#but just in a sort of 'huh. what a neat opportunity to think about
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Once, Always
(Edmund has an abundance of birthdays)
.
“I say,” murmured Edmund sleepily as the fire burned low. “When do you suppose it is here? I mean—what time of year? Do you think it’s the beginning of September, the same as it was in England?”
“Summer,” said Lucy. “Certainly summer.”
Peter agreed. “I think it must be Highgrass, if I had to guess. Perhaps later. Greenroof?”
“If it’s Greenroof, then Edmund gets another birthday,” Lucy sighed. “Eleven or twelve, Ed?”
“Neither,” put in Susan. “A thousand, if you’re going to rationalize it that way. Now everyone hush, please, and get some sleep.”
.
Edmund’s birthday was the fifteenth day of Greenroof by the Narnian reckoning. Greenroof, late summer, when all the leaves were dark and broad. Narnian summers were long, but Greenroof was the last and best of the summer months. Greenroof was hunts through the dense foliage, blackberries heavy with juice, lazy afternoons, bonfires, wild romps, and the pleasant kind of sweat. Edmund’s birthday celebrations were always held on Dancing Lawn in the old days: the sort of long, laughter-bright nights that summer was made for.
.
The second time Edmund celebrated his eleventh birthday, it was just past three months since he and his siblings had returned home from the country. Their house was glass-strewn and battered, but still standing when they arrived home. By August it was beginning to feel really safe again, but sometimes Edmund still woke in the night to find his mother standing silent in the doorway, drinking in the sight of her two sons returned to her.
The professor sent one of Ivy’s famous spice cakes for Edmund’s birthday. It arrived tied in red string, which made Lucy reminisce fondly about dear Mr. Tumnus. Edmund’s siblings pooled their allowances to buy him the new Nero Wolfe detective novel, and his mother gave him a new cap and an electric torch.
“How do you feel?” his mother asked over dinner.
“I don’t feel any older, if that’s what you mean,” he said. “Eleven feels just the same as ten did yesterday.”
.
All four of them missed their birthdays the first year in Narnia. Too much else was going on at the time, and none of them was quite sure when their birthdays were supposed to be besides. The measurement of time was a thoroughly tangled issue.
The Narnian year had four hundred days even, divided into fourteen months of inconsistent lengths. Furthermore, the kingdom had only known winter for the last hundred years. The Narnians themselves were still remembering how the calendar worked in a world where the seasons changed. They didn’t have the words yet to explain it to their sovereigns.
.
“Eustace,” said Edmund, “your journal is wrong.”
“Give me that,” Eustace scowled at once. “I know it’s wrong, but there’s no need to rub my face in it. Aren’t I trying to make up for how I was?”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant. The month is wrong. You’ve got September written here, but time works differently in Narnia than it does in the Other Place. Haven’t you noticed that it’s summer, not autumn?”
“Oh.” Eustace shrugged. “I followed Occam’s Razor and assumed that the climate here was different rather than time itself.”
“Occam’s what?” This was Lucy.
“Occam’s Razor: the simplest solution to a problem is the most likely—never mind. Well, go on, what month is it?”
“Highgrass,” said Lucy.
“July,” said Edmund at the same moment. “More or less.”
.
They worked it all out one afternoon as the second spring of their reign was ending. Peter and Susan wrote out the English calendar on one stack of parchment while Edmund and Lucy sat down with the Narnian calendar and penciled in seasonal markers as best they could manage.
“The first crocuses came up right at the end of Cleardome, yes?”
“Yes, I think so. And the snowdrops were in their full glory that month too.”
“How do you want to deal with leap year?”
“Just forget about it. Narnia doesn’t have anything similar, so I think twenty-eight days for February is fine for our purposes.”
“Magnolia in Laceveil, yes?”
“Laceveil is a good marker in general. We ought to set that as May and go from there.”
Birthdays were guesses, no matter how much counting they did. Yet as memories of England receded and Narnia’s world blossomed into everything they knew, those guesses solidified into fact. Edmund turned eleven for the first time on the fifteenth day of Greenroof. He was the first of his siblings to celebrate a proper birthday in Narnia.
.
The fourth time Edmund turned twelve, he received another electric torch to replace the one he’d lost. He laughed for half a minute, holding that gift in his hand.
“Really, you should have expected it,” said Susan primly.
"I did."
Their mother tsked and added something about keeping track of one’s belongings, but that was alright. His siblings understood.
Edmund flicked on the light and watched the beam land on the far wall across the living room. Bright at the edges and dark towards the center where the bulb was. He moved his wrist sideways and watched the spot of light follow.
.
Edmund might have forgotten about his birthday aboard the Dawn Treader if Lucy hadn’t remembered. She conspired with the cook to have a spread of Edmund’s favorite foods at supper (such as could be managed at sea) and coerced Rynelf into playing jigs on his fiddle afterwards. While they were dancing, Caspian called for a cask of his best wine, and soon the ship’s whole company was making merry like only Narnians could.
“Didn’t you have a twelfth birthday the last time you were in Narnia?” Caspian asked curiously as the party was dying down.
“Yes,” Edmund replied, “and the time before that too. Confused yet?”
“Ed has all the luck,” Lucy pouted playfully. “We always seem to return to Narnia in the summer, so he gets all the extra birthdays.”
Caspian's face lit up. “How extraordinary! When’s yours then?”
“Cleardome. There’s a year and a half between Ed and me, and he never lets me forget it.”
“It’s really not as exciting as all that,” Edmund added. “We’re not living our lives backwards, or unstuck in time, or any such nonsense. It’s more like—our lives are folded in on themselves, you see? But never the same way twice.”
“I think it’s more like music than anything else,” Lucy said, a kind of fond wistfulness in her voice.
“Yes,” said Edmund. “I know what you mean.”
.
On the thirteenth of Greenroof, the Telmarines laid down their arms and surrendered to Old Narnia. The next day, messengers were sent forth across the land with news of the surrender and with terms for the Telmarines. Caspian’s coronation followed, and then Edmund woke and it was his birthday again.
Breakfast that morning was long and languid, for Peter and Susan knew that they must say farewell to Narnia, even if the younger ones did not. They lingered round the table with Caspian and Trumpkin and the rest, and presently Peter offered a toast.
“To my brother King Edmund, who is eleven and twelve and sixty-three and thirteen hundred years old today.”
Everyone raised their cups and repeated, “King Edmund.” Caspian nodded and added, “Long live the king,” with an almost ironic tilt to his head.
Naturally, Edmund nodded back. “And to you, King Caspian. Long may you reign.”
Another round of assent followed, and then Lucy cleared her throat. “But also,” she said, “To late summer and the rebirth of Our Narnia. And to the land, the sea, the hills, the trees, the sky, Cair Paravel-by-the-sea and Dancing Lawn and all the flowers that are still in bloom. And to the color green. To all of us here today, and to those who are gone. And to Aslan.”
“Here, here.”
There were tears in Susan’s eyes now. “Happy birthday,” she whispered, and squeezed Edmund’s hand tight. Edmund looked down at his plate, fiercely overcome with love for this place and these people. In a strict, chronological sense, it had been less than a month since his last birthday, but how did the saying go? Time was just a tangled string, or falling snow, or whatever else Aslan told it to be.
.
“Bother,” said Edmund, “I’ve left my new torch in Narnia.”
Everyone chuckled at this, but Susan said, “Wait a year. We’ll get you a new one for your next birthday.”
#Edmund has a late August birthday#which means that Lucy's must be early in the year if 'really there was only a year between them' holds#AND we still choose to go with the birth years from Jack's timeline#and idk i just really love the idea of the Pevensies repeating their birthdays and just kinda reflecting on it#not in an angsty 'adults in kids bodies' way (ugh)#but just in a sort of 'huh. what a neat opportunity to think about#who i am and who i've been and who i'm becoming' kind of way#that pulls out the growing up themes from the series and examines them#idk i hope that's what i've done here#this is a veeeeerrrrry loose re-write of a really old middle school piece about Lucy having multiple eleventh birthdays#it just makes more sense if it's Edmund given the setup with Prince Caspian#anyway#narnia#the traitor who mended#leah stories#pontifications and creations#working on crossposting to ao3 (hopefully w/i the hour)
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sissys best friend crushing and falling for johnny 🙏🙏
Johnny Slaughter x GN!Reader
"So, what, he ain't got a girlfriend?" You murmured, glancing back at the subject of conversation, your hands idly fidgeting with the stems of wildflowers in your palms. He was skinning the prey he'd gotten from his traps, maybe a good six yards away, his torso bare and practically glimmering in the sun from the sweat he'd racked up. How were you not supposed to stare?
"Oh, sugar, he don't date. He hunts! It's different," the girl next to you spoke, giggling at your question as if there were anything amusing about it. You frowned, and she tapped your shoulder, regaining your attention with a turn of your head. She held up a ring of woven stems, a neat flower crown. You looked down at your own attempt, but you weren't as good at it as she was.
"Well, yeah, I know he kills most of the people he stumbles upon, but... Surely he's interested in the idea of a relationship, right?" You asked, lowering your head so the brunette could place the crown on top of it.
"He's doin' just fine on his own. I think he'd go romancin' 'imself if he could. He don't need anyone else, or so he likes to say," she replied, taking the flower crown from your hands and gingerly repairing some of the loosely woven bits. You took the opportunity to look back at Johnny, catching him as he ran his arm across his forehead, wiping the sweat off of it.
Ugh, he was practically perfect. Sculpted by the gods themselves. You'd never seen anyone half as attractive as him. Sometimes you doubted he was a real person.
"Why, you gettin' ideas?" She teased, nudging you again as she caught you staring at her brother. You looked back at her, giving a small shrug.
"No, nothing like that. Just curious," you lied, avoiding any eye contact with her as you mumbled your response. "Figured everyone gets lonely sometimes. Thought he was the same."
"Awh, peach, he ain't like you and I. He's, uh..." She paused, pursing her lips as she thought of a response. "He's a real wildfire, y'know? Got the whole lone wolf thing goin' on. He don't wanna look silly by needin' someone else. Don't wanna look weak or nuthin' of the sort."
"Huh..." You hummed, looking over your shoulder one last time before Johnny tossed the skinned rabbits into a pail and left your line of sight, likely heading inside. With that, you looked back at your best friend, seeing she was already gathering more flowers, insistent on teaching you how to get the most use out of the weed-like growths.
-- -- --
The person who opened the door was not who you were expecting. Tall, muscular, masculine... Definitely not the girl you'd come here for. She knew you were coming, did she forget? This was her idea, after all.
Johnny looked you up and down, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What?"
"Is sissy here?"
"She's out back."
"Oh, okay. Can I-"
"No."
You blinked, not sure why he'd deny you so adamantly, and so quickly, too. With a glance behind him, you swore you saw movement, but it was gone before you could be sure. You looked back at him, confused. "Why not?"
"She's busy."
"Okay... can you go n' get her for me? Or let her know that I'm here? She's supposed to be teaching me somethin'," you requested, biting your lip awkwardly.
"Weren't you here yesterday?" He grimaced.
"Yes..."
"Why?"
"Why what?" You scoffed.
"Why are you here all the time? Ain't you got other stuff to do?" He pushed, stepping towards you and forcing you to take a step back so he didn't collide with you. He closed the door behind him, and you frowned, not understanding what his game was.
"Uhm, I'm here cause she's my best friend. And... cause she asks to see me. I already did all my stuff," you answered, furrowing your brows at him. "What's your problem?"
"My problem? My problem's that we got prey hangin' round our house but we ain't allowed to eat 'em. The hell makes you so special?" He huffed, and you took another step back, a little intimidated by his poorly shielded threats.
"Because..." You trailed off, searching for an answer. "Cause she said so, I guess. I dunno. Don't you have enough prey as it is? Got all the time in the world to hunt, mister lone wolf."
"The hell's that s'posed to mean? You gettin' snappy with me?" He growled, placing a hand on the wooden post beside you and leaning down, closer to your face. You scowled, doing your best not to show your fear.
"Since you don't have any hobbies aside from killing people."
"Hobbies?"
"Dates. Partners. I dunno, literally anything aside from hunting," you explained, giving a small shrug of your shoulders.
"What are you gettin' at?"
"I don't know, what are you getting at?"
"I don't see any reason why I shouldn't kill you right 'ere. Seem like a fine tasty meal. Just temptin' me, comin'round here all the time. Ain't you scared?"
Yeah. "Of you?" You scoffed, rolling your eyes. "Oh, please. Sissy would never let me-"
Your words came to an abrupt stop when you felt a knife against your throat, and Johnny grinned down at you, reveling in your fear. "You sure 'bout that? I don't see her 'round here. Ain't no-one to save you."
Despite your racing heart, you gulped, steadying your breaths. "You're not gonna kill me. You're just trying to scare me."
He seemed to tense at that, and for a second you actually failed to believe your words, hit by the realization that he probably didn't care. He could kill you. Hell, he might as well. And yet, he removed the blade, smirking as he huffed out a chuckle.
"That's not funny."
