#ya know. in a location that makes sense and is ACCESSIBLE without having to touch my screen a thousand times

[beck-a-leck]

Android: we've released a new UI that makes everything look more like an iphone 😀

Every android user: You fucked up a perfectly good UI is what you did! Look at it! It's fugly!

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Knight in Shining Red Armor | Dante + Child!Reader (DMC 4)

A/N: Hey so this is a rewrite of one of my first (and only) DMC fic from like...2016. This takes place post-DMC 4

You can read the og one on my DeviantArt! But if you're here for the new one then I hope ya'll enjoy!

Summary: Child!Reader was taken under Dante's wing after being saved from a demon invasion, but even years later he hesitates to tell them what he truly is, fearing they'll resent him for his demonic heritage.

............

"Hey, um..Dante?"

"What's up, kiddo?" The red-clad devil hunter asked, though he wasn't completely paying attention to you. Rather he was sitting at his desk, feet kicked up as he was flipping through a magazine.

Meanwhile you were roaming around the shop, stopping only to gaze at the massive curved sword with glowing gems hanging on the wall behind him. He mentioned claiming many weapons--"Devil Arms" as they were called--from defeated demons, but you were curious about their names.

"Just wondering..what's that sword behind you called?"

"The Sparda. It sealed the barrier between the Underworld and human world. Nero went through hell and back, quite literally, to return it to me, so don't even think about touching......it?"

Dante put the magazine down as he turned to see you holding the Sparda in your small hands. You smiled triumphantly, but stumbled a bit before the blade accidentally slammed into the wooden floor, making you wince.

"Oops."

Yet your little act amused him, as he chuckled and shook his head. "You're a little too young to go devil-hunting, I'm afraid. But maybe one day you will."

"And maybe you can help pay off Dante's debt, too." Trish lightly joked as she entered the room, taking the giant sword from you and putting it back on the wall.

Her words were responded by a groan from the male, who went back to reading.

"Whatcha reading?"

Dante slowly lowered the magazine to see you sitting on his desk, but he just snapped it shut and tossed it into the trash, out of your line of sight. "Nothing that eyes like yours gotta see."

"Okay....ooooooh, what's this briefcase?" Hopping off the desk, you ran over to Pandora and crouched down to poke the skull emblem.

"Pandora. That baby can turn into six hundred and sixty six different weapons, but...right now we only have access to seven." Now he was feeling like an exhausted teacher on a museum trip, trying to explain each exhibit to his hyper first graders--the exhibits being his Devil Arms.

Yet as you ran around asking him about more of them, he couldn't help but see his childhood-self reflected in you. Just full of energy and never-ending curiosity and optimism.

Yeah..he definitely saw the resemblance.

Eventually you decided to leave him be and dash off to your room.

And only then did Dante drop his smile, sighing as he put both feet back on the ground. He ran a hand through his hair before dragging it down the side of his face tiredly.

"You know..you'll have to tell them eventually." Trish reminded.

"How, though? That kid's afraid of all demons..hybrids or not. I'm pretty sure saying "oh by the way the guy who rescued you is actually half-demon" is gonna send 'em running, and...I can't risk that." He shook his head, gazing at the jukebox in the corner.

"But I think [y/n]'s old enough to comprehend the concept of not all demons being evil," Lady chimed in after overhearing the conversation. "Just give it to them straight and I'm sure they'll understand."

As much as Dante wanted to argue, he saw that she had a valid point. But he still worried...

How would you react?

It's been a few years since he saved you from a Mega Scarecrow, though it turned out that more demons invaded your neighborhood, slaughtering everyone you knew and loved. And as he took you back to the shop to patch you up, he could see the terror in your eyes, any traces of innocence long gone.

No child should have gone through such a tragedy.

A tragedy that he was all-too familiar with.

After the defeat of the Savior, things have been looking up. You've regained your happiness as you lived in Devil May Cry and learned of Dante's tales of devil hunting, though the memories of that horrible night never truly left you alone.

Along with that, just seeing a demon is enough to make you run and hide, and you were terrified when you first met Nero and saw his demonic arm.

From that incident alone, Dante became extremely reluctant to tell you of his own demonic heritage.

He just didn't know if he's only hurting you more by keeping it hidden..

...............

Later that night, you were plagued by yet another nightmare. Different demons, same neighborhood...same deaths of your loved ones.

But in this one Dante got hurt, too. And you tried so hard to be brave for him, even shouting in the demon's face...but in the end you failed as it snatched you away, dragging you into the darkness of the Underworld before he could reach you.

Although you calmed down since awakening, you wanted to be sure he was alright.

So with what little moonlight shone in the shop's darkness, you located the worn sofa where Dante laid. He was engrossed in some TV program, though after sensing your presence his eyes flickered to you.

No words had to be exchanged in order for him to see what was wrong, as he sat up and patted the spot beside him. You smiled in relief and climbed onto the sofa, snuggling into his side as he wrapped an arm around you. "Th-Thanks, Dante."

"No prob. So uh..another nightmare, I guess?"

"Yeah, but..they hurt you, too and...I-I tried staying brave. I shouted at them to leave you alone and..they didn't listen. But...I think one of them looked scared of me."

"Wow." He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Gotta say I'm impressed."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. Y'know demons are used to seeing kids scream and cry, not take a stand against them. Plus that's pretty epic of you to defend me, so thanks." With a smile, he ruffled your hair.

"You're welcome," you giggled a bit. "But..I really just wanna be as brave as you. I mean...Nero says you laugh at giant demons and tease them all the time. How do you do that without being scared?"

"Well..it comes with the business. Getting them riled up just makes the fight more fun. At least for me. You might think I'm crazy but if ya decide to hunt demons one day...you'll see what I mean."

"But until then, could I watch you fight one? Like a big bad one?"

"......."

"Dante?"

"..kid, there's a reason I never took you on any missions." Dante sighed, swallowing back the growing lump in his throat as he carefully planned his next words. "And how I always...bounce back from getting smacked by a demon tail. No human would be able to withstand that without some broken bones."

"Oh?" You tilted your head. "Then..how can you if you're human?"

"....because I'm not fully human."

As much as he wanted to shut up, he decided to tell you the truth once and for all, not sugarcoating anything:

He explained how his parents were a demon and human--a forbidden romance which resulted in himself and Virgil being born. His bloodline allowed them to blend in with humans, exercise their demonic abilities in battle, and even tap into their true demon forms.

All the while you listened silently, with not much emotion on your face. So it was hard for him to tell what you were probably thinking in this moment.

It scared him.

"...and that's it." He sighed, closing his eyes and looking away from you. "So go ahead and hate me if you want. I won't blame you for-"

"Can you show me?"

Dante blinked stupidly as he swung his head back towards you, wondering if he heard you right.

"I...wish you told me before, but I don't wanna be scared of demons anymore." You smiled a tiny bit as you elaborated. "Especially not one who helped me. So...can I see your other form?"

"...a-alright. Just...if you get scared I can turn back instantly, so don't freak."

"I won't."

He had doubts you'll keep your word, but he got up and activated his Devil Trigger form. As he opened his eyes, you gasped upon seeing how much they were glowing--being orange rather than blue. Red electric sparks danced around his metallic body as he observed you close, anticipating your reaction. He expected you to scream or cry.

Yet..there was only curiosity and wonder in your eyes.

"Scared yet?" He asked in his distorted voice, crouching down in front of you.

Not even the way he spoke startled you, as you just shook your head. "I was wrong all along..not all demons are bad."

"Not even this one?"

"Nope. You look awesome..like a knight in shiny red armor."

"...wow..I um...." For once, the talkative devil hunter was at loss for words. But when you learned forward to hug him around the neck, he was completely shocked.

Earlier in the day he thought of countless worse-case scenarios, and yet...the best-case was happening right now.

You were accepting him, hugging him even.

He couldn't believe it.

Dante smiled as he wrapped his arms around you, making sure his armor spikes didn't hurt you. "Thanks, kid. It really means a lot that you're not terrified anymore........[y/n]?" He was concerned about your lack of response, before realizing you were dozing off.

'Damn..I might make a pretty good dad, after all..' He mused, standing up and making the trek back to your bedroom. Then he set you down and tucked you in, relief and warmth in his heart.

He had a feeling that your nightmares won't be so bad anymore. Now he felt like he could truly protect you.

Why?

Because he was gonna be your knight in shining red armor.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Jeez, man. Quit clanking around shit and---AH!!! WHAT THE FUCK?!!"

"Shhhh! Chill out, Nero. You'll wake 'em." Dante was quick to shift back to his human form once he was outside your room, glaring at his nephew. "Why are you so freaked out? This ain't the first time you've seen my devil form."

"But still..why in the middle of the night?! Thought we had company."

"...just go back to bed, kid."

"Don't call me kid!"

[karlswrites]

Big Vs. Little Spoon

Demon Bois + Non-Dateables Edition

This game is my newest hyper-fixation, so please bear with me. I know there are a lot of head-canons about the boys cuddling, but here’s my rendition. Boy howdy, this one’s a little long...

Warnings: Pure Fluff 

❤️ Lucifer: Because he’s the Avatar of Pride, Lucifer loves feeling bigger than you.  His pride inhibits him from being the little spoon, so he often opts for being the big spoon. Luci can’t help but admire the way his arms completely envelop you when he’s the big spoon. However, if he decides that you’ve been “a good little Main Character,” then he might acquiesce to your request, allowing you to lounge over him. Additionally, Luci prefers that the two of you cuddle in his bed, as it is rather large and extremely comfortable. Seeing you sprawled out over or curled in his comforter fills him to the brim with pride. Being able to hold you close to his chest gives him more pride than literally anything else. Being the elegant fella that he is, he will always lower himself beside you gently, careful not to disturb you. He won’t jump on the bed like some people. 

(I’m so sorry you had to read that one line of dialogue, if you can even call it that.)

💛 Mammon: A true switch on top of and underneath the sheets, Mammon is more likely to be the little spoon than his elder brother. He will never admit to you how much he enjoys feeling your arms slumped over him, but he does love it. He’ll never object to being the big spoon, though, as having his arms and legs draped over you is a HUGE ego booster. Mammon often feels little in the company of his brothers, so knowing that you feel safe and comfortable in his hold makes the guy’s heart melt. I must warn you, though, that Mammon doesn’t hesitate to leap unto your bed, effectively smothering you with his love and adoration. In the private on your room or his, because he loves showing his stuff off, he’ll entangle himself in you. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to him how you’re lying, as long as he gets to stay with you. If you satisfy his greed, and you always do, he will never leave.

(My friend thought of an adorable Mammon x MC Piggy-back ride idea, but that’s for another day, hehe)

💙 Leviathan: This poor boy isn’t used to physical touch, much less having someone in his room almost every night. His only experience comes from a Ruri-chan body pillow, and that thing does not compare to your warmth. At first, you have to be the big spoon. Although he’s embarrassed, Levi adores the feeling of your arms and legs hooked around him. He always takes the opportunity to take his hands and intertwine them with yours over his chest and waist. Now, if Levi gets jealous, then that’s a whole other story. If he notices a few too many people crowded around you or hugging you throughout the day, he’ll find his confidence and trap you into him. He’ll pull you into the bathtub with him, lay you down on his pillows, and act clingy so that nobody mistakes you for theirs. Good luck leaving the tub, ya hooligan. 

💚 Satan: Out of the two options, Satan is probably the big spoon most of the time. He likes holding you close, being able to enjoy some peace and quiet with you. He’s not so much of a ‘little/big spoon’ as he is a ‘two forks lying snuggly together in a drawer’ kind of guy. You lie next to him, your arms looped around his neck or his chest. Satan holds a book over the two of you, reading aloud softly. His free hand is snaked under your waist, his thumb gently stroking up and down your spine with each sentence he reads. On the other hand, if it’s late at night or super early in the morning, he’ll indulge in that prime spooning opportunity. He’d probably place his chin in the crook of your shoulder. He’ll probably have his hands anchored in your waist. He’ll probably - most definitely- slowly turn you around in his arms, letting his hands wander back towards your spine. Satan loves having you pressed against his heartbeat and vice versa. Your heart is the perfect sound for him to fall asleep to. 

💗 Asmodeus: This guy is a little spoon. With how much he loves himself and you, of course, he will curl himself into you. Asmo doesn’t like as much for his back to face you, so he always ends up turning around in your arms. He wants you to have constant access to his face. Whether you’re looking at him or kissing him, it doesn’t matter; Asmo wants your attention on his beautiful face. Being constantly suggestive, especially when it comes to you, he slowly weaves his legs between yours. He doesn’t hesitate when playing footsies, too. In terms of his preferences, he loves hosting you in his room. If you ever want to cuddle in your room, though, then he’ll eagerly agree. Asmo looks forward to leaving the scent of whatever fragrance he’s wearing all over your bedsheets. He wants you thinking about him 24/7 after all. 

(If anyone disagrees with this one, in particular, square up in a Denny’s parking lot.)

🧡 Beelzebub: As long as you’re eating food during cuddling, Beel could care less how you’re placed over him. He’s a big boy, so he’s often the big spoon. One of his arms will snake its way underneath you, holding you tightly around the waist. His other hand is preoccupied with a bag of chips or another tasty snack. Unlike Asmo, Beel is not nearly as handsy. He keeps you in his strong hold the entire time. When he’s done eating, he moves his hand up to your head. His digits will stroke and play with your hair. It’s so soft, and Beel can’t get enough of how relaxed it makes the both of you feel. Another position he likes, which isn’t necessarily spooning, but him lying on his back with you on top. Beel loves, loves, loves your head on his chest. The way his chin rests upon your head is so nice to him. He drapes his arms down your back, hooking his legs over yours. He keeps you in place, and you feel so safe. He is a legitimate teddy bear. 

💜 Belphegor: The Avatar of Sloth is the best cuddler, hands down. He has so many pillows and, upon request, can provide pillow forts, beds, nooks , or whatever you need. You always fall asleep within minutes. Cuddling was a bit difficult at first, as you didn’t always trust him. Actually, it was Belphie’s attempt to gain your trust that led you to be cuddle-buddies (besides your mutual pining, of course). Like some of his brothers, he doesn’t prefer one position over the other. He can be a big or little spoon. You say the word, and he’ll fall into the position with ease. He covers you with blankets, making you appear as a burrito/cocoon. He is definitely warm each and every time you snuggle in close. Belphie clings to you as a sloth clings to its branch, never letting go, even when you wake up. 

❤️ Diavolo: Another big boy, Diavolo is the - drum roll, please- big spoon. He has the broadest shoulders, biggest hands, and widest chest that’s perfect to fall into. Whenever you cuddle, he silently hopes you choose his castle. He’s always so excited to bring you over, and this guy has a massive bed. It’s literally made for a king. Since he’s a ray of sunshine, Diavolo will playfully tug you onto the mattress with him. He holds your face, caressing your cheeks. He grabs your waist, pulling you in even closer. He doesn’t let go until he absolutely has to. Sometimes, Barbatos has to come in and drag him away from you. Diavolo is completely smitten by you, and his affection only grows every time he relaxes against your back. Furthermore, cuddling with you is the perfect way to end a stressful day of dealing with the crazy demon brothers. 

💚 Barbatos: Barbatos may be a butler, but something about him screams big spoon. He loves scooping you up in his arms. The feeling of his heartbeat against your back brings him the greatest sense of comfort. When keeping you tangled up in his arms, he asks now and again if he can move in anyway, get you anything, or do anything to make you feel even more comfortable. He likes his control, but he always aims to please. Barbatos and you never stay still for long. His fingers run along your arms, sides, and shoulders continuously. He, too, likes playing with your hair. If you fall asleep before him, he places kisses on the back of your scalp, neck, and shoulders. He never goes past that, but cuddling allows him ample time to indulge in some innocent physical attention. Expect to be carried out of bed bridal style when the two of you wake up. 

🖤 Solomon: As the Devildom’s official special snowflake, you might never know what you’ll get with him. Solomon prefers feeling your back against his chest, though he will, like Lucifer, reward you by being the little spoon. He’s very calm and cool, so being the little spoon doesn’t embarrass him. He only cares about encasing you with his arms, hands wrapped around you in a big hug. He’s not as outwardly affectionate with you as another guy might be, but Solomon delivers some high-quality snuggles. You feel small and safe against him, and that’s all he could ever want. In terms of location, the two of you typically end up in your room. However, on days when the demon boys are at it again, he will coyly invite you into his dorm. He loves when your scent seeps its way into his bedsheets, but he also loves it when his gets lost in yours. Solomon is always left floored by how such simple affection can make him feel so warm and fuzzy. He doesn’t need to worry about spells with you, and you don’t need to worry about anything with him. 

🤍 Simeon: Similar to Levi, Simeon isn’t used to physical touch, but he’s not as shy. Cuddling you sounds as good as heaven, and he relishes in the feeling of your soft skin against his. Another true switch, in my humble opinion, he is content with being a big or little spoon. He’s an angel, and his greatest concern is how comfortable you are at all times. He’s inexperienced, so he will more-than-happily follow your lead. He never moves without your consent. You might have to reassure him a few times that moving is totally fine. In fact, it’s welcomed. Once he gets that through his noggin, he finally relaxes into you. From behind, Simeon grazes his hands over your stomach, loving the warmth you emit. If you’re behind him, he’ll seize the opportunity to clutch his hands in yours, loving the feeling of your head on his shoulder. He sleeps so much better with you.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Little Bones 3

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape (series); harassment, general creepiness.

This is dark! (biker) Thor x chubby!reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Series Synopsis: You’re a city girl stuck in a small town, but Birch isn’t as sleepy as it seems.

Sister series to Smalltown Bringdown and When the Weight Comes Down

Note: Another random update of a series for y’all as I toil away at drabbles in between!

Thanks to everyone for their patience and feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Masterlist

Your skin crawled as you walked to work the next morning. The memories of the night before made you cringe and tuck your chin down as you kept your eyes ahead of you. You feared if you looked around, you might summon the incessant biker from his hole.

The library was as empty as any other day and you claimed your seat at the curved desk. You booted up and sipped from your thermos, the coffee bitter on your tongue as you watched Melissa appear from the non-fiction section. She sat in her own chair and yawned as she signed on.

The monotony of Birch was sobering after the night in the dank bar. The bikers and their own little world, a microcosm of the worst types all in one place. You went about your usual tasks, there were a few returns on the cart to put back on the shelves and you walked the shelves and checked for out of order codes.

The hours slaked by like the peaks of a mountain against ancient gales. The stale lights made the days stretch to tedium and the grey without added to the sense of listlessness. Colin’s low snores escaped the back room and Melissa sorted through bent paperbacks in a far aisle to put out for the Sunday penny sale.

As the windows darkened, Colin gave his usual grumbled farewell and further mussed his wavy hair as he tried to smooth it out. It didn’t matter much as he covered it with the old faded Leafs toque and left through the automatic doors. His shadow was soon followed by Melissa as she looked forward to seeing her daughter and watching some new program on the local channel.

You were the last as you walked the aisles before final lock-up. The automatic doors were off as you checked for unlikely stragglers. You came back to the round desk and flipped off the lights for all but the entry way and the back office. You pushed open the door and locked the outside ones with a jangle of keys. As you turned back, you gripped the big key to the back door and shook your head.

You stepped through the space between the inner doors and stared at the man behind your desk. He sat in your chair, your purse sat before him on the counter as he shoved a large hand inside. You crossed your arms and watched Thor as he pulled out your coral coloured wallet and unsnapped it.

“What are you doing?” You asked harshly. “How did you get in here?”

He snickered and pulled out a card and lifted it up to look at it closely. He leaned back and flicked it with his thumb. “I knew you were a city girl.” He said.

“Get out. We’re closed.”

“Sorry, I’m late. I’m a busy man.” He slid the card back in place and searched the rest, uninterested by the few bills inside the fold and your various reward cards and outdated alumni ID.

“Late? You don’t seem the reading type. We don’t have that many audiobooks.” You neared and grabbed the other handle of your purse. “There’s an app for that now.”

Again, he laughed and dropped your wallet into the depths of your purse. He released it and pushed his shoulders back as you dragged the bag off the desk. He tilted his head and held up your phone in its shiny lavender case. He smirked as the screen lit up and he swiped it open. You never should have added the library as a trusted location.

“Hmm,” he turned it to face him and scrolled with his thumb, “I think you’re missing a number in here.”

“Give it.” You reached for the phone and he held it away from you like some annoying teenager. “Hey… Thor! Give me it. It’s mine!”

His blonde lashes flashed and he looked at you with delight. “Oooh, I love it when you say my name.”

“Stop. You can’t be in here and you certainly can’t--” 

You swiped for the phone again and he caught your arm. He yanked you so hard you almost left the floor and you dropped your purse and keys. He held you over the counter as he twisted your wrist just a little.

“And who exactly is going to make me leave?”

He kept his thick fingers locked around your wrist as he searched your phone. You struggled with him but it only sent a violent jolt up to your elbow.

“I can do whatever I want and you can’t do anything to stop me. In fact, there’s no one in this town who can.” His jaw clenched and he locked your phone. “Well, kitten, I’m going to hold onto this.” He let go of you and stood as you retracted your arm and rubbed your sore wrist. “And when you want to be a good girl for me, you can come find me and ask for it nicely.”

“Ask? You’re crazy. It’s mine. You’re--” you sputtered.

You swallowed as his hand balled to a fist and his brow twitched. It was the first hint of anything but amusement. It was much more troubling, a slight tell. He was angry.

“I’ve been nice, kitten. I like you and your claws but don’t scratch too deep.” He warned as he backed away. “I’ll see my way out unless of course… you would take me up on my offer from last night.”

“Go. Keep the fucking phone.” You snarled and reached for your purse and the keys. 

You stood and watched as he ran his tongue just below his teeth and turned away. He snaked his way through the back office and you heard the heavy metal door whine in his stead. You locked the inner doors and grabbed your jacket from the rack.

You went to the same door and hit the lights. You activated the security system and stepped out with a cautious look around the vacant parking lot. You locked the door and headed around the side of the brick building and out into the glow of the streetlights.

You could get a new phone, that was nothing, just a chunk out of your check. He could search your contacts, your apps, your phones, he’d find nothing but the pathetic life of a thirtysomething wash out. That wasn’t what worried you. 

He was watching you. He had to be. He knew when you were alone and he knew how to get in. You might not see him but you were certain he could see you. You shivered and pulled your hate over your head and puffed out a cloud. 

