anyway.

I'm cold as fuck, and will probably have to wipe down every item ever touched between me leaving my house and reentering it.

If I die from the coronavirus all because the one time I left my house, I got shot down when trying to make peaceful exit, then, i feel like I'm owed another extra life for it.

But, I still feel good. I did a good thing. Spent weeks writing the letter, and buried my own hatchet internally.

Tragic, knowing something is now gone with the wind. Writing that letter helped a lot, getting out any single thing I wanted to say to him.

Frankly, the horrified look on his face and the way he was clutching his chest, amused me, in a way that confirms I probably would benefit from a psychologist and at least five seperate therapists. He's so damn dramatic. What, never had your crazy ex girlfriend talk with your parents in your livingroom unexpectedly?

Sheesh, dude.

*kidding, but lmfaoooooo im sorry it was just so fucking funny*

It's just a shame, knowing I lost my late night McDonalds buddy. But, a new one will come eventually. He's most likely not the only existing guy with a car in my city that would be happy to get me chicken nuggets with buffalo sauce sometime.

Good new guys are coming, and that's what I need. He just made shit so damn bad, all for nothing.

So, R.I.P. to whoever I date next, if you're reading this. I'm not a terrible person, I just genuinely am the type that needs healthy communication and respect received from my partner.

Hell, Patrick #1 never had to get bitchslapped by me, since he never didreally idiotic and heartless things, while expecting to pull the "but im a virgin uwu" card....

Also, I think I'm just handling this well, due to calling Patrick #1.

The phone call alone, and how nice the mutual apologies between eachother went, (despite me calling him a lot of really bad names in a voicemail once, and him saying some outta pocket shit back that i never bothered to read,) revealed how truly one sided and toxic my relationship with P2 really was, yknow?

Like....

Patrick #1 just straight up reflected on what he had done, and genuinely apologized and looked into the root of his actions.

And the scrawny fucker I dated after him would be the type to just deflect, gaslight, or start some of the most idiotic fights ever.....

The phone call last night really made something... CLICK.

A really loud, "C L I C K . "

Or, like a domino effect, where one small domino of "wow, a man that apologizes and means it, and reflects on his own actions without being told? I haven't had that since"..... then a series of bigger realizations, and dominoes, until.... the biggest domino falls, of, "Patrick #2 really IS a narcissist."

Jesus, CHRIST.

IT MAKES.... SCARY SENSE????????

Or at least one can agree that a girl will swoon and instantly get horny for the man that apologizes in an earnest and easygoing manner, after months of back-and-forth, pointed fingers, and more with her other guy....

Thanks, Patrick #1, for yet again being an example of what a real man acts like. You can be a himbo sometimes, but no one's perfect.

......

It's funny, he's the one ex boyfriend that I don't have an atrocious ending story with. Thank fuck for that. One can assume it's since he actually was good at creating boundaries, treating me as a respectable equal, and was not just treating me as a sex object....

Then oh, look. The crazy ex girlfriend might not be that crazy, if she still has at least one ex she's on pretty good terms with. (The type of dude I could bake a cake for, just for existing. A nice dude.)

I did try to have that with [redacted] tonight... but obviously it lead to him clutching his chest and being super terrified of me, (im not sure whats so scary about a girl in a sundress calmly trying to set boundaries but hes always been kinda paranoid,) sooooooo let's file that under, "At least i tried", and just feel glad about that.

90% of the "shes crazy" dudes just ended up being apart of the cheater/abusive/stalker demographic, so I tend to ignore them, and/or just show them that real crazy is (insert something negative ive done) here, not me texting you more than twice when you stand me up for dates...

The 10% "shes not crazy, shes just had bad dudes before, and is a nice girl if you get to know her", demographic, is.....

Marco. He's insane, though, so I don't count him. And he is a cheater. So he flops from "SHES INSANE" to "hey girl whats up, i wanna take you to dinner" whenever he wants to cheat on his girlfriend.... it only ever worked once, and I don't foresee myself doing that again. :)

Patrick #1. Easiest relationship ever. Started off with me not caring about him, and just a mutual "for fun" relationship. He fell for me first, which is always a good sign. Then it was a positive vibe overall, not many bad moments with him. Great sex, communicated his problems without hesitation, incredible company a d very easy to talk to.... OOOOOH BITCH, DO YOU SEEEEE WHY I SWOOOOON?

I would fuck the shit out of him, not gonna lie.

But, he already knows that, I think? Does he? I dunno. Anyway, hes still a good guy. The call was nice, even if it doesn't mean we're best buds again.

But, a good guy.

I see what people mean by that euphemism, "Would you rather have a car that is fully functioning, or a fixer upper that is time consuming, exhausting, and may not even work?"

Trying to get any sort of resolution from [redacted] was like trying to make a car from 1970s run smoothly. But that one phone call alone from Patrick felt like getting out of a rusty junker that had no seat belts or airbags whatsoever, and driving a Porsche, with GPS, heated seats, and a mini tv screen, you know?????

