Guys imma break your hearts but hear me out-

What if F!Leo got back in time after Raph’s been captured?

And what if F!Leo deems it impossible to save Raph and the next option that’s “merciful” is to kill him “better than leaving him a slave to the Krang”?

What if F!Leo lies about saving Raph cause he knows the younger version of his bros won’t stand for it?

What if young Leo wasn’t gonna let that shit slide and ain’t gonna let F!Leo touch Raph?

What if F!Leo is hit by the realization that he actually considered killing the young version of his big bro after seeing young Leo save him?

What if he’s also hit by the realization he could’ve saved so many lives in his own tl that he just killed cause he thought they couldn’t be saved?

Yeah I’ve been haunted by these thoughts and I ain’t gonna suffer alone so you guys gotta suffer with me

A Little Wager

Ok, I don't usually write. If I do, I rarely complete it. I either have grand ideas that just don't come out or I read something similar that scratches that itch and I don't have to write anymore. But this little fluff nugget has been my constant daydream for a while. There are no warnings for this. It's lighthearted and fun. I suck at writing smut so I doubt I'll continue it. If someone wanted to pick up where I left off and do a shower scene, I would LOVE that! Anyway, here it is. Be gentle :)

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It was mid afternoon when you and your squad made it to the training grounds.  Captain Levi’s squad was supposed to be done in the next half hour. You like to get your squad there early when the special forces are training to provide a little inspiration.

You choose Emily to lead the squad in stretches before they hit the course.  All the while, they’re watching Levi’s soldiers expertly soar through the air completing maneuvers it will take years for your squad to accomplish. While stretching, you hear the oohs and aaahs, sometimes shocked gasps as another soldier completes in flight stunts that look impossible.  You notice Levi, arms crossed, watching them intently.  He never has to yell out instruction or commands.  His squad is a well-oiled machine.

“Alright guys, what’s the bet today?” you ask your team, breaking their reverie.

“Isn’t it your turn to pick, Captain (y/l/n)?” asks the unofficial leader of the squad, Leo. “Besides, every time we come up with a bet, it’s almost guaranteed defeat.”

“I’m not stupid guys. The tasks get harder depending on what we bet.  If you bet I walk topless through the mess hall at dinner time, Malcolm (glancing over to the brave boy who dared make that wager), you better believe I’m giving you a nearly impossible task.” Malcolm blushes.

“It was worth a shot.” He says sheepishly. Amelia punches his arm playfully saying “That’s gross Malcolm, she’s our squad leader.”

“Anyway, I think you’ll like this offer.  How about you nail all your maneuvers I assigned last week and two more surprise tasks, and I’ll do all your laundry for a week?”  While this bet wasn’t as exciting as a topless Captain at dinnertime, it did get the squad’s full attention.  You knew some of them were wearing clothing for the second, maybe third time between washes and they stunk!  This bet was more for you than anyone.

The slight turn and side eye from Levi let you know he wasn’t watching his squad as intently as you thought. He was eavesdropping.

“But you have to land properly.  No biffing the landings!” You add, hearing groans from some of your soldiers.  More groans when you tell them the surprise maneuvers they are to complete.  They’re difficult but not impossible for their skill level.

“All right guys, I think this is doable.” Leo chimes in, pumping up his squad mates.  Some were already looking defeated, having the most difficulty with their landings. They all circled up and started motivating each other.  Levi might have the elite group, but no one could rival your squad in the heart department. These guys gave it their all every time, training or battle.

You had a way with these “kids” as you called them that few squad leaders did.  They loved your inclusiveness and your no-blame leadership style.  You made sure they knew they were a team.  Mistakes were learning opportunities, even the fatal ones. Those most of all.  And they did happen to all Scout squads.  It was just the nature of the job.

“OK Captain (y/l/n), we accept the bet!  Get the soap ready!  Let’s do this!”  The whole squad was pumped and ready.  You couldn’t help but grin and hope that you had a lot of laundry to do this week.

“Alright, it’s on.  Keep stretching and warming up!” you say as you walk over to join Levi and watch the last of his team’s maneuvers.

“Well, your team is certainly inspiring some young ones today.” You grin and bump his shoulder.

“Is that why you’re always early?”

“Yes sir, I’ll take all the motivation we can get.”

“So what’s up with that bet? Sounds like a recurring thing with you.” He asks, never taking his gaze from his flyers.

“All the motivation I can get, right?  They really respond well to the bets we make.”

“Did I hear mention of a bet that would have had you walk topless through the mess hall at dinner time?” This question did pull his gaze to you with raised eyebrows. You couldn't help the blush that stained your cheeks.

“That was never going to happen.” You outline the tasks you gave your squad that day.

“Yeah, that would be hard for my group to accomplish.” Levi smirks. “Would you like to join us during our next training session? Maybe my squad would like to try betting on something.”

“That would be amazing! Thank you!” You are beaming. Training with the elites will certainly boost your squad’s morale.

“Alright, day after tomorrow at 1pm.”

“It’s a date.” tumbles out of your mouth.  Levi briefly side eyes you with a slightly scrunched brow at your choice of phrase but continues walking to his squad for their debrief.  You are blushing thinking he might have taken that the wrong way.  Oh well, nothing to do now but show up at 1pm in two days.  Your squad was going to freak out!

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The joint training sessions became a regular once a week thing with the two squads.  The bets initially started out pretty tame.  Levi and you lost several but when they were “Do 100 push ups” or “Clean all the floors in the barracks”, it was ok.  Neither of you minded losing those.  But the soldiers started getting braver with their wagers.

You knew something interesting was in the works when you see Sasha Braus bouncing on her heels and clapping her hands before you both even make it over to them.

“Alright Sasha, what do you have for us today?” Asks Levi, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised.

“Ohhhh, this is a goooood one!”  Her voice quivers with excitement.  “If we complete all our maneuvers flawlessly, landings included, Captain (y/l/n) has to do 10 push ups.”  She’s so excited, she can hardly continue.

“Sasha, that’s not a challenge.” You add, knowing there has to be more to it. You notice Jean, Conny, and Eren look slightly uncomfortable.

“That’s not all!  With every push up, you and Captain Levi have to KISS!”  She literally squeals. Your eyes grow large.

“Sasha, that only works if both parties are consensual.”  You roll your eyes, knowing Levi will not agree to this.

“What do you mean Captain (y/l/n)?  You wouldn’t consent to that?”

The phrase you could hear a pin drop is very apropos in this moment as all eyes are on Levi with gaping mouths.  You could swear you heard the wind of heads turning.

“You mean to tell me YOU consent to that?” You ask incredulously.

Levi takes your arm and pulls you aside.  “The task fits the bet, right?  Here’s what we’ll have them do.”  He outlines his plan and the butterflies in your stomach still. But you’re not sure if you’re relived or disappointed knowing your squad will definitely not be able to pull this off. Were you hoping to lose this one?

“Perfect. Let’s tell them.” You grin.

You both walk back over, and Levi lays out the maneuvers they’ll have to perform in order to win the bet.

They are obviously shaken but the elites take the young ones aside, and after a 10-minute pep talk and possible strategy session, they return and accept your conditions. Is this task as difficult as Levi thought? They seem pretty confident. "We accept!" Sasha yells.

Levi looks at you and winks. “Alright, get going then.”  In pairs, the two squads enthusiastically enter the training arena.

The last teams are nearly finished.  You look over at Levi nervously.  All the pairs assigned to you were flawless.  How could that be?  The elites really were inspiring, but you realized you might have been going a little too easy on your team.  What a sight to behold.  And your squad was so proud of themselves.  You would have made a bet to kiss a titan for this!

Levi’s mouth is agape as he slowly turns his head to look at you.  You both just stare at each other in disbelief, his expression saying everything you needed to know.  His group was flawless as well.

“Holy shit.” You mumble under your breath, heat now creeping up your neck, your palms sweaty already.

Levi regains his composure, that cool mask of confidence back on his face and in his stance.  He strides toward you looking way more collected than you feel.

“Alright, new strategy.” He says, a sneaky glimmer in his eye. “They didn’t say what kind of kiss, right?”

You pause for a second, realizing what he’s saying and your breath that you didn’t know you were holding is released in a relieved sigh. Is relieved the right word?

“I know where you’re going with this.” You say shaking your head.

“Every time you lower yourself, I’ll turn my head and you kiss somewhere on my face.  Forehead, cheeks, nose.  We’ll keep them guessing.”

“They’re going to be so mad!”

“They should have thought of all the loopholes before they finalized the deal.” Levi stated coolly with a shrug.

Sasha, back to bouncing and clapping, yells “Ok you two!  Assume the position!”

"This is stupid.”-Conny

“I don’t think I can watch this.”-Eren

"Why does Captain Levi get to do the kissing?" -Jean

Meanwhile the girls are giggling messes of anticipation.

Levi lies on the ground, hands casually behind his head like he’s relaxed and getting ready for an afternoon nap. Huh, to feel that relaxed right now. You crawl up his body, your knees straddling his hips and your hands to either side of his neck. Hoots and hollers from the two squads do not help the blush on your face. You raise to plank position, then slowly lower yourself.

Levi’s head remains still until the last second, then turns to the right, offering his cheek for the first kiss.  You lightly feather his skin with your lips before returning to plank.

“Hey, that’s cheating!” Sasha sounds so defeated.

“You didn’t specify what kind of kiss Sasha.  Let this be a lesson to you.  Negotiate better next time.” Levi says smugly. “I want to hear you count!  That was 1, 9 to go!”

The next 4 kisses were met with increasingly under enthused counting as the cheek, nose, and forehead barely-there-pecks were administered.

At the start of the 6th, Levi says to you “My turn.”  Your eyes narrow in confusion and he clarifies “I’m going to kiss you now. Move however you prefer.”  You nod, really just wanting this to be over with. You agree with the squad that this is underwhelming.

You move your head so kisses land on both cheeks, your forehead, and your nose.  Time for the final kiss.  As you start to lower your body, Levi removes his hands from behind his head and places them on either side of your face.  Your eyes widen when he says “Let’s give them a little something more, huh?” You feel those butterflies again as you nod your head in agreement.  And time passes in slow motion.  You continue lowering until your lips meet Levi’s.  At first, the kiss is just a brushing of your lips together.  Levi gently pulls your face away just a bit to look you in the eyes, then lowers you again, this time kissing you properly.  You can’t feel anything else.  Your body feels weightless.  His lips part and his tongue grazes your bottom lip.  You open your lips to him and the kiss deepens, tongues swirling and gliding together.  There’s no one else here but the two of you.  The gasps and cheers from the combined squads don’t reach your ears. You have no idea how long this kiss lasts but you can honestly say you don’t want it to end.

The only thing to break the spell is Eren saying “Geez, are they going to come up for air?”  Levi reluctantly pulls away after a few more brief kisses.  You slowly raise your body, as your eyes open and lock with Levi’s.  “Damn” he mutters softly.  You can’t help but grin a little as you complete your final plank.  You blink your eyes a few times, trying to rid yourself of the spell Levi’s put you under.  You push up to your feet, face flushed and lips swollen.  You offer a hand to Levi, who takes it, even though he doesn’t really need it to get off the ground.  Once vertical, you expect him to release your hand, but instead, he intertwines his fingers with yours and says “Ok kids, show’s over.  Hit the showers.”  The soldiers don’t miss the fact that you’re still holding hands as they depart.  Sasha and Mikasa keep looking over their shoulders, hoping they won’t miss anything else.

Levi whispers in your ear “What do you say Captain?  Ready to hit the shower too?”

what it’s like falling in love with her🦋🥺❤️

(Venus !!)❤️❤️ I did this fast so I apologize for grammar spelling mistakes xox

(I’m doing this by thinking of my friends and their methods or way of acting in romantic relationships however I will make another one doing in love with him and will touch on men with all the venuses that I’ve personally been in love with to add an even more personal touch xox)

Aries- Kisses that are short but kill you in the 5 seconds they last. Gives you forever in a minute. Always leaves you wanting more and that breaks you but fills you simultaneously. She knows that. She’s aware of her presence and that it feels like burning in all the right places. She seems naive and pure at soul, but shes well aware of the danger she holds in her hands and she uses it to her advantage. She loves the wanting, the chasing. She lives for the thrill, the game. She will run away before you can dispose of her heart and she might not let you see those broken parts but might just show a side that’s much funner, when it gets serious she may just become a runner. Sometimes, she is nothing but a machine running on fumes of lust expelling and leaving without a trace whenever she must. Some day she may realize that love might just be worth it, and that she really deserves it. But it still must consist of passion, fireworks, and all, if you plan on keeping her for the long haul.

Taurus Venus- she doesn’t want you to know she is soft, as she’s shown that side before, to many people she has lost. She’s not ready for change so her walls are built high, not even broken open by heavy ocean tides. Deep down she is melting, she is all love at the core. Filled with romance and god, so much more. She wants someone to truly share this with, but forever is all she ever asked for. If you cannot give her that she’ll retreat, become stubborn unable to make two ends meet. she might be slow at first to show her passion, she may show it through a touch that inhibits so much love. there’s nothing better than the comfort of her hug. She will heal all of you through a softness that you didnt think exists. She’s the definition of wife material, someone you’ll forever miss.

Gemini Venus- they describe her as flakey and that’s not always the case. There’s so many sides to her like differing tulips in a vase. I think she likes love but can find it in so many places, I think she can find love amongst so many faces. Maybe it’ll take a while for her to find her forever, but I do think deep down she does want forever. She won’t show all this meaning right off the jump. She’ll show something more innocent, naive and young. She is cute and pure, that, we are sure. She hides such greatness behind that coy smile, and the right person has to detect that, to truly find that. Maybe that’ll take a while. but that person will come that realizes shes more than just fun, she is the moon, just as much as she is the sun. She is eccentric and wildly funny. Her love feels like flying which is freeing but, a little terrifying, honey! It sometimes feels like, at any moment, she might let go, leaving one freezing in the December snow. Once it is true love, she is just as comforting as she is adventurous, she’ll give the whole world and expect nothing in return. Her love comes in teachings and there’s something we all can learn, from the glimmer in her eyes to her childlike hope. if she is truly in love, you will know.

Cancer Venus- her love feels just like home. The mom or dad you never had, and to play that role, she’s probably glad. every touch is enveloped with so much care. You can still smell the sea within her hair. She might be the mother or the baby or maybe even both, she always did help you unfold. When you think of her, you think of making out in your childhood bedroom, you think of the clinginess she exuded, maybe the eternal doom. The moods were never your favourite but you learned to savour it. You accepted every side of her maybe even the annoying parts too. She was your special seashell in the deep ocean blue, her love was nothing but true.

Leo Venus- Golden shimmers from above, a dramatic flair when it came to love. It was always, all show, all beauty, nothing below. Sometimes that was beautiful, sometimes you hated it. There was no in between, she served melodrama for breakfast lunch and dinner and you ate it up, there was no room for desert. Her love was like light shows and the strips of Las Vegas, entrancing but maybe too much at times. there was some innate programming she had that made her feel like she was never enough, but that she was, that she was. She was the big romantic gesture, love was extravagant and so was she. She wanted a love as she saw on the screens, the one that filled her childhood dreams. It was hard to live up to her firey passions, but it was worth it because she’d give you so much in return. She would love you till her flicker would burn out and she was all just heavy smoke and she’d continue loving you in the darkness. They called her the lion for a reason, her loyalty was fierce but her wrath was even fiercer. Her love was so lush, yet, the anger would defeat her.

Virgo Venus- Pure and awkward. The angel that was too good for you, the one that made you dream of laying and praying beside her feet. Not because her flirting skills were smooth and effortless, not because of lusty bedroom eyes, but because of the sweetness that filled her tired sighs. You could see that she wanted something real and that, pursuing maybe wasn’t her strong point, but you would do that for her. Once you got to know her, you unpeeled every layer and found more and more gold underneath, it scared her to show it, but her love grew fonder and she did it more confidently as time went on. Time is what grew our love and our passion, and it was as real as it could ever be. It was divination, it was serving a higher purpose. It was husband and wife, Adam and Eve, something so religious, something so prestiged. It may have seemed regular classic or boring. But to us it felt like our own little story. You got to know a bit more everyday and the excitement of that never did go away. I thank you for fixing all my brokenness even if it was slowly and surely, I thank you for helping me change. You are the only god to which I would pray to, the only holy ness that made the sadness go away.

Libra Venus- She’ll scare the hell out of you with her words. They’ll fall out of her mouth effortlessly, soft flower buds, blooming. She knows just what to say and she holds so much power in that. Her charm and her brilliance got you down on your knees, just a sentence, is all that it takes. Kisses sweet like strawberry shakes. But before you know it she doesn’t love you anymore, it was just a fantasy she had, merely a mirage. It wasn’t real but to you it was and it’s confusing and it’s making you insane. She didn’t mean to cause any pain, she is a fairy in the garden bouncing from tree to tree ever so lightly, taking what she can get and moving on to what’s meant for her. And maybe that wasn’t you. Maybe that’s ok. Because she’ll find someone who makes her heart beat from their touch and their words, someone that doesn’t make her want to create an imaginary world. Someone who just is pure beauty to her, someone who is nothing but real true love. Something more down to earth and better than the heavens up above. She will find it. And she will never let go.

Scorpio Venus- the tension that she holds. “Are we angry at eachother or are we so in love we can’t breathe?”She always made you feel both. Sometimes you thrived off of it, sometimes it made you seasick. She bit your lip and made it bleed as she pulled you in for your final kiss. She cried a little as she left. There was softness in her dark facade there was something light and airy. You only could touch it for a second before it slipped back underneath the oily meSs. The chaos was exciting and her loyalty was meaningful. Her jealously could kill and that you’ve seen. You smelled danger from a mile away on her shirt and you gravitated towards it for some reason. She’ll make her scar and the slice will hurt your skin, but you’ll forever want to bleed. She is what you need.

Sagittarius Venus- with her, love wasn’t hard. No, she made you think it was easy. It was giggles and being best friends. It was passionate make outs and spontaneous adventures. Love is all well and fun. Love is the horizon, a new dawn, abeautiful beginning. But sometimes it had to end. Sometimes she would run free and realize “this isn’t for me.” And sometimes she would come back as if nothing happened. It seemed like dissapearjng but to her it was just living out her honest truth. She wouldn’t wanna stay if what you felt for her wasn’t the same as what she felt for you. when it’s good it’s all passion, it’s perhaps not romantic but casual and fun. it’s two love birds on the run. Don’t know where they are going but they’re together and isn’t that what matters? They don’t know that eventually both their hearts might shatter. She loves the unpredictable and will revel in it with you, images of soaking your hands in waterfalls and late night rendezvous.

Capricorn- Her love is timid and perhaps bitter, but once she falls in love she’ll be unsure what hit her. She may laugh at romance till she is in the dream herself, she’ll then learn to fall in love with love itself. It takes a lot to serenade this girl, and she wants nothing less than what is perfect and no one can deny that she deserves it. She showed true commitment and loyalty and someone treated her like a joke and left her broken without a glint of hope. She is now careful in love and can you really blame her? But once you tear those walls down it’s impossible to tame her. She’ll want kisses in public and cuddles by the fire, she’ll believe that you are more than worthwhile. Yes it may take a while to break down the stones that she’s pilled in front of her heart, she will be more like concrete, but a soft touch and a smile that means well might just turn her into fragile glass, into running water. If you bash those walls down with steely swords and fight the dragons that protect her pretty soul than she might just believe in you, you might just help her believe in love again, and ultimately, she might believe in herself.

Aquarius- She will confuse you as she shape shifts into whatever he pleases. Sometimes, she is one full of romance and love and she gives you summer heat and sweet icecream. But sometimes the sunshine is fleeting, she is cold and detached and wants to be nothing more than friends. She is full of surprises and contradictions. She loves in a way that is strange but captivates you, you always want to know more. She is a good and loyal friend, funny and filled with adventures and a good wit. She is awkward and unsure of how to pursue true love though she does want it. deep inside she’ll never admit it, no, those feelings she hides. She’ll pull you in, and there you are falling in her wishing well, unable to climb back out and sometimes you can surround yourself in her water and drown in feelings but sometimes it’s empty and vacant, depressing, sometimes she is an endless drought. She’ll make you love her so much it terrifies you but she’s like electricity in your veins, absolutely addicting.

Pisces- She is the girl with eyes full of stars staring at you across the crowded room with a shy smile. She will not approach you but instead let herself escape to a dream in which you are the main role, she will be able to taste your lips, to smell your cologne even as she is not near you, even when she’s lying in bed at home. She will wish for you to come and save her from herself and she wishes you are as good as her heart makes you up to be, she wishes when you finally come and love her that you will never leave, because when she is abandoned, she is still left with those empty dreams. And the fantasies do haunt her, the memory of your soft kiss will taunt her. I hope for your sake you live up to what she dreamt you to be, otherwise she may be surprised, heartbroken, and she will not hesitate to leave. To chase some perfect crystallized image that dances in her head, she’ll cry and scream when people tell her Prince Charming simply does not exist, but she still believes all her past lovers were simply frogs she had to kiss and that she still awaits her soulmate. All this love and lust is only fictious for she is just the girl with eyes full of stars staring at you across the crowded room with a shy smile. Do approach her.

I have said a Lot about the “Raph is a system” theory over the past several months, so this is something of a compilation post. It’s got some new stuff, it’s got some old stuff. (You’re reading Part 1) (Part 2 is here) (Part 3 is here)

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Firstly, “system” is the term for someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder, or DID. (The term can also apply to some folks with OSDD.) Someone might develop DID after experiencing long-term trauma at an early age- roughly five or six years old. To paraphrase the DSM-V:

1. We’ve seen three (possibly four) distinct personality states who speak, act, and perceive others differently.

2. The personality states, or “alters”, don’t necessarily share memory, and Donnie insinuated in “The Clothes Don’t Make the Turtle” that Raph has a bad memory in general.

3. Problems arise when alters don’t get along or aren’t on the same page. That none of them seem to be quite aware they’re a system doesn’t help either; it’s hard to work on communication and cooperation when you don’t know they need to be worked on!

4. This whole situation isn’t a normal part of a broadly accepted cultural or religious practice, or just Raph playing make-believe. (Though I wonder if he had “imaginary friends” when he was younger...)

5. It’s also not because Raph’s been smoking the devil’s lettuce or whatever. “Pizza Puffs” was one long weed joke and he was the only one “sober” (not poisoned) throughout! We don’t see this happen to other mutants, so it’s not a bizarre side effect of mutagen either.

(I’ve seen a few people joke that Mikey has “multiple personalities”, but that’s a tad yikesy and also just plain incorrect. His “doctor” personas are something he does deliberately, and youngest siblings are just Like That.)

So yeah, Raph is pretty heavily DID-coded. We’ve seen four alters so far:

“Host” Raph (HR): He’s our everyday Raph. A “host” is an alter who fronts most of the time and takes care of “business as usual” situations. They are often unaware of past traumatic events, such that they can appear “normal”. (Ex: the host of a child who lives with an abusive parent could be unaware of the abuse. Otherwise, they might cry or be uncooperative whenever the parent is near, further invoking their wrath. This unawareness allows them to be a “good child”, and stay under the parent’s radar sometimes.) Some systems have more than one host, but that the others have shown up so rarely in this story suggests HR is the only host (for now?).

Savage Raph (SR): Debuting in “Man vs. Sewer”, he’s a survival-oriented alter. HR probably could have defeated the Sando Brothers on his own under normal circumstances, but being in the middle of a breakdown doesn’t do much for your fighting skills. SR got pulled to the front to deal with them instead.

“Red” Raph (RR): “Red” is just a placeholder since we don’t actually know his name yet (or even if he has one, not all alters do), though I’ve also heard folks call him “Angel”. He’s got a “tough love” approach to problem-solving, which was probably a helpful thing in the past. LDM were no doubt rowdy children! We were (officially) introduced to him in “Pizza Puffs”.

Mind Raph (MR): MR could just be a manifestation of HR's thought process via Cartoon Goofery, but that possibility doesn’t give me anything to work with so I’m ignoring it. He’s pretty similar to HR, maybe a tad more upbeat. We (officially) met him in “Raph’s Ride-Along”.

When “Pizza Puffs” first aired, I was like “ah yes, this is the alter who has the cranky edgelord tendencies we’ve seen in previous iterations of Raph. He probably broods on rooftops in the rain when he’s in a bad mood.” Combining that with the whole “Red Angel” thing gives off some Batman vibes. And, of course, SR is similar to the Hulk. Those two heroes are pretty different, but they do have one major thing in common...

A sudden, violent loss. Given how prevalent rushing water is throughout “Man vs. Sewer”, I’m thinking a flood came through and separated Raph from his family. (You could probably argue that turbulent water symbolizes a turbulent subconscious? 🤷) Again, DID stems from long-term trauma, so Raph must have been gone for... a while. A couple of months, maybe more? It’s hard to say exactly; we have a little wiggle room when applying human developmental psychology to a human/turtle mutant. Since Splinter still needed to care for the other three, he wouldn’t have been able to devote much time to searching for Raph, and the New York City sewers go on for miles and miles. The longer Raph was alone, the more convinced he would have been that the others had drowned and he was the only survivor.

How old would he have been? I know the turtles are “different ages”, but they were all mutated at the same time so I’m pretty sure Splinter was just like “the littlest one is the youngest, the biggest one is the oldest, and the medium-sized ones are the middle children.” They’re all probably fourteenish by “Finale”. Back in “MvS”, Leo said, “You know how savage Raph gets when he’s alone”. He didn’t say anything like, “You know how savage Raph gets when he’s alone ever since such-and-such an incident happened”. This suggests that LDM straight-up don’t know something traumatic happened to Raph; they were too little to retain concrete memories of that time. In their minds, Raph has always been like this. Draxum isn’t known for his patience, so even though he wasn’t able to immerse the hatchlings in mutagen for long, they probably mature a bit faster than humans. And since humans usually can’t remember anything from before four years of age, three sounds about right for the turtles, though they would have been stronger and steadier on their feet than any human toddler. I doubt Raph would have survived otherwise.

I think he’s sort of... “stuck” back in that trauma. Catching food, building a fire, making a weapon, and getting camouflage aren’t the behaviors of someone who’s only been gone for a few minutes.

When SR called for help, I don’t think he was expecting anyone to answer.

But Raph did manage to hang onto something as he was swept away! It wasn’t much, but that little ragdoll gave him comfort while he was scared and alone.

(The rabbit design on Bruce’s pajamas is probably a coincidence, but...)

Raph seems the type to have sympathy for odd-looking toys. His knockoff Mrs. Cuddles plushie was the emotional crutch he needed back then.

And then he was separated from that as well. Lowkey associating Mrs. Cuddles with this traumatic event would explain why HR was so scared of her. That he doesn’t remember the trauma means he has no context for this fear, making it seem silly and baseless to him (and to the rest of his family), which is why he denied being scared at all in the first part of the “Mrs. Cuddles” episode. It would also explain why he collects teddy bears instead these days, they are a “safe” toy. (The moral of the story is to not make fun of triggers that seem silly.)

(I wonder what would happen if Mrs. Cuddles encountered Savage Raph? Perhaps he’d be quite sympathetic towards such a lonely little raggedy thing! Timestuck as he is, he probably wouldn’t question why a stuffed animal can talk... and it wouldn't be hard for her to persuade her “new bestest fwiend” to get rid of some “mean ol’ nasty sewew monstews” for her.)

That whole “sewer monsters” thing suggests Raph ran into... something while he was wandering alone. Y’all have heard those rumors about alligators living in the New York City sewers, right? Encountering Leatherhead could trigger a flashback.

It would be pretty easy to introduce Leatherhead into the narrative. One of the episodes the Rise crew had planned was titled “The Island of Dr. Noe”, and alligators have very impressive teeth. The Mirage comics had a story where Leatherhead and several cryptids were brought to an island to be hunted for sport.

Noe seems to have quite a few cronies/friends/rivals he could entertain this way. Since he’s got that obsession with Raph, Noe captures him as well, knocking him out with those darts so he can’t waste his energy trying to escape too soon. (Let’s just assume everyone’s powers are glitchy because they all hit another wave of puberty, meaning they can’t just curbstomp the lower-level villains lol.)

HR wakes up on the island and, of course, starts to panic because he’s lost and alone. While wandering, he runs into Leatherhead, which would trigger a flashback to getting attacked by that alligator all those years ago. But Leatherhead doesn’t want to fight! He’s just as scared and confused as HR is, and could really use a partner to help him survive this island.

HR and SR come into conflict because Leatherhead is/isn’t/is/isn’t/is/isn’t a threat. HR eventually wins out, reasoning that even if Leatherhead is that alligator, it wouldn’t be fair to judge him for what he did back when he was an animal.

But time and dissociation can make memories unclear. That our first look at Leatherhead was in Draxum’s “bluh bluh I’m gonna mutate all the humans” bit in “Bug Busters” means he’s a human-base mutant. He wasn’t the alligator back then, but the hunter tracking it. Leatherhead isn’t one of Noe’s targets, he is one of Noe’s guests! And he wants no one to interfere with his quarry, so he’ll play nice long enough for him and the snapper to take out the rest of the hunters and the freaks. Then the two of them will have the island all to themselves...

Years and years ago, Jack Marlin was a big game hunter prowling the New York City sewers in search of an alligator. He did manage to find and kill one, only to realize it had also been hunting! He had inadvertently saved the strangest little turtle creature.

Marlin had become too skilled at this point, the hunt held no challenge for him. This turtle sounded very young, and he was quite big and strong already. An adult could be tough and intelligent enough to entertain him. Marlin tried to get Raph to lead him back to “the others”. But Raph had been lost for some time, and as far as he knew, his family was dead. Hearing that put Marlin in quite the sour mood. A little mutant snapper is a better catch than none at all, so Marlin tried to haul Raph off. Raph fought back and bit off Marlin’s hand. He escaped, but lost his rabbit in the scuffle. Marlin retreated as well, taking some time to recover, scheme, and hunt other game. (And to pocket that rabbit. The blood loss had made him woozy, and he wanted to have some kind of proof he hadn’t just hallucinated the snapper.) Perhaps he turned that alligator’s hide into a vest, which provided the genetic material for his mutation when he eventually got bit by an oozesquito. Like his Mirage counterpart, Marlin didn’t take losing a limb as a sign he should retire, and instead got a tricked-out prosthetic. Who knows what he could do with it in such a mystic setting as Rise.

Raph eventually reunited with his family, but those distrustful, high-strung survivalist traits he had picked up weren’t helpful anymore. He once again had to be the good and patient big brother who didn’t bite when someone play-tackled him or shook him awake at three in the morning because they’d had a nightmare. Those two states gradually got partitioned off more and more, and now they know little, if anything, about each other.

So Leatherhead and HR are chasing away some mothmen or whatever, and things are going pretty well... until one of them knocks Leatherhead over and a familiar ragdoll rabbit falls out of his pocket. SR realizes that Leatherhead is Marlin and switches in to fight him off again. They’re evenly matched, or perhaps SR is even in danger of losing, when LDM arrive to provide support. Leatherhead is enough of a tactician to know that he should retreat. Donnie and Mikey pursue him while Leo stays behind, placing the rabbit in his stunned brother’s hands. “Remember when Pops made this for you? You were always really gentle with it, ‘cause he wasn’t good at sewing back then...”

(This thing really needs patching up, he’s got sewing stuff for whenever he needs to fix his bears/Blue isn’t a threat on his own/Wasn’t he just back at the lair?/Blue gave back the rabbit/Why does he feel like he got hit by a train?/Blue doesn’t want to fight?/ ...Leo?) And that’s enough for HR to switch back in. He’s probably missing memory from his whole time on the island, so while Leo does his best to tell him what happened, they don’t have enough puzzle pieces between them to truly figure out what's going on.

They defeat the bad guys, release the cryptids, save the day, etc. (Leatherhead managed to lose Donnie and Mikey in the woods. A battle for another day.) Once they return to the lair, HR gets help from Draxum to modify the memory spell from “E-Turtle Sunshine” so he can try to fill in the gaps. Surely he wouldn’t get rejected by his own subconscious... right?

Cue part three in the saga of Raph Punches Himself In The Face. SR isn’t happy that HR is essentially trying to poke at an improperly-healed wound, and attempts to chase him off. HR assumes that SR is just a psychic white blood cell like the Lou Jitsu constructs in Splinter’s mind, and retaliates.

But, of course, fighting is not the answer here. All that accomplishes is giving the body bruises. Eventually HR realizes “stay away” and “back off” are a little different than “get out”, and that SR is just scared. So HR tries another tactic. Over the following days and weeks, he tunes in to calmer memories and just sort of... talks. About what happened yesterday, about his teddy bear collection, about how he finally managed to get a good picture of that pizza pigeon. It takes a while to establish a connection, and even then, it’s spotty at best. Using the spell too much can cause headaches and nightmares. There are days when SR is nearby, and days when he’s not there at all. But he shows up when he can.

And then there’s awkward, stilted conversation and questions neither of them know how to answer and questions neither of them want to answer and more scrapes and bruises and strained silences and apologies, but they finally, finally reach a compromise. SR still doesn’t let HR near those memories, but he tells HR what happened as best he can. (The audience would see those memories, with SR as a voiceover.) Afterwards, HR still visits the mindscape that’s starting to become more solid. They talk some more, they watch light and shadow flow around them, they listen to half-forgotten lullabies on scratchy old cassette tapes. Eventually, HR doesn’t even need to use the memory spell, meditation is enough.

They’ll never get along all the time. But it’s a start.

(SR is going to be so clingy when it finally clicks for him when he finally lets himself believe that his family is alive.)

---

This took eight million years lmao. Parts 2 and 3 will come out eventually, they’ll focus more on MR and RR. Let me know if I need to tag this stuff as anything.

The usual disclaimer applies, I am not a system or a mental health professional so if you’re one or both of those things then feel free to give me some of that good good constructive criticism.

Mana-Shock

Everybody—well, @today-only-happens-once and many of her followers—has been shipping Virgil with magical exhaustion lately; what choice did I have? Only I figured I'd up the ante: life-threatening magical exhaustion! And then the whole thing got away from me. Whoops!

Genre: Fantasy AU, drama

Word Count: 2,395

Summary: Sorcerer!Virgil overdoes it while fighting a demon. Like, way overdoes it.

Ship: Platonic LAMP (Roman-centric)

Warnings: Exhaustion of various kinds and degrees. Risk of death/mention of dying. Very minor blood. Food. I think that's it.

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

At last, it was almost over. That much was definite. But it still remained to be seen which way it would end.

Dark energy rippled across the battlefield in waves, each one striking the demon with nigh-cataclysmic force. It was a wonder, Roman thought, that Virgil was still holding himself upright, even with Patton bolstering him. Humans weren't meant to channel that much energy of any type at once, let alone Dark energy...but then again, Virgil wasn't entirely human, was he? Roman couldn't remember how far back the demon ancestor was—five or six generations, something like that, it didn't really matter, he was human enough, he had a soul, they'd proven it—but Virgil was certainly drawing on every scrap of that heritage, turning the demon's own power back on it. It was Logan who had figured out the key to defeating it, and Roman who had chiseled way at its physical form until it was vulnerable to sorcery, but only Virgil could properly handle the energy infusing its lair, having soaked in just from the dread being's presence over a period of time.

Virgil was hammering the demon with its own leftover energy...and it was costing him. Oh, was it costing him. They had known it would, that a demon this size would never go down easy, even if they had discovered how to destroy it, but Virgil hadn't hesitated to volunteer. It had to be done, so he would do it.

Roman was starting to think he had never grasped the true meaning of courage until now. It was easy to be “brave” when you had inherited the Sovereign Sword (against which no evil can stand!) and an Achilles Amulet—when your own survival was all but assured and your personal victory was more than likely. Virgil was stepping up even in the absence of such guarantees, and Roman felt a little ashamed to have considered himself a hero by comparison.

The demon roared—an oddly metallic sound—and flinched back a few paces. Virgil continued to press the attack. Shorn of its physical form, the demon was incapable of striking back as long as Virgil's assault continued, which meant the entire venture hung upon his stamina. If he held out long enough to destroy the demon, they would win. If not, it would recover and they would fail. And probably all die. So far, so good...but then it happened.

Patton's spell—the twin gold-white auras as he funneled his own spare mana to Virgil, to help him keep going under the onslaught of the tremendous power he was manipulating—flickered and went out. Patton staggered against a tree, panting, his face ghostly white and slick with sweat. “I—I'm spent!” he gasped. “No more left!”

Now Virgil was on his own, energy-wise. So he planted his feet ever more firmly and, with a faint growl, doubled his channeling rate.

The entire space of the forest glade seemed to warp and twist as the Dark energy was sucked from the environment and beamed back at its original source. The demon let out a wheedling whine; Virgil answered with a wordless roar. And Roman felt like a moron for thinking the young sorcerer had been tapping fully into his demonic heritage before, because now his teeth were lengthening and sharpening before all of their eyes, and his fingers were extending into claws, and there was a faint purplish glow coming from his eyes that seemed to somehow infuse certain things in the glade, causing the sorrel blossoms and the white mushrooms and Roman's own jacket to glow in response.

“This is insane!” Logan wailed. “He can't possibly—”

And then two things happened at more-or-less the same moment.

The demon exploded...well, no, exploded was the wrong word. It blew away, like the ashes of burning paper in a stiff wind, but the wind seemed to come from within it, blowing outward in all directions. Either way, it dissipated, hopefully destroyed but if not, then at least banished back to the Nether Realm of its origin.

And Virgil collapsed.

There was no dignity to it—he simply folded up, one second wobbling on his feet and the next sprawled on the moss, motionless. The other three let out shouts of horror and scrambled to his side. Patton, stiff with fatigue, fumbled in his pouch for his Heart's Eye while Logan checked Virgil's vital signs on the mundane level.

“How bad is it?” Roman asked.

“Bad,” Logan said flatly. Virgil's skin was so drained of color that it appeared almost gray, and his breath came in shallow, rattling gasps. Patton found the crystal he was looking for and peered through it at the fallen sorcerer.

“No...” he murmured, “...no, no, please! Virgil!”

“What?” Roman begged.

“His aura...it's gone!”

“Mana-shock,” Logan nearly whispered. “He completely drained himself. He's dying.”

“No—he can't—we have to do something!” Roman protested. “A mana transfer can save him, can't it?”

“Transfer from where?” Patton said mournfully. “I'm all tapped out, and you and Logan aren't mages. All we can do now is try to keep him comfortable.” He shrugged off his sky-blue cloak and laid it over Virgil like a blanket.

“We still have mana,” Roman pointed out. “We just don't know how to access it at will.”

“And therefore, we cannot offer it for transfer,” Logan said.

“Well, I don't accept that!” Roman barked, springing to his feet. “I'll—we—I...how much time does he have?”

Patton shrugged. “An hour, two hours at most. His power has already started feeding on his base life-force. Once that's gone...so is he.”

“Time enough,” Roman said. “I will figure out how to access my mana and save him! I swear it!”

He strode away from the somber group, his mind racing. Gaining conscious access to one's mana wasn't exactly easy—otherwise everyone would be a mage—but it wasn't exactly hard either. What it was, was unique to each person, to the point of near-randomness—some people found their technique in desperate circumstances (such as this, he thought glumly), while others stumbled across theirs while letting their minds wander. And every mage described their mana differently. Patton compared his to the reservoir of water underneath a kitchen and himself to the pump, while Virgil (oh gods, Virgil) had always said that using his was more like stepping backward into a shadow and letting it flow into and through him. Roman's sword instructor, Mr. Leo, said that for a battle-mage like himself, mana was just one more weapon in the arsenal, with its own associated fighting stances and moves, there to be taken out when needed and put away afterward.

A sudden thought struck Roman. He drew the Sovereign Sword and stared at it. Its light was subdued, without a nearby force of evil to contend with, but he could still feel its power humming, rattling him right down to the marrow of his bones. His eyes widened with realization.

He rushed back to the others, waving the Sword recklessly in his excitement. “I've got it! Sword! Mana!”

“Slow down,” said Logan.

Roman took a moment to get his words in order, giving him more than enough opportunity to take in the scene—as he had left it, more or less, except that Virgil's breaths had gotten weaker and his discoloration more pronounced. Even an hour was looking like a long shot.

“The Sovereign Sword uses the wielder's mana to trigger its powers,” Roman explained. “I can't tap my mana on purpose, but the Sword can! Can we use that somehow?”

Patton blinked. Then he blinked again, furrowing his brow. “Maybe I can...” he said in a voice that barely dared to hope. “Bring it here.”

Roman offered the Sword to Patton, but the healer only lightly grasped the blade, positioning his thumb on the edge so that it barely nicked the skin. He closed his eyes as a bead of blood welled up around the steel, and Roman recognized in his posture and breathing the signs of the slightest degree of meditative trance. After a moment, Roman felt a minute nudge at the core of his being, and Patton's eyes flew open again.

“Yes! I might be able to use it as a conduit! Oh! Quick! Roman, here, hold it so the tip rests just over his heart, like so! Logan, more trail mix please!”

Logan pulled a small muslin bag out of his pack and tossed it to Patton, who poured nuts and dried fruit from it directly into his mouth, hastily chewing and swallowing. Then he shifted position, taking hold of the Sovereign Sword again and wincing as the sharp edge settled back into the cut on his thumb.

“Okay, Roman,” he said. “This won't hurt. But your mana's not used to being tapped in this way and it might resist. If you feel a sudden urge to pull back, you need to..,to not do it, okay?”

“Okay,” Roman said, his voice cracking slightly.

