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theanarik · 4 years

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Day 1: Welcome to Hyuga Antiquing

Happy SasuHina Month everyone! I’m gonna try to participate the whole month, that’s my personal challenge.

Day 1: Antique Shops.

Welcome to Hyuga Antiquing

You can also read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24489868

When Hinata started working at the Antique Shop her father owned, she thought that every single day would be dull and boring. Sure, there have been days where the only thing she wanted was for someone to come in and just take a look, someone she could talk to. Well, she talked to the dolls, sometimes, but one-sided conversations weren’t really that gratifying. There were days upon days that no one would come inside, and then there were other days where she had five to ten costumers. Those were her happiest days. She really enjoyed working at the Antique Shop, most of the time she could just, tune out the rest of the world until the door bell rang, daydream or do homework, or just forget the outside world existed for a bit.

When she was little, her mom would take her through the shelves, would let her play with the dolls, would let her pick vinyl after vinyl and they would enjoy the music, and dance, and sing, and laugh. Hinata always felt like the Antique Shop was a completely different world. It was hard going back, after her mother died, but her dad made it through and he brought Hanabi and her every single day, and he would let them play with the dolls, and would let them play music, and laugh, and have fun. But he never walked through the shelves with them. Always staying behind and letting them play however they wanted. Hinata remembers hearing sobbing, the sound echoing through the walls. She never said anything.

As she grew up, she found the Antique Shop to be quite boring, some other things taking up her time and she just… stopped enjoying it. She would come to visit her father to bring him lunch, or just to talk, but she wouldn’t go through the shelves, or play music, or check the dolls. After she started college, though, her father got sick and she decided, along with her cousin, Neji, that they would man the front desk while he got better. And one month became two, and two became three, and three became four. After working at the Shop for four and a half months, and her father not getting better, Hinata decided that maybe, just maybe, she would stay longer.

There were lots of things she enjoyed about working at the Antique Shop, one of them were when her friends came to visit. Kiba and Shino enjoyed checking the new stuff, organizing it with her, joke around and asking for payment, make her laugh when they used the dolls to reenact some shitty movie they saw. Another thing she enjoyed was making small talk with the regular customers. There were five of them: Kaho, Kurenai, Sarutobi, Tsunade and a boy around her age, that she still doesn’t know the name of.

He’s tall, dark and broody, doesn’t say much and always looks like he’s ready to murder someone. The first three times he came in, she didn’t say anything to him, mostly because he had this look on his face where he pretty much told her that if she came to talk to him, he would kill her. Hinata has had her fair share of difficult customers, she’s learned that if they need help, they’ll come to look for her. Also, he was way too attractive for her to turn into her work persona. So, when he does come to ask her for something, she is decidedly not surprised (and a lot more collected). After that, she starts to keep tabs on his interests. She does that with all her regulars, just so she knows where to put the new stuff when it comes.

Kaho loves doll houses, so when a new one comes in through the back door, she makes note to call her when everything is settled. It takes her two to three days to come, and most of the time she takes them with her. Kurenai loves custom jewelry and comic books. She comes regularly to check them out and maybe buy them, if she doesn’t, she just stays for longer chatting with Hinata. Sarutobi loves first edition books. They have three whole shelves full of them and he comes once a week to check them out, he probably knows all the tittles by now. Tsunade, on the other hand, she loves postcards. She says they remind her of a time when she would send them to her lover. Hinata wonders a lot how old she really is.

The brooding man, though? Yeah, no, he doesn’t stick to one thing.

He’s bought books, guitars, jewelry, porcelain, videogame consoles, comic books. He once bought a doll house. Though Hinata is pretty sure it was for his girlfriend or something like that. He came to return it after a few weeks though, which made Kaho very happy. Hinata thinks that maybe he’s just buying gifts for his loved ones, and she wonders how he manages to get that much money every single time he comes, which is pretty much once a month.

One day, she learns his name. He comes in with a blond boy. He has the loudest laugh she’s ever heard – and she’s friends with Kiba – and the bluest eyes she’s ever seen. He is, decidedly, the most attractive guy she’s ever seen. Well, aside from Tall, Dark and Broody, of course. Tall, Dark and Broody’s name is Sasuke. And he seems just so relaxed around the other boy that she just can’t help but stare for a few seconds.

“Welcome to Hyuga Antiquing,” she says, automatically. “Please tell me if you need any help.”

“Thank you!” Blond boy says.

“Actually-.” Sasuke says. “Naruto, can you go check the shelves?”

“Why?”

“Just go.”

Sasuke walks to her, and she gets out of the front desk to meet him, he seems… nervous, and that’s something she never quite thought she would say about TDB.

“Yes?”

“My mother’s birthday is coming up, and the last time I was here, I saw you had some lockets on display?”

“Oh, yeah!” Hinata says and motions him to follow her. “We moved them beside the dolls, it was uh… a last-minute decision.”

Kaho and Kurenai met, and that’s all Hinata’s going to say. She’s a romantic, sue her.

Sasuke follows her in silence and when they arrive to the jewelry section of the store, she grabs one of the displays and turns around.

“These are all the lockets that are in the shop, please tell me if you need any help?”

“Uh, sure.”

She goes back to the front desk and passes Blond Boy, Naruto, who’s looking at the guitars like they came from another world. Most people get that look when they check out the prices.

“Can I help you?” she asks him, offering a smile.

“Uh, no, I’m just… Sasuke gave me a guitar for my birthday this year, he’s a big gesture guy like that, I just… I didn’t know they were so expensive.”

“He must really appreciate you, then.”

“Sure, he does! I’m basically his brother from another mother.”

“Stop telling her nonsense.”

Hinata jumps at the voice behind her. She didn’t hear his footsteps and that’s something. Everything echoes inside the shop. It’s creepy sometimes.

“You’re a ghost, dude.” Naruto says, clutching his heart. “And what do you mean ‘nonsense’!? It’s true!” Naruto says fake hurt.

“Uh huh.” Sasuke rolls his eyes and denies with his head. Hinata wants to laugh at the theatrics Naruto is pulling.

“Did you find the one you wanted?” she asks, instead. This is her job, after all.

“Yeah.” He says, showing her a silver locket.

“Ooohhh, that’s pretty!” Naruto says, trying to grab it. Sasuke snatches it away. “Hey! I just want to see it!”

“See it, not touch it.” Sasuke shows it again and Hinata gets a proper look.

It’s the locket that was far, far back in the display. Silver, round, a flower of eight petals engraved and an overlapping branch of a cherry blossom tree. It’s, by far, one of the most beautiful lockets she’s ever seen, and she wonders if Kurenai ever saw it.

“Mikoto’s going to love it.”

“Stop calling my mom by her first name.”

“You call my mom by hers!”

“I use her tittle first.” Sasuke says, turning around, and she goes to follow him to the front desk

“I use her tittle first.”, Naruto repeats, mocking, and Hinata fakes a cough to cover up her laugh. The look Naruto gives her tells her that she failed at that.

Sasuke comes back alone, five days later, and he looks just as relaxed as he looked when he came in with Naruto. She wonders if good things are happening to him.

“Hey, how can I help you today?” Hinata says as he comes closer to the front desk, and he asks her about porcelain.

“My mom loved the locket, and she was saying that she wanted new porcelain this morning. Can you show me?”

“Sure!”

He buys a set of four teacups, their plates, a tea pot, and teaspoons.

It… kind of becomes a regular thing after that? Hinata doesn’t change most of the stuff in the store, but Sasuke keeps coming to ask for her help to find something, without even looking for it himself. She’s pretty sure he has the entire shop memorized and it’s not like the thing is too big. But he just… he just keeps asking for her help, and then he asks how her day is going, and then he just continues to talk to her; and soon enough, Hinata leaves behind her work persona once he enters the shop and she’s not just talking to the dolls but to Sasuke. And yes, sometimes it becomes a one-sided conversation, along with some stuttering and sometimes with too much emotion, but Sasuke keeps humming and nodding and saying just the right thing at the right time and it makes her feel… different.

They exchange numbers one afternoon after Sasuke hasn’t been able to come to visit for almost a week. He has dark circles around his eyes and seems stressed out. He tells her that his brother is sick and that he needs surgery, that he’s been staying with him at the hospital, and that when he came, there was another man at the front desk. Hinata explains that that’s her cousin Neji, as she offers him a cup of tea and he tells her about his childhood, when Itachi would come home tired and still go out with him to play. Hinata tells him about her mother, and how she would carry her on her shoulders, and they would walk around the shelves and check the highest books and speculate together about what they were about.

Sasuke kisses her after that, after she finishes telling him one of the things she invented about the books, after she tells him how embarrassed she was with herself when she finally read the book, after she laughs and blushes and stutters as she asks him to say something.

When Hinata started working at the Antique Shop her father owned, she thought that every single day would be dull and boring. As she takes Sasuke’s hand and laces their fingers together after closing the shop for the day, she thinks, I couldn’t be more wrong.

You can also read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24489868

#SasuHinaMonth2020 #shmonth2020 #anarik #i wrote this #hehe #been a while #should i post it on ff.net too?#pls check it out on ao3 as well

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presents-n-pistols · 4 years

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16, 22, 39

#16 “ why are you always smiling ?”