"Awh, I know it ain't, doll. Not fer you, anyhow. Name's Johnny. Sissy's said a lot 'bout ya," he introduced, though you already knew his name. He held out a hand, and you looked down at it, awkwardly reaching forward to take it, and giving it a small shake.
"Uh-huh... Can I see her now?"
"Mm.. I s'pose. You can go 'round the side yard. She's out in the sunflowers," he answered, using a thumb to point in the direction of the path he was referencing.
"Right.. Thanks, Johnny."
Huh. Bit of a creep, eh? A handsome one, but... She wasn't lyin' when she said he wasn't normal.
#tcm game#tcm#johnny slaughter#texas chainsaw massacre#johnny tcm#johnny slaughter x reader#johnny slaughter headcanons#johnny slaughter tcm#adapting to johnny slaughter
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33rd Birthday!
Hello my dear followers and random visitors of my blog.
I have already made a sorry announcement due to my hiatus but that’s not all I wanted to tell you.
This Monday, April 15th 2024 to be precise, is my Birthday. I’m already 33 years old! Would you believe that? I certainly wouldn’t. I feel like 16. 😂
And how pretty the number is, right? Two threes… My life path number is also 3. How neat is that, huh?
When it comes to angel number 33, this source says the following:
“The 33 angel number means anything is possible. This powerful angel number is also known as a master number because of its double digits mirroring each other and its powerful vibrations. The number 33 is linked to themes around creative thinking, deep compassion, spiritual-level connections, discipline, and bravery. When you see this number show up it could be because it's an opportune time for a change or because patience is paramount right now in your daily life because a spiritual meaning that will have major significance is soon to be revealed.”
Nothing can be more true for me as major change is about to happen for me. I don’t want to reveal what it is just now but I will keep you informed in time. 😜
And no, I’m not dating anyone 🤣 Still happily Sexy, free and single.
I did want to celebrate my birthday with you with some sort of event but as you know I was really busy so… I guess we will celebrate my 44th Birthday properly? LOL!
Honestly, I have a lot to be grateful for in my life, you guys in my little community included. I hope we can stay together for many years that come and have some more fun with both serious and kinky tarot readings.
And those might soon become even better articulate and with much more expressive vocabulary as your girl Kleo is currently fully immersed in listening to audio erotica, which is really good! I mean… not all of it but I have already found several favourite voice actors, their voice and style really suiting me and apart from having a good time listening to it while working (yes, I do listen to audio porn while at work, sue me if you want), I also learn a lot from it. You know I can just soak information like a sponge from anything I do and well… This is a really good source. Also, I’m considering holding a voice chat once in a while with my friends now as I really want to learn to use my voice as well as I use my fingers for typing. And yes, I tested with my bestie and I nearly choked when I had to pronounce word ‘f*ck’ out loud. You wouldn’t guess it by reading my posts but I’m really talking like a lady out loud. I rarely curse or say rude words. 🤭
I also learned about very surprising preferences through this audio erotica experience. I swear I didn’t expect to love what I love so much. It came as a shock and I truly thought my preferences to be completely different from what I actually enjoy the most. I guess there’s still a lot to learn about myself. Another great thing about my new hobby. You know how much I love to learn anything.
Anyway! That’s about my new hobby and about my approaching birthday.
Feel free to contact me through inbox or through DM or join my Discord. I don’t bite… unless you ask me to 😏 I’m also learning how to flirt better. You can be my test subject anytime. 😀 And no, it’s not to go hunt men, I’m way too old to change my ways and routines to fit another person’s lifestyle. My goal is actually much purer. I really like to make people happy and… well, I noticed people will feel happy, flattered and their self-esteem boosted when I flirt with them a little bit. Just another skill I’m learning in order to spread happiness and joy in the world. Might seem frivolous to you but… Well… I enjoy it. And that’s what counts for me.
So yeah! Happy Birthday to me! I’m not growing old, I’m only one year closer to death as my sister tells me every year since I was like 17. 😂 We are a weird family. Try not to think about it too much.
Thank you everyone who’s sticking around here. I promise I will post something soon. Maybe nothing super big but I will post. 🙂
Your forever joyful Oracle Kleo 🦄
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I went and made myself emotional, but imagine if Buggy has this one particular chest of jewelry that he never let's ANYONE into. It's HIS, and hus crew, Alvida, his new followers, everyone is aware that Buggy is lenient as far as pirate captains go, but there are some Solid, No-Bending Rules, and touching the chest is FORBIDDEN. Nobody knows what's in there.
One day, Mihawk is searching for Buggy for whatever reason, and he barges into the clown's tent in frustration just to find no Buggy but... that chest of his is sitting innocently on his table. Suddenly whatever he was after seems a tad more menial in comparison to this opportunity.
He flips the clasp, surprised by the lack of lock, and he looks inside.
There's nothing which makes him think that any of these items are in any way, shape or form valuable. He does, however, notice an odd sort of curling energy within the box, which he can't quite place. Uninterested beyond idle curiosity, he simply closes the chest, refastens the lock, and carries on his hunt for Buggy.
When Crocodile happens across it, it's a similar situation. He's looking for Buggy, stops by the blue haired yonko's tent, and sees the chest sitting on his bed. He wonders if perhaps this might be a new avenue to get the other to fall in line, and so looks into it. He sees a few odd items, but beyond one or two looking rather aged, nothing about this seems in any way important. It's arguably a box of old trinkets, if anything.
Jump forward a few months, and Buggy is in his workshop when he hears a knock at the door. He sets aside his chemicals and gloves, rinses his hands for safety, and opens the door to let Croc and Hawk in. They had been waiting on him for dinner that night, but he'd been absolutely glued in his work. He apologizes, they smile at him, and tag along as he cleans up his work and goes to get ready. He's quick to get dressed, and The Chest is brought out, set on the table, and Buggy goes to grab his eyeliner to do his makeup.
"Hawky, can you grab my earrings?"
"Which set?"
"The ruby ones from my box!"
Both dark haired warlords pause. "The chest?"
"Mmhmm," the clown replies absently. "Be careful, some things in there are older than me, but the earrings are in a velvet bag, purple with gold tassels. Can't miss them!"
He's never given them permission to go into this chest before. Mihawk is careful, as he was instructed, and retrieves the bag easily. His gaze catches on a second velvet bag next to it. This one is red, faded and there are numerous repaired holes in the fabric, each one more neat than the last. It had been used for a very long time, it seemed...
"You okay?"
Both men look over to Buggy. He blinks before his painted lips make a small o. "Ah, I never explain, huh? Here, scoot over a little..."
They never make it to dinner together that night, but they do have a calm, warm, intimate time talking about their pasts and treasured items. Buggy's Chest is full of gifts he had gotten either from Roger or from his family. He has very little left of them, of either, but he covets what he does have with all he can muster.
Buggy was about 4 when the Roger's brought him to sea - Shanks had been five, and the two had clicked immediately, for better or worse. They oscillated between thick-as-theives and mortal-enemies. Buggy didn't remember much of his family before he'd lost them - just a whisper of a memory of his mother, maybe a brother or sister. He'd had a gold arm band from someone, an heirloom he thought. It had engraving once upon a time, but the metal was worn and tarnished by the time he learned to read, and the script was blocky and ineligible. Oden would later remark that it looked similar to the writing of the poneglyphs, but not even he could read the worn writing. Buggy learns the tongue and language, hoping to decode this mysterious message. It doesn't help, but it keeps his interest, and it comes to him more naturally than anyone anticipated. It makes a few of the adults consider hik with a glint in their eyes before carrying on, but there is no definitive answer in his features or lack of memories. The answer is lost to everyone, though they never quite dwell on it overmuch.
Roger, seeing both cabin boys as his own, his children, his sons, passed his culture along to them. He departed from Loguetown, the place his parents had settled, but his lineage came from farbeyond the horizons of that transitional town.
Language and traditions, folklore and stories were passed to Red and Blue, and Buggy kept them all close to his heart. When Roger became sick, Buggy turned to paper and pen to scribe as much as he could. Those papers, the trinkets, the gifts and memories- all of it was closed in that chest of his.
It is amid this conversation that the three grow closer, sharing pieces of themselves and their stories in the flickering lantern light, forging connections never before conceived or considered.
((And if perhaps maybe some stories remind others of tales of their own youth, well... who's to say...))
((One of Buggy's favorite mementos is a necklace on a plain brown leather cord. The memories tied to it are many, but the first is fuzzy with time. Tiny hands finding a strange stone on the beach, toddling over to a giant man with a bright smile. Thundering chuckles and large, warm, calloused hands guiding smaller, scarred fingers through tying it, a warm timbre recalling a story of faries and witchcraft and gifts from the Sea to those who worshipped Her and Hers. Big hands helping loop the cord over Buggy's head, and helping him peek through the hag stone hole to look for the fair folk or magical secrets, a fatherly voice telling him how these stones are protective and ward off bad luck and evil.
Buggy would wear this necklace often in his youth, under his shirt, pressing kisses to it in the dead of night when the past came banging on the inside of his brain, when nightmares wracked his ribcage or terror froze his veins.
He'd lay it over the support to Shanks' hammock when the redhead had nightmares or panic attacks, would share its magic with his best friend as best he could, protecting his companion, his other half, his Shanks with stone to ward off, with his guard to be attentive to the shadows which lurked in their shared room.
He'd recall one late night, when Captain was wracked with fever and bubbling, bloody cough, that he'd taken off his necklace and laid it over the headboard, a silent sentinel of stone. It warded off bad things, and this sickness was the worst. Buggy hated himself for wondering if Death was Bad in this case or a mercy - if the stone would ward that off too or if it would be kinder to let it come.))
Buggy never lost his faith in things unseen, but this is the first time he's shared it with others so freely.
And if the trio, on a walk one early morning, find three hag stones in a small little pile on the shores of their island, well... Buggy cried and the other two wore their new necklaces with pride.
It felt something like approval.
Okay, now I'm crying-- I adore this. So so so so so so much-- Sometimes I even wonder why you send ME these things when you could easily post this yourself!!!!!!!!! It's so beautiful, I can't even find the words to describe it. Roger's bond with Buggy and Buggy remembering his past always makes me so emotional- Also, buggy opening up with Cross Guild and telling them all of this kills me. I will be thinking about this forever, thank you <33
#seriously write a fic about this i would read it gladly#buggy my absolute beloved#one piece#buggy the clown
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Sebastian with a (slightly older woman) s/o who's a former makeup artist and hasn't really mentioned it to him but kind of just casually drops it into a conversation like
"yeah, I used to deal with clients like that. Mostly just brides that couldn't make up their fucking mind on a makeup look, seems like it's like that but with the ever-changing website layout."
And it kind of leads to "you were a fucking *what* before you came here???" Moment
First request! Thanks for sending in!
—
Sebastian had gotten used to you dropping in his basement at random points of the day
Usually you came with some sort of gift from the mines or a new recipe for him to try
Seb never really questioned why you came to the valley or what you had been doing before, he just knew you were the gal for him <3
One day Sebastian was chatting with one of his clients about a job he was working on. The client was a newly developed business selling a line of pet supplies and toys and was in need of a website design. Sebastian was at his wits end as this client seemed to never be satisfied with what he produced.
Today was just another day of Sebastian's website getting scrapped because it "didn't have the vibe" the client wanted.
Vibe his ass.
He was about to cancel the job when you opened the door to his cave.
You immediately notice Seb's annoyance once you enter
First, a simple greeting and then you ask...
"What's up?"
"This client is going to be the death of me..." Sebastian beckons you over and clicks to a new tab. Typing in a short address a neat and professional website pops up. "Do you see anything wrong with this?"
"No... looks like a perfectly fine website."
Sebastian had this little habit of tapping the tips of his fingers on his keyboard when he was irritated
... this was one of those times.
He leaves the chat with the client open for you to see as he stomps away to his sofa
"What a bitch..." you mumble, scrolling through the chat. "I guess you can never truly escape these types of customers, huh?"
Seb saw an opportunity to ask about you (his favorite subject) so he took it
"What? Deal with these types of people back in Zuzu?" he asks.
"Yeah, I dealt with a nasty breed of karen," you replied. "Seems like people just go into a beauty salon and expect the workers to be telepathic and immediately know what type of intricate makeup look they're going for. Brides are the worst I will say, so prissy for no reason..."
Wait...
Something wasn't really clicking in Seb's mind
While he doesn't know much of your origin... working in a beauty salon seemed to be the last on his list of "possible occupations my girlfriend had"
Sebastian sat up before asking: "so what was your job before moving here again?"
"Oh I was makeup artist."
"You were a fucking what..."
"I don't seem like the type do I?" you sit down besides Sebastian. "Can't picture a beauty artist getting down and dirty in the mud, right?"
The next bit just consists of Sebastian asking about why you hadn't gone down OTHER career paths
See, he thinks you're like the smarted, nicest, most talented person he has ever met
And it's not like he looks DOWN on those in the beauty industry... it is just he thought you would have been involved in something more... productive?
He honestly does not even understand how that is a career
It'll take some explaining for him to understand - or you could just show him your rad skills and he'll shut up >:)
#stardew sebastian#stardew valley#stardew sebastian x reader#x reader#fem reader#oneshots#imagines#stardew valley sebastian
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Dear, Mr. Saqqara,
I think you are very neat and would like to know if I may have a hug? As you seem very huggable and it is an idea which brings me delight and I would give you a hug at your earliest convenience.