“Logan? Please watch Roman for signs of exhaustion. It shouldn't take much of his mana to give Virgil a chance, but if it fights too hard, he could still be at risk, and I won't have the instinctive sense of when to stop like I would transferring my own mana. If Roman looks like he's in danger of passing out or anything, make us stop. I won't risk anyone else.”

“Of course,” said Logan.

Patton paused, using his free hand to stroke Virgil's bangs away from his ashen face. “Hang in there just a bit longer, kiddo,” he said. “We've got a plan to save you after all.”

They began. Roman hadn't known what to expect, but he was startled anyway at the sensation of something grabbing at his core, exactly where the nudge had been earlier. He started to flinch away from it, but stopped himself just in time. Still, it felt weird, like ghostly fingers fidgeting around inside his soul and flicking away bits of it. The remaining portion throbbed in protest and tried to push the fingers away, and it took all of Roman's will power to overrule the urge. He felt a whimper escape his lips.

“Patton, this is hurting him,” came Logan's voice, distant and fuzzy, as if coming through layers of wool.

“No!” he gasped. “Keep going! I'm all right!”

“His mana is fighting harder than I expected,” Patton said wearily. His voice, oddly, was as clear as a bell. “I don't know if...”

“Keep going!” Roman said again, even though he was starting to feel light-headed. “We can't fail!”

And with that, it was as if a window opened up before him, and beyond the window was a table, and on the table was an ornate oil lamp, its flame burning bright and strong. A breeze, somehow visible, was flitting in and out of the window, plucking at the flame, which flickered evasively. Roman understood at once, and he reached through the window, scooped up half the flame, and handed it to the breeze, which fluttered off somewhere. The window slammed shut.

Roman opened his eyes just long enough to see Virgil suddenly draw in a deep, desperate breath. Then the trees of the glade closed in and everything faded to black.

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

Roman awoke, and there was a window. But this time it was his bedroom window, and the light coming through it was morning sunlight. He felt heavy and slow, and it took some more waking up for him to realize that it was because someone had left three or four extra blankets on top of him.

A tidal wave of memory engulfed him and he sat bolt upright, flinging the blankets away. His head spun but he ignored the sensation. “Virgil!”

“Roman?” came Patton's muffled voice from the other side of the door. “Was that you I heard?”

“Yes...?” Roman replied. “You can come in if you want.”

Patton opened the door and entered, carrying a tray of some kind of pastry. Roman's stomach growled, but the vertigo chose that moment to reassert itself and he dropped back onto the pillows. “How are you feeling?” Patton asked.

“Pretty wiped out,” Roman confessed. “But forget about me. What about—?”

“—Virgil?” Patton beamed. “He's going to be all right. We saved him—you saved him. I don't know how, but you gave me more than enough mana to transfer without killing yourself. Now here—eat up, build back what you lost. I brought you some cheese-and-berry tarts. They're loaded with calories and nutrients, just like my trail mix.”

“Not sure I'm up to eating just yet,” Roman muttered. “If Virgil is all right...can I see him?”

“If you like,” said Patton, “but he won't have anything to say. He'll probably sleep for a couple more days yet.” Roman made a noncommittal grunt and Patton hastily continued, “Aw, don't look so crestfallen, kiddo! You accomplished something amazing yesterday! How did you do it, anyway?”

Roman opened his mouth to reply, but found the memory of how he had accessed his mana flowing away from him. Something about a window and...a candle? “I...don't remember,” he admitted. “I guess I'm still not a mage.”

“Well, that's okay. Mage or not, you're the best swordfighter I've ever known. And you're also a hero. We still have our dear friend because you wouldn't give up even when it seemed hopeless, and because you put yourself at risk for him.”

“I thought you'd be mad at me about that, actually,” Roman said. “You didn't want me to take that risk; I remember that much.”

“Wellllllll...it all worked out for the best, so I can't be too upset,” said Patton. “I might feel differently later, but we can cross that bridge when we get there. Now eat up; get your strength back. I've got the kettle on and I'll bring you some tea as soon as it's ready.”

“Actually,” Roman said with a yawn, “I think I need some more rest first.”

“Suit yourself. I'll leave the tarts here for you; promise me you'll eat something when you wake up again?”

“Sure thing, Pat,” Roman said. His eyelids drooped.

He had drifted off again before Patton was fully out of the room, a flame burning resolutely in the darkness.

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 222: Reverberations

Once the fireworks ended, people began to disperse and leave for their homes for the evening. The clean up crew was already deployed and the band was packing up. Leo and Elsa were preparing to depart for a short honeymoon aboard Pegasus. They had accepted Glinda's offer to stay at one of Emerald City's luxurious resorts for a couple days and were going there soon. But not before they sat down as a family to hear about James and Aphrodite's experience in the Underworld.

"Wow...so you were actually Anchises?" Leo asked.

"I was...and before you ask, no, Eros is not related to you by blood. Zeus explained that I'm only related to David in this life as James," James replied. Leo let out a small breath of relief at that.

"And the curse on you both...it's finally broken?" Snow asked. They nodded.

"Once George placed my mother's enchanted charm in my hand, it restored my memories. Or at least my real memories of this life and how we were in love," James replied.

"The man I was...after I lost her wasn't the real me, it turns out. After George stripped me of my memories of Aphrodite, he found a way to warp my mind and mold me into what he wanted me to be," James explained.

"My memories of James were erased too, by Blue and Hera," Aphrodite added.

"It wasn't much longer after that, maybe a year at most that I was killed. But this time, Zeus decided that he was tired of seeing her be hurt and bargained with Hades to deny my revival," he explained.

"But then Athena convinced him to allow James to be revived after he met the two of you in the Underworld. She said that, as my champions, you two could indirectly bring our curse to an end," Aphrodite said. Snow and David exchanged a glance.

"I...I don't think we did that," Snow said.

"Yes you did...Blue was exposed for what she is because of you. It led to all of this," Aphrodite replied. They smiled.

"We're just glad that you've broken the curse and you'll never lose each other again," Snow gushed, as she rested her head against David's arm.

"Yeah...but how did the Horned King know about the curse? Did you ever find out?" David asked. They nodded.

"We did...it was because James is the one that banished him," Aphrodite said.

"It's how we met in this life, but you and Hermes helped me banish him," he reminded her.

"But you saved me from him, just like you saved me as Anchises and Adonis," she gushed.

"Wait...who else did he save you from?" Emma asked curiously.

"Well...as Anchises, he found me near his home after a bad encounter with Clayton's ancestor. He, with the help of Blue and Hera, tried to trick me into thinking he and his consort were true love to get the chalice," Aphrodite revealed. Snow gasped.

"So that's how he knew about the chalice…" she realized. Aphrodite nodded.

"The knowledge of exactly what the chalice is and what it could do was passed through his family. Later on, Adonis rescued me from Clayton's grandfather, who tried to force me to...be with him," she said, with a shudder.

"Yeah...then Clayton tried to do the same. He wanted her to bear his heir and planned to take her to Atlantis so he could have control of the chalice," James added.

"Oh my God…" Snow said in outrage.

"That explains his obsession with you and the Chalice...and us," David replied.

"You have no idea...he told us himself. His plan was to replace you after Snow was forced to crush your heart. His last ditch effort to have a Divine heir was Snow," James explained.

"Of course it didn't happen, nor did he factor in that you wouldn't be able to have children after Bobby," Aphrodite added.

"Bastard...please tell me he's burning in hell," David said.

"Apparently worse than that. Nyx decided that Tartarus was even too good for him. She sent him somewhere called Gehenna, which apparently only the absolute worst scourges are sent," James said.

"Trust me...Tartarus is a picnic compared to Gehenna," Aphrodite confirmed.

"Good...that's the best news I've heard in awhile," Eva agreed.

"Yeah...now if we could just get rid of Creepyl so Nyx could send him there too," Leo said.

"And we will…" David assured, as he squeezed Snow's hip and she smiled at him.

"We will...and the power rests in your family," Aphrodite said.

"How?" Snow asked.

"Now that I have all my memories...I remember how to utilize the chalice and your star gems to their full extent," Aphrodite replied.

"Then let's do it," David said and she winced.

"The problem is...he'll see it coming a mile away," Aphrodite said.

"Then we have to find a way to take him by surprise," Emma said.

"And we will," Aphrodite promised.

"I guess Clayton is about to get his wish though," Natalie mentioned.

"Hey...no, this baby will be a Charming and his son isn't getting anywhere near him or her," David assured her.

"He's right…" James confirmed, as he looked at his father.

"Did you know about her? Did you walk out on her too?" he asked, a bit sternly.

"He didn't know," Natalie confirmed.

"I didn't...and I wouldn't have walked out if I did. I regretted that with David, as much as I regretted having to give you up," Xander answered. James seemed to accept that answer with less resistance than David did and for the moment, any other questions were quelled for the evening, for the hour grew late.

With that, they saw Leo and Elsa off and everyone else dispersed for the evening after a lovely celebration, despite the brief, rude and unwelcome interruption.

~*~

Jekyll stormed into his lab, with his partners in crime trailing behind him.

"I was so close…" he growled, as he angrily tossed one of the lab tables against the wall, shattering the contents and sending debris everywhere.

"Yes...that backfired quickly," Grimm agreed.

"It's those brats, as usual," Drizella said.

"Particularly the young one, it seems. He did have a significant hand in defeating Seth, after all," Grimm replied.

"What is your point!?" Jekyll snapped.

"My point is...those magical children will always block our path to victory," Grimm said.

"They will block my path to gaining the authorship and they will block hers to the Prince, just as they will block yours to Snow White," he continued.

"This device you created to keep him from touching her was ingenious, but the boy will always circumvent it," Grimm said.

"I still fail to see what your obvious statements contribute toward our success," Jekyll growled.

"I thought it was obvious...we have to isolate Snow and Charming from anyone else that can help them. Then you must be able to overcome the power of their chalice," Grimm reiterated.

"Neither of those is an easy task...but perhaps not impossible," Jekyll mused.

"What...what is this on my arm?" Drizella asked, as she noticed there was a large patch of grayed skin.

"I told you there may be side effects from the injection...it's probably wearing off," Jekyll replied.

"But I need magic if I'm to be the new Evil Queen! Can't you improve the serum?!" she demanded to know.

"I will make some adjustments, but none of this does us any good if we cannot thwart our enemies more completely," Jekyll said.

"Then we have work to do," Grimm replied.

~*~

He was trying not to, but he knew he was brooding again. He stood out on the balcony in the cool night air, only in his sleep pants. Snow was getting changed out of her dress and ready for bed, while he attempted to quell his feelings of anger and failure over Jekyll's latest strike and near victory again. He loved their children and was constantly in awe of their power. But he didn't want them fighting these battles for him. He wanted to take on and defeat Jekyll himself, once and for all. But with his demonic powers combined with his scientific ability to invent seemingly anything, he knew the odds were stacked against him. The image of that monster's hands on his beautiful Snow was seared into his brain and he seethed with barely restrained rage. He felt it start to ebb away though, as he felt her presence behind him. It was their mystical connection and irrevocable love that kept him grounded. She could banish his anger in an instant and the heat of her body behind him beckoned. He turned to her, finding her in a slinky white negligee and emerald eyes that pierced through him. Her eyes spoke to him and he cupped her face in his hands. Whatever fear remained in her slowly ebbed away in that moment at his touch. Their lips met in a smoldering kiss and her arms went around his neck. When their lips finally parted, they were breathless and gasping in ragged impassioned breaths. Her knees nearly gave out, as he kissed her throat and she pressed herself flush against him.

"I need you…" she pleaded.

"I need your hands on me," she begged. Jekyll had starved her of his touch for only moments, but it felt like a lifetime. Perhaps because he had meant to make it a lifetime. They needed each other like air and he had found a way to keep them from the simple act of touching one another, not to mention holding or kissing and it nearly broke them. Just the thought of not feeling his hands on her or his lips pressing against hers was enough to drive her mad and him as well. Never one to deny her anything, he swept her into his arms like she weighed nothing and carried her the short distance to their bed with purpose. David kissed her deeply and pinned her beneath his hard body.

"Charming…" she whimpered, as her body writhed beneath him and ached to be touched. She clawed at his waistband and managed to push his pants down his legs.

~*~

Their lips crashed together again and she moaned, as he gripped her thighs and parted them. She raised her arms and arched toward him, as he pushed her negligee over her head. She mewled, as his hands slid up her sides and to her breasts, cupping her firmly and his lips trailed down her neck.

"Charming…" she cried out again, as he raised up and sat back on his haunches. He pulled her up, straddling her in his lap, as he slid her onto his thick, pulsing cock. She hooked her arms around his neck and he began to pump in and out of her at a rapid pace. He rode her hard, taking her to a place of pure ecstasy, as they made love. As he took her, she hummed in pleasure and she slid her hands into his hair, gently running her fingers through it. They stared into each other's eyes and their shared heart pounded in sync. No words were spoken, but their eyes and heart spoke volumes. For them, this went far beyond physical and always had. They had always been so in tune with each other; a love that had always been on another level than most. Being one in heart and mind already made their connection awe-inspiring. So when they became one in body too, it was nothing short of purely magical and almost ethereal.

He shifted their positions and gently lay her on her back, as his pace became slow and languid, as he now glided deeply into her with each thrust. She lay writhing beneath his undulating body, legs splayed around him. With every thrust, he hit her sweet spot and slowly pushed her to the edge. As she neared her climax, her mewls grew in volume and she raked her nails along his naked back, as her entire body trembled beneath him. He had her right at the edge and her cries became whimpers, as her body begged to come. She was beside herself, her mind clouded in the ecstasy that was him taking her. His slow lovemaking was expertly extending her pleasure in a way only he could do for her. If there was one thing Charming was an absolute expert in, it was all things Snow. They could make love and fuck each other for eternity and it would never be enough for either of them. And she was determined to have him for eternity, despite another looming threat from Jekyll and many other adversaries. He watched her come apart and marveled at the sight. Snow...beautiful Snow, emerald eyes dark with love and lust for him, only for him. Red lips parted, as short pants of air were inhaled and exhaled. Her body writhing and glistening with perspiration, her back arching and her aching for his touch. Her round, full breasts bobbing between them and the moan she made when he put his hands or lips on them was one he wanted to hear forever. The feeling of thrusting inside her was pure heaven and he'd never tire of making love to her. When he was inside her like this, he could hardly form coherent thought and he liked it that way. He liked that it was him that made her dripping wet and cry out wantonly. Gliding into her slickness with slow pumps and feeling her tightness clenching around his cock, quivering and begging for release, was a feeling he wanted to feel for forever.

"Baby…" she whimpered, as she writhed and bucked in the wake of a powerful climax; one that only he could give her. He was close to his own and increased his pace, as the whole bed rocked with them.

"Snow…" he cried out, as he finally came inside her and they trembled together in the wake of their purely magical coupling. He collapsed beside her finally and they cuddled together, as their ragged breathing slowly returned to normal.

"We'll beat him, Snow...because he is never taking you from me. I'll find a way," he promised, as he kissed her forehead.

"I know...I have never doubted you, nor will I. You're the hero in my story, my love...my hero," she gushed, as he kissed her tenderly and they finally drifted off to sleep, thoroughly entwined together...

~*~

Three Days Later

"And Good Morning United Realms!" Le Fou announced, as the morning news show began once again.

"Welcome fellow United Realmers on our first day back from hiatus," Goldilocks said.

"As usual, there's no shortage of news. Just days ago, Prince Leo married Queen Elsa of Arendelle in the celebration of the year," Le Fou reported.

"But since this is Storybrooke we're talking about, it didn't quite go off without a hitch. After the happy couple exchanged nuptials, their reception was interrupted by a dastardly trio," Goldilocks said dramatically.

"Yes...Drizella Tremaine declared herself as the new Evil Queen, a mysterious man named Grimm seemed to issue a challenge to our favorite author, and once again the raging psychopath, Dr. Jekyll made another play for the fair and beautiful Snow White," Le Fou said.

"Yes...and this time, the United Realms' embattled pair had to be saved by their youngest son,"

"They are insufferable...seriously how do they still have jobs?" Paul asked, as he finally turned off the television, while Eva poured coffee into their travel mugs.

"Well...they're mildly entertaining I suppose, though I wish they would find things other than my parents to gossip about," Eva replied.

"Yeah, they definitely need to stop calling them news," he countered and she chuckled.

"Yeah...news, they definitely fail at that. But you know that gossip sells far better than news," Eva said, as she handed him his mug and kissed his cheek. He smiled and pecked her on the lips. Today, they were not headed to the hospital right away, but rather to her parents castle for a meeting. In the infamous war room.

It had been a very long time since her parents had called an actual formal council meeting at the table in the war room and never yet in her lifetime. But with the worldwide undertaking they were about to embark on with the Major, they had decided to convene it to discuss the operations they were about to embark on.

"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded and they joined hands, before leaving their loft for the day.

~*~

Snow giggled, as they cuddled in bed together that morning.

"We really have to get up," she cooed, as he kissed her neck and his hands roamed in the wake of a bout of morning lovemaking.

"Remind me why we scheduled this thing so early?" he asked.

"We didn't baby...we scheduled it for eleven and it's almost ten," she reminded him.

"Really?" he asked. They had been awake for hours, but very busy since.

"Yes," she replied.

"Well, you know what they say...time flies when you're having fun," he said and she giggled, as he kissed her again.

"These last three days have been amazing," Snow said, as he spooned her against him.

"Mmm...yeah, but definitely not long enough," he replied, as he kissed her again.

Since Leo's wedding, they fortunately heard nothing from the wedding crashers and their most nefarious adversary. Instead, they had been allowed three blissful days to spend with each other and their family.

They had family picnics with their kids and grandkids, complete with horseback riding and campfires. They had taken romantic walks on the beach, family dinners at Granny's, and then the last day, they had spent alone together. And they hadn't left their bedroom much on that day.

"We should have pushed this back another day," he murmured against her skin.

"You know we can't...not if we want to take the first two cabal members down," she reminded him.

"Well…Italy is supposed to be romantic so I guess there's that," he agreed, as he slipped out of bed.

"Care to join me in the shower?" he asked, with a sly look.

"Oh, that is an offer I'd never refuse," she replied, as she took his hand and they hurried off to the bathroom.

~*~

Mephisto arrived in Milan and made his way into the luxury hotel where that evening's event was set to take place.

"So...you're here," a man said, as he met him in the lobby with a woman.

"Mr. Landers, I presume?" Mephisto asked.

"Yes Stefan Landers...and this is Ms. Erin Mercer," he replied.

"Perhaps we can go somewhere a little less public," Mephisto suggested. Stefan nodded and led them to the freight elevator, which descended below the hotel.

When they arrived, several levels below ground, the elevator door opened and he observed young women in cages, as well as empty cages ready to snatch unsuspecting young women from the modeling pool.

"So...this is your operation," Mephisto observed.

"Yes...and from what we've been told, you believe that they are coming for us," Erin said. Mephisto smirked.

"Oh, I'm certain of it," Mephisto replied.

"They will come tonight...and we will be ready for them," he added.

"And these two...they will give us the power you said?" they asked. He smirked.

"With these two...we'll have a first class golden ticket to the United Realms and all its power and treasure," he promised...

~*~

It had been a long time since they had held a meeting in the war room and the last time they did, many of the people in this room hadn't been born yet and the one person they used to combat was now one of their best friends and confidantes. How times had changed and evolved, only to come full circle to this moment.

The last time he had led a war room meeting, he had been dressed in his formal royal clothing or battle wear. But today, he wore a simple button down shirt and jeans, common clothing of this realm. But the casual clothing did not mean this was just a casual meeting. They were about to embark on a series of missions outside the comfort of the United Realms borders and taking on some very dangerous people that wouldn't bat an eye at slitting one of their throats. But they would be potentially saving many by taking down this network of corrupted people that purportedly were the people that really ran the world. So, as they always did, Snow and David would begin this new undertaking, despite the looming threat of Jekyll, who they still had to neutralize once and for all.

"Thank you to everyone for coming," David said, as he began the meeting.

"As you know, Snow and I are about to embark on a series of missions with the Major, outside our borders, to dismantle an evil underground network that poses a threat to us and potentially the entire world," David began, as he looked at her. She nodded.

"We've decided that the best way to approach each mission is to assemble a small team to go with us and rotate the team members for each mission," Snow said.

"For this mission, we're going to Italy and attending a high end fashion show. Supposedly, our first two targets are there and they reportedly run a very large global trafficking ring there," David added.

"David is right...and once we take down these two, it will put the others on alert. I will be honest, these missions will be dangerous, each one more so," the Major said.

"And we're supposed to be okay with you putting our parents in the line of fire to fight your battles?" Emma interjected.

"Yeah...I have to agree with Emma. Give me one good reason that we shouldn't wall off the United Realms and let your world deal with its own problems," Regina said.

"Ninety-eight percent of the population doesn't even know these people exist or that their lives are controlled by them," Patricia said.

"The same ninety-eight percent that doesn't believe in magic," Leo chimed in.

"True...but that doesn't mean they don't deserve saving," Patricia countered.

"She's right," Snow agreed.

"Mom...we love you and we love that you and Dad always want to help everyone, but this is so risky," Emma said.

"We know honey, but you know we can't turn our backs on this. Clayton is gone, but this network that he helped create is still doing his evil bidding," Snow replied.

"She's right...we need to take them out, because we know that there is no guarantee that even a barrier will keep these people out of the United Realms forever," David added. Emma sighed, but didn't argue that, because she knew he was right.

"Okay...well since you two are a walking target for mayhem, I volunteer for this first mission," Regina offered.

"We're not…" David started to say.

"Yes you are," all five of his children echoed before he could finish. He rolled his eyes and Snow smiled with a wince.

"We kind of are," she said.

"Fine," he relented.

"Elsa and I are going too," Leo announced.

"You two are still on your honeymoon," David protested. He shrugged.

"And Italy sounds like a great place for an extended honeymoon," he said, as they shared a smile.

"Besides...I think we may enjoy the danger and adventure just as much as the two of you," Elsa replied, as she and Snow smiled at each other.

"Okay, with the Major, that's a team of six," David said.

"You and Mom are going to hate it, but I probably should go on every mission with you," Bobby chimed in.

"You're right...I hate that," Snow said.

"Mom...my magic was the only one that defeated Jekyll's stupid crazy bastard sciencey invention," he reminded her.

"Language," she scolded and he sighed.

"The point is...you're probably going to run into Mephisto out there. You need me if you do," he said. David sighed.

"He's not wrong," he muttered and Snow huffed in annoyance.

"Don't worry Mom...he's got a lot of other magic surrounding him. You know Aunt Regina would blast the crap out of anyone that comes near him," Leo said.

"He's not wrong either," Rumple agreed.

"Fine...then I guess we have our team of seven. That's a good number," Snow said. David nodded in agreement.

"Then we should pack and leave soon," David said.

"How are we getting there? Using a bean isn't a great idea. We'll just freak out a bunch of people and Milan isn't exactly a harbor city," Leo mentioned.

"He's right, though I loathe the idea of a commercial airline and all the staring," Regina said.

"Can we even get on a commercial airline?" Bobby asked.

"There is too much red tape for that, not to mention that none of you have passports and the United States government doesn't even consider any of you citizens," Patricia said.

"That sounds like it could be trouble...especially since you've been fired," David replied.

"It may be...but you do have protections on the borders watching for a breach, right?" she asked.

"My men regularly patrol the outside borders," Fandral chimed in.

"Now that I'm back, I'll be reinforcing our magical protections," Aphrodite said.

"Aye...and if any unrecognized ships enter the Harbor, they'll call me immediately," Killan added.

"Then we shouldn't have anything to worry about for now. If they thought they could invade without it being a bloodbath, they would have done it already. But they have seen what magic can do," Patricia replied.

"So no Jolly Roger or plane. It has to be a portal, but how do we do that without freaking people out?" Leo asked.

"There is plenty of countryside just outside the city. You'd be fairly safe portalling there. I can give you coordinates if you can will the chalice to open in a specific location," Natalie replied. Snow nodded.

"We usually have no trouble willing the Chalice to do what we need," she said.

"Then it's settled. The team leaving Milan needs to meet back here in an hour," David replied. They nodded and dispersed, as Aphrodite approached them.

"Is it true that Blue is locked up?" she asked. Snow nodded.

"Fandral was able to capture her," she replied.

"Yes...she was foolish enough to come after Rose to try and keep her from reading your real story," Fandral said. Rose nodded and presented a book to her.

"You mean...it was in your library all along?" Aphrodite asked. Rose nodded.

"Yes...but it was cloaked and only appeared after you left. Aesop informed us that he was commissioned by Zeus to record the real thing and then it was hidden in our library by Hermes," Rose replied.

"When you left to learn the truth, it appeared," Fandral added.

"I'm sure Athena is responsible for that," James deduced, as the blonde leafed through the book.

"It's all here…" she said gratefully, as he put his arm around her waist.

"And Blue is where she belongs. She'll remain there until her Royal Tribunal that will decide her ultimate fate," David replied. James looked at his twin brother with scrutiny.

"You're really going to try her?" he asked. David nodded.

"But Royal Tribunal usually has one outcome. The death penalty," James reminded him.

"We know...and it's not something we will likely ever be comfortable with, but Blue's crimes are too devastating. She is too dangerous and a threat to the safety of everyone, as well as the sovereignty of every Kingdom," Snow said.

"She's right...she's more than earned this fate and if found guilty, then she'll be executed," David replied.

"We will never regret showing mercy, even to our enemies, but we've learned that not all of them deserve it. She's one that doesn't, especially since she has been trying to destroy true love for so long," Snow added.

"Between James and myself, as well as Zorro, I'd say we'll be able to keep an eye on things around here," Fandral said. David nodded.

"Yeah...we'll be on psychopath watch with Dr. Creepyl, but I think we should find out more about this Grimm guy," James said.

"Oh Fandral and I can talk to Aesop. He started to tell us a bit, but seemed reluctant to talk about his past," Rose replied.

"Perhaps in light of these recent events, he'll be more willing to tell us what he knows," Fandral said.

"Then I guess everyone has their assignments. Once this mission is over and we locate the next, we'll rotate a new team in," David replied, as they dispersed. Snow slid her arms around his waist and he kissed her tenderly.

"You were amazing, as usual," she gushed.

"If I am...it's only because of you, my darling. I...I just wish we had a clear, concise plan to take out Jekyll," he said.

"And we will...I'm fine," she assured him.

"I know...it just haunts me at how close he came this time. I couldn't touch you...it was torture. He knew it would be," David said.

"He's sick and evil...he gets off on tormenting me and pursuing you. He's the one evil we can't seem to shake," he added.

"But we will...there is nothing our love cannot overcome. He caught us off guard at the wedding, but there is no doubt in my mind that we would have found a way to defeat his device, even if Bobby hadn't intervened," Snow said, as she caressed his cheek.

"Have faith...our love has never let us down," she added. He smiled and kissed her again.

"You're right...it never has and it never will," he said, with renewed confidence.

"Now...let's pack. We may be going on a mission, but this is Italy and the prospect of going to such a romantic city with my husband is exciting," she replied. He joined hands with her and they returned to their room to pack.

~*~

The black sport utility vehicle drove along the winding roads of Maine and General Mendoza sat in the back, looking over the Nolan files he had seized from Major Donovan's office. He was in complete control of her operation now and had everything, except an item for entrance into the United Realms. But that wasn't going to stop him from exploring the rumored location of this mystical place.

He thumbed through David Nolan's file with great interest. He found it very intriguing how he had been found on a rural Maine road, bleeding from his side, with an infant in his arms. He had then spent ten years in a coma, only to awaken upon his daughter finding her way to him. She had only done so after having run away from a group home and he wondered how she had even obtained his location or even knew about him in the first place.

Even more interesting was Xander Nolan and his shadowy presence in this world for nearly as long as his son's. As an operative to the Collector, Xander had moved around the world in the shadows, doing the Collector's bidding, and evading law enforcement with ease. He had little on him, but that wasn't surprising. Clayton was a part of the Underground cabal that his own family was a part of, even if he ended up screwing them all over in the end.

In 1993, David Nolan awakened and disappeared into thin air with his daughter and only re-emerged more than thirty-years later in Seattle, not having aged a day. With him, his wife and five children came with him. Then after the supernatural events in Seattle, they disappeared again until two years ago when they popped up in Boston again. Major Donovan had a detailed explanation of everything, but he was still having trouble wrapping his head around such fantastical stuff, even after they saw it during the battle only weeks ago. He knew about his ancestor's travels and quests, but he had never put much stock in the more fringe nature of the story. Now he was realizing that it was all true. Traveling to far off realms, lost worlds, mystical warriors like the Dragon King and his betrayal of him...it was all true and thus he had a duty to continue his family's mission.

"Stop the car," he said, as his driver obeyed and he got out. These were the coordinates, but all he could see was woods. But that would not remain for long. He was determined to find a way in and for that, he made a deal with the Devil. He only hoped he came through soon. With that, he got back into the car and instructed his driver to take them to the nearest town. He was a patient man and he would find a way in.

~*~

On the other side of the invisible barrier, Zorro watched the man, as he looked around with scrutiny. He didn't know who this man was, but he clearly was clued in on their location, that was obvious.

"Keep patrolling. I'll be doubling our men," Zorro said, as he mounted his horse.

"I must inform Fandral of this development," he said, as he headed for Andresia.

~*~

Agent Green winced, as she finished getting dressed. Her stay in the hospital was thankfully at an end and she looked at the young doctor, who was writing on her chart

"You've healed nicely, but I have to insist you take it easy for a few days," Eva said, as she watched the agent look at her phone.

"Well, if I stick with Major Donovan, I won't have a job anyway," she replied.

"Then you know about her being fired," Eva said.

"Yeah...agent Harding texted me and gave me the rundown," Tessa replied.

"What do you plan to do?" Eva asked.

"Relax…I'm not going to work against your parents or anything. Agent Harding is going to need help on the inside of this thing," Tessa said.

"I thought you hated us and this whole thing," Eva replied.

"I do...but you did save me and I do not like the idea that I've been working for such corrupted people," she said.

"I'm glad to hear that," Eva replied.

"Did...did you happen to recover Agent Brooks' body?" Tessa asked.

"Yes...he's at the morgue and we were waiting to ask you if he had family," Eva replied.

"No…I'm afraid not. It was just him and he has no wife or kids. His parents are also dead," Tessa said, with a sigh.

"As his partner, I guess it's up to me," she added.

"We'll help you do whatever you need," Eva replied.

"If you can tell them to cremate him...then I can scatter his ashes in the ocean. He...he would have liked that," she replied. Eva nodded.

"I'll tell Doc and he'll take care of everything," she said.

"Doc?" Tessa asked.

"He's our medical examiner and Bashful is our forensic analyst," Eva replied. Tessa shook her head.

"This place is wild," she commented. Eva smiled.

"It can be," she agreed.

"Anyway...thank you for saving me," Tessa said. Eva smiled again.

"Paul and I can take you to Granny's to get a room for the night and then we'll help you find your way back to Boston after Agent Brooks' remains are taken care of," Eva said. Tessa nodded and followed her out.

~*~

The sparkling orange portal opened in the Italian countryside and the seven of them stepped through. Thankfully, there was no one around and Regina poofed a sport utility vehicle into existence for them to use.

"It will be a tight squeeze, but it will get us there," Regina said. Snow looked at her husband and he smirked.

"Or we could follow you in something else," he said, as the chalice glowed between them and materialized a motorcycle.

"Fine, ride the death trap," Regina commented.

"Relax...it's enchanted. We'll be fine," David said, as they willed the chalice into their rings to conceal it. They put helmets on, while David got on the bike and Snow got on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. The others got into the car and they headed for the city.

~*~

James put the car in park and looked over at his wife. After spending the morning with their babies, they had dropped them off with Granny for an hour to come to the prison.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"Yes...and I can't wait for her tribunal. I want to see her behind bars," Aphrodite replied. He sighed.

"Okay...then we'll go," he said, as they got out and joined hands. They were allowed entrance and they took the elevator to the top level. Sneers and calls from some of the worst, high level criminals were ignored, as they made their way to the end and peered into the cell.

"Well, well...you're back from your little adventure," Blue said. She looked horrible. Her hair was matted and her makeup, what was left of it, was smudged. Apparently, she wasn't using the time allotted to her to clean up or even try to maintain her appearance.

"Yes...we are and your failure is complete, because we have broken the curse you placed on us," James hissed. She began to slow clap dramatically.

"Oh congratulations...now you get to live happily ever after with your bimbo and your brats," she growled. James advanced on her cell and wrapped his hand around her neck.

"And you...you'll face justice in your royal tribunal. The Goddess Nyx will then be waiting for you and has promised you a very unpleasant afterlife," he growled back. Aphrodite put her hand on his arm and he calmed down, releasing her and stepping back.

"And still...my only regret is that I didn't succeed in destroying her," Blue said, looking to Aphrodite with pure hatred in her eyes.

"I never did anything to you...except be born. Was the power of the Chalice so important to you that it warrants this hatred of me?" Aphrodite asked. Blue rolled her eyes.

"It was never really about you. Power is everything and when Rhea created the Chalice she gifted to your mother, I knew that it was the key to ruling all the realms. I also knew how foolish it would be to place it in mortal hands. That's why Hera and I knew we had to rid ourselves of your idiotic mother," Blue replied. Aphrodite glared at her.

"Once Hera married Zeus...it was supposed to be her Chalice. We would have still had to place it in mortal hands, but that's why we chose Clayton's bloodline. We knew their ambitious quest for power and control would serve us well," she continued.

"Imagine...all the realms under his control and thus ours. It would have been an ordered world," she said.

"You mean an enslaved world, void of hope and love," Aphrodite corrected. Blue snorted.

"Love...it causes only pain. Look at his brother and Snow White. They may have a blissful true love, but look at all the problems that come with it," she said.

"Love is worth any of the strife or problems," Aphrodite refuted. James smirked.

"Yeah...because love always wins. That's why you're there and we're here. And that's why anyone that tries to defeat love is either already dead or will meet that same fate as the Clayton family you seem to champion," James said smugly.

"Yeah...you definitely backed the wrong family," Aphrodite agreed, as they joined hands.

"Enjoy hell, you blue flea," she said, as they walked away, satisfied that the woman that had cursed them and caused so much pain was imprisoned. They had all their memories and their family was whole again, because love would always win out in the end.

~*~

Once they arrived at the hotel where the event was taking place, they arrived in their suite and proceeded to get ready for the evening. David wore a tux again and was stunned when his wife emerged dressed in a gorgeous white evening gown. It shimmered in the light and the bodice hugged her curves perfectly. The straps were very thin and the collar dipped in a low v. The dress was long, but had two daring slits up the sides and she sauntered toward him.

"Wow…" he said, as she slipped her arms around his neck.

"Wow yourself, handsome," she purred, as she kissed him passionately.

"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded.

"I know we have no idea what we might be walking into, but I do know that we're going to face it together and eliminate two really bad people," she replied. He nodded.

"Together," he agreed, as they shared another kiss. He offered his arm to her and she hooked her hand on his elbow, as they stepped out of their room and prepared to embark on the mission ahead...

Risque Rouge pt4

Tagging: @umbralaperture​ @otome-smut-queen @silver-fox-of-azuchi @tsundere-mitsuhide @jennacat84

General warnings for the whole fic: Angst, some fluff, Mental health issues, emotional things, trauma, blood, death and possible triggers. Please read responsibly. 

Darkmindsotome Masterlist 

---

Chapter 4

Returning in the direction of Montmartre he couldn’t help but smile a little at the idea that such an ordinary sort of place survived like an oasis in the growing city near it. It was by no means without its own history. After all battles, invasions and simple changes in industry have a way of affecting every area over time. Still, it was easy to forget you were this close to the capital as the atmosphere and buildings were more like a suburban town. Cobbled streets ran through a lively community, you could hear the music in the air and smell the sweet fragrance of food as people joined friends and lovers.

It was late and an hour that should have seen most people in their beds, but this was the bohemian sector for you. In his experience, he had come to associate creative types with the peculiar trait of maintaining strange hours. They could be up for days before finally conceding defeat and finding slumber, it seemed that the muse was a fickle mistress.

The draw of such warmth and life was probably what had guided him here that first night. It is all too easy to glorify eternity. You can be forgiven for attaching ideas that make the idea of immortality into something surreal and enchanting. It was a natural hazard of for those that faced mortality and grew ever closer to the embrace of death.

His own ideas on it had changed over the years with every experience. The more he lost and saw blurred like a dream. Having to say goodbye to all those you held dear, generation after generation gone in the blink of an eye. To see your friends, grow old knowing you must move on soon or draw attention to your condition. A happy memory forever in the shadow of another time with someone else now no more, repeating the same bittersweet melody of time.

The mind can be a torturous weapon, holding on to memories like treasures trapped in amber, the warm glow locked away just out of reach as if to torment your heart with sensations of the past. Memories overlapping but never managing to replace the moment shared before. Even knowing how the journey ends did little to prepare him even now for that familiar sensation of loss never-ending or the chill he felt with the embrace of eternal night once more alone in the dark.

Continuing his path back to the performing house his mind wandered over what he might say on his arrival. He had little idea as to what was happening but enough of one to know what he wished. The young woman was not safe where she was despite the protection from the one, she called Uncle. He had a horrible feeling akin to a premonition and wanted to avoid it becoming a reality at all costs. His feet carried him along the roads his keen senses picking out snippets of conversation and friendly greetings.

You could call it a curse if you live long enough. To see areas and its people change through the ages. Each step-in time was an unrelenting march forward where destruction and creation waged war against each other. It was in a way how things worked both beautiful and horrific two sides of the same coin. Each time he looked forward he could clearly see behind him. The smiling faces and happy lives on either side of unpredictable and unforeseen events that could either make their short lives better or worse.

He always found humans to be interesting creatures in the same way a child might observe an anthill. All the movements and activity that went in to simply living. A much shorter life compared to his own that held so much joy and grief, it was a wonder that one soul was capable of accepting it and still searching for more ways to discover more.

Yes, life could be considered a curse if you lived long enough. Humans experienced all of this in their short lifespans and somehow managed to keep smiling. They really were some of the most interesting and beautifully doomed fleeting creatures.

For some reason, unknown to himself, he found himself somehow lost. His feet had carried him to a small winding road not all that far from his intended location. A strange sort of place given its proximity to the lively happenings near it as it felt like he had stepped into a vacuum that was sucking all sound, life and light out of the world. There seemed to be nothing else of note here and if he had been someone else, he might have continued on his way ignoring the uneasy sensation taking root in his mind.

Comte wasn’t certain if it was his own long life that provided that insight to not ignore the silent question forming of “why here?” or if it was a case of an overactive imagination given the unknown danger of the events he was desperate to prevent. He stood firmly on the spot and looked up and down the narrow road. Shutters on the buildings were firmly closed where there were windows but mostly it seemed to be a quaint standard connecting road that saw little more than small cart and foot traffic.

A red door with peeling paint stood out as something interesting in the gloom. A large window next to it was boarded over and was plastered with layers of paper glued to it. Faded artwork for cafes and attractions mixed with handmade notices for lost pets and people overlapped and curled as it reacted to time spent exposed to the elements. Looking closer at the door, it seemed the paint was not so much peeling as scratched. The entire front from the handle to the ground was clawed and scraped until it revealed the bare wood of the door.

As he followed one of the marks with his fingertip, he noted a faint and unmistakable scent. It was sweet yet pungent with an alluring call that cried out to his hidden self. There was no mistaking that aroma for anything other than blood. His eyes dilated slightly as his senses kicked into a more supernatural level of effectiveness.

Glancing left to right he placed his hand on the handle which turned causing the wooden door to give way with little effort. There was no sound as it did so which meant someone had tampered with the effects of time and probably placed oil on the rusted hinges. A forgotten or abandoned place in a city was nothing new, but to have it show clear signs of continued use alongside that unmistakable scent of rouge stood out like a beacon. As he stepped inside, the smell from before only intensified which also explained the animal activity at the door. Starving creatures had a way of sniffing out a meal and the city was hardly short on stray animals wandering the streets hoping to stumble on a meal by chance or be supplied one through kindness.

The building seemed to be a disused store of sorts. If it had not been for the thick layers of dust that appeared to be as black as ash in a fire grate it would be easy to imagine someone throwing open the doors and continuing to conduct business as usual. There were deep shelves that lined the walls still set up with items as if still waiting for customers to make a selection. Jars of what once were probably something organic reduced to powder with sticks. Finely crafted items of glass and porcelain were hidden in clear view wrapped in a carapace of dirt that had them looking like common stones.

Thanks in large part to the window being boarded the building was rather dark. Shards of light fought with unfathomable determination to penetrate any small gap and chink in the armour of the place. The blades of light cutting through the gloom and still failing to distil enough of it for it to be of benefit to the average person on the street.

He smiled sardonically as his eyes adjusted fast to the lack of light. It was rather convenient sometimes to have these inhuman abilities. He had no need for light as a general rule as he could guide himself around in complete darkness if he had too, but he did prefer at least a little light if he was honest.

Secrets slowly revealed themselves to him the closer he looked. Track marks on the floor, both footsteps and long laboured lines from dragging an object. From the smell, it was not hard to imagine what the cargo might have been. Suppressing a shudder Comte followed the marks discovering a door in the wall with a half-rotten staircase that flowed downward under the building. Tentatively he picked his footings progressing further and further into the unknown, questioning if there was to ever be an end to his decent.

The slow drop also saw his senses become assaulted with a much stronger smell that could have easily overpowered him had he not been expecting it. His shoe finally felt the more stable and solid sensation of dirt under it as his other shoe connected with a small metal miners’ lamp. The space was vast enough, that even with his vampiric abilities, it was hard to make out the limitations of it. Delving one hand into his trouser pocket he had a mind to thank Leo for the fact he had a fresh box of matches. Striking a light, he lit the wick of the tallow lamp and felt that foreboding sensation hit him full force.