💀

You went home angry but slightly addled from the encounter. You watched over your shoulder the entire way home and locked your door with the tarnished chain. You found it hard to settle as you debated marching over to the bar and demanding your phone back and opening the wine you hadn’t touched since your impulsive purchase. You really hated Thor but you knew you could push him much further before he did something much worse.

You ignored your wrath and ate your dinner in front of the television before hiding under your covers and watching the snowfall until you fell asleep. Every night was as dull as the one before and the morning always came too quickly.

You woke and readied for your day with a cup of home-brewed Colombian roast and packed your lunch. You searched for your phone for two seconds before you remembered where it was. Your neck prickled as you thought of Thor with access to all your information and the barren social media accounts. 

The snow was even deeper that day and you fought through the thick carpet. The library felt twice as far by the time you reached it and you were panting as you entered and shook off the powder. You took your usual spot at the usual time with your usual thermos and usual disillusion.

You whiled away the hours without the distraction of your phone. You realised how easily this man could torture you and not even be in the same place as you. You went searching in the aisles for something to do and scraped the gum off the bottom of the tables. A disgusting task but work nonetheless.

When the end of the day came, you were all too happy to go home and hide under your duvet with a tea and a sitcom. You hated this. You would go to the city and get a new phone if you had too. God, how much would that cost?

💀

The days slogged by and on your first free day, you were too tired to make the drive out of town. You resigned to your procrastination, instead taking a short walk down the main street to Babs’. Your usual order, but cinnamon instead of caramel in your latte, and a scone to enjoy at home.

The snow remained as thick as days before. You looked out the bakery window in dread as you awaited your order at the end of the counter. You still caught yourself reaching for your phone. If you waited too long, you might not even be able to make it into the city. Well, you could always order something online. 

The door chimed as Steve’s girl came to the other side of the counter and placed your latte out for you. She smiled and you thanked her but her eyes rounded as you heard boots come close. You turned, barely surprised by the man who was better described as your shadow those days. 

Since his visit to the library, Thor had made himself known in several instances, every day as you walked home he was outside the asp, watching. Other times, he’d be waiting by the steps of the library, mocking you silent as he pulled out your phone. You had too much pride to ask for it back and you knew that it would take more than asking.

You tried to sidestep him and he blocked your path. The foam pushed out through the hole in the plastic lid and you sighed.

“What do you want?” you hissed.

“I should ask you. I don’t know many girls these days can go days without their lifeline,” he taunted, “You know, it’s dangerous how much of ourselves we keep on these little things.”

He patted his jacket where he no doubt had your phone hidden. You looked down at your latte and thought of popping the lid off and tossing it at him. That wouldn’t be any good. You shrugged and looked past him.

“I gotta go--”

“Is there anything I can get you, Thor?” Steve’s girl eked out as if her voice could barely fit through her windpipe.

“I’ve come for something sweet but I think I found it,” he smirked, his eyes stuck to you.

“Give it up,” you scoffed and elbowed past him. He chuckled and followed you to the door as you sped up, your treads squeaking on the salt-stained floor.

“On you? Never,” he purred as you pulled the door open and he caught it behind you.

“You can break the phone for all I care,” you snarled, “just leave me alone.”

He kept up with you as flakes gathered on your scarf and you peered down the street and ran across. His boots crunched in time with yours as he lingered in your peripheral. You spun as you came to a stop on the other side and scowled.

“Jesus, I thought dogs were supposed to be obedient,” you snapped.

“I can be,” he winked and reached to brush the snow from the hair poking out from under your cap, “I’ll gladly get to my knees for you, kitten.”

You snapped at his hand and he pulled away with a surprised laugh. You gritted your teeth and took a step back.

“I won’t tell you again and I’m getting real tired of this.”

“You keep forgetting who you’re meowing at, kitten,” he stepped closer and you backed away again.

You turned and flitted away from him. You had not planned for him in your day off and you weren’t going to let him ruin it. You wanted to go home and enjoy your coffee, alone. However, that meant leading him to your front door. You stopped again.

“Go,” you pointed across the street at the Asp, the town’s marquee.

“Oh, kitten, you’re so cute,” he tugged on your scarf and you swatted him away.

“Alright, that’s it!” you smashed your cup against his chest and the hot liquid steamed as it splashed across his front and dripped down his leather jacket. 

He held out his arms as he looked down at himself and slowly back to you. His blue eyes dilated as the ends of his golden hair sopped with caffeine. It was too late to apologize, too futile. You sputtered and quickly turned away.

You were thankful when you didn’t hear him behind you. You stopped and peaked back at the corner of the next side street. He watched you still and even at a distance you could see his rage.

If you hoped he’d lose interest, that optimism was dead.

💀

A snow storm stagnated the already stale town and you could guess that the highway was even worse. You could replace your sim online but that would take at least a week to arrive and with the weather, likely longer. It might be quicker to wait out the blizzard. You stayed in limbo, reluctant to pull the trigger.

You kept to your apartment for the rest of the weekend, with no reason or want to leave. On your way, you didn’t see him. You sighted a few figures through the falling powder but they were faces familiar to the streets. You kept an eye over your shoulder, glancing around every few steps.

You avoided the cafe. He might look for you there, he might even be waiting for you. You sat down at your desk but felt out of place. He could walk through those doors like he had only days before. He could taunt you and tease you. What made you so antsy was that he could do worse than that. You knew it but you’d let your temper get the best of you. A wasted latte might have cost you everything.

By the end of your shift, it was decided. You were leaving Birch. No one could know until you were gone. Not Melissa, not Colin, no one. You old all-weathers would have to get you down the highway, just to the city so you could lose yourself there until you had a real plan. Even as the snow piled higher and higher, there could be no delay. You’d waited long enough.

Paranoid, you were certain you’d be met again on your path home. The town was dead as the soft blanket covered the ground. The flakes turned to mounds and the tops of your boots let in errant clumps of snow. The store may as well been closed for the day, the library had been little different but its lethargy was expected. Even The Asp seemed to have dulled with the pale gusts.

You packed a bag. One. The apartment came furnished and you never cared much for miscellany. Anything you left behind was replaceable. You went down the back stairs and cleaned off your small Focus. Used but reliable. You were out of breath as you climbed into the driver’s seat and threw the brush in the back.

You drove carefully down the side streets, snaking around as you knew the main fair would give away your escape. You stopped at the sign that pointed to the highway ramp and wondered. 

What if he had got the clue? What if you were running from nothing?

You remember the look in his eye and shivered. No, that glimmer assured you that return to your mother’s was as wise as it would be torturous. You followed the arrow and took the curve steadily with your foot planted on the gas. The traffic was slow and cautious as headlights were barely visible through the snowfall.

You gripped the wheel tightly and let out a breath. You would be gone before he knew. You’d get a new phone, a new job, a new life. Even if it was just pay-as-go, a McDonald’s visor, and your mother’s couch for a while. What good was a job in a place like Birch anyway? Just as good as your irrelevant degree.

You were startled and nearly lost control as a set of lights appeared behind you in the next lane. They were dangerously close to dinging your rear bumper as the reckless driver took a u-turn right before the upcoming barriers. You wrinkled your brow as you glared at them through the white haze. What kind of maniac was pulling shit like that in this weather?

And then, they did hit you. A nudge but enough to send you veering in the thick lines of snow. You clutched the wheel and tried to steer into it, tried to right yourself as you were knocked again. Your heart was in your throat as the engine revved and you hit your brakes, not knowing what else to do as a third collision came.

You spun out and hit the cement wall along the far lane, narrowly missing another car as it pulled ahead. You stilled, your seatbelt saving your face from a smack against the wheel, and stared down the highway as you stared at oncoming traffic. You were completely turned around on the arm.

You caught your breath and reached for your purse. Fuck, you had no phone. What was that asshole thinking? It didn’t seem like an accident.

The car that had bullied you into a crash pulled up along the barrier. You watched in the rear view as the barely visible tail lights glowed and a dark figure appeared between the car and the concrete. You squinted as the man neared, a long coat flapped around his tall figure as he held his hand to his face.

He came up beside your car as you heard his voice muffled through the glass and tapped on your window. He bent and knocked again as you shot him the finger. You were ready to give him a piece of your mind. You rolled down the window with the manual crank and growled, “what the fuck!?”

“Can I have your name, darling?” he asked in a sinisterly familiar accent.

“Screw you! You almost killed me!”

He turned his phone out as you screeched at him and quickly put it back to his ear, “that sound like her?”

A deep voice rumbled in the speaker and the dark-hair man nodded as he shielded his face from the blowing snow, “you owe me, brother.”

“Who the fuck are you?” you spat and reached to your glovebox. You grabbed the heavy flashlight and swung it at him, “get away--”

He caught with a leather-gloved hand and glared back at you. He tucked away the phone in his jacket. His nostrils flared and his green irises caught fire. 

“Let’s not do this, darling,” he warned, “my brother has given me clearance to use whatever force necessary…” he pushed the button and pulled open your door as he wrenched away the metal flashlight, “and while he seems the bigger brute, I assure you his cruelty cannot match mine.”

[samgtt700]

The Will of Time

Chapter Eight

Previous Chapters: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven

Tags: @wildsayeed, @made-me-deep-blue, @iam-the-fuckin-queen, @evexofxtime, @kamilah-sayeed-let-me-love-you, @h-doodles, @playallthechoices, @kamilahforever, @kamilahsayeet2063, @kamilah-the-bloodqueen, @helpconfusedpersonhere, @scarlet-letter-a0114, @nydeiri, @tigerbryn11, @lifesadance96, @paodequeijofeliz-blog, @belvoiresqueenbee, @lifesadance96, @nighthuntresskatherine, @ayushixo, @jellomello2akast, @nell-crainxx, Let me know if you want to be added or if I’ve missed you!

A/N: sorry for the 141 day wait. It’s been a rough few months for me but I’m feeling good, I’m in a good place and I would to thank my followers and fans for their patience. You lot have needed it for this wait. But enjoy and I promise the next chapter will have much less of a wait time. I have big plans so stay tuned!

Kamilah’s nails scratched at the floor weakly, her nails broken and brittle. Trying to move into the corner to avoid the sunlight in her pitch black prison cell. Her eyes stinging as the sunlight hit her face. The chains dragging behind her, bloodying her ankles.

‘Kamilah... where is your brother?’ Dorian asked, his voice echoing in the darkness.

Kamilah managed to sit up, pulling herself into the darkness. ‘If I knew. I still wouldn’t tell you.’ She sneered back, gritting her teeth.

‘Tsk tsk.’ Dorian tapped his foot into the ground, the metal in his leather boots rattling. ‘Not the answer I was after again. You could end your suffering.’

‘I will always suffer for my family.’ Kamilah wouldn’t hesitate to protect her family no matter the personal cost to herself.

Dorian opened his palm, flames engulfing his hand. Heating the carving blade in his palm Gaius handed him. ‘You know what to do.’ Dorian nodded to Gaius. ‘They will come for her and they will die for their mistake.’

Alice shot up, sweat dripping down her body, her breathing rapid, her chest pounding. Her hand touching her temple, a vision unlike anything she had seen before. As if it she was peering in on the present, rather than the past. She could feel the pain Kamilah was experiencing as the visions continued to occur whilst she was awake. Feeling the carving knife, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up as her body tensed up.

‘You can save her Alice.’ Dorians voice lingered, a foul odour in the air that the cold egyptian wind wouldn’t whisk away.

‘Enough.’ Alice shouted in her mind. Startling Dorian as she got up and walked across the room, blocking him out. Sliding down the wall outside for some space. Needing to calm down. The anxiety of her past creeping back in, would she be enough to save the ones she loved.... it still played in the back of her mind now, unable to save Jax that day. His sacrifice a reminder of the burden placed upon her shoulders. The discovery of her heritage had explained so much about her powers, but also left her with more questions.

‘You look like hell.’

Alice turned. Lysimachus holding a cup of what she hoped was coffee. ‘Is that coffee?’

‘I do not have coffee but this is something Adrian gave me.’ He sat down beside her.

Alice took a small sip before smiling, giggling to herself, remembering all the times Kamilah had a bottle of bourbon with her despite it seeming impossible. ‘I think bourbon at this hour is not appropriate. Not for breakfast.’

‘Is this not breakfast drink?’ Lysimachus stared into the cup. ‘It is good.’

‘Not for everyone.’ Alice handed Lysimachus back the cup. ‘Not this early.’

Lysimachus tried to get up but groaned. ‘How bad?’

‘You need something you can’t get here in your time.’ Alice answered. ‘We call them a hospital. Not that we like to go to them.’

Lysimachus nodded. ‘I’ll be ok. Trust me. Survived worse. Just need to keep moving.’ Alice taking his hand in a tight grip, not wanting to be alone and wanting to let her wife sleep in. ‘You know more about my family than a stranger should. How do you know so much about my sister and I?’

‘This won’t make sense but your sister...’ Alice glanced at Kamilah. ‘Is sleeping over in that bed. She isn’t the sister we were with before though.’

‘Just tell it to me straight Alice.’ Lysimachus asked.

Alice nodded. ‘You died. And Kamilah’s my wife, she was turned by Gaius in this time. She’s been through so much but when she talks of you. She gets this faraway look. Like she’s reliving all the memories of you.’

Lysimachus glanced in Kamilah’s direction. ‘What happened to me?’

‘You died in battle from what I know.’ Alice knew only little snippets of Lysimachus, but this time with him she began to understand her wife so much more. ‘This time I’ve spent with you, with your family. I’ve learnt so much.’

Lily and Cal walked up. Stopping as Alice turned to them, lysimachus staring at them oddly. ‘Who are they?’

‘Is he speaking- omg that is awesome. He’s speaking ancient Egyptian!’ Lily squealed.

Adrian walked up. ‘How’s the bourbon?’

‘Not breakfast appropriate apparently.’ Lysimachus softly chuckled. ‘It’s amazing.’

‘He’s definitely a Sayeed.’ Adrian laughed to himself, rubbing the back of his neck before loosening his tie. ‘We’ll need to be properly introduced over a bottle of bourbon when all this is over.’

‘Everyone ok?’ Alice asked.

‘Your blood.’ Adrian handed Alice a bag of blood, ‘and Dorian-’

‘I dreamt of him.’ Alice sighed. ‘He had Kamilah, badly injured. She was being tortured but I could feel her pain. We were linked.’

‘Maybe human Kamilah. It would explain the poorly written tattoo on Kamilah’s arm?’ Lily pointed out as some writing appeared on Kamilah’s skin. ‘He’s writing a location and time on her skin.’ Lily read it. ‘The royal palace. Dusk. Alice, Lysimachus and Kamilah.’

Adrian woke Kamilah. ‘Morning.’ He pulled her arm out to read. ‘This is fascinating how he’s manipulating time. I’ve never seen anything like this, not even in my time with Gaius. None of this makes sense.’

‘It’s obviously a trap.’ Lily said.

‘You think?’ Kamilah stood, putting her jacket on. Seeing her brother stare strangely at her. ‘It’s been a long time.’

Adrian glanced at Lily. ‘Shall I tell the others?’

‘Can you Ask Serafine to come up, I need to talk to her.’ Kamilah asked.

Alice got up, walking over and squeezing Kamilah’s hand. ‘I’ll give you two a minute.’

‘Thank you.’ Kamilah teary eyed reply did not go unnoticed as Alice wiped a tear on her cheek. Kamilah leant in and kissed Alice, slow and deep. ‘I love you.’

‘I love you too.’ Alice let Kamilah go. ‘I’ll prepare my weapons.’

Kamilah nodded, watching Alice walk away before hearing a chuckle. ‘No wonder she gave me such funny looks.’

Kamilah turned to her brother, moving to sit on the edge of his bed. ‘She hasn’t told me much of your time together but if I remember what we use to get up to. I’d say she enjoyed herself.’

‘What happened to me?’

‘You were stabbed in battle. Fighting the romans. By then. Cleopatra was grasping at straws for power and all her allies had abandoned her but us two remained. Loyal to our cousin.’ Kamilah explained. ‘Learning of your death. It was one of the hardest moments in my life. But I grew stronger for it, like every difficult moment.’

‘Alice. She’s too good for you.’ Was all Lysimachus answered with. Laughing.

Kamilah smirked. ‘Hands off.’

‘Don’t think I could win if I tried. That woman only has eyes for you. Even ah, other you noticed it?’ Lysimachus was a little unsure, everything had changed and he had zero understanding of it. ‘So... we’ve been-’

‘Yes. I won’t lose you again.’ Kamilah wouldn’t go through it again, she wouldn’t allow herself to lose her brother all over again after just getting him back. ‘We’ll figure it out.’

‘There isn’t anything to figure out. I am dead where your from and you’ve made it just fine without me. You know what you have to do.’ Lysimachus didn’t mince words. ‘Use me as bait and leave me to die. Get Alice, yourself and... yourself out?’

Kamilah smirked before shaking her head, sighing aloud. ‘You are not playing the hero. We all go home. Together.’

Lysimachus grasped her hand. ‘I won’t be the cost of your happiness.’

‘I just got you back.’ Kamilah sat. Staring into his eyes. ‘It’s been over two thousand years since I last sat in front of you.’

Lysimachus pulled his sister into a hug. ‘And you’ll be fine for the next two thousand years without me.’

Kamilah didn’t want to sacrifice her brother. She didn’t want to lose him again after just getting him back. ‘I won’t lose you. Not again.’

‘Kamilah...’ Serafine coughed into her hand, breaking the twins apart. Kamilah stood and straightened her suit. ‘Sorry to interrupt but you wanted-’

‘Ah yes.’ Kamilah stepped over. Glancing back at Lysimachus, ‘I suggest you suit up for battle brother.’ She nodded to him. ‘The rest of you will need to get in unnoticed pass the guards. Alice, Lysimachus and I will go through the front door.’

‘You want us to sneak in I’m assuming?’ Serafine asked.

‘Yes. I have the palace in my head. You need to access and use it.’ Kamilah asked. ‘Please Serafine, I want to keep my family-’

‘No need, mom amie, we are family.’ Serafine pressed her hand into Kamilah’s shoulder, an unspoken message between the two as serafine accessed what she needed to. Their wasn’t words needed between old friends, between family. ‘Good luck Kamilah. Be safe.’

Kamilah made her way downstairs to the others, all preparing for battle. Alice sharpened her blade in the corner by Lily who checked her crossbow was in working order. ‘Lily.’

Lily saw the glance Kamilah gave her on approach. ‘Got ya.’ She scurried away to give them privacy. Alice standing and putting her blade aside.

‘You okay?’

‘I need to ask something of you.’

‘You know you can ask anything of me...’ Alice gigged. ‘I’m not your wife just for flattery.’

Kamilah shook her head before lifting Alice’s chin, their eyes meeting. ‘If you have the chance. Get Lysimachus and human me out. I will find my own way out.’

‘Kamilah...’ Alice sighed, grasping Kamilah’s hand and gently squeezing. ‘We save everyone together.’

‘Just promise-’ Kamilah pleaded as her hand caressed Alice’s cheek, ‘I can’t lose my brother again.’

‘And we won’t.’ Alice rested her hand over Kamilah’s. ‘We will walk out together because we know it’s a trap. But Lysimachus and you know this battlefield better than them. They think your walking into their trap but use it against them.’ She pressed her lips to Kamilah’s, her eyes falling shut as her lips explored Kamilah’s, nibbling at Kamilah’s lower lip and feeling her rapid heartbeat as she pulled back breathless.

‘You two ready?’ Lysimachus stood behind them, his white uniform standing out in the crowd, his leather armour strapped into place. His curved egyptian sword strapped to his side, ‘be like old times for us.’

Kamilah nodded, stepping over to Lysimachus, adjusting the same strap she always had. ‘If it gets too much. Tell us.’

‘I’ll be okay.’ Lysimachus answered, slapping his sisters hand away. ‘Stop fussing over me. I’m not bloody Cleopatra.’ He walked out first.

Alice smirking before following her wife outside. Mounting her horse before Kamilah jumped up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. ‘I love you.’ She glanced behind her to Kamilah whose only response was to pull herself closer. Tightening her grip on Alice.

‘I love you too.’ Her words were whispered in Alice’s ear, meant only to be heard by her.

——————————————————————————————

Alice dismounted at the Royal palace, guards escorting them to the main doors. Kamilah and her sharing a glance before entwining their hands, a gentle squeeze the only reminder they needed to know they were in this together. This was their fight, and they had each other’s back to the end of time.

‘Hand your weapons over.’

‘You don’t need our weapons.’ Alice played with their minds, walking inside ahead of the other two.

‘Did she just-’ Lysimachus couldn’t believe his eyes as the guards walked off. Kamilah not batting an eye at it. He quickly followed. Struggling for breath but hiding it from his sister. Not wanting her to worry as they entered. Guards and servants alike leaving as Alice spared a glance in their direction. Worried what was to come as it almost emptied on their way to the throne room.

Cleopatra sat on her throne, Gaius and Dorian flanking her. Her wine goblet full of fresh blood, it trailed down her lips, drinking it openly, caring little for their opinions as the dead servant provided her foot rest.

‘Cousins.’ She licked her lips. ‘You don’t look like you’ve aged well Kamilah.’ Kamilah clenched her fists but didn’t respond when Alice gently squeezed her wrist. ‘Your just in time for tonight’s entertainment.’

Lysimachus stepped forward. Hand on his sword, ‘tonight’s entertainment?’

Cleopatra raised her hand. Two guards escorting human Kamilah out. ‘The death of the Sayeed bloodline.’

‘I’m very much alive and plan to be tomorrow.’ Kamilah finally spoke. ‘We have no quarrel with you cousin.’

‘You are in my kingdom. My world.’ Cleopatra stood. Gaius twisting his lips in a smug smirk. ‘You will bend to my will, or die.’

‘I don’t bend to anyone’s will.’ Kamilah stood defiant.

‘Nor do I.’ Lysimachus nodded to her.

‘My parents should have had you two killed the day your father revolted against us. But they saw you two as innocents.’ Cleopatra sneered, ‘you have traitors blood. But they swept it under the rug.’

‘Liar!’ Human Kamilah spat at the ground towards Cleopatra.

Dorian screwed his fist, human Kamilah falling to her knees in agony, holding her hand. Alice glanced at her wife, seeing her eyes close tight, trying to block out the pain, her past reminding her of the intense pain she went through, how she held out despite how much it felt like her head was going to explode. Alice couldn’t stand to watch the pain her loved one was in.