If this request is amicable for you, then please let me know.
With much affection,
The Hugger.
"Huh. I could have sworn I put it here!" Saqqara looks around frantically, pushing aside a few piles of paper, a stethoscope and a small, roll-up tool bag on the desk. "Arrian?"
The World Eater lifts his eyes from his reading, looks absent for a moment, one corner of his mouth twitches and he wipes a slightly bloody thread of saliva from his chin with a curt gesture. "What's going on?" - "The datapad with the mail … I left it on the table!"
Arrian shakes his head, closes the book, but leaves his finger between the pages as a bookmark. "No, it wasn't here when I came in." - "Who steals mail?" - "Well … You." - "No, I'm doing the sorting! I'm doing an important job, separating the wheat from the chaff, like the prophet Hekledd in the Tchul desert when he parted the grasses of the oasis." - "Sounds exhausting," Arrian opens the book again, obviously trying not to learn more about the prophet Hekledd in some desert somewhere on Colchis than he absolutely has to.
Saqqara flips a few more papers back and forth, as if a datapad will magically manifest itself, but he is disappointed. "I bet that was Duco! He has too much fun writing about the birds. I preferred him when he was just killing Beastmen!"
With a frustrated growl, the Word Bearer finally turns away from the table and heads for the door.
Arrian looks after him. "You want to get on Duco's arse now?" - "I have to at least try to get the datapad back!" - "Hmm. Fine by me. Have fun!"
When the diabolist's footsteps have faded in the corridor, Arrian closes the book with a very determined snap and reaches for the voxunit lying next to him. "Matriarch?" A short hiss, a crack, then Igori's voice: "I'm only doing this because I like you. You know your diabolist gets on my ovaries." - "Yes, I know. And I'm very grateful and I owe you one." - "To me and the pack!" - "To you and the pack. Okay, okay. So, you find out where this sender is. That's all. I'll do the rest. That's my business." - "Of course it is. Although I want to watch." Arrian snorts a laugh. "Seriously?" - "You bet! I love to learn. And it's a rare opportunity!" - "What's rare about it?" - "I didn't even know you were capable of feeling jealousy. That's why it's rare." - "I'm not jealous." - " 'f course. Of course. Not jealous. Yep. I'll get down to some detective work."
A crack, then again just the quiet static hum of the inactive vox.
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Everything you mentioned was actually so on point, I'm definitely kind of wasting sm of my time on phone/screen and most of the above always distracted with something which does allows me to Focus especially recently. You are so right that i need to take a moment alone and he with myself, I've been seeing synchronicities but I'm too much in my brain/distracted to actually realise what's happening. So I'm definitely going to sit down and meditate for few minutes to relax my mind and see what's coming up!! As I'm definitely sort of pushing my emotions away. About someone's energy reaching me out..I feel hugs sometimes honestly but i think what if I'm just delusional? Like last night I was just feeling as if someone is hugging me from behind? While I wasn't even thinking about any romantic interactios with anyone or fantasizing. Like lately my brain has been in this energy of being in someone's arms or just experiencing romance..? It's actually so strange because my focus is definitely not at all on relationships or i actually have any interactions with someone in real life as I'm staying home most of the time and away from people. And the lovers card in the bottom of the deck? I'm definitely sort of confused but it's okay I'll find what's happening while i meditate. Have a wonderful day ahead lovely, your energy is really beautiful and sweet. Thankyou so much for being so kind to me and giving me this opportunity. I really appreciate you sm and also the reading was totally accurate and on point!! Thankyou for your messages and also i loved hearing your opinion about seasons.
Sending love 🫶🏻🤍✨🧿
hello jasmine!
omg! this feedback! i love it! you really do have a way of explaining your thought process that really makes me feel like i'm there while you're going through it! i'm so glad you connected with it! and it's so easy to fall down the rabbit hole of staring at a screen all day! don't be hard on yourself! sometimes it feels good to turn on your brain and give it a break too! lol
oh interesting! so you are feeling this connecting force than too, huh? something is for sure trying to connect. feel free to tell me if you have any luck with your mediation! i always love discussing spiritual stuff so i always love hearing more!
you have a wonderful day too, honey! and thank you! it's so nice to hear that my energy is beautiful and sweet! i can see that you have a tendency towards reading sensations through energy, which is neat! i wouldn't be surprised if that's what you'll be tapping further into!
and it was my pleasure, honey! i really enjoyed getting to chat with you! you really are so sweet and getting to do a reading for you again! woot!
love & light!
-tea
♡ message me for details/questions & to book a reading! ♡
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Pale 8.6
Rather than fold the clothes as she got sorted, Verona smoothed them out and rolled them into tubes, then stacked the tubes together, side by side.
hey same! I find it wastes less space and travels better than folded, especially in a bag rather than a suitcase
“I’ve got a sock of yours in the gap between mattress and the footboard of the bed, here,” Avery noted, throwing it at the side of Verona’s head. “How?”
socks go where they will
“I think your judgment of how okay you are is a little suspect, Ronnie,” Lucy said.
yeah
Turns out that people who both know about the practice and who can teach are few and far between.
We kind of offed one of the teachers who knew their shit and who could teach half decently, too.
I will never stop loving the comedy of the Kennet Trio going off to magic school and promptly killing off two headmasters
“They- the stupid people, they came over and they saw opossums the first time! The guy opossums have two- two heads, forked! So clearly, bahahaha, they think it has to go in the nose!”
I could have lived a long life not knowing that... time to go tell my friends
Avery jogged off with Snowdrop, as Verona turned to head into the library. She pushed the door open, and came face to face with the entire library of books she hadn’t been able to read.
I think one of things Verona isn't correctly judging how okay she is about is leaving the school
She stroked the back of Verona’s head. It felt like a big sister or mom thing, and that made Verona feel weird, because she’d never had much of either.
It's stuff like this that originally made me think Verona's parents divorce happened when she was little, but what we've seen in flashbacks puts it at within the past couple years. It seems like her mom was just checked out of parenting all along.
Lucy shrugged. “Booker’s home. I can look forward to that.”
I'm looking forward to that
“I know some of you have expressed some interest in visiting the Shedding Tree, the Corridor Market, the Doll Alley, and other landmarks. We will not be doing that. As appealing as the idea of visiting key locations is, I have taken on the responsibility of guiding you, and I am focused on safety and stability. Those landmarks are tourist traps of a sort, emphasizing the traps."
I love the concept of Faerie tourist traps. How much traffic do they even get? Or I guess it's not just humans, Fae from other courts can visit.
Your long and storied experience with siblings or friends is more material for them to work with, the nuances between you are subtler, and you will lose in that subtlety. No, I’ll pair you off with people you barely know.
oh, this is a good chance to build alliances. I'm sure this is a good precaution anyways, but I wonder if Estrella is going to pair the Kennet Trio with people she thinks could be allies, given that she helped them before.
“Lucy Ellingson, Tymon Leos,” Estrella called out.
yeah, that's someone they worked well with before. I don't think lucy had any issues with him the way she did with Corbin?
“Huh,” Zed frowned. “I wonder if we can work in some gentle talk about tricky parent stuff.”
there was a mention earlier about this trip giving Estrella a chance to show that she could be a good teacher/mentor, but looks like it'll also give Zed that opportunity. He is inclined towards helping people.
“Avery? Fernanda.”
“Of fucking course,” Avery said. “Don’t you say anything.”
hahahaha
but she was also one of the people I thought could be an issue, so this could be helpful
“Raquel? With Verona Hayward.”
and Raquel is dissatisfied with her family, and is one of the people they had Alpy work on
Raquel was wearing a dress, her hair up in a swirly sort of bun that wasn’t super neat, but seemed un-neat in a way that was very designed, with locks of hair peeling off intentionally. Strands of hair ran down in front of her ears, which had pearl studs in them.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Mussers are a few decades out of date in how teenagers dress
“In my family, and families of those close to me, twelve or thirteen is the cut-off point. You need to figure things out by then. You own whatever happens after that.”
which explains why she's already dressed as a (somewhat old fashioned) adult woman
“Okay, so is there anything about all this that you get excited about? Practices you love? Stuff you’re into?”
So far these two seem like polar opposites. I don't know if Verona will want to get into her own family, but that seems like a point of connection: that the practice, which is an escape for her, is Raquel's stifling day-to-day
“I think she might have paired us off like she did so we’d temper each other. Each of us being impatient with the other’s shopping.”
I can definitely see that with Avery and Fernanda
There was art to it and that simple fact made her ache for what her world lacked. That nobody would pave the footpath of a bridge with colored stones in a way that made it beautiful. That murals like that one they’d left behind didn’t exist except maybe as graffiti.
things Verona needs to experience/witness in the mundane world:
Adults with fulfilling jobs and lives
Aro communities
Relationships with no interest in kids
Places with lots of public art
“Soft implements.”
“Which means?”
“Indirect use. Like your friend’s earring. Or chalices, or talismans, or books. Less swords and wands, which are good at doing.”
this is so much better than what I thought it meant, which was organics
“I think there’s some link between hair whorls and autism,” Verona mused. “But I don’t think you’d want to jump to using autism as cover for being nonhuman. That’s gross.”
things Verona needs to experience/witness in the mundane world:
5. tumblr
“Tell me about the knife.”
“It’s a key, it’s a way in, you see. A violent means of entering the person stabbed. You’ll get one breath to do as much harm to them as possible, while walking around in the temple of their Self.”
any sharp object can be a key if you define the lock as "the squishy bits on my opponent"
She stepped a bit back, surveying the crowd and keeping an eye on America, as America held out something that was clearly goblin-made.
The children from earlier sat and reclined on the rooftops on either side of this market, the girl with the bird mask and coin-eyes draped on the downslope from a roof’s peak, on the verge of tipping over and falling the full way down, the lightweight boy standing on a peak.
is America going to bribe some Fae to attack them?
She turned, and saw a child, about ten, of indeterminate gender and shaggy hair, inside a birdcage. The person carrying the cage on a pole tugged, and the child hung on, resisting.
“Help,” the voice was reed-thin, sonorous.
“I didn’t think they sold children in these markets,” Verona observed, her heart in her throat.
this is fucked! not really much more to say, I don't know if there's any way to intervene. Can't help thinking of Shellie, or that woman from one of the extra materials books whose mother made cursed items
“A ruse,” Raquel said. “It’s bait on a hook, I think. To pull us in. It’s good you care, but don’t fall for it.”
... yeah. Probably. But I don't think there's any way to know for sure.
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good idea. what would your ideal a3/ gbf crossover event look like? :3
oh my god.
i actually have a tag for this with a few posts in it already that should help out, with a main post with most of my major headcanons at the time here!
rereading the post though i.
I want Hisoka to meet Troue because i think between the sleepiness and memory loss Troue goes through, Hisoka’s protective bone will tingle and it’ll be a neat plotline.
@ past me i'm so sorry, i'm so sorry this happened to us, i don't even know what to say anymore to replace this HC, this aged like milk.
Troue would be a representation of Hisoka's greatest nightmare: that under all the amnesia there's actually someone who would be willing to hurt everything they thought they cared about.
help.
ANYWAY adding to that list since it's a list i made years ago already, i absolutely NEED, like, NEEED!!!!! Michael to meet Juza.
I've spent the full reading of the Mole Troupe losing my mind because their arc is the SAME THING. Lost in life, unsure what to do because people have always projected a role on them, one that comes with them having to fight, and as a result they come off as scary and have issues showing their true emotions. But deep down, they're gentle souls who get completely shaken by theater, who finally find themselves there, because by acting they can be something different than what was projected on them. And their acting is wooden and they struggle a lot with it at first, but their passions shine through regardless and it touches people enough that you know the more they'll work on it the more they will shine, and the more they'll be able to leave behind the "scary face" they had to carry for a long time.
also Michael's "try out cute bunny bread pyon pyon!!" in the most threatening voice possible is not so unsimilars to Juza, wearing a bear costume, with the most wooden of voices, going "what sound does a bear do again? huh. BEAAAAR"
Michael and Juza being best friends is all that matters to me i want that in an event so bad.
Similarly to the Mole Troupe stuff, Falsch and Tenma need to meet i don't make the rules. Child Actors prodiges with a passion for acting, but with Falsch now being a burnt out adult who lost all of his friends and just keep seeking desperately for connection, it would probably be a good insight for Tenma who is still a teen figuring out his future and navigating how much his troupe means to him versus the expectations that are thrust on him as a a child prodige.
And still Mole Troupe, therefore Guy and Sariel would probably get along on the same ground of, being set all of their lives into being a weapon of sort, so much so they have forfeited connecting with their emotions and don't even know how to acknowledge them anymore, but thanks to getting into theater, they start to understand their feelings a lot more. Guy has made so much progress ahead and i can only wish the same for Sariel on the long term, and i feel like if they met and discussed it, Sariel especially could do a lot of progress in his recovery.
......