"THIS IS GOING SO SMOOTHLY??? NO PROBLEMS WHATSOVER???? HOLY SHIT?????"

It's probably why I'm in a good mood tonight.

He's a good guy, truly. Even the not so good moments still worked out.

........

Damn.

Well, at least my last relationship served to get me from September to March without killing myself over being unable to see Patrick, and gave us time apart to let him settle into college. :)

So far, feeling surprisingly nice tonight.

Probably since I'm swooning over my ex, but.... yeah, it feels good.

I guess I might as well take the time to be nostalgic tonight.

....

Patrick was ridiculously fine, but foolish, when we first met. I didn't think the relationship would go past just a friendship, or even the first date, so one can say I was pleasantly surprised.

We clicked ridiculously naturally, once we let our guard down. I think since we did base the relationship off of me having another boyfriend, (poly, not an affair,) and us both just wanting fun, it wasn't intimidating to be flirty or sexual in public. Two exhibitionists, proudly making out on the grass in public while enjoying sunshine and cubano sandwiches? Hell yeah.

The sexual attraction was there. Back then, the actual romance hadn't been.

(What sucks writing about moments where I fell for someone, is that its rarely ever reciprocated to the same level as me. Hell, [redacted] and I's moment where I fell for him, he did tell me a few days later that his feelings for me had not been very strong... I think me ignoring his messages made him realize I was hurt, so he probably got me the flowers and candy for that reason, i guess. Geez, i always questioned how genuine he had ever felt for me.... yeah, thankfully that relationship is over.)

But me and Patrick clicked best on the third date. He was super cocky, but was willing to put his pride aside and be vulnerable as well. Vulnerability is... extremely sexy with the right guy. ANYONE can act suave, but not many people would open up to a girl. (Actually thats a lie, so many people open up to me instantly since i lack a desire to see topics as taboo, but it felt a little different this time.)

Since some people just tell me mildly taboo things when they get comfortable, like their porn or how they hate certain people in their life.

What he told me was..... harsh. And sad. I still refuse to say what he said, but.... Jesus.

I guess the third date was a lot. We went to the beach, i got bodyslammed by the ocean into sharp rocks, i showered at his place before we casually looked up our astrology signs in his bed..... a hot makeout session, followed up by extremely terrible sex. (We forgot to discuss sexual boundaries, so a girl forgetting to mention having breathing problems during sex, paired with a guy who thinks three fingers is standard.... leads to some issues.)

Then I think because he noticed the way I kept twitching and having tics, (i tend to swear randomly when i hit a certain level of discomfort; [redacted] admired it, despite not understanding it, which is pretty gross to look back on now that you think about it.....)

He asked if I had aspergers, or tourettes or something.

And I think I said, "That's the most offensive thing someone has EVER asked me."

"Ooh, shit, I'm SORRY, its just--"

"But not all that offensive, because its TRUE. Haaaa. Yeah, I have aspergers syndrome, don't worry."

A little laugh about that. Us both discussing our own individual mental disorders/disabilities, and how they affect us. I think he revealed it that day? But my perspective from him went from "hes such a cocky asshole and so aloof, hes not paying any attention to me", to "oh, he has attention deficit hyperactive disorder and just struggles with it occasionally," and I learned how he deals with it.

Then cue us being so comfortable that we ended up hooking up, it went GREAT, listening to records, getting mexican food...

Falling asleep in his arms.

I love shit like that.

It only went uphill from there. The only times I had a problem with him was when the whole "im no longer into being poly, but he is" shit went down.... But, he chose me every time, since I guess he liked me that much.

I don't know why he had liked me so much, but... I liked him too.

....

I remember that time he made pasta and was enjoying it with wine with me, one night.

I forget how the conversation started. But I probably made the first move, asking what he wanted to happen when summer had ended, or how he felt about me.

He held my hand, and told me that if not for college, he could picture being monogamous with me... "one hundred percent."

.......

I forget when he graduates.

If he does this year, good for him.

But...I don't know. Not saying he would marry me or nothin, (I'd ideally only want that at age 25, and anything younger, would be out of desperation and opportunity with them,) but eh, he seems like the type of dude that would get married, age, then have a sugar baby or something.

Could I ever be the type for that?

I hope not.

Eugh.

Anyway; he's a good dude. I gotta go disinfect my phone.

11:26pm. Peace yalls.

[o-kviii]

The Blind Leading the Blind pt. 2 [Matt x Reader]

>>> Part 1 <<<>>>Part 3<<<

You wake up to the smell of antibacterial soap, a throbbing pain in your arm, and thick cloud surrounding your head. The last thing you remember... did I ever get that sandwich?

“You’re awake.” a chirpy voice rings out. Footsteps approach, and a soft hand pats your hand as she raises your bed to a better sitting position. You blink a few times. You didn’t even realize your eyes were open. “Don’t panic, now.” she says just as the soft tones of the heart rate machine begin to grow more ecstatic. “It’s going to take some time for the swelling in your head to go down, but once things calm down your sight will return. Give it time, (Y/N).”

