To the Anon(s) that sent requests, I have taken note of the ideas for sure It will take time but I will surely get to writing them all!
Sidenote, I will not post them openly until the story is complete. So with requests, if anonymous, please put like a random number (ex.78) or number/letter (ex. V6) and remember it so you can be aware that I am addressing you with you’re request!
Kal and Diana are ready to move forward and make another big step in their relationship though they don’t want it to seem like they are moving to fast. Meanwhile, Valeria is getting prepared to finally face the God that ruined her life, Dionysus with the reluctance help of our Cower Couple.
I’m actually pretty proud of me that I managed not only all prompts for @izuna-appreciation-week but also @foundersweek as well. That 52.700 words after all that I’ve written (plus one nearly complete longfic plus another started longfic …. who can read all this shit?! damn). I might be a bit burned out now, but heeey. Anyway, here’s the wrap up for my Founders Week fics.
Day 1 (Treaty & Roots):A love long lost, almost became a full blown songfic for Mamma Mia, but only almost. A mostly serious different take on how peace was established between Senju and Uchiha. (HashiMada)
Day 2 (Mythology): Nekomata, a little fun in my Butterfly Verse with Tobirama and Izuna and their first mission with their genin on their way to solve the mystery surrounding Nekobaa (TobiIzu)
Day 3 (crossover): Fire and Honor, yay, they’re all Knights Radiants because this is a Stormlight crossover! (mostly gen, but a little hinted Hashimada so far)
Day 4 (Family): You’re home!, canon compliant story about little Tsuna, Nawaki, Tobirama and Mito (canon death, I’m sorry) (there is a possibillity that I manage a late entry for my Butterfly Verse here)
Day 5 (no prompt): Secret Desire, just smut *smirk* Butterfly Verse HashiMadaMito
Day 6 (Jutsu Accident & Edo Tensei): One half of a whole, the Butterfly Verse version of how and why Tobirama invented Edo Tensei
Day 7 (Festival): Jinchuriki, the Butterfly Verse of how Mito became the jinchuriki of Kurama (sorry, I ruined your wedding, Mito)
Theme is Festival/Magic: Fox’s Wedding (Tobirama vows not to tempt fate and make a wish on the stars; Izuna vows to tempt him all the same.)
Rating: Teen and Up Categories: Gen Fandom: Naruto Relationship: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Izuna Characters: Uchiha Izuna, Uchiha Madara, Senju Tobirama, Senju Hashirama Additional Tags: Kitsune Izuna, Good Luck Dragon Tobirama, They’re not very good at hiding it, everybody lives and everything is beautiful
That morning she woke up on the most advanced time ship known to humankind. But tonight, she slept on a lumpy motel bed. How quickly things could change. Her name was Sally Armstrong. At least that seemed to stay the same. But things kept changing around her. She no longer trusted herself. Because if she did, that would have meant she had died three times. She was sure this wasn’t normal. Each time, she would wake up at a different time and place. Things seemed to change around her. Time and space, canceling out her deaths and plopping her out somewhere else. The first two times she ended up in the same time period. This time, she didn’t. It was the year 2018. She rubbed at her head. A splitting headache thundered thew her skull. She tried to place herself. It felt as if she was waking from a dream. She died… again. She needed to stop doing that. As she lay, she relived the events leading her to this shit hole motel. He grabbed her as she fell from death. At least he was there, was her first thought. Saving her once again. Before she could open her eyes, the man spoke. It wasn’t his voice. Her heart sank. “Jack Harkness.” The man said with a grin. “You ok, looks like you had a nasty fall.” In a daze, Sally looked around. This wasn’t the last place she remembered. “He needs me.” The words fell out of her mouth before she could think about them. This wasn’t the spaceship she was on. “Where am I?” “Wow, wow. Calm down. Let’s start from the beginning,” Jack said as he took her to a bench. “What was the last thing you remember?” Asking as if there was nothing odd about this at all. She remembered Liv Chenka. It was a coin toss. It was her or Sally. One of them had to die. As she thought about this, a searing pain coursed through her skull. Her head collapsed into her lap. Probably best not to tell him about that. She wasn’t quite on the “right” side of that event. Even if she was doing the right thing. “I was in my flat. I was about to go to bed.” She lied. “What’s your address? I can get you home.” The man’s voice was kind and soothing. Looking around, it wasn’t the right time. He could take her home. But she was certain. Someone else would be living in there by now. But she couldn’t just tell him she was in the wrong year. He would take her to the hospital. Putting her hand in her pocket, she sighs with relief. Her wallet was still in there. She pulled her ID out, giving it to him. The issue date would be on there. “I’m fine.“ She rubbed at her head. "I should be able to get home on my own.” Jack grabbed her by the arm as she stood up. “I don’t think that’s going to work.” He looked between her and the ID. “Sally Armstrong? It says this was issued in 1970.” “And?” “And.” He pulled her back as she tried to get away. “It’s 2018.” Her body went limp. “What do you mean, 2018? It can’t be.” She lied. “Don’t worry. We have dealt with this before. We can help.” Nothing made sense to her anymore. Was she dreaming? Was she still dreaming now? Had what she thought were memories just been a dream? I mean, you very well can’t die three times and still be the same person. Could you? She thought back to all her deaths as she waited for Jake to return. He put her in a dingy hotel. Told her he was going to get someone and then be right back. Her mind wandered, trying to place herself back into the world. Once she was killed by metal robots. Some odd name. She closed her eyes, trying to think of it, slowly tapping her fingers on the table. Droids, no, that wasn’t it. It started with a D; she knew that much. Dra, no, donuts, DEFINITELY not donuts. She giggled at that. The most dangerous beings in the universe are called donuts. DALEKS! Her eyes shot open as she slammed her hand on the table. That was it, they were Daleks. First, the Daleks killed her in an act of heroism. The last time she was tricked into being part of an awful experiment meant for someone else. And the other one. Well, that was quite embarrassing compared to the other two. She was just run over by a taxi. But the two were more exciting. In those ones she met and worked
with aliens. The one just gave her a lot of money to make something for him, well, the other. She stopped what she was thinking. She was heartbroken as she thought about that one. He had been her friend. He respected her. And the thought of him being fiction hurt her more than she would ever admit. At the same moment, there was a knock at the door. Jack was back with a woman. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” Jack said as he ended the room. “This is Gwen.” He nodded to the woman. “We will do everything we can to help you figure this out.” “What do you mean, help? What are you helping me with?” She didn’t trust anyone who wasn’t open about their agenda. The TimeLord taught her that. Gwen set down next to her and reached for her hands. Not to shake them, but to hold them. “We have dealt with things like this before. Time travel is a very hard thing to deal with and-.” Sally didn’t give her time to finish her speech. “Time travel. What do you mean?” She said in a panicked voice. Most of it was for show. But she was interested in how much they knew about time travel. “It’s the year 2018 Sally,” Jack said calmly. “We are in an area where strange things sometimes happen. We can’t take you home, but we can make you comfortable.” He saw her reaction. So not a lot. She nodded to herself. “So, 1970? Good time.” He said as he looked her up and down. “1970s? Um, yes, that’s it exactly.” Her clothes were that of the time. This was good. Tring to explain how she came from the past but had clothes that were not even made yet would be tricky, to say the least. “This has to be a dream,” she said, more to herself than to the others. Gwen had the same sympathetic look as before as she squeezed her hand ever so slightly. “A lot has changed, but we will do all we can to make the transition as easy as possible for you.” She turned to Jack. “Well, it’s better than the 50s?” Sally laughed. She did not know if her memories were true or not. Even if they were all in her head, she had memories of doing and seeing so much. She had seen the beginning of the world to the very end, and a lot of the bits in between. It didn’t matter when she was, none of it seem all that scary after that. “So this isn’t the first time something like this has happened?” She asked, trying to sound like none of this made any sense to her. Jack and Gwen gave each other a look that told her it had happened before and that it didn’t end well. She couldn’t help but wonder what went wrong. Where the people were now. Gwen spared her another sympathetic look that, if Sally was in distress, wouldn’t have helped one little bit. “Don’t worry about any of it. We’ll take care of you. You can stay here and we will give you an allowance until you can get on your feet.” She then handed her a small bag. “Here are basics hygiene products and we can go shopping tomorrow for anything else you may need.” Sally looked into the bag. There was nothing unexpected. As she closed the bag, she was handed a cell phone. “This is a phone. It will be the fastest way for you to get ahold of us.” Sally took the small box from her and opened it. She had seen cell phones before, and this one seemed like a simplified version of what she was used to. Maybe it was intended for children? Maybe they were just not as advanced yet, she thought as she twirled it around her hands a few times. She burst out laughing at the thought of it. Maybe she was going crazy. “I know, it’s a lot,” Jack began. “Technology has come a long way since your time.” She looked up from the phone. “Is your numbers already in her then?” She asked, not paying Jack any mind. “I mean, there is no point in my having this if I don’t have your information to get ahold of you.” Jack eyed her suspiciously as he took the phone from her and when to the contact menu. “Here” He pointed to the two names already programmed into the phone. There they were, Jack and Gwen. “Good,” she said, putting the phone in her back pocket. “If you need anything between now and tomorrow, feel free to call.” Gwen took the phone from her and went through the motions of
calling her phone. Gwen’s phone chimed for a second before silencing once she hit the red button on Sally’s phone. “And no cords. How quaint,” Sally answered, taking her phone back.