COUGHS
that's for some specific character i'm adding to the list of "having to meet each other" but honestly i feel like there would be fun opportunities for any of the granblue charas to meet any of the cast of a3.
In a more general mindset, the problem is that i want all 24 of the a3 cast to be able to interreact with granblue characters, and there's no way a gbf collab could actually explore it the way i want them to unless they run 4 collabs for each troupes :( and it means also giving up on some crosstroupes dynamic and stuff.
the more realistic way for a gbf x a3 event to happen would be to have the a3ders, the leader of each troupes, to be sent to the world of Granblue. And i could imagine that then, like in the love live's collabs, their fate would rest on making a good play, and the a3ders have to band together to really show people their love for theater.
and as such the most ideal characters to bounce of to for them would be the Romeo&Juliet cast, the Mole Troupe cast, Makora, and maybe also Cupitan.
But i'd be so interested into seeing each troupe in focus with their own particular brand of nonsense brought into the gbf world.
I just want everyone to meet up :(
hope it was a nice read for you ;D
Take care!
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Devil's Food - Chapter 4
MasterList /Ayami’s Profile/Previous
Chapter 4 - Concerning Rumors
Even though she had a restless sleep, and was woken up twice by the cell phone alarm, she didn't wake up in a bad mood the next day, not even when Fusui appeared and gently shook her while she was lying down.
“Good morning” she smiled from ear to ear “did you sleep well?”
“Hmmm… I think so” she opens her eyes, yawns.
“That's great! Come on, it's time to wake up!” she pulls the other's sheets and Ayami lets out a yelp “come on, I'm on vacation and I want to take the opportunity to show you the house!”
Still groaning, she sits up, hair mussed and still looking sleepy, stretching, massaging her face. Fusui laughs.
“You take time to wake up, huh?”
‘No... I wanted to sleep more this time” Ayami gets up, adjusting her sleep dress “as I said, yesterday was a mess.”
It had even taken a while to sink in that she was now in some sort of hideout full of Kures, and honestly, part of her didn't want to get out of bed and sleep for eternity, another part feared for her life, so the two of them agreed to stay.
“It's understandable” the assassin smiled tenderly “come on, I'll help you get ready, you don't need much, just some casual clothes, breakfast is already on the dining hall.”
“You are all early risers, apparently…”
“Well, just the ones that don't go around or the ones that are currently unoccupied. What is the majority, so it is.”
“Hnm…” she then remembered yesterday and remembered that she was a Candidate there, so she had to show good impression “so, I'll organize myself. I don't know anything about you, so I believe this invitation is irrefutable.”
“Yes, I'll wait here” Fusui watches her going to the bathroom. When she was out of sight, she surveyed her room. The suitcase was open, but her belongings were still stowed on the table, and yesterday's clothes, she recognized, were neatly arranged. She wondered if the girl had some sort of neat quirk or if it was just the fact that she was tidy, or even good manners that she still considered herself a guest here. Either way, it was good, but something told her she might be uncomfortable. What was normal, few outsiders saw the Kure at home and were comfortable with their presence.
But it got worse when she remembered who the girl was committed to, even more so when this guy was none other than her brother. The girl was both curious and distressed by Miss Yamagami, so she took it upon herself to make her at least like the clan, with all its quirks.
She waited for the girl to get dressed and come out of the bathroom.
“I had noticed before” Fusui says “but I'm kind of watching better now, you're kind of chubby, right?”
“Ah…” Ayami blushes, hiding behind the screen to change clothes “Y-yes… I used to play sports but now that I got busy with work, I can't reduce this silhouette.”
“I have nothing against that, I already said, I think you're cute” she shrugs “people who have this crazy training since childhood so it's hard to have a fatter Kure, but you should see one of my uncles, he's practically an ox, ahahaha…”
Suddenly Ayami felt self-conscious. Not that she minded much, but still, if that was a problem…
“I imagine he doesn't mind being called that, right?” she asks cautiously.
“No, he's nicknamed ‘the devil ox’, so he's proud of it.”
“So I guess I don't need to worry, huh?”
“No, not at all” Fusui smiles “as long as you show yourself strong, then no one will say a peep about you.”
“Oh, right” she comes out of the screen in a blue dress shirt and a pair of gray leggings, and leaves her used clothes folded on top of the others “I'm ready.”
“Let's go then!” Fusui stands up, and holds her hand, almost dragging her out in excitement.
…
Ayami had to admit, the place was huge.
And it wasn't just a mansion as she suspected, it was several and several houses and housing projects, a real village hidden in a forest, between mountains and thick walls.
She had actually been surprised at the treatment though, when she thought she could have been thrown in a prison cell on bread and water, when in fact she had been placed in a rather luxurious room by her standards. And from what she had understood, despite having a luxury, the house she was still in was not the main one, but a smaller one, where there were other branches of the family.
And of course, unsurprisingly, a lot of them, practically one in three people she counted, had dark sclera like her guide (and possibly sister-in-law) had. It made her feel a little better. The cafeteria in the central part of one of the complexes, where Fusui and several others gathered, was already practically full. Several long traditional low tables with cushions for people to sit on. They were given bowls of rice and natto from the serving girls, and soon went to sit down.
They ate in silence, but Ayami felt that she was noticed. She saw several dark eyes in her direction, and a few whispers, but couldn't make out what they were. A young man approached, and stopped on the opposite side with a platter as well.
“Hello ladies, can I sit here?” He smiled. He wore a bandana on his head, and he also had black hair.
“Ohh, Henzo! Take a seat” she indicates the space “this is Yamagami Ayami, our new guest…”
“Ahhh, the Yamagami girl that Hollis and Reichii brought yesterday” he smiles, nodding slightly “pleasure. I'm Kure Henzo. Are you here on business or visiting, miss?”
“She's the first Candidate” Fusui smiles, and Henzo's eyes widen, two silver dots in the middle of the black background.
“Ohhh” he winks, and then lowers his head “I'm sorry for that…”
Ayami raises an eyebrow “uh, why…?”
“Ahh, nothing, Ayami, right?” She glares at the other and he smiles awkwardly. If she heard the guy's worst side before she even met him, she'd be a bad prejudice, so less chance of her being interested. And that was not in Fusui's interests.
“Oh, no, nothing, I just don't like her brother” Henzo corrects himself “actually, many people here, but it's... it's nothing…”
“It's just that my brother is the strongest of us, and that generates envy, right?” Fusui shoots the guy with his gaze again, and the boy turns his head.
“I wouldn't say envy, but it's more of a common irritation…” he grumbles.
“I see” Ayami nods “I think he's also the arrogant type, to have people who don't like him in his own family…”
“Ah… yeah, you can see that, right…” Fusui blushes.
“But if that's the case, I don't think you think so often about the consequences of his actions either.” seeing that the two were interested in what she said, she continues “Because a man who gets into trouble in his own family is nothing more than a fool, getting knives waiting to be stabbed in his back.”
“She speaks beautifully, doesn’t she?” Henzo observes. Fusui nods.
“Wow, you’re pretty, cute, smart, have a voice as sweet as your eyes… look, if Raian doesn't want you, I do!” she comments, looking at Ayami.
And for the first time since she had left the firm, at home, Ayami smiled.
“Hahah, I unfortunately don't have this relationship preference, and even if I did, I'm not available either, miss. Apparently not for a while… I'll be busy taking care of private matters.”
“What subjects? Ah, if you want to tell…” Henzo smiles.
“Oh, it's just that I intend to continue my father's business until my younger brother takes over, if he prefers. And I also intend to do my work as a lawyer, I just passed the last exams to exercise the position.”
“Ah, you're a lawyer, that's why you speak so beautifully” Henzo nods, starting to eat “So polite, you know…?”
“Not every lawyer speaks well” Ayami blushes, while eating “but I do like to express my ideas clearly.”
“And it's really a good thing” Fusui nods “I want to see how it goes in a little while. My brother's got a mission next week, so he won't be here, but that's great, because then we can have some fun.”
“And… I’m afraid of what you guys do for fun here…”
“Ah, normal things, like everyone” Henzo shrugs “the only difference is that we also add things like intensive workout, fighting training and also firearms.”
“The latter ones are definitely not my choice of entertainment” Ayami gives a negative sign with her whole hand “although I have practiced Kenjutsu in the past…”
“Oh, so you're a swordsman?” Fusui is interested “well, it makes sense, his family is swordsmen, it's tradition.”
“Yes, it is, but it's not my preference, so I dropped out of high school. I prefer to focus on my career. My brother Akito is better at Kenjutsu than I am, and he thinks about going to college on a sports scholarship. But we have had enough talking about me, please tell me how I can be useful while I'm not busy.”
The conversation in the cafeteria was pleasant. Fusui introduced Ayami to others of the Kure who lived in the area, and more and more times she saw them smile, but without exception, they all gave her rueful looks when they told her what she was to the clan, as if she was being promised to some kind of monster. Gradually she began to wonder why. Of course, she wasn't an idiot, she knew the guy was probably prominent and well known in the clan, but none of the smiles directed at her looked happy. Either he was too good to be envied, or he was extremely arrogant.
She knew she shouldn't stick to opinions before she met him, but one thing she always learned from her mother, God rest her soul, was that the family was the first thing that denoted who a person was.
Was he really that bad?
…
Ayami also knew that if this guy was really bad as they said, she would need support, so during the week she decided to look for things to do nearby to help, and also research what would be interesting for someone like her to do, only Fusui insisted. to ask her out.
“Ayamiiii!” she arrived with a basket “let's get some fruit! It's a beautiful summer day, we can go bathing in the lake!”
“Oh, I” she points to some ladies who were hanging clothes “I was going to help them…”
“Don't worry miss” the older woman said “young people have to have fun, and it's a really beautiful summer day. Leave the service to us…”
“All… all right,” she sighs, “but if you need more hands…”
“We will call all the rest of the clan, dear, you are still our guest, you don't have to worry. Go play with the other kids.”
She blushed at being called a child, but there was nothing she could do “Yes ma'am” and bowed slightly, turning to her ‘future sister-in-law’ next her “pick fruit, did you say?”
“Yea! It's something me and some cousins do every now and then in the summer. You can meet them too.”
“Could be.” She goes with the assassin, deciding to carry the basket just to have something to do with her hands.
“So, are you having fun staying here?” Fusui comments, halfway.
“Well, if I said no, I'd be lying” Ayami nods. The truth is, she was enjoying the little vacation, but she couldn't quite relax, both because of not knowing what was going to happen, and because of the real reason for being there. It had been five days now, and not even a cell phone message, or a call, or any news from her father and brother. And she also felt a little homesick.
The thought made her stop walking, her heart sank again, and she shivered. Would I ever see them again?
“Hey… oh girl, what happened?” Fusui sees that she had stayed behind, with her head down “are you worried about something?”
“I'm… I mean, I'm fine, but I think I'll follow you more, and walk. I don't think I'm up for swimming” she tries to say. Then she straightens up, taking a little deep breath, and looks at the other”Would you… Fusui… would you judge me if I was a little scared?”
“Scared?”
“Yeah… it's normal to be nervous, right? I still don't know him.”
“Ah yes, it is…” the assassin sighs “of course it's normal, honestly I can't even think about judging you. But you know how people exaggerates everything. It's not like you're going to die, or be tortured in interrogation…”
“Don't try to sugarcoat it” Ayami makes a little grimace “I know that this Candidate, even though he's your brother, is a rather unpleasant person. I know that I'm here to…” She breaks off. I wasn't there to suffer, I was there to keep a guarantee that the business between the families would go well, that's all... there wouldn't need to be torture in the process “anyway, you don't have to say anything, I'll see with my own eyes, and I'll see what happens.”
“Okay” Fusui shrugs “but at least you're warned, and we also want to show support... but well, we're used to morbid things, so when we see someone from the outside who looks as delicate as you…”
"Hey, I'm not that delicate…”
“Said the girl who doesn't have a wrinkled garment fold or a hair out of place. Even your room is cleaner than mine, are you sure?”
“Yes” Ayami crosses her arms.
“Well then, prove it!”
“Give me a Katana and I'll show you.”
“Oh, damn, I don't have one…” Fusui pouts.
“Yeah, I would love to play Fruit Ninja with you, but by the way…” she shrugs.
“One day I'll get one and then we'll play!”
“And you took it seriously?”
“Of course, it's cool as hell”
“You are crazy,” Ayami laughs. She even had some skill, but doubted she could actually slice fruit in midair with a Katana. In fact, she was out of practice, but at least the subject served to liven up the conversation “okay, since we don't have the sword, let's go get these blessed fruits. One can't play Fruit Ninja without fruit, right?”
“No, we can't,” Fusui laughs, returning to accompany her new friend. “I bet they'll love meeting you, Ayami. They're pretty nice when they're not killing someone.”