It was not what you would call a powerful light but it was more than enough to throw illumination on the scene immediately before him. The entire dirt floor of the cellar was covered in mounds of fresh or disturbed soil in varying sizes. A shovel propped against the banister of the staircase showed so much use that its pointed blade was worn down completely. A sentinel marker of the scale of loss it had hidden in its lifetime.

He had no idea exactly what had happened here but the results were clearly laid out under him. Deciding it was probably better to leave and find someone that could make the police aware of its existence to maintain anonymity was a better idea than being discovered here himself. Comte snuffed out the lamp and carefully placed it alongside the shovel before leaving the cellar.

Upon re-entering the main level of the building, he noticed that the footmarks in the dust travelled further past the cellar door and deeper into the building towards another room. Dry herbs and desiccated plants covered most of the space, even hanging in dried bunches from the rafters.

A heavy wooden table that was more like a butcher’s block was at the centre of the room with scientific distilling apparatus laid out on its top. Unwilling to disturb it, he instead opted to choose what seemed to be the safer option of just removing the beaker that was sitting at the end of the twisted glass tubes for collection. White residue clung to the dirty glass in wafer-thin crystals.

Bottles lay on their sides stored like wine along the length of a sideboard. Unlabelled but familiar in the sense that these were the pure unadulterated Blanc he was familiar with. If someone were trying to find a way to recreate the Blanc with use of these other plants then it would be about as successful as alchemy was at turning lead to gold.

“I really shall have to have a word with the supplier, not to mention a moment to reevaluate the idea of simply showing the police inside straight away. What a mess.”

Turning to exit the small makeshift laboratory he stopped dead in his tracks seeing a collection of all too familiar plants he would recognise be they dead or alive. Nightshade, Rosary Peas, hemlock amongst plenty of others including Wolf’s bane.

Something clicked as if fate had been waiting with time on pause for this very moment. He recalled the amount of medicine the girl had and recalled the phrase “taken another of her turns” that the owner had said as if this was something of a regular occurrence of no great matter. It was hard to kill a vampire as their bodies were more resilient than a human. A Pure blood vampire was a different creature completely, they were not part of the human genealogy, despite appearances. You could shoot them, starve them, even lock them away with no oxygen. The only thing that might kill them would be removal of their hearts or head.

The medicine nestled in his pocket was not diluted it was tainted. Not fake as he had thought but a lethal combination of just enough Blanc to keep a vampire alive and this side of bloodlust. With just enough poison to render it ill and weakened. Even a Pure Blood would struggle to heal if they never received Rouge to combat such a situation.

Both the situation with the girl and this building became something a lot more sinister the more he considered the possible reasons that connected it all like a spider’s web as the threads of twisted mystery and impossible coincidence wove together in his mind. His body began moving automatically and he found himself exiting the forgotten building with unnatural speed to the performance house.

“Evie… please just be asleep when I reach you. Please be safe.”

---

Paws for a Cause Part 3

This was a prompt request from @stopforamoment

This is a part of a TRR A/U called Cordonians Gone Wild, a collaborative effort by @ao719 @speedyoperarascalparty @leelee10898 @riseandshinelittleblossom and yours truly. Catch up HERE.

Summary: A furry friend joins the CGW squad which results in another boys vs. girls wager.

Rating: NSFW, mature and very bad decisions

Tag List: @fullbeaumonty @brightpinkpeppercorn @alj4890 @zaffrenotes @annekebbphotography @carabeth @moneyfordiamonds @give-me-ernest-sinclaire @3pawandme @indiacater @ooo-barff-ooo @ownworldresident @tornbetween2loves @perfectprofessorherokid @stopforamoment @editboutique @wannabemc2 @enmchoices @lauradowning29 @lodberg @smalltalk88 @gibbles82 @heatherfilliez @drakesensworld @nikkis1983 @sweetest-marbear @classylady1234 @daniv2278 @jlouise88 @jared2612 @liamxs-world @notoriouscs @blubutterflyy @captain-kingliamsqueen @lynne1993

Paws for a Cause Moodboard

Milo’s Moodboard

The ladies walked into the animal shelter and into the back office. The shelter director greeted them and motioned towards a large box. “I can’t wait to see these!” Anitah squealed.

Stephanie opened the box and handed each of them a calendar. They perused the pictures and smiled at each other, happy with their decision to each have one nice photo and one on their underwear. “Alright, ladies, where should we go to sell these?” Pam asked the group.

“What about outside of a gym? Or maybe a home improvement store?” Alicia suggested. “Oh, I need two of them, Thomas and Christian agreed to support our cause. So I have to mail them their calendars. They already sent their payment,” Genevieve said.

Anitah said with a sly smile, “Actually that’s a good idea, Gen. Maybe we should see if our dates from the auction will buy them too.”

With mischievous smiles on their faces, each of them sent a text. They decided that selling the calendar outside of a home improvement store would be their best bet. Setting up tables and chairs, the ladies set the calendar on display. Pam and Anitah lured people over to the table to look at the calendar.

“All of the money goes to the animal shelter. They’re in need of supplies and money for the animals,” Pam told a group of construction workers. They looked through the calendar and as soon as they say that half of the calendar had the ladies in their underwear, it was an easy sell. “Your queen and the queen of Gordon thanks you,” Anitah said with a laugh. A few hours later Stephanie yelled, “Last one ya’ll!” She closed the lockbox with the money, and the girls got into the waiting SUV.

The men picked up their box from the shelter without bothering to look at it first. They made their way to the shopping mall and set up their table at the center where there was a lot of foot traffic. Maxwell played some music and danced to attract customers to their table. Calendar sales were steady but they still had about half of them left.

“We need to get more people over here. Leo, why don’t you walk around and get people as their leaving nearby stores,” Rashad said. Leo nodded his head and walked towards a women’s clothing store. He stopped a group of moms, “Ladies, we are raising money for the local animal shelter. The calendars were selling features each of us and some of the shelter animals. What could possibly be better than some good looking guys and cute furry friends?” He flashed them the signature Rhys smirk and the women were putty in his hands.

Liam stopped a young man who looked shock to see the King talking to him. “Excuse me, can I interest you in a calendar? Proceeds go to the animal shelter.” The man looked uncomfortable, “I already bought one. The queen said that we could only buy one or the other.” He reached into his bag and pulled out the ladies’ calendar. Drake noticed the thumbnails on the back of the calendar, “Can I…can I see that?” He handed Drake the calendar and the other four looked over his shoulder.

They flipped through the first few months. Their eyes went wide as they looked at Anitah’s picture with her laying down on a couch wearing nothing but her bra and panties, Milo laying on her stomach. “Doesn’t she realize what kind of scandal this will cause?” Liam said pinching the bridge of his nose. “Damn, Alicia looks hot,” Leo said admiring his wife. Maxwell nodded, “Heeeeeeeyyyyy, look at Stef!” His mouth fell open, his eyes glued to the picture. Rashad cursed under his breath taking in Genevieve’s photo. While Drake let out a deep growl as he looked at Pam’s calendar page.

“You guys realize that if we are looking at these pictures, it means there are hundreds of other people that will be looking at them right?” Liam pointed out to the others. They all looked at each other and their faces immediately fell into scowls. “Hopefully they haven’t sold that many,” Maxwell said hopefully. “I told you we should have posed shirtless!” Leo said in a frustrated tone. Liam shook his head, “This is your fault, Leo. You don’t get to say what we should or shouldn’t have done.”

“Why are they always one step ahead of us?” Rashad asked. Drake groaned, “Because they all think alike and they’re evil, Rashad.” The young man reached for his calendar, but Drake kept it out of reach. “I don’t think so, kid. Here take one of ours for free.”

He rolled his eyes at Drake, “I want that calendar. No offense, but have you seen the women in there? Why would I want yours?” Rashad stepped up and pulled out his wallet. “You’re not taking the calendar. Name your price.”

“No, seriously, I want to keep the calendar. I don’t want your money,” the guy replied with a shake of his head. Leo came up, “I will beat your ass, do you understand?” The guy held his arms up and retreated from the group of men.

After a long afternoon, the guys went back to the palace. They were happy with their sales having only ten calendars left to sell. The women were waiting for them in the royal chambers chatting and laughing.

“Hey boys! How’d the calendars sell? Took you guys a long time, didn’t it?” Alicia said with a sly grin. Liam stalked directly to a smiling Anitah. His face in an angry scowl as he said, “I can’t believe you would pose in your bra and underwear in a calendar that’s going to be distributed to the public all so you could win a silly bet!” With wide eyes, Anitah’s jaw dropped open. “How’d….How did you find out about that?” Liam held up the calendar that he took from the young man at the mall. “Because you were telling people that they could only buy your calendar or ours! Leo had to threaten him so we could keep it! How many did you guys sell? Because we need to buy them all back.”

The girls roared with laughter. Anitah gave him a coy smile. “Well…my King…we sold all of our calendars. Why would you have to buy them back? That defeats the purpose of the fundraiser.”

“I can’t have everyone in Cordonia staring at their queen…my queen in her underwear!”

“They won’t be staring at me! Milo was in the picture! They’ll be looking at that cute wittle face of his.” Anitah turned to Milo who wagged his tail happily at his mommy. Liam rolled his eyes, “It’s like words come out of my mouth…But no one’s there to listen to it.”

Liam turned to Bastien. “Bastien, please tell my assistant that I need her to put out a press release to recall all of calendars these ladies sold.“

“What is the reason for the recall, sir?” Bastien tried to hide a smile seeing Liam’s vein throbbing on the side of his forehead. Maxwell chimed in, “Oh, I know, tell them the ink is poisonous!” Rashad chuckled, “Instead of poisonous, say they used a lead based ink. That might be more believable.” Bastien left the chambers and each of the men turned to their loves.

“Gen, it’s not that I don’t want people looking at you in your underwear…No, that’s exactly it. I do not want people, especially men, looking at you in your underwear! What in the world would make that seem like a good idea?” Rashad asked his fiancée. She walked over to their cash box and opened it, “It was a really great idea. Not only did we sell all of the calendars, we had to request another batch from the printers. When we ran out, they accepted online orders.” Drake growled at his giggling wife. “This is not funny, Pamela! You guys had them print more?”

“No, absolutely not. Not happening,” Leo said as he turned to Alicia. Maxwell put his arm around Stephanie, “Red, those pictures turned out really great…but I agree with the guys. I’m not ok with random people having you pinned up on their walls.” Alicia laughed, “They aren’t all random. Gen sold some to Thomas and Christian in Chicago. They’re part of the reason we had to reprint. The guys in their office each ordered one. Plus some of the nobles from the auction fundraiser wanted calendars as well.”

All five men’s heads turned to Alicia, their eyes staring daggers at her. “Excuse me? Did you just say that Isaiah bought a calendar that features an almost naked picture of Pam?” Drake asked through gritted teeth. “Christian? As in St. Tropez and Chicago Christian?” Rashad asked with an angry look on his face. Genevieve turned towards Alicia and mouthed, “God dammit, Alicia!”

“Oh Signore Touchy Feely better not have bought one of these!” Liam yelled. Anitah avoided his gaze, her eyes trained on Milo. Maxwell stood there with his mouth hanging open. Stephanie sauntered over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Aww, babe, don’t be angry. It’s for a good cause.” Maxwell pulled her arms off of him, "Oh no, you won’t get out of this that easily…Your voodoo magic is not going to work on me.”

Alicia looked at Leo’s angry face. “Baby, don’t be mad. Stef’s right, it is for a good cause. Just like the auction that didn’t want to do. Just like being on a deserted island, naked, that I didn’t want to do. This is for something I actually believe in.” Leo’s expression softened, “But, Alicia, we’ve had this discussion before. What’s underneath your clothes is only for me. I don’t want to share that part of you with anyone else.” She walked over to him and pulled him into a deep kiss. “Last time, baby. I promise.” Leo said indignantly, “Oh, you’re damn right. We’re getting every single one of those calendars back.” The men all nodded in agreement.

A week later, Liam looked at the small pile of calendars on his desk. The recall notice had gone out, but no one seemed to care if the ink was really lead based or not. After a few attempts at calling the nobles from the date auction, he was able to get Giovanni’s calendar back. When Liam opened it, he noticed that the two months with Anitah’s photos were missing. Liam rubbed his hand over his forehead in aggravation. There was a knock on his study door and in walked Rashad, Drake, Maxwell and Leo.

“Any luck, Li?” Drake asked him. Liam let out a heavy sigh. “Let’s see, I just got Signore Cavvichi’s calendar back, without my wife’s pictures inside. Isaiah and Sebastian flat out refused. Finn sent his back, but Jason Bucannon said and I quote, ‘I don’t plan on licking the the calendar. I think I’ll be fine’. I was able to trade Thomas the girls’ calendar for ours, but…” He avoided Rashad’s eye. “Christian said you can go to Chicago and make him give it back.” Rashad clenched his jaw, “I’m going to fly to Chicago and rip down every calendar in that office. That cocky son of a bitch.”

The night before the car wash, Alicia peeked her head into the bedroom where Leo was taking off his clothes and getting ready for bed. “Hey baaaaby.” Leo cocked his brow, “I know that voice, you did something or you want something. Which is it?” She entered the room, a wide grin in her face, “I bought you something.” She handed him a small bag. He reached into the bag, pulling out a bunched up leopard print speedo.

“What fresh hell is this?” Alicia seductively moved closer to him, her manicured nail tracing his chiseled abs. “I thought it was fitting for bam bam, you know since you lost the bet. Go, try it on.” Leo sighed before going into the bathroom, he came out with a goofy grin on his face. “Ok, I know this is supposed to be torture, but, I look damn good.”

Alicia’s eyes instantly locked on his bulging crotch. “Can we um, tuck him,” she pointed. He arched his brow again, a sly grin spread across his face. “Oh I got somewhere to tuck him. Come here!” He lunged for her. Alicia squealed as he grabbed her and tossed her onto the bed.

The morning of the car wash, Anitah came traipsing into her and Liam’s bedroom with a smirk on her face and Liam gave her a look, “What…what did you do?” He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes while holding his other hand out. “Let me see it…” She snorted as she handed him the bag and he opened it and looked inside and then snapped his head up to her. “Really?!”

“What? I thought it would be nice to represent your Queen,” she laughed. He pulled out the American Flag print speedo and held it up.

“I am going to murder Leo,” his jaw clenched. He stripped down and pulled the speedo on, adjusting himself as Anitah stifled a laugh. He stood looking at her with his hands on his hips once he was finished. “Well…?”

“You’d put the Naked Cowboy in New York City to shame, my King,” Anitah burst out into a fit of laughter. “Oh!” She squealed. “One more thing….Milo!” She called the pup. He came running into the room and Liam’s eyes went wide. There came Milo sitting at Liam’s feet in a matching speedo with a hole cut out for his tail. Liam looked from Milo back to Anitah just as she snapped a picture on her phone.

“Oh no!” Liam went running after her as she ran from the room laughing.

Genevieve walked into hers and Rashad’s bedroom holding a small paper shopping bag when her phone beeped. She looked at the picture that Anitah sent her and started laughing really hard. Rashad arched his brow at her. She held up her phone so he could see Liam and Milo wearing matching speedos. He burst out laughing while she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Let me guess? My banana hammock is in there?” Rashad asked with a solemn face. Genevieve handed the bag over and said, “I’m so sorry you have to wear this, honey. Nothing about a speedo is sexy at all…”

He looked at her, waiting for a smartass comment. When she didn’t say anything, he pulled the bathing suit out of the bag. He shook his head before removing his clothes and putting on the gold glittery speedo.

She covered her mouth taking in the sight before her. While trying to contain her laughter, a loud snort escaped instead, which made her double over giggling. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I can't…I think I’m gonna die. Oh my god! I’m crying.”

He looked in the mirror and ran his hand down his face, “Fucking Leo…I’m gonna kill him. This looks ridiculous, and now I have glitter everywhere.”

She held up her phone and snapped a picture, quickly sending it to the other the girls. Pam’s phone chirped when Genevieve’s text came through.

“Oh these keep getting better!” Pam giggled. She walked into their bedroom as Drake stepped out of the bathroom, a towel tied low in his hips. "Hey baby. When did you get back?” He leaned in pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Just now. How are things at the stable?”

Drake shrugged running his hand through his wet hair. “They’re good.” He stopped abruptly taking in the smirk on his wife’s lips and the small bag hanging from her finger. “What’s that?” Pam’s face lit up in a wide grin, “It’s for you.” Drake sighed, “ I don’t want that, do I?” Pam shrugged, “Probably not, but you need it for the car wash. Go try it on.”

“Oh, Christ. Fine.” He grabbed the bag and stomped into the bathroom. She heard him grumbling from the bathroom, “Why do you hate me?” She giggled, “I could never hate you!” Drake opened the door with a groan, “Pam…you bought me a Speedo covered in cats.”

Pam smirked, “Well to be fair, Gen was there. Once she saw it, I really didn’t have a choice. Besides, I love my furry kitty.” She stalked up to her husband. “In fact, I think it’s time you make me meow.” He smirked before lifting her up and tossing her onto the bed. “MROW.”

Maxwell walked out of the bathroom sporting his black and white zebra striped speedo. Stephanie’s mouth fell open as she watched her husband dancing in front of the mirror. “I make this speedo look good, Red!”

Stephanie couldn’t help but giggle. “At least you’re confident, babe. I’m sure the other guys are not as happy as you are about wearing these man panties.”

She handed him a robe and Maxwell shook his head. “I’m quite comfortable like this. Let’s go to the car wash!” He threw on a pair of sunglasses, slipped on a pair of flip flops and walked out of their quarters.

Bertrand’s eyes widened as he watched his younger brother strutting towards the main entry. “Maxwell, show some decorum! Put on some clothes this instant!”

“No can do, Bertrand. I’ll be ‘working at the car wash. At the car wash, yeah’.” Maxwell sang and swayed to the beat of the song. Stephanie gave Bertrand an apologetic look as she followed her husband out of the estate.

The five men converged together at the car wash in the capitol. Liam, Drake, Rashad, and Leo were still wearing their bathrobes while Maxwell proudly waited in his speedo. A line of cars had already formed waiting for the car wash to open.

“Alright, boys, it’s showtime,” Anitah said. The girls walked up to their men and removed their robes. The four of them adjusted themselves, trying their best to keep their manhood tucked away. The first five cars pulled up and to their dismay, it was the ladies’ dates from the auction. They rolled down their windows and handed over their money.

Isaiah eyed Drake in his cat speedo and laughed. He was about to say something when Drake glared at him. “Before you say anything, Isaiah, how’s your nose? It doesn’t quite look the same since the night of the auction dinner.” Isaiah instinctively reached up and touched his nose. He rolled up his window without saying a word. Drake chuckled at his pained expression.

Giovanni rolled down his window and . “Hello, your majesty. We Italians prefer the speedo to swimming trunks. It is much more comfortable, no?” Liam pinched the bridge of his nose and didn’t respond. Giovanni was about to close his window when Liam stopped him. “By the way…don’t think I didn’t notice that my wife’s calendar photos were missing. Those will come in the mail soon, won’t they? I have a meeting with your uncle next week. I’m sure he would be quite disappointed if the contract doesn’t get signed while he’s here.” Giovanni gulped but nodded his head.

“Genevieve’s still going to marry you after seeing you in that Rashad?” Sebastian asked with a cocky grin. Rashad grabbed the sponge from the bucket and shook it by the open window. Soapy water splashed Sebastian in the face and the interior of the car. Rashad smirked as he said, “Roll up your window before it’s my fist that comes through next, Seb.” Sebastian quickly rolled up his window as Rashad reluctantly started washing his car.

Leo glared at Jason. “Don’t say a fucking word, Bucannon.” Jason held his arms up and shut his window. Finn got out of his car and gave Maxwell a bro hug. The two men exchanged pleasant hellos before Maxwell started washing his car.

The ladies were gathered together talking when a handsome man approached them holding a tray. He was wearing a red and white striped shirt, black pants and a pirate hat. “Hello, ladies, I thought you could use some refreshments.” He held out the tray of cinnamon rolls and the girls each grabbed one. “Mmm, these are delicious, Mr…” Stephanie said. He replied, “I own Cap’n Nick’s Cinna-booty next door. Cap’n Nick, at your service.”

“Well thanks, Nick! These are amazing!” Alicia said. Nick quirked his brow at Alicia, “I prefer to be called Cap’n Nick…” He looked Pam up and down and licked his lips. “But you can call me Cappy and be my first mate.” Anitah, Alicia, Stephanie and Genevieve shared a look and burst out laughing. Pam choked on the pastry. “I’m just going to call you Captain Nick.”

Nick was enamored by Pam, and he moved closer. In his best pirate accent, he said, “Well, yer the finest pirate booty I’ve ever laid me eyes on. Arrrr…ye free Saturday? I’d like to take ye out for a bottle of rum.” Pam took a few steps back, “Umm no, I’m married, Captain.”

The mention of a husband didn’t deter the confident captain. “Ye should leave yer land lubber…so ye can see what me third leg is made of. Me cannon’s primed and loaded. I just need help with me cannon balls.”

Drake turned and noticed the pastry pirate hitting on his wife. He walked up and put his arm around Pam’s waist. Drake looked Cap’n Nick square in the eye as he said, “I already drop the anchor in this lagoon, you’ll have to find a new first mate. Now get out of here before I shove my foot up your poopeck.” Knowing that Drake was serious, Cap’n Nick backed away and went back to his bakery.

A black SUV pulled into the car wash. It was the last car in line. All four windows rolled down and the ladies hung out of the windows. Anitah was in the driver seat, Pam in the front passenger seat, Stephanie and Alicia in the two rear seats, while Genevieve stood up through the sunroof.

“Make it rain, ladies!” Genevieve yelled. The girls each held a stack of bills in their hands as they continuously swiped their other hand over the top of the pile. The bills floated into the air one by one at their defeated husbands and fiancé. Once the car was washed and dried, Anitah peeled out of the car wash parking lot leaving the boys behind.

“Fucking great! None of us have our phones, Liam!” Drake growled. Liam yelled out, “That’s it! She’s cut off until further notice.”

“Oh they’re cut off alright,” Rashad grumbled. Maxwell and Leo nodded in agreement.

Cap'n Nick

Callie Reviews: TMNT 2012 Season One (Part One)

Ever since 1984, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has gone form a cult-status indie comic to a massive mass market. There have been various comics, movies, video games, merchandise, and of course cartoons. And it’s easy to see why. TMNT’s concept, a group of mutated teen turtles fighting evil in New York, is both incredibly bizarre and incredibly appealing to a mass audience. You have action, science fiction, martial arts, and of course plenty of mutant ideas to make toys out of. The fact that this Fall will be releasing the fourth animated TMNT series and that a new movie series is in production shows that even over 30 years later, this is a franchise that is far from losing it’s power.

As a kid, I of course knew that Turtles as a thing and I even watch parts of 2k3. But I was never really a fan until the day I stumbled upon the 2012 show. I fell in love with it and, since it started when I was just starting this blog, it was a huge focus for me for several years. I have since moved on and while I’m going to check out the 2018 show, I don’t think I’m going to be as crazy as I was with this show (but never say never). Back in 2012, I was someone who... lets say ignored the flaws and defended the show far too passive aggressively to the point that looking at my older stuff makes me want to blow up by blog. 

Nowadays, while some of my opinions hold true (like the ‘Donnie is a stalker’ accusations are still bullshit), I am more willing to admit the shows problems, especially now that I can take the show in fully. I also like to believe that I’ve become a better reviewer since I was 19 years old, plus it had been far too long since I went back over the show form the very beginning. So does the show still hold up? Will 25 year old Callie feel differently than 19 year old Callie did? Well we’re about to find out. This is the TMNT 2012 Season One Review!

The Premiere (Episodes 1-2)

Our story begins with a training sequence that introduces us to the titular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. Along with some minor character establishment, like Mikey being the funny one and Raph the violent one, the biggest thing here is one of the shows strengths: the choreography. It’s best exhibited in Leo and Raph’s duel. The movements are very fluid and well-paced. It’s fast, but not too fast, it’s enough to move things along but still let you take in all the impacts. It’s very well done. Raph ends up winning and we are introduce to the boys mentor and father, Master Splinter. Aka, the best written character int he show, but we’ll get to that later.

After the opening theme, we cut to the boys 15th Mutation Day where we get our backstory. Borrowing from the 80′s show origin, Splinter was once a young man named Hamato Yoshi. He had just bought four pet turtles when he stumbled across a shady dealing. Being a ninja master, he was able to fight back, but he ended up getting splattered with a strange green substance. This turned him into a rat, as one brushed his ankle while the baby Turtles become anthropomorphic. Yoshi, taking on the name Splinter, fled to the sewers and raised the four turtles as his own as well as taught them ninjutsu. It’s a simple, but still solid telling of the origin that pays tribute to previous origins, leaves some mystery about the substance and who was dealing it, and is told with use of comic-style panels reminiscent of the original comics.

The Turtles, having lived in the sewers since their mutation, are hoping to convince Splinter to let them finally go to the surface. After some begging, Splinter reluctantly agrees. We then cut to Leo watching a Star Trek: The Animated Series parody where we learn of his desire to become a great hero and leader. This is interesting for several reasons. One, it establishes that Leo isn’t the leader of the group yet, a departure form normal as he’s normally put into that role automatically. And second, ti does a great job at character establishment. In previous versions, Leo is often seen as the boring, overly leader type. Not a bad character mind you, but he lacks the quirkiness that the tough Raph, genius Donnie, and wild child Mikey present. Here? Leo is shown to be an idealistic, naive, but good-intention kid who aspires to be a great hero like he sees on TV as well as give shim some dorky characteristics, like quoting cheesy one-liners to sound more heroic. It helps make him more relateable, funny, and sets up a character arc for when he does inevitably become the leader. Very well done.

The boys finally go to the surface, and are in awe of what they see. They even discover their trademark favorite food, pizza. Given that they only ever ate worms and algae until this point, it makes their love of it all the more understandable. But not all goes well as they soon witness a group of business men kidnapping a red-haired teenager and her father. They attempt to help, but end up only beating each other up and the bad guys get away with their captives. Mikey ends up beating up one and discovers... a brain with tentacles... yipe... he tries to tell the other three, but they don’t believe him. A common trend in the show.

Upon returning home, the boys try to blame each other for the failure before Splinter accepts it for not giving them proper training as a team. While he considers keeping them down below for another year, Donnie convinces him to let them go help the girl due to seeing how terrified she was and how they failed to help her... and because of the crush he developed in a record five seconds. Splinter agrees, but first assigns Leo as the official leader, much to the ire of Raph. They’re eventually able to find the kidnappers vehicle and wreck it, capturing the driver named Snake and they discover a vat of a glowing green substance. A vat that they recognize as the same one that caused their original mutation.

Snake, after Raph threatens to mutate him, leads the boys to the facility where the captives are... and uses the boys bickering as a chance to escape. Leo uses this to trick the crook into thinking that they’re going to plow his van into the place as he conducts a plan to sneak in. All while Roah is an asshole who refuses to listen and outright undermines Leo’s orders. Yeah, Raph is a real jerk during this season. FYI. When Leo shows hesitance about his plan, Splinter tells him of his final confrontation against his rival Oroku Saki, aka The Shredder. It ended in his wife being killed, his house burning down, and his infant daughter nowhere to be found. Well, that won’t be important in any way, shape, or form later! The point being that he lost everything, but gained the boys, easing Leo’s worries about how much is riding on the plan.

So yeah the boys crash the van, Snake gets mutated, the boys break in, fight some guards, and Mikey proves that he isn’t crazy about the aliens.. and then trips an alarm. Smooth Mikey, smooth. They find the captives, that being this version of April O’Neil and her scientist father. Now in most versions, April is an adult woman. Here? She is aged down and is around sixteen years old. We’ll talk more about that later. The bad guys, aka The Kraang, take the captives away and as the boys give chase,t hey are confronted by the mutant Snake... who is a weed monster. Hey, that’s breaking supervillain rules writers! If you have an evil sounding name, that’s what you turn into! Donnie is sent to rescue the O’Neil’s as the other three face Snakeweed... Mikey’s idea, not mine.

The boys eventually defeat Snake via Leo’s direction and mass electrocution while Donnie is able to rescue April, but her father is taken away. April plans to find him however, no matter what it takes with the boys promising to help in whatever way they can. Once home, Leo finds out the complex reasoning for why he was named the leader over everyone else... because he asked. Ming-boggling, right? Well there is actually another reason, but we’ll talk about this in S4. The boys also made the news as their shruriken got found, but come on, what could one tiny news story do that would be bad? Well... being seen by your master’s worst enemy and re-igniting his lust for vengeance might count! Woopsie!

Overall, a solid two parter. It establishes the characters well, has fun fight scenes, the animation is a little dated now but still pretty good, the dialogue is funny, and it does a good job setting up future plotlines while fulfilling it’s own plot. It started 2k12 off on the right foot and was still enjoyable over five years since it’s initial premiere.

The Beginning (Episodes 3-8)

The episodes following the premiere create a steady flow of creating the status quo. You have episodes like Turtle Temper, Metalhead, and Monkey Brains (kinda) that have the boys dealing with the Kraang’s Plan of the Week as they continue their mutagen experiments. It helps with character development and some minor plot progression, such as Raph learning how dangerous his anger can be and Donnie learning to rely on his instincts rather than on his mind 100% of the time. Some are going to want me to comment on the shipping stuff, But I’m gonna save that for later. The biggest issue with these episodes, aside from Monkey Brains, is the Kraang. They are not interesting as villains at all. As great a VA as Nolan North is, the Kraang’s way of talking just gets... annoying. It doesn't help that the threat ultimately becomes either an accidental mutant or Donnie’s robot... well okay a Kraang possessed the later, but it shows that those are more interesting villains than the Kraang themselves and they exist mroe to just have an excuse for a plot. It’s really irking after awhile.

As far as plot goes, it’s mostly your usual ‘Monster of the Week’ stuff. But it has some small things that have a larger impact later. For one, in Monkey Brains, April begins to tap into what looks like some strong emphatic abilities. More on this next season. But due to this, Splinter decides to take April on as a student and train her to be a kunoichi (a female ninja). This will be the largest part of her character for the remainder of the series. April herself... is not utilized as well as she could have been in these early episodes. She’s described as the boys guide to the outside world, and she does serve that in some respects. For example, introducing Mikey to social media in New Friend, Old Enemy to let him make friends without exposing his mutant identity. And in Never Say Xever she takes them to a blind man’s shop so that they can actually experience life topside for once. The issue is we never see April establish bonds with the boys or Splinter after her introduction. In New Friend, Old Enemy she just acts like she’s been friends with the guys for awhile and after showing Mikey the net, doesn’t appear or is even mentioned in the episode again. She disappears after her importance in Metalhead as well, but she is given mroe to work with there at least. I glossed over this when I was watching the show and April does get mroe time with the guys, her relationship with Splinter being one of my favorites. Still, they didn’t do a lot with having April become part of the group or really act on her role as their ‘guide’ and I feel they just wanted to ignore it to get to the other stuff. Which is just a bummer.

So you’re probably wondering about Shredder stuff, right? Well thankfully the Foot Episodes are also the most plot relevant episodes. It starts with New Friend, Old Enemy where Shredder arrives in New York and assigns one of his lieutenants, a famous martial artist named Chris Bradford, to find out about Splinter. The Foot end up encountering the Turtles, with Bradford later using this to manipulate Mikey after accidentally becoming online friends with him. He captures him and use shim as bait to lure out the other three and then follow them to where Splinter is hiding. It fails with the boys using their knowledge of the sewers to literally wash Bradford and his partner, Xever, away. Along with the dangers of meeting people you don’t really know on social media, the episode presents a very unique lesson. In a fight for your life, screw fairness, You fight by any means necessary to stay alive, including fighting dirty. Most shows emphasize on being fair, but this one actually acknowledges that if your life is on the line, you do what it takes to get out alive. It’s a unique message for a kids show and one that I really appreciate.

Next is Never Say Xever where Xever gets to lead the charge. After the boys track down the two and get beat up, Xever receives inlet from the Purple Dragons, who int his version are pretty much a trio of teen thugs. The Turtles fought them off earlier at the shop April took them to, with Leo sparing the leader as an act of mercy. Something that Raph takes umbridge with... as he does with most anything that Leo does in the first half of the series. It’s no surprise that Leo and Raph butt heads, as they do in most series, and it follows their respective arcs. Leo having to deal with being leader as well as realizing that it’s much more pressuring and unforgiving than he thought, while Raph act son his jealousy that Leo got the position even though he’s the better fighter and therefore questioning Leo’s orders or outright just being an asshole for no good reason. But after the shop owner is kidnapped to lure the Turtles out, Leo’s act of mercy ends up saving them as the lead Dragon repays the favor by throwing him back his discarded sword. Which Leo uses to break a water tower to wash the bad guys away again. Angered, The Shredder decides to handle the Turtles himself.

The episodes do a good job in establishing a solid status quo. Bad guy does a thing, one character has their B-Plot to deal with, there’s a clash, the plots intertwine, bad guy gets defeated, and the lesson of the day is learned. A simple routine, but it works here. Plus we get plenty of character establishment and moments which makes you care about them. For example even though Raph is a massive jerk, the end of New Friend, Old Enemy has his comfort Mikey after the deceit and have him see that he’s a good kid who simply got duped as anyone else would. With this being after Raph mocked him wanting to make friends throughout the episode, it helped show that he does have a caring side. Leo frequently has issues with being a leader, such as dealing with Raph and moments like in ITHNiBS where the guys outright refuse to listen to him when he tries to remind them that they’re grounded. Even Splinter has a lot of moments, being a stern but fair parental figure and wise mentor, but is also snarky as Hell. We also see hints to how much the past has affected him, like after April agrees to undergo kunoichi training and leaves the dojo, there’s just a brief moment where he looks down with a forlorn expression. As though wishing that he was telling this to his own MIA daughter. It’s so subtle, but it speaks volumes about his emotional state. 

The characters are ultimately what makes these episodes works and what I would say is the strongest part of the series. You are likely going to relate to or like someone from this show and their progression. But now that we have a fully formed status quo, it’s time to shake it up a little bit and have the Turtles experience their first hard dose of reality.

The Escalation (Epsidoes 9-13)

Episode 9 begins as a typical ‘Mutant of the Week’ plot with the guys trying to catch a pigeon mutant that was after April. But when they do, they discover that he was simply trying to deliver a message... from her father. The message warns her to get out of the city due to a mutagen bomb, but she refuses to leave without him. As such,t he Turtles... somehow... find where Mr. O’Neil is and try to save him. While they get him out of the cell and get the location of the bomb, Mr. O’Neil sacrifices himself when the Kraang outnumber them so that the boys can protect April. All while poor April can only watch, helpless to do anything. Ouch...

The Turtles can only go to where the bomb is to disarm it, but things get further complicated when Bradford and Xever attack, wanting payback from before. Fortunately Donnie disarms the bomb and the four corner the two, but Bradford refuse sot go down quietly and stabs the bomb, but all it does is mutate himself and Xever. But ti also washes them away.... again. I should also point out that this point,t he Turtles have gotten incredibly over-confident since they’ve beaten every bad guy so far, feeling unstoppable. So then... Shredder arrives. Yep. And he kicks their shells HARD. Liek he holds no punches, he easily over-powers all four of them and almost stabs Leo int he head. The only reason that they escape is Shredder getting distracted by his now mutated lieutenants. But the boys retreat, badly beaten up and completely demoralized.

The next episode focuses on the fallout. The four are mostly feeling better, but their fears are being escalated by, of all people, Splinter. This is due to the boys nearly getting killed by his long-time rival re-igniting his own trauma and having nightmares over losing them, causing him to again keep them in the sewers and be far more harsh with his training. The only one doing moderately well is April, who gets intel about the Foot planning to destroy the sewers. The Turtles try to stop it, but get pounded by Bradford, who is now a giant dog mutant named Dogpound. This forces April to get the inlet herself, but she gets caught an captured by the Foot. This further brings Leo down, but to his surprise Raph actually encourages him to pull himself together and lead the team. The Turtles manage to both save April and stop the Foot from destroying the sewers with Splinter apologizing for allowing his fears to affect both himself and his sons. Overall, a solid pair of episodes that bring the boys down a bit, finally has all the plots meet somewhere, and deliver a strong message about not letting fear control you or the others around you.

After a filler episode where the only importance is Shredder forcibly recruiting Stockman to his forces, we get some more Kraang stuff with Episode 12. Where we actually show them being dangerous. Shocker, right?! It also introduces us to long-time supporting character within the franchise  Leatherhead. Here he is an alligator mutant who the Kraang experimented on and it causes him to have violent fits of rage if he so much as hears the word ‘Kraang’. The Turtles end up saving him when the Kraang try to re-capture him, but find his angry bursts, well... dangerous. But Mikey is able to befriend him and it becomes more clear that LH is actually a rather intelligent, good-hearted mutant who has been put through Hell. He gets run off by Splinter though when one of his trauma-induced bursts causes him to attack the boys, forcing the rat master to intervene. Mikey, and by proxy the other three, give chase to an old subway car where LH reveals how the Kraang took him to their home, Dimension X, and experimented on him. He escaped and also took their Power Cell, cutting them off form Dimension X, in hopes of saving humanity from them. The Kraang want it back and act like a zombie swarm as they break through the car. LH fights them off, leaving the Power Cell in the Turtles care.

While Episode 11 sucks (to put it simply Leo and Raph are overbearing assholes while Donnie and Mikey are just made to be as weak as possible), the other three do a good job at making the villains more solid threats. Shredder was built up as intimidating and powerful, and boy did he deliver. The Turtles face their first major loss and have to deal with the fallout, Leo especially dealing with his first real failure as a leader. Even the Kraang come off as a scarier hivemind and we get mroe stuff on them, like Dimension X and their plans to mutate the Earth. Add that with a strong supporting character like Leatherhead, who is understandably traumatized but is an intelligent being who is trying to prevent others form suffering like him. and it helps make some strong episodes.

The first half of the season concludes with the 13th episodes... that aired as the 14th for some reason. But I’m going in order of my DVD’s and this was after Episode 12, so it’s what I’m going with. It both concludes a lot and opens up a lot for the future. The episode I am talking about is, of course New Girl in Town.

TBC in Part Two....

A Reunion of Two Brothers

Hello, everybody! remember this one shot I wrote sometime ago? Well, the AU it was set on, the ‘Aiolos Survives AU’, has decided to ruin my life until I developed it a bit more.

And what better scenario than the meeting of ‘not-so-dead’ Aiolos and Aiolia, thirteen years after the Worst Night Ever™ in Saint Seiya?

The action follows, mostly, the events of episodes 37 and 38 - with due modifications for the sake of the AU. I am assuming Aiolos and Seika, and Aiolia and Marin to be couples - Seika is, obviously, quite older than in canon, and Seiya never had the suspect of Marin being his sister in disguise. Also, having been raised by Aiolos, Saori/Athena is very much aware of herself.

There will be some notes at the end for language quirks. That said... grab a snack and enjoy, it’s long! 

It was supposed to be easy.

To a Gold Saint, getting rid of a bunch of Bronze boys, of traitors, was a matter of snapping fingers.

One blow, clean and merciful, and they wouldn’t even know what hit them before exhaling their last breath.

That was what Aiolia kept telling himself, on his way to Japan. They were traitors, and death was the sentence – but nobody said it needed to be slow or painful. It was a good thing the Pope had been persuaded so easily on giving the mission to him. He would deliver the punishment swiftly – not like Milo.

Milo would delight in seeing them suffer. In hearing them beg for the pain to stop. His normally cheerful friend became heartless when it came to betrayal - he would make them pay with a slow death for all the comrades that had lost their lives against them.

Aiolia knew that he would never be able to look at Marin in the eye if he let such a thing happen to Seiya.

His jaw clenched at the thought of Marin’s pupil. He’d grown fond of the boy – his raucous, impulsive, mischievous ways, softened by a natural cheerfulness and goodness of heart had reminded him of himself before – of the child he’d been. He’d tried to be for Seiya what Aiolos had been to him – a model to imitate, someone to look up to. Seeing him win the Pegasus Cloth, despite all the odds being against him (on both physical and psychological sides) had made him feel like he’d finally done something right.

But then, Seiya had gone back to Japan. And everything had come crashing down in a spiral of suspects and recriminations. The air, at the Sanctuary, was thick with tension and distrust: people avoided each other, glances were thrown over shoulders before speaking – always in low tones. Laughter was forced, the smiles were strained. Everybody seemed to be tiptoeing on the edge of an invisible ravine, whose dark depths no one dared to look at, no matter how much it pressed on their chests to do so.

Aiolia was familiar with the feeling – he’d hoped to never experience it again, especially not after gaining Leo. But now, with the fear of an intestine war becoming more and more real with each passing day, and the ever-increasing number of losses on the Sanctuary’s side, the equilibrium they all had somehow regained after was dangerously close to being broken.

It was time for a clean cut. Seiya and his friends needed to die.

Just like Aiolos had.

He hadn’t expected to find Shaina.

She didn’t have her mask on and, out of respect, he’d averted his eyes from her face while speaking. Her Cosmos was crackling with something akin to panic – and her whole body language spoke of concern and protectiveness. She was trying to hide Seiya behind her, while also stating that she would kill him herself.

Seiya was wearing civilian clothes, and his Cosmos felt confused and cranky – Aiolia registered a limp on one of his legs, and the general soreness that any Saint had learned to attribute to an excessively intense training. His numerous fights must have started to wear him out – if he knew him, it had probably not even occurred to him the need to rest.