***
She laid in the thing that was passing itself off as a bed once they left. Greatfull to have some peace and quiet. She was half expecting Gwen to try to curl up in bed next to her to keep her safe. She rolled her eyes. How much trouble did she think she would get herself into? From the way she was acting, it wasn’t like she would be back in the morning.
I just wanna say that I read fanfics on AO3, like, a lot, and some of you guys made many if my days/night thank to your talent. I don’t know who you guys are but know that you are talented and precious. Thank you for being as pure/naughty/angry/happy etc. as I want you to be.
Hi guys, life has been pretty hard lately, so I’m unsure when the next chapter will come out. I thank you all so much for your patience and understanding that life can get in our way. I just have to make it through. I originally planned to post this on the 21st, since that was the fifth year anniversary since @lonemaximal posted the comic on Deviantart. I’m glad to be able to post again, even if it may take me a while to come back.
Children laughed; throwing snowballs at each other. All unaware of a snow coated Armet Balkan nearby. Breakdown stared at them, a frown on his orange faceplates. He was alone, a target by his own family. Breakdown sighed, letting snow fall off his frame. Where will he go from here? No signs of Vehicons or Dreadwing, if he survived. Breakdown drove past a few snowmen and spotted each of their coal smiles and continued on.
High above the sky, a few jets flew in the clouds. A Vehicon nicknamed Giddy flew higher with a net on his undercarriage. Abby snored while in the air. “I still can’t believe that you have a Sleep Net.” Giddy said. “Yeah, I always keep it with me when I have a hard time recharging.” Tim replied. “Guys!” Someone called. (The two Vehicons stopped, all noticed an Armet Balkan) “There he is.” Dreadwing mused. “Lets hurry.” The Vehicon said. (The jets flew closer to Breakdown.
His mirrors caught sight of the Decepticon jets. So they found him. Breakdown sighed and started to slow down. The ice continued to push him forward. He stopped, letting Dreadwing and the Vehicons to land, they surrounded him. Breakdown transformed, raising his servos) “Breakdown, Lord Megatron grows weary of your game. Return with us to the Nemesis.” Dreadwing ordered. “Is Knock Out there?” Breakdown asked. (The Vehicon glanced at each other. Dreadwing nodded) “Yes, I will ensure that your reunited with him.” Dreadwing said. (Breakdown nodded and walked up to him. Dead End narrowed his optics, his brothers should be here soon. Right then, all heard the roar of engines.
Wildrider and Drag Strip cackled as they started to open fire at everyone. Breakdown transformed and drove off. Dreadwing started to walk towards Breakdown right as someone shot the Seeker’s back. The two Stunticons drove ahead, knocking down any Vehicon which stood in their way. Dreadwing got up, sighting a glowing aura reappearing. Dead End gripped a cluster of grenades, throwing them at the Decepticons. Dreadwing’s machine gun roared to little as he fired at the fatalist. Dead End vanished, letting trees fall. The Vehicons huddled behind their Second in Command. Armor tense as Dreadwing kept firing.
Breakdown’s canon came to life, firing lasers at the two maniacs) “Come on home!” Wildrider yelled. (Breakdown transformed and activated his hammers. The elder brothers transformed; Breakdown slammed his hammers at the two. They crashed into trees and vanished. The bulky mech growled before transforming and driving away.
Dead End crashed into a few trees; he groaned, noticing the barrels of a canon aimed at him. Dreadwing glared at him) “What is your purpose here?” Dreadwing growled. “I cannot say.” Dead End sighed. (He vanished, leaving Dreadwing with a few injured Vehicons.
Ratchet sighed as he placed the final pieces in, welding crimson red armor together. Other Autobots wandering around in search for anyone willing to cause trouble. Ratchet sighed, putting the tools away from his work. Smokescreen walked up to the two medics) “Anything new?” Ratchet asked. “One thing went missing.” Smokescreen said. “What could it be?” Ratchet asked. “I’m unsure, although Arcee looked furious.” Smokescreen answered. (Ratchet frowned as he saw the other Autobots come up to him. Arcee now bearing narrowed optics and clenched fists)
“How can any of this be possible?” Bulkhead asked. “The fact that our former enemy came back?” Wheeljack asked. “Yes, that, except, why of all things to take, was it the capsule?” Bulkhead continued. “The one containing Airachnid?” Ratchet asked. (Arcee nodded) “Now we’ve got former enemies after us again, first Motormaster and now her.” Arcee growled. “Airachnid?” Someone whispered.