“Yea, I guess so…”
Next Chapter Here
#kengan ashura#kengan omega#kenganverse#heavybakery#kengan oc#fanfiction#raian kure#kure raian#kure fusui#kure henzo
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post fulla questions i was tagged to answer by @bunnygirlbutta
What was your last…
Beverage: my black coffee that i let get cold :( i still drank it though
Phone call: not a clue. ive never liked phone calls,,
Text message: ‘‘...you know all about knot tying, huh? Glad to hear it‘‘
Song you listened to: soles - love will have its sacrifices (i was thinkin abt carmilla series)
Time you cried: if tearing up just a lil bit counts . it was around 5am and i was thinking about an incredible compliment i received from someone i love. if not then idk when it was, though i know what that one was about too.
Have you ever…
Dated someone twice? nope.
Kissed someone and regretted it? nope.
Lost someone special? hard to say.
Been depressed? and the scars to prove it,,,
Been drunk and threw up? no.
In the last year, have you…
…made a new friend? several i love yall 💜
…fallen out of love? nope
…laughed until you cried? i . dont think so?
…found out who your true friends are? dont know what this means
…found out someone was talking about you? no
General
How many people on your fb list do you know in real life? i am not on fb and would destroy their data centers given the easy opportunity
List 3 of your favourite colours: Purple!!! pink? green.
What was your first…
…surgery? n/a
…piercing? n/a (thatd be neat though)
…best friend? idk ?
…sport you joined? not a clue. i have never been into sports. dont remember the last time i touched anything of the sort
…vacation? hm. good question. i dont know that either
…pair of trainers? weird question and i don’t know it.
Right now, what are you…
…eating? nothin
…drinking? ^
…about to do? think abt kissing girls. ok no im doing that right now. so . maybe play terraria some more?
Your future
Do you want kids? makes me feel good to think about myself being a mother at some point in the future, but whether I actually would wanna have children ... idk. im only 23 though so like ....
Do you want to get married? if someone i love wants to marry me, I . huh. i was gonna say I wouldn’t be against it, but then it occurred to me, what if multiple people wanted to be married to me? i think thats not how it works? so . no i guess, on grounds of i dont wanna leave anyone out.
Ideal career? ... i have no clue what im doin yall
Which do you think is better…
…lips or eyes? well, vanya’s gotten me all caught up in kisses lately, so probably lips. eyes are lovely too though so idk really
…hugs or kisses? ^ that answers this well enough, but hugs are nice as well, so its hard to say for both of these.
…shorter or taller? yes? sounds good. real answer is i do not know. if youre notably taller or shorter than 6 ft pls come here so I can figure that out
…older or younger? too big of an age difference is weird,, anyway id say i dont care but i suppose .. the two people im most into right now are both a lil bit older than me so . maybe that says something. dont think so though
…romantic or spontaneous? im inexperienced in romance so i cant really say
…nice stomach or nice arms? hmmm well im a big fan of a good tummy c:
…sensitive or loud? idk what this means really
…hook up or relationship? relationship
…trouble maker or hesitant? i would like to cause more problems on purpose but i am v nervous always
Have you ever…
…kissed a stranger? no
…drank hard liquor? yes
…lost glasses/contacts? probably
…had sex on the first date? no
…broken someone’s heart? yes
…been arrested? no
…turned someone down? uuuhhh. maybe?
…cried when someone died? no
Do you believe in…
…yourself? trying to!
…miracles? define miracle
…love at first sight? no
…heaven? no
…Santa Claus? lmao no?
…kiss on the first date? why not, if it’s going that well?
…angels? no
#tagging . no one. dont feel like perpetuating this thing cx#oh but if you want to feel free to pretend i tagged you ig#serah i know i said i didnt wanna do this but i changed my mind i am doin it for you c:
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╰┈➤ ❝ [ 𝐈 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒 ✉︎ ]
Prefect, it looks like you’ve received three Valentine’s messages from Leona Kingscholar, Vil Schoenheit and Lilia Vanrouge… Each of them have also left a gift on your doorstep.
“Herbivore,
So you herbivores in your world have a day dedicated to spending time with your lover? Stupid, shouldn't that just be every day? Well, Ruggie kept nagging me to send you something, but don't you think it's better to see each other in person? come to the savanaclaw dorm asap, I'm getting sleepy.
—Leona”
Gift description:
In front of you is a plain brown delivery box that has a few scratches here and there, the way the tape barely held it all together just screams "Leona did this". Inside however, you find a box of limited edition caramel chocolates. It's the ones that has been trending for a while, it's extremely hard to get your hands on one of these. Makes you wonder how much of a trouble it was (for Ruggie, poor him) to get them... Guess being rich makes everything easier huh.
You also find a cute little lion plushie! It seems like someone has drawn a scar on it's right eye. Perhaps it's Leona's way of reminding you he's the best one to cuddle with at night. Just make sure you don't replace the real Leona with this little guy, he might become jealous.
“Dearest,
I've heard from Rook that you celebrate something called "Valentine's Day" back in your world? From what I've heard it's a day to appreciate your loved ones and spend time with them right? It's a shame you haven't told me about it yourself. Have you forgotten what kind of a bond we share?
I don't like sappy words with no meaning, so I can assure you what I'm going to say now is how I genuinely feel. I must say I never expected myself to get this attached to you. You don't appear to be special at first glance, but you've proved your worth multiple times already. Every moment I spend with you is precious and I wish to cherish them for as long as I can. I also want to note that I'm sorry that we don't get to spend as much time together as you might want, I'm a celebrity after all and my schedule is quite packed as you might know already. I'll make sure to make up for the time I have kept you waiting someday.
Of course I've got many more things to say and do, but I prefer talking to you in person, so why won't you visit me in pomefiore? My door is open and I don't have anything else to do today so I'd love to spend this special day with you. .. I'll be waiting
Love,
Vil”
Gift description:
A rectangular violet box with white flower decorations and a deep purple ribbon that was tied into a neat bow. It's as elegant as anything else Vil does. Open it to find heart shaped macarons in all sorts of colors! There's red ones, pink, purple, purple with red spots, blue ones, they look as though Vil himself made these with how perfect they were. Did he..?
There's also a bottle of perfume. The purple color and diamond shape of the bottle are unfamiliar to you, but reading the note that was attached to it confirmed your suspicions.
“this perfume is one I developed especially for you. I thought it'd suit you well”
“To my dearest love,
How naughty you are to not tell me about the concept of 'Valentine's day', and here I was thinking you love me.. Alright alright, jokes aside, i wouldn't dream of letting this opportunity slip by just like that, so I'm here to remind you of something that should be obvious already;
I have seen many sorts of people in my life, but you truly are one of the few who manages to catch my eye like that. You're an interesting little one, there are tons of mysteries around you yet you act like you're nothing special.. What I thought to be simple curiosity grew to become something much stronger and more complicated, and I won't hesitate to admit that it's love. I love you, I really do. I love the way you squeak in surprise when you're startled, the way you pout after defeat, I love every single part of you and it makes me wonder since when exactly I was able to love like this. I'm really grateful for all the fun things I got to experience with you and I hope we'll continue to be by each other sides for many more years
Yours truly,
Lilia
P.S: I found a few more games we can play together. Please hop by diasomnia when you get the chance, I'd love to spend this special day with you”
Gift description:
Open a pitch black box with white and magenta spots on the bottom half to reveal a bunch of suspicious smelling chocolates. Don't tell me he made these himself... Well, if you're brave enough, try to pop one in your mouth, but there's no guarantee that you'll stay conscious. There's also 2 of his self made plushies, one shaped like a lamb and one shaped like a bat. Aww, doesn't it remind you of the two of you?
#TwstLetters22#✩‧₊ fei's blessings#twst#twisted wonderland#twisted wonderland x reader#twst x reader#leona kingscholar x reader#vil schoenheit x reader#lilia vanrouge x reader#leona kingscholar#vil schoenheit#lilia vanrouge#twst headcanons#twst imagines
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Regarding a Common Misconception of Hakuba Saguru
Lately I've been doing some reflecting on Saguru & the various ways I've seen him portrayed, as well as the ways I've portrayed him in the past. And then I was rereading some MK manga, and had some realizations. I've been feeling like rambling about them! So here I go, rambling.
[Disclaimer: I'm not personally taking issue with anyone's interpretation or impression of Saguru - just sharing my own impressions! This is just for fun <3 ]
Misconception: Saguru is constantly accusing Kaito of being KID
It’s a generally accepted fact in a lot of fics I’ve read (and honestly, maybe some fics I’ve written -- I used to hold this belief too!) that Saguru just unendingly insinuates that Kaito is KID--alone, in front of other people, always.
I won’t cite any here, but I’ve seen nods in fanwork to Aoko feeling a little stressed/frustrated about the fact that Saguru thinks Kaito is KID and makes it known. I’ve also seen fanwork where Saguru explicitly calls Kaito KID, presses Kaito for information, or otherwise makes his beliefs clear, even when others are around.
There are only five scenes in the Magic Kaito manga where Saguru makes direct indication toward his knowledge of KID’s identity.
First, of course, we’ve got chapter 17 - the first chapter where Saguru puts together that Kaito is KID.
For a long time, when I’d consumed more fic than MK canon, I recall an image born in my head of Saguru singling Kaito out in class and making the claim that Kaito is KID in front of everybody. I don’t know if I ever read any such allusion in a fic, or if it’s just an assumption I drew based on portrayals I read, but imagine my surprise when he does nothing of the sort.
Now, to be fair, Saguru is A LOT in this chapter. MK is still heavily in gag manga territory, so his behavior is extra extra played up. But if we take away the visuals, the dialogue between Saguru and Kaito can be summed up thusly:
[First scene where Saguru makes direct indications as to KID’s identity]
Kaito: You look so tired. Haven’t gotten enough sleep after chasing KID for three nights
In a row, huh?
Saguru: Hmph. Aren’t you tired as well?
And then, a few beats later in the conversation:
Saguru: I’d like to invite you to the Ochima Art Museum tonight, where KID’s declared his next target.
Kaito: Eh?
Saguru: Then, you’ll understand why I’m so tired.
Or, do you have other plans tonight?
Kaito: Okay, I accept your invitation. It’ll be great to see your work in action!
And that’s it, that’s the big class confrontation. Aoko is present for it, but she’s more interested in joining in on the fun, and while I do think Aoko pieces together that Kaito is KID, she prefers to live in willful ignorance of it until it becomes impossible for her to ignore. She’s bright enough to pick up what Saguru’s implying, but because he never brings it past implication, there’s no reason for her to look at it too hard. Anyway, I digress. That’s conjecture and headcanon talking. My point is that Saguru never makes any explicit claims, just invites Kaito along to the heist.
Another neat thing about this scene is that--while certainly not motivated by mercy in this case, Saguru does give Kaito an out: “Or, do you have an excuse not to go tonight?” Of course, if Kaito took it, it would be rather damning, but I do think it would have been enough confirmation for Saguru. I don’t think there would have been any arm-twisting to get Kaito to agree.
But Kaito and Saguru are competitive bastards, so here we are.
Let’s move on to the heist!
Once again, the manga certainly plays up the whole ordeal. Saguru is intense and waiting for his moment, and Kaito’s being, well, Kaito.
At the heist, there are a few points where Saguru has opportunities to make allusions to Kaito being KID in a way others would pick up on, or otherwise make his suspicions known, but he doesn’t.
First of all, is this exchange:
Nakamori: Why are you guys here?
Aoko: Hakuba-kun invited us!
Nakamori: What’s the meaning of this, Hakuba-kun?
Saguru: I thought she might like to see if KID is arrested tonight.
Nakamori: You’ll fail if you’re too cocky!
Saguru: We’re well-prepared.
Besides, who knows… KID may already be here.
Saguru does imply KID could be present, but he makes no indication that he means Kaito. His next opportunity to hint at Kaito being KID or otherwise make accusations is when Nakamori asks him to consult as a magician.
Nakamori: Kaito, since you’re here, do you want to use your magic against KID?
Kaito: [laughing sheepishly]
Saguru: Oh, I want to see that fight, too. If you really can do it.
Needling, yes. Saguru knows what he’s saying and so does Kaito. Accusations, no. This is well within the realm of something Saguru would have said even if he didn’t suspect Kaito, considering their dynamic up until this point.
And then, the most explicit Saguru ever gets in terms of literally calling Kaito out as being KID, beginning when Kaito excuses himself to go to the bathroom right before the heist:
[Second scene where Saguru makes direct indications as to KID’s identity]
Saguru: [handcuffs himself to Kaito]
Kaito: Huh?
Saguru: I won’t let you do that, Kuroba.
Kaito: What do you think you’re doing?!
Saguru: I got the report back from the lab. The hair I got from KID indicated that he’s a high school student. After I compared KID’s data with other high school students’ data in the database… Kuroba Kaito came up in the final list.
Kaito: That’s a coincidence.
Saguru: Really? We’ll see soon enough.
Let’s wait until the time KID is stated to come.
[Some heist hubbub occurs as officers get into position even though KID hasn’t arrived at the heist time]
Aoko: What? KID’s not coming?
Saguru: Ha! It looks like I win!
You’d better confess who you really are.
And from there, of course, ‘KID’ (Akako in disguise) swoops in and takes care of the heist. That more or less wraps up chapter 17, the first chapter where Saguru understands that Kaito is KID. And I would argue this is the most aggressive Saguru ever is. In fact, rather than persist in trying to accuse/capture/implicate Kaito as KID, he straight up vanishes from the narrative for several chapters.
