A/N: Warning! This chapter may be a bit...intense for certain readers. There. You've been warned.
Read this note, would you kindly? Got some important info.
Big changes are coming to this site.
I'll say it plain, if this email opt-in business with the site doesn't get resolved soon, I'm probably going to retire.
It HURTS to say that, but with this new system, reviews and readers have dropped to an all time low, many authors are leaving the site in droves.
Sometimes the app helps. Sometimes it doesn't. All because of this.
If you're not already aware, ever since the 16th of November -almost two entire bloody months now!- you now have to turn ON your email alerts in account settings-MAKE SURE YOU CLICK SAVE SETTINGS!-else you won't be notified when anyone updates. No alerts, no email, no nothing. Apparently that's a thing we all have to do every ninety days or so, now. Alas, not many are aware of it...which is a problem. As things stand this new "fix" as it were, has cut everyone's viewership/reviewers in half because most folks don't know about it. Authors are leaving/quitting in droves because of this.
Sometimes opting in works. Sometimes it doesn't. Really depends. Hopefully the devs can fix tweak/update this system.
As ever the Embers rule persists, reviews are my fuel, my fire, my life. Without them, I lose all inspiration, all hope, all ability to write. That's no joke. I have so little time to write these days with two jobs, and silence hurts. So by all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard! Every bit of feedback, no matter how small or large, matters! Really, it helps a lot. Its a joy to talk with you all and bandy ideas back and forth; it really is. Sorry if this seems shorter than usual, working on a tight schedule here.
Only a few questions this time:
Q: Update schedule?
A: This month and December have been scuffed in terms of updates, due in no small part to the holidays and the like. My birthday is also coming up in a few days -and doesn't that just make me feel older?!- I have family coming up for that, so I'm debating whether I'll be able to update or not. That said, we'll be updating some of the Boys stuff next, a bit of RWBY and all the other popular ones. Just a matter of circling back to things as it were.
Q: Will you do a Pokemon story in honor of Scarlet and Violet?
A: Don't...don't tempt me. That's a colorful cast of characters, and I wouldn't even know where to start.
Q: Justice for Nagant! And a timeskip, please! And don't forget Inko!
A: You'll have your wishes. Well, at least two of those in this chapter...easier said than done, consider the previous "president" of the HPSC back in Nagant's era didn't have a given name. Guess we'll have to give him ne
Alright, I think I've kept you waiting more than long enough. With that said here we go.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes! They're merely tributes.
Not a wit or a one. They're merely tributes to legends far greater than I.
And finally, a warning. Spoilers. Goes without saying, I suppose.
Heeeeeere we go~!
"What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose.
And to show you, just what a shinobi...
...can really do."
~?
Just a Life
"I quit."
Quite the audacious statement, given how beautifully blunt it was. The president of the Hero Public Safety Commission almost found himself somewhat impressed by the boldness of it all; indeed under any other situation he might have applauded their arrogance. It was all but a declaration of war, an assault on everything he and the Commission stood for.
And worst of all...
.
..
...it hadn't even been delivered in person at that, but via proxy; by two words hastily scribbled on sticky note slapped on his desk for him to find come evening. A casual "screw you" from one of his subordinates, someone who didn't dare face him in person. He recognized the handwriting. Oh yes, he knew it well. Lady Nagant. Even if he hadn't, she'd all but signed her name below it.
The dishonor of it all. Not only had she failed to kill her target, but to think she would flee in such an unsightly manner.
She could have silenced Endeavor at least. But she'd failed even in that.
Worthless. Broken tools should be discarded. As she would be.
"Foolish child." he crumpled her note in his fist, growling under his breath as his quirk multiplied the force and broke it down. "If that girl, if Kaina Tsutsumi, thinks for a single moment that she can merely step away from us without repercussions, then she is sorely mistaken."
The lights died.
No word, no warning. One moment he was resolving himself to track that traitorous wretch down-in the next he found himself plunged into inky blackness. Even the light of full moon from his office window vanished before his very eyes. It was as if he'd plunged into a deep pit from which there was no escape. And yet he hadn't the slightest sensation of falling. What was this? Where was he? Was this a Quirk of some kind? A prank by one of his coworkers perhaps?
"What nonsense is this?" His voice echoed in the void. "Mark? Susan? Sally?"