‘Enough!’ Alice stepped forward, Dorian knocking Kamilah unconscious with one final blast, her body crumbling to the ground. ‘You called us here! For what?! For you to parade around like your someone important. History doesn’t take kindly to you!’

Gaius glared. “She is my queen.”

‘Thank god I’m not your queen anymore.’ Kamilah felt a chill down her spine still hearing those words.

‘Your mine.’ Alice winked at her.

‘I can feel my blood through your veins. You disgusting filth.’

Alice pulled out her blade. Sharp and reflecting in the moonlight. ‘Enough of your bullshit Gaius. Your no god. Or king. Just ashes to be reclaimed by the Earth.’ She stood in front of the Sayeed twins ready for whatever was to come.

‘You sure about that?’ Dorian smirked. Serafine dragged out in chains beside the others, each of them bloodied and beaten, Adrian’s difficulty to breath, feeling how broken his body was. Lily’s side burnt by fire, how desperate they were for blood, like it had been sucked out of them, the goodness and essence of it, unlike anything she had seen before. Cal’s fur torn up as he was tossed like a rag doll to the ground, turning back into a human, his body littered in bruises, Katherine helping Alex in, unconscious and heavily bleeding. Whatever back up plan to get them out was gone, they only way out now was through Dorian Cleopatra and Gaius. They had to die or they would, the terms were simple and there was no negotiating with the enemy, no pleading or begging. ‘You want to kill everyone you care about? You want to watch everyone you love die?’

Alice noticed Nik was missing, the only member of the team absent. She wasn’t sure what to make of it, but knew he was in the palace somewhere.

‘Well?’ Gaius pulled out his blade with his only arm, ready for a fight. Ready to make the kill.

Alice hesitated. Staring down Dorian approaching, flames rising from his hands. His soldiers appearing from the shadows, ready for a fight. Serafine managing to get to her hands and knees, nodding to her. Her voice echoing in her mind. ‘Stop him... at any cost.’ Alice tightened the grip on her blade, her knuckles whitening. Her breath unsteady and her heart pounding but then she felt the calming presence beside her as her daggers unsheathed together. And then Lysimachus pulling out his Egyptian sword and scraping it along the palace floor. The Sayeed family would fight together. For their family. For their home.

Dorian sneered before gritting his teeth. ‘You choose death then.’

[lightning-struck-thrice]

Detroit Become Human: Incoming Call

Sequel to My Favorite Color is Rainbow. Connor POV post game fluff where everyone becomes friends. Part 1 is here. Part 3 is here.

-

The call came in around noon. Connor had been watching over the crowd of Androids for hours as people started moving through, handing out vouchers for hotels, citizenship paperwork and blue blood in case anyone needed a stop off. Markus had come by and Josh as well later, they were trying to move through the crowd to make sure everyone was okay. With most humans evacuating the city all of the surrounding mega structures were being set aside to house the now homeless Androids. Office buildings, stadiums and hotels all planning to play host to the newly awakened population.

Kara, Luther, and Alice had all gotten their papers but stayed with him. Keeping him company as he kept everything orderly. One Android had recognized him as the deviant hunter and threatened him.

"Please, I..." Connor had begun to explain but Luther stepped in front of him and Kara had walked over to stand next to him. Luther said a few words and the android left in a hurry.

After that Connor had insisted that they make their way to a place to stay for the day, but they continued to stay by his side while he kept the peace. Or Luther kept the peace for him. Alice fell asleep in Kara's arms at one of the cleared out clothing stations. At least the weather had warmed slightly, the snow had stopped and weak sunshine came through the high clouds.

As the file distribution began, citizenship applications and vouchers were passed around from android to android.

Connor filed the citizenship application and at last filed the room voucher as well. He didn't have anywhere to go anymore, he thought deflating a little. He couldn't go to the DPD where he'd been the last few weeks, he certainly wasn't going back to cyberlife, and Hank was his friend but he hasn't exactly sure that the lieutenant would want him around all of the time. He felt alone for a moment, unsure of where he would end up. But then he glanced over at Kara and Alice. If they could still be happy after being displaced for so long then so could he.

And then he was receiving an incoming call. He nodded to Kara, who noticed he'd been looking her way, as he answered.

"Hello Lieutenant."

"Jesus Connor, it's taken hours to get this call to go through, where in the hell are you?"

"It's good to hear from you, I assume that you're safe? No additional Android assassins have visited you today, have they?"

"Har Har, Connor, I'm not dead yet and I'm guessing neither are you so I'm coming to get you. Do they need you anymore for this revolution or can you go home? ...Uh, back to the house?"

The corner of Connor's mouth twitched, smiling still wasn't a habit of his but he felt joy spreading through him. Home. Or Hank's home, at least. He did have somewhere that he belonged.

But then he thought of Kara and Luther and Alice. They'd stayed with him this whole time. He couldn't leave them now, right? They'd stayed with him even though they didn't have to. He decided that he wouldn't be able to leave them.

"Thank you lieutenant, I would really like to... But I have to make sure that my friends find a place to stay first."

There was a pause.

"You made... friends?" He asked disbelieving.

"Yes. I did. Of course, you are my friend too, lieutenant, but I need to make sure they're safe first."

"Other androids? Do they have a place to stay?"

"Yes. And I don't know, we'll have to figure that out first." Connor could perfectly picture Hank rolling his eyes.

"Fine." He finally said. "But send me your location. Maybe I can help pull a few strings to get them somewhere and then we can leave before it starts fucking snowing again."

"I'm sending my location to your phone now and I'll let Markus know that you're coming through."

"Wait...you really think that the leader of the deviant revolution is just going to let me waltz in there and pick you up?" He asked annoyed.

"I'm sure that he knows a good cop when he sees one" He answered. There were authorities posted around the entrances of the buildings anyway. He assumed that Markus would have no problem if there was one more officer around.

"Last thing I need..." Hank grumbled "an Android with a fucking sense of humor." The line disconnected.

Connor sighed with relief.

"Is everything alright?" Kara asked.

"Yes, my friend is in his way. Lieutenant Hank Anderson, you saw him that day on the highway, he's the one that demanded that I leave you both alone. He has been rather sympathetic to the deviants that we were assigned to find. And he was the one that encouraged me to join Markus when I left for Jericho."

"A human?" Luther asked skeptically.

Conner just nodded. His software detected the skepticism on Luther's face and the uncertainty in Kara's.

"He would like to assist in finding you a place to stay." He left Kara and Luther with their thoughts for a moment as he sent a message to Markus, focusing on him directly.

"Markus?"

A pause.

"Connor."

"Hello Markus, would you like me to assist with anything else? Lieutenant Anderson has requested that I depart with him. I'm aware that you have your hands full, but I am apprehensive to leave him alone this evening, as Cyberlife has already targeted his life once today. I would like to accompany him to his home to stand guard."

There was a pause as Connor assumed Markus was trying to work through the information. Connor sent him the recording of Hank being held up in the assembly plant and his subsequent rescue of Connor from the 60 model.

"I know he is a human Markus, but he's very important to me. Otherwise I would stay and help."

There was another short pause.

"Of course Connor, it seems he's been a great help to the revolution today as well, and we'll need as many human allies as we can find from here on out. We'll let him through. And we'll keep in touch. Perhaps it's better if you lay low for now as well. People may still be looking for you."

"Thank you Markus."

Connor refocused on Kara as the connection dispersed. "Come on, let's get you all inside."

***

As Connor had predicted the group's dedication to him had made them miss the chance to get into a shelter before the crowd had caught up with them. They all stood in the courtyard of a massive business building in a waiting line collecting snow. The snow had begun again, but it was light, it fell gently into Connor's shoulders as he waited, determined to get Kara, Luther and Alice inside.

"I'm sorry, you shouldn't have waited with me, the delay has complicated things."

"It's alright Connor," Kara said glancing at a sleeping Alice in Luther's arms.

"Besides you needed our help." Luther pointed out. "You may be a great detective, but you're a lousy peacekeeper."

Connor glanced down at the ground embarrassed. "Well thank you for helping me."

At that moment the was some shifting in the crowd behind him he turned to see lieutenant Anderson approaching.

"Lieutenant!" Connor greeted him happily. A few Androids around Connor looked uncomfortable and turned away.

Hank rolled his eyes.

"No worries folks, I'm off duty. Not here to cause any trouble." He grabbed Connor's arm and turned him back to their little group. "You think you could keep it down? I'm sure these people have been through enough today without worrying that I'm coming in to hassle them."

"Sorry lieutenant."

After a moments pause Hank grabbed Connor and pulled him into a hug. Connor smiled and hugged him back after a moment. Finally Hank backed out and took a moment to look at the others, he slapped Connor on the shoulder then held out his hand out to Kara.

"Hi there, Hank Anderson. It's a pleasure." Kara smiled and very cautiously took his hand.

"My name is Kara."

"Oh we've met before, haven't we?" Hank asked lightly.

"I uh..." Kara stammered.

"It's okay Kara, all of the charges against you were dropped. You no longer have a record and are of no interest to the DPD." Connor explained while he dismissed her file. Curious that he still has access to the files, that one has been updated this morning. He wondered if Hank had conveniently forgotten to revoke his access.

"Not that I'd do anything if the charges weren't dropped, but Connor's right." Hank said.

"W-what?" Kara stammered, stunned.

"Guy called, dropped the charges first thing this morning. Change of heart I guess? " Hank glanced at Connor. "Funny you two found one another again."

Hank smiled at Kara and then offered Luther his hand. "How are ya?" Luther raised an eyebrow but didn't move, clearly sizing Hank up, but Hank didn't seem to mind, he dropped his hand and looked expectantly up at Luther.

"Luther." He finally introduced himself, still guarded.

"Wonderful to meet you... Thanks for making sure no one dismantled Connor while I was gone." He cast a quick glance over to him. "It's been a long day."

Finally Hank spotted Alice who had slid down out of Luther's arms and hidden behind Kara, peeking out at him.

"And who's this?" Hank asked.

"This is Alice." Kara said, finally deciding it was okay to speak with Hank after searching Connor's gaze for a long while, he smiled confidently at her and added in a nod for good measure.

It was wonderful to see all of his friends together, though he felt bad that Luther was so tense.

"Come on, I don't bite...I promise." Hank smiled at her, she gave him a cautious smile back and hid completely behind Kara again.

Hank stood, he seemed to be in a good mood.

"Alright then, so how long have you been standing in this line?"

"Forty-six minutes and 8 seconds." Connor offered helpfully.

"Uh huh... And how far have you moved?" Hank asked turning to him.

"Approximately nine feet, lieutenant."

"That's what I thought. I took the liberty of asking around outside about the ‘housing’ let me visit the front desk to see if I can speed things up." 

Hank disappeared into the building flashing his badge at the officer as he walked past. 

“So this human is your partner?” Kara asked deciding to speak. 

“Yes.” Connor answered proudly. 

“And you think that you can trust him?” Luther asked skeptically. 

“Yes.” Connor said calmly. “He saved my life this morning, allowing me to awaken the androids at the assembly plant.”

“He let you do that?” Luther asked.

“Yes, and he shot the assassin that was trying to kill me.” Luther looked a little uncertain still and they stood in silence while they waited for Hank to return. about 15 minutes later Hank came back. 

“Well that was useless.” Hank grumbled. “Long story short they’re just overwhelmed and trying to cobble everything together as they go. They’re going as fast as they can, but it could still take hours to process everyone.”

There was a long pause while Hank sighed.

He turned to Kara. "Please, if you need a place to stay, come with us. We can put you up at my house for the night and figure out something else more permanent later. But it'll at least get you off the streets for the night."

Connor hadn't predicted that. But he was thrilled.

"Oh we couldn't impose like that." Kara said quickly.

"Look, Kara, I absolutely understand if you don't feel comfortable staying at my house, I know that you’ve been on the run for a while now. And you have no reason to trust a human, let alone a police officer. But please, don't refuse if you think that you'd be inconveniencing me in anyway. You and Alice can take the bed, I'll take the couch, and these two can each take a chair or whatever it is you need to recharge. " Hank glanced at Connor, looking like he was filling that question away for later.

"And at least there won't be hundreds of strangers around you. It'll be safer. Besides, it wouldn't just be me doing you a favor. I'm going to be practically living at the police station this week we are so overwhelmed, I need someone to stay home and watch the house and my dog."

Sumo! Connor thought with a thrill. He'd get to see Sumo again!

"I can look after Sumo, lieutenant." He said eagerly.

Hank looked over at him, with a smirk on his face. "Great, but I also need someone to watch you." He jerked a thumb at Connor.

Connor cocked his head, confused, he was perfectly self sufficient.

"You're the only androids that he's made friends with and he'll decommission if he has nobody to annoy while I'm gone. So I'd really appreciate the help."

Connor was about to argue until the probability of them agreeing to Hank's request went up 38%. He shut his mouth quickly.

Kara and Luther were looking at one another, the were likely having a private conversation trying to decide what to do. Connor waited patiently while Alice and Hank exchanged a wave.

Connor suddenly heard Kara speak to him, her voice echoed in his ears.

“Can we trust him, Connor?”

Connor gave her a small encouraging nod, feeling guilty that he was excluding Hank from the silent discussion. 

“You can, Kara, I promise. He’s a good person.” he broadcast to Luther too. The other two androids shut him back out as they finished their internal discussion and he watched Hank and Alice steal mischievous glances at one another.

Hank seemed to know what he was doing, even if Connor couldn’t interpret the strange silent language that they seemed to be communicating in. Then Cole suddenly entered Connor’s thoughts. Of course Hank knew how to entertain her, Cole hadn’t been much younger than Alice. Connor was pulled out of his thoughts when Kara and Luther finally broke eye contact. 

"Thank you, lieutenant Anderson, that's very kind of you. We'd be happy to take you up on your offer while we look for a long term solution." Kara said with a polite smile, apparently also noticing Alice and Hank’s antics. “Just for one night.”

[pl-panda]

Damienette arranged marriage: part 13

Credits: Miraculous Ladybug team for the elements I take from MLB show. DC for their characters, @ozmav for the AU, @maribat-archive for giving me access to so many different stories to have take inspirations from, @thyladyanput for idea for Chat Damian and me for the plot.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

Part 12

Damienette arranged marriage: part 13

NEXT

-----------------------------------------------------

"Shut up Superboy." Damian frowned. He had to restrain himself not to out Kent in front of the irritating girl. He wished he just got Mari home when he had a chance.

"I though we were on the first-name basis Robin!"

The sound of Damian's facepalm could be heard in Fortress of Solitude.

----------------------

"What?" Jon asked confused. He had no idea what he did wrong.

"tt. I am getting that dusters Kent. And if I go down because of you, I am taking you down with me."

Chloe stood there with gaping mouth. Her brain was short-circuiting. The mysterious Damian Wayne dating Marinette? Okay. Them being already married? She heard weirder, but it was close. Him being raised inside of some cult in tibet? Okay. Weirdest day ever. Damian Wayne being Robin? Utterly Ridiculous. And yet he was there, bantering with Superboy like they knew each other for years. And it would add up to his skill with sword. Chloe, contrary to popular belief was not stupid. A bit lazy, prideful, maybe tiny miny mean? Sure. But not stupid. Adding three to seven together is not above her.

"I think I might have broken your wife Damian..." Jon said a bit uncertain while waving his hand in front of the blonde.

Wayne heir held back the urge to facepalm again. "tt.I swear I would feed you to Titus if not the risk you would cause him some stomach problems. This is not my wife!"

"Uh... So she was not supposed to know you are Robin..." Jon asked sheepishly.

"You are an idiot." Damian scowled and turned to Chloe. "Tell anyone and I will hand you to my mother." He then opened his case to reveal his outfit. He looked through his belt. He was sure he had the talisman somewhere...

"You are Robin... And you are Damian Wayne... That means Bruce Wayne is Batman... But you are also married to Dupain-Cheng..." Chloe was murmuring/babbling to herself, trying to sort the influx of information. Finally, Damian pulled a small ruby in golden ring. There were some words around it that were definitely not human. He also pulled a small piece of paper from the same pocket.

"tt. Mother of Azarath! Drain the curse and free the body!" He recited the spell and gem glowed slightly. Then, there was a loud Crack! and the ruby broke, turning almost black.

"Uh... Robin? What was that?"

Damian didn't answer, but instead glared at the kryptonian making him immediately shut up and just float there in silence.

Chloe finally shook off the shock. She walked to him and smashed the lid of the case right in front of him. "I don't care if you are a fucking billionaire superhero! You are not going out there with twisted ankle! You are not making my only friend a widow!"

"tt. I am not sitting here."

"And I don't care." She stated simply and turned to Superboy.

"Kent, right? Keep him here. I am going to get some real help."

"What? You have a bat-signal or something..." Jon stopped when he saw the grin on her face.

------------------------------

Marinette ran through the city. She had to get to Tikki. The Cat was hot on her trail. No matter how much she tried, he seemed to be able to get her. She tried calling for help, but people just straight up ignored her. She run through the whole crowd and nobody even batched an eye. For a brief moment she wanted to go to her home and grab some other miraculous, but then she remembered that she still had no idea how to open the new box without her yo-yo. There was no instruction on that thing.

She could hear steps above her on the roofs, but luckily the Hotel Grand Paris was already in sight. She doubled her efforts, completely ignoring the pain. Adrenaline coursing through her veins numbed the pain enough to allow for this. Somewhere on the back of her mind she noticed that nobody paid any attention to her. She just ignored it for now and dashed to the elevator. In any normal circumstances stairs would be safer, but she had no way of outrunning Chat d'Amour on stairs. She could only hope that he didn't know she took the elevator

Sadly, he did. She heard something crash with the doors, but luckily the elevator already started going up. She knew he was hot on her trail, but unless he cataclysmed both the doors and the floor, he would not reach her in time. Poor Plagg. Having to experience all this...

When she reached the top floor, she dashed to Chloe's room. She had to get there before Chat could see her. She needed to transform.

Marinette barged into the room and straight to her purse. Kwami floated out. She wanted to say something, but the time was running out. "Tikki! Spots on!"

In a flash of pink light, she was transformed. The lingering pain didn't stop, but she happily noticed that there were no more effects from falling from the roof. Just then, Chat d'Amour entered the room. He was fuming with anger.

"Ladybug!? What have you done with my purrincess?!"

"She is safe away. Probably already downstairs and running away. What happened to you Kitty?" She asked with worry.

"No. You've done something to her. I can't sense her anymore... What have you done to her!" He shouted and lunged at Ladybug, but the red heroine was able to deflect his attacks. He still scratched her several times. The suit stopped all but one of that. A small gush formed on her cheek. Nothing big and blood was minimal.

Marinette focused. He could track her. His akuma power must have included knowing exact location of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. But right now she was not just Marinette. She was Ladybug, so her miraculous cancelled out with his ability. "I gave her mouse miraculous again Chat. You will not find her." She stated, trying to stay calm. This made Black Cat only double his attempts.

"You put her in danger just because of your jealousy?!" He made an overhead slash with his staff, which Ladybug blocked by crossing hands before her and pushing him away. "You are truly useless guardian! You do not deserve this earrings!" Chat was not giving up. He continued his assault.

"I would ask you to step back from the lady." Someone stated in English. Both combatants looked to where it originated only to see a boy wearing superman jacket on himself.

"And who purrr you?" Chat asked also in english. He looked unamused by a thirteen years old boy.

"Superboy. Nice to meet you. 'Ow ya' doin'?" The last sentence was with heavy southern accent that made it a bit hard to understand.

"Huh? Are you what? Superman Junior?" Chat had no idea who was that supposed to be. He seemed like some overly eager fan of the big blue.

"Oh! He is my dad!" Jon lightened up. He was pretty irritated that the cat doesn't know him, but maybe since Paris had their own heroes they didn't pay much attention to the rest of the world.

"Y-your dad?!" Suddenly Chat felt his confidence die. He believed in his abilities, but facing superman, even in version XS was still not something he wished for. Especially since he just wanted his princess.

"What's the matter Kitty? Afraid of a kid?" Ladybug teased. She looked for his Akuma, but there was so much off about him that she could not focus. This was Chat Noir she was talking about. He was... used to be her partner. She had to focus.

"You have no right to call me Kitty! I am Chat d'Amour and you are not my ladybug. You are not even fit to be Ladybug. You are adult but you didn't unlock your full potential! I will take your miraculous and hand them over to Marinette! She is better Ladybug than you! I will just need to borrow them to Hawkmoth for one moment and then I will be together with my true partner!"

"You are delusional Chat."

"Uh... English guys? Jon asked and both Marinette and Chat realized they switched back to French.

"Superboy! Pin him down so I can find his Akumatized object!"

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir held his hand which was now bubbling with dark energy extended. "Try to get close and I will destroy you!"

"Uh... Ladybug, right?"

"He threatens to cataclysm you."

"Yyyy..."

"His special power is that he can destroy anything."

"Then we might have a problem. Magic can actually hurt Kryptonians..." Jon was suddenly not so eager to engage.

"Huh. Good to know." Chat quipped and lunged at Superboy. Ladybug acted practically on instinct, Tossing her yo-yo and grabbing him by the ankle. She pulled Chat and tossed him back. Perhaps because of the adrenaline or perhaps because of the anger, she underestimated his strength and Black Cat ended up flying out of the window. He used his staff to support his landing, but once he landed to support himself he had to touch the ground and wasted his cataclysm. From the highest level, Ladybug and Superboy could see him look up in defeat as a purple butterfly appeared around his face. He said something, but Jon did not understand French and Marinette couldn't hear him. Suddenly Chat d'Amour was covered in black and purple bubbles and turned back into Chat Noir. He looked angry and run away into the city.

Marinette wanted to chase after him, but suddenly the pain in her heart flared again. She suddenly detransformed and fell on her knees. The green glow around her heart got stronger and she was suppressing the scream of pain.

"I am so sorry Marinette. I tried to heal you... but this is some dark magic. Oh no! I think I made it worse..." Tikki was lamenting while floating next to the girl. The last thing Marinette rememebed before passing out from the pain was a scream and a pair of green eyes staring at her. There might have been some words, but she was unable to hear them.