(All optics focused on the cherry red medic. Knock Out cracked open his optics, finding the Autobots surrounding him. Numbness filled his armor as he tried to move. Restraints on his wrists and ankles. What he focused on the most was his ruined paint job) “Your awake.” Smokescreen said. “My paint job!” Knock Out screamed. “Calm down.” Wheeljack sighed. (The red medic glared at the Wrecker) “Do you know how important it is to me?” Knock Out yelled. (He snarled before stopping, pain filling his side. Ratchet groaned)
“Any sudden movement and you will feel pain!” Ratchet snapped. “How long have I endured being with you?” Knock Out asked. “A lot of time.” Ratchet sighed. “We will repair your paint job the best we can, Knock Out.” Optimus said. “In exchange for what?” Knock Out groaned. “Your cooperation; we know what pain you’ve experienced by the servos of Megatron. If you wish to get better, than you are to follow what Ratchet says.” Optimus said. “Fine, turn these restraints off and give me space.” Knock Out replied. (Optimus nodded and turned his helm to Ratchet. Arcee stepped up to Knock Out) “You mentioned Airachnid.” Arcee said. “Her, I dare not want to hear her name again!” Knock Out yelled. “For what reason?” Smokescreen asked. “She, she.” Knock Out paused. (He lowered his helm and lay flat on the berth. Tears threatening to fill his optics. Ratchet rose his servos) “Its time I return to work, back away everyone.” Ratchet said. (The Autobots started to step back till leaving the two medics alone in the room. Ratchet disabled the restraints, picking up more tools)
“She killed him, she killed him!” Knock Out screamed. “Killed who? Wait, Breakdown?” Ratchet asked. (Knock Out said nothing, he closed his optics and moved his helm away from Ratchet) “What were you talking about involving her?” Knock Out asked. “We had a capsule containing her after events when we discovered the Insecticons.” Ratchet explained. (He stepped back as Knock Out clawed the berth) “You allowed her to live after she killed him?” Knock Out growled. “We didn’t know Breakdown died, until after what MECH did to his body.” Ratchet replied. (He started to hear sobbing and sighed.
Bulkhead lowered his helm as he stood near the main room) “Hey.” Someone called. (Bulkhead almost jumped at the voice before noticing it was Wheeljack) “Oh, hey Jackie.” Bulkhead grinned, “Found a neat place to go for training. Would give us something to do outside of waiting.” Wheeljack said. “Yeah, I’ll go for it.” Bulkhead said. (The Wrecker tilted his helm) “Something bothering you?” Wheeljack asked. “No, lets get going.” Bulkhead said. (Wheeljack nodded) “Fine, at least sunshine will have his peace and quiet.” Wheeljack smirked.
The two Autobots walked past the two medics, Bulkhead looked away as he saw Knock Out crying. Breakdown didn’t deserve becoming a life support for such an insane man. The Autobot pushed his thoughts away for the moment, he’d get to apologies later once he calmed down.
Sei’s Magic Brew - The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent fanfiction
I’ll just go ahead and dedicate this to my friend @mostlovedgirl-writes who got me hooked on this show in the first place. It can also serve as an early little birthday gift, too. ;) :D
It wasn’t her idea to move here. It was her stupid, faulty car’s.
It had stalled out while she was driving to another city on a business trip. She’d had to have it towed, then call her company and explain what had happened, only to get fired when she told her boss she couldn’t make it to the meeting on time and she was sorry.
After being so quickly let go by a job that clearly never cared for her, she’d ended up in a coffee shop after that while her car was getting fixed. The man behind the counter, Jude, had been kind enough to sit with her and strike up a conversation. He’d lifted her spirits when she’d felt trapped and hopeless.
That had been three months ago. It had been an impulse, but with nothing to lose, she left the city and moved into a quaint little apartment close to the café where Jude also happened to live. He’d been the one to recommend the place. On top of that, despite not knowing her well, he put in a good word with the owner.
Jude had also put in a good word with Johan, the owner of the coffee shop, and he’d hired her right away. Though, Sei learned later that Johan had eavesdropped on a conversation over coffee she’d had with Jude and that was truly what had convinced him to hire her.
She’d worked extra hard to prove herself but ultimately found she hadn’t needed to. Her coworkers had welcomed her into their ranks and had been willing to assist her as much as she’d needed.
But three months later, the tables seemed to turn because she had somehow picked up everything almost tooquickly.
“You’re experimenting with drinks again.”
“We have time,” Sei said, putting the final touches on the drink. “And Johan said I could.”
Jude rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh. “I mean, yeah, but tell me: how many drinks have you made today?”
Sei froze. “Uhhh…”
In an instant, Jude was smirking at her. “Over your allowance today?”
“Well…”
“And it was slow enough today that you were able to experiment with pastries earlier, too,” he continued, his smug smirk growing. “Now, we have another set of unsellable experiments that we’re gonna have to find other ways to get rid of. Johan’s gonna yell at you again.”
With a groan, Sei slumped forward, hiding her face in her hands. “Sorry.”
“Not me you gotta be apologizing to,” Jude said, taking the drink and taking a sip.
Curious as to what he thought, Sei spread her fingers to peek between them, only to see Jude glaring at the cup. Her heart sunk. “Is it that bad?”
“As if you make anything bad!” he huffed. “It’s toogood is what it is. You’ve only been here three months. I can’t just make things up like this, nevertheless making them look as perfect as you do. It’s not fair.”
With a giggle, Sei gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “Stop, you’re plenty proficient.”
He glared at her as he took another sip of the drink. “Yeah, but not like you.”
Sei simply shrugged, unsure how to respond to that.
Jude just sighed, taking yet another sip of the drink. “Anyway, I heard you and Johan had a little chat recently.”
Sei brightened. “Yeah. Apparently, he wanted to promote me to assistant manager.”
“You’re certainly good enough for it,” Jude said. “But don’t get too excited.”
Sei’s expression fell. “Huh? Why not?”
“Because ‘Assistant Manager’ is just a fancy title for ‘Person who runs the red-eye shift’.”
Sei blinked once. Twice. Three times.
Jude smirked over his coffee. “He didn’t tell you that, did he? Well, good luck, Sei!”
…
Before moving to the city, Sei had grown up in the suburbs, so the town didn’t feel like too large of a culture shock to her. Honestly, she could say that she actually preferred living in a place without skyscrapers or constant bustle, and while she’d once thought she wouldn’t be happy living in a place like this, she’d gotten to a point in her life where she could really see herself settling here.
Even if it meant she ran the midnight shift at a small little cafe.
Sei really didn’t mind. She frequently pulled all-nighters at her old job, so she fancied herself a bit of a night owl. However, she hadn’t expected things to be as busy as they were. Johan had warned her that the café was a hopping place, even when the moon was up, and he hadn’t been lying. Apparently, it had all started when Johan allowed his close friend to linger in the café after hours, which had turned into said close friend and his colleagues. Before Johan knew it, the place soon became the go-to spot for police officers, firemen, and the occasional EMT crew to get their caffeine and sugar fill to sustain them through the ungodly hours of the night.
But that wasn’t all.
“There’s an elite private boarding school, Salutania Academy, just down the street, you see,” Elizabeth, a regular night visitor who Sei had become fast friends with, explained. “This place has the best coffee and is a generally quiet place to study. So students come here frequently.”
“That makes sense, then,” Sei said, handing Elizabeth her caramel latte. “But I’m a little surprised. I would have thought there’d be a curfew or something of the like, since you’re all still underage.”
“You’d think,” she said with a smile. “And there technically is. However, ever since this place began staying open all night, some of the upperclassmen started sneaking out to come here, which turned into this whole debacle among the students trying to outsmart the staff and the staff ratcheting down on the students and the whole school suffering for it. Something had to be done, so the headmaster and Johan struck a deal. Now, the curfew is still instated, but if you have solid enough grades and no active demerits, you can put your name down on the list and campus security guards will escort us here to study and grab a coffee or just chat. They don’t monitor us too severely; they’re just here to make sure everyone is accounted for.”