“So it’s coming back?” your voice sounds dry and raspy. You wonder how long you’ve been here. How long you’ve been asleep or unconscious or whatever happened. Where the man that helped you is.

“Yes honey, the surgeon was confident in your recovery. He will be in here a little later to discuss the procedure and any questions you may have then.”

The nurse checks things around the room, or so you assume from her rustling. Her footsteps grow faded but then she stops.

“Oh right, you do have a guest if you are up to it. A man has been back the past two days asking if you are awake yet.”

“A man?”

 The one that brought you into the ER. He arrived here about an hour ago and has been waiting. Would you like for me to send him in?” 

The entire ordeal, your attack, the stranger, all of it fills your brain. Anxiety presses on your chest, but you agree and give her the go. This man really has stuck by. For a stranger of all people. It doesn’t make sense. You don’t deserve his kindness.

“Hi.” That voice greets you, smooth and surprisingly timid. You can clearly remember his confidence a few days ago.

“Thank you.” You blurt out, and immediately regret. He laughs softly. 

“Please, don’t thank me...You know,” his words trail off and there is some distinct tapping as he sounds to be getting closer and closer. “I do believe we haven’t officially made acquaintance.”

“(Y/N).” you smile, hoping that you are looking in his general direction with some sort of accuracy.

“Matthew.”

“It’s nice to put a name to the voice... I may have died out there or lost my vision permanently if you didn’t come along.”

“So you will get it back?” 

“So they tell me. Not sure when yet, though.”

“You will get it back though, which is what’s important.” 

“Yeah.” 

Silence fills the room. You wonder why he’s here. What he wants. Maybe this wasn’t a debt free exchange. Maybe he’s poor, homeless. Wants payment for his deed. Not that you have much to give...

“I uh, do you have family? The nurse said there is no one on file.”

Your heart sinks. 

“It’s for the best they don’t know.”

“What do you mean?” 

“My family is, uh, complicated. We used to live here in Hell’s Kitchen once upon a time. I grew up here. But then I came home to a moving truck and a suitcase packed for me to go off to boarding school without an explanation. I guess that’s why I’m back now.” 

Matthew is quiet, almost seems to be holding his breath. The fact that there is only darkness is really starting to dawn on you. Usually in pitch blackness your eyes adjust and soon the outlines of the geography of the area begins to show itself in faint shadows and tones that are a little darker than the rest. It’s not much, but it’s something. Something you didn’t think you’d miss until you can’t even wave your hand in front of your eyes and sense movement or make out the curves of the end of the bed your toes are propped up against. What you can hear are the steady blips of the heart rate monitor quickening and what seems like someone speaking in the hallway. So faint you can tell it’s words but have no idea what is being said. 

Warmth encompasses your hand and the voice seems louder now, more defined. 

“Breathe.” It says, and the feeling of circles being rubbed on your wrist are consuming your senses now. “It’s overwhelming, I know, but you must calm down if you want it to get better.” 

“I want to see again.”

“You can see. Focus your ears. Listen to the sound of my breathing and match it.” 

Labored breaths get caught in your chest but you focus on trying to calm down out of this horrid panic attack and find Matthew’s breathing. As if you’re tuning a radio the flushing of his exhale and the deep swoosh of his hearty inhale fill your ears. In. and out. In. and out. 

“Good. Now I want you to take a deep breathe in. Tell me what you smell.” 

“What... what I smell?”

“Just try.” 

On your next big inhale you pull in the air. Matthew is standing so close you can almost taste the faint twinge of cologne. Or maybe that’s deodorant. Yes, your ex in high school used to wear that deodorant until he decided to stop using hygiene products all together... Soy sauce. All that sushi you’ve consumed in your twenties is a dead giveaway to that smell. I could really go for a tempura roll right now... 

“Chinese food?” You say softly, and you hear him let out an affirmative chirp. “And do you by chance wear Degree deodorant.” 

“Thai and you are impressively correct on the second one.” 

“How you do know about this? That’s the quickest I’ve ever come out of a panic attack that bad.” 

“Let’s just say I’ve been in a similar position before.” 

“Who are you?”

He exhales roughly, releasing your hand. You worry you’ve upset him, though he was the one asking about your family a few minutes prior.

“There’s many answers to that question.”

“What’s an answer you’re willing to give then? All I know is you must be the Good Samaritan of the year and have nice biceps.” 

“Oh really?” he chuckles. You feel your cheeks grow warm and hope he can’t tell you’re blushing. It’s not often you speak so easily to men, offering flirty comments as he sits on the edge of your bed. Granted, it is a hospital bed and you could be staring at his crotch right now and you wouldn’t know but at least you are feeling fairly confident. 

“But anyways... just give me something about you. So I can paint a better picture in my head.”

“A lawyer.” he says almost immediately. “I run my own law firm with my best friend. My college roommate, Foggy and our office assistant Karen.” 