She’d found the question almost insulting as she jeered at her husband. Elbows pressed against the surface. With her quick movements, she’d nearly knocked overhis glass of moonshine. She arched an eyebrow at him. “ What do you mean I’m always smiling? I’m not always smiling? I have the emotional range of more than some old porcelain doll!! ” Though, her own words caused a flush to her face in the sweet memories. “ Fine Sometimes I smile too much because I’m just happy. Sue me, okay!”

# 22 “ tell me about your first kiss ?”

She felt her own ears getting redder than a tomato as she was asked. Sitting across from her was that dearest girl, Shock, in between the pair was a tub of mayo and a glass of moonshine for the Mrs. She’d scooped a chunk in with her own fingers to run through the infected scalp. “ I kissed him first. He showed me a very special toy he’d made.” She smiled widely at the memories of the lanky cowgirl doll that looked exactly like her. “ It was a beautiful doll, and I never thought I’d be special enough to–” She shook her head at those lost notions. Kris was always great at helping her realize her confidence, it’s why she acted so hastily, “ I kissed him so hard and fast his ears turned red.‘

#39 “ tell me your most awkward date story ?”

During her visit to Wonderland, she couldn’t ever refuse tea time. No it was a rule, seriously. But that English tea was nothing compared to the sweet tea she was used to. She’d often instead ask for the tea of the Long Island style, which always put her in the giggling mood. ” Awkward date story?“ She wrinkled her nose, "Oh, come on, your majesty if I have to share mine, you’ll share yours okay?” She sat up “Kris almost killed me with chicken bones.” A giggle of laughter continued to spill over her glass, “The chicken soup was still good, but we agreed then on to leave the cooking to me."

Send Jessie a # 1-42 for a tipsy, drunken and honest answer. !!

#;; you better not pout I’m telling you why. || ASK MEMES #navghtyxnice

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karnivalkrew · 5 years

Text

Santa Cup is Coming to Town

Poof!

Clink!

As Junior and Puphead were sleeping, the chick heard these sounds, followed by whispering and hacking. With all the ruckus and coughing from nearby, a little chick began to stir and open his eyes. Santa came. And he fell right into his trap. “Puphead! Wake up!” Junior whispered, shaking the wooden boy next to him awake. Puphead slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with a sleepy yawn. “Santa’s in our grasp! Time to get ta work!” The chick snickered as he rubbed his feathery hands together.

The two hid around the corner to see a cloud of sooty smoke, as if someone were caught in a struggle, and heard whispers, as if two people were quietly arguing. “What da hay is goin’ on in dere?! Who is Santa talkin’ ta?” Puphead moved his fingers on either side of his face, trying to make it look like he had pointy ears. “Elves? Yeah, I guess maybe.”

As the smoke cleared, and the porcelain brothers were revealed to be the ones caught in Junior’s trap, Puphead and Junior were shocked to see that it hadn’t been Santa after all, yet they did have a blue-green bag of gifts with them. “What’re you two twit’s doin’ here?! You tryin’ ta steal our Christmas presents?! Is dat it?!” Junior accused, marching over to the brothers. “Wuh-oh.” “Busted!” Mugman turned his head to look at Junior. “N-no! You’ve got it all wrong, we--” “Ooh, my dad was right about yous two!! Just wait until I tell him! Then you’ll really be sorry!!” The chick took a deep breath as Puphead covered his ears, knowing that he would scream for Wally. “No, no, Junior wait!!” “Junior! Stop! We’re tryin’ ta help Santa!!” Junior paused at that. “Wuffor?” He toyed. “He, erm, hurt himself! He twisted his ankle on a piece of firewood sticking out by our chimney, and he can’t climb down chimneys no more! So we’re helping him in our Aeroplanes until he can climb again!” Cuphead lied. “Just let us out, we still got Isle Three ta do!!” “Uh huh...And why should I believe you?” Puphead tugged on Junior’s arm at his suspicion, fully believing the story. “What is it? You believe dis crap?” Puphead nodded, and pointed to the sack in the net that the brothers had. “What the toys dey stole?!” Puphead shook his head and pointed to the fireplace. Junior’s eyes widened. “I...Gosh Puphead, yer right! Dere’s no way they could have taken the gifts before setting off the trap!” “Junior, untie us, please! We need to hurry up and get started on Isle Three before morning comes!!” Mugman pleaded, looking at his watch. “It’s already almost 11:30! We only have 30 minutes to get the whole entire city!!” “What?” Junior questioned, already starting to open the net. “Ya think dat da whole city’s gonna just get up at midnight ta open presents?” “No...” Mugman answered, “but someone might!” "Man, you two really are dumb! Ain’ no one gonna get up at midnight ta open gifts, most people’ll be asleep still! I’d say dat the earliest kids are gon’ wake up is at least tree AM. Ya twits still gots time!” “Yeah, but not much! Do ya even know how many people live in th’big city?!” Cuphead pointed out.

Puphead grabbed both of Junior’s shoulders as the brothers were released, and looked at his friend with pleading eyes. Junior turned his head at the touch, and looked the puppet in the eyes for a few moments before he sighed. “Yer right. Tree ‘n a half hours ain’t enough time fer just th’ two ah yas ta cover the entire city.” Junior placed his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest. “But maybe da four of us can make it!” He proclaimed valiantly. “Hot dawg, you’ll really help, Junior?!” Mugman cried. “On one condition! Ya leave dat sack ‘ere fer me ta examine!” Junior negotiated. The only way Santa could do what he does is through magic. And all magic was was unexplained science. With that magic bag, he could reverse engineer it, and figure out how Santa covers so much ground in so little time. “Deal!” The brothers said. “I’ll get my nest! Puphead, yer with me!” Puphead jumped up and down excitedly.

With the presents unbagged and two new recruits by their side, the four Christmas heroes quickly flew into the city and began their work once again. Apartments, homes, and more, the children were quick to break in and leave their gifts and fill their stockings. Forkington Silverson, Tick and Tock Clocke, Sue Zanshwane, Toby J. Sodor, no house was missed, and no child was forgotten. Every name on the list was crossed out with each house, one by one, and little by little, each house was visited and gifted.

At first, Junior only had one motive for this. That magic bag. He needed to unlock Santa’s secrets, and that might just be the key he needed. But after a while, something changed. Junior loved to see all the different ways people decorated for Christmas, and each house had decorations that just made him happy. That was until he and Puphead would start to unload the gifts, and Junior would get jealous of how much bigger some gifts were compared to his. Often times, Puphead would have to push the chick back with his foot in order to keep his feathers off it.

As Puphead started unloading the gifts for one house, Junior started to help, until he shook one and could hear something wooden inside. “Wait a minute!” Junior held the gift close to his ear canal and shook again. “I think it’s a radio! I need dials fer my latest invention!” Junior turned the gift over in his hands and got ready to tear it open before Puphead grabbed his hands and stopped him. “What?” Puphead could only give him a look, and point to the tag on the present. “It ain’t mine? So what? What’ve dese people ever done fer us? Wes doin’ ‘em a favah, and they don’t even know it! It’s just one gift, they won’t even know it’s missin’!” Puphead gave Junior a huffy pout, and pointed to the dirty old ragdoll next to the plate of milk and cookies. “Dirty doll? So what?” Puphead pointed to the doll again, then to the military hat that hung on the wall with pride. Junior froze when he saw the hat. Dad was in the Great War... Always talked to Nana about how many times he’d see families torn apart on the battlefield, regardless of what day it was, when they thought he was asleep. Beside the hat was a photo of a soldier, with some sort of telegram message inside the picture frame. Junior didn’t need to read it to know what it said. He suddenly felt sick with guilt.

With a reluctant sigh, the chick set the present down underneath the tree, easing the pain of his guilt, as well as earning a pat on the shoulder from Puphead. “Who are you?” A little dog girl in a pink nightgown asked, peeking from behind the corner. “Are you taking our presents?” Puphead waved his arms ‘no,’ and Junior just stared, quickly thinking of how to answer her. “Nope. We just someah Santa’s helpers.” “Where’s Santa?” “Mainland. Since Inkwell’s so small, he just has a few folks like us delivering gifts.” “...I thought Santa had elves.” “Da elves make da toys, we just transport ‘em.” Junior lied, placing another gift under the tree. “Was dere somethin’ datchya needed? We’re only supposed ta come when yer sleepin’.” “Oh...um...I think I left my dolly when I was setting up the milk and cookies.” Junior felt bad for the kid. Probably didn’t even know that relative in the picture. The chick crawled over to the doll, grabbed it, then walked over to the little girl. “Here. Just get ta bed, so we can get back ta work. And tell no one ya saw us, okay?” The dog smiled as her tail wagged in her jammies behind her. She took the doll and nodded. “Okay. Thank you for what you do. I hope Santa makes sure your Christmas is as magical as you make everyone else’s!” Something about that just made Junior feel...happy. No, he wasn’t getting anything more than a magic bag out of this, but just seeing the little girl smile made him feel like he’d been praised for a great accomplishment. “Yeah, well, Merry Christmas, kid.” “Merry Christmas!” She whispered, and quietly dashed back upstairs with her doll.