——————————————————————————————————–

Taglist (sorry if I missed you)@pheonixashtree @sassakitty @unabashedbookworm @vixen-uchiha @maggiecc12 @actualdisasterwoman @tired-butterfly @shizukiryuu @floralfi @imanerddealwith @northernbluetongue @krispydefendorpolice @toodaloo-kangaroo @dast218 @bluesoulblueheart @theatreandcomicfreak @disneyfoxuniverse @mindfulmagics @alwaysnumberonetruth @nyaabinch @jardimazul @lenamau @rosep16 @dramatic-squirrel @sonif50 @daminett4life @lulutheawkwardess @weird-pale-blonde-person @mooshoon @jeminiikrystal @mochegato @moonlightstar64 @dragonflyswing @silverwhiteraven @shamefullove @magic-miraculous @valeks-princess @heaven428 @mlbchaosqueen @winter-gardenflower @spicybelladonna @emo-elaine13 @vetilora @karukofox21 @my-name-is-michell  @sturchling @lokiifriggasonn @redscarlet95 @melicmusicmagic @interobanginyourmom @the-fusionist @razzledazzle247 @miss-mysterys-blog @darkthunder1589 @i-is-mysterious @catthhay @the-one-woman-army @zestyzealot @dahjokester @write-for-your-life2 @mermaidreject @peachedpocky @sassakitty @dahjokester @crazylittlemunchkin @novicevoice @justafanwarrior @eliza-bitch @schrodingers25

[aurora-the-kunoichi]

The Forgotten - Part Three

Here is part three of The Forgotten

Here it is in its entirety 

The Aquarium 

Raphael had always been….overwhelming, the one to leave her breathless, boneless and tied up in knots after a rough session of love making.  He knew what buttons to press, the right pressure to touch at just the right places. Raphael was a master of breaking down walls and getting exactly what he wanted by making Aurora realize she wanted the very same thing. This Raphael was no different.

Aurora could feel her heart in her chest as his sinful lips found the pulse point bringing the skin into his mouth and sucked until the blood vessels burst. As he continued to molest the skin in his mouth Raphael’s left hand moved to her backside gripping the apple of ass and squeezed. Aurora tried; she really did, but found it impossible to stop the moan escaping between her parted lips. Memories flooded back as he pressed her into the side of building with his immense frame while licking at the now red mark that spread across her skin.

Raphael did this regularly when they were hers and hers alone. He’d mark her mostly in the mornings when they’d get a few moments alone and he take the first fuck of the day and the subtle mark on her neck would remind Fearless that he had, had their kunoichi first. It was a game the alphas played on the regular always trying to one up each other which Aurora didn’t mind being the object of their attentions. Being on the receiving end of their insatiable sex drive was something she would never complain about. Mike and Don were nearly as bad but they tended to be a little more submissive to her.

“Raphael.”

“That’s so fuckin’ pretty, say it again.” Raphael husked pressing his knee between her thighs to widen her stance. “Why the fuck do I want ya so bad? Like I’ve been starving for years and you’re the only thing to satisfy my hunger?”

Aurora fought with her body as it responded favorably to his impatient treatment. Her hands shook reaching for the rim of his shell and willed herself not to pull him closer but to keep him at bay. She had to get her libido under control, this was not her Raphael. She took a deep breath and pushed; the mouth that was sampling the column of her throat was detached and growled its warning of displeasure.  

It was now she could hear his labored breathing as the disconnect from his body allowed some of her senses to return. Even in the low light Aurora could see his pupils dilated, Raphael’s ravenous sex drive was in full gear and his sights were locked in on the kunoichi. She needed to be quick and utilize all of her tricks because despite the throb between her legs Aurora wasn’t going to give him what he wanted and she could tell he really wanted it.

“Come girly, I can smell ya, I know you want this too. And if we’ve fucked before I know ya can take me.” The eager mutant moved forward again his hands searching to reclaim the roundness of her backside.

Aurora jumped gripping the lip of the roof’s overhang and lifted up and out of range of those gifted three fingered hands. Her legs spread clearing his towering height and using her stomach muscles reared back and launched herself over the mutant landing just behind him.

Raphael fist slammed into the wood siding and whirled around with a manic smile widening over his scarred lips. “Playin hard to get huh? That’s ok cause I love the thrill of the chase. When I catch ya I’m gonna make you scream my name and mark you inside and out. That way Fearless will know who had ya first.” Just then the brute stopped his forward motion and blinked eyeing Aurora carefully. “I’m havin déjà vu right now, like I’ve said those words before. But Leo and I have never…….”

He looked confused running his hand over his scalp before clamping both hands over his skull grunting in pain. “God my skull, it hurts all of a sudden.”

Aurora took the moment of his distraction and kicked the solid turtle in the chest sending him back on his shell. With the quickness of her training she moved over the enormous turtle and pressed under his left arm pit and above his plastron to the right of his clavicle, right where she needed to immobilize the deadly terrapin. The mutant hissed in discomfort as his body succumbed to the pressure points and every muscle in his cumbersome frame let go of its tension leaving him helpless to the tempting woman.

Despite his arms and legs useless his lips still worked just fine, “Ain’t you full of fuckin’ surprises. Pressure points, I’ve only seen Leo use those. Looks like I seriously underestimated your abilities. I promise that won’t happen again. That is unless you plan on killin me beautiful.”

Aurora straddled his hips and leaned down settling her elbows on his chest and her head in her hands. “It’s Aurora, and don’t worry handsome those pressure points will wear off in about 15 minutes. I don’t want you dead I just wanna have a few words. You are having déjà vu because you and Leonardo have both had me, but so has Mikey and Donnie.” Saying his name out loud still hurt but the furrowing brows and a grunt of pain that came from Raphael indicated his brain was trying to access the suppressed memories. “You and Fearless would play a game practically every day. It was called ‘Who fucked the kunoichi first.’ It was a game I enjoyed being included in. You see, I know a lot about you. I know you’re just a little bigger then Leo with a slight curve to the left. You have a long scar that runs from the top of your thigh down to your knee. I know that you love your adonis line stroked.” Her right hand disappeared between them dipping under his waistband to find the well defined line of muscle just under his plastron connecting to his groin.

The immobilized turtle tried tilting his hips up into her fingers as they ran the length of the line coming to a stop just before his cock. “Fuck!” his head dropped back to the tar roof and rumbled as her fingers moved down bypassing the rock hard rod of flesh and the hanging green globes. “Ah come on!”

Aurora leaned down ghosting her lips over his, the tip of her tongue darted out running along his lower lip and he leaned up to catch the appendage sucking it into his mouth. She allowed it briefly having her first taste of Raphael in years. She opened her mouth and swept her tongue into his mouth giving him a deep kiss and broke free. “I also know your little kink.” The pad of her finger ran just under the green sacks tracing the line of flesh just under them. “I know when you get head you love to get your prostate massaged.” Just then her finger ran over the puckered entrance and the brute gasped as the soft pad of her finger pressed against the flesh just enough to make him groan.

“Fucking impossible…ugghh…..fuck……”

“I know every inch of your body Raph.” Her hand moved up again and the palm of her hand finally gave him the attention the mutant had been craving and gripped the pulsing cock firmly. Aurora closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, this was getting way out of hand but she needed his attention, his full attention and she had it now for sure. “As much as I want to ride you until we’re both sweaty and satisfied…”

“Please, dear gods, please do blondie.”  

“Your boss isn’t who you think he is Raphael. Bishop took you from me, from the resistance and put something in your bodies to make you obedient.” Her fingers slid down to the base of his shaft and twisted just the way he liked it. “And you Raphael are anything but obedient.

“Fu—hck….What the fuck are you talkin about? Fuckin shell, just-t like that!”

“It’s small and metal or some kind of alloy, we’re not sure. It moves around your body somehow keeping you and your brothers under his control. Keeping millions under his control.” Her hand released his cock and Aurora leaned up much to Raphael’s displeasure.

“I ain’t got nothing in my body controlling me. I ain’t no one’s puppet!”

“Oh I know.  You’re not one to take orders, at least without questioning their validity first. It was the main theme of yours and Leo’s fights. But why do you think it hurts when you try to remember? Why you and your brothers are drawn to me? Why the name Donnie pulls at something deep inside you? You had another brother but he disappeared and we had no idea what happened to him. It still haunts us to this day. Can you remember anything prior to five years ago? Your childhood?” Suddenly out of the corner of her eye Aurora could see his finger twitch, it was time to leave.

Her fingers rested on his chest and ran over the hard lines letting out a shaky breath and stood.

“Hey, wait! Where ya going? You can’t leave me like this? Fuckin tease!”

Aurora moved off of him and took a few steps back edging the shadows of the roof. “The feeling is coming back in your body and I can’t be here when it does. I’ll be seein you red…” And with that she disappeared from his view and began her escape listening to the roar of her name fade with the distance.

She didn’t stop; Aurora ran and ran bypassing home base just in case he would take chase. She wouldn’t take any more chances; she did enough of that tonight. Keeping to the darkness Aurora slipped below the streets and made the trek to her own personal hideout.

The lair had been abandoned shortly after Bishop earned his edge in the war. The turtles and Aurora moved to the resistance’s hideout to stay close to the news and the help. So the lair was still only known to a select few. Since the five original tenants were either gone or unable to remember its location only Aurora, Casey and April knew of its existence.

Aurora made a trip to the lair at least once a month to make sure everything was running and that it was still stocked just in case of emergencies. Just in cases the resistance fell and they needed a new place to lay low.

The vacant rooms still hurt to look at, Donnie’s lab sat with abandoned machines and projects never to be finished again. The room with the rice paper doors had been missing its owner for the longest. Running her fingers along the teak wood frame Aurora pushed it open and kneeled at the opening. In the middle of the room was a beautiful ornate Japanese table and sat upon it was a green urn filled with the remains of Master Splinter.

“Good evening Sensei, I know it’s been a while since I’ve visited but I figured you’d like an update on your sons. I had a run in with Raph this evening; he didn’t try to kill me this time so that was a bonus. I had to use a few of my tricks to get him to listen but I think I might have moved a few brain cells around a bit. I..may have kissed him but it was unavoidable. “Her eyes lifted to the vessel and let out a heavy sigh. “Ok maybe it wasn’t but….it’s been so long and I was weak. He did have something interesting to say. Supposedly I have been a regular topic of conversation with those three. That’s something I guess.” Getting back to her feet Aurora bowed. “Sensei.”

She moved about the lair until she entered their room looking at the giant makeshift bed. She remembered the day Mikey had suggested the consolidation of their sleeping arrangements. He had been so proud of himself he was simply beaming from ear to ear.

“What the fuck did ya do shell for brains?” Raphael was circling the massive arrangement of mattresses, blankets and pillows. Even though he was a bit annoyed Aurora could see the wheels spinning in his head.

Mikey took a few steps back and rushed his creation grabbing Aurora as he went. Aurora screamed in shock as the youngest hurtled her and him onto the mass with a very comfortable collision of bedding. “No more fighting over who gets to sleep with Rora. Now it’s just gonna be a giant turtle pile with her in the middle.”

Leo stood in the doorway with his massive arms crossed over his chest; his face was unreadable as he watched Mikey molest Aurora with his signature enthusiasm.

“I don’t usually say this but…..” Donnie was right next to Leo but his expression was much more readable. The big toothy grin widened and the genius followed the two into the bed helping Mikey strip the kunoichi of her clothes. “This is probably the best idea you’ve ever had Mike.”

“Leo! Raph!” Aurora squealed mock fighting off two of her lovers. “Are you gonna just sit there and let them take advantage of me like this?”

The two alphas finally found each other’s gaze and stepped from their positions. Raphael rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck while Leo slipped a kunai from his thigh holster.

“It looks like you two are taking way too long to rid her of her clothes. I think you need to let a master take over.”

Raphael moved with Leo and lunged, “Not if I get to her first Fearless.”

The introduction to the new bed was christened with their first fivesome leaving Aurora walking a little funny the next few days. She still found it unbelievable she was once in a relationship with four mutant turtles. Aurora remembered how good it was and how amazing each of them were to her. Something that good wasn’t meant to last. Life could be so cruel sometimes, a taste of heaven before it was ripped from her grasp.  

Aurora crawled into the bed and pulled the covers over herself. The interaction with Raph had left her shaken and emotionally drained, something she was not expecting for the nights events. She had nearly given in to his advances and that worried her. But then again the closer he got and the longer he was in close proximity he seemed to lose more and more control. As she mentioned things from his past Raph’s head began to hurt as if the memories were trying to resurface. Maybe she should have given in?

Their scent had left the room long ago but the indents from their shells remained. Her fingers trailed along the massive divots imagining their slumbering bodies just next to her. She imagined Raphael turning to her and his honey eyes opening to find her staring at him.

“Can’t sleep?”

“I’m just imagining you guys here with me.” Her hand reached out and ran her palm across his cheek smiling as he leaned into the touch. “I miss you.”

Raphael moved closer running his fingers through Aurora’s hair gripping the back of her skull gently, “We may not realize it but we miss you too. But I’m hopin’ you guys can figure those fuckin little things out. I wanna come home; we wanna come home to you.”

“We’re working on it I promise. It’s just gonna take a little longer without Don here to head the charge. We’ll get you home; we’ll get all of you home or die trying.”

“Nah Rora don’t do that. I can’t fuck you into next year when I’m free of this bullshit if you’re dead. You need to stay alive and strong cause this isn’t gonna get easier, it’s only gonna get harder.” Raphael leaned in giving her his signature smirk. “Speaking of harder….”

Aurora closed her eyes and waited, but like all of her other day dreams those lips never came. No arms came to claim her. By the time she opened her eyes Raphael was gone and his indent cold as death. Tears began to form in her eyes as she stared at where bulky terrapin had just been laying.  She was tired, so fucking tired.

The next thing Aurora knew, she was being jolted awake to the com flush in her ear blowing up with a familiar worried voice.

“Base to White Skull, base to White Skull. Where the fuck are you!?” April’s angry voice boomed in her ear. Just under the irritation Aurora could hear the fear in the back of her throat clawing at her subconscious praying her friend wasn’t captured or worse….. dead.

She must have fallen asleep, poor April had enough to worry about. Pressing the com in her ear Aurora yawned and replied quickly, “This is White Skull to base. My apologies I had an unannounced visit from Red Bear. I was unsure if I was being followed so I took refuge in the aquarium just in case. I didn’t want to compromise the base just in case he had gotten the best of me.”

“Are you alright?” April’s voice instantly softened understanding the code words and knowing she was safe.

Aurora let out a heavy sigh and nodded to mostly herself, “Yeah I’m ok, I must have fell asleep. I’ll return at dawn.”

“Be careful White Skull, I…..we’ll see you in a few hours. Over and out.”

As the com went cold Aurora sat up pushing the blankets from her body. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she made her way to the kitchen for something to drink.

The genius’s sewage powered generator was still working like a dream. As long as the human race still occupied New York City there would always be an endless amount of human waste. Donnie had figured out a way to harness that power and turn it into unlimited power for the Lair. The lights remained functional, along with all the kitchen appliances as well as the bathrooms. God she missed him.

The fridge was the least supplied appliance. It held perishables and in a secret lair uninhabited most of the time it was unwise to keep it stocked with items that would go bad quickly. The freezer held most of the food and the fridge held water, pop and butter.

Pulling out a bottle of water she cracked the top and downed the whole contents in one gulp.

“Fuck!” Aurora growled throwing the now empty bottle in the trash. “My thermos! Now I gotta go get it.”

Just then a burst of light from Donnie’s lab distracted Aurora from her lost item. In a flash her hands went the hilts of her katana and unsheathed them with a low sing. Her feet made no sound as the kunoichi made her way to the partly closed door currently displaying a spectacular show of multi colors.

She could hear electricity snap and crackle and a low hum of some kind as the light show pulsed faster and faster. As she reached the partially open door to Donatello’s lab Aurora peered through the crack and felt her heart stop and burst all at the same time.

Her katanas slipped from her grip clattering to the ground at her feet. In a hurried burst of energy her fingers found the edge of the metal doors and pushed with all her might.

“DONNIE!?”

@imthegreenfairy88​ @alonia143​ @ravn-87​ @waterstar2016​ @tmnt-bucklover​

[anerdinallherglory]

Approaching Sun (27)

Author’s Note: I am SO sorry about how long this chapter took to update. Taking on master’s classes on top of work has been a rough transition. The majority of this chapter had been planned and typed a long time ago, but it just took me ages to organize it, detail it, clean it up, and fluff it with a fork. For those of you who have contacted recently, (and I probably have yet to respond) this chapter is for you. Without your encouragement, who knows how much longer this chapter would have taken.

Forgive me. Hope you enjoy.

Pairing: SasuSaku

Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

Chapter 27: Confirmation

Sakura had fully intended on eavesdropping on Sasuke’s conversation with Satou; in fact, it was the only reason that Sakura had allowed the interaction to transpire between her patient and her teammate. After Sasuke had closed the door firmly behind her, Sakura had walked heavily down the hallway so her footsteps could be heard. Her next step was to take the stairs, walk silently up two floors, and listen in by opening the window directly above Satou’s. Sakura had noted that Satou’s patient room window had been cracked open. Surely her ninja skills would be well-adapted to a simple eavesdropping.

But that’s not what happened. Instead, as Sakura walked down the hall, she noted that her breathing was becoming short. Her chest was tightening considerably, a feeling that she dismissed at first to anxiety at the current situation. When she paused to consider it, Sakura tried to swallow past her itchy throat. A terrifying realization came over Sakura has she glanced down at her hands that held the freshly pulverized Ashuwa.

Shit.         

Sakura covered the mortar, sprinted down the remainder of the hallway, and took a right. She held tightly to the Ashuwa despite the situation; she couldn’t afford to sacrifice what they had acquired in her state of panic. Sakura tried her best to remember the hospital’s layout; there was a drug storage room on every level, so thankfully Sakura wouldn’t have to take stairs in her compromised situation. Turning another corner, Sakura was relieved to finally stumble up to the door marked “薬” for medication. Placing the mortar of Ashuwa on the ground, Sakura managed to focus through her shortness of breath and perform the sign of the ram to channel her chakra to her palm. Placing it on the center of the door, Sakura nearly stumbled as the door received her chakra signature and swung open to grant her access to the room.

Sakura’s vision began to blur as she shuffled through the drawers and cabinets. She could barely read the itemized labels of the stored items. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. She felt lethargic and her throat was swelling quickly. She should have taken Mako’s warning more seriously. He had told her of the drug’s disuse in the medical environment due to many allergic reactions to it. This was what she had been testing earlier when she picked a generous pinch of Ashu from the ground and placing it in her mouth; however, her and Mako both had gotten distracted by the issue of Satou.

Sakura cursed at herself for being careless but felt confident in her approach. If only she could find the medicine. She narrowed her focus to the vials on the top shelf and coughed violently as she reached for one. Stumbling into the shelf resulted in several of them busting onto the ground. After locating the blue tagged bottle labeled “adrenaline,” Sakura threw open cabinet after cabinet until she found the drawer of packaged syringes. She was choking now, a fish out of water and she aimed the needle into the top of the bottle; her hands shook as she waisted even more time trying to draw the medicine into the plunger.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sasuke was trying to outwalk Mako, who was smiling kindly and attempting to make small talk as they quickly made their way down the hall from Satou’s room. Sasuke thought if he could just stride quickly enough, Mako might take the hint and part ways with him.

Sasuke frowned at Mako’s prattling of, “I have to admit. I was concerned with the whole genjutsu approach, but I think that it might be pretty effective. That was brilliant!”

Sasuke stopped his break-neck pace and narrowed his eyes at the medic, scrutinizing him carefully. “What do you want?”

“What do you mean?” asked Mako innocently, crossing his arms behind him.

Sasuke debated Mako for a second. Here was a skilled shinobi of medicine, an assistant to his friend, and Sakura addressed him casually. This trip was the first occasion that Sasuke had ever met him, yet Mako recognized Sasuke’s attempt at genjutsu before he had even performed it. Perhaps he was knowledgeable of the sharingan; many people were. It was Sasuke’s past of constantly being targeted that had the Uchiha wary. Was this the reason Sasuke was inclined to distrust him, or was it the fact that Sakura was involved?

Sasuke clarified. “I want to know who you are and what you want.”

Mako laughed and smiled nicely. “Well, I am a medic ninja here at the Suna hospital. I have been appointed to assist Sakura-san during her stay with us. Kankuro was pretty adamant about it.”

“Hn.” Sasuke responded before walking forward again. Mako sped to catch up.

“Honestly,” he continued, “Sunagakure owes a lot to Sakura-san. You have probably heard this before, but we have advanced due to her and the Leaf’s medical supervision and instruction. We are something in her debt.”

Sasuke didn’t respond. Perhaps that was all there was to it. Sasuke supposed it made sense that Gaara and Kankuro would assign the most ambitious learner and fellow medicinal expert as Sakura’s assistant. Sunagakure wanted to take advantage of every lesson and tip available. Sakura’s discipline and dedication to the medical practice made her share a common interest with the professionals here. Not everyone always had some double meaning to their actions like most ninja in the shinobi world.

As Sasuke and Mako rounded the corner to the left, they paused as several people ran past them in the opposite direction, back toward the center of the third floor. One man who bumped into Mako’s shoulder turned to look at him in recognition, jogging backwards. “Code 10. Haruno-san.”

“Shit!” Mako cursed, chasing after the man who spoke. Sasuke didn’t know what “Code 10” meant, but to see a panicked response in connection to the name “Haruno” had Sasuke quickly following.

“What is it?” he demanded, matching Mako’s stride this time.  

“Anaphylaxis” Mako said breathlessly as they rounded the final corner and nearly collided with several attendants outside a small room in the hallway. Someone was kneeling just outside the door and Sasuke couldn’t make out the questions they were asking before until he began to make his way through with Mako right on his heels.

When he came in line with the entrance, Sasuke froze. Sakura was on her back, broken glass surrounding her on a messy floor. A medic was kneeling down beside her and removing a syringe from her hand. “We need to get her into one of the rooms. Now.” Sasuke’s heart was racing as someone wheeled a gurney past him. Mako began pulling him away from the entrance to which Sasuke almost shrugged off.

Sakura’s pink head was closest to the door so Sasuke couldn’t get a good look at her face until they began lifting her onto the gurney and wheeled her past him. To Sasuke’s great relief, his medic friend was fully alert despite the hives across her face and swelling lips. When making eye contact with him, she raised her hand and waved awkwardly.

“Hey.” She said past swollen lips.

“Hey?!” Sasuke responded, irritation quickly replacing his concern. Was she serious?! Mako let out a surprised laugh at her casual greeting. Sasuke ignored him completely and began tailing the gurney as it rolled away with her.