Someone began to whistle. It echoed all around him; a low, ominous thing, yet almost peaceful in its finality.
"Stop that!" he pivoted in search of it, to no avail. The source couldn't be found. It only persisted. "I demand you cease at once...!"
A hand clamped down on his shoulder. Mistakes were made.
"Yo." a low, feral growl echoed behind him in the gloom; warm, fetid breath brushing his ear. "You're not afraid of the dark, are ya...?"
Fear. Mindless terror. Raw bloody dread.
Those six sinister words summed up the Commission Head's existence in an instant. For an awful moment he couldn't think. Couldn't move. Blink. Breathe. Nothing at all. It was a man who had spoken, he was certain of that much and yet he was also certain a monster was behind him. Yet he couldn't bring himself to turn around. He could not. He absolutely did not dare.
"Because if ya are," he felt clawed fingers bite down against the muscle of his shoulder, "Buddy, you're in the wrong line of work."
The will to live is a powerful thing; it overpowered his fear, if only for a moment. He whirled with a wordless gasp, grasping for his assailant with his right and. If he could just grab him, then...!
But nothing. The lights went up again. He turned and found himself alone.
Bathed in moonlight, standing behind his desk, just as before.
Nagant's note remained on the table, mocking him.
...just a dream?"
The Commission Head wanted to believe it was. He truly, dearly did.
And yet that awful feeling persisted. The whistling. That god awful whistling.
He collapsed into his chair, reached beneath his desk and came up with a clear glass alongside a dark green bottle; two things he always kept handy. After a moment's fumbling he uncorked the later and poured. Rich red sake flowed forth. Red like blood. He tried to ignore that last thought; poured now, with trembling fingers. Alcohol would soothe his ragged nerves, surely. A bead of sweat ran down his brow. Nervous laughter bubbled up and a harsh gulp of the drink chased it down. Doing so gave him some small semblance of comfort.
Maybe he was working too late. This was a matter best left for morning, a deed done in daylight hours.
Thusly fortified by his drink, the Commission Head reached for Nagant's note and made to destroy it.
"Pompous bitch," he muttered darkly to himself. "I'll have her head on a platter."
The lights flickered once more, briefly plunging him back into darkness.
"That was your last chance to walk away."
The Commission Head glimpsed something -someone!- in his peripherals. Whirled, now. No one was there. Yet he'd seen them all the same. His heart hitched; pounding in his ears like a pair of twin drums, beating loud, louder, loudest now, until the racing of his own pulse was all he could hear. With that, the last fraying thread of his courage finally snapped.
"Show yourself!"
Silence reigned supreme.
"Nagant?!" he burst to his feet with a snarl, raving in his rage. "Is that you?! Enough of this farce! If you think for one moment that you'll get out of here alive...!"
"..."
A muscle jumped in his jaw. "ANSWER ME!"
CRACK.
He didn't see the fist that struck him, but he certainly felt it. A mighty blow thundered into his gut and folded him clean in half. He doubled over with a wheeze, gagged now, and lost the hearty meal he'd eaten for dinner this evening. Even as he retched a hand closed around the back of his head and shoved his face into the muck, filling his nose with bile.
Fresh footsteps echoed behind him.
"I hear you like working in the shadows." that same rough voice hissed in his ear with the icy rasp of death itself. "So I thought I'd meet you in them. Fitting, isn't it?" he struggled, to no avail. That hand held firm, keeping his face planted in the vomit. "I was going to make this quick. Painless, ya know. But now that you've really pissed me off, we're going to do this nice...and...slow...
The lights clicked on again -bless that backup generator!- once more and the hand holding him vanished.
He thrashed upright with a sputter and ripped a handkerchief from his coat pocket to clean his face. The intruder allowed it. No attack came. Arrogance on their part. Didn't matter. The Commission Head flung himself to his desk and slammed his hand down on the panic button beneath it.
"Guards!" he mashed the little red alarm/intercom furiously. "There's an intruder! Someone! Anyone!"
"Don't bother." the voice came on again. "They've been dealt with."
He smashed the button again, hoping against hope. No response.
Down went the lights with a low wheeze. A hand seized him by the scruff his neck in the dark and hurled him away from the desk. His body struck the floor for all of an instant before a boot found his shoulder. Something wrenched in his collarbone; a dry wheeze fled from his lips as stars burst before his vision. No! No, no, no! Not like this!