“That’s incredible,” Sei said, able to talk freely since Elizabeth was the last student that had to be served that night. “You’d think the school would try to create a similar atmosphere at their own library.”
“Oh, they did,” Elizabeth said. “But turns out that one of the students who snuck out was the headmaster’s son.”
“What!” Sei whisper-hissed, her eyes wide in shock.
With a giggle, Elizabeth nodded. “I’m not at liberty to discuss everything, but there was a discussion between the two that ended with him getting banned from going out on these outings but the headmaster deciding to let other students have the option.”
“Wow. That feels kinda harsh.”
“It might be, but Kyle knew what he was doing and knew he was going to serve to consequences of his actions. Don’t judge him too harshly, please. He’s actually a good man.”
“You’re close to him?”
“He’s my boyfriend.”
Sei’s eyes widened again.
“Maybe I can figure out a way to bring him sometime so you two can meet. We’ll have to work around your work schedule and our curfew, though. Coffeeshop curfew may be midnight, but regular curfew is eight.”
Sei hummed in thought. “Maybe before I start a shift, then. I’ll have to come early.”
“That would be great! Now, as much as I want to keep talking—”
“You have to go study?”
Her sunny expression vanishing, Elizabeth sighed. “Why do finals have to be so hard?”
“Because the teachers want to kill you all, obviously.”
“Obviously,” Elizabeth mournfully agreed, sipping her drink.
Sei giggled, reaching over the counter to pat Elizabeth’s hand. “Best of luck.”
“Thanks. I’m going to need it.”
…
Before the clock could strike midnight, the campus security guards began to collect all the students, and by quarter past, the café had become a ghost town. That was the transition from hosting mostly students to when the red-eye emergency servicemen began appearing.
Of all the people she did serve, very few lingered, most only swinging by on a break. However, there were a few police officers that came in between two and three every night that liked to chat.
And their arrival was punctuated with the ringing of the bell by the door.
“Good evening, boys,” Sei greeted with a smile.
“Seeeeei!” One of them whined, playfully stumbling up to the counter and leaning against it. “I need your magic potion!”
She laughed. “Coming right up. The usual for everyone?”
“Please,” came the chorus.
With a smile, she got on brewing a strong pot for the officers. They occasionally grabbed pastries, but normally, they brought full meals to eat.
“The night going well?” Sei asked as the officers all gathered around the counter.
“As well as always,” one of the officers, Wolf, said.
Sei always took that as “It’s been generally quiet” while knowing better than to utter that cursed ‘q’ word in the dead hours of the night. “Glad to hear.”
“Nah, boss,” his partner spoke up, slapping Wolf’s chest with the back of his hand. “You gotta tell her about the bar fight.”
“Oh geez.” Grinning, Wolf shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “With the guy who thought he was a dragon?”
“Didn’t he say he was a Salamander?”
“Yeah, that.” Wolf chuckled. “So Sei, let me tell you about this nutjob.”
…
Sei couldn’t lie, she was growing fond of her night shifts. It allowed her to experiment in the back during the super dead hours, which already resulted in two new pastries being put on the menu.
And she was in the middle of creating her third when the bell rang, signaling a customer.
She quickly bounded to the front, eyeing a stoic man with glasses and such light blond hair it looked white. “Hello,” she greeted with a smile. “What can I get for you tonight?”
“A double shot of espresso,” he said, voice wrought with exhaustion. “Of whatever is your strongest blend.”
“Long night?” she asked, trying to make conversation as she punched in his order.
He sighed, letting his eyes close for a moment as he collected himself. “Very.”
She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Anything else to go with that?”
“No. He can pay for his own drink,” the man muttered, already sticking his card in the reader.
She didn’t know how to respond to that, nor did she feel like she needed to since it sounded very much like he was talking with himself. “I’ll get your drink out in a minute, Mr…”
“Hawke,” he answered. “Erhart Hawke. Forgive me for not introducing myself. It’s been a long night. I forgot that while I’ve heard about you from Johan, it was unlikely he’d talk about me.”
“It’s fine,” she assured, already starting in on his drink. “That happens to the best of us. I’m Sei Takanashi. It’s nice to meet you.”
Suddenly, the door to the shop flew open, the clanging bell drowned out by the crash of the door. “Erhaaaaart!” a voice cried, a man practically stalking over to him with a dramatic pout. “You left me! I told you I wanted to try the magic potions here, too!”
Erhart pinched the bridge of his nose, right where his thin glasses sat. Suddenly, Sei understood why he wanted the double espresso.
“Yuri, for the love of—”
“Everyone’s been saying how good her drinks are, and I wanted to try them. You told me when I got out of the hospital, you’d bring me by here. But my first day back on the job, and you wouldn’t let me out of the office to get some.”
“That’s because you had too much work you needed to finish first.”
“But if I had a coffee, I could have worked faster.”
Again, Erhart pinched the bridge of his nose. Sei sympathized with him. She was sure she’d lose it if she had to deal with a guy like him frequently.
“Anyway,” the newcomer chimed, turning a mega-watt smile her direction. “I finally get to meet the Saintess of the Night! What’s your name?”
She quirked a brow at him. “Saintess of the Night?”
“Yeah!” he cried. “Everyone talked about how your coffee is magical. Which, we expect from this place, but for some reason, people say there’s something about the way you can make a drink that makes it extra special. I wanted to try it for myself.”
“O-oh,” she said, turning her head away from him, pretending she was watching the last bit of the second espresso shot drain into Erhart’s cup instead of trying to hide her blush. “I never heard such a thing.”
He nodded vigorously. “They say you’re the only reason they’re still awake and kicking throughout their shifts. So I wanted to try it for myself!”
Something told her he had no problem keeping awake during his shift, considering his current energy level.
“So, you’re Sei, right?”
She nodded as she handed Erhart’s cup off to him. “That’s right. And you are?”
“Yuri Drewes,” he piped, beaming grin on his face. “Night-time fire chief at the station down the street. I would have come earlier if I’d been able but I was tied down in a hospital bed after getting knocked out on a job a few weeks back. I’m glad to finally get a look at you!”
A nervous giggle escaped her. “I’m nothing special.”
“Anyone who keeps this shop open throughout the night is special!” he insisted. “Especially if you can make a magical cup of coffee.”
“Ah ha… er… I don’t know about that,” she stuttered with a shrug.
“Then I guess I’ll just have to see for myself,” he said. “One mocha, double shot, please.”
“Decaf,” Erhart mumbled.
“But I need caffeine!”
“He does not,” Erhart insisted, looking Sei dead in the eye. “I can confirm this as his second-in-command who runs shifts with him three nights a week, he does not.”
Feeling herself almost cowering under that intense expression, Sei decided she was more willing to take his word as law over Yuri’s. “One decaf mocha, double shot.”
Yuri shot another pout over at Erhart. “You’re so cruel.”
“You won’t even notice.”
…
It was getting close to six in the morning, meaning it was almost time for Johan to appear to take over. This was when the early birds began coming in, snagging a coffee on their way to work.
Today, the first early bird who stumbled in right at the crack of dawn happened to be a girl who looked beyond lost and hopeless.
Sei put on her best smile. “Good morning!”
“Hi,” the girl said with a shy wave. “Um… I… could you help me? I’m lost and my car died.”