He immediately quenched the flicker of sympathy for the younger man. If Seiya was tired and worn out, it would make his job easier. That was the only thing that mattered.

If only the boy would stop trying to catch his eye and plead his cause… Didn’t he understand how difficult it was for him already?!

He only needed to raise a finger to incapacitate Shaina. He watched her fall on the ground like a broken doll, and steeled himself for his next move. He threw Seiya down with a mere shift of his Cosmos, hoping that he would take the hint and stop making his case worse, but the boy had never been one to refrain from saying when a thing didn’t sit well with him. He’d always been very vocal in his protestations, and it seemed that he still hadn’t grown out of it – strategical silence was probably the only thing that Marin hadn’t managed to get through that thick skull of his.

“I can’t believe that you, of all people, would think me a traitor, Aiolia. You know me better than that! Are you really going to obey the Pope without question? Did you really believe I would disregard everything Marin has taught me, all that you have taught me, as soon as I set foot outside of the Sanctuary?”

Aiolia’s stomach twisted uncomfortably. Did Seiya think he hadn’t stood awake at night thinking about the same things? That he liked the idea of killing someone he’d seen grow up, that he’d learned to consider a younger brother, the beloved pupil of the woman he held so dear in his heart?! This wasn’t just about him, damn it!

He saw a flash of understanding dawn in Seiya’s dark eyes. “Or maybe – is it because of what happened to your brother? You think that since he was declared a traitor, you shouldn’t trust your own judgement on anybody else if the Pope says otherwise?”

Every single muscle in his body tensed. He had to take a couple of breaths to keep his Cosmos from flaring up in anger.

“My brother was a traitor” he said, his voice harsh and low. “and I must clear his name! I promised myself that I would bring the Sagittarius Cloth back at the Sanctuary, no matter the cost, to repair my brother’s actions. And trust me, Seiya, I will do it!”

Seiya scoffed. “Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but we don’t have the Sagittarius Cloth. That thing has a life of its own, you know. And in any case, I’d doubt it’d let you take it, if that’s your reason. Marin told me you loved your brother, and yet you didn’t even wonder why he acted in a way so unlike him – did it ever occur to you that he may have had a very good reason to run away from the Sanctuary with a baby in tow?” He shook his head. “I thought better of you, Aiolia.”

Aiolia narrowed his eyes, bristling. This was getting ridiculous. Seiya had the gall to look disappointed in him?!

He watched as the boy took off his shirt, challenging him to fight. He allowed himself a mild surprise in seeing that he didn’t even try to summon Pegasus.

“There’s no need to show off, Seiya. You have no chances against me.”

“I’d like you to let me decide if I have a chance or not, Aiolia – Pegasus Ryu Sei Ken!”

“He’s not going down without a fight”, Aiolia thought. “I wish Marin hadn’t taught him so well”.

The Ryu Sei Ken wasn’t as strong as the one he’d seen defeat Cassios, all those months ago – he could see every single blow in slow motion. He’d almost hoped that he’d gotten stronger, after fighting against the Silver Saints.

“It is useless, Seiya – the power of a Gold Saint is like nothing else in nature. Your attacks reach sound speed, and what is that to my own, that move at light speed? There’s no hope for you.”

Seiya looked baffled and genuinely scared – but only for a moment. Aiolia saw courage – temerity, he’d rather call it – overcome his young features again.

“If I have no hope, I might as well do my best, don’t you think?” He said, before charging again.

“Enough”, Aiolia thought. “Goodbye, Seiya.”

“Lightning Bolt!”

                                                        -oo-

His blow had hit home too early.

That was how he knew that something had gone wrong – and then he’d registered the sight of Shaina’s body, bleeding profusely, the back piece of her Cloth in shards, collapsing in Seiya’s arms.

He took a step back as if recoiling from a vicious snake.

Seiya  fell on his knees, brought down by the girl’s weight and his own shock, calling her name; his voice seemed on the verge of breaking with every new word.

Aiolia watched, guiltily, as Shaina whispered something at Seiya, who held her gently, the Cosmos of Ophiuchus flickering like a dying candle, but with still enough strength to latch itself at Pegasus’.

She had sacrificed herself for him. The mere fact that, as weakened as she was, she’d been able to bodily interfere with an attack she shouldn’t have even been able to see was remarkable. He tasted bile in his throat, knowing that he, a Gold Saint, supposedly one of the most powerful men on Earth, hadn’t been able to stop himself from hitting an innocent.

He couldn’t accept such a thing. Not even for the sake of the mission.

“It’s a sign” a voice in his mind murmured, “Seiya’s hour has not come yet. If you insist on going against the Fates, it will only get worse. Go away, while you still can.”

Aiolia had never been superstitious, but he trusted his instincts. And when he saw Shaina’s body grow limp in Seiya’s arms, they started screaming at him that this was all wrong.

He kept his voice even while turning away. “I’ll spare your life today, Seiya, in honour of Shaina’s sacrifice.”

He took two steps.

Then, burning rage thickened the air around him, the surrounding trees creaking under the invisible pressure of Pegasus’ Cosmos expanding like a star on the verge of exploding.

Seiya’s voice reached him like an approaching thunderstorm, deep and threatening.

“No thirteen-year-old should sound like this”, he thought.

“How could you, Aiolia?! Why didn’t you stop your fist? You saw her jumping in front of me, why did you not STOP?! You call yourself a Saint, and yet you hit a woman? I’ll never forgive you for this - I’ll punish you, or I’ll DIE TRYING!”

Aiolia didn’t answer. He kept giving his back to Seiya, eyes closed, no muscle moving. He deserved every word. He knew he did. He reveled in the pain each word gave him, in the way Seiya’s voice made his heart ache.

He felt, even without seeing, the moment Seiya took his attacking posture. When he felt the shift in the air signalling that the younger boy was launching himself at him, he only turned slightly.

Enough for one of Seiya’s fists to collide with his cheek.

The pain on his mouth was dull, despite the drop of blood that trickled from his lip. Seiya’s rage and desperation had made his fist less effective, but that didn’t matter. The purpose had been reached.

“Are you satisfied now, Seiya?” He whispered, opening his eyes to see how Seiya’s face was lined with tears, his warm brown irises burning. He watched as his words and behaviour finally registered in the Japanese boy’s mind, bringing confusion on the surface over all other emotions.

“What…?”

“You have every right to be angry. I assure you, I didn’t see Shaina throwing herself in front of you. It was a horrible mistake. Please, forgive me if you can.” He added, walking towards the young woman’s unconscious form, lying on the grass.

He raised a hand over her, and gathered his Cosmos on his palm; he let the healing power of Leo shower like golden rain on Shaina’s body, focusing on the wounds inflicted by that same Cosmos only moments before. A few breaths later, he felt the stars of Ophiuchus regain strength and steadiness, enough to keep healing their ward by themselves.

Relieved, he took her gently in his arms. “I’ll take care of her, Seiya. Don’t worry, she’ll recover soon.” He said, before moving away from the Pegasus Saint again.

Seiya just stared at him, befuddled, for a few moments. Then, his face cleared, resuming a determined expression.

Sensing he’d understood, Aiolia regained some of his previous sternness, to warn him.

“I will come back to finish what I was meant to start, Seiya. You disobeyed Athena, rebelling against the Sanctuary.”

Seiya’s Cosmos positively frizzled with frustration under the boy’s skin.

“Ugh! For the millionth time, I did not disobey the Goddess, Aiolia! It is the Pope who’s in the wrong! Do I have to tell you in Latin?!”

“Don’t test your luck, Pegasus. I’m sparing you for now, I won’t do it again. I will follow the order I was given.” Aiolia replied, turning his back to him and walking decidedly towards West.

“If you value your life, Seiya, for all that is holy on Olympus, please stay silent until I’m gone!”

He had no such luck.

“No way, Aiolia! Come on, man, I know your intentions are good, but I can’t let you align with that usurper! He’s bad news, he manipulated all of you! Come back!” Seiya insisted, apparently hell bent on making him stay and reconsider.

Aiolia breathed hard through the nose, hoping to remain calm and keep going. “How did Marin not lose her patience with him?!”

“If you’re worried about Shaina, I can assure you, Pope Shion won’t hurt her.” He said, without stopping his walk, not even turning around to address him.

Three Silver Cosmos, simmering with hostility and impertinence, flared up from the thick of the trees all around them. Aiolia stopped immediately as male voices addressed him in a tone that grated on his nerves at the sheer audacity of it.

“Leo Aiolia! Give Shaina to our custody and keep fighting Pegasus! We’ll take care of that runaway chit!”

Aiolia grit his teeth. “Show yourself!” He bellowed, although the voices and the energies were familiar to him. As three figures appeared from the nearby bushes, he clutched Shaina tighter to his chest. There was no way in Hades he’d let them hurt her – she had nothing to do with the whole business!

He immediately recognized the Cloths of Canis Major, Heracles and Musca. He stiffened: those Silver Saints were only a couple of years younger than him, and their masters had been some of those that most delighted in harassing him when he was a child.

He didn’t like where this was heading. Not a single bit.

“Were you following me by the Pope’s orders?” He asked, as Seiya raised his arms in a defensive position.

“Of course! And I can easily see now why he asked us to…” Canis Major replied, snickering. “You are, after all, the flesh and blood of a traitor – it’s not unthinkable that you’d behave in the same way. Apples never fall too far from the tree, huh?”

Aiolia had a hard time stopping himself from growling, but his upper lip still curled to show his teeth.

“How dare you?! You’re badmouthing one of your superiors without reason – you’d better watch your tongue! A Gold Saint never goes back on his word!” He seethed, barely keeping his Cosmos in check.

The Silver Saint didn’t seem fazed by the threat.

“It may be so, but why didn’t you finish off both Ophiuchus and Pegasus, then? Were you just acting out of generosity? Were you not given the exact order to get rid of all the traitorous Bronze Saints?” He asked again, mouth twisting in an oily smirk that made Aiolia’s hackles rise.

“What are you insinuating, Canis Major?!”

“Nothing! But now, if you may, we are going to take care of the task!”

Aiolia watched, helpless, as Heracles, Musca and Canis Major played with Seiya like cats with a dying mouse, throwing him back and forth across the clearing, even arguing over who should end his life permanently.

The Leo Saint was gritting his teeth so hard his jaw ached – he was thoroughly disgusted by the spectacle those three were making , but knew perfectly well that if he tried to stop them, he’d find himself in a worse conundrum than ever. He’d either prove their point in showing himself aligned with the traitors, or he’d have to kill Seiya in front of them – both options were equally terrible in his eyes.

But why, why wasn’t Seiya summoning Pegasus?!

And then…

…he felt his Cloth hum softly against his skin.

He looked around, trying to understand what had arisen Leo. She reacted in that way only when another Gold Cloth was near...

“Has Milo followed me?” He wondered.

As the three Silvers decided to launch Seiya in the air and play at who would hit him first, he sent a sliver of Cosmos around, to try and ascertain to whom the new energy belonged. It didn’t seem like Milo’s, but then who…?

He barely had the time to register the shocked exclamations of the three Silvers when he saw Seiya’s body emanating a Golden Cosmos.

But it wasn’t his, it… belonged to something else. It belonged to the shape taking solid form just above their heads.

His eyes widened. He would recognize that shape everywhere.

That was…

Sagittarius.

And it was disposing itself on Seiya’s body. Out of its own volition.

“What in Athena’s name is going on here?!”

                                                         -000-

Aiolos had just been returning to the Graude Foundation’s headquarters from visiting Seika when he’d felt a Silver Cosmos approach Seiya. He’d obviously worried at first – seriously, the sheer ability of that boy to attract trouble even when laying ill at the hospital! – but then he’d noticed a certain… hue of distress in that Cosmos, as if its owner was having an internal conflict on what to do. He’d checked the situation for a couple of minutes, but when Seiya didn’t even once raise his own energy to defend himself, he decided to give the boy some credit and let him handle whatever was happening by himself.

“You can’t mother them forever, Aiolos. They’ve developed more experience in a month than you did in the last thirteen years…” He thought wryly as he reached his Goddess in the control room.

“Is something the matter, Aiolos-san?” Athena asked, smiling gently at him when he bowed in front of her.

He smiled back. “I actually don’t know, Anissa. Seiya seems to be dealing with… an unwelcome visitor in a most peculiar way.”

Athena’s delicate eyebrows raised in wonder, before focusing her Cosmos as he’d taught her to check on her Saint. Aiolos saw her expression clear in understanding a moment later.

“Oh – it is the Ophiuchus Saint. She’s not going to hurt him, no matter how much she tries to convince herself that she should.” She said, her voice taking a slightly mischievous tone that Aiolos had heard directed at him more times he liked to admit. The significant look she gave him soon after confirmed his suspicions on where her thoughts were directed.

The Sagittarius Saint’s eyes widened. “A lovers’ spat, my lady? With all the problems we already have?”

Athena chuckled daintily, a delicate hand raising to cover her smirking mouth. “Don’t sound so surprised, my dear Saint! As if you were completely oblivious to the matters of the heart!”

Aiolos tried not to blush. His young Goddess had become far too good at teasing him as of late…

And then he felt it, unexpected like a punch in the stomach.

A golden Cosmos.

The Lion.

He gripped on the commands’ plank for support so hard that the metal creaked in protest under his fingers.

“Aiolos?!”

Athena’s voice had grown alarmed, but it took him a moment to register that she’d jumped on her feet and was looking straight in his face, her teal eyes wide with worry.

“Anissa…” He murmured, his voice feeling almost disembodied. “Saga has… has sent a Gold Saint.”

Athena’s face paled, before she schooled her features in a neutral look, her mind already trying to come up with possible solutions and implications.

Aiolos felt an idiot for not having thought about it – of course Saga would use every weapon at his disposal to get rid of them. And since the Silver Saints hadn’t been able to defeat them, why would he not send one of the Twelve Generals? It made perfect sense…

“Can you tell if he’s someone we could reason with?” Athena asked, her wringing fingers the only sign of distress on her countenance.

Aiolos swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.

He knew that Cosmos.

Not just because it was of his same rank, or because he recognized the constellation.

He’d known that Cosmos since the first day it had sparked. He had cared for it, nurtured it, like a small fire to be protected from the wind and the rain.

And now, that little spark had grown into lightning and flame, into the very essence of the Sun.

“It’s… it’s Aiolia. My brother.”

Athena’s eyes filled with a sudden understanding, then with sadness. “Oh, Aiolos…”

He tried to steel himself into some semblance of composure. There wasn’t time for sentimentality, not at that moment.

“If he has retained any part of the gentleness of heart he possessed as a child, then yes, he is someone we could bring on our side, Anissa. But we must tread carefully – Gold Saints are quite different from Silvers. They are the nearest to the Pope; I have no idea how much influence Saga had on them in these years – and we’ve always been taught how to be leaders, not just to obey to orders. I remember that we were described as the nearest a mortal could come to the Gods without being possessed by a divine force… persuading one of them is no easy task, my lady.”

He felt like he’d rambled, but Athena seemed to be considering his words quite seriously.

“That same independence of mind you described could also be an asset in trying to convince them of the rightness of our actions, don’t you think?” She mused, her head tilted to the side.

Aiolos made to answer, but his attention was caught by Aiolia’s Cosmos raising in response to Seiya’s.

“Zeus Soter, is he going to fight a Gold Saint face to face?!”  the man wondered, positively astonished.

“Seiya must be out of his mind… he doesn’t even have the Cloth!” He exclaimed, exchanging an alarmed look with Athena. “My lady, shall I go and help him?”

Athena hesitated for a moment, before shaking her head. “I have every faith in him. And you know how good he is at persuading people with endless chatter…” She said, trying to sound more convinced than she truly felt. Even as her visage remained mostly unperturbed, Aiolos knew her well enough to understand that she was getting seriously worried. “Let’s keep checking the situation – if it worsens, we’ll warn the others and see what else we can do without revealing your identity.”

Aiolos held his tongue, knowing that his inclination would be to just charge ahead and defend the younger Saint, but he knew they had to stick to the plan if they wanted to keep their advantage on Saga.

The Saint focused back on the two – wait, three? – Cosmos near the hospital. The Silver one – Ophiuchus – flared up all of a sudden at the same time Aiolia’s charged up for an attack. In the span of two breaths, the weaker Cosmos had a steep falling in power, and the golden one literally contracted itself like a deflating balloon.

While the battle was at an apparent impasse, he searched deeper inside Aiolia’s Cosmos, to understand his behaviour.

He found almost immediately the traits he remembered from the days at the Sanctuary: his baby brother’s impulsive streak that made him go play with Milo on the edge of a ravine for the mere purpose of giving him a heart attack, his natural sense of justice, his sweet cheerfulness… it was all there, but was now shaped into a new maturity, and wrapped in an iron-hard discipline.

Aiolos felt tears of pride press against his eyelids – his little brother had grown so much…

Then, he registered something else in Aiolia’s Cosmos.

Guilt. Grief. And a dark, thick undercurrent of anger, sadness, and betrayal. It was well controlled, but still edged deep in his energy, like a rotting feeling he had felt for too long a time to know how to let it go.

An icy cold feeling ran down Aiolos’ spine.

Blessed Hera, was it…?

“What has happened to him while I was here?!”

He felt Athena jump in surprise at his side, and a mere second later he understood why – the stars of Pegasus were blazing. Neither of them had ever felt Seiya get so angry before.

And Aiolia… he wasn’t reacting. He had lowered his Cosmos to minimum levels, and now all Aiolos perceived was his brother’s conflict, overwrought by one single thought.

I deserve this.

He was… resigned!

Seiya’s anger was spent in a matter of minutes, apparently deflated by Aiolia’s lack of reaction. Then, the Lion’s Cosmos raised again, now with a new softness, soothing like a protective balm, as warm as a mother’s caress.

The Ophiuchus Cosmos, that had basically disappeared in the background in the meantime, slowly regained strength, revived by Leo’s gentle ministrations.

“He is healing her…” Aiolos whispered, his voice low and awed.

Athena smiled solemnly. She looked every bit the pleased Goddess she was supposed to be.

They remained silent as both Leo and Pegasus seemed to have abandoned any idea of fighting.

“He’s going away.” Aiolos said, almost cringing at his own voice, who seemed almost too loud for his surroundings.

“He must have persuaded himself not to hurt Seiya…” Athena surmised, her shoulders relaxing – before tensing again.

There were other three warriors. Silvers, judging by their power – and apparently hell bent on fighting.

Aiolos cursed in Greek under his breath.

He felt his brother grow angry  at the newcomers. He’d probably expected to be alone – which was the usual protocol for missions involving Gold Saints.

But no, this anger ran deeper… an old grudge? He didn’t trust them?

Nonetheless, Aiolia didn’t seem inclined to intervene in the subsequent fight between Seiya (who still hadn’t summoned Pegasus!) and the Silver warriors.

“Anissa, please. Seiya is already weakened, he can’t make it alone against four adversaries of a superior rank.” He insisted, his weight already shifting towards the door.

Athena frowned in thought for a second before taking her decision. “Warn Hyoga and Shun. Tell them to reach Seiya at the hospital. And… send him Sagittarius.”

Aiolos stared at her in bafflement. “My Cloth?” He asked, hoping she would elaborate.

She nodded. “A Gold Cloth shall protect him perfectly well against three Silver Saints, and seeing Sagittarius on his side may help persuading Aiolia of the rightness of our actions.”

The Greek considered the matter for a moment – it made sense. After all, no matter what they had told Aiolia when he had run away, he wouldn’t believe it possible for a Gold Cloth to act against Athena’s wishes, right? Especially not Sagittarius…

He nodded and closed his eyes, sending his Cosmos outwards, to connect with his Cloth.

“Toxotis” He called with his mind, searching the vicinities.

The answer was surprisingly swift. She wasn’t as far away as he’d thought.

“Yes, my ward?” The disembodied voice of his Cloth’s Cosmos replied.

“Please, I need you to help Seiya. He’s fighting against three opponents and has no protection. Go to him and aid him in his battle – lend him your power, Toxotis.”

The Cloth didn’t answer for a second, as if considering the idea.

“Are you giving me away, young archer? Is little Pegasus your successor?”

He frowned slightly. He hadn’t thought about it – Seiya was a Sagittarian, so he was the only one among the boys who could, potentially, wear his Cloth, and he’d proved his worth more times than ever…

…but now was not the time to think about successions.

“Consider this an emergency loan, Toxotis. The Fates willing, I intend to keep wearing you for a long time still.”

If energies could smile, he was pretty sure his Cloth was in that moment.

“Very well, then.”

He felt Sagittarius hum at the back of his mind, his own Cosmos protesting under his skin to be let out and connect with his Cloth’s, but he kept himself in check – not yet, he told himself.

Athena and him checked on the Cloth’s travel through time and space, until it exposed itself on the battlefield, causing surprise, consternation and something that neared panic in the Silver Saints.

Sagittarius only had to release some pent-up energy to defeat them.

Aiolos searched for Aiolia’s reaction, finding astonishment, incredulity and – good heavens, he was outraged!

“Hades be damned – I hadn’t thought he would get angry at seeing Sagittarius worn by somebody else!” He thought, anxiety gripping his chest at the idea of what dangers Seiya could be facing for his decision.

He glanced at Athena, and saw that she was frowning. She hadn’t expected that either.

“It seems that now he’s more determined than ever to act according to Saga’s orders…” She whispered, biting her lip slightly.

“And Shun and Hyoga are on their way there…” Aiolos added, feeling the Cosmos of Andromeda and Cygnus moving fast towards the clearing. “This is not good.”

“No, it’s not.” Athena agreed, before taking a deep breath and seemingly steeling herself into resolve.

She turned towards Aiolos with a determined look.

“You told me before that Gold Saints are described as the nearest a mortal can come to the Gods without being possessed by a divine force. Wouldn’t that also mean that it would take a God to sway them from their propositions?”

“Not any God, my lady. Just…” Aiolos’ eyes widened in understanding. “Just you.”

“Even with the Pope in charge, we are only subject to your command. If you were to speak personally, no Saint would dare question you.” He continued, understanding where Athena’s thoughts were veering to.

“Aiolia probably thinks that he’s acting in my name, since the Pope’s role is to relay my orders. If I show him that he is, actually, disobeying me, he would stop. Is it not so?” She concluded, her eyes brightening in determination.

“Indeed it is.” Aiolos thought about it, all the while cringing at the way Aiolia’s Cosmos was clearly getting overcome with his anger, all at the expense of the younger Bronze Saints. “Do you intend to… expose yourself to him?” He asked.

“Yes. I will tell him the truth, omitting only the fact that you’re still alive, and reveal my Cosmos to him. That should do the trick.”

Aiolos fidgeted. He knew he was to stay hidden until the very last moment, but…

He took a deep breath and decided to speak his mind.

“Anissa, I… I intend to escort you, of course, but… I think Aiolia needs to know that I’m alive. This isn’t just about the plan and the war… he’s my brother. He deserves an explanation for why I disappeared from his life all of a sudden. And you must also consider the option that, despite all, he may still not believe you. Do you not think that my presence could be needed for him to be shown the truth?”

He watched as his Goddess pondered the objection and its solidity. He saw a flicker of concern – human concern – flash across her bright eyes, before settling in a look of serene decisiveness.

“Let’s compromise. You’ll come with me, but stay hidden. I’ll try to convince Aiolia by myself – but, if things go as you fear and he doesn’t believe me still, you may show yourself. Is that all right with you?”

Aiolos sighed. He hadn’t expected to obtain even that much, so he nodded and escorted his Goddess outside – he would bring her at the hospital at light speed, for he could already feel things getting out of hand on the battlefield and they couldn’t lose any more time.

“I’m coming, Aiolia.”

                                                            -oo-

The expansion of Sagittarius’ Cosmos was powerful enough to annihilate all three Silver Saints at once. Aiolia looked as Seiya floated gently back on the ground, as if the Cloth itself was moving his body, not the other way around.

Seiya looked even younger with a Gold Cloth on. The wings enveloped his form, but the bulk of solid gold made him look like a child wearing his father’s clothes.

“He shouldn’t be wearing it” He thought, a sudden feeling of possessiveness clawing at his chest. “It was my brother’s – and if he can’t wear it, then nobody should!”

He’d looked for it for years – since he’d been strong enough to fight and wear his own Cloth. He had built his entire life around finding Sagittarius and bringing it back where it belonged, the Sanctuary, in the hopes that then, finally, his brother’s soul would rest in peace, as much as a traitor’s soul could…

And now here it was, summoned by who knows what, protecting another traitor from his punishment.

Aiolia felt mocked. By destiny, by circumstances, by Seiya, by Sagittarius, even!

Now that he had it at reach, there was no way he was going back to Greece without it. Even if this meant tearing it off from Seiya’s body with his bare hands!

He moved to a corner and laid Shaina gently under a tree, as far away as possible from the line of action. She was still unconscious, but her body was healing. She would be fine.

He turned. Seiya was still on his feet, frozen in the same position as before, only his eyes following  his every movement. Aiolia tried to gauge his emotions by his Cosmos, but Sagittarius seemed determined to overwhelm and hide Pegasus’ presence.

“It’s protecting him” he realized, feeling as if he’d swallowed a stone. “You belong to Athena, Toxotis. Why are you defending someone who defied her?!”

“That Cloth comes with me, Seiya. You’re not worthy of wearing it!” He growled, the turmoil of his emotions seemingly in tune with the thunderstorm brewing up over their heads.

He drew strength from the electricity in the air and sent a Lightning Bolt in the boy’s direction.

The weather and his own anger fueled his attack, that destroyed several trees on its path and illuminated the surroundings with blinding light.

But when it dispersed, Seiya wasn’t there anymore.

“What the hell -?” Aiolia cursed, his eyes raising to see the younger Saint floating above his head, the wings of Sagittarius wide open to catch the wind.

He was flying!

From what he could garner of Seiya’s expression, the boy looked just as incredulous as he was. Then, he watched as he flipped on his back, starting his descent head first – and aiming a Ryu Sei Ken at him.

Aiolia was able to dodge a few of the first, but then they became faster and blurrier – all coated with Sagittarius’ aura – and he got hit.

The brunt of the attack sent him flying against a tree, that cracked under the pressure of the impact.

He gasped for the shock while Seiya returned to the ground, apparently elated at having actually hit a Gold Saint.

“So that’s the game you’re playing, Toxotis? Powering him up so that he can actually hit me? Very well then!” He thought, rising up with no particular effort, a strange sort of resentment weighing on him, his Cosmos crackling and fizzling from every pore of his skin.

“Don’t bring your hopes up, Seiya… if you think you’ve suddenly become invincible, you’re more naïve than I thought – I’ll show you what a real Gold Saint is capable of!” He said, glaring at the boy and taking his cape off his shoulders.

“Lightning Plasma!” He roared, throwing his glowing fist at Seiya with the whole weight of his body.

Seiya had barely the time to let out a scream of agony, before ending up on the ground, panting and unable to move from the shock.

Aiolia loomed over him, a bad taste filling his mouth at the sight of Sagittarius without a scratch even after his attack, Seiya being more out of breath than actually hurt.

“It takes years to learn how to use and control a Gold Cloth – you wouldn’t think yourself such a prodigy, would you?” He jeered at him, before raising his fist again.

“Prepare to die, Seiya. That is the Pope’s command.”

“Damn it, Aiolia, stop following the Pope’s orders so blindly!” Seiya wheezed, his voice low and scratchy but still obstinate as ever.

“Pope Shion is a just man who devoted his life to Athena – all Saints ought to obey to him, do you not get it?!” He growled back, his jaw clenching. “The one who holds power over the Sanctuary can be nothing but a creature of justice!”

Seiya looked on the verge of protesting and Aiolia was ready to silence him forever – when a sound of running feet and a male voice, calling Seiya’s name, burst into the clearing.

Aiolia turned around and saw two boys, around Seiya’s age, wearing civilian clothes, rushing towards them.

He recognized the Cosmos of Andromeda and Cygnus – other two traitors, then.

“Seiya, are you alright? What’s going on here?!” The blond boy – Cygnus – asked, looking confused. His companion looked even more baffled at seeing their comrade wearing the Sagittarius Gold Cloth.

They hadn’t even noticed him. Had nobody taught them to always check their surroundings before entering a battlefield?!

“And one of them is even Camus’ pupil!” Aiolia thought, while Seiya tried to warn his friends to go away, because they couldn’t fight against him. “Speaking some sense at last, Seiya…”

The other two Saints’ eyes finally zeroed on him, and widened in astonishment. “A Gold Saint?!”

Aiolia smirked – their faces would be hilarious, on another occasion. He turned back to his target.

“You first, Seiya – I’ll deal with them later.”

He barely had the time to end his sentence that the newcomers charged at him.

“For Zeus’ sake, are you all mental in this damned place?!” He thought, exasperated, as he raised his left forearm to stop their attack with a wall of air.

“How dare you attack a Gold Saint from behind, especially without your Cloths? Calling you only imprudent would be a compliment!” He grumbled, not even angry at such a display of impulsiveness.

“And these people actually defeated most of the Silver Saints… who even thought them ready to be bestowed  a Cloth in the first place, I wonder!”

Cygnus jumped on his feet, his ice blue eyes blazing. “We’re not afraid of you! And for a friend we’ll do this and much more!”

Andromeda backed him up with the same determination. “Whatever is your power, Gold Saint, we’d risk our own life to save Seiya’s!”

Aiolia blinked, taken aback by such a strong feeling of friendship.

“Your devotion is a noble sentiment. I must say I admire it.” He replied, his voice softer. “However, I have orders to follow.”

“What orders?” The blond boy asked, his voice harsh.

“Orders given by Athena, through Pope Shion’s mouth.” He declared, straightening.

Seiya, at his feet, propped himself on his elbows, suddenly revived in his determination. “Wait, Aiolia – you’re acting under a mistaken assumption, you’ve been manipulated!”

He glared down at the boy. “You’re saying this just to save your life – you’re a coward, Seiya!”

“I’m telling the truth, Aiolia! I have the proof of it!”

“What?!”

“He’s right! Athena hasn’t been on Sanctuary’s side for years now!” Cygnus interjected.

“BULLSHIT!” Aiolia snarled, having reached the limit of his tolerance. “This is absolute bullshit! Athens’ Sanctuary is the place from which justice is born, and has always belonged to Athena Promachos. The Pope speaks in her name!”

The Andromeda boy spoke up, his tone gentler than the other two, but his words cut even deeper. “The Pope doesn’t speak in Athena’s name anymore, because it is not Shion sitting on Athens’ throne. It is an usurper that gives the orders now.”

“No… no, I won’t keep listening to such blasphemies! You are traitors, you have no right to speak of the Goddess. I’ll shut your filthy mouths forever!” Aiolia seethed, his fists closed so tightly that he was sure his nails were drawing blood from his palms.

“You’re making a mistake!” “You have placed your trust in an evil being, Gold Saint!”

“Stop it, stop it, stop it, STOP IT!!!”

“ENOUGH!”

He sent them flying with a burst of Cosmos, not even bothering to channel it in an attack. His vision was edged with red, and he barely had control over his stars.

“Shun! Hyoga!” Seiya’s distraught voice barely registered in his conscious, just as the fact that, somehow, his raw explosion of power hadn’t killed the two unarmed boys.

“May it serve as a lesson to you – offending the Pope in that way!” He spat, before turning towards a raising Seiya, still unsure on his feet.

“Athena’s trust is placed in Pope Shion. And now, Seiya, I’ll finish you!”

Leo purred against his chest like a sated cat.

A soft, golden pink light emerged from the trees, clearing up the skies above them, and an unmistakable feeling of peace and serenity enveloped all the living beings in the surrounding area.

A Cosmos, the likes of which he’d never felt before, seemingly expanding to the very ends of the galaxy, flowed like silk in the wind, filling every space like water, covering the Saints’ bodies like a lovingly warm blanket.

Aiolia lowered his arms, feeling small and humbled as never before. His mind could barely grasp at the notion of such a Cosmos even existing, and the way his Cloth had reacted to it, like a raging beast tamed by a gentle touch…

He turned towards the source of the light, trying to understand who could possess such power…

…and from the bushes emerged the tiny figure of a girl, wearing a white dress, long hair falling silkily down her back, and the most stunning pair of teal blue eyes he’d ever seen. Her face, still so young, held a maturity far beyond her age.

“It can’t be…” He whispered, suddenly feeling as if all strength had abandoned him.

The girl walked slowly towards him, then spoke to him in katharevousa Greek, her voice soft and calm.

“Aiolia, Gold Saint of Leo. The one you call Pope Shion, the man who sits on Sanctuary’s throne, doesn’t belong to Athena.”

“What -?” He stammered, taking a step back.

With the corner of his eye he saw Seiya go down on a knee and speak to the girl. “Saori-san, you can’t stay here, it’s dangerous!”

“So…” He murmured, more to himself than to others. “This is Saori Kido!”

                                                     -000-

They had reached the clearing just in time to feel Aiolia’s Cosmos spiral out of control. He was enraged, clawing at his enemies with blind fury – Aiolos had never felt something like this, even less coming from his baby brother.

“What have they done to you, adelphos mou?”

“Anissa” He whispered when they stopped only a few paces away from the battlefield. “Take care – your appearance may surprise him long enough for you to try and speak some sense into him, but his emotions are fleeting. Don’t stay in his line of attack.”

Athena smiled up at him, her expression reassuring. “Don’t worry, Aiolos. Most of his anger comes from his confusion – having the time to explain will be enough. Stay here, now. I know you’ll protect me if the need ever arises.”

He nodded, letting go of the pale arm he was still gently holding from their travelling, and took a step back, hiding behind one of the trees that had resisted the battle’s devastation.

He watched as Athena took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and moved forward, her pace determined but calm. Her divine Cosmos soon started spreading around, calling for harmony and peace.

Aiolos immediately felt Leo and Sagittarius react to her presence – they both hummed gently in response; Sagittarius even reached out to him, through the privileged and intimate connection that all Saints had with their own Cloth.

“You have come at last, my ward.”

“Yes. Thank you for helping Seiya.” He replied with his mind, smiling.

“Little Pegasus is stronger than you think. Will you not come forward? The lion cub misses you.”

He winced. “No. Athena needs me to stay hidden. Stay where you are for now, Toxotis. Let Anissa deal with this her own way – and keep Seiya in place, please. He’s done more than enough for today.”

Sagittarius grew silent, but he could feel her skepticism. Nonetheless, she sent him a signal of assent, before breaking the connection.

He knew the moment Athena had come into Aiolia’s line of sight – his brother gasped and the Cosmos of Leo calmed down, as if falling asleep. He could still feel his surprise when he heard Athena’s voice speak to him with the formal Greek used at the Sanctuary in solemn occasions.

He felt a sudden, unbearable urge to see him. It had been thirteen, endless years, since he’d laid eyes on his baby brother – and now he was here, literally ten feet away…

Moving stealthily, he neared to the edge of trees, taking care to remain in the shadows, and directly behind Athena.

She shifted her weight to her left while speaking, probably with the purpose of reaching Seiya on the other side of the clearing, and finally, he saw Aiolia.

Good Gods, he was so grown up.

It was like looking in a mirror, although with slight differences.

Aiolia had grown to become almost as tall as him, and they had the same muscular built – but his posture was so majestic, like a king’s. Leo fit him like a glove, and the fist-sized emerald that adorned his headpiece brought out his eyes, giving them a feline expression.

They were as impossibly green as he remembered them, and almost as wide, although they now fit on a much more virile face than the one he recalled from his memories. His childishly round features had reassembled into a strong jaw and high cheekbones, a proud brow and a strong nose – although his lips had remained as plump as before, the perfectly shaped cupid bow of the upper lip that had made so many maids coo at him when he was a three-year-old still present to soften his traits. His tanned skin contrasted with the short, warm honey curls surrounding his face – were they still as untameable as before, still as impossible to brush?

Aiolos gripped a nearby trunk with both hands, mostly to stop himself from rushing out of his hiding place and hugging his brother. He felt his eyes water at the thought of all the time he had lost with him, of all the things he wanted to say to him – how proud he was of what he’d become, how sorry he was for having left him behind, how much he’d missed him, that he wouldn’t leave him alone anymore…

Athena’s soft voice broke through his muddled thoughts, focusing his attention back to her tale.

“I know it is hard for you to believe it, but it’s true. The man you call Pope is an usurper, the true traitor of the Sanctuary, the real threat to the world’s peace.”

Aiolia’s face showed his shock, but then his eyes took a hard edge and his voice – goodness, it was so deep – resonated bitterly in his reply.

“So… I should believe that my commander is a traitor by your word, you who set up that disgusting farce of a tournament, manipulating young Saints for your own selfish wishes, stirring up a civil war between those who should defend the Earth?”

Aiolos sent not-so-nice thoughts at deceased Mitsumasa Kido for having even planned such a preposterous thing like the Galaxian Wars.

He heard Athena sigh sadly, before she spoke again, a new determination in her soft tones.

“Let me tell you a story, then, Aiolia.”

She started walking towards and around him, making him follow her with his eyes.

“Thirteen years ago, when I was but a newborn, I was brought away from the Sanctuary by your brother, Sagittarius Aiolos.”

Aiolia startled. “Aiolos? But…”

“Bringing me away, he saved my life. You see, just after my birth, Pope Shion had appointed him as his successor, considering him to be the most valiant among the Saints – thus assigning him all the responsibilities of protecting the Sanctuary.”

Aiolos bit his lip – Aiolia hadn’t known of his being chosen as the future Pope, because the announcement was meant for the day baby Athena would be presented – the day that had never come. He wasn’t surprised that his brother looked positively astonished at the thought.

“My brother… the future Pope…?” He heard him whisper, incredulously.

Athena continued, still moving, unperturbed by Aiolia’s interjections.

“But the night before the official announcement could be made and my presence revealed to the whole Sanctuary, something terrible happened. Pope Shion was murdered and the usurper, that now sits on his throne, slandering his name and memory by wearing the sacred garments and acting in his stead, walked into the room I was sleeping in at the Thirteenth House, and tried to kill me too.”

Aiolos’ stomach clenched with the memory – he still had nightmares about what had happened that night, and even though he’d told Athena this story in almost the exact same words, it still hurt hearing it spoken.

Aiolia was paralyzed by what he was being told – his Cosmos frozen in disbelief.

“Your brother sensed that something was wrong – and arrived just in time to stop the dagger from hitting me – he protected me from the usurper’s attacks, until during the scuffle he saw his face, previously hidden by the Pope’s helmet.”

Aiolos clutched his right hand – he still had the scar where his fingers had closed around the dagger; he had to swallow to keep in check the icy feeling that still enveloped him remembering Saga’s face in that instant – transfigured by madness and fury and murderous desires…

“Having been discovered, the usurper attacked Aiolos again, and called out for him to be caught – he declared him a traitor, who was running away with the newly incarnated Goddess, and had to be stopped. People believed him, for he wore the Pope’s garments and nobody suspected him of not being Shion.

Aiolos could do nothing except pick up his Cloth and run – as far away as he could, to keep me safe.

He fought against his own comrades, trying not to harm them more than absolutely necessary to escape, gravely injuring himself in the process. Finally, he reached the outskirts of the Sanctuary and was able to find refuge among some old ruins near Athens. There, he met Mitsumasa Kido, who was touring the area, and gave me and his Cloth into his custody, begging him to take care of me and protect me from those who wished me harm.”

“Mitsumasa, who raised me as his own grand-daughter, scoured the country far and wide for orphaned boys, to train them and send them all around the world to become Saints, so that they could protect me and, one day, bring peace back to the Sanctuary. Not all came back, but those who did,” she gestured towards Seiya, Shun and Hyoga, now behind her. “are indeed valiant and faithful warriors, worthy of the name of Saints and of the Cloths they were bestowed.”

“The usurper has kept quiet for many years, disguising himself as Shion, but the Galaxian Wars gave him an excuse to start behaving as is his nature – as a tyrant, who only desires power for himself, with no care whatsoever for Earth’s safety. He sent many Saints against us, who died thinking they were doing the right thing – their deaths grieve me greatly – and then you have come. But now the time is right, Leo Aiolia. I won’t be hiding anymore, for the time has come for the usurper to be punished – and for me, Athena Promachos, to take my place back in the Sanctuary and protect peace on Earth, as is my right and duty.”

Aiolos felt a surge of pride in seeing Athena’s small chin raise slightly at the end of the story, in what would be called defiance in a mortal. She knew her role in the world and was ready to take it – she would be a fine commander, he was sure of it.

Aiolia seemed to be barely breathing. His eyes were fixed on Athena’s petite form like a tiger’s on its prey, his mind obviously trying to frantically process all that he’d been told. Aiolos could understand how hard it must be for him – Shion murdered, an usurper in his place, his brother not the traitor he’d been told he was, his Goddess in front of him when he thought her to be at the Sanctuary…

“Shura said – said he’d killed him… the Pope told us the babe had been recovered… it can’t be… how can you know so much…?” He heard him stammer, his Cosmos whirling with confusion and – was it panic?

“No, it can’t be true!” He moaned, shaking his head frantically. He was more desperate than angry, now.

Aiolos knew that was supposed to be a good sign, but for the life of him he couldn’t bear to see his brother so distraught.

Athena spoke again, ever so gently. “If you still think we are the enemy, Aiolia, then go on – we’ll defend ourselves, as we’ve always done. But – if you believe me, then please, side with us. We will defeat the evil that poisons the Sanctuary – but I’d prefer it to be sooner, without seeing yet another life in the line, rather than later, with you as our adversary.”