“A lawyer? What a big shot.” 

“Well, uh, we try our best. We just want to help people. Someone’s gotta stand up for those who don’t have as big a voice.” 

“Noble. Also explains why you’ve come back, you’re hoping I’ll sue or something right?” 

You can hear Matthew shift from foot to foot and pass an object in his hand to his other palm. 

“If you want a lawyer then I would certainly represent you, but that’s not the reason I came back.” 

“Then why?” 

“It’s kind of a long story.” 

You consider dropping it. You don’t want to scare him away, make him think you’re trying to intrude into his life. Yet, there is something he’s holding back. Something he wants to say, but isn’t. You can feel it. 

“Well I am literally all ears if you care to stick around and tell it.” 

*

 Already making blind jokes only a few hours in. Matt didn’t dare get into those for a few weeks at least. Apart from her inevitable panic attack, she’s taking this all remarkably well. Maybe it’s the short term nature of her blindness. She doesn’t have to live with this forever.

If she did though, her senses are sharp. She had it down to the brand on his deodorant. He expected her to pick up on the soy sauce as he accidentally spilled some on his pants during lunch, but the deodorant was a pleasant surprise. 

Matt must now decide whether or not he is going to go into this story with her. He’s told it a million times by now. People are so curious to know of how a disability came about. There were a few times he didn’t feel like going into the car crash and hazardous materials spill story and just claimed he has been like this since birth. It never ceased to amaze him that people were actually disappointed when he would tell them it was congenial. As if he were depriving them of some tale of a tragic accident they can share with their book club friends over black tea and Chips Ahoy cookies. 

Somehow this is different. She isn’t asking about his eyes because, well, she has no idea he sees the same world she does. She’s asking about him. Who Matthew Murdock is. It’s strangely unnerving to separate him from his blindness. 

“I grew up here, in Hell’s Kitchen. My father raised me alone, supporting us on his boxing career up until his death. After he died, I was sent to the orphanage at the church. I had just gone blind at the time--”

“Wait, you’re blind?”

“Yeah, uh, I did say I could relate.” 

“Wow. What are the odds. Sorry, continue.” she says, and Matt is taken aback by how swiftly that was glossed over. Like it’s a story for later, not the main chronicle. He collects himself and continues. 

“I was full of anger in those days. My father left me, my sight was gone. It felt like the world was crumbling around me. I learned a lot though, about myself. About what I truly believe in. What I was meant to be. This nun, Sister Maggie, used to sit by my bed when I would have a nightmare as a kid. She would hold my hand and tell me that God has a plan for me and that all that has happened would make sense one day. As I got older, went to college, got my law degree, that started to make more sense. I opened a firm with my best friend and we began doing what we always talked about-- helping people. So I suppose that’s why I’m here. I was once lying on the street in a dark world. My father was there to hold me, though. Knowing what it’s like to have your vision stolen from you, there is not a part of me that could stand letting you wake up with no one to hold your hand.”

“Or insist I smell the lunch you spilt.” she chuckles. Matt feels her hand slide into his. He curls his fingers over hers, his thumb forming a mind of its own and tracing gentle circles along the back of her hand. He didn’t notice it earlier, but her hand is swollen with tears across her knuckles. Defensive wounds. His chest aches as he ever so gently feels the extend of her injuries. The gashes on her fingers. Hairline fractures in her thumb and wrist. He’s surprised she’s not pulling away, even with the slight pressure he’s applying. 

A thought occurs to him, and he presses a little harder. He can feel them now, the calluses and scar tissue. Parts of the bone that healed stronger than before. 

“Do you know why you were attacked?” Matt asks softly, honing in on the sound of her heartbeat. It quickens slightly, but then slows again. 

“I don’t know for sure, but I suspect they want me to get to my father.” her heart is even, unwavering. She’s telling the truth. 

“Who is your father?” 

*

“[Y/N], it’s time to go.” your father is standing at the door, his keys in hand. It is a strangely domestic scene for your home, as your father is usually not the one home to take you places, let alone be dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants. It’s his day off, though, so he told you. He paid for your mother to have a weekend at the spa. You were snooping when you overheard him insisting she take some time to relax. He told her he felt bad for being away from you for so long and wanted to spend some time bonding. She seemed reluctant at the time, but the ease in her walk as she kissed your forehead and got in the car made you think she changed her mind on that stance. You sling your gym bag over your shoulder and exit the house as he shuts the door behind you. 

You’re sitting in the front seat, watching the massive houses pass at the front of the gated community you live in. Your house is smaller, not as extravagant as these, but you’re thankful for that. You like not being like your friends with their butlers and nannies. You feel like you are lucky to have a mother that takes such good care of you and a father that works hard but still makes efforts such as these every so often. It could be worse. 

Sometimes you think about your old home in Hell’s Kitchen. You miss the city noises and the constant activity right outside your door. 

