A/N: Another bloody Monday. Yay. I never have enough time to do anything on Mondays, its always work, work, work, from sunup to sundown...
*yawns*
Had to take a step back to reassess someone stories without a cowriter.
Slifer and Dylan have their hands full with RWBY and ELDEN RING atm, Ronin is still recovering and Dark seems to have gone...well...Dark.
But here we are.
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. More every day it seems. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought with my health being the way it is. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
No questions this time. Folks complained, so only story~!
Alrighty, then I've kept you waiting long enough. As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes, or memes. Not a wit or a one!
Seriously. I mean that. They're tributes to legends far greater than a measly writer like me...
Now its time for sweet, sugary, silly fluff. May it bright your day in these dark times.
"Beware the good man.
A wicked man will try to kill you; that's all you need to worry about.
But a good fellow, he'll listen to you, talk to you, sway you, and before you know it...you agree with him.
Funny how that works, innit?
~?
Seventh Bite (Appetizer)
"CASSAAANDRA! Come here! Now!"
Oh, dear. Mother sounded angry.
Very angry indeed.
Cassandra came as called of course; she knew better than to refuse Mother; certainly not in the absence of Father. She was quite pleased to find Bela and Daniela had already answered the call and arrived in the foyer well beforehand-although both her older and younger sisters looked just as baffled as she felt.
"Get dressed, the lot of you." Mother commanded, pacing too and fro. "He's been gone for seven days! SEVEN! We're done waiting."
Bela raised a hand. "What are we doing, exactly?"
Alcina smiled.
It was not a nice smile.
"We, my daughters, are going for a walk."
(.0.0.0.)
Naruto was...kind.
Donna didn't know what to do with kindness.
It was an enigma to her, utter confusion; spirits knew she'd received so little of it herself in the past.
Mother Miranda had been kind, or at least she seemed so in in hindsight, but Donna had come to realize that too, was a lie. She knew better now, having experienced it for herself. True kindness wasn't doled out in tiny crumbs given to a starving mouse. Kindness wasn't measured in words nor acts or deeds.
It just...was.
Kindness was warm and gentle and good; it was sitting on the sofa with her, fussing over her as no one -not even her parents!- ever had before.
After all she'd made him see, all the terrible torment she'd inflicted upon him with her hallucinations, Naruto would have been well within his rights to kill her. Or barring that, lock her away somewhere, throw away the key, and leave her to rot. She certainly would've done the same to someone who forced her to see her worst fears made manifst.
But he hadn't and he didn't; instead, he'd stayed.
Actually remained within her manor for the better part of a week now, not to hurt or harm her, or even watch her. On the contrary. He was helping. He'd proven himself patient and good and kind and oh gods she wanted to keep him now and she had no idea what to do!
She was supposed to hate him! He was the enemy! Mother Miranda's enemy! Her enemy!
.
..
...wasn't he?"
"Donna? I need you to stay still."
She kept her eye closed and grumbled under her breath. "M'sorry...
"Don't be." she heard the low rumble of his laughter in the dark. "This is just more difficult than I thought...
You could heal physical damage time and again but mental scars, wounds of the spirit...those were not so quick to close, let alone heal. Only time and pleasant company could hope to mend those.
Perhaps that was her fault; she'd wanted to cling to the ideal of what Mother Miranda was; of what she thought she -a mother!- should be in her heart. Kind, caring, always there for her children when they were in pain, an immutable, unshakable pillar.
Reality was often disappointing.
Mother Miranda had not sent word. She had not come for her. She had not tried to rescue her. She had done nothing. No less than nothing, because Dona had been one to act without her permission. Perhaps this was her way of punishing her. Donna knew she was damaged; that she wasn't quite right. No one in this village was. They were wretched, with or without Mother's guiding grace. Happiness was not for them. She'd thought such time and time again.
But if reality was often disappointing, then destiny could be quite surprising.
A finger flicked her forehead. "Stay. Still! I've almost got that damn bug out of your head...
She settled back down with a sullen sigh. Was this how it felt to have a family? To have the simple grace of kith and kin? Naruto gave that grace -gave of himself!- without even being asked. His heart was too big not to. She'd been a fool to hate him. Donna saw that now; was beginning to understand that she'd been...well, wrong. It still galled her a little to admit it.
Even so she didn't think she deserved this. Didn't deserve him.
"Almost...got it it...
Donna tried to stay still, but it was becoming increasingly difficult for her -and agitating to say the least. It felt like he was reaching deep inside her to touch the innermost parts of her being...well, when you said it like that it sounded dirty now, didn't it? Felt like it too. He had both hands on either side of her head like a perfect gentleman, but she could feel his -what had he called it? Chakra?- pulsing through her in a searing scarlet tide, flowing through her, filling her up, burning away the taint in her blood like a great cleansing fire.
Was this how the Dimitrescu family felt when he was with them?
All told, it was not a unpleasant feeling. It certainly felt warm enough!
Little mewling gasps fled from her lips as she squirmed where she sat. "This feels...strange...
"I know it does, but this Cadou thing's in your brain, and I can't yank it out without killing you, so I'm trying to do something...else about it." Even with her eye closed she could hear the strain in his voice. "Damn tumor doesn't want to go quietly...