Immediately, Sei sympathized with the poor girl. No wonder she looked super tired. “I’d be glad to help. Tell you what, why don’t you take a seat for a minute while I make a call to the repair shop. I happen to know it by heart because my car did the exact same thing recently.”
That at least got the girl to relax a bit. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” Sei assured. The girl didn’t look to be older than in her teens yet seemed to be on her own. Sei could only imagine that this was overwhelming for her. “What’s your name?”
“Oh, uh, Aria.”
“Aria.” Sei extended her hand out to the girl. “I’m Sei. It’s nice to meet you.”
Although hesitant, Aria did accept Sei’s hand to shake. “Nice to meet you.”
“Before I go make the call, would you like a drink while you wait? The tow truck guys will probably be another fifteen minutes to get here.”
“Oh, uh, no, thank you,” she stuttered out. “I don’t really drink coffee.”
“Then a hot chocolate maybe?” Sei offered. “Or some tea?”
For a moment, Aria pondered her words. “I… I’ll have a hot chocolate, please.”
Sei grinned, not bothering to punch it into the machine. But when Aria reached for her purse, Sei wave her hand dismissively. “It’s on me today.”
Aria’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Yeah.” Sei gave her a sympathetic smile. “Four months ago, my car really did do the same thing, deciding to break down when I was driving through town. I ended up here, and someone was kind enough to offer me a drink and call a tow truck for me. I know it can be overwhelming, but sometimes, something really simple like someone being understanding or a hot drink can help a lot.”
Aria looked on the verge of tears as she put her wallet back in her purse. In that moment, she seemed very young and simply overwhelmed. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
Mere minutes later, the tow truck was called and the hot chocolate was made. Balancing a plate of pastries and two mugs, Sei made her way over to where Aria had settled herself in a winged back chair by the window.
“Here,” Sei said, setting down the dishes in her hands. She scooted the hot chocolate mug, one completed with a whipped cream swirl and chocolate drizzle, over to Aria while the other mug with Sei’s preferred coffee drink stayed by her side of the table. “And I didn’t know what you liked,” Sei continued, pushing the plate of various pastries she’d brought over into the middle of the small table. “So I brought over a couple.”
Aria looked between the cup and the pastries, and her eyes got glassy again. “Thank you. You’re really kind.”
“You’re welcome,” Sei chimed. “So Aria, are you just passing through town?”
She shook her head. “I just transferred over to Salutania Academy, actually.”
“Oh!” If she was that young yet able to drive on her own, Sei reasoned she was likely only sixteen or seventeen. “I know several people who go there. The students frequent this place a lot.”
“Oh?”
Sei nodded. “Yeah. If you’d like, I can introduce you to some people.”
The conversation continued on for another ten minutes, and Sei watched as Aria slowly came out of her shell. She seemed to be a sweet girl, and Sei couldn’t help but think that maybe she and Liz could become friends.
The bell above the door rang, and Sei looked up, fully expecting to see the tow truck guy.
Instead, there was a man with fiery red hair that she would recognize anywhere, along with his closest friend.
“Good morning, boys,” she called out. “I’ll be right with you.” She then turned back to Aria. “Excuse me.”
“No no, you’re fine,” Aria assured with a smile, one that was now relaxed instead of super shy. “Thank you for all this.”
“You’re very welcome. The tow truck should be here shortly, so don’t worry.”
Aria nodded. “Thanks.”
Grabbing her empty coffee cup, she scurried back to the counter. “Ditching school again?”
“We had good reason,” Kyle said.
“Good reason to be up and out before six in the morning?”
“One of your unusual experiments and the usual drink,” Kyle answered.
“Got it,” she said with a grin, ringing up his order. Once he paid, Sei then turned to his friend. “Do you want the same, Damian?”
The young man nodded. “Thank you, Sei.”
“Of course.”
In a jiff, she rang up Damian’s order, then quickly began getting their coffees ready. “By the way,” Sei began. “The girl behind you that I was sitting with earlier, she’s currently waiting for a tow truck, but she’ll be starting at the academy next week.”
“Oh?” Kyle said, turning around to look at Aria.
“Would you mind helping her out around campus?” Sei asked. “I remember going to see Elizabeth a couple times and almost getting lost.”
“We’d be glad to,” Damian said with a grin.
“Of course,” Kyle agreed.
“Thank you. I’m sure she would appreciate that.”
As Sei started making the boys’ drinks, she caught sight of the two approaching Aria, introducing themselves if the handshake was any sort of indication, and then starting up a conversation.
By the time she’d put the lids on their drinks, the bell to the door rang, and she caught sight of a tall, brawny man striding through the door.
“Sei!”
“Hey, Leonhardt,” Sei greeted with a smile. “Good seeing you again.”
“Same. You don’t come ‘round a whole lot anymore.”
“Guess I don’t have much reason to between my car not being there and my night shifts.”
“True. Wish that wasn’t the case, though. Nice seeing your face every once in a while, ya know?”
“I get it. By the way, you have coffee yet?”
“I was just ‘bout to brew a pot when I got your call,” he said with a grin. “Which was on off-hours, by the way.”
“I know,” she said, already starting up a drink for him. “But I know you’re up at this hour anyway because you like the mornings too much.”
He laughed, loud and hardy. “You remember that?”
“You mentioned it frequently,” Sei playfully retorted.
“Ha, fair.” He then leaned against the counter. “Now, much as I’d love to chat, guess you didn’t call me up for that. So, where’s the car? Was it that little gray one on the side of the road I saw comin’ here?”
“Yes, that’s it,” Sei said. She then pointed towards the group gathered in the corner of the café. “The young lady over there, Aria, is the driver.”
“Got it,” he said with a thumbs up. “I’ll take care of her.”
“Thank you. I’ll have your drink done for you in a minute.”
“Thanks,” he said, tossing a couple bills on the counter.
“You want change?”
“Nah, keep the tip.”
“Thanks!”
…
After the car incident was settled and Sei waved Aria off with a smile, Johan appeared.
“Good morning, Sei.”
“Good morning!”
“Night shift go well?”
“Yeah.”
“How much experimenting did you do?”
“Actually, not too much tonight.”
Johan gave her a dubious look. “Really?”
“Really!”
“How much is ‘not too much’?”
Before Sei could answer, her boss already was heading back into the back.
“W-wait!” she cried, scampering to follow.
Once in the back, Sei simply hung her head as Johan stared at the rack stuffed to the gills with three new kinds of pastries.
“Seeeeei,” he strung out before shooting her a tense smile.
Sheepishly, she smiled back. “Uhhh, ah-ha.”
“Keep this up, and I’m banning you from the kitchen.”
There was nothing she could do other than hang her head in shame. “Yes, sir.”
…
Despite being kicked out of the kitchen, she knew Johan wasn’t angry angry. He never got truly mad at her. It was more a warning of “please don’t overdo it”.
Which… she still had to learn how to temper.
She was never punished for these incidents, sans the occasional ban from the kitchen. Today, however, she was tasked with running an errand before she could go home.
“Take some of those pastries and an iced coffee to an old friend of mine, will you? He normally comes in, but since he’s recovering from an injury, he’s stuck on desk duty.”
Sei was more than happy to serve such a light sentence, and hopefully, she’d be able to bring a smile to his friend’s face. Looking at the name on the paper he’d given her, she recognized part of it.