“Your mother lets you sit in the front now?” your father asks, glancing at you as you pause at a stop sign. 

“I’m almost fourteen, I’ve been sitting in the front since I was eleven.”

“Hm.” 

The car turns left, which throws you off. 

“The dance studio is a right.” you correct him, but he doesn’t seem in a hurry to make a U-turn.

“I called your dance studio. Told them you were sick. We have a different activity for the afternoon.” 

“What are we doing?” 

He sighs. You can see his mind working, trying to figure out what to say. You wonder if you should be worried. Maybe you should text mom...

“[Y/N], what is my job?” 

“Uh, you run a bank don’t you? Something with finances?” 

“Very good. I run a private bank. Recently, I have gotten a lot of new clients. A lot of powerful clients.” 

“Well, that’s good.”

“As a businessman, yes it is good. But as a father, I have some worries. I want you to be safe.” 

“Why wouldn’t I be safe?” You begin to feel a bit more uneasy. This feels like a scene from a TV show or a book. It doesn’t seem like a conversation you expected to be having with you boring banker father. 

“I don’t want to scare you.”

“I’m not scared, I just want to know. I’m fourteen, I’m not a little kid that doesn’t hear when you and mom are arguing down the hall.”

He looks over at you, and sighs, a glimmer of admiration(?) in his eye. The car comes to a stop and you look up to see that you’re parked in front of a martial arts studio. 

“You’re a firecracker sometimes. Use that, [Y/N].” 

*

She tells Matt about her father, his business and how she took a years of self defense classes because he was worried. He never truly revealed what he was worried for and she began to forget about her teenage worries as she grew older and nothing ever threatened her. 

He listens, realizations dawning on him with each new piece of the puzzle she provides. Karen was telling him about a bank that was pocketed by Fisk. She said it was the hub for white collar criminals to filter their money through. It was happening on a small scale, just the inner office with a corrupt director until the CFO found out and shut down the operation. He reported the criminal activity and pissed a lot of organizations, mobs, crime lords off. The bank’s reputation was trashed in the papers and the CFO went off the grid soon after. Fisk must have chosen it to be one of his banks of choice because of the desperate need for clientele. 

Suddenly, Matt’s ears perk up. There’s noises floors down, muffled yelling and pounding footsteps. The sound of a gun crashing into the side of a skull reaches his ears, and he jumps up. 

“[Y/N], we need to leave immediately.”

“What? I--” He grabs her hands, pulling her out of the bed and gently removing the IV from her arm. She winces and uses him to support her weight as she gains her footing from laying for days. 

“They’re coming. We need to get you somewhere safe.” 

>>>Part 3<<<

[mononoke-no-ko]

[Trans] R2 Sound Episode #5: C's Mushroom-ed C.C.

Someone always snapped at the end of these Sound Episodes xD.

C-take Rareta C.C.

C.C.: Please forgive me, Master!

Lelouch : Really, please remember already, C.C. You even got wet like this.

C.C.: Sorry, I'm sorry, I will never get wet again. Please forgive me...

Lelouch : I'm asking you, just don't try to wash my computer or mobile phone ever again. C'mon, stop hiding there and come out here.  

C.C.: I'm very sorry! Please, don't hurt me...!

Lelouch : Don't say things that will make people misunderstand! Anyway, why is your bulliable aura is so transparent?

(From monitor) Charles: Seems like you're having a great time, My Sweet Son!

Lelouch : Dad?! How did you find out my communication channel?

Charles: Facing C.C. who's different than usual, do you feel your heartbeats accelerating? No need to hide it.

Lelouch: What does that even mean? Don’t change the subject! What is your business anyway?

Charles: You know, I just want to see my son's flustered expression because of C.C.. Maybe one of these days I'm going to be a grandfather!

Lelouch : Like hell you're! I'm going to hang up, you stupid dad!

Charles: Wait, wait, wait! Wait a minute. The truth is, I came to share with you an information you would like to hear.  

Lelouch : Information?

Charles: Don't you want to know the method to change C.C. back, Lelouch?  

Lelouch : WHAT?!

----

Lelouch : So, now, "The first ever, sprouting and sprouting, cooking mushrooms that you have never seen before! A great gathering of friends who are confident about their craft in mushroom! Seek C’s mushroom assembly" is officially started.

Kallen: The title's long! Also, this is the hangar... right? You went as far as transforming it into a huge kitchen?!

Chiba: I heard that this is the biggest event of the Black Knights, so I come and see...

Todo: Looking at this situation, I can't even laugh.

Diethard: What's going on, Zero? Did you eat something bad? No, did you hit your head?

Rolo: Geass!

(SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!)

Rolo: Geass lifted!

Kallen: It hurts!

Todo: Uh!

Chiba: Aw!

Diethard: Ack!

Kallen: W-who is it? Just now someone just slap my head.

Todo: Unbelievable, someone actually punched my nose!

Chiba: It hurts. The inside area of my upper arm's softest part was twisted?!