Aiolos watched as Aiolia bit his lower lip, the light in his eyes trembling with uncertainty. Absentmindedly, he unlatched the faded red piece of cloth that covered his right wrist – his tenia. He hadn’t worn it as a headband since arriving in Japan, but now, without even thinking about it, he brought it to his forehead, and tied it on the back of his head.

After endless moments of silence, Aiolia finally spoke, his voice trembling. “Can you… can you prove me that you are truly Athena? By stopping my attack without being hurt in the process – can you do that, Miss Kido?”

Aiolos’ jaw fell open.

His brother had just asked the Goddess to do WHAT?!

“You’ve got to be kidding me” He thought, completely thrown off at the sheer blasphemy of the suggestion.

Seiya seemed to share his opinion, since he used a nearby tree to raise and protest. “No, Saori-san! Don’t do that!”

“Surely, Anissa, you wouldn’t need to do something so-”

“Very well, Aiolia. I’ll stop your attack, if that is what you need to believe me.” She said, opening her arms wide to become the easiest target possible.

“...have you all gone mad or what?!” Aiolos thought, dismayed and incredulous. “Am I the only sensible person left around here?!”

“I am ready, Leo. Don’t be afraid to give your attack its maximum power.” Athena continued, unperturbed.

Aiolos brought his hand to his eyes, groaning under his breath. “I can’t believe it!”

“Aiolia! How can you ask a girl to bear the brunt of your attack?! Have you gone mental?!”

“Zeus bless Seiya and his chivalry!” Aiolos thought, feeling suddenly grateful for Seiya’s strong belief that girls weren’t meant to be hit, even if they could kick his ass with a hand tied behind the back.

He wasn’t completely worried about Athena – he knew she just needed to shift her Cosmos to render any attack useless, but seriously, the disrespect of hitting the Goddess, even while doubting her identity, was inconceivable!

“I need to know if this woman is our Goddess, Seiya!” Aiolia answered, his voice laced with guilt – it was comforting knowing that he didn’t like it either.

“You need to know? And how come you didn’t ask the Pope for proofs, huh?!” Seiya replied, sarcasm making his words even more cutting.

Aiolia almost shrank under the accusation. “I have to obey the Pope, Seiya, don’t you understand?!”

“No, adelphos mou, he doesn’t, because he’s only obeyed his heart and Athena – all of us should have.”

“Aiolia!” Athena called, bringing his attention back to her. “I am asking you to do this – don’t hesitate!”

“Cunning woman” Aiolos thought, suddenly struck by the irony. “with this turn of phrase, you’re making him actually obeying the Goddess!”

He saw Aiolia bring his fist back and summon his Cosmos to deliver a Lightning Plasma.

“But right now, Anissa, I think it’s time I disobey for once. I won’t watch as my brother brings such shame to himself and to Leo.”

He took a deep breath and stepped forward, emerging from the bushes behind Athena and Seiya, in full view.

And for the first time after thirteen years, he spoke to his brother.

“That’s quite enough, Aiolia. Lower your arm.”

                                                        -oo-

It seemed that everybody was making it a point to destroy all the certainties he had built over the years to keep himself together.

First Sagittarius, siding with the people he’d been ordered to kill.

Then Seiya and his friends insisting over and over again that they were in the right.

Finally, Saori Kido, that slip of a girl with an unbelievably immense Cosmos, telling him that story of betrayal and escapes, the story of the horrid night his life was destroyed, asserting that she was Athena, that Shion hadn’t been alive for thirteen years, that Aiolos had actually saved her and that they’d all been obeying the real traitor.

By the time she was done, he’d felt like he couldn’t be sure even of his own name.

A small corner of his mind, tightly latching on what was left of his rationality – not a side he listened much  to in general, he was loathe to admit – was wondering how could Saori Kido know so many details about what had happened in the Thirteenth House and during Aiolos’ run… even admitting that it was the truth, she was a newborn when it happened, she couldn’t have direct memories of it, could she?

But at this point, it felt like grasping at technicalities. He would think about it later, now he had to clear his mind and…

…and what?

Saori Kido was asking him to side with them. To leave behind everything he’d been taught to believe in to take the leap and rely on her.

Worse even, Leo seemed more than eager to agree.

“It’s her, my cub. You can’t mistake her Cosmos. She’s here in front of us! Toxotis knows too. That’s why she was protecting little Pegasus…”

“Please, Leon, don’t make this even harder on me!” He thought desperately.

His Cloth had purred sadly before breaking the connection.

He knew she was right about the Cosmos – it wasn’t something one could fake, especially one of that size. But still, accepting that she was Athena would mean…

…would mean that he’d been wrong all his life.

That he had betrayed his brother’s memory, in believing him guilty.

He asked the Kido girl to prove herself by receiving his attack without being damaged. Athena, being a superior being, wouldn’t be fazed by a mortal’s Cosmos, no matter how powerful.

He’d expected Seiya to be outraged at the request.

He hadn’t thought that Saori Kido would accept without batting an eye. Even encouraging him to hit her with all his might.

He didn’t like it one bit, but he had to.

He raised his fist, grudgingly gathering up as much Cosmos as he could in his state of emotional turmoil, and aimed at the girl.

Aiolia heard the rustle of leaves, but didn’t register it – until a head of brown curls barely kept in place by a red headband entered his line of vision, immediately followed by a male voice.

“That’s quite enough, Aiolia. Lower your arm.”

All air escaped his lungs, as if he’d been hit by a Great Horn at full force in the solar plexus.

Every cell in his body froze, every muscle paralyzed by shock.

His mind went blank.

His eyes zeroed on the figure that had just emerged from the trees, just beside the Kido girl – who’d turned to stare at it with a look of mild surprise. He saw the tall, broad-shouldered man clad in jeans and a simple polo shirt standing in front of him, but his mind could do nothing with the information.

He was around thirty, maybe younger – he was muscular, healthy, barely taller than him, decidedly European in looks despite them being in Japan. Tanned skin, regular and virile features, unruly, chocolate brown curls kept short but still framing his face. A faded red headband tied around the temples.

His eyes acknowledged that his face was eerily similar to his own – the lips, the cheekbones, the jawline, the shape of the eyes - while still being unique and different.

His ears heard the deep, soft tones of the voice that came through that mouth. Registered his flawless Greek, spoken as only a native could, with an accent that only a fellow Greek would pick up, an accent he himself had.

And nobody had irises of quite that shade of azure.

Like a cloudless summer sky.

He tried to articulate a sentence, a word, a sound, but his vocal chords seemed to have vanished, together with all his bones.

He didn’t notice that he’d obeyed the request – he wasn’t entirely sure he was actually in control of his limbs – until he saw the man take another step towards him.

“There’s no need to hit her. You know she is our Goddess, Aiolia. You have recognized her the moment you felt her Cosmos.” He said, his voice even, his eyes gentle, a soft smile gracing his lips –

He still has dimples.

The thought flashed through his mind like lightning, apparently waking him up.

Everything rushed together in his head – his appearance, his way of speaking, his posture, his smile, his eyes –

“Aiolos?” He mouthed, almost without emitting the actual sound. Articulating the name was enough to make him feel like his whole body had been filled with rocks. He was rooted to the ground, far too aware of gravity pulling him down.

He watched as the man – Aiolos – smiled again, this time wider, his eyes shining of an affectionate, tender light he remembered from before…

“Ne, adelphos mou” was the answer.

Simple, straightforward. Like him.

“He should be dead – everybody told me he was dead!”

“But they never found the body. Nobody saw him dead – not even Shura.”

“I should have felt his Cosmos! In thirteen years, I should have felt it once!”

“He was protecting Athena by staying hidden – wouldn’t you have done the same?”

His thoughts, objections and rebuttals were racing back and forth in his head, and he wanted to shout them all at – Aiolos! – but he knew he had no voice to scream. He was able to exhale a “You were dead… they told me you were dead…” with a tone he hardly recognized as his own – it seemed to come from somebody else, from outside of him.

Aiolos – his brother, Aiolos, his brother! – sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly, his smile sadder. “I know – I’m terribly sorry for that. I had to stay hidden, to protect Athena. Trust me, there was not a day in which I didn’t miss you.”

A weight settled heavily on his chest – it was crushing his heart…

“You have grown so much, Lia mou…”

No one had called him Lia mou after that night. No one had ever done so… except for him.

Aiolia didn’t notice he’d fallen on his knees until he saw Aiolos do the same in front of him.

He didn’t notice clutching his brother’s body like a lifeline until he felt Aiolos’ arms enveloping his own.

He didn’t realize that the inconsolable wails and sobs he heard came from his own throat until he registered Aiolos’ voice whispering softly in his ears, like he used to do so many years ago every time he had a nightmare.

Aiolia buried his face in the crook of his brother’s shoulder, his whole frame trembling uncontrollably, thirteen years’ worth of tears running down his cheeks, wetting his neck and Aiolos’ shirt – his hands grabbing fistfuls of that same shirt on his brother’s back.

“Shh, Lia mou, shh… I’m here, adelphos mou, it’s fine, it’s fine. I’m here now, I’m here. Shh…” Aiolos whispered, his voice muffled by Aiolia’s own curls being pressed against his mouth, and every word was punctuated by a kiss on his brother’s head.

“Aiolos, Aiolos, Aiolos…” was all Aiolia could say, over and over, as if only saying his brother’s name like a chant could keep him rooted to that embrace, in fear that if he stopped, he would wake up and Aiolos would disappear again…

But it was him, alive and in flesh, his instincts screamed at him, in elation. The smell of his skin, the warmth of his body, the texture of his hair under his fingers, the tenderness of his touch, the colour of his eyes, his Cosmos!

His stars roared with joy at connecting with his brother’s ones, finally free to escape the confines of his skin to touch a comrade. Thirteen years without ever feeling it had left him starved for that warm, comforting presence, made of fire and light like his own. They connected, molded and fused, eliciting a humming sound of pure and unadulterated happiness from Leo and Sagittarius, that resonated all the way to their constellations and back, the universe itself rejoicing on the reunion of two brothers.

An instant later, Athena’s Cosmos enveloped them in a cocoon, adding her own tender joy and blessing to the general feeling. Aiolia felt Aiolos’ smile against his hair, and his tears dampen his Cloth’s headpiece, but he didn’t mind a single bit.

Finally spent, Aiolia and Aiolos stood silent, still enveloped in each other’s arms.

It was the younger brother that broke the silence.

“…I think I drenched your shirt.”

Aiolos threw his head back and laughed out loud, like he hadn’t done in years, the booming sound echoing all through the woods. Aiolia couldn’t stop a wide smile from breaking out on his face hearing it.

“It’s quite fine, little one. I’m afraid your Cloth is suffering from dampness too!”

It was Aiolia’s turn to laugh – his came out more like a giggle, and hadn’t he been so unbearably happy, he would have felt an idiot.

They helped each other raise, maintaining the contact – there was no way in Olympus Aiolia would let go anytime soon – then both turned towards Saori – no, Athena – who had been patiently waiting for them, arms clasped primly in front of her, her eyes twinkling with happiness.

She directed her gaze towards Aiolos, and Aiolia was surprised to see her smile take a teasing turn. “Sagittarius Aiolos, I remember quite distinctly of telling you to stay hidden.”

What baffled him even more was Aiolos’ easy smile and nonchalant answer: “I’m sorry, Anissa, but certainly you wouldn’t expect me to not intervene in a situation such as that?”

Athena chuckled. “Fair point, my Saint, fair point.”

Aiolia whipped his head from his brother to Athena and back, wondering what he had just witnessed – his brother could tease the Goddess? And she responded in kind?

“Man, I have quite a lot to catch up on, apparently.”

Aiolia took his headpiece off and bended on one knee, lowering his head in respect.

“My Goddess, please forgive me for doubting you. I am at your service.” He said, his voice solemn and earnest as it hadn’t been in a very long time.

“There is nothing to forgive, Leo Aiolia. I knew your heart was in the right place from the start.” She replied, and he could feel a smile in her voice. He released the breath he didn’t know he was holding, feeling awash with relief.

As he rose, they heard Sagittarius emit a high note, before separating from Seiya’s body and reassembling into its resting form at Athena’s side.

Seiya turned to Aiolos, smiling amicably. “Thanks for that, Aiolos-senpai. I don’t think I would have made it this time without your Cloth’s help! Where was it, anyway?”

Aiolos shrugged. “Somewhere in the vicinity. But really, Seiya, had you called for Pegasus I think you would have been fine in the end… Why did you not summon it, by the way?”

Seiya’s face grew blank.

Aiolia watched with amusement as Aiolos’ expression twisted in bafflement at Seiya’s obvious ignorance on the issue, just before he groaned loudly. “Oh for Zeus’ sake, Seiya, you know you can summon your Cloth no matter how far away you are from each other, don’t you?”

Seiya sagged his head in his shoulders. “I didn’t think I could do that!” He grumbled, defensively.

Aiolia didn’t even fight the smirk that tugged at his lips. “You know, Seiya, I’m pretty sure that Marin taught you this… or was it one of those lessons you fell asleep on?”

He didn’t expect Aiolos to laugh. “He did? No wonder he reminded me of you!” Then, his gaze fixed on him, speculatively. “By the way, who’s Marin?”

Seiya’s countenance brightened mischievously. “Oh, just the Aquila Saint, my master – you know, she and Aiolia are such good friends!”

Aiolos raised his eyebrows, an interested smile dancing on his mouth. Aiolia felt a traitorous blush raise to his cheeks as he glared at Seiya, who looked far too smug for his own good.

Unexpectedly, it was Athena that intervened. “Just like you and Ophiuchus Shaina are, Seiya?”

Seiya blanched. Aiolia sent a grateful look at his Goddess, who was looking quite pleased with herself.

“If you call ‘making my life hell’ and ‘trying to kill me for months’ being friends, Saori-san…!”

“You saw her face, Seiya, what did you expect?” Aiolia interjected, shaking his head at his young friend’s naiveté. “A girl as proud as she is wouldn’t have accepted the option of loving you so easily – although really, considering how much she ranted and raged about you, I’d be surprised if there’s one rock back at the Sanctuary that hasn’t figured out what she felt for you already.”

Seiya fidgeted uncomfortably. “You do realize that she’s unconscious over there, right?” He said, irritated.

Aiolia sobered and nodded. “As a matter of fact, I do. But she’ll be fine, trust me.”

He felt Aiolos’ hand tighten around his forearm as he smiled at him. “Your healing skills are impressive, brother. I’m proud of you.”

Aiolia felt another wave of tears, happy this time, gather in his eyes, but swallowed them back and just smiled back at his brother – he’d cried enough for today.

“So… what are we going to do now?” He asked, his strategical thinking kicking back now that his emotions were stable once again.

Athena and Aiolos exchanged a glance before his brother spoke. “I think we should discuss this in a more comfortable place. Let’s go back to the hospital – Hyoga and Shun can get patched up and Seiya will finally get his much-needed rest!”

Seiya groaned quite spectacularly, causing another bout of hilarity to run through the small group.

Aiolia felt his heart swell with a happiness he didn’t remember feeling ever before.

“I could get used to this.” He thought, as he picked up Shaina to bring her with them, while Seiya and Aiolos helped Hyoga and Shun on their feet. He met Aiolos’ eyes, and his brother smiled softly at him.

Nothing had been easy about this mission. But it had turned out to be the best thing to happen in his life in a long, long time.

There would be another battle to fight: the usurper - who was he, anyway? He must remember to ask – would have to be defeated, and they would have to persuade the others – he already felt exhausted at the thought of trying to convince Shaka – but with his Goddess and his brother by his side, he would face it all.

Tomorrow.

For now, he would enjoy this gift the Fates had bestowed him.

“At last, all will be well”.

Notes!

I went with the manga timeline to explain what happened with the whole ‘Saga Debacle’. It seemed the only one that made sense;

Anissa (Ανίσσα) and Promachos (Πρόμαχος) are epithets of Athena - the first means ‘lady, mistress’, the second ‘first in battle’. Soter (Σωτήρ) is an epithet of Zeus, meaning ‘saviour’.

Toxotis (Toξότης) and Leon (Λέων) are, respectively, the names of Sagittarius and Leo in modern Greek. Since I assume that Greek is the official language of Saints, they probably call their Cloths by their Greek names.

Gold Saints refer to their Cloths as ‘she’. Much like sailors do with ships.

Adelphos mou (Αδελφός μου) means ‘my brother’, in modern Greek - although in this context it’s more like ‘brother mine’. Ne (written Ναι) means ‘yes’ in the same language.

The tenia (ταινία in ancient Greek) is the headband worn by priests and competition winners in Ancient Greece and symbolized the favour of the Gods.

Katharevousa Greek (Καθαρεύουσα) was a form of modern Greek created ‘artificially’ at the start of the Nineteenth Century deriving most grammatical structures from the Attic dialect of Classic Greek, unlike the dimotikì who retained all simplifications and mixing elements that had occurred through the years of Ottoman domination. It was the official language of Greece up until 1976, but was used mostly in documents and formal occasions - people mostly spoke dimotikì, even more so now. Since the Sanctuary seems to be very attached to old traditions, it wouldn’t be surprising if they kept using this formal version of modern Greek, especially in solemn occasions - and Aiolos taught it to Saori/Athena.

Again [Leo X OC] (ch 2)

Chapter 1

"So let me get this straight," Rebecca sighed, rubbing her temples, "I explicitly tell you to stay away from the Purple Dragons and instead you go and confront not one, but three of them?!" "I was trying to help-" Nana started, but Rebecca cut her off. "Leonardo can take care of himself! These boys fought aliens for crying out loud!" "In her defense," Mikey said, "Leo did mess up his ankle pretty bad."

"That's not the point Michelangelo." Rebecca replied, shooting him an annoyed glance. Mikey was sitting with Nana in the living room of Rebecca's apartment. Leo and Donnie had asked him to take Nana home while Donnie got Leo back to the lair. At first, Mikey was excited to spend time with a potential new friend, but being stuck in the middle of a lecture wasn't what he had expected. "What exactly were you going to do, young lady?" Rebecca asked, "How did you plan on facing that many thugs?!" "Well that Persona thing sounded-" Mikey started, but quickly stopped, giving Nana a confused look as she frantically waved her finger tips across her neck. "'Persona thing'?" Rebecca questioned before turning back to Nana, raising her voice, "Are you playing VIGILANTE?!" "No!" Nana exclaimed, quickly rising to her feet, "Aunt Becca, just listen-" "What's this 'Persona' thing then?" Rebecca asked, "I want the truth Nana!" With a defeated sigh, Nana flicked her wrist. Two card appeared in her hand as Mikey and Rebecca curiously watched her. "These are my Personas Aunt Becca." Nana said, "I didn't want to tell you cause-" "Did your father teach you that?" Rebecca asked, her eyes narrowing. "No! God!" Nana growled in aggravation, "This is why I didn't want to say anything! I knew you wouldn't believe me!" "I don't know what your father told you-" "It's not a con Aunt Becca!" Nana exclaimed, "Geez, you can never let that go!" "He was using a child to trick people!" Rebecca snapped. "We did what we had to!" Nana snapped back, "I'm not a con artist anymore! I haven't been for years! Why can't you accept that?!" "Okay," Mikey said, jumping between the two women, "I think you two just need to take a minute and breathe, okay?" Rebecca sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she turned away from the teens. Nana rolled her eyes, holding the cards up as she took a couple steps back. "Persona." Nana whispered.  Just like in the ally, the glowing cards shattered in the blonde's hands. Mikey and Rebecca turned their attention to Nana as a gust of wind filled the living room. With a flash, two figures suddenly appeared in front of Nana. One was the jack-o-lantern Leo had told Mikey and Donnie about, the other seemed to look like a chubby snowman with legs and was dressed similar to a jester. The snowman giggled as the jack-o-lantern cackled. "Whoa!" Mikey breathed as Rebecca stared in awe. "These are my Personas. Pyro Jack," Nana explained, pointing to the jack-o-lantern, then the snowman, "and Jack Frost. They're The Jack Brothers." "How are you doing this?" Rebecca asked, cautiously walking up to them. "It's not a trick Aunt Becca." Nana said, "They're just... They're a part of me." "Can I touch them?" Mikey asked, a wide grin spreading on his face. Before Nana could reply, the two Persona's exchanged surprised glances before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Rebecca jumped as Mikey let out a disappointed groan. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" Rebecca asked. "Are you kidding?" Nana asked, "What was I supposed to say? You literally just proved what I was expecting." With a sigh, Rebecca turned to Mikey, "Michelangelo, could you call your father for me, please?" "Umm, sure." Mikey replied in a confused tone as he pulled his phone out. After pressing Splinter's name he handed to phone to the older woman. The two teens exchanged confused looks as they watched Rebecca. "Hello Splinter, it's Rebecca." She paused, "No, Michelangelo is fine, I just needed to ask a favor of you. If you don't mind." Rebecca paused again, "I'm sure your other sons have told you about meeting my niece tonight, right?" Pause. "Yes. Well, I was wondering, since I need to go out of town for the next week for work, would it be alright if Nana stayed with you and your sons?" "What?!" Nana exclaimed, "Aunt Becca, I can-" Rebecca waved her away as she continued, "Thank you, Splinter. I don't mean to impose-" Pause. "That's sweet of you to say. I'd just be more comfortable knowing she's not by herself." Nana groaned, looking up to the ceiling as Rebecca continued her conversation. "It won't be so bad." Mikey said with a smile, "We've got lots of comics! And video games! I promise, we'll have lots of fun!" Nana couldn't help smiling at the orange clad turtles enthusiasm, "Thanks Mikey. It'd just be nice if she asked my opinion first. I mean, no offense, but I don't really know you guys." "Don't worry," Mikey grinned, "We're totally good guys!" "Thank you Michelangelo." Rebecca said, handing his phone back to him, "Splinter said to give him and your brother some time to prepare things, then you can bring Nana back to the lair before the sun comes up."   "Wait, I'm going there tonight?!" Nana asked. "Yes," Rebecca replied, "I have to be at the airport in the morning." "I'm eighteen! Why can't I just stay here on my own?" Nana asked. "I'd rather know you're safe than wonder if you're repeating tonight's... experience." Rebecca said. "Now go pack up. It won't be much, but I want you kids to get some sleep before you go back to the lair."

Meanwhile, back at the lair, the turtles and Splinter were busy picking up miscellanies things. Leo, luckily, hadn't broken his ankle like he had feared. He had sprained it though. After Donnie had wrapped it up, he gave Leo a pair of crutches to get around. It wasn't long after that that they got the call asking if Nana could stay with them. "Where are we even going to put her?" Leo asked, shifting awkwardly on his crutch as he tried to help clean up. "'Put her'? It's not like she's a throw pillow Leo," Donnie said, "And you should really be resting right now." "You know that's not what I meant." Leo replied, "I mean where's she going to sleep?" "Why not give her your room?" Raph snickered, amused at the oldest turtles annoyance, "She did save you after all." Leo shot an irritated glace at Raph as Donnie added, "You know, that wouldn't be a bad idea. You could stay in my room and I'll just sleep in my lab." "What sleep?" Leo asked, "If you stay in the lab you're just going to work on your projects."   "What if we make a deal?" Donnie suggested, "You stay in my room for the next week and I'll set an alarm on my phone. Each night the alarm goes off I'll stop what I'm doing and go to bed." Leo raised a brow ridge at the taller turtle, "If it's that easy then why don't you do that every night?" "Different circumstances." Donnie replied, putting his hand out, "I promise I'll do that this week though. Deal?" With a sigh, Leo shook Donnie's hand, "Deal." "It sounds like you boys have already figured out Nana's sleeping arrangements." Splinter said with a smile. "Yes Sensei." Leo said, shifting awkwardly on his crutch. "Very good. Leonardo, is your room ready for her?" Splinter asked. "Erm..." Leo took a moment to think. It wasn't as if his room were messy, he always made a point to keep it tidy after all. Was it really okay for a girl though? "Why don't you go check." Splinter said, "Afterwards, you should rest. You shouldn't be on your feet." "Yes Sensei." Leo reluctantly replied. 

Leo looked around his room, his eyes wandering from the small bonsai tree next to the little lantern then to his neatly made bed. He had just washed the bedding two days ago, 'That should be okay, shouldn't it?' He wondered to himself. His gaze wandered to the four swords hanging on the wall beside his bed. Should he take those down? After debating for a minute, he decided against it. After all, someone with the ability she had- whatever that was- they would have to know not to mess with a weapon, even if they were curious. Then again it was just common sense not to mess with a weapon. He had a couple books scattered about the room as well as little laundry he had meant to put with the rest of the dirty clothes. The more he looked around, the more he thought straightening up wouldn't hurt. As he picked up, he couldn't help thinking about Nana. He would never admit it out loud, but he was a little embarrassed at how they met. There he was, cornered and in pain, and she dropped in out of the blue and chased away the men he had been running from. In every scenario he had ever let himself imagine, he had always been the hero. Leo never imagined it would be the other way around. He couldn't help recalling her words, "Are you seriously going to scold me for saving you?" Had he really come off that way? He didn't mean to, but how was he supposed to know she wasn't a normal human. In the heat of the moment, anything could have happened. Given the pain in his ankle, he was afraid he wouldn't have been able to save her. He never expected her to be the one to save him. Maybe it did hurt his ego a bit, but he was too proud to admit it. 'Maybe I should apologize.' He thought with a sigh.

--- Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you guys liked this chapter!

@redginganinja @savvy-mutant-turtle-banger @southernblossoms @spiritual-speckled-kitty @saundrasays @ believerofallmagicalthings 

A little while ago, some smart anon gave you a Charmed reimagine with Prue as the oldest, Lana Lang as the middle sister, and Paige as the youngest. Loved it :) How do you think that would go? Give as many head canons and possible scenarios that you could come up with. :)

Patty Halliwell neverexpected to end up with three daughters from three different men, but afterVictor walked out on her and Prue, she found it hard to trust men enough to doanything other than casually date. When her beautiful, half-Chinese Lana had comealong, she had made Prue promise to protect her younger sister from bullies andracists, but little Lana had a fiery personality from the start, and never hadany problems standing up for herself. When tiny Paige came along, halfwhitelighter and already orbing from two months old, Patty had Grams bindPaige’s whitelighter half until she was old enough to control her powers.

In this reality, thePact was still made and the girls grew up without their powers. Prue remainedthe most dominant of the sisters, but little Lana made her own feistypersonality known, and tiny Paige became the peace maker between her two fieryolder sisters. Play times were spent with Prue and Lana fighting over toys andarguing over who would get to rescue the princess from the tower, while littlePaige drew pictures on Grams’ antique furniture with permanent markers, andcharmed her way out of her grandmother’s wrath with her adorable smiles andpleasing disposition.

Patty still drownedin this story, her oldest daughter still there to witness her mother’s horrificend. Six-year-old Prue hardened after her mother’s death, developing a maturity and bitterness which concerned Grams, who worried about a child so youngdeveloping such hard qualities. Lana withdrew into herself, resolving to be theperfect daughter to make her mother proud. Tiny Paige grew up missing a mothershe barely knew, covering for her pain with snark and indifference.

Prue still grew upprotective of her younger sisters, still pushed into parenthood from an earlyage by Grams, maintaining a close but somewhat fiery relationship with Lana,full of heated arguments and clashing personalities, but with a strong bond andloving emotions underneath, always there to protect her younger sister whenignorant people teased Lana about not looking like her sisters. Lana admiredher older sister, but clashed with her on occasion, as the two dominantpersonalities met. Her relationship with Paige was easier, Paige’s easy goingpersonality allowing for Lana’s fieriness, and the bond between the two youngersisters only grew and strengthened over time. Paige adored her eldest sister,developing something akin to hero worship when it came to Prue, knowing thatshe could always go to her for advice, comfort and protection.

The sisters grew upbelieving they were normal, average girls. Prue flourished in school, risingthrough the ranks of popularity, and earning titles such as Head Cheerleaderand Class President. Lana, following her own inner desire to make her motherproud, stayed out of trouble at school, joined the cheerleading squad, ran forstudent council, and suppressed her more fiery side, moulding herself into adocile and compliant personality. Paige, feeling the absence of her mother moreand more as she grew older, tried to fill the void by falling in with a moretrouble-oriented crowd, soon spending her weekends indulging in alcohol and theoccasional ecstasy tablet. After a drunken car accident which nearly ended herlife, Paige turned to her eldest sister for help, and Prue saw her baby sisterthrough the difficult process of alcohol withdrawal, ferrying her to Meetingsand removing all traces of alcohol from the Manor.

Grams still died of aheart attack, collapsing at the bottom of the attic stairs as Lana screamed forhelp and Prue and Paige rushed to her side. After Grams passed away, the threesisters returned to the Manor, where they spent the night downstairs, Lanacurled silently in a chair, Paige crying softly on the sofa, while Prue stoodby the window and tried to figure out how she was supposed to carry the weightof the family on her shoulders. The next day Paige went back to College andPrue went to the museum, but Lana called in sick to the tiny café she managed,and which she would eventually own, and stayed home, her curiosity about whyGrams had been hiding in the attic before her death propelling her up thestairs.

In this reality, themiddle sister found the Book of Shadows, blew the dust from the cover andrecited the incantation, activating the Charmed Ones and changing the destinyof the sisters forever. Prue’s powers still activated through anger at Roger,who, in this reality, she had broken up with because he actually did cheat onher, just not with her sister. Walking away from him and her job much earlierin this story, she left him with the same parting gift, ink spraying him in theface as she walked out the door.

In this story, theyoungest sister received the power to freeze time. Paige’s powers activatedafter class, when a lone Teacher’s Assistant named Jeremy stalked her down adark alley and attempted to stab her with an athame. Panicked and scared, Paigethrew up her hands and froze the warlock, but he broke through her new powers,and, in her fear, Paige orbed away and found herself two streets over,startling a group of teenagers and wondering how the hell she got there.

Lana’s power ofpremonition activated as she descended the stairs from the attic and picked upa photo of herself and her sisters. Flashes of Paige being chased by athreatening figure engulfed her mind, as her sister’s panic infused her being,leaving a ringing in her ears. When her sisters returned home, panicking andconfused by their new powers, they put all their emotions aside and bandedtogether to defeat Jeremy, who in this reality was not as close to the sisters,but was just as threatening.

The three CharmedOnes still faced demons and fought off warlocks. Prue still came into magicwith apprehension and suspicion in her heart, whereas Lana embraced her newdestiny, enjoying the fact that being a witch made her feel special, and hopingthat she could still make her mother proud. Paige, delighted with her powersand taking an almost child-like enthusiasm in spellcasting and demonvanquishing, dedicated herself to learning the craft.

Leo still appeared astheir Whitelighter, but did not fall for any of the sisters this time around.Keeping a clear head and an uncompromised heart, he guided the sisters throughthe first few years of their destiny and, once they became strong enough tooutgrow his guidance, he took a step back, instead, helping Paige deal with herWhitelighter half, and bringing her her first charge – her estranged father.

When Cole arrived onthe scene, it was Lana he went after, appealing not to her romantic side, butto the darkness which lived within her, even in this story. Posing this time asan investor in her café, Cole tempted Lana with talks of power and freedom,revealing himself as a demon far earlier than he had done in the original story.Lana, who had picked up some of some of her older sister’s distrust, never theless found herself drawn to the dark side of Cole. A romance sparked, but Lanafound herself scared by her own thirst for power and, with the help of hersisters, extracted herself from Cole’s influence, and vanquished him before hisinfluence and reach could be felt too deeply.

In this story, Pruesurvived, the three sisters vanquishing Shax in the safety of the Manor. No sisterwent missing down in the Underworld and the middle sister was spared the bulletfrom a crazy fan. The Charmed Ones remained intact and no sister had to livethrough the pain of losing the others.

Prue was the first tomarry, to an old flame who had flickered back into her life. Four years afterAndy’s death, Leo mentioned, in passing, a fellow Whitelighter named Andrew,and Prue’s heart had leaped at the possibility of seeing Andy again. This timearound, it was Prue who broke the rules, scrying for and finding Andy, andrekindling their romance. After considered thought, and with the rationalizationthat he was not the Charmed Ones’ whitelighter, Andy and Prue were allowed tomarry, and two years later, Melinda Lana Halliwell became the first child ofthe next generation of Charmed Ones.

Paige still marriedHenry in this reality, drawn to his kindness and compassion, and his acceptanceof her witchcraft, this time around giving birth to twin daughters, Patriciaand Penelope. As in her original story, Paige gave her later years over todeveloping her Whitelighter side, taking on more charges and guiding youngwitches through their destinies.

Lana remained singlelong into adulthood, happy with her independence and sense of freedom. Shebabysat for her nieces, visited with her sisters, and dedicated herself todoing good for others, both through witchcraft and her own personal efforts.

In this story, thesisters remained strong, bonded and very close. Prue and Lana still had heatedarguments and allowed tempers to rule when together, but remembered underneathit all how much they loved and respected one another. Paige never quite losther hero worship for her eldest sister, and maintained a close, funrelationship with her middle sister. They saw each other through Lana’s turndown the dark path, stood by Prue when she lost, and then found Andy, and sawPaige through her addiction and depression. Together, they remained thestrongest force of good in the Universe, and, in the end, Lana’s deepest desirewas realised – as a trio, as sisters, as witches, these girls made their motherproud.

Accepted - Emma Vanity

slytherin-writes

submitted:

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Age/Timezone:

M, 22, CET.

Activity Level:

About a 6? I do have college and some work to compete with RP!

Ships/Anti-Ships:

Emma/Chemistry, Emma/No Chemistry.

Did you read the rules?

I have, yes! I could not find a rule password, though.

IC INFORMATION:

Character Name:

Emmanuella Vittoria Vanidad. At least, that was before her father anglicized it after the family first made land in the United Kingdom. Her name is loaded with history from across the globe, most of it in their home country Brazil — which is why she considers it such a tragedy to have to go by Emma Victoria Vanity nowadays.

EMMA — ( em-mah ) :

The nickname her father always used for her, chasing after her in their house as she waddled around. “Emma, minha filhinha,” — she’d giggle when he used the nickname, and wrap her tiny arms around her Papa’s leg. The name in itself meant whole, or universal, but for their family, it was a name that had been in their lineage for a long time, and she herself carried it as an homage to her great-grandmother, who had been so instrumental in her fathers’ upbringing.

VICTORIA — ( vik-toh-ri-ah ) :

Ironic, if you consider her future career choice, that her mother decided to name her after the word “victory”, but it was a choice that made Emma incredibly proud of her full name. It was something that kept her going when times were rough, when instead of victory, she was faced with defeat — it was almost like a promise, from her mother, from herself, get knocked down seven times, get up eight.

VANITY — ( van-uh-tee ) :

It was a name that meant much more back home. Vanidad — an ancient Brazilian pureblood dynasty, their connections spread around the globe, their lineage pure of blood ( though they don’t actually care much about such things, or so they claim), and with vaults full of fortune. They’ve always been one of the more withdrawn families, hoarding their money and working in the shadows to make sure their power remained established, but Emma’s father, by his move to the United Kingdom and social prowess, went against all of that, instead deciding to push them into the light.

Age/Birthdate:

Currently twenty years old, Emma was born on April 9th.

THE DAY OF EXCESS : [ SOURCE ]

April 9 people are certainly one of a kind. They are often the extreme embodiment of unusual trends in society, their talents conveyed in excess. Any compromise, restriction or tempering of their abilities is out of the question. Usually, they leave no doubt as to their views on any subject — they are outspoken, direct, sometimes even harsh. But talking about what they do is not really their specialty; they just prefer doing it, which usually means doing it a lot. April 9 people have a particular genius for translating ideas into action, giving rein to their fantasies in the most practical ways. They can even make a good living doing so. Fortunately, their ideas are usually of a social nature and thus enrich the lives of others. April 9 people have strange thought processes, often quite humorous, but are not idle dreamers. On the contrary, they have a strong realistic streak and the uncanny ability to know when an idea’s time has come.

ARIES SUN, LEO MOON : [ SOURCE ]

You are someone who needs attention and sometimes you go a bit overboard being dramatic in order to get it. You have a clear presence that gets you attention; however, you still use your clothing and behavior to acquire it. A condescending attitude toward others is possible, but you laugh easily and are generous and this essentially compensates for that. You have a strong loyalty that makes up for your lofty persona and your intuition is generally reliable. That means that you generally know who to be loyal to and how to go about it. One of the main features that you have is being yourself, which is very much an individual who marches to the beat of your own drummer. You have the courage of spirit to be real, to be creative, coupled with ambition and assertiveness that makes you a unique individual. This results in a person who is the paradigm example of an Aries; one who strives to attain power as well as status along with creativity. Defensiveness and self-justification are foreign as far as your character is concerned, thanks to your inborn confidence deep within you.

ALDER TREE : [ SOURCE ]

If you are an Alder sign within the Celtic tree astrology system, you are a natural-born pathfinder. You’re a mover and a shaker and will blaze a trail with fiery passion often gaining loyal followers to your cause. You are charming, gregarious and mingle easily with a broad mix of personalities. In other words, Alder signs get along with everybody and everybody loves to hang around with you. This might be because Alder’s are easily confident and have a strong self-faith. This self-assurance is infectious and other people recognize this quality in you instantly. Alder people place a high value on their time and feel that wasting time is insufferable. They are motivated by action and results.

THE FOX : [ SOURCE ]

The fox sign is amazingly cunning and knows how to work a room with sly, sexy humor. Full of guile, vigor and bright intelligence the fox is an untamable force. This Celtic animal sign is the one to take with you on exotic vacations, they will wind your ways into amazing adventures. They have a knack for storytelling, and every experience is fodder for their tales. They are tender-hearted, although they don’t show that soft side too often because they’re too busy playing and cracking jokes. However, they aren’t shy about showing their loyalty; if you are the friend of the fox, you have a friend for life. Highly energetic and courageous, the fox has an indomitable spirit.

Faceclaim:

Camila Mendes is my first choice, but if she’s taken, I’m also good with Sofia Carson or Shay Mitchell, though her info would need a few adjustments ethnicity-wise.

Occupation:

Recruited in her final year of Hogwarts, Emma started playing for the Montrose Magpies as a Chaser right away, her Quidditch skills considered near-legendary, though her reckless nature being somewhat of a problem. Still, she amassed a large following of fans in a short time, most famous for throwing the Quaffle so hard she broke the opposite Keeper’s nose — and still managed to score. As of September, she has been made Captain of the team, somewhat of a remarkable feat considering her young age and proneness to dangerous choices, but she has shown in her first two matches that she has what it takes. After fulfilling her life-long dream to play and captain for the Magpies, her goal is now to join the national team.

Blood Status:

Pureblood ( secretly ¼th Veela ).

Traits:

( + ) — ADVENTUROUS :

There’s always been something craving for an adventure inside Emma. She feared to become a boring housewife for as long as she could remember, never wanting to be one of those women who lost the sparkle in their eyes. Anything new and exciting immediately brightens up her life, and never having been shy, she is willing to try it all — if just for the thrill of it. Some part of her enjoys danger, the jitters that come with trying something unexpected. Though some of the pressures in her life have made her dim down slightly, she still longs for the next great adventure — always wanting more from life, taking a step out of bounce solely to see the consequences. She used to be much more reckless in her craving for adventure, following whatever impulse she might have without much of a second thought about consequences, but since entering her career at the higher level, she has been much more serious.

( + ) — CHARISMATIC :

Even aside from her Veela nature, there has always been a charismatic edge to everything she did or said. The way her lips curled into a smile was enticing and could light up a room. Whenever Emma entered a party, the night was made — an almost legendary conversationalist, with her scintillating wit, people were immediately drawn in by the long-legged brunette. She was always there for an easy smile or a quip to make you laugh, earning the title of ‘popular’ without really trying all too hard. Of course, like her adventurous side, her charisma has dimmed slightly — the weight of expectations placed on her shoulder making that previously easy smile a little harder, she wants too much, she pushes too hard. Still, there is always still that touch of light to her, wrapping people around her fingers with seeming ease.

( + ) — LOYAL :

It always comes as a surprise, when people realize how loyal Emma really is. For those in her closest circle, she will set the world on fire and get herself thrown in Azkaban if it means they would be safe. With less than a handful of people, it is even an unconditional sort of loyalty, where even if they stabbed her in the back — she would smile and thank them. It may be hard to earn her at your side like that, but when someone does, they have a fierce protector in their lives. It is a trait her father despises to see, always urging her to be less involved, to simply not care, because it’s just another person in the path to power he wants her to follow, another person she would have to make sure kept out of her way. Though she has taken to his advice and become more selective in her friends, especially her inner circle, the loyalty she brings to the table is something that will never be questionable, not even by her father — she’d sooner die than break her bond with those closest to her.

( +/- ) — CUNNING :

Her sharp edge was never faked. Dulled, especially under the influence of alcohol, occasionally — but never once fake. It was part of the reason she’d been sorted into Slytherin House, after all, and no one could deny her ambition. Opportunistic to a fault, she has often resorted to playing dirty in order to get to her goals. Emma Vanity might never betray a friend, she does not think twice about anyone else. Whilst this often turns out well in her favor, she has little care for the people it might hurt, even thinks quite lowly of them for not taking the same hard swings as she did. She sees these people as weak, as below her on the food chain. Still, her opportunistic edge has brought her far in life, especially in her Quidditch career. Emma might come in late every now and then after a long night out, but that doesn’t stop her from kicking ass on the Pitch.

( +/- ) — ENIGMATIC :

Her parents had always instilled a certain fear into Emma about being open and honest about herself. Vanity’s were the ones that manipulated from the shadows, they were the power behind the throne, not the ones wearing the crown. Mystery was their weapon, because when no one knew exactly how much you were worth, whose ears you held, or even who, exactly, you were related to, they could not expect or prepare for your next move, and if they could not do that, it was quite easy to overthrow them. So, from the moment she could understand him, Emma was told by her parents to be an enigma, to never have all her cards on the table, to always leave them guessing about who you were and what you could do. And while her parents, and now she, consider it a strength, it has also lead to Emma having trouble with trusting others, or even talking about her feelings.