Junior turned around and looked back at Puphead, who gave him a happy, yet smug look. “What? Don’ think much about it! I just wanted da twit outta our feathers! Get movin’ we gots work ta do!”

After what felt like hours of work, the four went back to the carnival and landed. “Junior, you guys got Nancy Nightingale?” “Yup!” “Cup, you went through every apartment in Sally Stageplay’s apartment complex!” “It wasn’t as complicated as the name made it sound!” Mugman snorted at that. “Anybody happen to get Logan Rhythm or Debbie Doll?” “I got Logan!” Cuphead exclaimed, raising his hand, “Puphead n’ I got Debbie!” Mugman crossed off two more names. “Guys! We did it! That’s everyone on Inkwell before two AM!” “Yahoo!!” Cuphead cheered as Puphead jumped in excitement. “Great. Merry Christmas.” Junior grumbled, trying not to appear as happy as he was feeling. “Puphead, ‘m tired, let’s go home!” Puphead nodded, and walked walked back to Wally’s house with Junior as he waved the brothers good night. “Merry Christmas Junior!” Mugman called. “Merry Christmas Puphead!”

As the two boys snuck past a sleeping Wally, they went back to the spot on the floor that they’d been sleeping on, and went back to sleep.

In the morning, Puphead suddenly shook Junior awake with an intense excitement. “What? What is it?!” Junior grumbled, trying to sleep in again. Puphead continued to shake and pull the blankets off his friend to try and wake him. “Pup, we already saw what was under there, what’s the point in--” Puphead suddenly pulled Junior to sit upright, and pointed to the room with all the presents. “What?!” Junior stood, rubbing his eyes as Puphead pulled him along. When they entered the Christmas room, the whole area had almost completely changed. There were more decorations than there had ever been, and the tree almost seemed bigger and brighter! What’s more, there were more gifts under the tree than there had been when Cuphead and Mugman came. “What is dis?!” Puphead quickly found a note and gave it to Junior to read. “A letter?” The chick opened the note and began reading out loud for Puphead.

“Dear Wally Jr. and Puphead,

You two certainly made for some fine, unexpected help. Coming from the boy who attempts to capture me every year, and the little boy brought into this world not too long ago, you two did a very good thing for Inkwell.” As Junior read the note, the voice of Santa himself could be heard, as if he was speaking directly to the boys.

“Junior, despite your suspicions for the Kettle’s, you and Puphead gave them the benefit of the doubt, and joined forces to help make everyone else have a magical Christmas. You two are close friends, and very good influences on each other. Puphead, for someone so young, you already understand the meaning of Christmas, and helped Junior begin to understand it too. The world needs more selfless, kind, peaceful boys like you. And Junior, you have begun to understand that the meaning of Christmas doesn’t come from a store, and has no price tag. Christmas is not a time about getting things, but giving to others. You have experienced the joy in making others happy, and for that, you’ve proven that you truly belong on the nice list.

As thanks for the hard work you two did last night, I made another stop, and gave you a few extra presents. I hope that next year you two will be good enough that I am able to come back with more. Never lose that sense of joy that comes with making others happy. Merry Christmas.

Signed, Mr. C.”

“Wowza...” Junior breathed, before Puphead suddenly left his side to hug his father. “Mornin’ Pup!” Djimmi smiledl lifting his wooden son. “You two already up?! The alarm hasn’t even gone off!” Djimmi suddenly transformed into a rooster, and crowed loudly at the rising sun. “Now it has!” He said, looking out at the audience. “Merry Christmas, champ!” Wally smiled as Djimmi changed back to his normal form, and held Puphead in his arms once more. “Dad!!” Junior tossed the note aside and gave his dad a big hug. “Merry Christmas!” “Looks like Santa was good to you boys this year.” Wally noted. Puphead nodded wildly until he eventually made himself dizzy, and fell into Djimmi’s chest. The ex-genie let out a hearty laugh. “I guess someone’s excited for Christmas!” “Well, wadda we waitin’ fer?! Let’s open presents, Puphead!!” Junior cheered, diving head first into the pile of gifts left by the brothers and Santa.

Djimmi set Puphead down as Nana flew onto her perch to watch the children’s joy. Junior tore into a small gift box wrapped in dark blue, and gasped in excitement. “No way!! Da fat man came trew aftah all!” The child beamed, dumping out two radio dials from the box and into his hand. Puphead pulled out a small box wrapped in blue-green, and tentatively opened the paper like he watched Junior do. He opened the small white box and pulled out a few layers of tissue paper before he eventually pulled out a small snow globe to be hung on the tree. The wooden child blinked in surprise and gave it a shake, watching the snow inside the glass. Two figures were on the other side, Junior and himself, each carrying a sack of toys together in their winter clothes, and at the base of the ornament, the words, “First Christmas 1934″ were etched in a golden cursive. Puphead’s eyes lit up with pure joy as he waved to Junior to show him. “Woah! But how--” That sneaky Santa... “Ah, who cares?! Merry Christmas pal! We should do dis again next year!!”

#Santa Cup is Coming to Town #Red Bracelet {Rebloggable Content}#Wally Warbles Junior #Puphead #Wally Warbles #Djimmi the Great #Cup of Trouble {Cuphead}#What a Mug {Mugman}#Santa Claus #Drabble #Merry Christmas!!

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textsacc · 3 years

Text

prompt: haganai x boyfriend dungeon the long fall | on ao3 | c1

a dungeon in a church. would it be that the administration found out, surely, the school grounds would've been put under lockdown, or at least the neighbour's club would've had to pause their operations until it was promptly abandoned.

or that it ceased to exist.

polished marble floors were in stark contrast to the dark wooden planks lining the corridors up above. the halls, intricately carved from white stone and concrete, seemed to shine with a golden glow, warm sunlight, despite the facility being located underground. down the steps to that treacherous labyrinth, there stood two girls by a spiral staircase.

(no, not two girls. just one girl and a large black claymore, the size of which would've put most jrpg protagonist's weapons to shame.)

yozora — or, rather, the claymore — was unusually light given her current form. it was either a miracle, of trust or of strength otherwise, that sena was able to wield her best friend without fumbling with her grip nor a bark of anger from the girl.

"—whenever you're ready, meat."

there was a reason why the two of them were down here to begin with, the blonde could recall. they were known to the presence of the dungeon since their summer began, and now it was just past winter. to no surprise from anyone in the club, sena had tried to approach the battlefield quite some time before, perhaps even multiple times over if yozora were to guess.

what she didn't know was the princess' inability to confront her fears alone.

to hold herself steady as a greatsword was like a feeling of being terse and tense, a sensation that yozora was no stranger to. but to be utilized in combat was a different predicament, indeed. now, it felt as though she was made to be compressed into a singular position, holding herself still, tight. like hiding out, quiet, in a game of hide and seek. sena's grip on her figure, her spirit, was like a warm chain on her ankle; any maneuver she'd to try as a wielded blade would be new territory for the sword.

whereas her bladesmaster had, in theory, all the experience in the world.

indeed, like a shooting star with nary a care, the armswoman seemed to shoot off towards the dungeon's interior, almost pulling her friend along, the tip of her blade barely grazing the crevices between floor tiles. one-handed, despite yozora being birthed, meant to be wielded with two. the first few swings had her holding her breath as she watched sena shred through dolls, porcelain, cloth and paper alike, all of which were japanese in tradition. then, a sigh escaped her, once all creatures of the void were wiped out from the interior of the room.

the reinforced warmth around the grip of the claymore only served to comfort the sword.

how practiced her best friend was.

"was that okay? not too dizzying, i hope?"

the thought of dolls danced around in yozora's head. her words came out forced, trying to distract herself from rumination while in midst of being asked a question.

"i'm fine, meat."

"if you say so."

sena started making her way down one corridor, a strolled pace, trying to keep her breath steady from previous exertion.

"... i'm really trying to control myself here, yozora. for your sake? i'm not sure how it feels like to be wielded either, myself..."

"... but you wield yourself all the time."

ever since she'd started staying at the kashiwazaki's residence, she was made familiar by stella's information that the student prodigy, apparent mary sue, was also a weapon to be kept of utmost maintenance. that she was truly a weapon person, with her alternate selves being two swords. almost in a cruel twist of fate, yozora understood her colouration in such a form to be the inspiration for a popular franchise in anime and manga.

she could scarcely recall when the rumor was spread through the cohort, but there was a point where it was discussed in class, too, though it was of little importance to her at the time.

"i can't imagine it's the same thing for you too," sena guessed, after a moment of biting down on her lower lip, their conversation stewed in silence. "when i'm wielding my other blade, it's like an extension of myself. like an extra limb, or something. there's no presence of vertigo... though its strength wavers depending on my confidence down in these depths."

yozora couldn't help but huff, peeling her eyes off the blonde to gaze upon the floor. dragged around like a prisoner, metal upon the marble; she didn't deserve to be handled this irresponsibly, the girl thought, if she were to be fussy about manners.