Diethard: Just now I suddenly got stunned.

Rolo: Nii-san, I punished them a bit.

Lelouch: Sorry about that, Rolo. The next time they grumble again, I'll be relying on you.

Rolo: No big deal. Next time I have to make an effort not to kill them.

Lelouch: Hey hey, don't overdo it, Rolo. Well, regardless of those boring things. As I've said, I'm gathering you here for anything but one reason; to help to change the maid groupie with transparent bulliable aura, moe moe girl C.C. back to her previous self. For that purpose I need your strength.

Kallen: "Transparent bulliable aura"?

Todo: "Maid groupie"?

Chiba: "moe moe girl"?

Diethard: "Change back"?

Lelouch: That's right! In fact, I just received a contact from Emperor of Britannia.

Everyone: EHH?!

---------

Charles: There is only one way to recover C.C.'s lost memory. That is, for her to eat a new type of mushroom that grows in the underground city of the Geass Order; C-take. 

Lelouch: Shiitake (TN: a type of mushroom that's common in Japan)? Isn't that something that's sold everywhere?

Charles: You're wrong! Stupid Lelouch, C-take means C's mushroom, not the shiitake! The guy who doesn’t even know these things is actually a Geass user, how laughable!

Lelouch: Oh, I see. Because it's a mushroom that grows in C's world people called it C's mushroom... Who the hell knows this kind of thing?! How can there be such unreasonable naming method!

Charles: If she eats it, C.C. will be able to change back to the original C.C..

Lelouch: Really?

Charles: However, the underground city has grown a variety of mushrooms. You can't tell which one is C's mushrooms unless you eat it. And I heard that other mushrooms except for C's mushrooms have terrible side effects. Do you have the courage to take this risk?

Lelouch: Of course I have!

-----------

Todo: So, you are completely on his hook.

Chiba: I feel that I can already see the end of this story.

Lelouch: Rolo, let everyone take a look at the mushrooms that have been collected.

Rolo: Yes, Zero.

Kallen: Uwa-! What's this? Are these all mushrooms? How much is it...?

Rolo: These are what I've collected. The total is about 10 kilograms.

Diethard: Red, blue, green, yellow, purple, striped, and there's a red and white Bodhi leaf pattern. All are mushrooms that've never been seen before.

Todo: Somehow they scream 'don't eat', 'dangerous', and 'trouble'.

Chiba: What are we to do with these, Zero?

Lelouch: Isn't it obvious? Make dishes for C.C. to eat.

Everyone: Ehh?!

Diethard: But aren't they toxic and dangerous?

Lelouch: No, you got it wrong, Diethard. The Emperor said there are side effects, he didn’t say it’s poisonous.

Kallen: Hmm~ doesn't it sound interesting?

Chiba: K-kouzuki, you...

Kallen: If that's the case, let me help you.

Todo: But..!

Kallen: It should be fine~ it doesn't seem like there's anything dangerous in it. Moreover, everyone here has been looked down upon and made fun of by C.C.. Now it's a great opportunity for payback, don't you think?

Lelouch: Kallen, you've been harboring this kind of thought towards C.C.?

Kallen: Just a little revenge, but at the same time it can change C.C. back too. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone? Let's do it. "The first ever, sprouting and sprouting ~ cooking with mushrooms that have never been seen! A great gathering of friends who are confident about their craft in mushroom! Seek and cook the C mushroom assembly", begin...!

Diethard: The title is too long to fit into the title bar.

Todo: Title bar?

Diethard: And, last but not least, the title that's too long shows that he is not confident in the content of the show. Because the content is so boring, he wants to use the title to fool the-

Rolo: Geass!

(beating sounds)

Rolo: Lifted!

Diethard: Ahh!

Todo: Diethard suddenly gets in a tragic condition that couldn't be show on TV!

Lelouch: Ignore it. Now ladies and gentlemen, let's start this event with full power!

Kallen: Well, let's get Miss C.C., our protagonist today, to enter the stage. Miss C.C., please come up and introduce yourself!

C.C.: U-um... Excuse me, I'm a maid groupie with transparent bulliable aura, moe moe girl C.C.

Chiba: You say that about yourself?

Todo: In other words, is this the name that Zero forced C.C. to remember?

C.C.: Today, I'm ordered by Master's to help everyone here. Even though I'm just an ordinary servant, please give me your guidance.

Kallen: Come, C.C., we are all gathered here to make delicious mushroom dishes for you. You have to, without leaving a speck, finish them all.

C.C.: Master..., this woman's eyes are scary...

Todo: Well for now, try my dish first.

Kallen: Todo-san, you can cook?

Todo: That is a requirement to survive in the war.

Chiba: While we're still in the Japanese Liberation Front, snakes, mice, ants, caterpillars, weeds, barks, and roots, we've eaten anything that can be put into our mouth.

Todo: It's really nostalgic.

Chiba: Looking back, my cooking skill is also trained in those hard times.

Todo: The three cuts on the bear, your cutting method with a knife was really outstanding!