Hawke. Wasn’t that Erhart’s last name? Was it a relative? Or just coincidence. Johan hadn’t said.
When she got to the police station, she followed the crude map that Johan had drawn for her to where she could find this Mr. Albert Hawke.
“Are you Sei?”
Before she could even reach her destination, a uniformed man called out to her, and she froze for a moment. Blonde hair, stunning blue eyes, tall with broad shoulders…
Oh, he was so her type.
Eventually, her head caught up with her, and she realized he’d asked her a question. “Yes, I’m Sei. You wouldn’t happen to be Albert Hawke, would you?”
“That I am,” he said with a smile. He then took a few steps away from the wall to walk over to her, limping all the way. “Johan said he would send you over with a coffee and breakfast.”
“Oh, I’m glad he told you to expect me.” Sei extended the coffee and bag of her treats to him. “Here. I know he said you usually order a different pastry, but he also wanted to get rid of some of my… er… experiments.”
Albert laughed, and Sei’s heart did a funny flip in her chest. “He’s told me all about that. But I’ve also heard your ‘mystery pastries’ are popular sells. I’m glad I get to try one.”
She shrugged. “I’m just glad people are enjoying what I make. I’m very thankful to have this job. It’s fun.”
“Fun, you say?” he asked with a grin, opening up the bag to look at the pastries inside. “Even though you work the night shift?”
“I’m used to it by now,” she dismissed. “And there’s some great people I get to meet in those off-hours that I wouldn’t cross otherwise. What’s there to complain about?”
Was it just her, or did his smile get brighter? “That’s one way to look at it. I usually work night shifts, but my schedule was thrown off due to a work injury. I’m hoping to get back on the beat, soon. Then maybe I’ll be able to see you more frequently.”
Yes, please! She thought. Thankfully, she had just enough tact to hold that in. “That would be nice. I’ll be sure to prepare whatever you’d like.”
“I’d like that,” he said, his smile turning even warmer for a second. “And as much as I’d like to keep talking, I’m sure you’re tired, and I have a stack of paperwork to attend to.”
“Then I’ll let you go. Sorry for keeping you.”
“Don’t be,” he assured. “My sleep cycle’s been thrown off so badly that I don’t know how I’d keep going without ‘Sei’s Magic Potion’.”
She felt heat rush to her cheeks. “You’ve heard about that?”
“Of course, I have. It’s the talk of the town.”
Sei didn’t know how to answer that other than blush.
“Thank you for the delivery, Sei. Maybe next time, I’ll come see you instead of you having to make the trip.”
“Oh, it was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
He gave her a smile that had her going weak in the knees. “Still, thank you. Have a good day.”
Her heart was fluttering by now, her stomach in knots and mind a mess. “Y-you too.”
As she spun on her heel and headed home, she couldn’t help but think herself lucky to have her job. Particularly if she got to meet tall, blonde, and handsome again.
Desperately - Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits fanfiction
Basically, I have Second Lead Syndrome and needed this out of my system. XD So I used it as an opportunity to play with more flowery prose, for once.
Aoi loved so many ayakashi, and in turn was loved by many ayakashi right back. But she had a very different relationship with a specific two. Which would ultimately end in heartbreak, one way or another.
There was no way to avoid it, unless Shiro Tsubaki himself had decided against going on a debt spree all those years ago. Or maybe if Aoi had been more passive and willingly submitted to Master’s instruction she marry him. But then again, if that had happened, she would not be the girl that loved so many and was loved in return. Nor would she be the girl who had altered the course of fate for the southern land and umibozu.
The fact Aoi was the girl she was was part of the issue. And unintentionally, she’d collected two hearts, which she currently kept very precariously balanced. ‘Twas unfortunate that she was unable to keep herself from returning the love of these two hearts. Platonically, to be sure, but romantically in some semblance, as well.
Which was why there was no avoiding one heart breaking in this unbalanced equation.
Tenjin-ya’s staff was not oblivious. Some may not see as clearly as others, but most knew that underneath the calm surface, a tempest was brewing between three of the most prominent figures of the inn: Odanna, their gracious master; Ginji, their capable young master; and Aoi, the human adored by all.
When it came to Odanna, he openly loved his promised bride. When Aoi had first arrived in the hidden realm, most would have said he was simply marrying her because she was promised to him. He likely cared for the status of marrying a human, and it wasn’t impossible that he held some curiosity about her. For certain it was him collecting on Shiro’s debt.
But now, with enough time past, it was clear to all he loved her. Spoiled her. Whatever she wished, he would grant. This human girl with an infamous grandfather had the ogre god wrapped around her finger.
For her part, it wasn’t as though she didn’t love him. In the beginning, it was clear she hadn’t, but she’d slowly warmed to Odanna’s advances. She indulged him in dining together, in spending evenings in each other’s company. She treasured the gifts he gave her, evidenced by the fact she wore them proudly. Smiles were given out to him freely whenever she saw him.
It could almost be said they acted like a sweet married couple. He was the doting husband and she the beloved wife. Even when they had to part, the sweetness between them could almost be considered too sweet, even for the ayakashi palate. With a doting smile, she would wish him well on his journey, tell him to keep safe, and he’d return the sentiment before asking if she wanted anything from him during his travels.
When he was gone, she’d lament openly about how she missed him around, but she remained perfectly composed, assured of his return. Moonflower would run smoothly, and one could almost assume there was nothing out of the ordinary. The duo would have some conversations over a communication board Odanna had bestowed upon her, and that was enough contact for them until they reunited.
Upon his return, Odanna would greet her happily. It would be in the privacy of his quarters later that he’d present to her his findings and she would reward him with a bento or a meal to welcome him home. ‘Twas perfectly domestic.
At this point, it would come as a shock to no one should they get married. And they likely would have already been…
Should it not have been for the second heart.
Ginji was, in a sense, Odanna’s right hand. And although he was a fox, Ginji was as loyal as a dog. Nothing would make him cross his master. He only wanted the best for Odanna, including for Odanna’s bride to love him unconditionally.
But over time, Aoi tested the limits of his faithfulness, to the point a handful of the Tenjin-ya staff, Orio-ya staff, and select few others could see.
At the beginning, anyone would say Ginji was just being kind and supporting Aoi. That he liked her cooking and thought her a nice girl. They quickly became like partners in crime, running Moonflower together and facing every problem that came along side-by-side. Any time Ginji fretted over Aoi, it wasn’t out of love for her but rather because he cared for her as a person and wanted her to get better for his master.
Because Ginji was protecting her for Odanna, as well as doing everything he could to put in a good word for him to Aoi. That much was evident. And as such, no one would have questioned their relationship beyond friends.
But in hindsight, maybe it had been more.
Because Aoi had fought for Ginji with all her heart when Orio-ya had come to collect him for the ceremony. And Ginji had fought for her at Orio-ya to keep her safe. They’d become closer, both growing all the more attentive of the other. And all the more inseparable.
At Orio-ya, the staff soon began to wonder what stock Aoi’s nickname of “Ogre Bride” truly held. Ranmaru himself wondered if his brother had actually stolen himself a bride. It would be like Ginji to do so, sly trickster he was. But the more he watched them interact, the less he thought Ginji had stolen his master’s bride and more thought the fox might have gone and fallen in love with her. Ginji was attentive and protective to a fault, more than Ranmaru had ever seen, but he would never voice his suspicions.