"funny to hear your loss of confidence there, princess. out of everyone else on their lonesome, i'd figured you'd be one of the exceptions."

sena stopped in midwalk, right by where their path bent into a corner, a few feet away from another horde of enemies.

"... it's not exactly easy being down here alone, okay?"

"we figured that out early, bird brain," the claymore barked back. "that's why no one's been wanting to tread down here except you."

"... that's because..."

yozora watched as sena's eyes darted about, tracking the figures of the next room, voice trailing off. she hung in wait, steeling herself for the fray when her friend bolted into battle once again, culling the number of puppets down to a new maximum: zero.

it was with a squeaky slide that the girl brought herself to a halt. trackshoes from their phys-ed class. the sword wondered if her own running shoes would be better for such an exercise.

"... i thought it'd be good practice for myself in the future."

the greatsword was silent as her wielder paused to catch her breath and examine the next route to take.

"i bet you were just trying to show off instead."

"shut up, okay?"

"why, did i hit a nerve?"

sena's attention was barely on the blade as she started down another path. "i don't need you out of anyone else to tell me that."

so yozora was right, then. "if you'd wanted actual practice as a pair of swords, you'd go find a wielder first, wouldn't you?"

"it's not easy to trust anyone else as a wielder," the student admitted, to which her blade could scarcely blame her for having stated her sentiment. neither of them were particularly close to anyone else to begin with, and the nuances of combat were lost on them as high school students in their current disposition. "someone who knows their way around the field and is experienced enough in dual-wielding? that's such a tall order as it is, and i'd rather someone give me a break."

"so it's easier for you to wield someone else," her friend remarked dryly, to which yozora felt the grip on her handle tighten just a little more.

"believe me... if i had the allowance not to do it, i wouldn't... if i could."

the duo said nothing, travelling in silence, until the next batch of monsters were eliminated from the field. and watching sena constantly found to be out of breath made yozora a little uneasy, put on the backseat of matters staked upon life and death.

"hey," she cooed, trying not to disrupt her friend's focus on the labyrinth itself. "i'm not too heavy for you, am i?"

"no."

"you should really be holding me in two hands."

sena continued to walk.

"i know that."

"so why don't you?"

the wayfinder's eyes were pointed forward, unfazed by the question nor the winding paths of the church ahead of them.

"i've always been wielding myself this way," sena confessed, "and it's not like you're any heavier than my shell is, either. i get better reach and force behind swings with you, actually."

yozora hummed, surprised at the observation made. in her friend's hands, the blade seemed to rumble gently.

"about your little expeditions down here, then," the weapon continued, and the girl nodded back in agreement if only to give away her anxiety in the way she dragged her sword along. "say it wasn't on the basis of you trying to show off."

"because i wasn't."

"fine, forget it. say it wasn't that at all. then what else is taking you down here?" yozora eyed the stained glass that appeared between the pillars of white where sunset light once shined through plain, even panes. through the looking glass she could spot a few marks, targets for easy picking distorted in various hues. her gaze was trained on them as she continued. "there's no reason to go throwing yourself where it's dangerous."

"...that reason..."

yozora thought the hesitation grim.

"... that reason is personal," her friend clarified, before entering the arena with the monsters her weapon had been sizing up from before. and the claymore needed no other explanation, knowing what drove the creation of these constructs down in the underground.

though, in between her comrade's brutal swings, she did find her thoughts wandering, uncertainty on adrift. she knew the kashiwazaki household well enough to have spotted concerns that aught to be addressed on immediate viewing; sena certainly didn't see the same parental abuse that yozora did back in her own home. plus, a serving girl (now two) to wait on her every wish at any hour of the day? what could the girl possibly be looking for, in scouring the dungeon to its very core?

the blade decided it shouldn't think too hard, for now. the idea alone would drive her crazy, lost in contemplation, lost in guesses and unfounded reasonings alone.

and so the swordswoman walked alongside her blade, the singing of metal on marble the only sound that echoed within those subterranean halls. their silence left yozora to wonder in secrecy. it helped sena to focus on weeding through the waves of rabble.

neither of them would leave the dungeon satisfied that day, however. their limit on energy stalled on the third floor, and by that point, club hours were long over for an excuse with tardy attendance back at the mansion. sena would come up with another on the way back, when the two of them were seated in their chauffeur's vehicle, while yozora would ruminate over the possibility of using the dungeon for her own purposes the same way sena would do so for her own.

it never hurt to try. perhaps, one day. when she was feeling up to it, the claymore believed.

#writing of weapons

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winter-soldier-writer-blog · 7 years

Text

You Need a Maid? Chapter 14

Fandom: Avengers / Marvel Rating: G / PG13 / R Warnings: Disclaimer: I don’t own Marvel, blah legal stuff. Don't sue me, I'm poor. Songs: Be Our Guest - Beauty and The Beast

Chapter Menu

A few weeks later you were well enough to return to your bedroom at the house. You were glad to leave the cold, windowless room. You were starting to miss the sun. Tony came up to get you and make sure you made it back to the house safe and sound. It was a sweet gesture, and you were glad to have him there, considering you almost fell three times.

When you got home the only thing you wanted to do was crawl into your cushioned bed and sleep for another month. Better yet, five. Tony led you to your room and opened the door.

"Welcome home!" Everyone shouted, and you winced at all the noise. Frowning, they quieted down. You smiled softly though, and they knew everything was okay. Tony helped you to your bed, and the team gathered around. Steve carried 'get well soon' balloons which you let float to the ceiling to bounce around the room. Sam stepped forward, carrying a large teddy bear. "Ooh, gimme." You muttered, making grabby hands for it. He laughed and placed it in your arms.

"We're glad you're back home," Tony said, standing in the back. Emotions weren't really his thing and he was trying his best to handle the ones he was having.

"Finally." Natasha rolled her eyes with a smile. "These guys were making me go mad. I need you to help keep them in line." She got a little chuckle out of you.

Steve placed a hand on your head, mussing up your hair a bit. "We're all just really glad you're okay now. We missed you." You felt tears well up in your eyes. They had missed you. The same people who had once broken your heart, who had made you feel like a weird piece of furniture in their lives, now missed you. You looked at them, their faces staring back, wrinkled with worry. Somehow, you had found a way into their hearts. Somehow you had managed to find a family here.

"Thanks, guys." You yawned, clutching the teddy bear tight.

"Get some sleep. We'll see you when you get up."

That was all the permission you needed, and you laid back down, passing out.

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

"Y/N, babe." A voice was pulling you out of sleep, a sweet soothing voice. It was Sam, sitting at the side of your bed, holding something.

"Hey, you're finally awake." He smiled and you attempted a weak smile back. It must have worked because he looked relieved.

"I brought you something to eat. Some soup. You've got to get some nutrients in you so you can heal." You pushed yourself up on your elbows and he helped you rest of the way, puffing up pillows to keep you upright.

You sipped at the soup, and he watched you quietly. You felt like a porcelain doll, fragile and useless. The bowl shook in your hands and Sam reached out, taking it from you.

"Y/N, what's wrong baby?" He looked on, concerned. It only made you feel worse. Tears started pouring from your eyes. You wanted them to stop, but they wouldn't they just kept pouring out of you. Someone turn off the faucet, the sink is overflowing.

Gentle arms enveloped you, pulling you close. You could hear his heartbeat, and somehow that made you feel better. "Sammy..." You muttered through sobs. He hushed you, gently rocking you in his arms.

Sam held you until you fell back asleep.

------

A few days later Steve had forced you out of bed, saying you needed to get back on a normal sleep cycle. The doctors had even said so. It was official and shit. You had complained, grumbled, swore, but he had none of it.

With the newest HYDRA development, the team was overloaded with work. Not wanting to leave you alone they had decided to leave someone behind to watch you. It was for the best; you sometimes couldn't remember simple things, like working the remote. Your brain was still a little foggy. Maybe it would be forever. You didn't know. Sometimes you swore you could smell fried chicken, though.

You sat on the couch watching a classic, Beauty and The Beast. Couldn't beat Disney movies, they were the cure-all for whatever ailed you. It amazed you, how you could remember the songs but not which drawer your underwear was in.

"No one's gloomy or complaining While the flatware's entertaining We tell jokes I do tricks With my fellow candlesticks"

You muttered along, bouncing your feet under the blankets. Your teddy bear sat at the end of the couch, watching over you like a fuzzy guard. It was silly, how much these small things made you happy. But you were happy, and that was a small thing to be thankful for.

"Is that teapot...singing?" A wild Buckaroo appeared, standing behind the couch. He watched the TV, his face contorted in bewilderment.

"Naturally." You responded, pausing the movie. "It's Disney, everything sings, and dances." You looked back at him and he shook his head. "I never really watched this stuff. It's for kids." You scoffed and rolled your eyes. You were still a kid at heart. Bucky rounded the couch, picking your teddy bear up to move it.

"Hey, don't touch Ron."

"Ron?"

"The bear." You pointed at it in his hands.

"You named the bear Ron. Not fluffy, not Mr.Snuggles. Ron."