Lelouch: I see, you've gone through lot of hardship.

Todo: Next, what I made is a barbecue from the blue mushroom with a bright yellow-green round pattern on top.

Chiba: It's awesome, Todo-san. It completely researched and utilized the material color. Compared to this, the bear I did was far behind.

Todo: And with a little drop of soy sauce... here, C.C., please enjoy the dish!

C.C.: Ah, um, but it looks... kind of grotesque...

Lelouch: Eat it, C.C.. Isn’t there an old saying that effective medicine looks ominous?

C.C.: Yes..., then I'm going to eat.... (Chew)... En!

Lelouch: How are you feeling, C.C.? How does it taste? Do you feel any change?

C.C.: N-not really! There's nothing special about the taste! I ate it simply because Master would be troubled if I didn't. I'm totally NOT interested in you, okay?!

Chiba: Yet you're blushing

Todo: What? What is this change?

Diethard: Oh wow. This is a lucky first strike.

Kallen: Right. There's no mistake, this is Tsundere-mushroom.

Lelouch: Tsundere mushrooms? What's that?

Kallen: It's a new breed of mushrooms. Though I just came up with the name, but anyway this doesn't seem to be C's Mushroom.

Chiba: Then next try my dish.

Kallen: Here it is! The leader of Black Knights' kitchen, whose handmade dishes made countless men get the wrong idea, Chiba Nagisa! Today she has came to make mushroom cuisine for us... what is it?

Chiba: Don't add any weird commentary, Kozuki. I mean, originally I only made dishes for Todo-san...

Todo: Uh? What is it, Chiba? What did you say about me?

Chiba: N-nothing at all! Anyway, um, what I made is simple gratin mushrooms.

C.C.: Gratin? Again it's either too obscure or too pedestrian. In short it's just a semi-finished product. But, if you're feeding me, then I wouldn't mind eatin-

Chiba: Stop yapping and eat!

C.C.: Ah... it-it's hot... Hey...!

Chiba: Alright! So how is it?

C.C.: Um, what happened to me?

Kallen: Eh? Looks like the personality has changed again. I wonder if she just changed back.

C.C.: Somehow, my mouth is burning.

Chiba: That's of course, because I just transferred the newly baked gratin from the oven right to your mouth.

Todo: It seems only the effect of Tsundere mushroom that has disappeared. This doesn't seem to be a C's mushroom either.

Lelouch: Then let's decide the name of this mushroom as “Reset mushroom”. Haha, I've came up with a really fitting name.

Rolo: As expected from Zero!

Chiba: No creativity!

Diethard: Well, then it's my turn. Now you may not be able to tell, but my first work as an AD was on a gourmet show, and even now I’m still picky about food... ehem. The dish I made is a Britannia style dish with colored mushrooms and sweet and sour sauce. Dazzling sky blue, lemon yellow, shocking pink, emerald green, red rouge, and all these colorful colors create unprecedented flavors.

Kallen: Uwah... it looks bad for your health.

Todo: Looks poisonous.

Chiba: It's definitely poisonous.

C.C.: Master, this... do I have to eat this too...?

Lelouch: W-well, that's...

Diethard: Zero, don’t tell me you're thinking that my dish is something that can't be eaten by C.C.? I hope you're not having that kind of thought!

Lelouch: O-oh! Of course not! Since we don't know which one is C's mushroom, we have no other choice but to try every mushrooms! That's right, C.C., eat it.

C.C.: Uweeh. In the first place, why do I have to eat every one of these dishes, I don't know the reason anymore. (Eat)

Lelouch; How's the taste?

C.C.: Different from the appearance... it might be quite delicious. Unexpectedly, it's edible. Wha-!

Lelouch: What happened, C.C.?!

C.C.: Master, my hands are turning into strange shapes...!

Lelouch: The sharp-edge cone, the shape, and also the high-speed rotation while making "zing zing" noises. This... this is...!

Kallen: It's a drill.

Chiba: It's a drill huh.

Todo: How marvelous!

Lelouch: What the hell is going on?! Diethard!

Diethard: Well, no matter how you look at it, it's seems to be a mushroom that turns your hands into drills. How about naming it "Drill Mushrooms"?

Todo: Drill, huh... this is a man's romance, right, Chiba?

Chiba: Of course, Todo-san!

Kallen: What's that, fuufu manzai (couple skit)? (TN: manzai is a Japanese comedy act consisting of two people, usually one had a role of ‘funny man’ who acted silly/stupid and the other one made some retort/comment of the silly thing the other one did) 

Lelouch: You are wrong, Kallen! That was 'MENOto manzai' (wet nurse skit) because there’s no retort! 

C.C.: No, Master, the correct name should be 'MEOto manzai' (husband and wife skit). Anyway please hurry and change my hand back!!!

Lelouch: Oi, C.C., don't come close to me while waving that kind of hands! The drill will hit me!