Suspicions the staff at Tenjin-ya began to echo when Aoi and Ginji soon returned to them, and not simply because the two of them seemed especially close when they ran Moonflower together or almost clingy in the way they frequently checked in with the other.
And all that came to a head the first time Ginji left for an extended period of time.
Aoi didn’t bid him well, instructing him he come home safe while giving him a smile. He didn’t return her words nor offer to bring a souvenir. Instead, she did her best to hide the warble in her voice as she warned him to come back. And he calmly assured her he would return. Though, a few who’d witnessed the exchange silently questioned just how calm Ginji actually was.
There was a notable difference in Aoi when Ginji wasn’t around. Aoi became worried. Some might even say she was frantic. But everyone agreed that whatever she felt, however strongly, she was trying to hide it.
Upon Ginji’s return, there was no bento awaiting him, no sweet smile. On the contrary, their meeting had only been witnessed by a silent Sasuke, who had spotted Aoi being the first to greet Ginji back with a desperate hug in the quiet peace of Moonflower at sunrise. There had been no other evidence afterward that suggested their clandestine meeting other than Aoi’s return to normal.
It was after that happened a second time that the Tenjin-ya staff would not deny it: Aoi not only had two hearts wrapped around her finger but had her heart tied to two ayakashi.
Oryo was most vocal about it, claiming to be devastated that Aoi stole not one but both the last good bachelors at Tenjin-ya. Byakuya, ever practical, always reminded her Aoi would have to choose one. To which Oryo would lament further because even though Aoi would make a choice, there would be a broken heart left in her wake that wouldn’t be open to love any time soon.
But as for who Aoi would choose… it wasn’t so immediately obvious. Not even to Byakuya, who admitted that while Aoi had a contract with Odanna specifically, Moonflower was prospering and Aoi might very well be able to pay off Shiro’s debt by the deadline. Meaning she would be free to make a choice.
Or to break more hearts than two and leave the hidden realm entirely.
To which everyone loudly voiced their dissenting opinions on that. It became an inside joke that was actually no joke at all that should Aoi wish to leave, they would kidnap her and keep her here.
A feat that did not come to pass, for it hadn’t needed to. Aoi did manage to pay off her debt before the deadline but ultimately decided to remain in the hidden realm, as the owner of Moonflower with her friends and patrons who adored her.
Which left her open to choose whoever she wished, much to the intrigue of many nosy—and some not-so-nosy-but-making-an-exception—ayakashi.
Because these two hearts she held were slowly becoming unsteadily balanced.
It was no longer hidden beneath the surface but in full display for everyone to see. Odanna knew Ginji had surrendered his fight to convince Aoi to marry the ogre god, and Ginji was openly regretful about that. The relationship between the masters of Tenjin-ya had strained.
Because they each knew how this would end.
Both men respected each other highly, strongly, like brothers. Both men also loved Aoi, who, despite being a human, was worth fighting for. So both men made a decision to leave Tenjin-ya in the capable hands of the staff for a day and take a ship away so as not to drag anyone else into their personal clash.
But before either man could board the ship, Aoi made a decision.
Her decision wasn’t verbal. In fact, it wasn’t a decision at all. But when she heard from Byakuya that Odanna and Ginji were leaving, she ran to them.
Frantically.
By now, all the staff knew that it was not the ogre god who could stir such a reaction in her. When she disappeared from sight, Byakuya simply opened his fan. It was time to return to his books, for there would come a time Moonflower would close for a week while Aoi was on her honeymoon. No proposal was necessary for the chief accountant to know as much.
This realization slowly spread across the staff. For Aoi was inconsolable for the day both Ginji and Odanna were gone, the duo on a ship talking over the issue that lay between them.
When they returned, Aoi was the first to greet them.
And Ginji the first to greet Aoi.
It was over; the fox had won.
Odanna did spend a few days nursing his wounds, falsifying a smile while acting reserved when alone. His respect for Ginji never faded, never wavered. Ginji’s respect for Odanna remained the same, as well. They were not too boys fighting over a girl, but two men who wanted nothing more than the best for the same incredible young woman.
Aoi apologized to Odanna, her guilt for leading him on weighing on her heart. But Odanna held no grudge. He couldn’t even if he tried. Because being graced with her love, even for a short while, had been an honor. It would take a while before their working relationship was not weighed down with awkward tension, but it would happen.
Because Aoi still loved Odanna as an ayakashi, and Odanna still loved Aoi as a person. Just not romantically. For while she loved Odanna sweetly, she loved Ginji desperately. And being apart from him was no longer an option for the human girl. She relied too much on him, and he was too willing to cave to her.
The two were inseparable after that, Ginji frequently assisting Aoi at Moonflower or Aoi visiting him on her off-hours to assist him. They made for a fantastic team, a dynamic duo. Best friends at a glance, sweethearts for those who studied, and lovers away from prying eyes.
It could be said she truly was Shiro’s granddaughter, subverting all expectations and causing chaos by shying away from her title of ogre bride only to become the kitsune’s wife.
If you told Shu he’d be the father of twin girls, he would have never believed you. And on the off chance he had, he would have been terrified. What was he, a hitman, supposed to do with frilly little girls?
However, he’d lucked out and been spared the frills and pink, thankfully. Instead of sugar, spice, and everything nice, these two were moxie, sass, and pains in the ass. He couldn’t tell if it was his fault or Teuta’s. Or worse yet, an amalgamation of the two.
“So Uncle Limbo puts bad guys in jail, right?”
Currently, the six-year-old Tornado Twins were perched on Crow’s couch on either side of their dad. It was their birthday, and Crow had been able to wrangle everyone together so as to throw the girls a party with all their uncles.
“That’s right,” Limbo said, answering the girls’ question. At the moment, they were going around and asking what everyone did for a job.
“And Uncle Helvetica makes people look pretty?”
“I do, in a sense.” It was clear Helvetica wanted to elaborate but didn’t considering the young age of his current audience.
“And Uncle Mozu is a corner?”
“Coroner,” Mozu kindly corrected. “I examine corpses to see how they died.”
The girls nodded. “And Uncle Crow is a hacker?”
“That’s right!” he said with a salute that made both girls laugh.
“Okay,” Tyra began. “But what are your jobs in the gang?”
Limbo’s expression fell, along with everyone else’s. “Gang?”
“Yeah!” Jane joined in. “Daddy says you’re like his gang. Are your jobs in the gang different?”
Shu felt more than saw his wife glare at him. “Shu,” Teuta hissed.
“They asked; they’re old enough.” He was their age when his innocence was shattered. In a way worse way, too. So while he felt bad shattering their image of their dad being a hero—it meant more than he cared to admit to be so loved and admired by his girls—he didn’t want them to live in ignorance. And this was the nicest way he saw to ease them into it.
Which was just a convenient way to cover the fact he didn’t want to admit to Teuta that the Tornado Twins had overheard him talking to the boys over the phone about a job. He was growing rather scared of how stealthy they were that they could sneak up on him like that at this age.
How the everloving hell was he going to handle them as teenagers?
“Uhh…” At a loss, Limbo looked up to Shu for guidance.
It was Teuta who broke the silence with a heavy sigh that meant Shu was off the hook… for now. “Girls, what Daddy means is that your uncles all help each other so they can help other people.”