Saguru doesn’t show up again until the Chat Noir heist, in chapter 25, when he calls from France.
It’s also important to note that at this point, Magic Kaito’s narrative has experienced a slight tonal shift. At the very least, while still often comedic, it reads less like a gag manga. Between the last time we saw Saguru and now, we’ve learned the apparent motivation behind Toichi’s murder, we’ve met Snake (an albeit rather incompetent villain) and Kaito has faced down gunfire and the danger posed by Snake and his men.
The way Saguru is portrayed has also shifted to reflect the shift too. Instead of a hulking antagonist-like character in a Holmes cosplay, he’s dressed primly and presents more as a cheeky but polite character. He’s also more effectively emulating the charm that the story tried to imply he had early on (“Hakuba Saguru, at your service!”, the girls in class fawning over him, the newspaper calling him out as a famous detective making a long-awaited return to Japan).
The interaction is entirely less antagonistic, too. For reference, I’ll paste the exchange (sans Saguru’s massive info dump) below.
[Third scene where Saguru makes direct indications as to KID’s identity]
[At the heist for the golden eye]
Kaito: [Hiding in a bathroom stall while putting on a disguise]
[His phone starts ringing]
Hello…?
Saguru: Hi, it’s been a while. Are you still alive?
Kaito: [Thinking] This sugary yet obnoxious tone of voice is... Hakuba?!
Saguru: You’ve made quite the stir in Paris.
They’re all talking about how France’s Chat Noir is going to go up against you in Japan.
Kaito: Idiot! It’s not me. It’s Kaitou KID!
Saguru: Ha… it doesn’t really matter. I’ll share some information that I gathered over here.
[Info dump cut from dialogue]
Well! That’s about all I have to say. Do your best. I don’t want to see you lose to anyone until I capture you myself.
Kaito: Like I’ve been saying, I’m not KID!
Saguru: Oops, it’s almost time for the Paris Fashion Week. See you!
Kaito: H-hey…
The only part of this conversation that I could consider to fall into the territory of antagonistic is when Saguru says “I don’t want to see you lose to anyone until I capture you myself.” And more than anything, I think this is less reflective of a real desire to capture Kaito, and more reflective of his competitive nature. Not to mention, within the context of the conversation, it feels much more like teasing than anything.
Saguru’s motivation for making the call is clear: He doesn’t want Kaito to lose, and he wants to help ensure Kaito’s success.
And most interestingly (although I’d like to see the raw manga to confirm this, or otherwise a more literal translation) he never explicitly calls Kaito KID either. Outside of alluding to KID’s actions, Saguru doesn’t explicitly say Kaito is KID or mention KID at all. It’s Kaito who does that.
When Kaito points out that he is not, in fact, KID, Saguru doesn’t argue. He simply brushes off the denial and shares the information he’s collected.
So, to summarize what we’ve covered so far: after Saguru failed to arrest Kaito during chapter 17, he stopped troubling Kaito so thoroughly that the next time he features in the story isn’t until he’s calling from overseas to try to lend Kaito some helpful information. He’s not even playing a part in trying to capture this thief he allegedly wants to catch.
And then, Saguru dips back out of the narrative, although for a shorter period this time. The next arc he appears in is a few chapters later--the Nightmare Heist which he arrives in the middle of. But, there’s not any interaction between him and Kaito, nor any allusions made by Saguru about KID’s identity, so we’ll move on.
The fourth time Saguru makes any indication that Kaito is KID is during the Corbeau arc, when KID is being challenged by a clad-in-black KID lookalike.
Before jumping into that specific scene, though, there’s another interaction I’d like to call attention to--between Saguru and Nakamori. Not because of something Saguru says, but because of what he doesn’t say.
Nakamori: Hahaha! Looks like you let your guard down because you thought I was at home with a cold!
Saguru: Our plan succeeded, it seems.
Nakamori: But I only told Aoko I had a cold, so how does KID know…?
Saguru: Hm...
If Saguru were wanting to make some kind of accusation, even a non-explicit one, he would have made some remark. Instead, he doesn’t say anything at all, which continues to speak to the fact that he isn’t really interested in implicating Kaito.
Anyway, the next time Saguru makes any sort of implication that Kaito is KID he is, once again, trying to help. Last time it was over the phone, so the conversation was private. This time, the conversation is in a classroom, although based on the panels, it seems like Saguru and Kaito are alone at the beginning--or at least, no attention is being paid to them.
[Fourth scene where Saguru makes direct indications as to KID’s identity]
Kaito: [Talking to himself]
It must be the case, there’s no other way. There must have been some trick with the case.
Saguru: [Eavesdropping, apparently alone in the room with him]
The case didn’t contain any hidden mechanisms.
Kaito: Eh?
Saguru: No hidden doors or things like that, as are often used in magic tricks.
Kaito: W-what on earth are you talking about?
Saguru: A new notice from Corbeau arrived this morning. ‘I’ll come and take the real Midnight Crow tonight.’ My name is Hakuba--so I don’t want a ‘white’ person to lose to some ominous black crow.
[From here, Akako and then Aoko jump into the conversation.]
Surely a classroom is a risky place to have a conversation about KID, but the nice thing is that Saguru--once again--doesn’t bring up KID at all beyond saying that he doesn’t want the ‘white[-clad] person’ to lose to the black crow. From the outside looking in, all he’s doing is sharing information about the case with Kaito. It may also seem unwarranted from that perspective, but not at all implicating.
Also, another thing I’d like to call attention to is that when Akako joins the conversation (and seemingly blindsides Saguru, as if he wasn’t expecting anyone else to join), Saguru stops talking. He continues to be quiet when Aoko chimes in, and he doesn’t have any relevant dialogue for the rest of the scene.
Once again, Saguru’s clearly motivated to share information in the interest of helping Kaito. He has to share with Kaito’s civilian identity, since he can’t exactly arrange a conversation with KID, and this is likely the easiest way for him to do it. He makes no accusations, and this time he doesn’t even imply he wants KID caught.
So--Saguru is a part of the narrative again, but since rejoining the narrative he seems less interested in actually catching KID and far more interested in helping Kaito. And no accusations or incriminating allusions have been made since chapter 17, before Saguru’s first hiatus from the story.
The final time Saguru nods to Kaito being KID is from the Sun Halo arc. This is probably the interaction that’s closest to what fanon tends to depict when it comes to Saguru making subtle accusations that Kaito is KID. And even then, I tend to take this arc with a grain of salt if only because it felt less like Gosho was trying to add to the story and more like he was just trying to make a Magic Kaito addition that hit various fan expectations while still being wildly disappointing, lmao.
[Fifth scene where Saguru makes direct indications as to KID’s identity]
Saguru: [approaching and commenting on Kaito’s motorcycle]
I see, a Suzuki GSX 250R.
Akako: Ah, Hakuba-kun…
Saguru: You’ve shown me something interesting. Perhaps this might help the police tonight. And could it be that you’ve forgotten… that the only motorised bikes we’re allowed to ride to school are scooters?
Kaito: Eh?! For real?!
Once again, Saguru doesn’t explicitly mention KID at all--and segues from his mention of the police to pointing out that Kaito is breaking the rules right now, actually, which helps blend this teasing comment into the conversation.
Yes, later in the chapter Saguru does show up with a team of motorcycle experts. But that also means there’s more disguise opportunities for KID and more factors to account for, thus complicating things for, well, everyone--not just KID.
Also, I tend to dismiss that as Gosho throwing in some comedy, and as less to do with Saguru’s character. Call it cherrypicking if you like :P
To recount--there are five times where Saguru implies Kaito is KID.
The first two are in chapter 17, when Saguru first puts it together, and it is during this chapter that he gets the most explicit about calling Kaito out as KID, as well as the most aggressively he behaves about it. And he backs off so hard after that doesn’t work, that we don’t see him for several chapters.
The next two times he implies Kaito is KID are both in order to help him. No aggression or accusations, just the sharing of information. Even when teasing or suggesting he’s interested in catching KID, he’s good-natured about it, and when he realizes there are potentially people witnessing the conversation, he stops participating.
The final time he implies Kaito is KID is a tiny comment about finding something Kaito has shown him ‘interesting’ and ‘helpful for the police’ before smoothing into gently teasing Kaito for bringing an illegal vehicle to school.
In conclusion, Saguru may start off apparently aggressive in part thanks to early Magic Kaito’s overall tone, but rather than persevering in trying to catch Kaito after cornering him in chapter 17, he actually seems to back off. Once he’s playing a part in the narrative again, when he interacts with Kaito it’s almost exclusively to help him. Yes, he is on the task force and participating at heists, but where it matters, he’s less interested in catching the thief and far more interested in those the thief is opposing (excluding the police force).
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Danger First
Chapter 3
@pocketramblr (also please let me know if you would like me to stop tagging you on these, I don't want to be annoying. :))
"WAIT!" shouted Nana abruptly, as Izuku was talking to his (weirdo) teacher. "I know who that is! Quick, get ready to turn everything off!"
"Turn what off?" asked En. "We live in a formless mental void. We don't even have electricity."
"The quirk! That's Eraserhead!"
"Oh, yeah," said Yoichi, while everyone else (sans Second and Third) scrambled to grab onto the quirk. "I remember Eight meeting him, now! So, he's a teacher, huh?"
"How do all of you forget the one person who might be capable of one-shotting All for One?" demanded Nana.
"Doesn't his quirk not work on mutations?"
"Stop daydreaming and get over here, Yoichi!"
The quirkspace began to glow faintly, ominously red, and the ghosts pulled hard on the quirk, holding it temporarily out of Izuku's reach.
Then, the red glow abated and they dropped it back into place.
"Well, that was exhausting," said Banjo. "So, we'll have to be constantly ready for that, huh?"
"As long as he's around, yeah," said Nana.
"Why did we just do that, anyway?" asked En.
"So we can continue to masquerade as a normal, non-haunted quirk?"
"We could have just let him think he didn't have a quirk, or that the anxiety-"
"Super anxiety."
"-isn't part of it."
Yoichi gasped, as if scandalized. "You'd want us to lie to Izuku?"
"Okay, seriously, what is up with you and Nine?" asked En.
Despite not having a body, Yoichi began to visibly sweat. "Nothing, nothing at all. I just... think he's neat?"
"If you're going to lie to us, can you not do it with archaeomemes?" asked Nana.
"No, no, actually, I can get behind this," said En. "Would you say Izuku has... vibes?"
Yoichi nodded solemnly.
.
"Young Midoriya!"
Izuku shrieked and jumped back from the sudden sound as All Might suddenly emerged from an otherwise innocuous bush.
Both of them froze, staring at each other.
"Are you..." said All Might, hesitantly, sounding much more like he did in his small form than usual, "alright?"
"I... think so?"
"That's good, then." All Might coughed slightly into his fist. "I was wondering if you had a few minutes."
"Of- of course!" said Izuku, immediately.
"Then allow me to lead the way!"
All Might led him through a door labeled 'staff only' and immediately deflated. "All the staff know about my condition," explained Mr. Yagi.
Izuku nodded. Then a thought occurred to him. "Mr. Yagi?"
"Yes, my boy?"
"Why, um, why don't you teach, um, as Mr. Yagi? Instead of as All Might? Wouldn't it save your time?"
Mr. Yagi stopped and scratched his head. "I hadn't really thought about it before," he admitted. "But part of the reason I took this job, other than wanting to help train the next generation of heroes, of course, is that I want to get people used to the idea that I am going to retire." He tugged on one of his bangs. "Also, ah, I'm not sure if my qualifications to teach are quite up to par without my reputation."
"I'm sure it would be fine! You're the best, after all!"
Mr. Yagi chuckled. "I'm glad you think so," he said. Then he reached behind him and opened a door. "In any case: my office."
"Wow," said Izuku, quietly, stepping in. "All Might's office..." Who knew when he'd get another opportunity like this again? He kept his eyes wide to drink in the details.
The rather sparse details. The office was rather bare. Which made sense, seeing as All Might was a brand-new teacher. It was sort of... disappointing, as thrilling as it was.
Mr. Yagi sat down behind the desk and gestured for Izuku to take one of the other chairs. It had a lot of cushioning. A lot a lot. Izuku sank down into the fluff as Mr. Yagi fiddled with a drawer on his desk. He got the drawer open, and pulled out a notebook. A notebook of the same brand Izuku liked to use, actually.
"Since your experiences with One for All are so different from mine, I thought it might be a good idea to do some research into past holders and take a leaf out of your notebook, as it were." He passed the notebook over to Izuku, who took it with shaking hands and a slightly open mouth.
"I'll treasure it," he declared, voice wobbling.
"Not so much that you don't use it, I hope," said Mr. Yagi. "As it is, it's only an overview. The earlier holders, especially, don't have many records associated with them. Consider it a starting point. I haven't had much time to work on it."
"I can't believe you found the time to write this at all," said Izuku, flipping through the pages. The information was sparse, but each holder had a basic profile, all the way back to the fourth. "I mean, between being a hero, training me, and preparing to be a teacher, I'm stunned nothing fell by the wayside!"