C.C.: How could it be...! Master...! Diiethaaard! This all happened because you fed me with a strange mushroom!

Diethard: C-C.C., why only me?

C.C.: I'm going to kill you!

Diethard: Ah! It's piercing me!

Kallen: Eh, it looks painful. This is the kind of scene can never be shown on public.

Lelouch: Kallen, this is not the time to calmly admiring it!

Kallen: Well, maybe my dish could change her back.

Lelouch: Very well, try it!

Kallen: Well, what I made is mushroom risotto. This slightly turbid purple might make it seems toxic, but the taste is probably okay, though I haven't tried it myself.

C.C.: Heh, but, I can't eat with these hands.

Kallen: It can’t be helped, then! I'll be the one to feed you~! Come on, open your mouth and say 'ah~'

C.C.: A-ahn~

Lelouch: How is it? Do you feel like you're going to change back, C.C.?

C.C.: Um, somehow... my eyes feel strange...

Todo: Hmm, looks like there's no change in personality.

Lelouch: Your eyes? Does sand get into your eyes? Here, let me take a look.

C.C.: Yes, master.

Lelouch: Ack! What happened?! Just now C.C.'s eyes are glowing! They're glowing!

Todo: Rather, doesn't it seem like C.C.'s eyes are emitting beams...?

Chiba: There's a hole on the hangar walls....

Kallen: No no, Chiba, this is exactly the result that we're aiming!

Chiba: But even so, this is too...

Todo: For now, let's call this mushroom "Beaming Eyes Mushroom."

Chiba: Beam is also a man's romance right, Todo-san!

Lelouch: If we tell Rakshata about this, there's no doubt she will be very happy.

Kallen: The attack is really powerful, we can use it as a weapon.

Lelouch: Or not! Everyone, look! The beam just now scratched my helmet and left a mark! Kallen, how could you act so calm!

Kallen: That's because we have this "Reset mushroom", don't we? She just needs to eat that to change back to normal. Did you forget about it, Zero?

Lelouch: !! I DIDN'T!

Kallen: You forgot, huh.

Lelouch: Don't worry, C.C., now we will return you to normal. Come, Chiba! Bring your mushrooms gratin over.

Chiba: I'm sorry to inform you, Zero. Actually we've used all the Reset mushroom remained.

Lelouch: What did you say?

C.C.: Then what would happen to me, Master...!

Todo: Another blow on the wall. This is equivalent to the destructive power of a warship.

Lelouch: There's no other way. In this situation, let her eat each and every one of the mushrooms, then pray that there's any that can change her back.

Rolo: That’s Zero for you! It's a creative and amazing idea!

Chiba: Isn't he just trying his luck.

Lelouch: I need everyone’s help! Put all these mushrooms into C.C.'s mouth!

Everyone: Understood!

C.C.: Please stop, that unreasonable... uh... uh... W-w-whoa! Why am I getting bigger?

Lelouch: C.C. is turning into a giant!

Chiba: She grows to be even bigger than Zangetsu! This development is too unexpected.

Todo: So this is the power of Chinese Federation for 4000 years!

Rolo: Well, for now, let's name this mushroom as "Giant mushroom".

C.C.: Who cares about the name...

Lelouch: C.C. just... broke the hangar's ceiling!

Diethard: No, no, this must be CG! Or maybe it's a bluescreen effect that's used in the past... na ha, na ha ha!

Kallen: Diethard is escaping from reality.

Lelouch: Sorry about this, C.C.. I've used every method existed, but turns out modern science isn't able to help you yet.

C.C.: It's...! It's that so...

Lelouch: C.C....

C.C.: About this, or that matter, it's all the same. In the end everything is my fault.

Lelouch: No, this is Emperor of Brittania's...!

C.C.: No, it's okay. It's all my fault. Summer is hot and sea is salty because of my fault.

Todo: She doesn’t make any sense.

Kallen: Hmm she has became this big yet she feels small inside.

C.C.: This body now has became an obstruction. I can no longer stay by Master's side! Please don't look for me.

Chiba: Well, even if we don't look, you stick out.

C.C.: Bye-bye, everyone! Bye-bye, master!

Lelouch: Really, don't run, C.C.!

Diethard: Ack, it's collapsing...

Kallen: Stop, C.C! —————————————————————— Suzaku: Your Majesty, I have something to report to you.

Emperor: Oh? I was wondering who it is. So it's you, Suzaku. What's your business?

Suzaku: We got an emergency report from the spy we sneaked in to the area of Chinese Federation. It said there's a sight of unknown giant creature at Black Knight's HQ.

Emperor: Giant creature?

Suzaku: The reports says it looks like a young woman. I'm afraid there must be some mistake in this report.

Emperor: "Young woman"? Hahaha! Zero, I got you fooled!

Suzaku: Your Majesty?

Emperor: Zero... no, Lelouch... you are completely at my service! BWAHAHAHA!

Suzaku: H-huh?

———————————

C.C.: Please don’t look for me!!!

Fin.

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