You nodded as if it was the most reasonable and rational name for a teddy bear. Suddenly you got a face full of fluff as Bucky hurled the bear at you with a laugh. You tossed it back, giggling. He motioned, seeing if you would let him on the couch. It seemed he wanted to spend time with you. Whaaat. You shifted, sitting upright next to him.

You watched together for a little while, but it was hard to keep your eyes on the screen. Bucky had crawled out of his cave to spend time with you. He watched the cartoon with a look of confusion and concern until he couldn't take it anymore and grabbed the remote from you.

"That dude's a jerk." He paused the movie, shaking his head.

"Which one?"

"All of them." You laughed and grabbed the remote back, wobbling a little. He put his arm around you, keeping you from falling over. You stiffened, the closeness strange and a little uncomfortable. You were never this close, or comfy with Bucky. He could sense your uncomfortableness and released you, only to have you wobble again and fall into him. He set his arm around your shoulders, holding you upright against him.

It was strange, being this close to Bucky. His metal arm was cool and soothing on your skin, and he smelled good. You kept breathing him in, admiring the woodsy scent.

"Hey, Y/N..."

"Let's watch a different movie." You cut him off, wanting to avoid any kind of deep conversation until your mind felt less like a lightly fried fish filet. He squeezed you gently and muttered an agreement, letting you flip through until you found Alice in Wonderland. You watched quietly until you fell asleep in his arms, the Red Queen hollering about cutting people's heads off.

Bucky looked down at you, a small smile on his face, though a sadness tugged at his heart. How could he have been so stupid for so long? How could he have hurt you, when he could have been doing this all along? The front doors opened, and he heard Sam and the others return home. Quickly and carefully he positioned you against the cushions on the other side of the couch and made a considerable amount of distance between you.

"Alice in Wonderland?" Sam asked from behind the couch.

"She wanted to watch it." Bucky shrugged, getting up and heading towards his room. Sam watched him with suspicion.

--------

@thatweirdgaygirl

#avengers fanfiction #reader x avengers #avengers #avengers fanfic #steve rogers #tony stark #iron man #captain america #bucky barnes #the winter soldier #the falcon #sam wilson #sam wilson x reader #the falcon x reader #winter-soldier-writer

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orangebatsanctuary · 7 years

Photo

Inaho is finally 18 today! And he can marry Slaine now! Let’s congrats his wedding with:

DOLL by Yui Minatsuki

The brand new fantasy AU featuring female-Slaine and the formidable Inaho (in many meaning *lmao*). Prepare the pillow to squeeze for these romantic humor, yet so tender with purest heart. *tear brimming*

click ‘Keep reading’ below.

***Please wait a while for reading on OrangeBat-Sanctuary website, due to some technical problem occurred. I could only post on Tumblr at the moment, and soon the authors will post on AO3***

Happy Wedding *cough* I mean, Happy Reading!

Love,

Rosiel

DOLL by Yui Minatsuki

Disclaimer: I do not own Aldnoah Zero

Summary: Slaine needed money to free her father and tried to apply for a job in Inaho’s antique store.

Tags: (Inaho x Fem!Slaine) (Kind-of magical medieval era Alternate Universe)

The ad said, the store needed a person or a group of persons who were willing to do anything for money--no special ability or legal citizenship required. And he/she must not sue the shop owner if anything happened--even if it included the loss of limbs...or lives. Details would be told later.

......no sane person would come for that kind of blatantly suspicious ad, even though it was written beautifully and placed at the door of a looking-expensive antique shop at the busy street of Rhoden streets. Some school boys in their brown vest and plaid trousers laughed at it. Others were merely interested with pretty unique things that were displayed there. A woman wearing a frilly white ruffle gown looked at an engraved hand mirror displayed, but she didn't get in and continue walking as a man in dark green suit pulling her away. No one took the ad seriously.

......but here Slaine was, standing in front of the old wooden door of that antique shop, intending to apply for the job--whatever it might be.

'Cause she needed money, of course.

She checked her black--but turned a bit gray--shirt and trousers. They were old clothes, but clean and not a single wrinkle spotted. She checked her appearance. Looked like she hadn't cut her hair short enough; it couldn't be helped since she cut it by herself; but still she looked like a 22 years old young man, not a little woman (hopefully). She really wished no one in this city would recognize her--especially this store owner.

She took a deep breath, and stepped in.

The small bell that was hung on the doorsill rang. The interior of the shop was...how to say it... It was cramped, but it was organized...and....and....

.....inhuman......

Slaine couldn't understand why she felt like that, but it was....yeah, kinda eerie. Why? Perhaps because she hadn't seen anyone? Where was the shop owner? Or, where's the other shopkeeper? Hadn't it got--even one--yet?

"Is there anything that I can help you with?"

Slaine jumped. Astonished. She knocked a white vase from the stand beside her. Luckily she caught it right before it fell down. Checking the porcelain--no crack--she released her breath that she didn't realize she was holding, and looked up.

A young man, around 26....or younger? She couldn't guess. He dressed in white tuxedo. He had porcelain skin, dark brown hair and burgundy eyes that were.....were....

......like a doll’s....?

That 'person' flatly stated. "A bit clumsy but has a quick response. Not too bad." He knelt and looked at Slaine in the eyes. There was a long silence as all he did was staring. Just. Staring. Intently.

"Is there anything that I can help you?" He finally asked in a low tone, inched closer as if he wanted to catch even a minimum change of her movement.

Slaine tried not to look at him, but she couldn't; she felt she ever met those eyes before...but when? Perhaps it's just her feeling--she couldn't properly remember with that store owner being too close like this. Uh.... his eyes were like doll's, so perhaps she'd felt familiar to him because of it. "Uh.. I... I saw your ad out there and...and... "

"Do you really need money that much that you are willing to do anything?"

Slaine gulped, and nodded without a single doubt.

"I see. You aren't lying." The owner of the burgundy eyes tilted his head, smiled, and blinked once, other than that he didn't show any expression. "You can start working today. Follow me." He stood up and walked between the row of wooden cupboards which held many kinds of intricate ceramics works and colored glass music boxes and twinkling silver dishes. His steps were light, and even, and almost unheard.

Slaine couldn't shake the feeling that that shop owner was a living mannequin! But, oh well... She put the white ceramic back on its stand carefully and followed him through the wooden door to the room right behind the front store.

It was a room that's filled with dolls: Wooden dolls. Porcelain dolls. Marionettes. Fluffs. All kinds. Neatly sat in the racks or inside the glass cupboard. Some sat in the window sills and sofas. Some were sprawled on the floor, but still. They were spotlessly clean. Slaine felt her dusty boots were out of place, so she removed them and walked barefoot, hugging her shoes, following the shop owner who had already opened the glass door to a dim aisle.

They both walked along that corridor for some time. Slaine counted she had passed through four rooms left and right.

'Just how many rooms this store has? It doesn't look this big from the outside.' Slaine thought as she passed the room that--shown from the small glass window--was filled with gears, tanks and pipes....Her eyes caught a sight of bright-orange-things...But she had no time to look and think about it.

The shop owner turn left and opened the key to a bright room. That six-big-window room was filled with dresses--on mannequin, folded neatly, stacked on the floor, hanging in displays--all kind. There were kimonos, frilly gowns, tuxedos, fluffy costumes, etc. Slaine stared in awe.

"Choose one and wear it for today."

Slaine squealed a bit, almost dropping her shoes. That shop owner suddenly talked right beside her!

"Uh.... Um.... Is it up to me?"

"....as long as you choose it right. After that, throw away the clothes that you're wearing now. They are horrible. You shall just leave them on the trash bin."

"....easy for you to say... " Slaine grumbled; she only had two sets of clothes--while she wore this one the other one was being washed.

She moved to choose, but the eyes of the shop owner observed her closely--following even the small details of her movement. It was creepy! She grabbed at one knee-length big trousers and white short-sleeves baggy shirt and showed it to him.

"Those are not looking good together. Your taste is awful."

Red-faced, brows furrowed, Slaine folded those clothes and walked again. She was confused of what will 'look good' for a girl-playing-to-be boy like her. Long time she was just staring at the row and row of clothes...until she stumbled upon a frilly bloody-red dress with bat ornament on its big stripe-white ribbon on the chest.

That bat reminded her of his father. 'It's been three years... ' She stared at it, wishing that he would be just fine...

"I see. You like it. Take it then."

"Wh.. What? " Slaine took a step away from the brunet who was looking at him intently right beside her (since when?). "But... But I... "

"You like it, right?" The brunet took that red dress from the mannequin and shoved it to her hands. "My name is Kaizuka Inaho. Nice to meet you, Bat."

"B..Bat ?!?? I'm... I'm not Bat! My name is--" She stopped herself and looked away, "...my name is.... Gull. Just... Gull...and I'm a boy!" She carefully looked at the store owner, "....you....don't mind with....just that...right?"

Inaho tilted his head, looking intently at Slaine. "....you are......." He stopped himself, and smirked, "Interesting." He said with tone that revealed amusement. "Really interesting."