( +/- ) — AMBITIOUS :

Though it isn’t a very pronounced trait, mostly due to her nature as a wild child — or even her reputation as a ditz, there was a reason Emma was sorted into the house of the Snakes. Ambition, in combination with her cunning streak, was very prominent in the girl. Wealth was always at the tip of her fingers, but there were other things she could strive for — especially Quidditch-related, but also throwing the best parties, having the best outfit, and getting into the most trouble. Emma Vanity never half-assed anything, if she wants something, she will go for it, teeth bared for all the world to see, despite her parents’ ever-lasting warnings. She is incredibly determined when it comes to her goals, to the point where barely anything can stop her when she’s got her eye on it, but that’s not always a good thing.

( - ) — MISCHIEVOUS :

Le diable est une femme. The devil is a woman. There’s no denying that wherever Emma goes, trouble follows. Before the responsibilities of professional Quidditch and living outside of Hogwarts were placed on her shoulders, she was considered downright wicked by some, enjoying ruining the lives of others for her own entertainment, but like many things, that weight placed on her brought this trait down just the slightest bit too. Just because she is now supposed to be more ‘serious’, does not mean Emma has lost her penchant for mischief — but instead of largely using it for entertainment purposes, she now applies it to more practical efforts. No one knows jinxes and bombs like Emma, and her love for finding out the latest gossip and using it to her own advantage has not stopped either. She can create chaos within a second, simply because during her years at Hogwarts, that was all she ever did.

( - ) — HEDONISTIC :

Years of being one of the wizarding worlds’ biggest party girls have left their impact on Emma very strongly. She lives a life in pursuit of pleasure, of any kind — and doesn’t mind how she gets to it. Flutes of champagne that never stop flowing, other, less reputable party favors she hopes her father never hears of, even sleeping with the first person she can get her hands on, it’s all part of Emma’s lifestyle. When you have the kind of money she does, everything comes handed to you on a silver platter, and her view was always one of ‘why not’, instead of focussing on the negatives those things brought. She enjoys indulging herself, but doesn’t know her own limits — or rather, she does, but she also likes to test those limits whenever she has the chance to. Though it has given her a reputation, one that reduces her to not much more of a ditzy socialite, traipsing from one party to the next, and that is something she often tries to use to her advantage.

( - ) — OVERINDULGED :

No was not a word that showed up in Emma’s vocabulary, not for the first couple years of her life, at least. She was the only daughter of parents that had an entire world of wealth at arm’s length, and they did not skimp on their precious little girl. Everything she wanted, she got — and often double of it, just in case something happened to the first. There was nothing they wouldn’t give her, nothing she ever really had to work for, and while she was generous with sharing what she possessed, it did create a side of Emma that absolutely could not stand when someone dared to deny her something she wanted. She learned to be persuasive, alluring, finding more ways to get what she wanted aside from just asking for it, but if someone still won’t give it to her, the little spoiled brat quickly returns to rear her head.

Patronus:

The dolphin.

There is an adventurous and carefree nature to the dolphin, one that is reflected in those with it as their patronus. They are incredibly unique individuals, and quite often social and loved by most. They are strong and like to explore new things and meet new people. Despite their need to be themselves and individuality, they can at times become incredibly dependent on others, asking them for help in every aspect of their life. They can sometimes forget how to function on their own and start to feel down or like a different person when they are not surrounded by others, which can make them seem needy. (x)

Boggart:

Herself, as a housewife.

The thing Emma fears most in this world is becoming a kept woman. She has dreams, she has ambitions, especially regarding Quidditch — but is well-aware a woman in pureblood society has set expectations of what their lives should be like. Getting married to an important man straight out of school, popping out babies until her husband is satisfied, and fading out into a dull middle age, the opposite of what she wants. Emma Vanity is not meant for such a life, she knows it deep down in her soul, and is willing to do anything to make sure she’ll never end up there. Her recent betrothal has made the fear even worse, and she feels the shackles closing around her wrists with every passing moment, causing her to lash out further.

Key Points:

The Vanidad family of Brazil was renowned in Pureblood society for three things: their perfectly pure lineage, their excessive wealth, and most importantly — their fertility issues. For years, the family became smaller and smaller, the problem not much helped by how they refused to marry outside of their circles, or heaven forbid, someone who’s blood purity couldn’t be traced back for at least a century. When Emma’s father, Giuseppe, was born, his twin sister following a few minutes after, the family considered it nothing short of a miracle.

Treated like a young prince, forced into etiquette and manners, and always told to pull up his nose at anyone lesser — it was surprising to all of his family that the boy turned out to be a bit of a dreamer. The House of Vanidad was one of tradition, one where publicity, good or bad, was a death sentence, and most of all, they were incredibly rooted in their home country. The connotations to their name were only known in the most coveted circles of high society, their wealth was shrouded in absolute secrecy, and they were seclusive, to say the least — though not enough that it did not strike a chord with most regular members of wizarding society. Both fear and awe was something they cultivated.

With their fertility issues and desire to keep the line pure but without inbreeding, the Vanidad’s had soon learned to seek their betrothals outside of the country, which is how Giuseppe wound up with a young, French woman named Camille. They did not meet until a month before their set wedding date, but while Giuseppe was definitely surprised at the beauty of his wife-to-be, what definitely set her apart was her personality. Cultured, sophisticated, and manipulative — though he was unaware of that final one, he definitely felt the effects. Camille heard his whispers of dreams, of raising his family out of that secrecy they so craved, and return it to glory. A name everyone knew. A name everyone wanted to be associated with. They were grand now, grand and ancient and splendid, but they could be so much more. Camille heard it all, and then she went to work.

Not until after their wedding was official did she tell him the truth. Camille’s father had fallen in love with a Veela, and she had been the offspring of that union, though he had kept it secret. It was considered almost normal in France, but there and across the world, it was not. Luckily for her, he did not see it as a downside, but instead as an opportunity, not realizing that she used the gifts of her heritage on him too. She got him to promise her a great many things, but the most important was this: that they would not let their family die out in Brazil.

Giuseppe Senior, his father, passed on the exact day they found out Camille was pregnant with their first child, thus making him the next great patriarch of the Vanidad family. Tears of joy and tears of grief mingled, as people touched the expecting mothers’ belly at the elaborate funeral — though his own was surprisingly dry. His mother had been born in London, a Greengrass by birth, before leaving to marry in Brazil, but she had held onto her connections back home and had made sure her son had done the same with the children of her former peers. And as a few of them showed up for her husbands’ funeral, they whispered of a rumor that made Giuseppe’s eyes go wide — not with fear, but with opportunity.

Knights of Walpurgis, a wizarding society where the purebloods ruled, a Dark Lord promising power to those who searched for it. Once the funeral was over, he told Camille all he had heard, and though her husband looked at it mostly in terms of social status, she saw something else, too — power. Giuseppe was a little hesitant, but she was not, and with all the sway she held over her husband, they started making plans for their move the very next day.

Despite their plans to have her born on English soil and make sure the next generation was firmly rooted in that country, Emmanuella Vittoria Vanidad was born two weeks before her mother was due, climbing her way out kicking and screaming. It was much to her grandmother’s delight, who had disagreed with the move, wanting to follow her husband’s wishes, despite his death. She had reluctantly agreed to come with them to the United Kingdom, to reunite with her own family there, and to help them in raising little Emma. And even though she was early, even though she was a girl, even though she’d upended all their plans — her parents were overjoyed with the birth of their child.

It had taken them three years to get to this moment, three years of seeing magical fertility specialists, three years of countless potions that made Camille sick more often than not, but finally, she was there — Giuseppe’s coveted heir, his little Emmanuella, tufts of dark hair sticking up from her head as they wrapped her in the pink blanket and handed her to him. Despite her birth, Giuseppe had no plans to wait more than another week on their move.

Exhausted and holding onto their newborn, the Vanidad’s finally arrived in London — and after hearing official after official horribly mispronouncing their surname, they made yet another bold move. An anglicized version. Vanity. His family, being horribly insulted by the change, was smoothed over by lies from Camille. It would make them fit in better, people would accept them, their anonymity would remain. The last one was especially powerful. But when they moved into that enormous estate in Virginia Water, all bets were off.

Attention from the English pureblood society was drawn quite quickly — especially not when you were also related to one of their Sacred Twenty-Eight families through your mother, or considering the fact that your wife had some sort of a supernatural charm about her, or that your daughter was just so impossibly adorable. Camille and Giuseppe found themselves with a stack of invitations to every pureblood ball, charity gala, or even social event a week later, something they took advantage of greedily, leaving their newborn in the care of either her grandmother or one of their various hired helps.

Emma Vanity grew up in the lap of luxury, with absentee parents, but a gaggle of tutors and nannies chasing after her at any given time. Whenever her parents were home, they were loving, doting even — it was just that they loved their social life more. She was left in good hands, they would have no less for their only child — especially when it was so unlikely they would ever have another, but they still left her.

Raised the same way most of her pureblood peers were, her life consisted of tutoring ( both magical and other ), fittings for her clothes, and a variety of events that her parents deemed appropriate for her to attend. That was of course until she spotted the broom one of the cooks standing in their foyer. Emma was immediately intrigued by the object. She’d heard of brooms, of course, but Vanity’s did not use that kind of transportation.

So, she climbed onto the broom, and for thirty seconds — it was like everything was right in the world. And then, of course, she fell on her ass. But Emma Vanity was and never will be a quitter. As a child of extremely wealthy parents, she’d never learned the word consequence, so she took the broom outside without asking the owner, and continued her efforts. It took almost the entire day, complete with a lot of hiding from her tutors ( which was easy when they weren’t looking up ), but at the end of it, she managed to zoom around the estate like she’d been doing this for years. Of course, at the exact moment she attempted to do a dive, her father walked into the gardens and saw her hovering there. Giuseppe and Camille forbade her from any more flying, to instantly return the broom, and chastised her for the mud she’d gotten all over her robes. But the next day, Emma found the brooms stacked in the kitchen closet, and she tried again.

It took her a while to find a decent balance between sneaking off to fly and attending all the activities her parents wanted her too. Mostly, she skipped out on the clothing fittings — asking one of the staff members’ children, who also joined them for tutoring on the estate, to pretend to be her instead. Either the two of them truly did look alike, or the tailors simply didn’t care, but it worked, Emma’s clothes still fit, and she managed to get a steady hour of flying in almost every day — longer, if she got the chance. It was no surprise that when some of her friends returned from their first year at Hogwarts and told her about the Quidditch teams, she immediately knew that she would aim to join one as soon as she got her chance. No one could deny Emma was a natural, backed with almost three years of practice whenever she found a moment — she should be able to get in, right?

But when she got to Hogwarts, and they sorted her into Slytherin, the Quidditch captain saw that excited first-year smile, and even without letting her try out — told her not to even bother until next year. Emma, quickly found out that most of the subjects in school had been covered in her tutoring, and now with her also excluded from the team for at least another year, was not just angry — she was something much worse than that. She was bored. And the school soon learned to fear whenever Emma Vanity was bored. Dubbed a troublemaker from the moment she entered Hogwarts, she started fights, pulled pranks, and insulted teachers. Luckily for, but unbeknownst to her, the Veela nature lurking in her blood made her charming, able to sweet-talk her way out of most permanent marks, and when that failed, her parents and their endless supply of money never did. Ironically, her misbehavior also made her popular — the attention of older years quickly drawn by this young upstart, and they invited her to their parties, if only just for the entertainment she brought.

Emma returned for her second year with a vengeance. They had tried to send her away from try-outs again, but she forced them to let her join, to watch her fly. And then when they realized she hadn’t been lying last year about her abilities and let her join as a chaser, she grinned and told them that by next year she’d be their captain — earning laughs. It was no surprise that after her first Quidditch game, Emma’s popularity skyrocketed. Not only was she an extraordinarily gifted player, but she had also gained a trouble-makers reputation, and she knew for a fact that most of her peers were jealous that they invited her to all the parties they were still deemed too young for. And truth be told, their decision on that was correct because Emma was also too young for them, too young and too impressionable, she did not take well to it. Of course, she loved it, being popular, hanging out with seventeen-year-olds, and even being offered alcohol — but that doesn’t mean it was any good for her. At only age fifteen, Emma had fallen into a life filled with nothing but debauchery, frequently receiving howlers from her parents and grandmother — with her only saving grace being that excellence in Quidditch, which they finally chose to see as a positive.

As she’d promised, she’d become Quidditch captain in her third year, riding it out until her final year. It was the one thing she was actually serious about, showing up to the Pitch every single day, hangover or no hangover, and pushing herself and the team for nothing but perfection. It was the one constant in her entire academic career, despite the fact that her tutors had definitely done their job well enough to make sure her grades were still up to par, it was the one thing that offered her any kind of future aside from partying every single night, spending her family fortune, and dying an early death. Quidditch forced her not to go too far, to make sure she still had something she should be prepared for. It was her heart and soul, something that made her trainwreck of a lifestyle better by heaps. It was no surprise she was scouted by the Montrose Magpies during one of her final matches and joined the team fresh out of school.

Her career forced her to make sure she had her life a little more under control, to make sure she had some semblance of restraint, to make sure she passed her drug tests, but mostly, to make sure she did not lose this beautiful opportunity. To make sure she was not going to lose out on her life’s dream. And then, of course, there was the other thing. A war, raging all around. It followed her around wherever she went, and though her parents allied with the Death Eaters ( even though they were too cowardly to be more than just supporters ) she did not, actually, give a shit. She agrees somewhat with the Death Eater philosophy, largely based on her upbringing and circle of friends, but Emma does not feel strong enough either way to join the fight — and she frequently quips that the only side she’ll ever stand on is her own. But when it’s happening all around her, with the battles that happen in the street, and wixen being carted off to Azkaban every single day, for how long? How long until she has to pick a side, pick up arms and leave her problematic but comfortable little life?

She tries not to think about it. Emma Vanity has better things to do.

Changes/Extra Info:

I was wondering if you would be okay with having Emma as neutral for now? I could see her sort of being forced into joining the Death Eaters later on as she has to make the choice or be considered kind of a blood traitor — but I feel like she very much prizes her neutrality and doesn’t actually care much for the war aside from what it can do for her. If this is not okay, I can make adjustments to her info as well.

Para Sample:

The biting cold was stinging her cheeks, but Emma could not bring herself to lower her broom to where the air was less frigid. Flying was the only thing that ever cleared her mind — aside from drinking, which seemed a little too much for eleven in the morning — and being captain of the Magpies gained her the privilege to use their stadium Pitch at whatever time it convenienced her. She’d been up here for the last two hours, escaping her parental home, where she was feeling particularly stifled. Here, at least, the air felt clear, and so did her mind.

Her parents always did enjoy springing things on her during breakfast, the serene lands of the Vanity estate in the background, calm and gentle — until either she or they started screaming about whatever they’d decided for her, it was not often, her parents did truly love her in that sense, but whenever they made a decision like that, it was always final. This morning, it had not even gotten that far. Emma had stood up, and she had walked out. Not even the majordomo had been able to stop her from picking up her coat and walking right out of those ornate doors. His huff of indignation when she refused to close it behind her, at the very least, brought her some humor.

A betrothal! The thought still raged inside her, even after two hours of flying. How dare they?!She knew her family was traditional, but as her parents only child, as the girl who her grandmother and aunties all doted upon for years — she’d held hope. Maybe, she would be the exception, maybe her parents loved her just enough to let her make that choice for herself. Foolish, it seemed. She should have seen it as a choice; her parents would let her enjoy the “frivolities of that unladylike sport”, as they so liked to put it, as long as she went to the marriage altar without complaint. So, so foolish of her to believe there wouldn’t be a price.

Still, with her anger, a new feeling had set in as well — settling in her stomach like she’d just swallowed a heavy rock. Fear. What would she have to do, what would she have to become, could she just say no, and risk the consequences? What would happen to her when her parents, her friends, her entire community, turned their backs? Could she get him to break it off instead, so the consequences wouldn’t fall to her? The questions kept piling up, and as long as Emma flew, as much as she drank afterward — the answers just wouldn’t come.

Ola Americano... Turtle?: 14. Who Sent You

“Aye, I think she’s waking up.” The woman heard a low whisper. She was not quite sure where she was yet remembered what she was doing. For her safety, she kept quiet and listened. “Turn on the lights! Turn on the lights!” A very over eager voice whispered harshly. The bright white light over her head shocked her pupils that were used to the pitch black. Through her squinting eyes, she could see the faint faces of the mutants she was fighting with earlier. One of her bantu knots had come undone, thus flopping in front of her face. Footsteps were heard behind her. She remained still; her head kept low as they came up beside her. It was an orange banded terrapin. His posture was upright as he came around with his hands behind his back. She tried not to stare at him, but it was so hard for a fantastic creature such as him. He was now about-face, glaring her down with a large lower lip. “Who sent you? Who sent you?!” He exploded. The refined posture went out the window as he grasped the handles of the chair she was sitting in and leaned in close. With her hands now tied behind her back, she could do nothing but respond. “Dejar de lado que te sucio animal!” She shouted with fire. The young turtle drew a blank expression. “What the shell is that?” he turned to his family behind him. “I think she's speaking Spanish.” Donnie added. “What the shell kind of black girl speaks Spanish?” Michelangelo’s voice was distressed. He was so ready to play bad cop and now the girl cannot even understand him (and he can’t understand her). No fun. “The Dominican Republic is Afro-Hispanic.” The techie informed. “Tell her to stop playing and talk right!” Suddenly, the woman began to speak rapidly in her native tongue. “You may be speaking gorgeous but I ain't got time for your games!” He retaliated over her, but all they got were two people trying to talk over one another without understanding. “I don't know Spanish.” Donnie shrugged. “At least we know someone who does.” Leonardo nodded when he held his shellphone and shook it in a presenting way in his hand.

Minutes passed as Leonardo tried to catch a hold and fully explain the situation to their Chicana ally. Meanwhile, Michelangelo was trying to cope with the overwhelming language change as the black woman continued to argue him in spanish. “No!” He grabbed her shoulders. She continued to shout, now looking at his large hands grasp her shoulders. “You’re black, stop embarrassing yourself!” He stared into her eyes with the most sincerity. However, she continued to scream. Mikey’s shoulders dropped. He turned his head away and whined in defeat. “I’m so confused by all these languages!” Donatello sighed. “There's just as many of African descent speaking Spanish, French, Swahili, and English.” It was annoying to keep reminding him about the diversity of the world, but it was just getting a little too much for their younger brother. A large hand descended upon Michelangelo’s shoulder. His eyes were watery when he looked up into the eyes of his understanding brother. Leonardo used easy force to tell Michelangelo to get off of her. The turtle complied, but was still upset. To comfort him, Venus took him into her arms. She held him from behind, smiling as he took it all in and used her as his rock.

The woman eyed him as he crouched down and put the phone near her. He remained calm in demeanor. “Ask her where Baxter Stockman is hiding.” He referred to the one on the other end of the phone. “¿Donde se esconde Baxter Stockman?” The woman looked up at Leonardo. She appeared lost at first before responding. “¡Usted toda cometiendo un gran error ! Pronto , se le pedía clemencia , Stupido rojo n****! “She said y'all making a big mistake. And one day you'll be begging for mercy. She also said…” They leaned in, waiting for the rest. It never came. “What?” Leo inquired. Still more silence. “Angel, we gotta know everything.” Raphael chimed in. “I don't know man, she used the N- word to you.” “To me?” He shrieked, quite surprised. Must be because he was the last thing she saw. “But she-! Look, tell this piece of s- word that I'm gonna f- her up!” “Raph!” Leonardo scolded. “I ain't sayin it, Angel is!” “Él se llama un pedazo de m***** y se j****** . “¿Me llama un j ****** ?” The assassin repeated with a laugh. “Su madre tiene que j ****** arriba , n**** rojo.” “Did she say negro again?” Raph turned quickly to the phone. This was war now. “Yeah, but then she mentioned yo mama.” “Tell her that her mama’s an ‘H’!” “Raph!” The brute turned to Donatello, quite annoyed. He was expecting another scolding but instead, he got a whispered correction. “I think it starts with a ‘w’.” “‘W’” He corrected. “then her sister and her mama a ‘w’ with a double ‘w’ grandma that makes double cuz she got no teeth! Tell her I said that!” “Veo el c*** lucha sus batallas.” Her voice smoothed out from earlier. It was still harsh, but there was less stress in her throat. “Did she diss again?” “This time she was calling out Donnie for being a word that means ‘cat’.” Offended, Donatello clenched his heart; his mouth gaped open. “Tell her she's an ‘HW’!” He exploded. The rest of the team lifted a brow. Homework (A Donatello-y thing I guess)? “Bro,” Michelangelo spoke as calmly as he could, his body was still engulfed in the female turtle’s arms in which he kept closed with his own hands. “you mean ‘h’.” “Whatever! Call her something insulting!” “Todos ustedes estarán marcados para la muerte cuando Stockman los encuentre aquí.” She gave them an equal amount of glaring, locking her eyes on each individual as she spoke. She was confident and smiled the entire time. “¡Cada uno de ustedes!” “She said you'll be marked for death when Stockman finds out you're here.” Without warning, the red brute kneeled before her. On his knees, he was an acceptable height to come eye-to-eye with her. With him being so large, putting himself between her legs rendered them useless to try to kick him. Of course, what she could possibly reach was all shell.

“Where's Stockman or imma cut your throat and squeeze lemon juice in it!” Raphael was not playing these games. “That's nasty.” Mona cringed. The very remaining chain in her hand jiggled when she shivered from the thought. “Gonna get her to talk! Ain't it?” He turned back to the woman. How much did she want to bop him right there, but her body would not allow her to do so. The terrapin looked her up and down, formulating a plan. “ Let's do it this way.” He nodded, then extended his arm behind him. His hand them flapped his two fingers into his palm like a ‘gimme’ gesture. “Mikey, hand me a shuriken.”

Although a little upset he had to remove himself from the satisfying embrace, Michelangelo brought his hands down and went off to go pick up one of the thrown shuriken. He disappeared into the dark. Moments later, the sound of the air slicing  caught everyone’s attentions. The silver piece came close to the turtle and his captive. Just before it could try to scrape him, Raphael jerked his shoulder down as the piece flew past them. He, the other mutants, and the captive as well all looked in the direction from which it came. Standing in the shadows was the orange clad terrapin. He was completely still as he balanced on one leg and maintain the stance from which he threw the piece. “Oops! My bad.” He apologized quite deadpan. From his other hand was a backup shuriken that he had hoped to keep rather than give it away. The brute scolded him as he walked up humbly and handed it over. “C'mon man, I'm trying to interrogate somebody.” Raphael shook his head disapprovingly as the young turtle backed up into the shadows once more. He kept going until his shell bumped into Venus’ carapace. Quite deadpan himself, he grabbed Venus’ arms and wrapped them around himself. With the metal in his hand, he carefully came closer. When it got near her face, she brought her chin up in avoidance. He stopped just below her chin. If he brought it down, the blade would puncture her throat. The turtle was giving her another chance as he stared her down. “Where's Baxter Stockman?” “¡Màtame!” Her body thrusted forward. It surprised her interrogator, causing him to jump. The woman then began to sob very lightly, catching her breath and her eyes began to water. “What'd she say?” He was yelling to the phone that Leo still held behind him. Honestly, he did not like these types of interrogations. It was unlike his style. Despite that, it wasn’t him doing it and their patience level was already wearing thin in this foreign land. “She said ‘kill me’.” Angel was a little distressed herself on the other side. She was probably feeling the weight of the situation just from hearing it. “Okay, you better tell me something right now.” Raphael threatened. This time, he pressed the blade in the hollow part underneath her chin. With a tad bit more force it would puncture. Her eyes were wide in shock. She stared hopelessly to the shadows as he continued to bark his threats.“ I'll send you to heaven, I don't even care no more! I'm marked for death so I got nothing to lose!”  The chicana on the phone then began to speak in the woman’s native tongue. What they did not know was that she was pleading to her to tell him and that the red turtle means business. “That's right Angel, call the lord and tell him he about to get company. Tell me something!” The woman continued to resist. Her heart beat faster and faster as Angel tried even more desperately to get her to speak. Why would a fifteen year old need to hear a person die? “She's almost done! Forgive me for I have sinned!” “¡Detener!” The woman cried. “She said stop!” Angel screamed on the top of her lungs. Thankfully their outbursts did not move the blade against her throat. He kept the blade there in the hung silence. The woman licked her lips, breathing heavily as she did and looked helplessly into the amber eyes of the turtle. “Es en Barbarella, Rua Ministro Viveiros de Castro.” “He's at Barbarella, Rua Ministro Viveiros de Castro.” repeated. Donatello took note of it, typing it down in his phone and sent it to his personal computer. Raphael removed the blade and got off the woman. She breathed heavily and brought her chin down. He tossed the shuriken to the side. Mona gave him a nod for letting her go. The brute sighed and returned it before turning around to look back at her. “We’ll drop her at the nearest police station. They’ll think she’s crazy for what she’s seen.” He added.

“Thank you, Angel.” Leonardo brought the speaker up to his face. Suddenly, his phone was engulfed by the wanting hands of his youngest brother. He kneeled before him. “Thanks boo.” Michelangelo sang. With that, he blew her a kiss through the phone. Leonardo rolled his eyes, but let the friends have their time. “Anytime Brotha.”

DEATH CITY DAYS CHAPTER 69

in which all hell breaks loose...