"Ah!" Another jolt surged through Donna's body as she nearly jumped into his lap. Her face felt unbearably hot; the mere act of breathing now drew little gasps from her lips. "Be careful!"
"Sorry!" a faint pressure registered in her temples, "It would be easier if you stopped making those noises...
"I can't -ahn!- help it!" she growled back. "This is your fault! Not mine!
Angie would've laughed at her if she were holding her. Naruto had forbade it; that was probably for the best given the pain of this procedure. Right now, it was all she could do to focus, let alone remain conscious. So warm. Too warm. She felt the Cadou parasite growing uncomfortably warm in her skull; and the right side of her face -and all its scars- had begun to itch something fierce.
"Gotcha." she heard him hiss. "Hold on. This'll hurt."
It did. He gave her something to bite down on.
Agony! Pain! Suffering!
Donna felt the parasite in her skull for an awful instant; felt the moment it didn't so much melt as it did meld with her. Strengthen her. Enhance her. Had her eye been open, she would've seen the plants in the room begin to grow, stretching their roots toward her. One curled a root across her hand to comfort her. As thing stood she kept her eyes quite closed, too busying riding out the pain to notice. And then:
"Tada~!" his cry of triumph rattled her world. "Alright! You can look now!"
"...?"
Donna opened her eyes.
Waitaminute. Wait just one bloody minute.
Eyes? For the longest time, she'd only had the one. Her face had been hideous, scarred and disfigured. Taking on the Cadou parasite hadn't helped. She'd been a wretched thing, hiding her visage behind a veil. It wasn't now; because Naruto had just pushed a handheld mirror into her hand. She gazed upon it. Her reflection stared. As startled young woman blinked back at her. She looked...
"Beautiful." the word tumbled from her lips in a naked whisper as she touched her perfect, unblemished face. "I'm beautiful...
"Bah!" Naruto's scoff had her looking up. "You were beautiful already without it.
Donna peeked through her fingers. Her face was practically pink. "Really? No one's ever said that to me...
The door smashed open before he could answer.
"There you are!" Alcina stormed inside, ducking her head to clear the archway as she did. Donna dearly wished she hadn't; it made her golden eyes all the more terrifying when she raised her gaze. "Oh, dear." She looked at Naruto for all instant; then those piercing orbs settled upon her promising pain. "You've taken that which is mine, Donna. I do hope you're ready to pay the price...
Her lower lip trembled.
Naruto quirked a brow. "Ahem?"
Alicna glared his way, the heat in her eyes blazing to new heights. "And why have you lingered here, hmm? You'd best explain yourself!"
The blond growled back. "I was trying to help her!"
"My dear, this one is far beyond help!"
"That's not for you to decide!
Donna trembled. "...not fair."
Lady Dimitrescu rounded on her. "I beg you pardon?"
"Its not fair!" the dam in her heart burst and the words went with it, washing away her self control. "Why should you have him all to yourself?!" she stomped a foot like the child she still was at heart, throwing a tantrum. "Its not fair, its not fair, IT ISN'T FAIR!" Her heart ran riot in her chest and gods her eyes were stinging, but she didn't care, only that her solace, this brief moment of respite, was being wrenched away from her. Just like everything else in her life . "Why do you get to have all the nice things?! What about me?!
Naruto blew out a sigh. "See what I mean? She's a mess. How could I not try and help her?"
...enough."
Alcina moved. Donna closed her eyes. This was it, then. Her death.
She braced herself for a stabbing pain and a sudden stop.
It never came. Slim arms wrapped around her.
"Blast you and your bleeding heart...
She was carried back to the Dimitrescu manor in short order.
A/N: Sweet fluffly goodnsess.
So? Should this continue to be a story? Yay or nay! Really need to hear from you guys and girls here. Helps a lot.
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story...and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular...? Well, I'll not be able to continue it. I'm working two jobs with ever-increasing hours so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matter! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustains me. Without them, I cannot write a single word. Simple as that.
So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard! Your reviews matter!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews!
They're mostly the same. Mostly, but not all.
And spoilers for the DLC, though I'm sure everyone's played it by now.
(Previews)
Cassandra was waiting for him in the hall.
Naruto frowned at her. "...what are you up to this time?"
She tilted her head. "Have you ever gone hunting before?"
"Fascinating. I didn't know such a result was possible...
A most curious experiment indeed.
Perhaps I shall...partake."
"You must be pretty tough, huh?"
"Take a swing at me with that hammer. See what happens."
Alcina peered over his shoulder. "What ARE you doing?"
"Making something." He held it up for her. "See?"
Her eyes widened.
Moreau glowered at him. "We don't need you here. Leave."
"Whoa, hey! Where is this coming from?"
"You can't just take a kid!"
"I did her a service. The poor girl's practically feral. No one in the village wanted to look after her."
Little hands reached for him. At least, he assumed he was reaching. Naruto sighed.
"Well, she is kinda adorable-ouch! She bites!"
"I was first!"
"First at what?" He sat beside the girl.
She tucked her knees into her chest, bunching up her blue dress. "...who're you?"
EDIT: Hope these made you smile, and have a wonderful day~!
R&R~!