“What the hell happened?” he asked her with pointed annoyance. After failing to mumble past her tomato mouth, Sasuke shook his head. “Nevermind.”

“I’ll explain,” Mako said from the other side of the swiveling table. Sasuke spent the next several minutes listening to Mako explain a basic understanding of anaphylaxis and staring disbelievingly at Sakura as they unloaded her onto a bed. They began to hook her up to an IV and other machinery that would monitor her pulse and blood pressure.

Mako continued his explanation, “Antihistamines are what comes next. Luckily, she responded to the epinephrine and doesn’t need intubation. We’ll have to monitor her for a few hours just to make sure she doesn’t have another episode.”

Sakura was nodding her blistered head in agreement at everything he said. Sasuke just glared at her.

“Why did you eat a plant you knew was toxic?” he asked crossly. She shrugged her shoulders, the only response she could really make at the moment.

“I should have stopped you, Haruno-san.” Mako bowed. “It is all my fault.”

Sakura began shaking her head to dismiss Mako’s apology. Then she began to gesture for Sasuke to come over to her bedside. When he was close enough, Sakura pointed toward his hand.

“What?” he asked, looking down at it. My hand? What about it? He sure wasn’t going to hold her hand if that was what she was implying. Especially not in front of anyone.

A word made it past her lips but Sasuke didn’t understand it. “Hn?”

“Rath,” she repeated, still pointing. “Da ya hath a rath?”

“Oh,” Mako exclaimed. “You were handling the Ashuwa earlier, Sasuke. Do you have a rash on your hand?”

Ah. Sasuke’s hand was partially gloved except for his fingertips, which were unmarred. It had been approximately 30-45 minutes since Sasuke had even touched the plant. Sakura had sampled the herb 10 minutes before that, so it was too early to tell if Sasuke would have a similar reaction. He didn’t have a rash on his fingertips though.

Another physician handed Mako a familiar mortar and removed his disposable gloves after touching it. Mako immediately pinched a piece out of it and offered it to the Uchiha.

Sasuke responded with a glare as Mako continued to hold it out.  “You’re not suggesting I eat that?”

“We need to make sure that you don’t develop a similar reaction, especially if you plan on using the chakra pills that Sakura is making.”

Sakura was mutely nodding in agreement and Sasuke annoyingly spat out toward her, “Why? You want me to end up looking like you?” Her nodding turned to shaking.

She followed with, “He’th ight. Eat wow you ah here.”  Sasuke scoffed and blinked in disbelief at her communication efforts. How was she even talking?!

This was an absolute lunatic idea. She wanted the BOTH of them in hospital beds in this village while Gaara was away handling potential psychos that were after them? It was already a concern that she was incapacitated; Sasuke sure as hell wasn’t going into anaphylaxis too by choice.

“I’ll wait until you’re better,” he answered, shooing Mako’s hand away from his face. As he did so, Sasuke pointed at the door, ordering Mako to just go and check on Satou’s kid. Mako blinked at him in confusion before taking the hint and exiting with that same excuse.

When the silence grew thick between them, Sasuke took a casual stance against the wall next to Sakura’s bedside.

“Ya are wathing time,” Sakura began, looking guilty despite her swollen mouth as she tucked her hands beneath the covers and looked around at nonexistent people in the room; anywhere but at him. She was right. He was wasting time, and Sasuke mentally shook himself as he realized his indifference to that. He was trying to remind himself of his goal but in that moment, Sasuke’s feelings were outweighing that purpose.

He turned his back and peered out the small window at the darkening sky. He glanced back at her briefly before turning back to the window. “Are you okay?”

There wasn’t a reply which had the Uchiha worried and he turned to see her wide-eyed expression at his question. The face Sakura was making looked as if Sasuke had grown two heads. “I mean,” he added quickly, “with a mouth like that, it looks difficult to breath.”

She immediately covered her mouth and frowned at him, obviously embarrassed at his words. “I ah fine!” she shouted in embarrassment into her fingers and turned her head. Sasuke resisted the urge to smirk.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

After the administration of the antihistamine, Sakura didn’t wait long before she began removing her own IV. She felt bad for the time that had been wasted today when she was supposed to be making the food pills. Sakura was just relieved that the Ashu had been tested before she gave Sasuke a drug that could potentially kill him.  

“What are you doing?” Sasuke asked as she removed the monitor and turned off the flatlining machine before anyone came in at the sound. “They said it would be best to stay the night.”

“I’m ah do-ter” she told him. Yes, Sakura would have advised the same thing to her patients, but she was out of danger now and she felt anxious despite her drowsiness. She was troubling Sasuke enough by accompanying him on his mission. She didn’t want to get in his way; she was supposed to be making things easier.

Sasuke scoffed at her dismissive, mumbled declaration as she stood from the bed. She blinked heavily and managed to stand upright. It would still take a little bit of time for her to completely pass out from the side effects, so Sakura figured the time she had left awake could be spent productively.

The medic immediately went over to the cabinets and pulled out disposable gloves and a mask from the drawer. The mask would serve two purposes: 1) protect her from inhaling the Ashuwa as she worked and 2) hide her ridiculous “tomato” mouth as Sasuke referred to it. Ugh. Sakura could die from embarrassment.

“What are you doing now?” Sasuke grumbled irritably, following her as she moved. She immediately headed over to the mortar on the cabinet and pinched some of the yellow herb, skin protected from the substance thanks to the gloves.

“Eat.” She stated plainly. They couldn’t proceed further if Sasuke was likely to have a similar allergic reaction. Sakura would have to scrap their entire progress by disposing of the food pill batch. She would be back to square one and they would have to start all over by finding a new foundational herb with the correct properties to achieve the correct results.

“Forget it,” the Uchiha deadpanned before making to head for the door. Sakura caught hold of his hand, stumbling in the process and taking a hard fall on her knee. She winced visibly. That would bruise later. Sasuke immediately turned and helped her up and Sakura thanked her mask for hiding her blushing cheeks as well.

With the same hand Sasuke had offered, Sakura turned his palm up and placed the Ashuwa in his cupped fingers. “No time.”

Sasuke glared at her for what seemed like several minutes before reluctantly dumping it down his throat. They both knew he had to for his own sake.

Sakura nodded before trashing her gloves and retrieving a new pair. She couldn’t risk leaving traces around the hospital and anyone else coming into contact with the pollen if it was responsible for anaphylaxis. Mako had said that it was such a common reaction that they had stopped using it altogether.

Sakura halted in her steps, considered her plan, and decided to grab the entire box of disposable gloves. She handed Sasuke the mortar.

Sasuke gave her an expression that radiated annoyance but somehow was miraculously completely blank. If she could speak clearly in this moment, Sakura would have asked him how he managed that.

“Fowwo” she murmured through her mask-covered lips, pairing the word with a beckoning wave. “We’ll tesh your weaction why we wait.” She was shuffling out the door before Sasuke had the chance to say anything more.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sasuke trailed his teammate from the room, carrying the mortar of Ashuwa he had ground up earlier that day. This was one of the few times in his life that Sasuke somewhat regretted his decision to refuse the artificial limb that Tsunade had made for he and Naruto. Sakura was walking with one arm against the wall for support and Sasuke’s one and only hand was currently occupied.

It was well after dark now and many of the staff members were busy attending overnight patients, so they weren’t stopped by anyone as Sakura found her way back to the medicine room, which was now cleaned of broken glass and everything back in its space. She reached up and grabbed several bottles of adrenaline and then dug through the drawer for syringes.

“Sakura,” Sasuke began as she dropped some of the things she was holding onto the floor. “You need rest. We can finish this later.”

“We hafe to wait for weaction anyway. Might as well make the pills.”

“I feel fine.” Sasuke reassured her. It was true. Time had passed enough for his fingertips to develop a rash if there was going to be a topical reaction. He had yet to show signs from consumption.

Sakura strode past him again, this time walking backwards to face him. He could make out a smile beneath her mask which somewhat irked the Uchiha. She seemed awfully cheery despite nearly dying from anaphylaxis. Sasuke concluded that it had to be the medicine making her drowsy.

“Turn around before you fall,” he grumbled. She laughed as she began to walk slowly up the stairs. He hurried up behind her and offered her his elbow which she took thankfully despite his huffed “So annoying.” Her laugh was her only response.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sakura was practically nodding off as she watched Sasuke mix and prepare the batch of ingredients for the food pills. She felt relieved at finally seeing headway as Sasuke rolled the batter into 1-inch circular doses according to her instructions and placed them in the hospital’s oven.  Sakura had tried to do so herself, but Sasuke had insisted she sit down to avoid screwing them up and risking their progress. Sakura allowed him to take the reins, praying desperately that the food pills would turn out and serve their purpose after such a hassle.

“Sasuke,” she whispered, immediately touching her lips behind the mask as she noticed the decrease in swelling. The ice Sakura had retrieved from icebox was doing its job.

“Hm?” he answered, trashing the latex glove he used to protect his skin and replacing his own. He turned to her then in the dim light, but Sakura couldn’t make out his expression because the only light in the room was a lamp over the counter workspace behind him. There was a shadow concealing his features and Sakura was too tired to try to make them out.

A lot easier now that her lips were shrinking, Sakura asked, “How are you? Any shortness of breath?”

“I’m fine,” he stated simply.

“Good,” she replied, thanking that ridiculous Uchiha blood of his for not reacting to the Ashuwa like her’s had. How ironic, Sakura thought, that even Sasuke’s genetics seemed to be working for him even in this circumstance. How superior he must feel.

Reclined across the small seating bench in the corner, Sakura placed her chin on her chest and inhaled the gentle night breeze that was coming from the opened window. It seemed to be the first night that the sand wasn’t trying to shatter the glass; to be honest, Sakura was surprised that the hospital windows even opened. Perhaps they were high enough on the fourth story to avoid the sand barrage.

Sasuke came to stand before her and Sakura blinked sleepily up at him in an antihistamine induced haze.

“Sleep,” the Uchiha before her ordered. “I’ll wake you when they’re done.”

Sakura wanted to argue that she could manage to stay awake for another 20 minutes while the chakra pills roasted, but she wasn’t that confident in her ability to do so. At most, she could manage maybe 5 more minutes if she concentrated hard enough. She wanted to ask Sasuke about the conversation he had with Satou.

“Sit with me,” she said, but it sounded more like a question. There was a minute of silence as Sasuke observed her. The bench wasn’t roomy, but Sakura was too drowsy to be apprehensive about their proximity. Sasuke must have not been either, because he sat and exhaled when he did so. Perhaps he was tired too.

. . . . . . . . . . . 

Sasuke tried not to lean away from her as she settled into his side. He cursed her medicated self for such confidence in a small, darkened space. He counted down the time in his head; he would only have to stay seated here for 17 more minutes. For some reason, that time seemed both entirely too long and entirely too short.

“Satou,” Sakura began, reaching up to take off the medical mask on her face. Sasuke tried not to smirk at the lips that were still puckered despite having minimized in size. He blinked past the image to focus on her words.

“Hn,” he responded sourly, thinking of the man whose name had just been dropped between them like a heavy, unwanted stone. Sasuke didn’t particularly feel like talking about that man. He had, had enough of Satou for one day.

“How did it go?” his teammate probed politely despite being nosey.

“Fine,” he replied shortly, not wanting Sakura to find out about too many details. How would she react if she knew he had used his Sharingan on him? Probably not well. Sakura would continue to dig for more specifics if Sasuke didn’t bring an end to the topic promptly. “His son needs to be sent to Konoha.”

Sakura nodded, not seeming too surprised at Sasuke assessment. Perhaps she had been thinking similarly. “Thank you for talking to him.”

It wasn’t much of a talk, but Sasuke wasn’t going to tell her that, so he just responded again with a finalizing “Hn.”

Sasuke couldn’t help but jump when Sakura’s fingers touched his right hand. “Sasuke,” she began, almost in sleepy inquiry as she brushed his palm with her thumb and index. There was hopefulness in her voice and Sasuke cursed her medication again for her damn self-assurance.

“I..” she began, but Sasuke cut her off before she continued. Sasuke was almost absolutely certain that he knew which words would come next.

“Shh,” he replied, leaning comfortably into her side as his answer to her unspoken confession. “Just sleep.”

After a few breaths, and when Sakura’s head nodded onto his shoulder, Sasuke scooped up her hand into his, finding the courage to splay her fingers with his own and fasten them into place. Even when he would let her go in 15 minutes, Sasuke would lock the moment into his heart to last him the rest of his life.  

. . . . . . . . . . . .

When he counted down to the last second in his mind, Sasuke counted a few extra seconds. And then a few more. He thought about letting the doses of chakra pills burn to a crisp in the oven, but he decided against it, reluctantly releasing Sakura’s hand and pulling away from her heavy head.

Making sure that Sakura wouldn’t wake, Sasuke silently rose, turned off the oven and retrieved the pills from inside. He placed them on the counter quietly and turned to lean against the counter. He watched Sakura’s sleeping form for a few minutes, considering if he should wake her as he promised or let her sleep longer. What was the possibility of sitting beside her and stealing a few moments more?

Sasuke knew he was playing a dangerous game. Tomorrow, the Uchiha would test the chakra pill nearby and he and Sakura both were aware of what would happen after that. With the issue of his chakra reserves addressed, he would return to the desert to attempt cross-connecting dimensions again. They both realized Sasuke couldn’t waste any more time.

And with that thought, Sasuke’s stern resolve slipped. He would distance himself later, he thought. He would put the space back between them tomorrow. Tonight, Sasuke wanted to be next to Sakura.

He sat back down beside her and softly took up her hand again.  Just for a little while longer.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Sakura woke in the middle of the night from the pain in her arched neck. She blinked past sleep and realized that she was folded into Sasuke’s side with her knees tucked and Sasuke’s head leaning against hers. Not only that, but Sakura froze as she realized her hand was entwined with Sasuke’s between them. The moment was fragile, and Sakura almost cried of joy and then heartbreak as it shattered when Sasuke responded to her shifting.

The weight of his head on hers lifted and Sakura tried not to grab desperately at him to keep him from moving. Instead, Sakura pivoted her eyes to his as his sleep faded and realization appeared on his face.

Sasuke released her hand and stood hurriedly, saying nothing despite how Sakura’s heart wanted answers. She wanted to know if this moment was genuine or if she had been the one to hold onto him in her sleep. Sakura wanted to believe desperately that Sasuke had allowed himself to be transparent for just a moment and had secretly revealed his true feelings for her by holding her as she slept. Had that been the case? Was she being too optimistic? This wouldn’t be the first time their hands had touched. Had he been supporting her as a friend, or did he feel something more? She had to know.

“Sasuke,” she began, but he cut her off for the second time that night.

“Good. You’re awake. Let’s go.” He declared, hastily placing the finished chakra pills in an open travel container on the counter.  

Sakura stood then, heart racing and adrenaline pumping as she worked up the courage to come up behind him as he worked. She wasn’t going to confess this time. She was going to ask Sasuke if he had been confessing to her while she slept?

“Do you… love me?”

Sakura was almost certain that he stopped breathing altogether as he paused his task. The Uchiha took a minute to compose himself before exhaling. “When are you going to stop that?”

The statement was meant to be cold, but the fact that it came out so desperately low gave Sakura a rare feeling of hope despite the words. “When are you?” she responded calmly in a whisper.

“What?” he asked incredulously, finally turning to her.

She gradually took the last few steps between them and stood carefully in front of him. “When are you going to stop pretending that you have no feelings for me?”

Sakura expected a scoff, a ridicule, but what she got in return was painful fear in Sasuke’s usually expression-less eyes.

It was true, she realized. Sasuke did have feelings for her. There had been so many signs, but Sakura had been unsure about all of them until this very moment. But what had just passed between them was confirmation. Sakura almost lost her breath at the realization.

“You’re mistaken,” finally came the blunt retort, but it was too late.

Sakura was already closing the inches between them. Her fingers were already brushing his cheeks as she brought his face to hers. She hesitated. Just for a second. Just long enough for him to pull away from her. But Sasuke barely took a breath before Sakura touched her lips to his.

[takingcourage]

Miscalculations: A Witness AU

Chapter Eight

Catch up here: Prologue, Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven

Pairing: M!Cassian x MC

Word Count: 2,700 

Series Summary: After years apart, fate brings Kellen and Cassian together a third time. Can they learn from the mistakes of the past, or are they destined to repeat them once more?

Note: This is the last official chapter of the series, though you can expect to see a brief epilogue on Sunday. The last two installments are mostly self-indulgent fluff, but I hope you enjoy them anyway. 😊  

It was the sunlight that woke him. 

Cassian’s eyes fluttered open under its glow, his body vaguely aware of a weight clinging to him from behind. Forsaking dreamworlds for reality, his sight landed on the slender fingers outstretched on his chest. He disrupted the layer of blankets just enough to withdraw the hand that was beneath them, bringing it up to caress the hinge of Kellen’s wrist. 

The touch wasn’t enough to wake her. She was every bit as deep a sleeper as she had been more than three years before. This morning, however, he couldn’t blame her for sleeping in. By the time he’d gotten in from his week-long trip to DC, it had been nearly midnight. After showing up to her apartment and taking a quick shower, he’d been all too willing to collapse into bed himself. 

The last three months had been incredible. Sure, there had been plenty of moments when her self-sufficiency and his desire to take care of her had pushed them in opposite directions, but at the end of it all, they always found themselves working together once more. True to her word, she’d stopped running away.

Kellen shifted behind him, producing the familiar pressure of her forehead between his shoulder blades. The leg around him tightened too, and Cassian felt a surge of affection along with his body’s natural response of desire. 

“Mmm. Good morning,” she greeted, nuzzling her face into his back. He returned the pleasantry and interlaced her fingers with his own.

“Owen’s still asleep?”

“I haven’t heard anything from him. It’s past 7:00, so I don’t think we have long.”

Slipping her hand from his grasp, she began a very pointed exploration of his chest. “Then we should make the most of it. Once he realizes you’re back, it’s going to be impossible to have you to myself.” 

He groaned as her touch delved deeper. “Kellen…” 

“Roll over,” she prompted, the whisper sending a shiver down his spine. He complied without hesitation, the change giving her all the incentive she needed to climb onto his stomach. A wave of anticipation coursed through him. 

He loved it when she took control. 

Before going any further, she leaned down for an unhurried kiss. “It’s good to have you back. I know it was only a few days, but I missed you.” 

“Are you getting sentimental on me?” he teased, one hand gliding up the inside of her forearm.

“Shut up.” In spite of the caustic response, she still shivered visibly under his touch. 

Laughing at her retort, Cassian had to catch his breath again between subsequent kisses. “I missed you too.” 

“Good.” She plied both hands through his hair, burying them deeply as she soothed the scalp beneath. Of their own volition, his eyes fell shut. “I’ve been thinking about what you said.” 

Such forays into discussion were unconventional. They had banter, certainly, but this was the first time she’d interrupted heavy kissing to talk about something serious. But unusual as it was, he still took her meaning immediately. His own mind went to their discussion less than a week before… and to the box zipped safely in the inner pocket of his carry on. 

Cassian looked up at her, confronted by her pensive gaze. In the ever-lightening bedroom, her eyes blazed like sapphires. “I didn’t mean to pressure you. I just needed you to know how serious I am about this. About us.” 

Beaming down at him, her lips parted to reveal two rows of perfect teeth. Guileless and content, she looked as happy as he’d ever seen her before.  Cassian reached up to brush the line of her jaw, marveling at the effect honesty and making room for her feelings had wrought on her demeanor. “Like I told you then, I can wait an awfully long time, Kellen.”

“I know. But I am thinking about it. Just thought you should know.” The moment over, she rolled her hips and brought more present matters back to the forefronts of their minds. 

With a throaty laugh, he rose to meet her lips. Both hands went to her sides, hoping to ease her down against his chest. Her small hands tightened on his wrists, pinning them to the mattress. “Not today,” she taunted, squeezing gently for reinforcement. 

His breath caught at the mischief in her eyes. When her lips descended once more, he was fully under her spell. They’d slept in just their underwear, so there was very little for her to remove, but she began the task of rolling his boxers down the length of his muscled legs. He was just lifting his knees to allow her access when she jerked away, scurrying toward the nightstand to grab the rest of her clothes. 

At the sound of quick footfalls on the carpet outside, he understood her sudden motivation. He had just enough time to tug his underwear back around his hips before the steps slowed and stopped altogether. 

“We’re going to have to make a rule about closed doors,” Cassian suggested as they watched the knob turn together. At his side, Kellen shot him a look that said it was as good as done. 

Owen trounced in, his pajamas rumpled and his hair sticking up to one side. Making his way to Cassian’s side of the bed, he pulled himself onto the mattress. His still-sleepy eyes flew wide when he saw the bed’s second occupant. 

“Daddy!”

He hardly had time to prepare himself for the tiny body before it collided with his chest, but Cassian found it impossible to be too upset by the interruption. Wrapping both arms around the child’s shoulders, he pulled him even tighter. “Morning, a stór.”

The moment soon passed, with Owen pulling back to exchange hugs with his mother before climbing into the space between them. The teasing, fiery Kellen of moments before was gone, replaced by someone soft and nurturing. As he watched her over their son’s head, Cassian couldn’t help wondering whether the changes she’d undergone in the last few years would ever cease to amaze him. 

Now that he thought about it, changes in his son were no less surprising than the ones in the woman he hoped to marry. At nearly three, he was much more independent than he’d been even months before, and his vocabulary and imagination were both expanding at rates that were almost alarming. 

As if sensing Cassian’s musings, Owen started wiggling beside him. Beginning with his shoulders, soon his whole body was shimmying with enough momentum to drive him under the pile of blankets. 

“What’re you doing there?”

“Borrowing!” came the muffled answer. 

“Burrowing,” Kellen corrected mildly. She flipped back the top of the bedsheet to expose his face, which furrowed to show his objection to being uncovered. “One of the books we got from the library is about animals in winter. There’s a whole page that explains how rodents burrow for warmth.”

“I see. Can I join ya?”

“Yeah!”

“Don’t burrow too far. I want to find you here when I come back,” Kellen admonished, climbing out of bed so she could pull the blankets up to the headboard. Once finished, she slipped into the master bathroom. 

“Of course!” Following the child’s technique, Cassian wormed his way beneath the covers -- a rather challenging task given his height and his desire not to fall off the mattress. 

Once he was completely submerged, he reached out a hand to find his son. He knew the boy’s general location, but he wasn’t quite sure of his position until his fingers found his torso. Cassian tickled the side of his stomach where the pajama shirt had started to ride up. 