-early morning- Kid: *yawn* stocking: *making waffles* Kid: *sniffs* "Smells great..." stocking: thanks. want anything on them? Kid: "Strawberries?" stocking: on it~! -elsewhere- Spirit: *pours coffee* "Here you go." sachiko: thanks. Spirit: "You're welcome." *sets down bacon and eggs* "How's today look?" -elsewhere- Chuuya: *opens the closet* ("Now I just have to hide this gift on the top shelf--") *looks up...he can't reach it* "..." *lowers his head* Y_Y …… *light bulb* *floats up* YYWYY;; *sets the gift down* *lowers himself, closes the door* "There." -elsewhere- Magaki: *in a dark room, curtains closed, studying a newspaper* ("I got another killed...Security increased...") *closes the newspaper, folds it...stands up, and walks by a hallway of mirrors along the wall* -silence- Magaki: *approches the kitchen, opens the fridge, removes a bottle of dark red liquid* -...- Magaki: *sips* -...- Magaki: "..." *grimaces* "Ugh..." *grabs some milk* "Need to favor this crap." -elsewhere- Akitaru: "Everyone got their assignments?" shinra: yep. tamaki: *nods* iris: mmhmm! nozomi: yes, sir! Relan: "Yes, sir." Vulcan: *nods* Arthur: *bows* Takehisa: "When you are finished, file your report." everyone: yes sir! Akitaru: "Dismissed!" *smiles* -elsewhere- Yohei: *looking outside* mana: *playing in the snow* Shotaro: *tossing a snowball in the air--and let it hit himself in the face* "Hee hee..." Emine: *lying in the snow* chie: seems they're enjoying themselves. Yohei: "Yeah..." *slight shiver* chie:...*kiss on the cheek* Yohei: "..." *holds her hand* "Th-Thanks..." -elsewhere- Wes: "Good work, Licht..." licht: thank you. Wes: "I think we'll be ready in time for the performance...but..." licht: ? Wes: "Why is your friend lying on top of the piano?" Hyde: *lying back* =w= licht: ==# shit rat, get off of there. Hyde: "Can't I be your muse~" -elsewhere- Hibana: *in a pair of slacks, buttoning up her shirt, then putting on a tie* "How do I look?" gabriella: *thumbs up* nice *nosebleed* Hibana: "..." *smirks* "Your nose is bleeding." gabriella: !!! *puts a tissue to it* .////.; Hibana: *leans forward--smooch* gabriella: =///////////= -elsewhere- Sanjuro: "Tsubaki..." tsubaki: dad... *hugs* mrs nakatsukasa: *hugs* <welcome home, sweetie.> Sanjuro: ^^ *hug* Black Star: *looking at the map* "I think we go this way--" *walks into the wall* "...Ow." tsubaki: ^^; jetlag? Black Star: "Ow...Maybe. Oh, hey Mr. and Mrs. Nakatsukasa." mrs nakatsukasa: ^^; Sanjuro: "Hello, Black Star. Not yet oriented?" Black Star: "Give me an hour--I'll have this world wrapped around me!" -elsewhere- Aizawa: "Have your permission slips turned in by the end of the week..." momo: *nods* tsuyu: got it. Iida: "..." Izuku: *looking at his list of options* ochako: do you hear someone running- Mineta: "I don't hear anyt--" *Door slams open--crushing Mineta against the wall* ochako: O-O; All Might: "I AM HERE--HAVING DASHED DOWN THE HALL TO BOW!" *bows* -staaaare- Izuku: "A-All Might!" *stands up* Aizawa: "...What is it now?" All Might: "I MUST SPEAK WITH YOUNG MIDORIYA!" *grabs Izuku by the collar, pulling him from his chair and dashing back down the hall* Izuku: YEEEEEEEeeeeeeee….. *his voice fades out as he is dragged* tsuyu: *blinks* satou: d-did that just...? Mineta: *whimpering from behind the door* "Heal me..." -and so- Izuku: "Your teacher?! And he knows about your Quirk? Why didn't you mention it earlier? And...are you okay?" All Might: *nervous smile* "Y-YES!" *holding his leg down* "STAY DOWN, LEG. STOP SHAKING...OH, NO, WHY IS HE SEEKING YOU OF ALL PEOPLE?!" Izuku: .____.;;; "...Should I not accept--" All Might: "YOU MUST ACCEPT! IT'LL GIVE YOU A NEW PERSPECTIVE!" Izuku: *hair blown back from the shouting* .______. "...Okay." -elsewhere- Kunikida: *dialing* "...Answer already..." aya: is he sick? *worried* Kunikida: "I wish I knew. He usually answers..." -the phone answers- yana: who is this? Kunikida: Yes, hello. Is Katai there?" yana: no, he's at the doctor's. he broke his ankle. Kunikida: "!!! How does he break his ankle?! He lies down all the time..." yana: hey, i dont know man. Kunikida: "...Who is this?" yana: just a family friend. Kunikida: "...Where was he admitted?" yana: he didnt say, he just asked me to watch the house for him. Kunikida: "He didn't say--but he has you watching his place? Then you won't mind if I stopped by." yana: sorry, im really busy with tidying everything. i bet you he tripped over the trash or something. Kunikida: "Well, good luck cleaning--he can be disorganized." yana: thanks. *hangs up* .....<just where did mr hackerman go? or his body.....> -elsewhere- Akutagawa: *standing on rooftop* "...I don't see them." naoya: lets see here.... -perspective- they're in the alley next to the hardware store. Akutagawa: "Exit points?" naoya: just the entry way and a fire escape... Akutagawa: "You take the entry, I'll take the fire escape." naoya: on it. *heading down* Akutagawa: *uses Rashomon to stilt-walk over the buildings to the fire escape* -in the alley- Escapee #1: "Crap crap crap!" naoya: howdy there, chucklefucks! Escapee #1: Q~Q escapee 2: *grabs a pipe and charges* naoya: *grabs the pipe and is trying to force it out of his hand* Escapee #1: *backs away--then feels someone tap his shoulder* O____O Akutagawa: *tapping with Rashomon* "You don't want to try this, friend." escapee 2: !!!! -CRACK- escapee 2: *screams* Akutagawa: "See? Don't try that." *picks up Escapee #1 by their legs* Escapee 1: "EEEK!" naoya: now... *chokes escapee 2 with the pipe* what to do with you two.... Escapee 1: "DON'T KILL US!" naoya: so you'll come back quietly? Escapee 1: *nod nod* naoya: see, that wasnt so hard was it- escapee 2: *elbows her and tries to run* naoya: urk- Akutagawa: *sighs--and tosses Escapee 1 at 2* -she shoots him in the leg- Escapee 1: "EEEEEEEE--" escapee 2: AHHHH!!!! *CRASH* Escapee 1: X_X Escapee 2: *groans* naoya: god...god dammit. never an easy job, eh, akuta? Akutagawa: "No...Not very bright, are they?" *offers a hand* naoya: *smiles* thanks. -elsewhere- yana: .... pushkin: <what're you lookin' at?> yana: *points to ivan and zoey* them. pushkin: ?? <what're they doing?> yana: trying to show off for the boss. zoey: *nuzzles fyodor's leg* master~<3 Ivan: *massaging Fyodor's shoulders* <Let me know how to please you, Master~?> Fyodor: ….. yana: <neither one of them wants to admit defeat, so they just flaunt their affection towards him while he's just indifferent. they're like two, sad little peacocks...> pushkin:...........<that's actually pretty funny.> yana: <indeed it is, pushkin. indeed it is.> Fyodor: "???" katya: <oh dont be such a goddamn baby, pyotr! your finger will be fine!> Fyodor: <Could you keep it quiet?> katya: <WELL SOME OF US HAVE TO ENTERTAIN OURSELVES _SOME_HOW! IF I DONT GET TO KILLIN' SOMETHING SOON, IM GONNA FLIP SHIT!> pushkin: easy now. Fyodor: *sighs* <Leo, please sew up some dolls...> leo: understood. Fyodor: <Katya, use the dolls as targets.> katya: *griiiiiiin* leo: <please try not to bite their heads off again.> katya: <i aint promisin' shit.> leo:....*sigh* <close enough...> Fyodor: "Now, where were we--" *shudders* "Too hard..." zoey: *pouts and nuzzling his thigh* Ivan: *glares...his hands slide under Fyodor's collar to his bare shoulders* Fyodor: "Hm." -elsewhere- Medusa: *stares* "...If I have to make one more gingerbread house, my fingers are going to fall off..." neian: *chewing on her rag* Medusa: "..." *pats her head* neian: babu! Medusa: *light smile* -elsewhere- PlushFix: =w= "Aw, paradise..." kinuta: *chuckles* hina: *taking a drag on her cig* damn. Akua: *trying to shield against the sun* =_=; PlushFix: *resting along Kinuta's leg* =w= kinuta: cozy? PlushFix: "Could be cozier..." mimeca: *as a crab on her head* =w= Akua: *stares at the crab* -_-; kinuta: *picks him up.......putting her between her breasts* PlushFix: *muffled* "HEAVEN!" saku:.....tch- <idiots.> Akua: "Shameless." >_> -elsewhere- Jacqueline: "??? You okay?" kim: yeah, just felt sick all the sudden... Jacqueline: "..." *places a hand on her forehead* -elsewhere- atsushi: *looking at the flyer* Lucy: "Thinking of going~?" atsushi: !!! YESPLEASE! Lucy: ^^ "Good." *takes his hand* atsushi: o////w////o; Lucy: "We get to dress all fancy, too." atsushi: oh wow. Lucy: "Maybe you can borrow a suit..." atsushi: i'll see what i can do! Lucy: *looks down* "And I'll need something, too..." atsushi: ^^;... *glances at kyouka* ?? Kyoka: "We will need pretty dresses." Lucy: "Something poofy!" -elsewhere- Izuku: "--so I'll be visiting with a mentor for my internship." inko: that's wonderful! Izuku: ^\\\^ "I'll be out of the house for quite a bit..." inko: where abouts? Izuku: "Th-The older part of town." inko: please do be careful, i hear some unsavory sorts hang around that area... Izuku: *nods* "I'm going to be heading there with a friend, since it's on their way to their internship..." inko: that sounds nice. ^^ -elsewhere- Kid: *humming* stocking: im home...*slumps to the floor, asleep* Kid: O_O *bends down, picks her up* stocking: zzzzzz.... Kid: *takes her upstairs to their room, sets her down gently in bed* "..." stocking: =w= kiddo~ Kid: *smiles, strokes her hair* stocking: =///w///= Kid: *lies beside her* stocking: *snuggle* Kid: *holds her, hums lightly* stocking: u//////u Kid: *closes his eyes* -elsewhere- Dazai: ( . ) w ( . ) naomi:....what? Dazai: "...Cooooooloooors." naomi:....kunikida! he found the mushrooms again! Kunikida: "Damn it!" *pulls out a mallet* -elsewhere- Anya: *covered in snow* tsugumi: you ok? Anya: -_- "Brats did this to me..." kana: no regrets. Anya: >-<# -elsewhere- Black Star: *holds up empty plate* shop worker: ._.; Black Star: "I want more of this. And a meal." shop worker:.... *blinks and looks at sanjuro* tsubaki: v~v; Sanjuro: "J-Just, um..." *picks a plate* "We'll take this...and any information you have." -elsewhere- Akutagawa: "Are they talking?" higuchi: they're in interrogation now... Akutagawa: "Will they live long enough to talk?" higuchi: hopefully... Akutagawa: "Hmm..." *listens to the door* naoya: alright. now how did you get out? Escapee #1: Q~Q "A-A spoon?" naoya: *raises a brow* Escapee #1: Q_____Q "A-A lot of d-digging...Took a long time to dig with...a spoon?" naoya:.....oi, tachi! were there any holes in their cell? Tachihara: "Hell no." Escapee #1: Q__________Q naoya: gee, how interesting....*laughs and twists their wrist* DONT BULLSHIT US! Escapee #1: *screams* "Th-They called us!" naoya: who's _they_? Escapee #1: *gasping* "Th-They had masks--" naoya: ?? what did these masks look like? Escapee #1: "It-It had tiny eyeholes! And something like a cross along one eye?" naoya: ?? ... Escapee #1: "His voice was raspy..." naoya: hmm... hirotsu: is there anything else you remember? Escapee #1: "H-He wore a cross?" hirotsu: hmmm... Escapee #1: "H-He told us to get away--keep running..." hirotsu: .. Escapee #1: "I just wanted to leave...go home..." hirotsu: ... *he glances at mori* Mori: "Hmmmm...No." Escapee #1: "!!!!" -elsewhere- Kuro: =_= *digs deeper under blanket* mahiru: .....*glances at the clock* Kuro: "You waiting for someone?" mahiru: my uncle still isnt home yet.... Kuro: *yawns* "Probably busy at...whatever he does." mahiru: .... -a few days later...- fukuzawa: ... *walking along the streets of the city, admiring christmas decorations* ..... ?? (thinking: blood?) -the blood leads to an alley- fukuzawa: ..... *gripping his sword handle and enters* ..... *No one is in the alley* fukuzawa:.....*examining the blood* *A separation in the air can be felt behind Fukuzawa, as if someone is about to slice at him* -barehanded blade block!- fukuzawa: so you're the culprit then.... -he elbows the assailant in the gut- *Masked Assailant bounces back, holding a sickle* fukuzawa: ?? Mask: "Death...to ability users--" fukuzawa: targeting ability users, are you? *sigh* and to think, this city is supposed to be a safe haven.... Mask: "Saves the user who brings danger wherever he goes..." fukuzawa: ....!! Mask: *swings the sickle again* -clang- fukuzawa: ... Mask: *trying to hold his own against Fukuzawa's sword--then seems to slide under* fukuzawa: ??!! Mask: *swings the sickle* -clang clang- fukuzawa: grk-...*cough* w-what? Mask: "Death will come for you, as it does us all. The ways of death are many: wounds, illness, loneliness...and..." fukuzawa: *coughing* Mask: "Poison." fukuzawa: *collapses* urk-...w-what did you- Mask: *holds up the sickle--then leaps up, seems to form dark flashes at his feet as he goes higher* "A beautiful winter night...to bleed upon the snow." fukuzawa: d-damn...*passes out* -morning- atsushi: *checks his phone* Kyoka: "??? What is it?" atsushi: hm..... !!!!!! kyouka, come on! get dressed! we need to get to the agency right now! -at the agency- ranpo: ............ fukuzawa: *laying in bed, alive, but his breath is shaky* secretary: it's awful… secretary 2: i cant believe someone managed to get a hit in on him, let alone do this... Kunikida: "We are hunting for any more information..." atsushi: .... yosano: ..... *glances at dazai* -elsewhere- hirotsu:...damn. they arent here either...*on communicator* how is everything on your end, sir? -elsewhere, mori and elise ware walking along- ruby: *patrolling* pearl: ... dia: hmm... Officer: *walking by* elise: are we there yet, rintarou? Mori: "Just one more shop~" elise: ugh, that's the 15th tailor today =3= Mori: "Please? It won't be a long walk..." elise: *grumbles* fiiine, but it's the last one for the day. =3= Mori: "Would you rather the car?" elise: yeah yeah, let's just get going already! >3< Mori: *opens the door, enters, closes* elise:.... !!!! RINTAROU WE NEED TO GO- *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM* dia: !!! ruby: holy moley! -elsewhere- Dazai: *in the alley, examining the floor where Fukuzawa was attacked*…. -elsewhere- elise: *floating, holding mori by the collar* ugh, this is so lame! Mori: ._.; "...Our car..." elise: cant believe someone would put a bomb in there! >3< *lands on the ground* how lame! -in the alley- Akutagawa: *following blood drops in alley* -silence- Akutagawa: "Where could he have gone?" ???: "Eternal..." Akutagawa: "!!" Mask: "Death..." Akutagawa: "So, the dog hunts, just to kill his prey...To kill all ability users. Insane." Mask: "...I will kill….for the sake of my beloved…" Akutagawa: "And you are all bark..." *unleashes Rashomon* Mask: *leaps* *Mask dodges, seemingly unscathed* Akutagawa: "Blood...Your attracts. I know you. And where to strike--" *Mask's mask was sliced, dropping to the ground* Akutagawa: "...As I thought: blood reverend of the Guild." Hawthorne: "..." -on the street, the 1st brigade has secured the area of the burning car- Mori: ^^;;; "Quite a spectacle, eh?" elise: =3= Officer: "Sir, please--we need to get you and your daughter away from this crime scene..." elise: ?? Officer: "How did this explosion even happen?" Mori: .w.; "My daughter put orange juice in the gas tank?" elise: *gives him a look of 'are you fucking kidding me?'* Mori: "She said, 'Daddy, I want Mr. Car to have a drink'! Isn't that right, Elise Sweetie?" elise: dont drag me into this! D8< Officer: "Well, if it was an accident--" Mori: "Oh, it was! It totally was!" ^^ Officer: "--then we have a problem." *shiv* Mori: "..." elise: ......!!!! *The hat falls, revealing...* Fyodor: "..." Mori: *falls down* "E-Elise..." elise: *chasing after him* dia: ?? ...*turns to see....* ..........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fyodor: *running towards Dia* dia: .......*unable to speak, too stunned to move* Fyodor: *he seems to be...smiling* *passes Dia* ruby: did someone just run past? dia:.....*collapses to her knees, eyes wide, pupils shrank.....she's trembling* pearl: dia? dia?! -in the alley- Akutagawa: "You used your blood to step on air, literally." Hawthorne: "..." *The blood at Akutagawa's feet bubbles* Akutagawa: "!!!" *Akutagawa uses Rashomon to block Hawthorne's blood scythe* Akutagawa: "You used to be more straightforward in your attacks, Priest--hardly as deceptive to need a mask, or to use anything but your words and direct attacks." Hawthorne: "..." Akutagawa: "You said you intended to restore that which she lost--that woman I attacked. Is that why you have targeted me?" Hawthorne: "...Who is the Priest?" Akutagawa: "...!!!" -elsewhere- Fyodor: *tosses his police uniform, opens a locker and puts on his coat--* "..." <Where's my hat?> ???: “Hello~!” Fyodor: "..." -_-# Dazai: *waves* “Looking for this, Dosty~?” -someone holds a scalpel to his neck- zoey:....that doesnt.....belong to you..... Dazai: "..." *takes Zoey's hand--and holds it* "Young woman. May I entice you to join me in a--" zoey: *snarling* Dazai: .w.; "...You know what? Here--" *shoves the hat onto her* "It didn't suit me." *looks at Fyodor* Fyodor: "...You anticipated I would be here--" Dazai: "And blocked your one exit! I didn't see her coming, though." zoey:....master....s-shall i....dispose of him...~? Fyodor: "No." zoey:....*removes the scalpel and backs off* of course... Dazai: "...You're the one trying to kill the heads of the two parties involved..." Fyodor: "..." Dazai: "..." *smiles* "Where do I sign up?" zoey: ?? Fyodor: "...Ha." Dazai: "Kidding! I just want to know the poison you used." *evil grin* "I wanted to find it the easier way." Fyodor: "...You know then?" Dazai: *nods* "I know. I know your plan: to eliminate your competition. By poisoning the two heads of the ability user organizations--assassination--is what someone with limited resources would do." Fyodor: "How did you arrive at that conclusion?" Dazai: "Because if I had nothing, it's what I would do." Fyodor: "Hm. So you think we're alike." *smiles* "Very well. That poison assures mutual destruction: you will destroy yourselves." zoey: ...*smiles* Dazai: "???" Fyodor: "This virus-type ability will eat away the hosts' organs. But if either host dies before 48 hours, the ability ends." Dazai: "...To save the director, the other host must die." -elsewhere-.... Chuuya: "..." {fyodor: I can predict every movement you take…so I know you will accept my offer. Because without that girl, you are a mess. And you want her to live the life she was denied. And all it takes is this book–to make your dreams into reality.} Chuuya: "...Even if we wanted to work around him, 2 days is not enough time. We...have to give into this demand." -in the alley- Fyodor: "Fools. Humans, even when they know they are still being manipulated cannot stop killing. A sin. That a god must cleanse from this world." zoey: ah~ so wonderful, master~<3 -she kneels at his feet, like a loyal pet- Fyodor: *pets Zoey's head* Dazai: "...Right. Anyway, 'God,' your plan is A-plus--except the part where you realized I can negate the ability--" Fyodor: "You would need contact with their internal organs--which is suicide, as it will spread the virus." Dazai: "...'Suicide.' *smiles* "I think you underestimate what the Agency can do." Fyodor: "True. And I could underestimate your ability." *BANG* Dazai: "..." *blood is coming from his chest* zoey:...his vitals....werent shot... Dazai: "..." *falls to his knees, then face-down* Fyodor: "You still have a part." *walks by Dazai, picks up his hat* "Come along, my dear." Dazai: *sitting up* zoey: !!!! *holding a scalpel to dazai's neck* ..... Fyodor: *holds up his hand* "Zoey, please." zoey:.....*backing up* ...... Dazai: *chuckling* "Humans _are_ sinfully stupid." *smirks* "What's so wrong about that?" Fyodor: "...! You knew the sniper was there?" Dazai: *getting up* "Because...I know what that book does...It lets you write your reality onto its blank pages." Fyodor: "...To make a world without the sin of ability users." Dazai: "Give it a try--if you can." zoey: ....master fyodor....our god....he'll bring us to the promised land.....ah...it feels wonderful~.....so wonderful....to carry his baby inside me.... Dazai: "..." .________.;;;; "...Girl? You're fucked up in the head." atsushi: dazai?! where are you?! Fyodor: "Zoey. Come along. We have a promised land to create." zoey: of course...~ -elsewhere- ranpo: ................................ fukuzawa: *laying in bed* ...... -in the mafia headquarters- higuchi: ........*glances at a door*.......(thinking: now is as good as a time as any.......) *she approaches the door*........ Mori: *passed out* higuchi: .........*breathes and reaches for the knob* ..........*hard gulp and quietly opens the door* ..... Mori: *slight groan* higuchi: !!! *silently sneaking into the room*....*phew*......??? (thinking: is this....a surgery room?....) *she spots the closet...._that_ closet* ........*shaking*..... *mentally preparing herself for what lies beyond.....she opens the door*....*winces as she sees the decapitated head* (thinking: god....i knew it would be bad but....it doesnt even seem real.....) Mori: *grunts* higuchi: !!! *backs up*.....*noticing the vials* .....*examining* (thinking: the blood samples.....what are you planning, mori?) *There are notes* higuchi:.....*looking at them* Mori's notes: "--to change life itself." higuchi: ??? *looking at more notes* Notes: "-and until I can determine how to change her age--" higuchi: (thinking: does he mean elise?) Notes: "--isolating the mitochondria would be key to unlocking the aging process." higuchi: ....(thinking: has he gone crazy?) Notes: "I found the perfect candidate." higuchi: ...... *her stomach drops* w-what? Notes: "Higuchin's tests were flawless, a perfect match." higuchi: f-for what....? Notes: "--to give Elise the life she deserves." higuchi: ..... -elsewhere- yosano:....it's just as he said, the virus is slowly eating away at him.... Tanizaki: "... We should..." naomi: ?? Tanizaki: "Kill Mori." yosano: it'll be risky, given the amount of firepower the mafia has. Kunikida: "..." ("And Dazai is at a hospital...") kirako:..... ranpo: ..................... kenji: ranpo looks really sad... yosano: yeah.....the director's the closest thing he has to a father...... atsushi:.....*looking out the window* ..... !!!!!!!! Chuuya: "..." atsushi: um guys? we have a situation... Chuuya: "Atsushi!" kenji: oh! we have mafia visitors! naomi: !!!! shit, we're surrounded! Chuuya: "I am here for a deal!" atsushi: sorry we're closed right now! Chuuya: "YOU DON'T GET TO HIDE BEHIND STORE HOURS!" atsushi: um.....*looks at the other agency members* ideas? QuQ;;;; Kunikida: "..." *stares at his book* ("They have us surrounded...They intend to kill, and we can't afford to. And we can't have them learn the full extent of our abilities for the element of surprise...We need a last minute plan..." ranpo: dont rush it, kunikida. you're the director's star pupil, right? yosano: ranpo? ranpo: the director told me something. 'get a hold of yourselves' yosano: ah! he's awake? ranpo:....no, but i heard him mumbling. -ranpo looks at kunikida- ranpo: what do we do, temporary director? give me all the important info! Kunikida: "!!! ...Okay. Follow." -on the roof- naoya: i see someone by the window. it's some blonde kid. kenji: *whistling* Chuuya: "Hmph. He's too strong for one person." naoya: let's see here......*using perspective on kenji* oh shit! Chuuya: "?! What?" naoya: it's not just farmer boy, they got their whole main force down there! Chuuya: "...To protect that one room..." naoya: your orders, chuuya? Chuuya: "...Get all of our forces." naoya: on it. -inside- Tanizaki: *standing* hirotsu: .... Chuuya: "We can fight you one on one, or a direct attack?" Tanizaki: "...Neither." naoya: ??? *Lined up are the Agency members...who seem to shiver and waver in the light* naoya: what the fuck?? t-then how did- *All but Tanizaki fade...revealing a hole in the wall* naoya: son of a bitch. hirotsu: sacrifice one's self to save the rest. how noble. Akutagawa: "How is a decoy noble?" hirotsu: what say you, boy? naoya: 'what say you'? what year do you think this is, gramps? Tanizaki: "...I am not a decoy. I stayed to give you a message." -elsewhere- atsushi: what?? ranpo: that's right. catch the ability user that spawned the virus. if we fight the mafia head on, people will get hurt, or worse, killed. we just need to play by different rules. if we beat the user, or have dazai touch them, then both parties win. if what the rat's leader said is true, then this 'criminal friend' cant get out of the city easily. all public routes are being supervised by people such as the DWMA, the special ability's department, fire brigades, and the life. and the mafia has the back ways all blocked. atsushi: so then... ranpo: get the info on ability user criminal counter-measures. if i have that, it should be enough. -elsewhere- Black Star: "--and then punch this criminal in the face!" tsubaki: ^^; tokyo chief of police: .... <i....see...> Sanjuro: "We do need to track this criminal first...Tsubaki, I want you to track this neighborhood." tsubaki: understood. Black Star: "Can pick up a meal there, too." tsubaki: ... -elsewhere- atsushi: .....this place is pretty run down... -there are vagrants all over the place...- Kunikida: "Just up ahead...; atsushi: ...*glances at one child* child: ..... atsushi: .......(thinking: it almost feels like the orphanage here....) -soon, they approach a tunnel leading to an underground area- -in one underground building, there is a man doing some cooking and listening to christmas music- man: just hear those sleigh bells jingling~ ring-ting-ringling too~ *whistling* *The phone rings* man: *picks up* 'yello? ???: "Get out! You've been found!" man: !!!! *he runs to a communicator* kids! they've caught up to us! im counting on you all to keep them here! kids: !!! man: *running to an escape hatch* -and so- atsushi: ...!!! there he is! *tiger limbs and chases after him* Kunikida: *follows* man: *still running until he turns a corner* atsushi: *still running* Kunikida: "!!! Atsushi, wait!" atsushi: !!!! -BANG- atsushi: *has caught the bullet with his teeth* ..... ooow, that tingles. people were not made to bite metal. Q_Q odasaku:....*stunned* Kunikida: -_-; "Pull yourself together, brat." odasaku: ..... *his stomach drops* atsushi:.... !!!!!!! -several children are armed with guns- man: im counting on you guys! child 1: you go ahead, big brother! -they start shooting- atsushi: *picks up kunikida and retreats to a safer distance* wha...what the hell. odasaku: *still completely stunned....* Kunikida: "Children...with machine guns...One bullet would kill their tiny bodies..." atsushi: what kind of people are we dealing with?? isnt there a way to get past them without shooting them? Kunikida: "Yes..." *opens his book* "Quickly." atsushi: *runs* Kunikida: *summons a tear gas grenade* *tosses* -PSSSHT- kids: *screaming* atsushi: *runs in* child 2: *holding his gun up* atsushi: !!! *BANG* child 2: *screaming and clutching his shoulder* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT HURTS!!! atsushi: !!!!! Kunikida: *aiming his gun* *frozen* atsushi:...shit, come on! let's go! -after making it a ways down the tunnel- atsushi: .... Kunikida: "..." *slams his fist against the wall* atsushi: !!! kunikida? Kunikida: "Is this hell?" atsushi:....i honestly dont know... but if we bring him to yosano then maybe- Kunikida: "I KNOW!! ... I know." atsushi:.....something isnt adding up. i figured he'd undoubtedly fight back, but... Kunikida: "--why not use his ability?" atsushi: .... odasaku: come to think of it, there werent any alarms or locked doors.... atsushi: .... Kunikida: "...! Atsushi...don't move." atsushi: .....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! child: *they have a grenade collar on* p-pwease...don hurt...big bwubber.... *sniffles* Kunikida: "Atsushi...find another way around. I'll stay..." atsushi: *runs* child: *sniffles, and crying ghibli tears* Kunikida: "..." ("Willing to use a child to explode this tunnel, cave us in...") "..." *leans down where he stands* "We are not going to hurt your brother. I promise." child: *sniff* -elsewhere- Shousaku: "...I know you didn't kidnap me for a concert." Fyodor: "..." *keeps playing* zoey: *outside the door, listening and rubbing her stomach* Fyodor: "Actually, a mutual acquaintance brought us together." *smiles* Fyodor: "I want to know what happened between you and the Agency." Shousaku: "..." *lets out a laugh* "That man, Kunikida? He's the real deal. You can't break that ideal." Fyodor: "..." *smiles* -elsewhere- Kunikida: "...Hey?" child: ..... Kunikida: "Do you like magic?" {child: *answering the phone* h-hewwo?} {Fyodor: "If that awful man pulls out a notebook, expect he is dangerous.”} child: !!!! *grabs the string* Kunikida: "!!! No--" -.........- -BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM- Kunikida: *stunned* -outside atsushi: *tackles the man* you're not going anywhere! man: p-please, dont hurt me. i just..i just wanted to leave the past behind me! atsushi: what? man: s-some guy. i-i was targeted by a hit man. t-these guys were killing off anyone who witnessed a hit and run i saw... t-then this foreign guy started giving me all these weapons and shit. atsushi: then your ability- man: i-i dont have any abilities! you have the wrong guy! atsushi: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! man: p-please, dont hurt my little siblings, they're all i got left! -....- -the dust clears, and the splattered remains of the child is strewn about the rubble...- Kunikida: "..." *falls to his knees, his glasses fall off--the lenses break* -all he is able to do is scream out in agony- -...- man: *showing them a paper* atsushi: !!! the info is all different... ranpo: looks like this guy in the picture is the real deal......but this one is all a lie too. yosano: so it's all a wild goose chase... -in the mafia HQ- hirotsu: *takes a long smoke* *sighs* it's been a long time since the mafia has been out for blood like this. naoya: yeah, no shit, even your mustache is stressed out. hirotsu:....what? naoya: 737 *whistling* hirotsu:.... riiiight. -in mori's room- Mori: *barely breathing* Chuuya: "..." -chuuuuya~- Chuuya: "!!!" rain?: *laying on the floor* ...... Chuuya: "N-No..." rain?: what are you waiting for chuuya? now is.....the perfect chance....to make him pay....for what he did to me....to make him pay....make him pay....makehimpaymakehimpaymakehimaymakehimpay -her eyes are completely black, with and inky fluid dripping from her eyes, nose and mouth…- Chuuya: *shudders, steps back--his hand knocks over a scalpel* rain?: chuuyaaaaaaa....*crawling over to him, dragging her body* dont you love me? -more of her start to come out of the walls and floor- -chuuya i miss you so much- -i love you- -chuuya- -it's so cold- -its s o c o l d h e r e- -kill him! kill him! kill him!- -make him suffer how i suffered so much- Chuuya: "..." *he has fallen to his knees, his hand near the scalpel* -do it- -he's sleeping right there- -cut his fucking throat- -do it- -kill him- -cut him open- Chuuya: "..." *snatches it, bolts up* d             o                    i                t Chuuya: "..."*raises his hands* *slam* Tanizaki: *slams the door behind him, runs forward--and stops* !!! Chuuya: !!! "...How did you get free? And get a switchblade?" Tanizaki: "...Why do you have a scalpel to his neck?" Chuuya: "...If I asked you to say he died naturally--" Tanizaki: "Why?" Chuuya: "...I asked you first!" Tanizaki: "So I can save the director and--YOU DIDN'T ASK!" Chuuya: "JUST LET ME HAVE THIS!" Tanizaki: "No, I'm gonna do it!" *grabs Chuuya's wrist* -elsewhere- fukuzawa:.......*groans* nnh...w-where-? ???: "You're awake? Stay down--you're still feverish." fukuzawa: huh?...oh...you-*coughs* you're atsushi's girlfriend, right? Lucy: *nods "Lucy. Kitten asked me to bring you here to Anne's room." fukuzawa: *tries to sit up* grk- Lucy: "Hey! I just told you to lie down! Do you want Anne to sit on you?!" fukuzawa: please...*cough* tell them...not to fight the mafia. -in mori's room- *Blood drips* kouyou: ..... golden demon: *stabbing tanizaki* Tanizaki: "!!!" *coughs* kouyou: do forgive me, child.....*looks at mori* i fear that if he dies....the mafia will revert to it's detestable old ways... Tanizaki: *his body falls--and collapses into bright snow* kouyou:......*she looks at chuuya* Chuuya: "...He wasn't...?" kouyou: .... !!! golden demon! golden demon: *slicing at tanizaki* Tanizaki: "!!!" *covers his face with his arms* *CLASH* kouyou: !!!! k- Kyoka: *hard stare* -the door slams open- mafioso: boss lady! are you ok?! Kyouka: *grabs Tanizaki--and jumps* mafiosos: *aiming their guns* kouyou: dont! you might hit kyouka!! Kyoka: *looks to Demon Snow, opens her phone* "We need a landing..." demon snow: ~understood~ kouyou:..... -elsewhere- ranpo: alright, pull up. atsushi: *opens the door* kyouka! tanizaki! over here! Kyouka: *carries Tanizaki inside* Tanizaki: *groans* yosano: are any of you hurt at all? Kyouka: "No." Tanizaki: *struggling to move* yosano: easy now. ranpo: what's new? kenji: looks like they're evacuating their boss through the underground. Kyouka: "Hmm...We can't infiltrate that as easily as I did the Mafia HQ..." atsushi:....lucy told me that fukuzawa said something. 'dont fight the mafia.' ranpo: it wont be easy finding our mastermind. and a full on assault would risk our lives.....what will you all do? Kunikida: *silent, without his glasses* atsushi: so we either have to fight or run away...? ranpo: if the mafia knows where the director is, they'll resort to kidnapping loved ones of the agency, and threatening to kill them off. atsushi: so people like lucy, kirako, naomi, aya, and others are all at risk... Kunikida: "..." *opens his mouth* "I--" Tanizaki: "I'll do it." atsushi: tanizaki? Tanizaki: "...If we try to protect one person, we'll get another one hurt." yosano: i'm in too. mori and i were once classmates in medical school, i think he'd agree to an ending such as this. Kyouka: "He is frightening...but I know the Mafia, and I can use that knowledge for the sake of the Agency." kenji: i dont know if it's wrong or not, but if everyone's helping, i'll help too! ^^ ranpo: kunikida? what will you do now? Kunikida: "...” ranpo: The director ordered us to 'protect the balance of peace of this city.' His purpose is to protect people from this mastermind's destruction of this city. tell me, will you bend the 'rules' to go after that guy? Kunikida: "..." *covers his face* atsushi: kunikida.... Kunikida: "If we continue to 'bend the rules,' more innocent people will die!" atsushi:.... ranpo: kunikida. you're the strongest and most virtuous person in the agency. that's why _he_ wanted to break you first. ranpo: dont forget that. atsushi:.... odasaku: *shaking* i dont want innocent people to die either. if you fight the mafia, you're just playing right into his hand. atsushi: ...... Kunikida: "..." *stays seated, lowers his head to his knees* atsushi: kunikida.....katai said he would investigate the rats, right? Kunikida: "Yes." atsushi: then wouldnt he know something? Kunikida: "...If we bend the rules and pursue this mad mastermind, another child will die." atsushi: we wont let that happen. i dont want to be someone who fights people. i want to be someone who protects people! odasaku:...*small smile* Kunikida: "..." *reaches into his pocket, and removes a new pair of glasses* "Then the way to honor that child...is to save this city." -at the mafia HQ- kenji: heeeeeave *flips the floor* HO! yosano: HYAAAAAH!!! -in the alley, with chuuya- Chuuya: "!!! They broke through the first floor?! Damn it--hold the base!" -chuuuuyaaaaa~- Chuuya: "?!!!" rain?: *crawling onto his back* why didnt...you just kill him? Chuuya: *doesn't move* "...Rain...Don't ask me..." rain?: dont you...love me anymore? -she looks at him, with those same black, bloody eyes- Chuuya: "I...know you're not her..." -someone is at the end of the alley- ranpo: fancy seeing you here, mr fancy hat~ Chuuya: "...Agency scum..." ranpo: if you join this battle on the mafia's side, our chances of winning are pretty slim down to nothin' so it's up to me to stop you then, eh? Chuuya: "...Insane." ranpo: y'know, my buddy tanizaki told me something interesting. he said when he busted the door in, there you were, holding a scalpel to the mafia boss's throat. do you really......think killing him will bring that girl back? *CRUNCH* ranpo: ?? *The pavement cracks under Chuuya's footstep* ranpo: ... Chuuya: "You pathetic brat...You man-child..." *lifts his head, eyes burning* "You have no idea what she went through!" -he’s shaking- ranpo: oh? bet my super deduction could find out... Chuuya: "...Figure this one out, Boy Detective: how not to get CRUSHED!" -at katai's place- atsushi: mr katai?! hello? Kunikida: "..." atsushi:....??? he isnt here? Kunikida: *steps forward, clenching his fist* atsushi: ...kuniki- *KUNI-PUNCH!* atsushi: holy fuck- -the hole in the wall reveals...a hidden camera.- Kunikida: "Katai kept it as a record in case of emergencies." *shakes his hand...* atsushi: i dont know if i should kink-shame that or.... Kunikida: *intense glare* atsushi: OxO;;; Kunikida: *plugs the camera into the laptop* -the video shows katai on the night he talked to keek.....and fyodor shooting him in the back- atsushi: !!!!!!!!! Kunikida: "!!!" *pulls back the futon--* -there is a blood stain....but no katai- -elsewhere- kim: is he awake yet, jackie? Jacqueline: "N-No...He's still pretty banged up--" Katai: *groans* ???: wakey wakey, mr~ Katai: *moans* "Hmm...What?" blair: *sitting on top of him, in a nurse outfit* hello~ ^^ Katai: o\\\\w\\\\o "...Okay. I know I have died now." kim: god dammit blair! >-<; blair: just trying to help <3 kim: *unamused* Jacqueline: .\\\. "Maybe get off of the patient?" Katai: "Wh-Why is there a cat nurse on me? Who are you people?" blair: *getting up* kim: some guy found you shot in your room and brought you here. blair: kimmy here healed your injuries, so you should be good to go then ^^ Katai: "Shot?...!!!" *pulls up his shirt* -there is a slight scar- kim: we're just glad he found you when he did, otherwise you'd be a goner... Katai: "...Healing? Black cat...!!! Wh-Why save me?" blair: consider it me doing a friend a favor~ *winks* Katai: .\\\\. *pulls blanket up over his nose* "I-I'd like some w-water, please? And I have to--!!! I have to call the Agency! I know where _they_ are!" -in the mafia HQ- higuchi: .... (thinking: mori....trying to turn elise human? but why?) ..... ?? (thinking: a doll? isnt this-) *A hand covers Higuchi's mouth, pulls her inside a closet* higuchi: !!!! Kyouka: "Move, and you're cut." higuchi: !!! i thought you gave up on killing? Kyouka: "I do not do so without reason. If you do not give me the information I seek--" *The blade leans closer to Higuchi's wrist* higuchi: go ahead, i've been prepared for such a thing... Kyouka: "...Too bad. Demon Snow..." higuchi: *wince* *SLICE* Kyouka: "!!!" higuchi: ?? Kyouka: *falls through the floor, where a triangle has been cut out by dark energy* higuchi: !!! w-wha- Kyouka: *falls to the floor below, doing a three-point landing* *looks up* "...You." Akutagawa: "...Do you remember...when you left the Mafia?" Kyouka: "Yes. A van in the desert." Akutagawa: *nods* "You thought you could destroy me there, even at the cost of your own life." *holds Rashomon ready to stab* "Do you still think that is your only path to victory?" higuchi: ryunosuke! Kyouka: *sends Demon Snow to slice at Akutagawa before he can attack* higuchi: !! Akutagawa: *blocking...and smiling* *calls to Higuchi* "Tell them upstairs...Leave this to me." *smiles wider* "Fighting someone with a spine will be good for me!" -elsewhere- ranpo *dodging* Chuuya: "Stand still, you short-pant sugar-chugging brat!" ranpo: *whistles* man, i struck a nerve with you eh? no wonder dazai can beat you so easily. Chuuya: "!!!" *yells, pulls back his fist, and swings at Ranpo's mouth* -something catches his hand.....a book?- ranpo: say, do you like mystery novels? Chuuya: *grunts* ("My fist...is stuck?!") ranpo: the cast is half a cast of people, half of them are blood thirsty killers. in this book world, abilities wont work, see you on the other side, mr fancy hat~ Chuuya: "!!! No! I can't! Son--" -they both get caught inside the book- karl: *picks the book up and heads up the fire escape to where poe is...* Poe: *holds the book...passes a hand over the cover* "I was surprised Ranpo asked for such a risky strategy...I was getting this book ready for the publisher, but now it's being used to hold him and that Mafia person with the goofy hat..." karl: *chitter* Poe: "This showdown story...will pit them against killing machines. The Mafia hat-man could die...or Ranpo could die...or both..." *shivers* karl: *pap pap* -meanwhile- *CLANG CLANG SLASH* demon snow: *slashing* Akutagawa: "Insufficient." Kyouka: "???" Akutagawa: *wraps Rashomon around Demon Snow* demon snow: !! Kyouka: "!!!" Akutagawa: "You are an assassin: you are not designed for direct attacks--they put you at a disadvantage. How can someone who is in the shadows ever enter the light? How can you ever be in the Agency? How did _you_ ever _get_ to join _him_?" Kyouka: "...'He' showed me something that you should learn." Akutagawa: "???" Kyouka: "I am not the person you knew..." demon snow: *phases out from the restrictions* Akutagawa: "!!!" *tries to block* ("How can the physical stop the intangible...?!") -slash slash- Akutagawa: *blocks--then feels a presence behind him* "!!!" Kyoka: *behind him with blade at his neck* Kyoka: "Goodbye." *SWHISH* -elsewhere- fukuzawa: ....nngh? Lucy: "Zzz..." fukuzawa: *sitting up and winces* grk- ???: it's raining bullets here dammit! -in mafia HQ- yosano: atsushi! kunikida! where are you two?? atsushi: *on walkie-talkie* no good, katai's missing, and we found blood. yosano: !!! damn. right now isnt the time for grieving. as long as they keep up- -the gunfire has stopped?- yosano: ?? *peeks* oh you got to be fucking shitting me. *Motojiro stands* Motojiro: *sneers* -elsewhere- Kyouka: *stunned* Akutagawa: *intense unblinking stare* *has caught the blade in his hand, wrapped in Rashomon: his Demon Armor* Kyouka: *struggles to press the blade in--but it won't budge* *CRUNCH* *Akutagawa's grip shatters the blade* Kyouka: *leaps back--and her eyes reflect back light* Akutagawa: *watches her eyes* "You've certainly changed, Kyouka." {Kyouka: "That ability...can cut anything."} {Akutagawa: "...What about it?"} {Kyouka: *her eyes are dark and lifeless* "...Kill the demon, to avenge my parents. And kill me."} {Akutagawa: "..."} Akutagawa: "Where is that revenge that was once in your eyes?" Akutagawa: "You have tried to eliminate yourself, kill yourself, die in so many ways. I never saw this value for your own life in your eyes." Kyouka: *falls to her knees, tearing up* "How can you know this?" {Dazai: *smirks* "Or you can join me. And I can give you that revenge you seek."} {Ryu: *stares*} Akutagawa: "...There was someone with those same eyes." Kyouka: "...Who were they? What happened to them?" Akutagawa: "...The same as you: they joined an organization, found purpose--and gone went their death wish." {atsushi: i just wanted to show her she deserved to live!} Akutagawa: "..." Kyouka: *unable to move* Akutagawa: "I'm happy for you." Kyouka: "!!! ..." *bounces up and away* walkie talkie: get out of there! the lemon cakewalk is approaching! -elsewhere- ayako: ho-dee-doo agency peeps! Motojiro: *giggling* "Three days!!!" yosano: ?? ayako: three days of hard work baby! yosano: (thinking: what are they talking about?) Motojiro: "It took so much of my time I forgot to wear underwear today!" yosano: *trying not to gag* ayako: shall we begin the experiments for today? Tanizaki: "This is our chance, Doctor. We can make a straight line--" yosano: wait...something isnt right? ayako: but first, safety procedures! *aims a grappling gun to the ceiling* HENSHIN-A-GO-GO, BABY! *zips on up and puts on a protective suit* Tanizaki: *gets down* Motojiro: "LEMON! CAKE! WALK!" *BOOOOOOOOOM* BOOOM!- yosano: fall back! he's a walking bomb! ayako: *muffled cheering from the protective suit* Motojiro: "This is an empty world! Your happiness is just brain synapses. It is only through science that you can get closest to the truth!" yosano: pull back! everyone pull back! -elsewhere- fukuzawa:......*puts his cloak over a sleeping lucy and takes his sword* .....*begins walking away* Lucy: "...I won't stop you." fukuzawa: ?? *looks back* Lucy: "I'm not a member of the Agency... but I don't want to see my friends there killed. If you can save them...Can you at least tell me what is your plan?" fukuzawa:....just visiting an old friend. -elsewhere- miura: mori's missing. this isnt good. higuchi: ??? hirotsu: i dont think we should be afraid. miura: ?? hirotsu: mori may be a twisted man, but he is still the head of this mafia. and he intends to protect it... -in an abandoned house...- Mori: *approaches the entrance, opening it carefully, before entering* fukuzawa: ...... Mori: "Ah, this location brings back memories." fukuzawa: indeed.... no one else really knows this place still exists but us. Mori: "Which is why I anticipated you would meet me here." fukuzawa: did your subordinates follow you? Mori: "Perish the thought. I do not want another fight between our organizations." fukuzawa:....its amazing how much can change in 12 years... elise: *appearing, in a nurse's outfit* Mori: "Yes...And yet, some things don't change." fukuzawa: ....*gripping his sword* elise: *floating, ready to attack* fukuzawa: bring it... -elsewhere- aya: ugh, this is so lame! i wanna be able to fight too! >n< Naomi: "I know. But you also know that the others have got this." *trying to put on a smile* kirako: mii still isnt home. im getting really worried...*urk* *throws up in the trash can* aya: yuck! kirako: *panting* a-aya...could you..bring me some water? aya: can do! *goes to get some* kirako: ....i guess im sick from the nerves....whenever mii goes missing for a while, something bad always follows suit... Naomi: *rubs her back* "Don't over-do it...And don't exaggerate this. Mii will be fine..." kirako: m-maybe....if the director really has gone missing... mii:....*watching from the window, and flees before being seen* -at the hospital- man: yes, i hear a mr 'osamu dazai' is staying at this hospital? Nurse: -_-# "Yep. I've heard." man: would you be willing to release him into my custody for the time being? *holds up a business card. 'Masuji Ibuse; CEO of Salamander Publishing'* i'm his benefactor! Nurse: "...I'm going to need more than a business card. Like talking to him..." -_-### nurse 2: i already told you, im not going to inject air into your blood stream! D8< masuji: found him! Nurse: *serious voice* "If you get him out of here, I'll owe you for life." masuji: leave it to me! *eye glint....even though his eyes are closed* -elsewhere- elise: *attacking fukuzawa with giant needles* fukuzawa: *slashing and dodging* i see your tastes are still as repulsive as ever. Mori: "Dear Elise...Be gentle with him." -slash slash slash- fukuzawa: ..... *slash slash dodge* Mori: *smiles* ("The Silver Wolf. Once the deadliest assassin of any government, his word moves faster than the eye...") {fukuzawa: a bodyguarding mission?} {Mori: "I heard you were capable."} {fukuzawa: well, im currently trying to start up a detective agency...im only here because mr natsume told me to...} {elise: *coloring and humming*} {Mori: "Well, if you aren't working right now, then you're skills will get dull!"} {fukuzawa: -_-# } {-the door slams open-} {man: oi, doc! my friend has been injured! you got to help him out!} {Mori: "...Very well. But this is neutral territory: I will treat all, even the one who shot him--so don't bring your fight in here." *clears hospital bed* "Get him here."} {fukuzawa:.....(thinking: something doesnt seem right here....why would mr natsume want to keep him protected?) } {...} {man 2: ugh, how annoying. he's way too stubborn to die...} {*Mori is handcuffed to a bar*} {Mori: "I have to scratch my nose..." T_T } {-WHACK-} {man 2: cut the shit, doc, this place is neutral ground, right? so you probably got info on all sorts of people. either spill the info or we spill your guts...