Slaine didn't know how to reply to his....compliment (?). Seriously everything in this store was 1000% creepy, particularly its owner, Slaine didn't like him at all but.... But...

She did also think that the store owner possessed some nostalgic aura... Why?

"What are you waiting for? Put that clothes on."

"H...Huh?" Slaine realized she had been staring off without doing anything but to stare at him, holding the dress. The store owner was looking at her. Intently.

"But.... But.... like I've just said, there's no way I should wear this girly dress as I'm a boy--"

"You lied."

Slaine froze. How could he knew? Did he...did he already recognize who she really was? If it was, then she had to run!

But all her thinking was stopped abruptly as Inaho put his hand on Slaine's chest, uttering, "boy doesn't have this kind of anatomy, these are--"

A punch landed on his face.

* * *

His left eye was swollen and his nose was bleeding. Good. At least he looked a bit like human now. Slaine thought as she tended to Inaho's wound. She'd rather run away, really, but that brunet had managed to lock the door of the dress room, and stated that she should work in this shop or else she would need to work thousand years in another place before she could pay the fine of having punched him in the face.

"I don't care even if I couldn't make it! I'll just work and do whatever I can. I don't need to work with someone like you."

".....but here you are on my sofa, and are tending to my wound. From now on, let's do our best together, Slaine Saazbaum Troyard."

"Sh... Shut up!" She angrily closed the first-aid box--flushed. Well, if this store owner was willing to accept her despite knowing her identity, why not? Still... "Don't....Don't call me with that name--"

"No one can hear us here. But if you insist, I'll call you Bat." Inaho put his head on Slaine's lap. "My head is a bit dizzy. Your punch was good, Bat."

"~~~~~~~" Slaine didn't know what to say. Really. This shop owner was insufferable! But, yeah, he's indeed the shop owner and she needed the job. How awesome.

"....I'm sorry for what has happened to your father."

Slaine went rigid, "....how could you know....? Do you come from the Land of the Red Sand?"

"No. I come from the Land of the Rising Sun, actually, but I'm a merchant; I've travelled everywhere."

"Hm."

"Why do you need money that much? I need to know this information as the measurement of how far you will be motivated to work for me."

'In other words to list all ammunition to make me do anything for him. Huh. Fine. Whatever.' ".....I need to pay a certain amount.... for my father's freedom."

"Your father.....the vampire count who was caught by the Red Sand Kingdom.... I don't think they will free him just for money."

"Just shut up I won't tell you more than this."

A stretching silence. Slaine looked aside, to the pile of the red dress, gazing at its bat ornament. Inaho was staring at her, observing, thinking...

Then he decided to say, "Three years ago...I was happen to sold Little Orange Soldiers to the emperor of Red Sand. They were machines; your Count Saazbaum could do little to harm them."

"That...those were ugly colored things that captured my father! How dare you!"

"As I said, I am a merchant. I sell things for living. Besides... " Inaho heartlessly poked at the bat ornament of the red dress. "Your father is the vampire Count Saazbaum; he has drunk blood and drained lives of many people. I really can't comprehend why a human like you call him 'father' and idolizes him so much." He tilted his head, staring intently at Slaine. "And if the battle record is true, you had let my Orange Soldiers went through the sewer although you were capable of drowning and destroying them at that time. Your father was caught as the result, and now you want to pay for his freedom. Such inconsistency. It's intriguing though. Why?"

Slaine felt it was hard to breathe properly.

......why....?

.......because he's the only one whom she could call 'father'.

Slaine hugged the bat ornament, pushed Inaho until he fell hard on the floor, broke the window, and ran away. She wished she could be far far away from that heartless shop owner.

Running along the reddish oak tree and brownish maple...her thought travelled through memories--remembering her vampire count father...

He understood her, and she understood him.

He was a human before, but he had done many forbidden experiments and changed himself into a vampire to gain immortality. Yes. He would need a long life to unveil the secret of life and death. He did all of that in hope that he could revive his dear Orlane who had died hundred years ago.

Count Saazbaum befriended her father, Dr. Troyard, for the experiment. Dr. Troyard died in an accident. Not that she care actually, since he had never tried to find her when she had gotten separated and lost when she was little, but Count Saazbaum looked for her and took her under his protection. The Count said he couldn't understand his friend's thought of why he left his daughter; he didn't think it's right; so he looked for and adopted her after his death. Besides...

He was reminded how it felt to be human when he took care of her.

He made a good father, indeed.

But Slaine also knew that he, very much, was a vampire. On one of his monstrous thirst he could finished off an entire village. That was....

.....but still. After all he had done. He was her father. Her scientist human father hardly ever cared for her. But this vampire was....

She stumbled upon the root of a big tree. She never knew this place had some kind of forest-like garden inside. Was it really a small building on the Rhoden street? It was crazily big!

Before she got up, a hand pointed a gun to her. It was that store owner. He stared at her; his face was as expressionless as a doll.

She sarcastically smiled. She bitterly thought that, a living doll like him would never understood--no use to talk about feelings to him. And she was really sure that he hated her--the human daughter of the vampire count.

She pointed at her forehead.

Kaizuka Inaho was quiet for a while. He then stepped closer, grabbed Slaine cheeks, and kissed her between her eyes.

"What...?" Fully flushed, Slaine forced the shop owner away. His kiss tasted human. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"

"I'm taking the fine of strolling in my secret garden without my permission." He didn't show that it was a big deal, at all. "Let's go. You are starting to work today. Change your dress and help me deliver Mr.Zurek's good." He walked away, assuming that Slaine would follow him like a good, obedient, puppy.

Slaine hated him. She deeply hated him. But then, what could she do about it?

Yeah. She needed the job. Whatever it might be. However odd the employer was.

She got up and followed him.

* * *

Slaine was relieved that she didn't have to wear that frilly red dress.... she was wearing black suit now--posing as a puppet butler.

Why she should act as a living doll? She didn't know, and Inaho didn't answer to her question about that. He only said that her job was all depended on how well she acted as a wireless marionette. So she did that, although she really couldn't understand why.

Her acting skill was wonderful; since she'd gotten used to do it to survive in this harsh world. Entering the red-stoned castle... People there were all looking at her: from the foot guard until the Count Zurek himself.

"Look at that...."

"What a marvelous porcelain doll....and he’s moving!"

"I bet he is one of Mr.Kaizuka's newest inventions.... "

"......he made that machine so beautifully.... "

".....how much he costs.... I wanna have him!"

Slaine wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. But she kept her soulless smile and limited-movement. Yes. She was a doll now--a walking mannequin that displayed the rainbow crystal for Count Zurek in front of all the people in this castle.

Now after the crystal had been given, she had to wait in the garden--while Inaho had a lunch with the count and his court. That brunet was really cruel... She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday! Still, it couldn’t be helped. She was a doll now and a doll didn’t eat. She had to endure hunger for the money!

* * *

In the castle dining room…

"I never thought that you would allow... it…to work with you." The Count of the Land of Music and Book, Zuurek, said in a low voice, careful as not to be heard by any other people except the merchant. "You know who I mean... Your doll."

"I'm glad you realize it. I'm here to show it to you. I employ anyone who is willing to work hard. And it fulfills my criteria." Inaho flatly answered.

"I see... " Zurek sliced his steak and gulped it. "After you truly know about that you still take it under your wing. That's you, indeed. Have you told it about that?"

"......I won't let it know."

"....'cause if it knows, it won't work for you...?"

"Exactly. And I hope you would respect my selfish wish. I want it to be by my side." Inaho drank his wine.

"I see... I'll keep quiet."

"You have my thanks."

"It's me who shall thank you for the crystal."

Inaho nodded without saying anything as both of them stood, and shook hands.

* * *

Slaine kept her 'professional-doll' composure although the people around her, while she was waiting at the garden without Inaho around, were not that really nice.

They snickered, whispered, commenting about her inhuman composure--how they wished to own 'that doll' and 'play on the bed' with it etc. She tried not to care. She remembered people had done things far than that when they knew she was Slaine Troyard, the adoptive human daughter of a fallen Count vampire. Almost gang-raped. Nearly killed. Chased by an entire village with the people carrying stones... Days of hunger in the forest.... Groups of people hunted her, trying to catch her...perhaps to be sold as sex slave or pet? She didn't want to imagine further.

She had worked hard to conceal her identity and worked hard to save money secretly. Now Inaho displayed her throughout the palace like this... Wouldn't it be dangerous for him too if only others knew--particularly the count of the land he was living in--her true identity? She really didn't know what's going on in his head...

She was relieved when she saw Inaho walked to her. That brunet was expressionless, more like a doll than human. But she felt safer when he was near, and he was all she had now.

'No. Not in a romantic way--he is the shop owner and I'm his employee. That's all!' Slaine hastily thought as she followed him wordlessly to the stable.

They got in the carriage that had a mechanical six-legged horse pulling it. It was Inaho's. Slaine observed that the brunet was really good in making that kind of things aside that he was a merchant.

When they had been far from the castle, Inaho shoved an apple to Slaine's hands.

"This is... "

"Eat."

".....??"

"You haven't eaten at all since you came into my store."