The boy squealed and retaliated by extending his hands and feet in his father’s direction. Though his arms were too short to reach, his toes came just close though to make contact with Cassian’s bare belly. 

He sucked a breath at the sudden cold. “Are those toes?”

“Uh-huh,” Owen confirmed, squirming closer. Cassian caught the offending foot with one hand and held it to his eyes for pretend inspection. 

“Those aren’t toes -- they’re ice cubes!”

“No!” came the boy’s defiant response. 

“Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh!” 

“Then they’re perfect for tickling,” Cassian deduced, skimming the arch of the boy’s foot with the pad of his finger. 

Owen’s mouth flew open to protest, but peals of laughter were his only response. 

Releasing the foot, Cassian sidled away to evade the boy’s counterattack. Between the tickling and the dodging, the next several minutes faded into a humorous blur. 

“Daddy, I hot,” the boy complained finally, the slight whine in his voice giving Cassian pause.

He’d been too distracted to notice before, but a sheen of sweat was breaking out over his brow. Throwing back the covers, the two gasped for breath like drowning men. 

Kellen reentered, phone in hand. She took stock of the situation for a moment, shaking her head with amusement in spite of the rather dour expression she’d had coming in. 

“Something wrong?” Cassian inquired, pushing himself up to a seated position. 

“It snowed,” she reported somberly. Still flicking through the weather report on her screen, she wrinkled her nose at the glass below. “Up to ten inches in some places.” Craning her neck as if to look through the bedroom window, she made a sound of disgust. “Gross. I was going to run some errands too.”

“Snow!” Owen couldn’t resist running to the window himself. “Play with snow?”

“I’ll run them for ya. Owen can join me if he wants.”

“Yeah!”

Grinning at the plan, she rejoined him on the bed and pulled the covers back over her lap. “It also means you’re definitely spending the night again tonight. I’m not letting you travel across the city in this.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” There had been little chance of going back to his apartment anyway, but there was something satisfying in being relieved of the option altogether. 

They remained in bed together until the need for sustenance and coffee outweighed their desire to stay under the blankets. Braving the cold hallway on his own, Cassian made his way to the small kitchen and easily found the ingredients needed for breakfast. He was especially pleased to find bacon -- his son’s most recent favorite.  

As he removed ingredients from the pantry and started brewing coffee, he contemplated how much more comfortable he was now than the first time he’d cooked in this kitchen four months before. 

They’d made it to this stage gradually, starting with family days and dinners before progressing to sleepovers and weekends. For the past month, he’d spent more nights with them than he’d spent at his own apartment: a development he was exceedingly grateful for. His son now knew him as a fixture, and Kellen proved more and more all the time that the idea of commitment was no longer the threat it had once been. 

If he wasn’t mistaken, she’d come to appreciate it just as much as he had.

Smiling at the notion, he fixed a mug for each of them and made his way back to the bedroom. 

_____

Later in the afternoon, he and Owen returned from their time outside with cheeks that were pink and sore -- though more from smiling than from the cold. Thanks to Kellen’s dislike of snow, Cassian had been given the unique opportunity to teach their son how to step carefully over ice, catch snowflakes on his tongue, and stomp the excess snow from his tiny boots. They hadn’t spent much time playing in the snow itself on this particular outing, but the wintery air and the sight of snow had done both father and son a world of good. 

Kellen remained at the desk, just where they had left her a couple of hours before. However, a glance at her computer screen quickly told him that she was no longer working with spreadsheets. 

Once their snowy clothes had been discarded and the groceries put away, Cassian walked to her side. “Looking for a sunny getaway in the midst of this blizzard?” he teased, feasting his eyes on the sandy beaches on display. 

“Look what came up when I searched for rentals on Nantucket.” She clicked through the images to land on the picture of a small cottage: one that would be engrained in Cassian’s memory for as long as he lived.

“It’s an Airbnb now?” At her answering nod, he continued. “How much?”

Kellen breathed a laugh and hovered over the pricing information. “Doesn’t matter, but it’s reasonable. Should I see if they have any availability this summer?” 

“You sure you could handle being cooped up there again? It’s pretty small.” 

“If it’s just the two of us and Owen, we’ll be fine. Besides, it would be fun to go back.” She shot him a sincere smile.

“I think there’s a romantic in you after all.” 

She shied away from the claim, but not from the kiss that followed. “I’d like to take Owen someday. Give him a chance to play in the sand and swim in something other than a pool.”

“Sounds like a great family vacation. I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a swimsuit again either.” 

Kellen cast a lingering look over his own well-covered body. “The thought did cross my mind. I’ll see what I can find.” 

“I’ll go and get this snowman into the tub.” 

Between their playtime outside and the bathtime shenanigans that followed, Cassian had no trouble getting the boy to fall asleep for his nap. If he wasn’t mistaken, the exhausted child would be out for a solid ninety minutes at least. 

Kellen was waiting when he arrived back in the living room. “I made a reservation. Five whole days, all to ourselves in that cozy cottage,” she waggled her eyebrows flirtatiously. “Whatever will we do with all that time?”

“Swim, go for walks on the beach, build sand castles...”

“You know what I mean.” 

“Mmm, I do,” he agreed, running a thumb over her exposed collarbone. He stopped upon reaching the collar of her shirt. “But we won’t be all alone -- we’ll have Owen with us.” 

“He’ll still take an afternoon nap. And be asleep by 8:00 every night. We’ll have plenty of time to ourselves.” 

“Like we did this morning?”

“Ugh. I forgot to talk to him about knocking before he comes in.” Her lips curled into a pout, and Cassian found himself with a strong desire to kiss it from her face. 

“We’ll have plenty of time to teach him before this summer… and he’s not here now.” 

Catching his drift, she toyed with the hem of his sweatshirt. “Are you suggesting that I get you naked again, Cassian?” She trailed one finger beneath the waistband of his jeans, and his stomach tensed at the contact. 

“I’m just suggesting that it might be an opportune time to finish what we started this morning,” he choked out the words, concentration growing increasingly difficult as her hand progressed. 

Kellen flashed him a wicked smile before pulling the hand back. “Maybe we should take this to the bedroom, then.” Standing from her chair, she slipped both arms around his neck and leaned in close to his chest. 

He sighed into the soft press of her curves. “Maybe we should.” 

Bending at the knees, he positioned his arms at her thighs and the small of her back, catching her weight easily as he pulled her off balance.    

Nose to his neck, he felt the moment her gasp of surprise turned to laughter. “I can walk there myself, you know.”

“I seem to remember you making a similar protest in the past, yes.” Taking a step forward, he shifted her to get a view of her face. “Are you trying to say that you don’t need me?”

“I’d never be so foolish,” she declared, trailing such a light finger along his ear and jawline that he thought he’d dreamt the contact. An instant later, the feisty glint returned to her eyes. “I’ll show you just how much I need you if we ever make it to the bedroom.” 

It was Kellen’s nature to default back to flirtation, but the moment of earnest sincerity was more than enough to satisfy. In it, there was a promise that his mornings would be filled with with blanket tents and full pots of coffee, that each day would brim with their son’s laughter and Kellen’s teasing, and that their lives together would overflow with love. 

How could he ever want anything more? 

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Yiga | Chapter 25

They stood on the high cliff, keeping in the shadows as they overlooked the desert. They had been traveling the desert for almost two days, carefully tracking the Yiga Clan in hopes of finding their hideout. Luck was apparently on their side, in the form of a seemingly stray Yiga soldier who made his way into a deep valley. They had been tracking him for several hours until he seemed to disappear in a clustering of rocks. Upon further inspection, however, they came to the realization that the rocks were an overhang, which was easy enough for them to miss from their high position along the cliff.

But it seemed the Yiga soldier was careless, standing outside of the hidden entrance to their base to smoke a cigarette.  He appeared out in the open once more, then began to pace, slipping in and out of their site.

Paya tensed at Zelda’s side. Her eyes narrowed as they watched the figure, and her heart sank.  “That’s Dorian.”

Zelda peered closely at the figure, quickly recognizing the Sheikah. After a moment, he stopped pacing. He let the butt of his cigarette drop to the ground, then smothered it with the toe of his boot. He put his hands in his pocket, then looked up in their direction.

Zelda pressed further back against the wall of the cliff, holding her breath. After a moment, Dorian pulled his gaze away and disappeared once more into the hideout.

“He saw us,” she breathed.

Paya shook her head. “No. No, I don’t think so.”

“What if he did?” she sneered.

“He doesn’t know who we are.”

“He can easily guess. Who else would be here spying on them?”

“He would have attacked us,” Paya insisted.

“Unless he wanted us to follow him. Lead us right into a trap.”

“We’re not going in,” Paya said fiercely. “We only came to find their hideout.”

“The slate could be in there,” Zelda pushed.

“You said so yourself that it could be a trap.”

Zelda hesitated. “We can’t leave this desert with nothing.”

“We don’t have nothing,” Paya said, reassuring her. “We know where they’re located. We can come back prepared, now. We need to get back and talk to the others. It’s time to plan how we’re going to infiltrate their base.”

Still, Zelda was hesitant, but she nodded. “Have you gotten word from Teba?”

“Link is safe at the ranch, for now. But I will need to get over there and put up a ward. We can’t take any unnecessary risks.”

“Then let’s get back,” she said quickly. “Can you get us there?”

“Let’s get out of the valley,” Paya said. “I don’t want to chance them sensing my power.”

*****

“I’ve got two of my best men on it,” Purah said. She balanced the phone on her shoulder and inspected her nails. “Stop worrying, you old bat.”

“You’re older than me,” Impa muttered. Her brows furrowed as she spoke with her sister. “For the love of Hylia, Purah. I told you not to send anyone on a suicide mission without speaking with me.”

“Impa, darling,” Purah said, rolling her eyes. “I realize your best man is Dorian, and that’s very unfortunate for you. But my men are very capable -”

“Who did you send out?” Impa hissed.

Purah smiled. “Oh, no one you know,” she said cryptically. “Just a Sheikah who goes by Sheik.”

Impa’s breath caught in her throat, and she nearly choked. “Sheik?” Her voice hardened. “Purah! I gave you strict orders -”

“Can it, you hag,” Purah shouted at her sister. “I don’t take orders from you. Understand?”

“Purah,” Impa pleaded. “You’ve put them in danger.”

“They are more than capable,” Purah assured her. “I wouldn’t have done so if I didn’t trust in their abilities. You want Link to survive this, don’t you?” When her sister didn’t respond, she smiled. “You have such a soft spot for that kid! I have just got to meet him in person one of these days!”

“He’s a pain in my ass,” Impa sneered.

“Oh, Impa,” Purah started. “Your body is old, and your soul is ancient. You’ve seen far too many heroes come and go. What a task Hylia has put on you.”

Impa’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“She’s weakening, Impa,” Purah continued. “This world does not have much longer. What will you do?”

Impa hesitated. She turned her gaze to the door as it opened without so much as a knock, and Roham entered.

“I’ve got other things to worry about right now,” she said. “I will be in touch.” She quickly ended the call and met Roham’s fierce gaze.

“Where are they?”

Impa folded her hands together as she regarded the king. “I don’t know,” she said simply.

“Link is a danger to this kingdom,” he barked. “He will destroy everything. He will put my daughter in danger.”

“I agree,” Impa said with a short nod. “But you should know that he will not be found unless he wants to be.”

“I want him arrested,” Roham sneered.

“He’s no longer in the city,” Impa stated. “Clearly he was tipped off. What can you expect? You have your men. He has his.”

Roham’s lips pulled into a snarl. “You are under oath, Impa. If there is something you know -”

Impa stood abruptly from behind her desk. “Silence,” she barked at him. “Do not judge my loyalty to the royal family. I am doing everything I can to fix this, dammit!”

Roham hesitated, holding his gaze on the old Sheikah. “My daughter is gone,” he said softly. “Hyrule’s queen is gone. The kingdom is already suspicious of her absence. I cannot keep this under wraps for much longer. She’s putting herself in danger.”

“I’m sure she’s with Link,” Impa said. “Heroes come in pairs, you know. They like to stick together.”

Roham’s gaze narrowed on her. “I stand by my orders. I want Link under twenty-four-seven watch. I want Zelda back in the safety of the city. And I want your men to destroy the Yiga Clan.”

Impa held her gaze, her expression blank. “As you wish, Your Highness.” When Roham was gone, she spoke again. “Your time is running out. Tell Zelda they are hunting him.”

Teba was pressed against the outer wall of the shrine. Through the open window, he could clearly hear Impa’s voice. He turned his head to briefly glance in the window. The Sheikah still stood behind her desk. When she turned to look out the window, he was gone.

*****

Never in a million years would Link have guessed Kit to be such a shady character, but as he stood in the dimly lit basement, he realized then how little he knew about the seemingly simple bartender.

Kit stood proudly over the display before them, his hands on his hips and a stupid grin on his face. He glanced over at Link as Link looked over the various items on the tables and in the hidden cases in the walls.

“What I tell ya?” Kit said. “Can I be part of the team now?”

“I guess I really can’t say no,” Link muttered.

“You can say no,” Jini said to him. He toyed with one of the knives, flipping it in his hand. “In fact, you would be wise to say no.”

“How the hell do you get your hands on this shit?”

“You’d be better off not knowing,” Jini said.

“Jini was in Roham’s army back in the day,” Kit said.

Jini narrowed his gaze on Kit. “Keep your fucking mouth shut.”

Kit raised his hands. “Relax, dude. Link’s not gonna go running around blabbing your secrets.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about,” Jini sneered. “You’re the one that brought him here.”

“Because he needs shit,” Kit said. “And you got shit he needs.”

“What could you possibly want this stuff for, anyway?”

“To blow the Yiga Clan to bits.”

Link elbowed Kit sharply.

Jini smirked and shrugged one shoulder. “Can’t trust him with anything, hm?” He inspected Link for a moment, then pointed the knife at him in gesture. “You know, I used to see your father around a lot. He was a pretty good guy. Still serving?”

“He’s dead,” Link said simply.

“Hm.” This fact didn’t seem to surprise Jini. “Guess I don’t have to worry about selling black market weapons to his son.”

“Black market?” Kit echoed. “You’ve got a big head.”

“You realize ninety percent of my stock is stolen, right?”

“We’re not paying for your stolen shit,” Kit said.

Jini shrugged. “Link can get whatever he wants. I’d rather not piss off the Hero of Hyrule. Especially right here when he has access to an entire arsenal.” He threw the knife forcefully into the wood table where it stuck and turned his back on them. “You know what you’re doing. Keep me out of it.” He turned to glance at Kit over his shoulder. “And keep your fucking hole shut or I’ll shut it for you.”

“Oh, I’m scared, Jini. The rogue ex marine is gonna come get me.”

Jini grabbed the knife and threw it past Kit where it hit the back wall. “Don’t test me,” he snarled.

“I won’t come to your defense,” Link said.

“Whatever,” Kit said, crossing his arms. “I don’t need you. Get your stupid c4 so we can get out of here.”

Link rubbed his chin. “What if we nuke those bastards?”

Kit laughed. “Right. Like we could get our hands on that.” He hesitated. “We’re not gonna try, right?”

*****

It was mid-morning by the time Link and Kit returned to the ranch, having driven through most of the night from Akkala where they met with Jini. Link didn’t exactly have a plan, but he knew he wanted to blow the Yiga Clan to bits, and he figured he got his hands on enough c4 to do just that. Kit, however, was not as concerned with the Yiga Clan as he was to Link’s confession on their drive home that he was, as he put it, turning to the dark side. He didn’t press further once Link admitted to what had happened to him, but he couldn’t help glance at him from time to time to make sure he wasn’t about to turn right there in the car and kick his ass.

He felt relieved when they finally got back to the ranch. Though he wanted to help Link, he knew he was useless in comparison to his friends. At first, he figured Link was just as useless, but now that he knew of his apparent dark powers, he was starting to think he was in way over his head. Still, he wasn’t backing out on Link now, but at the very least the other Champions could offer some protection should it come down to it. Not to mention the fact that the trunk of the car was full of enough c4 to take out, well, the entire Yiga Clan, and that was all thanks to Kit’s connections. So, maybe he wasn’t totally useless.

Except for Zelda, the rest of the Champions - plus Riju - were gathered at the ranch when they pulled up. Revali’s gaze narrowed on them as Link and Kit stepped out of the car.

“How was your field trip?” he asked.

“Aryll told us you were looking into a source,” Riju said excitedly, though she air quoted the last part. She approached Link, leaning in with her hands on her hips, and grinned. “What’s this source thing all about, anyway?”

Link pressed a finger to her nose and pushed her backwards. Riju frowned and scrunched her nose.

“None of your business,” he said simply.

“Actually,” Daruk started. “It kind of is.”

“It was a waste of time,” Kit said with a shrug. “He was just a guy I knew that I thought had intel on the Yiga Clan.”

Aryll frowned. “He didn’t?”

Kit shrugged. “If he does, we couldn’t get him to talk.”

“Did ya kill him?” Riju asked, her eyes wide. “Did ya torture him and kill him?”

“Maybe,” Link said.

“That’s not funny,” Aryll hissed at him.

“You realize your lives are on the line, right?” Kit asked her. “You can’t exactly play nice.”

“You can’t go around killing anyone you want, either,” Aryll snapped. “We’re not the Yiga. If you do that, you’re just like them.”

“So, I should let the Yiga Clan live?” Link asked.

Aryll blinked at him, hesitant. “Well… I mean… You’re not -”

“Get over it, Ary,” Link snapped. “I kill things. I kill people. And you know what? So did Dad. Get over it.”

“Well, this is nice,” Revali said with a heavy sigh as Aryll stormed away from them. “You have such a way with people, Link.”

Mipha frowned. “You didn’t really kill him, did you?”

“For fuck’s sake,” Link growled. “Who fucking cares? If I thought he was a threat, I would have eliminated him. That’s how it works.”

“He’ll live to see another day,” Kit said, putting a hand on Link’s shoulder. But the conversation was cut short as the air snapped nearby, and two figures appeared suddenly. Link immediately recognized Paya is she withdrew the cloth from over her face, but he did not know the man that stood beside her. His gaze narrowed on them.

“Who’s your boyfriend?” Revali asked with a grin.

“Boyfriend?” A wave of realization washed over her face as she turned to Zelda. “What? No, Goddesses. No. That’s -”

“Sheik,” Zelda said, her gaze narrowing on her friends. “My name is Sheik.”

Paya hesitated, then nodded.

“Sheik?” Revali echoed.

“He’s a Sheikah,” Paya said quickly. “A spy for Purah. We’ve been tracking the Yiga Clan the last few days.”

Link’s brows raised. “And?”

“We found their hideout in the Gerudo Desert,” Zelda said simply. “A couple day’s hike through, in a valley south-east of the Gerudo Summit.”

Link held his gaze on Sheik. “And you trust him?”

“Yes,” Paya said simply. “He’s loyal to Purah and the royal family.”

“So was Dorian,” Link said simply.

Paya hesitated. She turned her gaze to Zelda.

“We saw Dorian at their hideout,” she said.

“I knew it,” Revali said. “Bastard.”

“Does Impa know?”

“I can’t be sure,” Paya said. “We came right here once we found them. I haven’t been back to the city. I wanted to make sure I could ward you here before I returned.”

“A ward?” Urbosa echoed.

“There’s been a ward over the city for the last twenty-six years,” Paya said. “Impa put it up to keep Link and Zelda off the Yiga radar. That’s how they’ve been able to get by undetected for so long. Outside of the city, however, there is no protection.” She hesitated. “I don’t have the same power my grandmother has, but I can at least ward the property here. Once you leave the ranch, however, you will be vulnerable to them.”

“Fine,” Link said. He didn’t care about the protection for himself, but Aryll needed to be somewhere safe. If the ranch could be warded, it would be one less thing for him to worry about.

Paya nodded. She turned to Zelda for a moment, then in a snap, she disappeared.

Zelda met Link’s suspicious gaze. “So, Hero, we meet at last.”

[cookieswriting]

Brother (SEAL Team)

So I’ve been on a huge NEEDTOBREATHE kick since seeing their acoustic concert last weekend, and their song Brother has been one of the ones playing on repeat.  It made me think of SEAL Team, of Clay and the way he’s been abandoned by everyone outside of Bravo.  So this is a series of snippets of the team reminding him that the Brotherhood will never abandon him set to the lyrics of aforementioned amazing song.

Ramblers in the wilderness we can’t find what we need We get a little restless from the searching Get a little worn down in between Like a bull chasing the matador is the man left to his own schemes Everybody needs someone beside em’ shining like a lighthouse from the sea

Jason glanced up when he entered the cages, surprised to see that he’d been beaten there by the youngest team member.  Clay seemed to be rearranging his cage, tucking clothes away on his shelves.  “Morning, Spenser...early start, yeah?”

The way he startled rose alarms in Jason’s mind; SEALs weren’t exactly the easiest types to surprise.  Sure, it was early in the morning, but he knew Clay had a consistent routine in the morning that would have him awake and alert.  Taking a closer look, Jason noticed the kid’s hammock hooked to the corner of his cage.  Clay turned, saw the direction of his gaze, and sidestepped in front of it.  “Y-yeah...I-uh…”

“Did you sleep here?”  Clay didn’t answer, instead running his hand through his hair nervously.  “Is there something going on with your apartment? You could’ve given me a call, man…”  He knew it was more than that if the younger man was so...jumpy, but he knew he was missing something.

Hesitant blue eyes studied him for a moment before Clay seemed to decide to open up about what was on his mind.  “Nah, man, I just...I ran into Stella before we spun up and my apartment was just too quiet last night, ya know?”

“Ouch,” the team leader hissed, understanding the notion all too well.  “How was seeing her again?”

Clay shrugged, squaring away the last of his things.  “Not really sure yet, to be honest.  I think that’s why I just came here last night...here seems to be the one place where things make sense right now.”  He sent Jason a wry smile.  “I’ll figure it out.”

As the blonde passed, Jason settled a hand on his shoulder to stop him.  “If you need to talk through anything, you know where I am, Kid.”  Clay nodded, and Jason allowed him to continue on to the gym.

Brother, let me be your shelter Never leave you all alone I can be the one you call When you’re low Brother, let me be your fortress When the night winds are driving on Be the one to light the way Bring you home

“Hey Spense, man got a sec?” Ray called as he approached his teammate, passing Sonny and Davis as they left the table to dance.  Clay gestured to the seat Sonny had just abandoned with an easy smile and took a long drink from his beer.  Ray hated the thought that he might erase that contentment from his brother.  “I, uh...I ran into Stella at the store, found out she’s living in town now.”