Mr. Yagi proceeded to turn a very interesting color.
"Uh, nothing fell by the wayside, right?"
"Why don't you take a few minutes to skim through. If anything jumps out at you right away, we can talk about it. And then I'll let you go get changed and go home, and we can discuss more later, after you've had more time with it."
"Okay!" said Izuku. He'd start with just the basic profiles. Name, date of birth, date of death, quirk... wait, those ages... "They all died young," he said, softly.
"Hero work is dangerous," said Mr. Yagi, hand going to his side.
"There's something else, isn't there?"
"Not something you need to worry about. I took care of it, years ago." The hand holding his side spasmed slightly.
"... Six years ago?" asked Izuku, aware he was pushing his luck. But this sounded both important and relevant.
There was a long pause. "Yes," said All Might, finally. "A villain with a longevity quirk. He... had a history with the first user."
Izuku got the feeling that was an understatement. It also seemed unlikely that the only application of the villain's quirk was longevity, given what he'd done to All Might. But the subject was clearly making All Might uncomfortable, so he dropped it in favor of burying his nose in the notebook again.
(Social fumbles aside, this was the most secure Izuku had felt for... a while.)
"The sixth user had a smoke quirk?"
"Yes, it seems so. Although it doesn't seem to have been actual smoke, but a biological compound."
"I wonder if that has anything to do with all the steam you release when you deflate. Actually..." he flipped back through the quirk. "I wonder if you're using Float, too, subconsciously, when you jump."
"What?"
"I- I mean," said Izuku, "I noticed, when, um, when I grabbed your ankle and also in videos of you- Your hang time is kind of messed up? You're in the air for longer than you should be, but it isn't, like, consistent? Plus, you can change direction mid-air, which I thought was because you were shooting out blasts of air pressure with your quirk, but with me on your ankle, you definitely didn't do that. There was- there was a forum I was on where some people thought your quirk tapped into magnetic fields, somehow, but that doesn't make any sense, because you'd expect a lot more electronic interference and that similar locations would produce similar results, given the Earth's magnetic field, but they don't. But subconscious, low-level use of a telekinesis-based flying quirk would explain everything. If we take into account what you said about my anxiety after the entrance exam, then that's minor expressions of three out of four of the quirks listed here, not counting the base stockpile and enhancement quirk. Do you think the unknown quirks of the second and third users might have partially manifested for you as well? Have you experienced anything else that's atypical for a strength enhancement quirk?"
Mr. Yagi stared at Izuku.
Oh, no, he'd gone too far.
"Nothing immediately comes to mind, my boy," he said, faintly. "But... magnets? Really?"
"I told you it didn't make any sense."
Mr. Yagi rubbed his chin. "There might be something, but... it's too unclear to say either way. I'll keep an eye out. It's just... a lot to take in. I thought One for All was done surprising me."
"When has it surprised you before?"
"Oh, under the influence of certain mental quirks, you can wind up hallucinating the previous users."
"Hallucinating?"
"Yes. But being under the influence of a mental quirk is always the larger issue, so..."
"Mr. Yagi," said Izuku. "That's really the kind of thing you should let people know about up front."
"I- is it?"
.
The ghosts all stared at Nana.
"Hey, don't blame this on me! None of us explained that kind of stuff before passing One for All on."
"In our defense," said En, half raising a hand, "we were usually dying when we passed it on."
"More importantly," said Hikage, "do you think Ninth is right about the quirks?"
"It would make sense," mused Yoichi. "Although then we'd have to wonder why Blackwhip didn't manifest similarly."
"Is it too much for me to get someone to use my quirk? My extremely awesome quirk, that has no downsides?"
"It is powered almost exclusively by rage."
"No downsides."
"You-"
"No. Downsides."
.
Aizawa passed him an envelope labeled 'quirk counseling' along with the standard schedule and orientation packet he was handing to everyone else. It didn't look like any of his class mates had noticed, though, for which Izuku was grateful. He didn't want to be known as a weirdo who didn't know what his own quirk was.
He heavily suspected he was tapping into Danger Sense, somehow, but he didn't know how, and the fourth user of One for All had lived so long ago there weren't any records of him. Not easily and publicly available. Everything Mr. Yagi had written in his notebook (that Izuku had probably stayed up way too late reading... and texting Mr. Yagi about it... and comparing it to his notes... and texting Mr. Yagi about that... and reviewing old All Might compilations and theory threads... and having Mr. Yagi threaten to call his mom if he didn't go to sleep...) about the fourth user had been retrieved from the journals Mr. Yagi's mentor had passed down, according to one of the source notes in the margin.
(Mr. Yagi had really neat, small handwriting, which Izuku wouldn't have ever expected from his large, dramatic signatures as All Might, and his notes were meticulous and carefully cited. If Izuku didn't know better, he would have thought it belonged to a secretary.)
But despite Izuku's suspicions, he didn't actually know. He didn't know it's range, what it defined as danger, whether or not it 'ranked' dangers, how to distinguish it from normal anxiety, or- Well. Anything, really. And he would really like to.
He opened the envelope quietly. Inside was a handwritten note instructing him to pick one of three schedules for quirk counseling and return it to Aizawa by the end of the day. The other pages were printed, with times and possible locations. Options for both before and after the school day.
Izuku felt his eyes tearing up. This was easily the nicest thing a teacher had ever done for him... Although he was nervous about being alone with Aizawa. Some of his other teachers, when they asked him to stay after class it was... not good.
Nothing bad happened, not like in movies or TV shows or the awareness videos the school had shown sometimes. The teachers didn't hurt him, really, didn't do anything to him, other than talk or yell, mostly, but it still wasn't good.
Maybe he could ask Mr. Yagi or Recovery Girl to sit in... But he already felt bad, taking up so much of their time.
He picked one of the after school schedules. He was already staying late on the other days to work with Mr. Yagi, and if something did go wrong, he wanted to have the night to recover before he had to face Aizawa again in class.
He put it to the side, so he'd remember to give it to Aizawa before he left, then looked over the class schedule. Homeroom, Math, Hero Art History, History, and English in the morning. At least this morning. The history classes alternated with something called Heroics-Applied Science and Hero Law and Ethics. Afternoons, meanwhile, were entirely occupied by Hero Basic Training.
And every class would be taught by a pro hero. He wondered if it would be rude to ask for their autographs...
.
Shouta grunted as Hizashi flopped down onto the couch next to him on the couch in the staff breakroom. "What a morning! I just love seeing all those bright little faces at the beginning of the year. Anyone have a favorite first year yet?"
Shouta kicked Hizashi through his sleeping bag. Sadly, this had no effect on the man.
"I think mine might be the little green guy. He's the only one who was actually paying attention, and you know how rare that is, when everyone is anticipating their first heroics lesson. The rest of us just pale in comparison."
Shouta attempted to kick Hizashi again, this time for an entirely different reason. Midoriya was already All Might's favorite (probably)- he did not need more pull with the staff.
"I know who my least favorite is," said Kan. "Kid's certainly dedicated and competitive, but I wouldn't be surprised if he threatened his middle school teachers into giving him those glowing reviews. His personality needs a lot of work. How did you get Nezu to saddle me with Bakugo, anyway, Eraser?"
"I had nothing to do with it."
"Don't give me that, I was going to have Monoma. At least he's a team player."
"You're being illogical," said Shouta, zipping his sleeping bag closed over his face.
"How about you, Nemuri?" asked Hizashi, cutting off Vlad King vs Eraserhead round five hundred.
"It's hard to choose! They're all so cute and eager! Full of the passion of youth! I think they're all my favorite."
"You always say that..."
The door opened and closed.
"All Might! What about you? Any favorites yet?"
Yagi coughed. "I've only had the one class of third years so far. Don't you think that's rather... premature?"
What an incredible nonanswer.
"How did that first class of yours go, anyway? They didn't sour you to the whole idea of teaching, did they?"
"Not at all! The students were wonderful. The third years are very advanced, aren't they? For some of them, I wouldn't be shocked to see that skill level on an active sidekick."
"What can I say? We start them off right," crowed Hizashi.
"They did seem a little surprised by the scenario, however."
"So was I, t'be honest," said Snipe, who was in charge of the third years.
"Ah, was it no good...?"
"It was fine. Lesson plan was a bit rough around the edges, but you and Nezu'll be goin' over that later. But... quirk traffickin' doesn't quite seem like your thing."
"Ah, well, set-pieces," he said, using the slightly derisive underground slang for large-scale spotlight hero battles, "may be what I'm known for, but before my injury, the majority of my battles and investigations weren't publicized."
"Shield laws?" asked Nemuri.
"Generally, yes, but some of the investigations were tied to others, so we were using the organized crime secrecy laws to keep those under wraps. Simply put, my popularity isn't the only reason I keep the number one spot despite Endeavor having more completed cases than me on paper."
Shouta had known there was more to All Might than 'punchy, over-the-top, eyestrain-causing, bombastic muscle guy,' but part of his stupid, illogical brain was annoyed at Yagi for pummeling that image into imaginary dust, anyway. It seemed like the man's only two flaws were horrible interpersonal skills when not using his public persona, and his vast suite of health issues, the latter of which all heroes who operated long enough picked up.
Oh, and a possible inclination towards bribery.
Made it hard to dislike him, which Shouta wanted to do, because he was loud, flashy, and gave him headaches, literal and metaphorical. He ignored the fact that Hizashi was the same way, and had forcibly become Shouta's best friend. Clearly, there was no connection here.
"By the way, why is young Aizawa completely zipped in like that?"
"Nap time," said Hizashi, solemnly.
.
"Sir?" said Iida, raising his hand.
"Yes, young man?" boomed All Might.
"There are nineteen of us. How are we handling the odd person out?"
"Excellent question! In other exercises, we may handle it differently, but for today, one of you will be working alone! Occasionally, a hero may find themselves isolated when they originally expected help. However, for better balance, I have also arranged it so the odd hero out will be taking part in the last battle, so you'll have more time to strategize!"
But the other team would also have more time to strategize, Izuku noted. He really hoped it wouldn't be him... not that he wanted to force it on any if his classmates! He just didn't want yet another handicap on the first day of training.
All Might walked around with the box of ballots, pausing for each student to take one. He reached Izuku and held the box out to him with a wink. Izuku smiled back, reached in, and grabbed one.
A chill ran up his back and he froze, fingers wrapped tightly around the little ball. Something told him this was definitely the cursed, single-person ballot. Could he let it go? Would it be considered cheating if he picked a new one?
But All Might was already walking away. Every part of his body tense, Izuku turned his hand over and forced his fingers apart.
J.
The tenth character of the Latin alphabet. For the tenth, last, team.
He watched as everyone else started to pair up, and All Might looked at him apologetically.
Izuku approximated a smile. Plus ultra, right?
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Last chapter of this volume! Can’t believe we’re already through four volumes, and we’re not even done with the second full arc yet. I mean, later arcs are gonna be even longer, but like. Yeah.
[No. 35 - Battle On, Challengers!]
We move on to the next match - Kaminari versus Shiozaki! I’m actually kind of marveled that they were able to thaw out that entire glacier in any sort of timely manner. That’s quirks for you!
Present Mic announces Shiozaki as class 1b’s assassin, and also reveals that he apparently either doesn’t know the full quote for ‘every rose has its thorns’ or started to say it, only to realize she didn’t have roses and scrambled to compensate. Kaminari, meanwhile, gets announced as a ‘sparking, killing boy.’ Really kind of morbid on this round, huh?
Shiozaki turns around to object to Present Mic’s descriptor as an ‘assassin’, stating that she’s merely come this far seeking victory. Present Mic apologises, and Kaminari just kind of watches while admiring her. He takes notes of her eyes, and then thinks about how strong she is. He then sort of counters his previous admiration of strength by asking himself if he really has to hit someone so pretty with a full discharge, then concludes his ‘battle plan’ by determining that he’ll ask her out once all this is over.
Present Mic starts the match while Shiozaki is still focused on talking to Mic - which means she’s facing away from Kaminari. Which is kind of a dick move on Mic’s part, but eh, I guess ‘heroes have to be ready for anything,’ yarda yarda etcetera.
Kaminari asks Shiozaki if she wants to grab something to eat when they’re done there, and that he’s happy to console her if she wants. She turns to stare at him in confusion, just in time to see him charging up his whole body with his quirk. Kaminari makes a quip about this match probably being over in an instant - and then we cut to the immediate aftermath, where Present Mic comments on how it’s already over while Kaminari wheys out in the grasp of Shiozaki’s vines. Shiozaki was both able to create a shield against the electricity and yank Kaminari into the air and away from her, thus causing him to short-circuit.
One on patrol, Mount Lady comments on Shiozaki being a promising one, and another plant user. Kamui Woods amits he wishes he could’ve seen her up close, but that they need to get back to work.
Back in the stadium, Midnight announces Shiozaki moving on to the second round. Shiozaki is relieved to have no wasted the opportunity bestowed upon her, and the narrative finally gives us an informational blurb on her quirk.