} {man 3: now, the port mafia's armory, where is it? their leader has gone onto a rampage, and anything can easily be blamed on them, especially if we use their weapons.} {Mori: "...And unleash disaster onto this city. Tell me, where are you from?"} {man: that's not your business, <friend>} {Mori: "Ah! Now I remember! Last week, you attacked a medical transport truck, carrying drugs for the black market." *assumes a darker stare* <I like all of this city--the light and the dark. But you parasites disgust me.>} {-the door opens-} {fukuzawa:....} {man: ?! t-the guards-} {fukuzawa: they're dead.} {man 2: you back off asshole, or i'll blow his head right off!} {fukuzawa: have fun.} {Mori: D:< "WHY?!"} {fukuzawa: because you're lolicon scum.} {men: ..... KILL HIM!} {*SPLURT*} {man 3: *grk-*} {Mori: *holding his scalpel*} {fukuzawa: .....i'd say you have terrible bedside manner, but the mental images would scar me forever.} {Mori: "Give me some credit: I did get him to reveal their base, yes? I suggest retribution and counter-attack. It's what Natsume would want..."} {-...-} {fukuzawa: .....} {Mori: "...You're upset."} {fukuzawa: so much for 'you'll do just fine on your own'... there was far more people here thant you said there would be...} {Mori: "Which meant I only had to put in half the effort. Helpful, yes?"} {fukuzawa:...still. it was one battle. as long as the port mafia is still in control, people will keep getting hurt.} {Mori: "...Boy, you are innocent."} {fukuzawa: ??} elise: *attacking mori* -SLASH- elise: ah- -elise is cut into pieces- elise: rin....ta....rou..... *she vanishes* Mori: *frozen, just staring* fukuzawa:..... -*sniffles*- rintarou?: *sobbing* i dont wanna be alone! Mori: "All alone..." tomoe mori: that...that thing isnt my son....it has its fathers face. it makes me sick just looking at it. Mori: *covering his ears* "Quiet..." shizuka: hehe, mr mori~ *standing on top of a chair with her arms outstretched* Mori: "...Oh God..." shizuka: *leans forward and collapses, leaving a large blood splatter and her decapitated body and head behind* Mori: *falls back, inching back along the floor* rain: you have no one to blame but yourself for this. you tried to play god with your own ability for your own selfish desires. ougai sr: you have an obligation, rintarou. you need to live so you can continue our family legacy. former mafia boss: if you die, the mafia will be brought to chaos. you musnt allow that. Mori: *clenches his fists, shaking* fukuzawa: mori? -but....rintarou is a good boy....right?- fukuzawa: ....mori? -rintarou is a good boy, right?- -rintarou is a good boy, right?- -rintarou is a good boy, right?- -rintarou is a good boy, right?- -rintarou is a good boy, right?- -rintarou is a good boy, right?- -rintarou is a good boy, right?- -rintarou is a good boy, right?- -rintarou is a good boy, right?- Fukuzawa: mor- *FWIP* fukuzawa: !!!!!!! -several birds are scared off from outside- fukuzawa:....*collapses, a scalpel in his throat as he bleeds out* ah-...ah.... Mori: "Forgive me, Fukuzawa..." -meeeew- fukuzawa: *looks over to see....mii* mii: *mreeeeeow and streeeeetch* Mori: "A dirty trick...to get you to fall. A pity." mii:....*approaches the two* fukuzawa: c...cat... mii: *staaaaaaaaaare* -FWOOOOOSH- souseki: what in blazes do you two hooligans think you are doing?! fukuzawa: !!!!!! n..na....tsume? Mori: ._. "S-Sir?" souseki: *BONK* honestly! let a retired man live his life in peace! why do you think i left the three of you in charge for anyway? >3< Mori: "...How did you find us?" fukuzawa: sir please, im literally dying. souseki: cat-like instincts, of course! mr katai found the rat's hide out with the help of a newly found friend! fukuzawa: ka...tai? souseki: indeed. he's in the van right now. these rats are a cunning sort, let them slip out from our grasp, and it may not be so easy to find them again. now, what will you two do? fukuzawa: then...the others? souseki: i've already informed them. you have 12 hours left to make a decision. your organizations are strong in their own rights, not fit to be devoured by rats. Now both of you will prove that to me! Mori: "...I will instruct the Mafia." *turns* fukuzawa: mori......just...who are you, really? Mori: "..." *turns his head back* -there is a twisted smile on his face, but his eyes are those of a frightened and lost child- fukuzawa: .... -and so- atsushi: so then, this 'KEEK'... Dazai: "--is being held by the Rats." atsushi: and she's going to help us find the virus user and fyodor? Dazai: "Yes, she's going to help you both." atsushi: wait, both? Akutagawa: "Hello." atsushi: ._____O WHY?! IS HE HERE?! Dazai: "You two are going to save Director Fukuzawa's life!" Akutagawa: "..." atsushi: and the mafia boss-? Dazai: -_-; "I mean, if we have too..." Akutagawa: "...It is unfortunate." atsushi: uh.....oookay then? owo;; -seems they arrived- atsushi: we're this far away from the city? -there is a tunnel at the bottom of the hill. the sign reads 'Zverkov Mining- Dazai: " 'Cause Death City used to have mining operations signed on by someone else..." atsushi: so what's the plan? Dazai: "Their coal mine hideout is miles down, likely full of traps. Catch the virus ability user--or we lose the Director." atsushi: so the virus user is our main objective. Dazai: "And Fyodor only second." atsushi: so then keek is 3rd priority.... Akutagawa: "...This interloper is a grave concern..." atsushi: well....let's go for it then, right? -and so- Kunikida: "We're here." atsushi: damn, guards are all over the place... Kunikida: "Our intelligence says the guards have their vitals tied into their communication devices: if they are injured, that information is sent immediately to their source." atsushi: (thinking: so that leaves knocking them out. out of the question.) *SLAM* atsushi: MEEP! h-hey! akutagawa! where are you go- Akutagawa: "...Despite everything, you should know two things about me. First, I will not wait for you to hurry up. Second, get in my way, and you're dead." atsushi: ..... Akutagawa: *summons Rashomon--and uses it to jam down into the ground* atsushi:....!! shit! *tiger jumps in after him* man: ?? <you hear something?> Man #2: <I heard you say, 'You hear something.'> man: <fuck you misha.> -inside- atsushi: hey, wait up! dazai said we were supposed to work together on this! Akutagawa: *keeps walking fast* "...No. I have to prove myself." atsushi: ?? but- Akutagawa: "To Dazai. And to you." atsushi: ..... listen, i might not know all your circumstances, and i know dazai hadnt been the best teacher to you, but i think you can be better than just killing people mindlessly. Akutagawa: "...'Mindless'? Did you...just call _me_ mindless?" atsushi: ._.; Akutagawa: *Rashomon swirls around him* "I was a fool...to think I could work with you on this. What if I just kill you here, insist you died in battle against the enemy? Maybe then you and Dazai will respect me..." atsushi: how can i respect you if i'm dead?! and if we fight here now, the enemy will be alerted and escape! Akutagawa: "..." *stare* atsushi: why do you always resort to killing everyone in your way? you never try to improve as a person, no wonder dazai abandoned you! Akutagawa: "..." *stare intensifies* odasaku: i think you may be going a bit far there. atsushi: (thinking: wha-) odasaku: look. *CLICK* atsushi:......(thinking: shit) Akutagawa: "...Is that so?" atsushi: *wince* Akutagawa: "..." *turns swiftly* atsushi:....*imagining himself as a donkey* wait, akutagawa- ???: <nah, im technically here illegaly. gives me a place to stay, y'know?> atsushi: .____.;;; (thinking: ssssHHHHIIIIIIIT) Akutagawa: "..." *summons Rashomon* pushkin: <what the fu-> *SMACK* *GRAB* pushkin: O-O;;;; atsushi: !!! Other Guy: QXQ atsushi: wait, dont kill them! Akutagawa: "..." *has Rashomon covering their mouths* "If you speak without being asked to, or if I feel any resistance--I will kill you immediately." pushkin: QxQ *Intercom*: "Yo, 48, 49! Your vitals are a bit high. What's up?" pushkin: o-o;;; Akutagawa: "...Speak. But carefully. Your lives are barely worth a cent." pushkin: ^-^ just thought we saw a snake, that's all. hahaha! *Intercom*: "...Hmph. Whatever. I don't care whether it was a snake or you two running around--just make up for this lost time now. Over." *crackle* pushkin: *phew* so you're the black coated hellhound of the port mafia, right? atsushi: could you tell us where the virus user is? pushkin: *sweats* i didnt even know someone like that was here! we're just doing it for the money! *ZIP* pushkin: O-O;;;;;;;;;; *trembling* *squeaky voice* mother. Akutagawa: "Next time, it will be your ear." pushkin: h-hey! i dont even know what kind of place this is! atsushi: hey, take it easy! he's gonna pee himself. pushkin: D8< Other Guy: "Too late..." Q~Q pushkin: *scoots away* DUDE! D8< Akutagawa: "Explain this facility." pushkin: i think it used to be a mine, that's all i know! we're just foot guards! Akutagawa: "So you're trash." atsushi: why do you have to be so bluntly rude? Akutagawa: "Because we have to eliminate these useless impediments. Why, did you have a better idea?" atsushi: see, this is your problem! you kill first, ask questions later, the hell are you, a goddamn lawnmower? Akutagawa: "And you think you're invincible now, you bastard. When this is over, I'm turning you into a tiger rug." atsushi: see! that! that's what im talking about! when this is over, we need to teach you something other than killing people! pushkin: jeez, what's with these two? atsushi: you just shush! pushkin: OxO;;; Akutagawa: "You move, and I'll chop off your leg--" *freezes* "...I'll hit you really hard in the jaw." pushkin: that's- ...um....well, i remember seeing these heavy duty steel doors around that direction. maybe he's hiding in there? there's this really high tec fingerprint scanner too. Akutagawa: "Take us there--and the Port Mafia will reward you." pushkin: ^w^ sure thing! (thinking: this is way scary! i hope kati is having better luck...) -elsewhere- leo:... katya: uuugh, my feet hurt! we need a ride. and so- leo: *waving her arms by the side of the road* Motorcyclist: "???" *pulls over* leo: please help, my sister collapsed all of the sudden. katya: *laying face down* Motorcyclist: "?!!!" *gets off his motorcycle* "Let's help her up--" katya: *she smirks* -BANG- Motorcyclist: "..." *falls* katya: *as if in a split second, she is now behind them, holding a gun to their head* thanks chump. we'll just be taking your ride now~ leo: are you sure you can drive? katya: of course. i've been on tons of joyrides. leo: like the zambon- katya: dont. leo:...right. *sitting behind her, holding her waist to hold on* katya:.....(thinking: why do i feel like i've been beaten?) -underground, in a trailer- Fyodor: "..." *sips tea* Ivan: "How is it, Master~?" Fyodor: "Excellent as always, Vanya." -the phone rings- Fyodor: *answers* "Yes?" mafioso: both the mafia boss and agency director are MIA. only 9 hours have passed. their locations are unknown. Fyodor: "The house?" mafioso: empty. i-i told you the info, now please, help me disarm this thing! -he has a bomb collar on his neck- Fyodor: "Right, sorry. First remove the blue wire." mafioso: *doing so- *BOOOOM* -he collapses, dead- -his death rattle can be heard over the phone- Fyodor: "..." *sets the phone down* -a message comes over the communicator- katya: <boss man, we secured a ride and are heading to miss executive's estate now.> Fyodor: <Good. Remember what to do.> katya: <it shouldnt be too hard to find. the girl will lead us right to her> -elsewhere- atsushi: wow, it's even bigger in person. pushkin: phrasing, boom! *ahem* iiii'll just be going now. atsushi: how does it look, katai? Katai: *webcam* "This independent power grid will be tough, given network speeds over that portable." Akutagawa: "Our priority therefore should be finding the enemy's location, not unlocking a door that's taking time we need to find the virus uswe--before the bosses die." Katai: "Roger that, brother!" atsushi: -_-; Akutagawa: "..." (" 'Brother'?") -a voice chirps in from the phone- keek: hello? atsushi: ah! you're keek, right? keek: yes. do you need any help? Katai: "Can you hack this electrical grid?" keek: i should be able to. atsushi: how are you- keek: im using the phone of their mechanic. when i leeked the rat's location the last time, their mechanic, sasha, took the fall for me and was killed. i want to at least pay her back somehow. Katai: "..." *sniff* keek: h-hey! d-dont go getting misty eyed on us now! we-we need to focus, ok? Katai: "Y-Yes!" *typing* atsushi:.....hey, akutagawa? Akutagawa: "What?" atsushi: why do you think dazai wants us to work together? Akutagawa: "Don't overanalyze it: he chose the best combination with the highest success rate." atsushi: ....well, we did succeed on the moby dick.....although that girl.....*shakes his head* nevermind... Akutagawa: "..." {Akutagawa: *shudders, staring at the dead Rain*} {Chuuya: *holding her, sobbing*} Akutagawa: "...Whatever. Besides, you are Dazai's most trusted subordinate, so of course you'd be here." atsushi:....i...i guess......do you think....we could have saved her? {headmaster: someone who cant save one person doesnt deserve the right to live!} atsushi: .... Akutagawa: "...She was in pain." atsushi: .... keek: ok! you're in! atsushi: really?! Katai: "Um, Big Bro? Atsushi?" atsushi: yeah? keek: BEHIND YOU! pushkin: *holding a gun up, grinning* atsushi: !! *jumps to push akutagawa out of the way* -BANG- -the bullet grazes akutagawa's cheek- pushkin: oopsies~ i missed. but that's just fine! your faces are priceless! HAHAHAHAHA! Akutagawa: *growls* pushkin: *jumps into a mining cart* toodle-loo, motherfuckeeeeeers~<3 atsushi: h-HEY WAIT! *begins running after him* pushkin: *cackling as he rides off* atsushi: oh no you dont! Akutagawa: *collapsed* atsushi: !!! akuta- pushkin: didnt you ever hear not to underestimate small scratches?! Akutagawa: *summons a small bit of Rashomon as a shield--which collapses* "Wh-What...?" atsushi: w-what? !!!! (thinking: the virus?!) -elsewhere- sonia: .... Kouyou: *strokes her head* sonia: im scared. and my neck really itches. Kouyou: "Let me check..." sonia: *showing the back of her neck....nothing seems to be there....right?* Kouyou: "..." *traces a finger* sonia: *upon closer inspection, there seems to be a faded scar...* higuchi:.... !!! *has her guns out* Kouyou: "What?!" katya: how's it going <bastards?> we have an appointment with your miss executive if you dont mind~ *she has her guns out* leo: *has a knife* sonia: !!!! higuchi: i dont think so! katya: want to bet? *grins* Kouyou: "...Oh, please." *summons Golden Demon* higuchi: *aims* katya: *smirks* 10 seconds. -time seems to stop around her- -10.....9...- katya: *aims her gun at higuchi, so that the bullet grazes her* -3...2....1...- -once time resumes, the bullet grazes- higuchi: AH! *SWOOSH* katya: !! -CLANG- leo: *blocking with her knife* Tachihara: "Jeez, they let anyone in here..." katya: oi, lev, they let the bitch squad in. leo: katya, please focus. Gin: *holding a sword* Tachihara: "...I got the gremlin." katya: YOU WANNA DIE, PUNK?! Gin: *rushes* leo: please, make this quick. *clang clang slash bang bang* katya: you assholes are lucky i like toying with my foes first, otherwise you'd already be dead. hirotsu: how did you even find us here? katya: ask the brat, or rather the tracker our medic put in the back of her neck! higuchi: !!!! Kouyou: *tenses* sonia: ...... katya: why do you think fyodor left you as a loose end, brat? leo: ...... Kouyou: "Golden Demon...KILL THEM ALL!" golden demon: *slashing at leo, even decapitating her* leo: ......i only wish it were that easy. Gin: "!!!" katya: *knocked out of the window* fuck! *using her grappling gun to keep herself up* shit, that could have been bad. leo: *picks up her head and reattaches it* higuchi: what the actual fuck?! leo: my ability.....my curse. -back underground- -waltz of the flowers plays over the radio- Ivan: =W= -the walkie talkie speaks- pushkin: <oi! gon! the orders have been carried out.....gon?> Ivan: <Shh...I'm listening...> pushkin: <i infected the intruders, now what?> Ivan: <Master says: "Find your own exit."> pushkin: <seriously?! that's cold, even for him! what happens if i get caught, huh?> Ivan: <Of the Rats, only three are here: you, myself, and Master. That man-child cannot find us. And I have no interest protecting anyone but Master~> pushkin: <you really dedicate yourself to him, eh?> Ivan: <It is bliss.> pushkin: <bliss?> Ivan: <Pure happiness.> pushkin: <i know what it means, gon. jeez, i bet you'd cut off your own face for him, right?> Ivan: <If Master asked, I'd peel it off and give it to him.> pushkin:...... <gon, i meant that as a joke. jeez, you really are crazy obsessed, you _and_ the medic.> Ivan: <DON'T YOU EVER COMPARE ME TO THAT TROLLOP!> pushkin: <ow! too loud......you know she's actually pregna-OH FUCK!> Ivan: "???" <What is a pregnofuc?> pushkin: <tweedle-dumb and tweedle-dumber are catching up with me!> Akutagawa: *holding his face* atsushi: you're not getting away that easy! -BANG BANG- pushkin: <GON HELP A BRO OUT HERE PLEASE!> atsushi: *idea* *lifts up akutagawa and tiger runs for him* pushkin: OwO;;;; OH FUCK! atsushi: hold on tight! Akutagawa: "!!!" *holds on* atsushi: *running*....!?!?! are you sniffing me?! Akutagawa: "No...I'm just out of breath...Is that a new shampoo?" atsushi: DAMMIT AKUTAGAWA THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR YOUR OBSESSIVE CRUSH ON ME. pushkin: ....nope, not gonna touch that. Ivan: *intercom* <...Are you making fun of me?> pushkin: <no! not at all.> Akutagawa: "Quiet. Go more quickly, or I'll ride you harder." pushkin: ..... PHRASING! *BOOM* atsushi: HOLY TOLITO! pushkin: took you long enough, gon! Akutagawa: o_o *pulls up on Atsushi* atsushi: *skids to a stop* what the fuck is that?! Ivan: "It is a gift from Master that is not fit for such uncivilized intruders..." atsushi:....then why are you showing us this? Ivan: "Because now that you have seen it, I have to kill you." atsushi: well now you're just being a dick. *runs after the cart* -outside- kenji: a whole bunch of cars are leaving the mine tunnels! Dazai: "..." Tanizaki: "Give chase!" Dazai: "Ignore them." kenji: ?? Tanizaki: "What?! Why?" yosano: there's a figure in a hood surrounded by guards, they're walking on foot. Dazai: "Ignore them, too." yosano: but- Dazai: "These are distractions to thin our numbers." yosano:...... -on ground- zoey: *in the hood, carrying Q on her back, who is hidden by the hood* Q: will papa be joining us? zoey: soon, sweetie. when he's done, he'll join us. you, me, and your baby sibling~ -in the tunnel- atsushi: *running* pushkin: i dont think so, kitty! *tosses something at him* atsushi: ACK! it is a paper with something written on it- pushkin: just a lil something for gon to loot from your corpse! atsushi: i dont think so- *PUNCH* atsushi: *knocked back* shit! o-ow.. *wince as the sigil of the virus is on him* f-fuck... Ivan: "All sides covered..." atsushi: *looks behind him* Ivan: *swirls together a rock spire* "I'll be kind enough to end this quickly--" *STABBED* Ivan: "!!!" atsushi: !! Ivan: *coughs...* Akutagawa: "Even the earth you stand on is thine enemy..." *tosses Ivan's corpse down* atsushi:.....something...doesnt seem right......!!!??? that's- *CRUNCH* Akutagawa: "?!!!" *looks at the corpse* "...A clay doll?" *The rock wall crumbles...a person emerges* atsushi: oooooh fuck. Ivan: "My master...brings happiness wherever he goes. Any who oppose him are the evil that must be expunged..." -outside- kenji: there's someone walking alone. i cant see their face. Dazai: "All troops--go after that person! It's him!" ???: !!!!! person: alright, game's over- .....!!!! Dazai: "Report!" person: FUCK! this guy....it's not him! it's some stranger! ???: *trembling* Dazai: "!!!!" *shaken* -underground- atsushi: *coughing* s-shit... Akutagawa: "Get up, damn it..." atsushi: *trying to stand* -quicksand forms around them- atsushi: !!! Ivan: "I think it is time we go our separate ways..." atsushi: *struggling* (thinking: i cant die here...i just cant...) Ivan: "Your strengths are impressive--so I'll let you fight to your end. I would honor your memory--but really, only one man deserves all my attention. You will be forgotten." *turns* <Goodbye.> *walks away* Akutagawa: "..." atsushi: dammit.....i cant die here.....the others....they're waiting for us.... Akutagawa: "...Why?" atsushi: we cant just let them wonder what happened to us. we have to stop those guys! Akutagawa: "No. I mean what I asked you earlier...Why do you fight?" atsushi:....i want to prove......i have some reason for living.....that man.....he's still in my head....still hurting me.......but there's someone else too. however, he's trying to help me. he tells me 'i shouldnt be someone who fights people. i should be someone who protects people.' Akutagawa: "...Rashomon." atsushi: ?? *Rashomon wraps around Atsushi* atsushi: ?!?!?! Akutagawa: "...I need _you_ to protect someone...and if you do not, I will never forgive you." -elsewhere- ranpo: ah, so many. im almost done finding them, but some of them are still evading us. Chuuya: *growls* ranpo: how you holding up, mr fancy hat? Chuuya: "...I'm going to throttle you..." ranpo: ...you're worried about that little girl, your daughter, right? Chuuya: *glare* ranpo: dazai showed me a picture. she looks a lot like her dad...i think we both know who that is.... Chuuya: "The hell is wrong with you? How can you be so...blunt?" ranpo: i just have a detective's understanding of things. Chuuya: "...I need to get home." ranpo: and you will. but im going to need your help too, ok? if not for you, then for your daughter, if not for her, then for her mother. {rain: please.....dont scare me like that anymore...} Chuuya: "...Okay, genius. What are you thinking?" -elsewhere- Ivan: ^u^ *humming* -something can be heard- Ivan: "???" *turns* "...Wait..." -wait, where the fuck did atsushi go?- atsushi: *behind where ivan is looking, in a black rashomon coat* hey. Ivan: "?!!!" *turns--* *summons a golem--* -no one?- Ivan: "..." <What the f--?> -PAWNCH- atsushi: gotcha! Ivan: D: *knocked into his own golem* -elsewhere- pushkin: *running* (thinking: this place is too crazy. 'grand chamberlain'? what even is that?! i need to get out of this place!) -the sun is rising- pushkin: !!!! (thinking: the way out! im getting out of here! wait for me out there kati-).....eh? Motojiro: "Hello~" hirotsu:.... kenji: hiya! higuchi: ... naoya: sup. ayako: mehehehehehe~ fukuzawa:..... pushkin:.......oooooohhhhhh crap. yosano: so you're our virus user, correct? pushkin: ^-^;;;; hhheeeeeeey everyone~ ^^;;;;;;;;;; please dont hurt me! have a little mercy, for the holidays? fukuzawa:.....very well. *grips fist* merry christmas, you filthy animal. pushkin: QuQ;; -too violent- pushkin: @-@ Dazai: "..." *taps Pushkin's nose* "Boop." -the virus vanishes- atsushi: *phew*.... naoya: hey kids. atsushi: MEEP! naoya: relax, jumpy, im here to help you guys find keek. Akutagawa: "...I'll take my Rashomon back now." -and so- keek: *shaking, still holding the phone* naoya:........shit....their medic fucked you up.... keek:.....*tears falling* atsushi: it's ok. we're getting you out of here... Akutagawa: "..." naoya:.....dammit! dost flew the coop. fucking hell. atsushi:.....*glances at ivan* ?? Ivan: "Hee hee hee..." naoya: the hell're you laughing at, beaky? Ivan: "I feel bliss." naoya: even though you lost? Ivan: " 'Lost'?" *giggles* "The fact that you are here shows _you_ lost." atsushi: what do you mean? Ivan: *smiles* "Who told you that you would find Master here?" -elsewhere- Fyodor: *blows over his hot drink* waitress: do you need anything else for today, sir? Fyodor: "No, thank you." -elsewhere- atsushi: so then the radio.... Ivan: "Codes." naoya: you may be fucked in the head, but that's pretty damn clever, i'll give you that much. Ivan: "I'm _blessed_ in the head." naoya: the fuck're you talkin' 'bout, beaky? Ivan: "He _improved_ my brain--removing the part that creates unhappiness~" naoya *stunned* what the fuck?! atsushi: !!!!! keek:.... naoya: *kicks him in the stomach* you people are fucking SICK!! Ivan: "Ow! ... Hee hee hee..." naoya: shit...and i thought mori was fucked up....those notes....*shudders* atsushi:...!!! ah! right! *pulls the note out, it's in russian*......i dont understand this.... Ivan: "Oh, you fools..." naoya: well then YOU read it! -<hey gon, the medic's pregnant. thought you should know. ~pushkin>- -it also has a crude doodle of pushkin's grinning face- Ivan: ……………………………………………………………….. atsushi: what? what does it say? Akutagawa: "??? What is he--" *RIP* Ivan: *has ripped out of Akutagawa's Rashomon* naoya: HOLY SHIT! Ivan: "I'M GOING TO KILL HER!" keek: !!! atsushi: OH CRAP RUN! Ivan: <I'm going to smash that fucking cunt into paste and then smear it along the walls!> Akutagawa: "..." atsushi: i dont know what he's saying, but it doesnt sound good! naoya: AKUTA MOVE DAMMIT! Akutagawa: "..." *slaps Ivan back and forth with Rashomon using a nearby table* Ivan: "I will--" *smash* "I will--" *smash* "STOP HITTING ME WITH FURNITURE!" Akutagawa: *drops a vase on Ivan's head* Ivan: "..." Akutagawa: "You seem obsessive. It is not healthy to focus on one person like that. Stop it." Ivan: "..." atsushi: ..............REALLY?!? *GOLEM-PUNCH* naoya: GUYS! MOVE IT OR LOSE IT! Akutagawa: *smashed face-first into the wall* "..." Ivan: *WHITE-EYE SCREAM* atsushi: *grabs akutagawa and runs with naoya and keek to the minecart* let's go!! Ivan: *roar of rage as he sends golems after the minecart* Akutagawa: X.X keek: *screaming* atsushi: DO NOT BE OUT COLD RIGHT NOW! Akutagawa: "..." *groans* atsushi: we could use your rashomon shield here! Akutagawa: *trying to sit up* "...Am I dead?" naoya: not yet, thank god, but we have a situation! HELP US ON OUT HERE! keek: *whimpering* naoya: easy there, kiddo, we're almost out. atsushi: come on! Akutagawa: "..." *grabs Atsushi's hand* atsushi: ?? Akutagawa: *flings him up* atsushi: *MREOW* D8> Akutagawa: *blasts Rashomon as a line directly at the Golem* "RUN!" atsushi: *running* WHAT NOW?! *Rashomon wraps around Atsushi's head* atsushi: *muffled yelling* Akutagawa: "TIGER FANGS! BITE HIM!" atsushi: .....ok then! *biting through the golem and kicking ivan back* Ivan: "UMPH!" atsushi: akutagawa! pull me back! Akutagawa: *does so--swinging Atsushi upward* atsushi: woah! naoya: hang on, kids! -the mine cart heads up the ramp and skids to a stop outside- *As the mine cart descends, Akutagawa pulls down Atsushi* atsushi: YEEP! Akutagawa: *catches Atsushi* atsushi: awawawawawa @_@ yosano: !! Dazai: "...Oh, shit...How you going to explain this to Lucy?" atsushi: wha-..... *SCREAMS* LUCY SAVE ME! Akutagawa: *intense stare* "...Maybe you could wear Rashomon again in the future?" atsushi: i would prefer not to thanks.....i need a long nap. winter vacation cant get here sooner. keek: *sniffles* Dazai: "??? ...Oh no..." keek: im.....im finally outside....*she starts crying* Dazai: "...Yosano?" Akutagawa: "...Who?" yosano:......how long have you been there? -keek explains- yosano:.....damn. that's too long.....there's not much i can do for her now... keek:.......can i....go home now? -at the cafe- Fyodor: *listens to the radio* Melville: "I see this town is taken by rats..." Fyodor: "??? Wh-Who are--" Melville: "...You owe me. A lot." Fyodor: "...I have no idea who you are. Good day--" Melville: "Moby-Dick is my ability." moby: T3T# Fyodor: "..." *slight smile* "Then I hope its departure left you devastated." Melville: "Oh, I'm not at all. But he may be." Fyodor: "???" Fitzgerald: "Greetings, Old Sport." Fyodor: … Melville: *sips his drink* Fitzgerald: "After the expenses I paid to hunt you down, and the cost of damage from Moby-Dick--you owe me a tidy sum. Although that look of shock is worth a million dollars." *smirks* ango: we'll be taking it from here, mr fitzgerald. -several armed soldiers aim their guns at fyodor- Fyodor: "..." *gets down to his knees, puts his hands behind his head* ango: you have the right to remain silent, anything said and done here will be used against you in city court. Fyodor: "...May we depart?" guard: *putting cuffs on him, grabbing his wrist* Fyodor: "...Heh." -slprt- guard: *collapses* Melville: "!!!!" guard: !!! Fitzgerald: "..." ango: hands where we can see them! try anything funny and we will shoot! Fyodor: "...I will follow your orders. Just tell me where to walk." ango:....very well..... -that afternoon- kirako: well, fyodor's been detained. atsushi:.....(thinking: i dont like the feel of this....something's wrong...) Tanizaki: Q~Q "We're so fired..." kenji: but tanizaki, we arent on fire. Tanizaki: "STOP BEING SO LITERAL!" Kyouka: "..." *puppy dog eyes* ???: hey guys, what's up? Tanizaki: "W-We have to figure out how to make sure the Director doesn't learn we attacked the Mafia-" ranpo: oh, he already knows about that. naomi: ranpo?! where were you?! ranpo: i was in poe's book again. i got out. mr fancy hat got out too, his daughter was waiting for us, she got really mad at poe and kicked him in the shin. naomi: ouch. ranpo: and if you're worried about being fired, dont, cuz he's not. though he did say he wanted to talk to us later. atsushi: any idea where dazai is? ranpo: he's making a delivery... -elsewhere- -knocks- Mrs. Harue: *looks through the eyehole* "..." *lets out a small gasp before opening the door* keek:.....m-mom..... *she's in a wheelchair* Dazai: "..." Mrs. Harue: "..." *breaks down crying, reaches for her hand* keek: *shaking and holding onto her, crying* Mrs. Harue: "Kiku...I'm sorry..." keek: i-im home....im home now.... Mrs. Harue: "Y-You are..." *hugs her, crying* Dazai: "..." *steps back* -elsewhere- sonia: ..... Chuuya: *has a black eye* sonia: papa, your eye got hurt. miss akiko can fix you. Chuuya: O_O; "...I'll let it heal on it's own." ^^; sonia: ok. miss akiko make the itchy thing in my neck go away. the bad people put a thing in my neck to find me. Chuuya: "...I'm happy they fixed that..." ("...They were using us, all this time...") sonia:.....grandma and the others got three of them.....but miss leo.....i dont think miss leo's a bad person. Chuuya: "Why's that?" sonia: she seemed sad. and she asked them not to hurt miss katya or mr pushkin. Chuuya: "Well, they do work together...People tend not to want to see people they work with hurt." -in mafia holding- pushkin: *groan* am i dead? leo: no. pushkin: ngh? lev? izzat you? leo: yes, please dont move too much, i just patched you up. pushkin: thanks. leo: ... pushkin:...lev? where's kati? leo:.....about that. katya: *wearing a muzzle and strapped to a gurney ala Hannibal lector* *ANGRY MUFFLED RUSSIAN SCREAMING* pushkin: .___.;;; leo: when we were caught, she got frustrated and started beating everyone up. pushkin: kati? you ok? katya: <<LETMEOUTIMGONNAKILLSOMEONE!!!>> pushkin: O.O; leo: katya, please dont scream so much. katya: <<nyeh?> pushkin! they caught you too, huh?> pushkin: yep. katya: <<come get this muzzle off>> -one muzzle removal later- katya: so we got beat, huh? leo: i dont know. katya: well, im glad you didnt die. i would have gotten worried, jerk. pushkin: d'aww. *A door opens down the hall* leo: ..... katya: oh great, who's gonna be the first shmuck? Gin: *enters* leo: ... pushkin: who's this punk? Gin: "Are you comfortable?" katya: you tell me, <fuckwipe> leo: i suppose. pushkin: eh, better than nothi- *CLENCHED* pushkin: GRK- leo: !!! katya: OI! LET GO OF HIM, BITCH! Gin: "Quiet." *turns back to Pushkin* "The boy with the dark hair: why did you attack him?" pushkin: boss's orders, why? Gin: *tightens her grip* "Why him specifically?" leo: please, stop it! pushkin: l-like i said, boss said, to eliminate intruders- Gin: "..." *tosses Pushkin back* pushkin: *cough* katya: LET ME DOWN FROM HERE SO I CAN KICK YOUR BITCH ASS INTO NEXT WEEK! Gin: "..." *looks at Leo* "You. How many others are there?" leo: ........ Gin: "Is anyone going to come for you?" leo: ......i dont know. they dont know where we are.... Gin: "...How do you contact them?" leo: we dont have any means to do that, since you confiscated our communicators, plus the signal on them was cut. Gin: "Cut by whom?" leo: our leader, most likely. katya: <BASTARD SENT US ON A GODDAMN SUICIDE MISSION!> D8< pushkin: um...kati- katya: *SCREAMING OUT LOUD WITH WORDS FAR TO VULGAR FOR ME TO TYPE HERE* *pant*...*pant....*pant*..... pushkin: you ok there? you get it all out of your system? katya: =A= *replying grunt* leo: ....*sweatdrop* Tachihara: *peeks over* "...Yo." leo: ?? katya: oh greeeeeat, THIS asshole again! Tachihara: "How y'all doing?" pushkin: in jail. 'cept the ninja. leo: *sweatdrop* Tachihara: "Cool, cool..." *stares at Leo* leo:... ?? Tachihara: "What's your story, beautiful?" leo: e-excuse me? ._.; Tachihara: "What you in for? Maybe I talk to the boss and get you out for good behavior..." leo: i-i really dont- Motojiro: "I'm here!" leo: e-eh? Tachihara: -_-; katya:...*gives pushkin a 'wtf' look* pushkin:...*shrugs* Motojiro: "And I want to share with you science's greatest achievement. What do you think that is?" leo: um...i-i, er- pushkin: oh! a bottle that you squeeze and it gives the middle finger? OuO katya: a gun that shoots knives? Tachihara: "Infinity booze?" Motojiro: *holds up a lemon* leo: .... Motojiro: "Note the perfect color and shape! It is the ideal!" leo: .....um.... ._.; katya:...is this guy on coke or some shit? Motojiro: "I'm high on science!" leo: um..... *blinks* pushkin: im confused, and im gonna take a nap. Motojiro: *stares at Leo* leo: ....y-yes? Motojiro: "...Want to bake a cake with me?" leo: um...arent i a prisoner here? Motojiro: "I'm sure we can work something out~" Tachihara: .-.; "...Was 'baking' code for something?" katya: go asking us. pushkin: *asleep* Motojiro: "I will take you away from this life, to a farm upstate, where the lemons roam free along the Nevada grasslands." leo: ....................................*blinks* Tachihara: "Dude, I saw her first!" leo: u-um... ._.;;;; Motojiro: "Well, obviously, I am learning from your errors to reenact the experiment with greater success!" *CLUNK* leo: ah... ._.; Gin: -_-# "Ignore them." *drags them away* leo:...... naoya: *sigh* just cant help themselves in front of a pretty face. leo: ..... -elsewhere- Ivan: "..." *smacks his head with his fists* -silence- Ivan: "..." *sobs, collapses to his knees* -that girl doesnt mean a thing to him. he told you himself, remember?- *Golem rises* golem: ~master has a reason for doing this, right?~ Ivan: "H- He has to...Or this is all...empty." golem: ~right! he has to! so dont feel sad, vanya! he'll come back for you for certain!~ Ivan: "...R-Really?" golem: ~he promised he would! you heard him, right? right?~ -elsewhere- Kunikida: "...The hell?" aya: mail call! atsushi: .____________.;;;;;;;;;;;; Dazai: "What'd we get?" atsushi: *trying not to faint* ranpo: 'manhasset security'....oh sweet! Invites! Kunikida: "Into the den of our enemies?" atsushi: 'consider them a pre-apology gift' .......... Kunikida: "...That's ominous." atsushi: .____.;;;;; Dazai: "Huh." atsushi: ...oh, dazai, you said you wanted to ask me something? Dazai: "I wanted to know...what was it like working with Akutagawa?" atsushi:......*excalibur face* Dazai: "That bad?" atsushi: ...... {atsushi: six months?} {Akutagawa: "Then I will kill you."} {atsushi: ....i dont get it. you love me, yet you want me dead.} {Akutagawa: "...I love you. But you do not want me. So, if I want to possess you, I have to kill you before anyone else can have you."} {atsushi: that's really messed up, logic......look, you've been hurt in the past. i get that, but like you said, you arent bound by the past. all you can do is go forwards. i think we can help you get better about all of this.} {Akutagawa: "...How?"} {atsushi: dont kill anyone in those six months, and we'll give you a chance.} atsushi: and that's what happened... Dazai: "..." *smiles* "A Mafia member not killing? Huh..." odasaku:...*faint smile* -inside- kirako: i dont know what to say. yosano: well, just tell him up front. kirako: i guess.... atsushi: kirako? are you feeling any better? kirako: well, yosano took a look at me. and well....is dazai with you? Dazai: *pops up behind Atsushi* "What up?" kirako: well, i figured out why i've been sick for the past few days. yosano: *gives him a look* Dazai: ?? kirako: *inhales and sighs* dazai, im pregnant. atsushi: *looks at dazai, then kirako, then back at dazai* naptime~! *faints* Dazai: *catches Atsushi* "...Babies?" *faints as well* kirako: ....*facepalm* Kyoka: *pops up behind couch* "I knew it." yosano: h-how did she- Kyoka: "I'm. Every. Where. ..." *opens a bag of chips with "Rampo" written on it* -elsewhere- dia: ......*in the elevator, heading down* ...... ???: "..." dia:......*staring at the floor* it's been a while.... Fyodor: *smiles* <I'm glad you remember me. You look well.> dia: ..... <i honestly wish i could forget...> Fyodor: <...I have given you nightmares?> dia:....*still looking at the floor, biting her lip* Fyodor: <Who found you? Or were you homeless?> dia: <the uniform should explain it.> Fyodor: <What rank are you?> dia: ........... Fyodor: *smiles* <I still remember that little girl...> dia: *grips her sleeves, trying to keep calm* Fyodor: <I would hope I look better now. I mean, at least I'm not covered in blood~> dia: *hard gulps, sweating slightly* <you're behind bars, you cant hurt me out here.> Fyodor: <Is that right?> dia: ..... Fyodor: <I guess I'll just have to get used to my new home. If you have been able to adjust here, I suppose I can, too.> dia: .... *Something falls behind her* dia: *jumps back and looks* *It's an empty metal cup* dia: .....*trying to recompose herself* Fyodor: "Some of the other inmates can be quite disorganized, leaving their utensils lying around." dia: ......i just have one thing to ask of you. why? the staff, i understand, but why the other children? Fyodor: "..." <Because how would I grow otherwise?> dia: ..... <did you kill anna too?> Fyodor: <...No.> dia:.... <where is she now?> Fyodor: *smiles* <Why should I tell you?> dia: ........ Fyodor: <A trade, perhaps.> dia: ?? Fyodor: <I tell you were Anna is, and you do something for me.> dia: ..... <what do you want?> Fyodor: <A message.> dia: ?? Fyodor: <I'll need time to write it out. Just think about it, and come back and see me.> dia: .......*exiting* .....*still shaking* Fyodor: *sighs* -elsewhere- vivian: are you ready, torry~? ^^ Kishiri: "All set! Where to?" vivian: how about the mall? kayoko: ..... *glares and gives kishiri the 'im watching you' sign* Kishiri: "Okay, but on one condition." *then notices Kayoko* ._.;;; "Um...N-Nevermind." ^^; "Let's get going." *holds her hand* vivian: yay! ^u^ Kishiri: Q_Q ("I just wanted something fun, then that person glared at me...") tao: *hanging by her monkey tail in the tree* they gonna be ok? kayoko: they'd better be. Hibana: "Something up?" kayoko: i dont trust that boy. gabriella: neither do we. Hibana: "...Join the club." *holds up a bottle of wine* -elsewhere- Black Star: *staring into koi pond* tsubaki: *sigh* still no sign of this demon. i feel we've been here for days.... Black Star: "Well, we got one more spot to check--" *spots someone* "Oh, hey, look at that person." tsubaki: ?? *glances over* *There is a person cloaked in white, holding an umbrella* tsubaki: ....something's wrong..... Black Star: *glances at them, then the pond* tsubaki:....black*star......there's.... Black Star: "Yeah?" -the person in white....isnt reflected in the pond- Black Star: "...That's freaky..." tsubaki: .....!! it's them! Black Star: "!!! Let's do this..." tsubaki: *sword form* Black Star: "You're coming with us!" Magaki: *sighs* <About time.> *holds their umbrella--and jabs it at Tsubaki's blade form* tsubaki: *screams* Black Star: "Tsubaki!" Magaki: "!!! Wait..." *leans forward--and inhales* tsubaki: ??!! Magaki: "..." *smiles, opening their mouth--revealing sharp teeth* tsubaki: !!!!!! Magaki: <The Uncanny Sword finally has returned...> tsubaki: ?!?! <what?> Magaki: *grabs the sword bare-handed--sending light through it* tsubaki: ?! Magaki: *closes their eyes* "Yes...Multiple abilities, right? Multiple weapons...I want..." Black Star: *trying to kick Magaki away--* -tsubaki changes back- Black Star: "Wow!" *falls back* tsubaki: ... ???!!!! w-what? i cant...the sword.... Magaki: "..." *holds out their hand...it lights up* tsubaki: .... !!!!! Magaki: *fashions a version of the Uncanny Sword along their hand* "...It's a start." *The pool reflects just the portion of the Uncanny Sword, not their entire body* tsubaki: ?!?! what....what even are you? Magaki: "..." *smiles, showing their teeth* "I think you're familiar with my kind..." tsubaki: .....a vampire? no....you dont seem like a subclass, or a servamp..... Magaki: *chuckles* "Servamps, subclasses...Is that all you know? You're experiences with them is so limited." *sniffs* "But...given how you smell, maybe you _are_ more experienced with them than I thought." tsubaki: *uneasy* Magaki: "I have missed so much...Sunlight. A reflection. But your abilities can unlock so much in me...I want it all." tsubaki: *looks over at black*star* Black Star: "Not a chance!" *rushes at Magaki* *tackled* Black Star: *knocking her into the sunlight* "I got you--" Magaki: *screams, as they are lighting up on fire--which is also burning Black Star's hands* tsubaki: ...!!! black*star, stop! Black Star: "Ow!" *With Black Star distracted, and their body injured--Magaki bites into Black Star's neck* tsubaki: !!!!! STOP IT! *attacking magaki* Black Star: *blood pulled out from him, as he holds his burnt hand to his neck* Magaki: *backs up, kicking at Tsubaki--Black Star's blood has restored them from the burning of the sunlight* tsubaki: black*star, are you ok?? Magaki: *backs away into the shadows* Black Star: "I-I'm fine..." *blood is still pouring from his neck wound* tsubaki: we need to get you to the hospital! *Magaki has already disappeared* Black Star: *shakes his head, barely able to focus* "N-No...Capture...them..." -elsewhere- Akutagawa: "..." naoya: how're you feeling? Akutagawa: "...How do you get stronger?" naoya: like physically or something else? Akutagawa: "...That quicksand person could have drowned me. And my...attention on the Were Tiger is making me weak." naoya: hey, its ok to make mistakes, akuta. Akutagawa: "...How do you learn from mistakes?" naoya: aah, that's a good question. Akutagawa: "For example, he made me promise something." naoya: oh? Akutagawa: "No killing." naoya: ah... and what did he say he'd to in return? Akutagawa: "...He'd consider...um..." naoya: ?? Akutagawa: "...A relationship." naoya: ...you really like this boy, huh? Akutagawa: "...I don't know. I want to try at least." naoya: ...then you just leave the murder to me, kiddo. ^^ Akutagawa: "..." TT_TT "Thank you." -elsewhere- Lucy: "How did it go?" atsushi: well, we managed to stop the virus. and i did have that talk with akutagawa. here's hoping it goes well. *sighs and lays on her lap* Lucy: "..." *strokes his head* "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it." *small scratch behind his ear* atsushi:....im sorry. i know, im not really the fairy tale prince you might have hoped for, but i really do like you a lot. *hugs* Lucy: *hug, strokes his back* "Hey. I know it's not the best compliment I can pay, but maybe it's like Beauty and the Beast...Tiger." atsushi: ... .///w///.; -elsewhere- Dazai: *holding an ice pack to his head* yosano: well? feeling better? Dazai: "...How did this happen?" yosano: trust me. you _know_ how this happened. 7_7 Dazai: -_-# "...What do I do?" yosano: well, kirako's going to need a lot of support and help from us all. the least you can do is help as well. Dazai: "...I'm not the father type. That's...I didn't have role models...None that are still here..." yosano: well, once upon a time, neither was fukuzawa, yet here he is now. Dazai: "...Fukuzawa wasn't handling babies. Minus Kunikida." yosano: then i suppose it will be a learning experience for all of us. Dazai: *groans* "I'm an idiot." yosano: ?? Dazai: "Getting Kirako pregnant. I'm not ready for this. She's going to hate me...like everyone." yosano: now now, she doesnt hate you. Dazai: "I got her pregnant because I didn't put something on my Little Dazai--if it was me, I'd hate me." yosano: ....*sigh* dazai, so you made some mistakes, everyone does. Dazai: "..." *turns over on the couch* yosano:.... well, you get some rest then. it's been a long night for all of us. Dazai: *stares at the couch's cushions* -elsewhere- Tachihara: "No sign of the boss?" higuchi: no. still missing in action. hirotsu took up the helm of temporary leader until we find him....... Gin: "..." Motojiro: "But he'll be back. Right?" higuchi: ....probably. kouyou: he has to, right? i mean, he wouldnt just abandon us...would he? Tachihara: "...Want to take bets?" -elsewhere- Katai: TTWTT aya: nice to finally meet you, mr katai! i'm aya! *holds out her hand to shake* Katai: *takes her hand carefully* "As well. I-I'm not used to being away from my home..." aya: well you're back now! right kunikida?....kunikida? Kunikida: *staring blankly* aya:....kunikida? are you ok? you've been acting weird since you got back. Kunikida: "I-I'm...I'm..." aya: ......*looks at katai* Katai: "..." *clears his throat* "Aya, I have some food we could share?" aya: ok! i'll see what we got-... *sniff* >x<;; Kunikida: "...Katai, when did you last _clean_ your place?" Katai: .\\\. "Um...A week before I was shot?" aya:....dude, this expired two months ago! Katai: "I was busy researching!" T_T -elsewhere- Black Star: *unconscious in hospital bed* tsubaki: ...... Doctor: <He lost a bit of blood. Those burns will need time to heal...> tsubaki:....*covers her mouth and sighs* <i see.....> (thinking: i could have stopped this...why didnt i-?) Doctor: <I will update you on his recovery. But it may be some time...> -elsewhere- sonia: *petting mito* mito: *mewl* Chuuya: "..." *shudders* sonia:.... ?? papa? Chuuya: "...Yes?" sonia:...do you want to pet mito, too? Chuuya: "..." *nods, pets Mito* mito: *purrs* sonia:.....*hugs* were you scared, too? Chuuya: "Yes...So much." sonia: but you're ok now, right? Chuuya: "...Yes." *hug* sonia: im ok too. Chuuya: "Th-That's all I want..." sonia: ...can we watch some christmas movies now? Chuuya: "Heh...Sure. I got a few tapes pulled out..." -elsewhere- Mori: "..." -the old clinic is silent...still....stagnant...- Mori: "..." *pushes a chair* -some dust falls from being disturbed- Mori: *looks under the desk...and sees a crayon* {elise: hey, rintarou?} {Mori: "Hmm? Yes, Elise?} {elise: do you think i might ever grow up?} {Mori: *playful* "Why would you want to do that?"} {elise:....just thinking about stuff, i guess. i mean, you got to grow up, but i didnt.} {Mori: "But you get to be young..."} {elise: ...*sigh* i guess...} Mori: *picks up the crayon, sets it among the dust on his desk...stares at his hand* -silence- Mori: *looks up, seeing a cracked mirror...he can see wrinkles under his eyes* "..." -elsewhere- Burns: "Where did you run off to?" dia: ....my apologies, commander. a-a personal matter came up....i-i'll refrain from letting that happen again.... Burns: *nods* "If it could not be helped...I left paperwork and mail with you: review and complete it." dia: understood, sir. *One letter is addressed to Dia* dia: ?? *examining it* *The return address is listed as "Mr. Bartleby c/o The Tombs" in New York City. There is a small symbol next to this address--it looks like a whale* dia: ?? *opening it and reading* *Mr. Bartleby*: "Dear Ms. Volkov: My supervisor has come into possession of some documents regarding your prior stay at a facility in Russia. We think they would be valuable towards one of your future meetings with an associate of ours. Please meet with them at the address listed to receive these materials." dia: ......*examining the address* *The address is a Deathbucks near the courthouse district* dia: .... -elsewhere-