"Why so serious?" that same boot turned him over onto his back, "You're not going to die...yet."
"What do you want?!"
"Really? You're crying already? I expected more you're the schmuck that messed with Lady Nagant's head." they stepped out the shadows, teeth gone sharp, eyes blazing red. "Nice ta meetcha."
He'd made no effort to hide his face. Not this time.
"You...!"
"Me." a savage kick launched him across the room, where he crawled away like a drunken crab. "Don't look so surprised. You knew this would happen sooner or later. Just as I know your kind. You treat your people like disposable assets, using them to do your dirty work until they just-
SNAP!
The Commission Head flinched as the man snapped his fingers.
-break." he finished with that same blinding smile. "As for you, you remind me of someone who used people much the same way. His name was Danzo. Wanna hear how he died?" A low chortled pervaded the ghastly gloom between them. "Screaming, or so I'm told. It wasn't a good end."
Death! This was death! He was going to die here...!
"K-Killing me won't change anything!" The Commission Head tried to rally, "Justice will prevail!"
"Justice?" For the first time since they'd met, Naruto's face lost its smile. "Is this what you call justice?" A fist whistled out, bloodying his nose. The Commission Head gurgled, only to find himself reeled in like a fish on a hook. "What a joke. The systems' broken. Strong bully the weak. Might makes right. Anyone who dares to oppose you finds themselves snuffed out. Take me for instance. I just wanted to live a normal life, but you guys just...kept...pushing. Y'see, you CLAIM you fight for peace. For order. But you don't, not really...
A hand grabbed him by his tie, hoisting him upright again, perilously close now.
"What you're really fighting for-well." a lone finger wagged before his face. "We both know the truth now, don't we? You fight to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. To blind them. You're safe, you say. Listen to us, you say. Trust in us, you say. Like sheep. What happens when the wolves come? What happens when people like Lady Nagant finally say enough?"
Deny, deny, deny!
"Lady Nagant?" the words babbled out of him. "I haven't the foggiest idea who you mean. Why would I be interested in a failed-
Gold light flashed. Blood spattered the walls. A squealing shriek followed.
"Her name is Kaina." Red eyes blazed in the gloom. "And she's not here to stop me right now. I ain't in the mood for your brand of bullshit...
"You fiend! You won't get away with this! You won't win!"
A hand closed around his face.
...I already have."
(.0.0.0.)
Time marched on, as all things do.
Not quickly by any means or measure, but gradually, a slow bitter battle of attrition waged day by day.
Naruto settled into something of a curious routine as the weeks melded into months; by day train Tenko and Toya in the morning, fix lunch for young Fuyumi and Natsuo -who were warming up to him! Ha! Sweet, sweet progress!- come afternoon entertain baby Shoto and try to get him to walk with Rei...
And by night?
By night he and Nagant sacked any villains they could find and robbed them blind.
It was a strangely fulfilling cycle...bar a few hiccups.
As expected news of Endeavor's defeat eventually reached the masses; also expected was the subsequent cover up that followed. Details of his "missing" family were kept under wraps for a time, if not by the HPSC then by others who wished to preserve the status quo. Some news outlets argued that more was afoot for a time, and a reward was offered for their safe return, but soon enough, another spectacle occurred somewhere and the world inevitably moved on.
Instead, the chaos he'd caused at the HPSC was blared for all to see. They deemed him a threat to public safety and order.
HA!
In the end, Naruto wasn't all that surprised by the farce, though he was disappointed. It only served to further vindicate his views, validate the voracious villainy in society as a whole. At the end of the day people loved a scandal, but they didn't want their precious worldview to be broken either. They'd happily close their eyes and ears to the suffering of others so long as it they were able to live in their perfect little bubble...
.
..
...it made him sick.
"You're thinking too much again."
"Hmm." he glared at the newspaper and the headline. "Maybe I am. Its been nearly three months. I'm trying to plan for the future. You can cut the head off a snake, but the HPSC is still around and they've been...quiet. Too quiet." the paper bunched in his grasp. "I don't like it. We've been keeping a low profile, but we're gonna need more funds soon."
"Then go out tonight with Nagant and fleece a few villains. Easy, no?"