Well, yeah, it's true. Still, what's with this sudden gift? Well... since she was hungry... She didn't question it further.

She ate it. It’s delicious, but she really didn't like how the brunet was observing her every movement now. That kinda drained the taste away....

".....let's pass you on as a doll... "

".....why?" 'It is you who look so convincing as a doll, flat expression and everything.' She thought.

"......that way I can make you wear pretty clothes; for sure that will increase my sales. Moreover, people can't disturb you since they will know you as my delicate property." He put another apple in Slaine's hand. "I'll make them pay an obnoxiously high fine if they ever touch you."

'Ah....he only thinks about money... ' Slaine bitterly thought. "Do as you wish." She airily said and ate her second apple--chose not to care much about how Inaho was watching her as if she was some kind of interesting specimens.

So long as he didn't hurt her, it's fine...

* * *

And so the masquerade had been set.

Slaine dressed up and acted like a doll, every day, and Inaho didn't give her any day off.

There were times when she was wearing tuxedo, or blue shirt, or red military uniform. There were also times when she was wearing frilly lolita gown or fluffy costumes. It all depended on what Inaho pointed at in the dress room every morning.

.....and Inaho made her clean the store, whenever that store owner felt like her to do it, in those costumes. Imagine how difficult it could be to clean while wearing a delicate dress! And she's the one who had to wash the dirty clothes, plus Inaho's dirty ones too. Just imagine the mountain of fabric....

But Slaine needed money. So she did her job without any protest, no matter whether actually she liked it or not......and no matter how strange things happening inside the household, she didn't ask much questions...

Such as, sometimes a heavy rain fell on the garden while on the street the sun shone bright. Another example: the store was inhumanly clean when she first came there. But when she started to get the responsibility to clean it...she realized that it took a whole one day just to clean one room of the store. How could the store owner clean his entire house before he got her as his only one versatile worker?

Was Inaho a sorcerer? But when Slaine cleaned up his bedroom she didn't find anything that looked like related to magic. And she never saw him waving a wand. Besides, wizard in this era was remained a few, and they choose to live in seclusion like in a mountain or forest or in the middle of cemetery... So perhaps no...

But then, how could those rooms be so clean back then? Machine? But if so, why he didn't use the machine again?

And the mystery was only going deeper.

One afternoon, after Slaine failed (again) to clean the front room thoroughly. Inaho stared at a speck of dust inside the displayed crystal cup, and monotonously said, "you forgot to clean this one too."

"....I'm truly sorry about that..."

"It's okay. It felt more human this way. I like it."

"Hhhuh?? "

"Lately the customer who comes is also a commoner. That's nice."

Slaine seriously thought that Inaho spoke same words but entirely different language to her.

Inaho also made her to sleep in that household. Or to be more exact, on one of the sofa in the dress room, in a costume he prepared every night. Forget holiday--it seemed like she had to work there 24 hours a day--even when she was sleeping; and her job was to be his doll. Oh wait, but he ordered her to act as human as she usually be when there's no customer around, so.... Really, Slaine couldn't understand Inaho's way of thinking!

She was not allowed at all to step out of the store without his permission, and she very rarely ever went outside--only when Inaho wanted to deliver good together with her. Although, she had to admit that she was being safer in the store, more than when she had to run and hide from people who hated her.

But it was a big problem when she had to deliver gold coins to the witch who had promised of giving her father's freedom.

"Where is the address of place you're going to? What is your purpose?" Inaho asked without raising his head from the accounting he did on his big black book in his wooden room at the middle of the garden.

’This town’s cemetary. To meet Femianne.’ There’s the answer but how could Slaine say that? She had to keep that as secret! "It's..... Um.... I can't tell you but I have to go…."

"I refuse to accept such a shady reason. Answer to my question honestly."

'He is playing difficult. Is the sale going down so much that his mood is bad now? But he said there's more customers around recently...I don't understand him!' Slaine took a deep breath, and said as politely as she could for now, "I am very sorry, Master, but I'm afraid I can't answer those questions. I can only say that I'll be back when morning comes."

"Then my answer is no. Get back to your room and sleep well. Good night."

"I understand. I apologize for intruding. Good night." Slaine bow down and closed the door.

She decided she would go out secretly.

Yeah, although....

The dress she was using now was really bothering her; first, she wore two layers of undergarments. Then, she wore frilly white gown with super ruffle skirt with layered upper sleeves. That dress had many flower ornaments attached, big white ribbon on the chest and two long pearly chains on her right and left waist. And she wore corset! And she wore big bright red ribbon on her hair. And she could not wear all those things by herself! She should not change her clothes if she didn't want him to know, so her biggest challenge would be: not to make that dress dirty. Well, she's kinda experienced in moving carefully in a delicate dress thanks to Inaho's order.

If that bad mood store owner knew that she disobeyed him, big possibility he would fire her.

But the worst case Slaine feared was that Inaho new the sorcerer who was helping her and told the Red Sand or the authorities of this land about it. There would be no chance for her to meet her father again. She didn't want that to happen.

Still.... She had to go tonight, at the full moon of the 13th month, to meet the witch of the death fists, Femianne. That witch had agreed to free Saazbaum if Slaine gave her a certain amount. She couldn't pay it all now; but she had to give money to her every that full moon, or else Femianne would broke their contract.

So here Slaine was, climbing the garden's stone wall outside the dress room, in that delicate dress, trying very hard not to ruin it. When she finally got through she was face to face with stretch of trees and bushes.

'Another garden? This place is definitely big.' Slaine walking around to look for the end of this garden, only with the help of the moonlight.

......the garden was so big.... It was like a forest, but strangely she hadn't found animals yet.

...It was so silent....only the sound of wind and rustling leaves...

....eerie.....

.....was this place still the part of the house in Rhoden Street on the Land of Music and Book? At this rate, she doubted it; she had been walking for so long...

Now she remembered: there's a magical door that could open the door to everywhere. There's possibility that one of the door in Inaho's house led to some place near the forest... The dress room had windows that connected to this 'garden', while the corridor before was so dark and windowless, so perhaps the 'anywhere door' was that door to the dress room. And probably it's connecting the Rhoden street house to eerie forest somewhere. Slaine felt so stupid that she had just realized it now...

....and so she was walking in this scary place she didn't know. And she couldn't find a way back to the tall cement fence--to the safety of Inaho's place. She practically was getting lost.

She heard a roar, and then slithering sound.

What creature was that?

'Calm down...calm down...calm down…' She tried to walk as fast as possible. But she was tripped, and fell down.

There came a roar again, this time closer. Slaine didn't care that her dress was dirty and torn here and there. Not anymore. She ran as fast as she could. No matter how many times she had to fall or being scrapped by the branches.

There's a heavy sliding sound behind her. It was closer and closer. Slaine looked back, hoping to see how far she was to whatever thing which had been pursuing her.

Big mistake.

She stumbled because of the uneven roots and fell on the slanting land, tumbling down. And before she knew it she was going free fall into the unknown darkness.

Luckily she could grab the nearest vine of some plants and she could stop her fall. Her hands were bleeding but she tightly clung to that thorny vine while her feet were trying to find crevasse between the stone to stepped onto.

She got it.

She tried to go up but her footing gave in. Not too long the vine Slaine's holding onto was snapped.

* * *

Inaho opened his big secret cupboard behind the bookcase in his room, and then he took out a camera. Tonight he would do that again.

People might call him creepy or stalker or whatever, he didn't care (as usual). He was just being honest to himself...doing things that he enjoyed.

Just like the night before, he's going to take photos of sleeping Slaine in a dress.

He liked Slaine. He had been since long time ago… He was first knew Slaine far before she was adopted by Count Saazbaum. It was twelve years after his 'birth'.

Have you ever heard of Pinocchio? Well, that puppet wasn't the only one. The fairy was also granted the wish of turning a doll into a living human child for other blessed people around the world. Inaho was made 27 years ago at the Land of the Rising Sun. Just like Pinocchio, he had to overcome many tribulations to gain a 'heart'. He had travelled across countries, land and seas...in the form of living marionette--a 50cm tall marionette, together with his human father and sister.

One day, on one of their journey, he was deceived and trapped, and sold to the circus….where he first met little Slaine there. She was around 7 years old--she'd gotten separated from her father in his scientific journey and she ended up in that place. He never heard of him looking for her.

They had planned to run away from the circus together....and yes, they could run....

But Slaine was caught again, and Inaho didn't help her that time as if only he had helped her, he could have not escaped.

He was still a doll that lacked of 'heart' back then.

He successfully came back home to his father and sister, but...

Years....and years......and years, he realized that he always thought of that pale blond girl--Slaine Troyard.

......he learnt guilt.

.......he learnt love.

He had become flesh and bone human eight years later. His magician father had passed away, and his sister had been married.

And he was still thinking of Slaine Troyard.

So he continued the journey to find her--as a merchant and as an inventor.

When he came to the Land of Music and Books, and sold Little Orange Soldiers to the Land of the Red Sand’s authorities, he finally found her.

Slaine was strong willed, kindhearted and pretty....all that he ever remembered about her.