Clay dropped his chin to his chest with a sigh before looking back up, and Ray was able to see that he’d already known.  “Yeah...I ran into her myself, right before we spun up last week.  Thanks for giving me the heads up, though.”

“I didn’t want to have to tell you, but I’d rather that than you get blindsided if I could’ve helped it.”  It was the thought, right?  “How are you doing with that?”

Clay shrugged, drew another pull of beer, and this time his smile was not quite so genuine.  “It caught me off-guard when I first saw her, haven’t really felt right at my apartment since, but I’m figuring it out.  I stopped going to our usual spots and haven’t run into her yet, so it’ll be what it’ll be I guess.”

Ray didn’t like the thought of Clay being so disoriented by the fact that he now had to worry about running into Stella.  “You know our couch is-”

“Clay! Hey, kiddo, thought I might catch you here!”

The voice that interrupted them had Clay rolling his eyes, and the heavy hand that came down on his shoulder had the blonde flinching.  Ray tensed and rose to his feet, eyes shifting to the elder Spenser.  “We haven’t met, Ashland...but your reputation certainly precedes you.  Senior Chief Ray Perry,” he supplied, though he didn’t move when Ash offered a hand to shake.  “Might I offer a word of advice?”  Still somewhat oblivious to the fact that the man before him was not being friendly, Ash nodded, only mildly put off by Ray’s stoicism.  “You’d be wise to leave now, before the rest of the team realizes that you’re here.  None of us trust you, and believe me when I tell you that I am the most level-headed when alcohol is involved.  And trust me...there has been plenty of it tonight.”

The elder Spenser floundered for a moment, looking to Clay and finding his son staring down at his beer.  Ray crossed his arms over his chest and raised an expectant brow, eyes leaving Ash only long enough to locate the rest of the team.  With a disbelieving huff, Ash raised his hands in surrender and was gone.  Clay finally looked up to meet his 2IC’s gaze, and Ray found himself tempted to follow Ash out into the night for the vulnerability in his blue eyes.  They nodded wordlessly to one another, and Ray tapped his beer bottle lightly against his younger teammate’s.

Face down in the desert now there’s a cage locked around my heart I found a way to drop the keys where my failures were Now my hands can’t reach that far I ain’t made for a rivalry I could never take the world alone I know that in my weakness I am strong, but It’s your love that brings me home

“Spenser, if you don’t stop squirming I’m going to friggin’ sedate you,” Trent growled as he pinned his injured teammate’s shoulder down, using the move to immobilize and apply pressure simultaneously.  “They’ve got the situation under control, which they would’ve been able to do in another couple of minutes if you hadn’t gone all self-sacrifice and gotten yourself shot!”

“There were-”

“They’ve got every exit covered, kid. Hey, Clay, look at me.”  The medic waited until the younger man complied.  “Stand down, let me patch you up.”  The command finally seemed to sink in, and Trent eased up on his grip so that he could focus on tending to the through-and-through in Clay’s shoulder.  “What the hell were you thinking, exposing yourself like that?”

He wasn’t really expecting a reply, but the one he got spoke volumes - both in his words and tone.  “Couldn’t get a warning out fast enough, and better me than any one of you,” Clay muttered, finally allowing his head to drop back to the ground with a thunk.  Trent’s hands stilled for a moment until blue eyes gazed up at him.

“Okay, I’m going to say this once, and you’re going to listen, got it?” Trent had to take a slow breath to ease his simmering anger.  “If I ever hear that ‘better me than you’ bullshit again, I will kick your ass and then let Sonny take the second shot.  You are not expendable, Clay.”

The younger man hissed through his teeth when Trent was somewhat rougher than necessary.  “Tell that - easy, Trent! - tell that to my father…” Clay pounded his clenched fist against the ground as the medic applied a bandage over the front and tugged his shoulder to access the exit wound.  He tried to feel bad about causing his teammate pain, but Trent couldn’t help the anger coming through.

“I’d like to think you recognize that your father is an ass.  Did you ever stop to think what your little act of self sacrifice would do to your team? Your brothers?” Clay stared up at him, guilt and a touch of grief shining in his eyes.  He knew the younger man was likely remembering the feeling of almost losing Sonny.  Good, maybe he’d finally get it.  “You’re not just a member of some team, Spense.  We are a family.  We need each other, out here and at home.  So like I said,” he set a gloved hand against the side of Clay’s neck.  “You’re not expendable, brother.”  

Clay nodded solemnly, and Trent got back to work as the sound of their brothers wrapping up the firefight and calling for their status reached them.  

Brother, let me be your shelter Never leave you all alone I can be the one you call When you’re low Brother, let me be your fortress When the night winds are driving on Be the one to light the way Bring you home

Brock followed his dog out into the cool night, and smiled wryly when he saw where Cerberus ended up.  Clay started scratching behind the dog’s ear without looking away from the fire. His arm was still secure in its sling, something that surprised the canine handler; he’d given Trent a hard time on the flight home about making him wear the sling, so all of Bravo had been on alert to make him put it back on if they caught him without it.  Jason had restricted Clay to base while he healed, though Brock got the impression that it wasn’t much of an imposition.

“Finding the answers to life in that fire, Spense?”

“Somethin’ like that,” Clay murmured.  

Brock dropped into the seat next to his teammate and stared into the fire, giving him a moment before speaking again.  “So what’s the fire telling you tonight?”

The blonde sighed before answering.  “That maybe I’m not meant to be a SEAL and have love.”  Brock finally turned and looked at him, confused.  Clay ran a hand through his hair.  “I ran into Stella.  Seeing her just...brought things into perspective I guess.  Reminded me that nothing mattered more than the team.”

“You don’t think we are capable of having both?” Not that Brock could argue much, considering he hadn’t had a serious relationship since Green Team...but he also wasn’t looking for one.  With Stella, Clay had seemed like he’d have stuck it out.

“I mean look at our team.  Ray’s the only one capable of holding down a family...and that’s because his wife is a damn superhero.  I guess...I guess it’s just got me wondering if being a SEAL dooms us to a life of broken relationship and loneliness.”

Brock studied Clay’s face, unable to discern exactly where his thoughts were taking him.  “If it does...the team still worth it?”

“Always,” Spenser answered firmly, finally seeming to snap out of his trance.  “Like I said, seeing Stella brought that into focus for me.  You guys are my family, and she wasn’t prepared to come second. Who’s to say that’s not how it’ll always be?”

“I dunno, brother...but I can promise you that you’ll never be without family.  Might get lonely when we’re home sometimes, but you can always call me, Sonny, Trent…”  Clay grinned over at him, and Brock glared when the blonde reached for the strap of his sling.  “Oh ho ho, no you don’t pretty boy.  I am your brother and you know I’ve always got your back, but don’t think for a second I won’t rat you out to Trent if you take that thing off.”

And when you call and need me near Sayin' where'd you go? Brother, I'm right here And on those days when the sky begins to fall You're the blood of my blood We can get through it all

“Has anyone seen Spenser? He hasn’t responded to my texts or answered my calls all morning,” Jason called as he entered the gym where the rest of the team - minus their youngest - was working out.  They all glanced at one another, stopped what they were doing and collectively shook their heads.

“What’s up, Jase?” Ray questioned.

“Another late night interview with Ash last night about a last minute addition that he’s putting into his book before it gets released...he talked about the Korea fiasco.  Never outright names Clay, but…”

“But it’s enough to implicate him for sharing top secret information about a highly classified mission...son of a bitch!” Sonny punched the bag in front of him as hard as he could, not nearly satisfied by the hit thanks to the cushioning of his gloves.  “I’ll fucking kill him with my bare hands if I ever see that asshole.  What is Blackburn saying?”

“Blackburn is too busy hunting down the real leak to say much.  Just that we need to keep an eye on Clay, preferably on base so that he’s not blindsided if they decide they want him in custody before this blows up.  So we need to track him down, make sure he’s okay, and bring him here.  We’ll stay with him as long as we can.  I’m heading to his apartment now.”  The defeated tone of their leader’s voice only fueled Sonny’s rage, and he tore his gloves off and left them on the floor.

“Whoever finds him, text the rest of us.  I’ll look here on base.”  Sonny didn’t bother waiting to hear where the others were headed; knowing Clay, he’d be somewhere alone...but he wouldn’t risk the Navy thinking he’d taken off and making his situation even worse.  The kid was somewhere within the confines of the base.

Sonny wasn’t entirely surprised to find the young SEAL on the barracks roof, and he was just glad that the kid was far from the edge.  “You looking to put a hole in the ceiling? Cause I’m pretty sure you’ve already worn that patch down pretty well, Goldilocks.”

Clay barely glanced up at him, shaking his head and clenching his fists repeatedly as he paced.  The energy reminded him of a caged animal.  “Not now, Quinn,” he growled.  Fitting.  Sonny discreetly pulled out his phone to let Jason know the kid was safe.

“Exactly now, Spenser.  You’ve got the whole team out lookin’ for you.”  

He scoffed, but finally stopped to face his teammate head-on.  “Wouldn’t exactly be smart of me to look like I went AWOL right about now, would it?”  Clay gripped his hair and leaned back against the wall.  “Sonny, I didn’t-”

“Brother, if you finish that sentence, I will knock you out.  Didn’t think you’d been the blabbermouth before, sure as hell don’t think it now.”  He watched the younger man drop his head back against the bricks, and wished that he could wring elder Spenser’s neck in that moment.  Before Clay could smack his head against the wall, Sonny reached forward and grabbed his shoulders.  “We know you didn’t do this, Clay.”

“Tell that to the cake-eaters who are probably ready for my head on a pike...he set me up perfectly.”  Blue eyes reflected desperation and panic.  “First he sets it up to meet publicly when the interviews break about the Saudi mission.  Not supposed to be public knowledge, but not a big enough deal for them to do anything about it.  Enough to connect me to the bastard’s book.  Then...then when he comes out with the info about the Korea mission, they’ve already got me in the back of their minds.  So of course they’re going to look to me.  Of course I’d gloat about my missions to the father I could never please.  Of course…” His breath hitched, and tears filled his eyes.  Sonny moved his hands to either side of Clay’s face.

“This isn’t on you, Clay.  Which means it is on someone else, and believe me when I tell you we will not rest until we find the son of a bitch.  Bravo isn’t going to let this go down without a fight.”

Clay gripped Sonny’s wrists tightly, breaths becoming short and erratic.  “And if you can’t find them?  Sonny...when we almost lost you on that mission...I-I don’t think I’d ever been so scared.  You were right...this team, this brotherhood is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.  I’d been toying with the idea of giving it up for someone who wasn’t even prepared to stand by me...and now? Now I’m going to lose it anyway for something I didn’t even do.  For...for what, Son? What the hell did I do to Ash that he’s willing to get me thrown in Leavenworth?”  A tear slid down his cheek as he rambled, and Sonny tugged him forward to press their foreheads together.

“Breathe, Clay.  Your father is not your family.  We are your family.  He’s a fucking worthless piece of shit who is not going to win, do you hear me?  Family doesn’t do what he’s done...family protects one another, come what may.  We will not let you fall, brother.”  Sonny didn’t let the younger man go until he’d taken a few shuddering breaths and nodded his understanding.

Brother, let me be your shelter Never leave you all alone I can be the one you call When you’re feelin' low Brother, let me be your fortress When the night winds are driving on Be the one to light the way Bring you home

The court martial hearing was something of a blur to Clay.  After his conversation on the roof with Sonny, it hadn’t taken long for him to be taken into custody by the MP’s.  His entire team had been with him, sitting outside of their cages as they’d told Blackburn they would be.  They were sharing beers and swapping stories, waiting out what they all knew would be inevitable.  

His brothers rose with him when the time came, silently supporting him the only way they could.  Their commander and Ellis had been MIA at the time, and it wasn’t until the trial a week later that he understood why; with his brothers and members of support, Alpha and Charlie standing for him, Commander Blackburn presented evidence of the true leak.  A member of their support team embittered by what he considered to be the glory that the Operators stole from them.  

Clay was floored, overwhelmed with relief and gratitude for the men and women standing on his behalf.  He’d had plenty of time during his week detained in Norfolk to think about what his team meant to him; to see the same dedication reflected in the eyes of said team, particularly considering the absence of his own father, brought into sharp focus just how much he’d come to rely on this brotherhood.  To be the light in the midst of storms, the fortress around him both in combat and in life...to bring him home.

[vex-bittys]

Need to Be Needed, Want to Be Wanted

Note: I went a wee bit (ok about 900 words) over the 1000 word maximum, but man, this story just wanted to be written. That’s why it’s under a cut.

She blended so well with the shadows that he almost didn’t see her in the inky gloom of her surroundings. The Horrortale Sans bitty, a Shears type, scavenged the alley behind the restaurant, searching for discarded foodstuffs or fresh prey, whichever he found first. She listened to him scurry about, silent, unable to see his movements due to her blindness but able to pinpoint his location nonetheless.

“There’s dinner scraps from the steakhouse in the middle dumpster. Some of it’s still warm,” the young woman offered helpfully without even turning her head in the bitty’s direction. He glared at her, suspicious that she might be trying to trap him.

Giving the human a wide berth, the Shears bitty circled the dumpsters and trash cans, sniffing here and poking there. The rats and raccoons had long since departed, having taken their share of the refuse earlier in the night. A tantalizing aroma wafted from the middle dumpster. The little skeleton scratched and scrabbled at the rusted metal, but he couldn’t gain access to the morsels inside.

“Do you need help?” the woman asked, shuffling forward with an awkward gait, hands outstretched in front of her. The feral bittybones darted behind some haphazardly stacked cardboard boxes to hide just in case she decided to attack. She didn’t. Instead she patted the empty air in front of her until one of her hands brushed the corner of the dumpster.

Surely the dim glow of the far-off streetlights was enough for her to detect an object as large as a dumpster, thought the Shears. That’s when he noticed that her eyes were closed.

“you’d be able to see where y’were goin’ if ya opened yer eyes,” growled the Shears bitty from his cardboard fortress. She laughed softly in response, lifting the plastic cover from one side of the garbage receptacle.

“Not likely,” she said. “I’m blind. Eyes open or closed, it all looks like darkness to me.” She rifled around from a moment, and the bitty couldn't help leaning forward in anticipation. He hadn't eaten in days, and the scents from the garbage were absolutely mouthwatering.

Peering out from his refuge, the hungry bitty watched the woman fish a bone with a large bit of meat still attached from the dumpster. She crouched down, dangling the prize a few short feet from where he hid.

It was hard to identify the type of meat on the bone. It might be lamb. It might be beef, but the Shears bitty didn’t care what animal it came from. He wanted it badly, so badly, but he did not trust the allegedly blind human. He heard stories on the streets of humans capturing stray bittybones for fighting rings or to sell to science laboratories for experimentation. He avoided those fates by being street smart, and that involved a great deal of mistrust.

As if she sensed his misgivings, the woman sighed and placed the delectable morsel on the ground. She took several steps backwards before addressing him. “I’m not trying to hurt you, but I’ll give you space while you eat if it makes you more comfortable.”

Unable to wait another moment, the starving bitty rushed from his hiding place, grabbed the proffered food, and quickly dragged it back under the cardboard. He tore into the meat with gusto; he hadn’t tasted anything so delicious in his entire life. It wasn’t even moldy!

“so what’re ya doin’ hangin’ out in a place like this?” asked the Shears once the meat had been consumed, licking grease from his phalanges. Probably waiting to kidnap unsuspecting Horrortale bitties, he thought, gnawing the bone for any possible remaining flavor.

The woman smiled. “I was walking back to the shelter where I’m staying, and I took a wrong turn,” she admitted. “I had to rest a moment and reorient myself. It’s easy to get lost in the city even if you have perfect vision.” She chuckled a bit at the weak joke.

The blind woman’s harmless demeanor didn’t fool the Shears bitty in the slightest, but he never got the chance to confront her about it because thunder crashed overhead, making him jump in fright and bump his skull on the cardboard above him. He hadn’t noticed the gathering thunderclouds in the already dark night sky. Lightning flashed, throwing the alley in sharp relief briefly then plunging it back into darkness. Thunder crashed again, louder this time, and the clouds let loose. Rain poured down hard enough that the Shears bitty’s shelter immediately began to buckle.

Yelping in surprise, the woman spoke quickly to the Shears bitty, making him an offer he couldn’t refuse. “You can’t stay out here in this weather. If you want, you can hop in my satchel, and I’ll take you back to the shelter with me.”

“shelter?” asked the bitty, though he was already unfastening the satchel flap to climb inside. The woman made no effort to touch or grab him, which he appreciated.

“It’s a homeless shelter,” she explained, “but at least it’s dry and warm.”

The Shears bitty grunted his agreement, and the blind woman set off. She walked purposefully, counting her steps and turning corners with confidence.

“stop!” shouted the bitty as she stepped out into the street and right in front of a moving vehicle. The car swerved, narrowly missing her.

“I didn’t even hear it through the rain,” she whispered.

“s’alright,” mumbled the miniature skeleton, “i don’t wanna end up as roadkill any more'n you do.” He blushed, embarrassed by his own good deed. They arrived at the shelter a few moments later. An attendant at the front desk greeted the blind woman, referring to her as Void; she nodded a greeting without pausing on her way to the dormitory area.

Beds lined the walls of the dormitory rooms, some occupied, some empty. A quick count revealed a relatively small number of humans in residence, but their presence still made the Shears bitty nervous. Void noticed his growing unease as she brought sheets and blankets over to make her bed for the night.

“You can sleep up on the bed with me, or if you’re more comfortable keeping a low profile, I can tuck the satchel under the bed and you can sleep there,” suggested Void. The Shears bitty opted to set up his own little camp under the bed. He fell asleep quickly to the sound of rain battering the homeless shelter roof.

Sometime in the early morning hours, movement nearby awakened the Shears bitty. Peering out from his improvised nest, he spotted another human attempting to drag the satchel out from under Void’s bed! Snarling, the Horrortale bitty sank his fangs into the offending hand. When the hand withdrew, the bitty followed it, confronting its owner with further snarls.

“takin’ what ain’t yers is a good way to lose a hand,” he growled. Without a word, the thief fled, and the bittybones returned to his temporary satchel home, pretending he didn’t hear the softly whispered “Thank you” from the bed above him.

The next morning dawned with a clear sky, warm golden sunlight, and not a rain cloud in sight. The Shear bitty emerged from the satchel to see Void’s upside down face greeting him as she leaned over the bed.

“Would you like to join me for breakfast? I wash dishes at a local diner, and the owner lets me eat breakfast there before I start my shift. It’s all I can really offer to repay you for your help last night.” She didn’t mention which she was thanking him for- saving her from the car or protecting her belongings- but it made no difference to the ravenous bitty. He never said no to a free meal.

The little skeleton rode in the satchel on the three-block trip to the diner. On the way, he and Void struck a mutually beneficial bargain. Void would keep him fed and sheltered if he would be her seeing-eye bitty. The job sounded easy enough, and the payoff was well worth it. Void gave him a big slice of ham for breakfast with a promise of more food later! Eating twice in a single day? Unheard of in his former life!

The Shears bitty and his human companion settled into a routine that evolved as their relationship with each other progressed. The bitty eventually moved from sleeping in the satchel to claiming a spot on Void’s pillow next to her. With a service bitty to help her, Void found a better paying job. She even moved in with a friend from her workplace a few months after the two of them started dating. As her living situation improved, so did the Shears bitty’s.

As time passed, Void worked her way up to a job in which she didn’t really need an assistance bitty to help her. She assured the Shears bitty that he would always be welcome at her workplace, but he could also stay home if he preferred a life of leisure. The formerly feral bitty never could’ve imagined the life he had now: a home with all of the amenities he could ask for, including all of the food he could eat, with no expectation of repayment.

The Shears bitty missed Void’s company though, and he often chose to accompany her to the workplace. Watching her work without his help only made him feel more useless and out-of-place in her new life though. One night, he overheard a conversation that confirmed his deeply rooted and entirely new fear of abandonment and loneliness.

“I don’t know why you keep that creepy bittybones around. If you feel like you still need a service bitty, we could get you a real one.” The voice belonged to Void’s significant other, and it drifted from the kitchen into the bedroom where the Shears bitty laid curled up on Void’s pillow.

“He’s not creepy,” Void’s voice insisted, “and honestly, I really don’t need a service bitty anymore anyway.” The Shears bitty froze. Void didn’t need him anymore. Dejected, the Horrortale bitty trudged across the mattress to the bedroom window.

“You’re lucky you can’t see him, Void,” the significant other continued. “He’s got a gaping hole in his skull. He has an eerie red eyelight that glows in the dark, and his other socket is blank and empty. He is one hundred percent creepy.”

Exerting every bit of strength he possessed, the small skeleton managed to push the window open a few inches, just enough for him to escape back to his old life… a life where he didn’t need to fear being rejected by someone he had begrudgingly come to care about.

“You’re right, I am lucky I can’t see him. Thanks to my blindness, instead of judging him based solely on his appearance, I can judge him based on his actions. He protected me and helped me when I needed him most. I fed him, sure, but he could find food on his own. He didn’t need me, but I needed him, and he was there for me. How could you even suggest that I replace him?” Void spoke with a quiet passion that touched the Shears bitty down to his very SOUL, but she wasn’t done speaking yet.

“I would rather be homeless again than get rid of my darling Shears.”

Lowering the window, the Shears bitty climbed back up onto Void’s pillow. He feigned sleep when she entered the room, but she knew his breathing patterns too well and wasn’t fooled in the slightest.

Void laid down on the bed, placing her head on the pillow next to him. “I was so scared that you left. I’m glad you stayed.”

Of course she’d heard him opening the window; Void had excellent hearing. Wiggling closer to her, he nuzzled her cheek.

“me too.”

More Drabbles | INDEX | Read on AO3

[ellahmacdermott]

Living on Bitcoin Day 6: An Artist, a Dev and a Moon Boy Walk Into a Bar…

This is the fifth instalment of reporter Colin Harper's "Living on Bitcoin" experience in San Francisco. Find out what happened to him earlier on Day 1 , on Day 2 , on Day 3 , onDay 4 and on Day 5.

On day six I woke with a renewed sense of energy. My last two days in San Francisco were booked up with plenty to do, and yesterday’s purchase had reinvigorated the experiment’s sense of purpose.