"Easy he says. Its getting harder and harder to find-
"How do I look?"
"Look?" Naruto tore his gaze away from the newspaper. "Whaddya mean Reeeeiii?!"
His words trailed off into a startled yelp, jaw popping open with a disbelieving croak as he saw Rei Todoroki in her entirety. In hindsight he vaguely remembered her mentioning a disguise for herself, but as days went by and nothing materialized after that first month, he'd assumed she'd given up on it. More fool he! She'd grown her hair out alright, but he hadn't expected her to go this far.
Who could have?!
For he found himself looking upon a stranger; a dangerous woman wearing a black and white uniform with an open bosom and a matching cap besides. Long pale stockings sheathed her legs up to midthigh, leading into a scandalously short skirt that left precious little to the imagination. He tore his gaze away from the latter and willed himself to look her in the eye. It was still her. She'd disguised herself well and he had to squint to see it, but that was still Rei under the disguise, even if he couldn't quite comprehend it.
"Well?" she planted a fist on her hip, opting for a weak smile. "I worked hard on this."
Ten words came to find, fractured though they were. "What did you do and how did you do it?!"
"Shhh! Shhh!" She hissed at him in a panic and frantically and pushed a finger against his lips to silece him. "You'll wake the children! I just put Shoto down for a nap!"
"You...!" Naruto nearly shouted, paused, took a deep breath to steady himself, then whispered fiercely. "Your hair! Blue!" The words babbled out of him. "Eyebrows too! How?!"
She'd mentioned dying her hair but to go so far...?!
"It washes out!" Rei waved her hands frantically. "I checked! Twice!"
Naruto heaved a sigh, letting his panic bleed away. "Good. I...that's great."
"It is, isn't it? Do you," she squirmed a little under his intense gaze, "...like my hair?"
"When its normal, yes." His tongue ruthlessly betrayed him-he realized what he'd said a moment later and his face burned all the more for it. Her eyes locked onto his. "Sorry. I'm just not used to this disguise of yours."
Rei's meekness vanished for a moment, replaced by pleasant surprise. "That's...good to know. As for a hero name, I was thinking...Esdeath."
A blond brow rose. "Sounds ominous."
"Its meant to be!" She puffed out her cheeks with an adorable huff. Almost made him want to pat her head, it dead. "I want this disguise to be as far removed from the real me as possible. Its better that no one recognize me in public; if they do we won't just have what's left of the HPSC to worry about.
Well, he couldn't deny that. They'd have heroes and villains on their arses, all looking to collect the reward money. "...how long did it take you to put that outfit together, exactly?"
She looked away and twirled a strand of azure hair around her pointer finger. ...cently."
He frowned. "Come again?"
"I finished it just the other day, alright?!" She whirled away with a huff. "It took me awhile to get in touch with my contacts, let alone acquire the materials I needed."
The remark stung a little. She'd done all this without him? "I would've helped ya know."
Rei heard the hurt in his voice, bless her. "I know." she laid a hand on his. "But you've already done so much for me already. I wanted to do this myself. Something to help you, even if only a little."
"...I see."
He really didn't, but if this was truly what she wanted-what made her happy-then so be it. He'd grown not quite comfortable around her, not yet, but...used to her? Those were the best words he could think of. They were still sounding out the finer points of this "relationship", but judging by the way her eyes lit up, he had the distinct feeling he'd just taken a step in the right direction.
"You needn't worry." she dared to reach out and thread her fingers with his. "Disguise or no, I'm not going anywhere."
She stood up on the tips of her toes and kissed his cheek.
He shivered and pulled her closer.
A harsh crash echoed upstairs before they could go any further, punctuated by a shout. "Daaaad!" Toya's voice wailed from the game room, "Tenko won't give me a turn on the console!"
"Bullshit!" came the indignant squawk. "You've had it for the last two hours!"
"Have not!
Have too!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Yeah-huh!"
Rei patted his arm with a soft smile of her own. "I'll handle this. It'll be a good chance to surprise them...
Naruto palmed his face to hide his sigh as much as his smile.. "Don't scare them too badly...
He looked up to find the the tail end of Rei's long hair already disappearing upstairs.
"That settles it. She's a keeper."
Someone knocked on the door before he could agree.
"Huh." Naruto craned his neck toward the sound. "Wonder if that's Nagant...