“Ohhh,” they hummed together.
“But they do it for money, right?” Tyra broke in.
Helvetica snorted.
Teuta glared at him.
It did not matter that her glare was not aimed at him; Shu knew he was back on the hook.
“Yes, we get paid for our efforts,” Mozu simply said. “As one does get paid for a job. But do not confuse what you see in movies for what we do. We are not a violent gang.”
Shu nodded his approval to Mozu.
“Okay,” Jane said. “Then do you fight bad guys like in the movies?”
“Sort of,” Limbo said. “Your dad fights the most. He’s the best fighter.”
“Duh!” the two girls sassed.
Shu chuckled. How he ended up with two little girls obsessed over him—furthermore, how he was so happy about it—was beyond him. Was this what Teach felt like? He couldn’t help but feel like maybe it was.
He glanced over at Teuta, who rolled her eyes with a shake of her head, but she was smiling. Smiling was good. Smiling meant he probably wasn’t in trouble.
Probably.
“Such daddy’s girls,” Limbo commented with a grin.
“Who’s the next best fighter?”
The boys paused and looked around.
Shu leaned over to whisper conspiratorially to his girls. “Your dad does almost all the fighting.”
The girls hummed their approval.
“So,” Tyra said. “They’re wusses?”
A round of “whoa!”s and “hold on!”s rang through the room as Shu sniggered. Yeah, there was no talking himself out of this one. Teuta was going to kill him for sure.
“No no, see,” Limbo corrected. “Your dad does most of the fighting, but we can all fight if needed.”
“Some better than others,” Helvetica dryly quipped before pasting on a calm smile again. “But, we all try to avoid fighting by talking people out of it. Like calming them down. Limbo and I are the best at doing so.”
The girls slowly nodded. “Then what about Uncle Mozu and Uncle Crow?”
“I do not often face threats,” Mozu said. “But I also calm people with rationality. Helvetica and Limbo are more likely to fight with their words.”
“Fight with words?” Tyra asked.
Mozu nodded, earning him glares from Limbo and Helvetica.
“You could have said that better,” Limbo grumbled.
“Fighting with words,” Mozu clarified when Tyra and Jane quirked their heads. “It means saying things that may rile someone else.”
“Like what bullies do?” Jane asked.
Shu sniggered, and he swore he saw dark clouds settle over Helvetica and Limbo’s faces.
“Not quite,” Teuta said, trying to salvage the situation. Likely so her girls wouldn’t get any bad ideas. “Because bullies say things like ‘you’re stupid’, but your Uncle Limbo is a lawyer who fights for truth. So he says things about people they don’t like. Like, ‘you were mean to this person. You should fix your mistake.’ And people get really mad about it.”
“Ohhh,” the girls said, seeming to understand better.
“So he says the truth and people don’t like it?” Jane clarified.
“Exactly.”
“Okay.”
“Does Uncle Helvetica do the same thing?” Tyra asked.
“Well… yes.” A lie, clearly, but it seemed Helvetica was willing to jump on the bandwagon if only to salvage his image and not confuse the girls more with his real “gang” job.
“Ohh,” Jane hummed in understanding. “Then what about Uncle Crow?”
“I’ll let you two girls in on a little secret,” Crow said with a wink. He then sat up proud. “Your uncle is the Boss of the Underworld.”
Instead of looking on in pride, the two looked on in confusion.
“But do you fight?” Tyra asked.
“No,” Helvetica said, smiling as he watched Crow deflate at the lackluster reaction. “He normally stays hidden away here.”
“Oh,” Tyra said. “It’s okay, Uncle Crow. Every gang has to have a pansy.”
A stiff silence rent the room for about half a second before a roar of laughter covered Crow’s cries. “A-a-a pansy!”
Jane gasped. “Tyra! You can’t say that!”
“Thank you!” Crow cried.
“You didn’t put a quarter in the jar first!”
“Wha!” Crow screeched while the others continued to laugh. “A quarter?!”
Jane nodded seriously. “Dad says it’s a dollar, but Mama says because we’re cute that we can sucker Crow into letting us only pay a quarter.”
Another rumble of laughter rent the room. A sniggering Shu couldn’t help squeezing his girls tightly in approval as he stole a look over at his wife, who was blushing. Shu knew she was recalling that conversation he’d had with her only days ago, back when both of them thought the girls were asleep.
They really were becoming way too sneaky for their own good. Shu was gonna have to start teaching them more and give them an outlet for this slyness.
Eventually, Teuta smiled at the sputtering Crow. She squared her shoulders, then reached into her back pocket, where she pulled out a dollar and proudly tapped it into the jar. Which earned another round of laughter from the boys and a glare from Crow.
Tyra, upon watching, suddenly scrambled away, tearing off in the direction of the front door. When she came back, she held her little purse, one that matched Jane’s and was filled with a pad of paper, pencil, and coins that both girls carried around to copy their mom. Tyra took out a quarter and put it in the jar.
“Aww, now Crow,” Limbo began, giving the man a warning smile as he held the jar to make a point. “You’re really gonna sit here and take money from your little nieces?”
“Y-yes,” he said, blushing all the while.
“Wow, you’re cruel,” Helvetica remarked. He then pulled out a dollar, shoving it in the jar before taking out the quarter and giving it back to Tyra. “It’s not fair for you to have to pay on your birthday.”
Tyra’s expression lit up before she took the quarter and hugged Helvetica.
“Heyheyhey!” Crow cried.
“You get to say nothing,” Helvetica smugly said, relishing the hug from the little girl. “You wanted to take money from the little girls on their birthday. There is no man more heartless in the room than you.”
“Hey! No! Respect jar!”
With a grin, Helvetica slipped another dollar in the jar.
Jane frowned. “Uncle Helvetica, why did you do that? Don’t you only tell people the truth, even if they don’t like it?”
Teuta herself started sniggering, and Shu couldn’t help laughing, either. Limbo was guffawing off to the side while Mozu covered his mouth with a hand.
Helvetica was beaming. “My nieces are officially the most charming girls I’ve ever met. Eighty for both of them.”
To be fair, everyone is entitled to their opinion. The person messaging you has their own opinion, but they shouldn’t impose their opinion on you. If they feel strongly about not coming out, they don’t have to. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t because they tell you to. As long as everyone respects each others opinion and stays in their own lane, the world should be a better place.
I wouldn’t have been so upset if they had anything else to say about my story, whether they feel it’s good representation or not, if there’s something they appreciated or something they disliked… But no. They just came here to tell me that I shouldn’t mention my diagnosis, because we don’t “come out on everything we post”.
As if they only clicked briefly on it, because they noticed my “Written by an autistic author” in the summary and they couldn’t accept it. I’m not even sure they read my story, because they posted that on the second installment of my series (the most popular of them all), and they didn’t comment at all on the first.
I don’t “come out on everything I post”. I only did so for this story, because I’m writing about an autistic character using my experience as an autistic person. I’m genuinely upset that this person took the time to police me on my own story about the way I handle my diagnosis, but didn’t have anything else to say about my story. I’m absolutely sure as of now that they didn’t read it at all.
Look at me being bad at bingo with the ? marks lol. The pairing in question is Emilio/Bruno - Emilio is @seanettlles‘s OC. He is a baker and also everything good in this world