That morning I wrote, paid Kashmir back for the breakfast (she got into her Coinbase account) and set out for two days of Bay Area shenanigans that would include meeting a local crypto artist, getting tipsy with bitcoin and sleeping (and sailing) in the East Bay on a boat that threatened to capsize.

Around 1:00 p.m. I caught an Uber into the Financial District to meet up with Dustin, a multi-talented developer who had responded to a Reddit thread I made leading up to my week here. He invited me sailing, but the weather was sketchy — it had been raining for the better part of my time in San Francisco and there were winds and storms in the forecast — so we decided to meet at Digital Garage, a coworking space on Market Street that accommodates many cryptocurrency projects.

I was loitering in the lobby when he passed me, and we registered who the other was immediately. Big, tall, bearded with long, blonde hair, a tremendous smile and goofy disposition, he crossed from the other end of the lobby to greet me.

He’s got the hair, the beard, the “No worries, dude” vibe. We’re going to get along great.

We did.

As we entered the working space, I was pleased to see a cryptograffiti original on prominent display, which added an air of authenticity to both his presence in the space and to the San Francisco crypto community for supporting a local, industry-specific artist.

Posting up at a table in the working space, we hit it off and began jumping from one crypto topic to the next. Turns out, he’s a lone-wolf dev who’s building a hardware wallet with bluetooth-enabled mobile controls — not unlike Ledger’s own Nano X, I suggested. He hadn’t heard of it before.

“Well, they might have the bluetooth, but I doubt it’s trustless and multi-sig,” he tells me, going on to say that he knows of no other trustless hardware wallet. Interest piqued, I surveyed his app and the hardware wallet prototype, which he’s also building himself.

“You’re just a one-man band, aren’t ya?” I remarked, impressed, after learning that he was building everything himself.

He’s a bit of a crypto OG, it seems. He’s been in the space since 2011 and hangs around the Bitcoin Core internet relay chat (IRC), where he says he’s been humbled on a few occasions. I asked for his veteran perspective to help explain why I couldn’t find any more stores in the area that accept bitcoin. He suggests that it’s intertwined in the same trend that has made Silicon Valley so banal to him.

“Bitcoin has really exacerbated the aspects of Silicon Valley I don’t like,” he admits. “It has an appreciation for altcoins or stablecoins, but not really for bitcoin, hard money. I think there’s this culture in San Francisco that just idolizes what investors like, what’s new. I heard someone say Silicon Valley is about new things — bitcoin isn’t new anymore.”

Everyone’s just looking for “the next big thing” or “the next Bitcoin.” They’re not going to find it, was more or less his view, and he believes that the focus shouldn’t be creating something new but improving what we already have.

“I’ve heard it said that the East Coast owns things while the West Coast makes things,” he theorized, “and if that stereotype were true I could see more people taking bitcoin.

“I think the challenge is that the majority of people don’t understand security stuff. The people who buy these don’t understand half of it. The challenge is teaching them,” he said, broaching the evergreen topic on the “how-tos” of adoption.

Our conversation was kinetic and animated as we touched on a wide range of crypto-related topics. I’m not surrounded by developers much in Nashville (especially not crypto/blockchain ones), so the opportunity to talk to one who knew the ins-and-outs (and knew them real well) left my curiosity welling with streams of new, if half-hatched, bitcoin applications and infrastructural ideas.

We talked crypto assets insurance (a concept which we both had previously hatched complementary business models for), his conceptualization that the network serves users and not miners (he believes that “hashing wars” are irrelevant, since, ultimately, the users will decide which chain they buy in to) and his surprising penchant for interacting with some of the space’s most prodigious and controversial celebrities without knowing who they are.

At one point, he had left his laptop at the Crypto Castle only to retrieve it, unmolested, from the same couch he left it on a month later, though he didn’t really know who Jeremy was. I brought up Brock Pierce and his benevolent-or-parasitic (depends on who you ask) ventures in Puerto Rico. When Dustin was still involved in the Valley’s tech party scene, he was acquainted with him before either even knew about bitcoin.

“Ohhh, that’s Brock Pierce. I know him — I just didn’t know his name. We used to party a lot 10 years ago. That’s hilarious.”

Everyone knows everyone in this industry, and the degrees of separation between connections is often slim. It’s like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon but with Bitcoin.

He would reaffirm this observation throughout our talks. For instance, he had applied for Coinbase back in 2013, a job he didn’t end up getting — though Armstrong’s consolation prize was pretty nice.

“He gave me a bitcoin,” he said, smiling and holding up his hands like he was holding something ethereal. “It was like 34 bucks then.”

The literal token of gratitude for being one of Coinbase’s first applicants.

That would have been sometime in 2013, maybe even right before Hill’s article. Funny, he was probably up for the position of Coinbase’s third employee.

I ordered some pad thai for lunch on Uber Eats, tried to manage some work but was ultimately distracted by my on-going, engaging conversations with Dustin. He’d agreed to go with me to the Bitcoin meetup at Stookey’s that night. To kill time until then, we decided we would give BitPay an office visit. I wanted to ask them about the decreasing presence of bitcoin-accepting merchants in the bay area, and see if the trend was national and global.

I called the office but only succeeded in leaving a voicemail, so we decided that running the errand on foot would give us our best shot. BitPay has two offices listed on Google. One was, no doubt, a mailing address but we had no way of figuring out which one.

The rain-soaked walk was made easier thanks to our umbrellas (Hans had graciously loaned me his, a feeble but functional black pocket umbrella). On our way, we took a detour so that I could try out a bitcoin ATM.

The experience wasn’t as gratifying as I had hoped, mainly because it didn’t feel like actually buying bitcoin — it was more like buying credit or a coupon for bitcoin, the opposite of what I had been doing all week: using bitcoin to buy credit and coupons in the form of gift cards.

The Coinme ATM was located in something of a mall a block over from the Moscone Center. I decided to use cash, but upon using the machine, any chance of anonymity was promptly thwarted.

First, it asks you to insert your ID, followed by a request to take a picture to verify that identity (that I would have to basically do know-your-customer (KYC) verifications twice to buy bitcoin with cash was anathema to me). After this it asked me for my phone number and email address, which I found ironically less intrusive after having to be photo identified. When all this was done, it printed a slip of paper with a username and password, along with a URL at which I could access the $10 worth of bitcoin I had bought.

Cool, I can’t even access it yet and don’t even hold the keys. Certainly different from when Hill used a makeshift, trustless prototype at Internet Archives in 2013 before the first crypto ATMs had been produced. Back then, it was just a computer and a cash box, which any employee could use to withdraw or deposit bitcoin for cash. Same concept, but more anonymous, easy and endearingly janky (you had to trust people not to steal cash from it, though).

The disheartening and borderline frustrating experience (it felt a bit cheap, a normal monetary transaction service masquerading as a crypto one) was aggravated when a Ramen vending machine 20 yards away teased cryptocurrency as a purchasing option, only to qualify the payment as “Coming soon!” at checkout.

We went on with our search for BitPay, but it was ultimately fruitless. At the first location, our call on the building’s outside directory went unanswered. At the second, we were told that BitPay no longer occupied space in the building, so we decided to pack it in.

Fighting the wind that had whipped up in our mile or so walk, we took refuge in an Chinese food joint that Dustin was fond of. We split a helping of kung pao chicken, which I repaid in bitcoin. Dustin had become an IRL intermediary through which I could enjoy those elusive dining-in-with-bitcoin experiences.

Dinner finished, we found our way to Stookey’s, an intimate, cooly lit bar that could comfortably seat maybe 30 people. We were fashionably late and took a seat at the rightmost end of the bar. I was unpleasantly unsurprised to discover that no one else had shown up for the meetup yet. For the first 30 minutes, we were the only ones, it seemed, a disappointing situation that was becoming par for the course in a week of almosts.

But it was also a win. I got to spend my bitcoin again, this time on a delicious pisco sour (a Peruvian, egg-white cocktail with a pisco base, bitters and limes) and enough beer and other cocktails to get a buzz on and cringe at the thought that the prices were not too far off from Nashville’s own.

Striking up a conversation with a wispy black-haired guy who “is kinda a tech geek,” Dustin asked him if he was there for the meetup. He said no, admitting that he was a bit skeptical of the whole thing. He rehashed an old misperception that I’ve heard from numerous naysayers, and the fact that I’m forgetting it now is either a testament to the cocktails’ potency or to the fact that most arguments against bitcoin (especially from the underinformed) have all been packaged into a nebulous hodgepodge of complaints that, in their ubiquity, have begun to resemble each other).

Dustin and I hit it off with one of the bartenders, who showed a greater-than-average understanding of crypto — so much so that he had educated opinions on forks, proof of work vs. proof of stake, and Ethereum’s Constantinople upgrade. He’s been invested for two-and-a-half years, though he had been tuned into the market and started conducting due diligence two years before that.

I asked if any of the crypto-focused co-owners were around so I could grill them. One of them, a close friend of his, was sojourning in Mexico, as one does when crypto rich. Our bartender was a more-than-adequate stand-in for my questions, seeing as he’d been at the bar for two years, so I asked him if he’d noticed a drop-off in Bitcoin meetup interest.

“They go up and down. We’re in between,” he said, conceding that they had been considering scaling the meetups down from weekly to quarterly.

He also shared his personal experience of the hassles that come with accepting bitcoin, particularly in times of network bloat. “Fees were getting ridiculous on BitPay,” he told me. “A $14 cocktail becomes a $24 cocktail and people don’t want to pay.”

“How many people pay in bitcoin, would you say?” I asked him.

“A few, mostly during the meetups obviously. Every now and then, someone will be a few drinks in, realize we take it and then want to pay that way.”

After about an hour, I turned to my left to observe a room whose patronage had thinned out in tandem with the vanishing contents of our glasses. With the room cleared, I could make out two dudes having an enlivened conversation two seats down from us: one, tall and thin-ish; the other, shorter and bulky, with blond hair.

“I think that’s Dan Held,” I told Dustin, referring to the blond character. True to form, Dustin didn’t seem to know who Dan was, showing the willful introversion of a man who is more preoccupied with the code of the industry over its personalities.

I went over and introduced myself, thanking Dan for an op-ed he had recently submitted to Bitcoin Magazine and telling him a bit about my experiment. I related it back to Kashmir Hill’s own, where he was featured in the final day of her 2014 excursion.

Dan invited me to get coffee the next day, but I said it would be tricky given my schedule. I would be busy in the morning and evening, and I had plans to meet up with cryptograffiti, a San Francisco-based crypto artist, in the afternoon.

He gave a half-cocked smile and nodded to the man he had been talking with.

“No way, seriously?” I said, shocked at the serendipity.

“Yeah, that’s me,” the tall man responded with a grin.

With introductions made, we talked a bit, and I learned (not to any surprise) that the artist was a maximalist of sorts.

“Bitcoin is my baby,” he said with the simultaneous seriousness and self-aware waggishness of a true believer.

Like Dustin, cryptograffiti was an OG. Always jumping at the chance to glean another point of view, I relayed the frustrations that had obstructed my week on bitcoin, and I asked why there were so few people at the meetup.

“People stopped going to meetups because the focus had changed. It was too financial. People started shutting you down if you knew what you were saying,” he said.

It’s all wrapped up in the paradigm shift the crypto community has experienced since 2013, he believes. Like Dustin, he thinks the altcoin boom exposed how mercurial community attention can be and diverted much of the excitement for bitcoin toward the industry’s new and shiny offspring.

“It’s cool to be contrarian. Everyone is looking for the next thing.”

Dustin joined the conversation, along with another meetup latecomer: a short, spiky-haired Ethereum “moon boy” with wide, distant eyes whom I had met at the conference and who claimed he had conceptualized a “decentralized, global supercomputer” in high school before Ethereum had even existed.

Sure thing, bud.

The meetup, while small, felt profound. It was small, but it was also quality and included a diverse sample of the industry’s many players. It was eclectic and intimate, much like the “Bitcoin at $100” meetup that Hill was a part of. Only ours was smaller, something I would not have anticipated when I started this.

But there was probably a greater diversity of professional specializations in the industry at this meetup: a one-man developer team who seemed to personify Bitcoin’s open-source nature, a Texas boy who had become one of the crypto space’s most recognized entrepreneurs, a San Francisco-based DJ-turned-artist whose crypto-themed artwork sells for five figures (yes, really), a Nashville-based journalist who didn’t know squat about Bitcoin until 2017 and was thrilled just to worm his way into this milieu, and the Ethereum moon boy who did brand relations for an Ethereum-built project.

Bitcoin and crypto had all given us the opportunity to pursue passions and careers within the industry.

Even if its use as an IRL payment has regressed, the impact of the network has been far reaching — the industry is more active than ever. This thought enlivened me.

Dustin had offered me a bed on his boat for the night, something I wasn’t about to pass up, especially with a few drinks in me. It was across the way in Berkeley, so we took the BART. I paid Dustin for a ticket and then a 15-minute drive from Oakland put us at the harbor.

The boat’s exterior gave the impression of a modest and relatively well-maintained sailboat. Below deck, the haphazard displacement of various sundries and provisions presented the habitat of a man who probably had the madness to create things few people could.

The night winding down, we decided to watch/play Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch on Netflix. The choose-your-own-adventure movie’s interactive nature gives a new dimension to Black Mirror’s typical rabbit-hole examination of technology and human frailty. We had both watched it before and wanted to see what different endings we could get.

Even if tenuous, the connection between the protagonist's struggle to create a choose-your-own-adventure game (it’s also glaringly meta, like a lot of Black Mirror’s concepts) in the seminal days of the video game industry and my own struggle to spend bitcoin became apparent.

What alternative endings, universes, paths had I not confronted, found or gone down in the course of my own adventure? Maybe I’d missed some opportunities where I could’ve used my bitcoin. Or maybe this was the most optimal path: I had met Held and cryptograffiti at a meetup and was about to sleep on a boat, owned by a developer whose myriad and disparate interests and lifestyle were like something out of a book.

What other endings are out there? I thought to myself, the boat gently rocking to the bay’s swaying tide.

It was an easy and comfortable sleep.

As Kashmir Hill did in her original journey, Colin is accepting BTC tips to help him along the way.

Tip jar: 3CnLhqitCjUN4HPYf6Qa2MmvCpSoBiFfBN

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

from InvestmentOpportunityInCryptocurrencies via Ella Macdermott on Inoreader https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/living-on-bitcoin-day-6-an-artist-a-dev-and-a-moon-boy-walk-into-a-bar/

[londonlanded]

Weeks 33 & 34

Happy Monday my people! The 12th saw me heading to our other Four Seasons hotel in the city, the one located close to the Tower of London, though this time I actually had to be there to work as opposed to heading over to play with a $22,000 toilet like I did in September. I spent the evening taking names and helping keep one of my managers calm as her entire client list descended upon the hotel, though the second half of the evening was actually dedicated more towards chatting to some of my old contacts from Toronto, and putting faces to names I'd been hearing since I worked at head office over a year ago!

The rest of the week was fairly quiet, though I had a few funny Four Seasons moments that are worth noting - first off, I'm on my own now, Marielle's last day before mat leave was Friday the 16th, which  means I'm officially fending for myself now at work, there's officially no one to run to anymore and it' starting to feel like I'm actually supposed to be here for a reason! We had a little baby shower/goodbye party for her, the office is definitely going to miss her but considering how much trouble she was having just getting around, I don't think anyone's holding her departure against her.

Second thing to note was that Marielle's last day was actually my one-yer Four Seasons anniversary! I can't believe it, but my longest tenure at any company, anywhere, doing anything has been in hospitality with Four Seasons. They've sent me across the world, trusting me to do three different jobs in three different locations, two countries and one company. I can't believe that all this has come about because of 55 minutes on an airplane. Wanna talk about the butterfly effect?

Sunday morning, an amusing breakfast contrast when I shared a meal with Eve, my colleague at Park Lane. She ordered the big vegan breakfast, which was a massive plate of mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado, toast, margarine, beans and scrambled tofu. I ordered something that consisted of two fried eggs as a topping, ground sauteed chicken, and finished with chicken livers underneath. Vegan I'm not (yet...?).

Monday the 19th (continuing because it was yet another quiet week, leading up to my departure for LA on Friday), of note, it was freakin sunny! And light at the hour I leave the house (between 5:50 and 5:55 AM, with frightening consistency). 

It was an easy last week in  London, and while I had a couple of moments at work that elucidated just how new I am to the role I'm taking over, I survived the mess that was Monday - Thursday, and I officially began to consider myself on holiday. Headed home to pack, and before I knew it, I was headed to the airport Friday morning. Happened to spend a stop on the wrong train, wrongly assumed it was going to Heathrow until I heard otherwise so felt like a bit of a tool as I was dragging my stuff all over the Picadilly line but what can ya do. Unsurprisingly to anyone who's met up with me more than twice, I showed up at the airport ridiculously early, checked in, dropped my bag, and settled in for a few hours of waiting. I was completely calm until I approached secondary security, Americans are a touch more paranoid than the rest of us average Schengen zone bears so you've got to go through another checkpoint as you're approaching your gate. Normally I'd begrudge anything that was remotely indicative of special treatment of one country over another, but not that Friday. I showed up to the gate, opened my passport book, to find it not there. Before the dread could even set in, the woman behind the counter looked at me and said, 'wait, what's your last name? I think I recognize you,' and she did. She leaned over to her colleague's desk and picked my passport and boarding pass up and handed it to me, apparently I had left more than just my luggage at bag drop. Still, goes to show that I didn't need my passport a single time between Security and my gate. Thank god I didn't, because I can only imagine the panic that would have resulted from me losing the single-most important document I possess. Anyway, thank you USA border patrol/LHR security, crisis averted. Seriously though, wrong train and forgetting my passport, two moments that are so phenomenally unlike me that I actually stepped back and wondered if I was losing it. Jury's still out.

Before I settled into my seat, a disgruntled father had asked me to swap with him so he could sit with his family, and I wound up with a ton of legroom in spite of not being able to see any windows for the entire flight. It's a strange experience to see daylight for almost 24 hours straight, by the time the sun set in Los Angeles once I had arrived, it was almost 5AM London time, and I had been awake since 45 minutes after that hour. I was a little fuzzy, to say the least, but in spite of how I felt, I was pretty damn happy to walk outside and find myself in the roaring sunshine, shedding my raincoat and putting on my sunglasses after wiping the dust from their case. Even getting stuck in rush hour traffic didn't stop me from taking in every second of my first hour on the ground, my grogginess fell away as soon as I stepped out onto the street in front of my aunt and uncle's house. My four legged welcoming party took care of me until my cousin got home, and before long we were eating sushi and I was being shown her and her friend's latest dance from their class. In an hour on the ground, I already felt like I was back home.

Saturday morning, after my jetlag roused me at 4:45AM, I decided to go for an explorrun around the neighbourhood I've realized feels my second, third, fourth home? By mile #4, I was down by the ocean, and as I stopped to take a photo, I got asked by a group of runners to take one of them. Turns out they had just finished the LA marathon the week before, and after being their photographer briefly, they decided they needed to take one of me with them too before asking me to join them for part of their run! 

You really never do know what'll happen when you leave the house in LA, though I can't say I was expecting to add a mile and a half to my already-ambitious workout. I suppose my body thought it was 4PM though, that definitely makes my 7AM departure somewhat less impressive.

Home for a shower and a quick sit-down in the sun before heading out on our first adventure - turns out that the word 'birding' means something different in Santa Monica, CA, than it does everywhere else in the world! When Estee told me she had an idea for us, I first thought she had developed the strangest fascination I could have imagined and asked how the hell she got interested in ornithology. It made a bit more sense once she showed me what she meant, turns out birds are electric scooters that have been set up to work on a pay-per-minute system, so you can go anywhere and everywhere accessible by scooter in the Santa Monica area. There are scooters parked everywhere you can think of, parking lots, street corners, sidewalks, every block you can find black birds parked and waiting. You download the app, upload your driver's license information (yep, mine worked even though it's Canadian), you scan the scooter's code and you're ready to go. Seriously amazing system, much to the chagrin of a lot of parents out there who are more than justified in their concern that it might not be the safest option, but I'm of the opinion that getting from A to B with your nose in your cell phone is just as, if not more dangerous than being forced to look at the world while rolling at 15 mph.

In any case, Tee showed me around her neighbourhood on wheels before stopping for lunch at one of her favourite cafes. On the way back to her house, we crossed paths with one of the hundreds of anti-gun  protests that erupted across the USA that day. It's genuinely hard for me to believe that guns are such a massive problem in a country that's supposed to be as advanced as America is, but then again, I'm shocked by a lot of things here. Regardless, you didn't come here to read my opinions, but I'm happy to publicize that I don't think guns have a place in the hands of those who don't need them. And I don't think anyone who doesn't hunt for their own dinner could be considered someone in that position.

Saturday evening, I was reunited with a friend of mine I had met when I was 15 and we found ourselves at the same music camp in Michigan. Niki's born and bred LA, and my trip wouldn't be complete without a little bit of her crazy energy to remind me how special it is to be in her company. We drove down to the water because, well, when you live that close to the sea, you need to take advantage of it. The sun set over Los Angeles, and not even my jet lag could bring me down.

Sunday was on the quiet side, we spent some of the day at my grandmother's house and some of it outside in the sun, the day was fueled with sunshine and optimism but also a looooot of espresso. But also how cool are their espresso cups!!!

That evening, another sushi dinner (reliable choice and repetitive theme in my life apparently), and a movie with some of the other non-family family I’ve spent my years in LA growing up alongside. Every time I come back to LA, nothing changes yet everything does all at once - my cousins grow taller (though not taller than me, ha!), my family friends get older and go from being my cousin’s cousins’ friends to being friends of mine, boys I once knew, who taught me at age 12 to build robots on the floor of the upstairs bedroom, to men who are making movies and trying to crack the acting industry that LA is both infamous and famous for. I leave and I come back and at the same time, everything changes but at once feels more like mine, the less I am here the more it becomes a place I know. Very strange, not sure I even understand what I just said myself. 

Next week, more sunny CA, some work, some play, and the continuation of this gift of a life I call mine. California is a silly place, but the good kind of silly. For all it's perceived vanity, it inspires within me a depth of feeling that is incongruent with the place it is reputed to be. But whatever feelings this place inspires, the one felt most deeply will always be gratitude.

e

[hugginq-hemmings-blog]

Unturned Cheat

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