The knocking intensified.
"Hello, hello~!" A cheery voice chimed through the wood. "Is anyone home?"
Not Nagant. Definitely not Nagant. She wasn't that chipper.
Still, he didn't sense any ill intent...
"Hold that thought."
Naruto paced towards it with a lazy sigh, unlocked the door, and swung it open a crack.
"Hello~!" someone thrust their face at him. "You wouldn't happen to be Uzumaki Naruto, would you? It took me an awfully long time to find this address...
He found himself face to face with a rather outlandish individual, a young woman unlike anyone he'd ever seen. Long pale lilac hair swept to her right side, full lips quirked in a faint smile, contrasting nicely with her blue skin. Even her eyes were unusual, in that her sclerae appeared completely black whereas her eyes were a vibrant, lively green.
Her outfit was just as vibrant; she wore golden earrings, a navy blue shoulderless dress and an X-shaped belt with a circular buckle around her waist alongside an unbuttoned salmon-colored jacket with black fur around the collar. All in all she made one think of a model, straight out of a magazine.
Which begged the question: why was she here on his doorstep?
"And you are...?"
"Curious!" she stood on the very tips of her toes, straining in her boots to get a better look at him.
He nearly laughed despite himself. "That's clever of you, but I'd prefer your given name."
"Tit-for-tat." she snapped her fingers. "I'll tell you mine if you give me yours."
"You already know it."
"Truly?" His response earned a bemused blink from her. "You really are bold, not bothering to hide your identity. Suppose that's one way to greatness. Chitose Kuzuki," she sketched a curtsy, "At your service. Might I have a moment of your time?"
"Lady, if you're here to sell me something, I ain't buying."
"Ha!" That drew a rich laugh from her. "I see your instincts as sharp as that tongue of yours! But here you are!" She raised her hands not to attack, but to form the crude shape of a square, framing him within as though she were taking a photo. "The man who beat down Endeavor! He who makes a fool of this so-called society, hiding in plain sight! You're everything I imagined you would be~!"
Kurama snorted. "Seems you have a fan."
A muscle jumped in his jaw. "You're not winning a lot of points with me right now...
"Sorry about that." much to his chagrin, the strange woman apologized. "I tend to get ahead of myself with these things. Allow me to be frank. Can I get an interview?"
Ah. His face fell into a deadpan. She was one of those people, then. "You can get lost instead."
He closed the door in her face.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Her voice piqued into an adorable yelp as she thrust a foot into the door to stop him, followed by an actual cry when he crushed her boot. "Just hear me out! We're on the same side!"
He scowled at her through the crack. "And what side is that?"
"The only side." she babbled on. "The right side." When it became clear that he wasn't going to let her through she wriggled an arm through and waved a business card in his face. He dodged her attempt to plant it in his pocket, much to her annoyed pout. "I'd like to invite you meet a few like-minded individuals. They're just like you. Neither heroes nor villains...
What was she implying? On a whim he asked a question of his own. "Does the word shinobi mean anything to you?
An innocuous blink followed. "No...?"
Pity. For a moment there he'd almost hoped...no, it didn't matter. "Then we have nothing more to discuss."
Evidently she disagreed. "Do you really think you can keep them safe forever?"
The door smashed open. Naruto barreled through, grabbed her shoulder, and blurred.
Curious had all of an instant to blink as reality reasserted herself . "Oooh! Is this another one of your safehouses? Did we teleport just now, or are you really that fa-ack?!
"You said I can't run forever." His hand closed around her throat, gripped, and levered her into wall, followed by the floor. "Threaten my family like that again and you'll sleep forever."
He expected a struggle. Resistance at the very least.
"Perish the thought!" the eager reporter didn't even try to stop him from choking her out; she only raised her hands and...smiled at him. As though he weren't considering killing her. "We saw what you did to Endeavor and rest assured, we have no intention of aggravating you. But you, you need allies. Resources. We can provide that."
"And what do you want in return?
"What anyone wants." Curious grinned, voice gone hoarse now. "Answers. I want to know who you are. What motivates you, everything about you."
In the end, that smile convinced Naruto; if only because he felt the purity behind it; the single-minded to desire to see the truth and grasp it with her hands.
Naruto let her go.