But she had become the adoptive daughter of a vampire count... He was really worried of her being there just as that vampire's snack--a worry that turned into anger toward Count Saazbaum.

And he had chosen to only see her through the lenses of his inventions, as he concluded she would be really mad at him if she knew that he was 'that marionette'. He decided it would be best to meet her through their exchange of blows that time... So long as he could see her, it's enough...

But perhaps due to that, then things had gotten even worse.

One day Slaine decided to let his Orange machines got through. Usually she laid many traps on the castle--she was so excellent in that--he's kinda enjoying trying to get through her traps before...But then she let them go and her vampire father was caught, and Slaine had to run away--hide for her life.

.......more or less....he had hurt her......again.

That's when Inaho decided he would find her and take her home. He didn't mind if she would hate him for the rest of her life--he would certainly keep her on the safest place he could afford!

So he put an ad on his store to look for persons who could help him to find her. Still after around 100 men he had employed it was difficult to find that human daughter of the vampire.

......until his wanted little woman came into his store, by herself, dressed as a young man, looking for a job. He knew there's possibility for that--albeit very small one; since there's rumour that she was looking for a way to free her father through money, so she desperately needed job. But still...for Inaho, seeing Slaine walked in through his front door made he believed that miracles do happen.

And, Inaho had chosen to play safe, not telling her everything: that he was that marionette Slaine met at the circus. The feeling he had toward her all this time......and that it's impossible for her to safe Saazbaum as he had died in the prison. No one but the higher-up knew about that. His death was kept as a secret as not to angered other currently-hiding from(didn't care with)-the-world Vampire clans; he was died because of experiment for immortality held by the Red Sand. Karma surely dances...

Inaho quietly opened the door to the dress room. He looked at the rows of dresses in that moonlit room, and smirked. Had Slaine ever realized that all these dress had Inaho gathered for her? In the past, all he could do was imagining her in those costumes. Now, he really had her by his side; there's no greater joy than that.

But soon, he found out that no one was there.

Inaho ran out to the garden and walked along the wall, carefully looking for clue; the way Slaine behave when she was asking permission to go out was odd--now that he thought about it. She might be up to something...

He wished she didn't go outside the wall... He had bought this place from his father's wizard friend. It was deep inside the forest of Aukhayan, and connected to the Rhoden street through an anywhere door. He could operate the system of the door, but not the wall. If only he was able to do anything to it he would programmed it not to allow a certain someone going outside. There's big snake with black mane out there!

Inaho gritted his teeth as he saw a footprint on the soil near the base, and a bit of mud left at the top of that stone wall.

He ran back to his room, grabbed his back and brought everything that he would need to rescue someone who got lost in a jungle.

He decided if he found her he would be honest to her about everything!.....well, perhaps not all; it would depend on the situations. But, he's sure to tell her his feeling and make her sleeping in his room. He was not going to let her go. Never!

* * *

The castle was set in a blaze. The humanoid machine, Orange Soldier, marched through every corridor downstairs. The bloody bat beasts couldn't defeat them as they got no blood to be sucked. The traps around the castle had been malfunctioned.

Slaine ran to the vampire count room at the topmost tower in the west. This place had ended. And she's going to die together with the man she hated....but nevertheless still she loved the most--her vampire father.

When she arrived, Saazbaum was standing in front of a door made of glass. Behind it's clear lid Slaine could see enormous green field under starlit sky. It was anywhere door.

Slaine never knew her father had that. She realized he could easily run away using that...

But before she thought further that vampire grabbed her arm, opened the door, whispered that he wanted great grandchildren, shoved her to the prairie and closed it. Slaine tried to open it again, pushing it, slamming at it. But, even if her hands were bleeding because of it her father refused to open that door. The last memory of him for her was his sad smile.

The clear glass door then smashed into pieces from the other side.

Slaine jolted awake.

Pain shot through her right leg as she tried to move. She felt her lungs burning and it was hard to breathe. It seemed the fall had cost her some broken bones... She couldn't move that much. But still, she was lucky as there was a part of that cliff which was projected, so she had landed there instead of to the unknown darkness further down there.

She cried, but it wasn't because of the pain all over her body.

She missed her father.

Suddenly she heard a loud roar from above, and the sound of falling rubble. She struggled to lie face down and protect her head with her arms--luckily they were just wounded and not broken. Some stones hit her shoulders and waist. Slaine couldn't know how big they were, but their impact was painful.

.........she wished she should have just died.

But then she remembered her father. She gritted her teeth; she had to live to save him.

The falling debris stopped, but the roar continued on. Whatever creature there had stopped thinking of going down to get her--but it was still waiting up there.

What to do?

First thing first, she had to stop her bleeding. She tore her dirty rumpled worn-out sleeves and ruffled skirt to bandage her palms and lower left arm--as best as a wounded person could.

She found some fallen branches to support her right leg, but couldn't even manage to stand. What should she do?

The roar stopped. But Slaine couldn't make sure whether the creature was leaving or looking for another way to reach her. She must not assume she had been saved. What to do...?

She heard the cracking sound of twigs and fallen leaves under her body.

Well, perhaps she could make fire? Animals should be afraid of fire, and perhaps someone up there would find her. It would be difficult with her dampened-by-blood hands--she couldn't properly stop her bleeding, but she got no other choice.

Sounds of blast were heard. Thrice. And the creature roared again. The ground shook. Slaine could feel some rubble fell on her again although not much.

Was there someone? Or was it another creature? Slaine didn't know, but she had to try to scream for help. She took a deep breath, but before she voiced for help her chest felt burned and she coughed up blood. She lied down to calm her breath. She felt cold. She had just realized that the fallen leaves under her had been dampened by blood.

Slaine felt extremely sleepy and tired. She closed her eyes, intending to sleep a bit...just a bit...

"......!!!!!!!"

She heard a voice, was there someone calling?

".....laine.........! Slaine....!!"

It's Inaho's voice. Slaine tried to wake up, but she couldn't move at all. She couldn't scream either. What should she do?

She fought her drowsiness by trying to grab nearest twig and hit the stone on the ground with it--hoping to catch attention. Its sound wasn't loud enough. She tried to spot bigger things which she could be using. Or perhaps it would be better for her to try screaming again?

She took air as much as as possible, but in the end she coughed, and coughed, hard.

Then suddenly a bright orange--10cm diameter--robot landed in front of her. Lazy-looking eyes installed there were watching her in silence. Its propeller on top of it stopped, and it turned out to be in the form of stalk and leaves.

What an ugly new design; this one was far more childlike than the small humanoid-like orange-colored robot Slaine had known before, but she didn't hate it. Not at all. In fact for now she felt it was the cutest thing on this planet--just like its owner.

No way she would say that to him, though.

* * *

Showered by the moonlight, Inaho was carrying Slaine, bridal style. The orange robots were flying around them. He noted that his wanted woman didn't talk much. Was she asleep?

"....Slaine Troyard?"

"Hm."

Inaho smiled, and stopped saying anything. He focused on the path.

"....ry"

"Hm? What is it, Bat?"

"....'m sorry... I ruin your dress..."

Inaho looked at her: covered in dirt and dried blood. He had decided he would be honest....but he felt the difficulties now. "....it's... How should I say it... It's already yours."

"Haha... of course... I ve to....buy from you now....that it torn like this... "

"No. No..." He took a deep breath, 'I've been stalking you this whole time and buying those dress imagining you wearing them; so the dress was basically yours. Plus I like to secretly taking photos of you.... No. Choose other dictions!' ".....I give it to you. All the clothes in the dress room is yours."

"....really....?" It's hard to believe. Why? Oh, but Slaine was so drowsy now, she felt like to sleep more than asking any further question; she could ask it tomorrow, so she whispered, "Thank you...." and closed her eyes.

A stretching silence, and then, "Bat."

"Hn?"

"........I was a marionette."

"Hn. You look like a doll...really--"

"I am sorry for leaving you at the circus back then."

".........."

"I've been looking for you, you know."

"............."

"When I found out that you're with a vampire, I was really worried."

"....................."

"And then you're missing..... It's so hard looking for you. I was a doll before. I never knew that this kind of feeling could exist--it's stertorous, painful, particularly when you're not with me........But, it's beautiful and it makes me grateful--I'm grateful to have known you, Slaine Troyard. You may not be away from me again. Never. I won't allow you. You have to marry me. Bat, are you listening?"

Slaine nodded, but she couldn't say anything as she had been silently crying. Inaho hugged her, protectively.

It was a gentle night. Both of them were finally coming back to the place they could call home, together.

- end -

OMAKE

Slaine: Say…how do you keep this house clean before I came?

Inaho: *raise up the Orange robot*

Slaine: Oh, good, it can help me clean then.

Inaho: No.

Slaine:…..why?

Inaho: I like to see you cleaning.

Slaine: *threw the orange into Inaho’s face*

Thank you very much for reading this -^_^-

#ALDNOAH ZERO #az anthology #Yui Minatsuki #doll #Inaho x Fem!Slaine #inaho kaizuka #slaine troyard #orangebat #AZ #inasureanthology

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