...A strange ending note there, but sure. Some of the crowd - or possibly Izuku? Since he’s sinking into a muttering fest right after - comments on the ‘match’ and the participants. Shiozaki’s ability to use her quirk is something else, between building walls, binding enemies… Kaminari’s quirk was no use against her. She countered him well. He might’ve had a chance if he could maneuver better, but he panicked and short-circuited after one attack.
Ochako hears muttering besides her and is a bit alarmed, looking over to see Izuku in the middle of an analysis fugue. Izuku mutters about thinking Kaminari’s quirk would be stronger, but Shiozaki got fourth in the entrance exam, and she’s the real deal. The vine moves are similar to Kamui Wood’s binding attacks, and binding types are always strong, to the point where you almost never see someone break out. It’s pretty much impossible to dodge all the vine attacks, so the only counter is to rip them apart with brute strength - ah, but to prevent that, they tend to go for the hands first.
(...and I just NOW realized that this specific commentary about binding-type quirks and the counter being brute strength is literally something that comes into play when Best Jeanist binds Gigantomachia with those steel cables during the Jakku arc. Holy shit, I don’t think Hori intended it, but what a callback. Or it’s just good worldbuilding, which would also be neat!)
Ochako eventually cuts into Izuku’s muttering - startling him in the process - by commenting on how his match just ended, but he’s already thinking ahead strategy-wise. Izuku denies it, saying that it’s just a hobby of his, and that they finally have a chance to see the quirks of people outside their class in action. He then eagerly shows her his open notebook, stating that he has everything she’d need to know about class A in there - even her ‘zero gravity’.
Me, staring down the people who have the class unaware of the contents of Izuku’s notebooks when writing suspected traitor fics:
Anyways! Ochako is kind of impressed despite herself, stating that she thought Izuku was amazing from the day they met, but this sports festival has brought him to a whole other level. Izuku is confused by the complement, but there’s no time to ask, since Present Mic is announcing the participants of the next battle: Tenya versus Hatsume.
Some of the students are chattering about how the match is going to go, with one asking what is that - which seems to be referring to the support items Tenya is wearing? Midnight comments on it as well, noting that they’re forbidden for hero course students, and that a special request has to be put in for those things beforehand. Tenya admits he forgot, seeing as Aoyama was wearing that belt of his. Midnight reminds him that Aoyama applied for an exception.
Tenya apologies, stating that he’d been touched by Hatsuma’s sense of sportsmanship. Although she’s a member of the support course, she came to him and said that if they’re to be seen as equals, then they should fight on equal footing. She gave those items to him; her earnest spirit… he could never look down on it. That was his thinking.
Midnight apparently is now all for this, calling Tenya naive. Mic says that it’s good enough for him, and Aizawa says that if both parties are fine with it, he supposes it can be allowed… right? Izuku, up in the stands, is looking concerned, wondering if Hatsume is really the type to offer that. Hatsume, of course, is chuckling as she flips down a microphone right as the match starts.
Mei immediately starts going into her spiel, commenting on Tenya’s speed - much to the confusion of both Mic and Tenya. She then points out how Tenya’s legs should feel lighter than usual, and that that’s what one can expect with her custom leg parts, which keep up with their user’s speed! However, dodging is no problem for her with her hydraulic attachment bars! Which she deploys just before Tenya reaches her, causing him to trip over one of the bars and flail.
Mei checks for where the support companies were seated, her quirk zeroing in on the faces she’s looking for - which, to her pleasure, are eating her words up.
Tenya catches himself and spins on his heels, wondering what she’s going. Hatsume complements it, noting how her auto-balancer makes those sorts of tight movements possible. Meanwhile, up in the announcement booth, Mic and Aizawa are both so put out, with Aizawa facepalming and calling her a born saleswoman.
The game of tag, along with a completely play-by-play sales pitch, goes on for another ten minutes. Eventually, however, Hatsume steps over the line, sweating but proud of managing to get through everything she wants to show off. Midnight states that Tenya’s moving on to the second round, while Tenya is just in despair at the deception.
Ah, the face of someone with zero shame. Hatsume gives a completely insincere apology for using Tenya, which Tenya replies to by stating his extreme dislike of her.
Izuku is also a bit dismayed as he notes that Tenya is just too serious, so it wasn’t hard for her to get him to play her game, and that at least she’s honest about her under-handed methods to get what she wants. Ochako herself is looking a bit down as she gets up, quietly noting to Izuku that she should get to the prep room. Izuku notes that she left her still-full drink behind, glancing back to her in concern as she walks away.
As other matches run in the background, we shift over to prep room two, which Tenya is just entering. Ochako, already waiting in there, tells him good which, which startles him out of his funk as he recognizes her. Of course, the first thing he notes is her furrowed brows, which Ochako admits is probably from her being a bit nervous, and how it’s probably showing on her face. Tenya remembers her match is against Katsuki, and Ochako admits that she’s really scared. But, seeing Tenya out there, she…
Well, before she can finish her thought, Izuku bursts into the room. Ochako is confused, since he should be out there watching the other matches. Tenya to the side asks about the story behind the support girl. Izuku ignores the latter, telling Ochako that another two matches are already over, and now Kirishima and some class 1b guy are duking it out. Mina managed to damage Aoyama’s belt, he panicked, and she knocked him out with an uppercut to the chin. Then Tokoyami won his match in a flash - he didn’t give Momo the time to use the objects she made… he’s one of the strongest guys here in a one-on-one. Ochako realizes this means her match is up soon, her heart pounding in her chest.
Tenya can’t imagine that Katsuki would give it his explosive all against a female opponent, but Izuku cuts in, staring very firmly that Katsuki will. Everyone is competing here with the dream of becoming number one. No one’s holding back - Katsuki least of all. However, Ochako’s already helped Izuku so much, so he thought he might return the favor…
He really just stores his notebooks anywhere he can. What a legend. He offers the notebook, stating that Ochako needs a counter-strategy against Katsuki - one that uses her quirk. He came up with it on the fly, but it might work! Tenya is relief, stating how fortunate Ochako is. Ochako thanks Izuku, but says that it’s okay. Both Izuku and Tenya are startled by the reply.
Ochako states how amazing Izuku is, and how he does amazing stuff all the time. During the cavalry battle, she thought the easiest strategy woul be to team up with friends. But when she thinks about it, she was just putting her faith in Izuku. That’s why Tenya said ‘I challenge you’ and all that, which left her feeling a little embarrassed about herself.
She pushes herself to her feet, moving past them to get to her match as she says thanks, but no thanks. Everyone here is fighting for their futures, so doesn’t that make them all rivals? That’s why she’ll see him in the finals!
Ochako, sweetie…
Kirishima and Tetsutetsu knock each other out at the same time. Present Mic comments on the mirror image quirk matchup, and how the winner is… neither! They have a tie, since both are down. Midnight clarifies that in the event of a tie, they’ll determine the winner after the two recover, probably with an arm wrestling match or the like. The crowds comment on how they’re equal in strength, and how that was great though. They kind of hotbloodedness would be a great morale boost, and how they’re desirable as sidekicks.
Shouto watches on as the final two contestants of the first round enter the arena. Tsuyu states her worries about the match, and Jirou addson how she doesn’t want to watch it. Izuku quietly hopes for Ochako to do her best.
And so the final match is announced: Ochako versus Katsuki.
And with that, volume four is done! I’ll be getting up the character sheet first, and then digging into the bonus material. Hopefully y’all enjoy!
#chapter 35#sports festival arc#readthrough#boku no hero academia#my hero academia#midoriya izuku#Iida Tenya#uraraka ochako#kayama nemuri#aizawa shouta#yamada hizashi#Hatsume Mei#Kaminari Denki#shiozaki ibara#not related to this post or anything#but happy birthday tenya#what a good bean#he gets so betrayed in this chapter
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Lup had told him that sneaking into the gala at the palace was only a bad idea if he got caught. Taako had agreed at the time, but now he was willing to adjust that claim slightly.
This was only a bad idea if he got caught and wasn’t able to get himself out of it.
He was desperately looking for that out now as the security guard had him cornered in the hallway, up against some wallpaper that probably cost more than their entire apartment. The stuff he currently had shoved in his bag definitely cost more than he could afford if this douche decided to search him.
“I told you, I’m just waiting for my fiance,” Taako insisted, and the old guard didn’t look like he believed him any more than he did the first two times.
“And I told you that visitors are not allowed in this part of the palace. Now please show me some sort of identification or I will be forced to remove you from the premises,” the guard said, his hand resting oh so casually on the hilt of his sword now. Taako nodded quickly, moving like he was going to grab an ID out of his bag.
“Of course I can show you some- oh!” he stopped, something akin to hope starting to come back to him as he heard someone walking towards them from further into the castle. He’d mostly been hoping for a distraction, but when he saw the guy who turned the corner Taako figured that yeah, okay, he could work with this.
“I told you I was just waiting for my fiance! Babe, tell him this is all just a huge misunderstanding,” Taako said, and the guard turned to look at who Taako was speaking to. He was probably the most handsome man Taako had seen tonight, which had so far been a night of some exceedingly handsome men. His hair was braided back into a neat bun, decorated with gold that matched the rather modest make up he had on. His suit was also simple, but Taako wouldn’t have been surprised if it out cost everything in Taako’s bag.
He also looked thrown completely off guard by the situation, which Taako couldn’t blame him for. Still, Taako flashed him what he would consider a very winning smile, winking as the guard was still looking away.
And then the old guard dropped to a knee, and it was dawning on Taako that he might have miscalculated here.
“Prince Kravitz, I am terribly sorry for the disturbance. I do not know who this is but I will remove this liar from the castle immediately,” the guard said, and oh yeah, this was not his best move. Taako couldn’t do anything as the guard quickly got back to his feet and went to grab him.
Before he could though the prince walked forward, an amused grin on his face as he put a hand up for the old guy to stop.
“There’s no need for that,” he said, walking right up to Taako now. “Darling, I thought we both agreed to keep the news to ourselves until the public announcement,” the prince said, and it took a few long, dumbstruck seconds for Taako to realize what was happening.
He was actually playing along.
“I know, but he wouldn’t stop pestering me!” he whined, pouting a little and moving to wrap himself around the prince’s arm. Because hey, he wouldn’t get another chance at this, might as well take advantage for all it’s worth.
“I apologize my liege, I did not know,” the guard said, and Prince Kravitz turned back towards him.
“That’s quite all right Leon. Your dedication in keeping the castle safe is appreciated,” he said, and Taako stuck his tongue out at the guard while the prince wasn’t looking. He quickly schooled his face back into something more mature than a six year old when he turned back towards him. “We haven’t had a chance to introduce you to the security staff yet, have we?” he asked, and Taako grinned as he shook his head.
“Yeah sorry, the uh, chariot traffic was real bad on the way over,” he said, turning back towards the guard with as smug of a look as he could muster. “I’m Taako, from uh, New Elfington,” he added, and the guard did not look very impressed.
“Shall we get to the party Taako? I’m sorry to keep you waiting, they like to insist on the royal family entering last,” he said and Taako grinned at that.
“Don’t even worry about it babe, let’s go,” he said, and well this day had certainly turned around. As they walked the guard followed along, and Taako got the sense he still didn’t entirely trust him yet. They were walking arm in arm though, and Kravitz seemed to take that as an opportunity to lean down, whispering in his ear.
“New Elfington huh? I wonder what kind of trade deals our marriage could arrange with such an exotic place,” Kravitz said, the sarcasm clear in his voice. Taako didn’t expect the prince to have such a sense of humor, he was into it.
“I’ll tell you all about em over some fancy cocktails, what do you say?” he asked, and Kravitz grinned at that.
“I’d say we have quite a bit to discuss, yes,” he said, which was fair. Taako was lucky as fuck that the dude was apparently willing to just fuck with some random guard instead of throw out an obvious criminal.
When they got to the entrance to the ball the guard quickly stepped in front of then.
“My lord, allow me to introduce the both of you to the guests,” he said, and the panic was starting to come back again.
“Oh that’s not-” he started, Kravitz quickly shaking his head as well.
“There’s really no need,” the prince insisted, but with a pointed look at Taako the guard quickly went through the door, and the two of them were left frozen in place as they heard the guard loudly announce to the ballroom full of the most powerful and influential people in the surrounding kingdoms.
“Everyone! Please welcome your Prince Kravitz,” he started, and Taako should run at this point but all he could do was listen in horror as the guard continued. “As well as his fiance, Taako of New Elfington,” he finished, and even on the other side of the door they could hear the shocked murmurs.
“My mom’s going to kill me,” Kravitz muttered, a dread in his voice that Taako could feel down in his soul. Before he could commiserate on his similar upcoming death at the hands of his sister the large double doors were opening in front of them.
Standing at the top of a staircase now, Taako could see that quite literally every eye in the ball was on the two of them. Kravitz put on a clearly fake grin and Taako could do nothing but follow along as he led them both down the stairs.
He was starting to think this might have been a mistake.
There was no fucking way he was getting out of this one.
#taz#the adventure zone#taakitz#taako#kravitz#i might continue this one#i'm gonna continue *some* sort of fake dating fic#because i keep writing these snippets#sometimes you just need your fun fib to flirt with a cute boy#to blow up in your face#long post
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