"You're the key to all this. To everything." She lay there on the porch for a long moment, idly rubbing her throat with one hand, before clasped the other behind her back to leverage herself upright. Her point gained, she leaned forward to beam at him. "I only need a moment of your time. Nothing more."
His brow furrowed. "Lady, you're one strange reporter.
"So I've been told!" her grin gained a merry edge. "You're more than just a story. You're THE story; one that'll turn this world upside down."
"You're insane."
She winked his way. "I prefer the term thinking creatively."
Creatively insane, then. "I literally could've killed you just now. And you didn't care."
"Meh, a good story's worth dying for." When he hesitated her grin only grew. "You don't have to decide now. I'll give you my contact information." once more that card came out; this time, she had the gall to tuck it into his jacket pocket. "You'll realize you need us, sooner or later. In the meantime...
Naruto felt his brow furrow once more. "In the meantime...?"
Curious held up her phone for him to see.
"How about that interview?"
A/N: Aaaand scene.
Curious was a blast to write; hope I nailed her personality here.
Well? Whaddya think? Should this continue? Should it be a story? I await your feedback.
As ever, the Embers rule remains. If folks don't like this story...well...I'll not be able to continue it. With two jobs and rent to pay, my free time is...at an all time low. I can't afford to write stories that no one enjoys. So by all means, speak up! Every bit of feedback matters here! Truly, it does! That's no joke!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
Here, have some juicy previews.
Well, future ones at least.
Potential ones, too..
God of War ahoy!
(Preview(s)
"Phew, close call! You almost went flying there. What's your name?"
"...thank you for the timely rescue." The tall young woman swept a strand of dark hair from her face. "Oh heavens, I'm being rude, aren't I?" she flashed a fretful smile his way and in that instant, he counted himself lucky for his disguise. "Inko. Um...!' She sputtered for a second, then rallied. "My name is Inko Midoriya...
His heart skipped a beat. He shook it to center himself and focused on the tiny bundle in her arms. "Who's the kid?
She smiled down at the little lad in her arms. "This is my son, Izuku. Say hello, dear."
The toddler babbled happily and waved a pudgy hand at him.
"My, my, seems he likes you...
EDIT: To clarify, yes, Inko does have a quirk according to cannon. It could be absurdly OP if she just trained it...
Mirko tilted her head. Tilted it some more, now.
Naruto quirked a brow. "Can I help you?"
...I thought you'd be taller."
He twitched. "Ha?"
"Eh, doesn't matter. Can you fight?"
"I don't think I should answer that question-OI!"
His hand snapped up, catching her by the ankle when she tried to smash her heel into his head.
Her grin was wild. "And there he is!"
You don't seem to understand. Hero? Villain? When on earth did I ever claim to be any one of those things?
...that's right. I didn't. Nope. Not once. I've only ever been one thing. A shinobi. As you're about to learn.
Hmm? Long way from home, you say? You know, you're right. I definitely am. Unfortunately for you...
...I'm here to stay. Now, then!
CLENCH YOUR TEETH.
"Go on, then." they smiled at him as he dragged himself upright. "Pretend to be everything you are not. Teacher. Husband. Father. You cannot change. "I see the real you, the beast inside." that soulless smile became a mad grin now as they stabbed a finger his way. "You act all high and mighty, but you're not! You're just an animal. Passing on your cruelty and rage. You will never change. You will always be a monster.
...then you don't know me."
"I know enough. You weaken yourself with this "family" of yours.
"And who are you to say that? Everything I do, I do for my family. For those I swore to protect."
"Surrender. Society demands it.
He cracked his neck. "No."
"...Good."
"Anger is a weapon if you can control it, Toya. But you can get lost in it." he tapped his forehead. "Understand. Believe or not, I used to be angry, too...
Shitty old man.
Language, boy."
"Don't be sorry. Be better."
"Thatta boy, Tenko!" He swept him up into his arms with a grin. "I knew you could do it!"
"We will be the people we choose to be. Not heroes. Not villains. Us. Ourselves!"
"There are consequences to killing!"
"So you're the one who's been making fools of heroes and villains? Fascinating! How fascinating! What would you say to an interview?"
"Giant mommy!"
Mount Lady balked. "Eh?!"
"We seem to share the same goals. What would you say to an alliance?"
...what kind of alliance?"
EDIT: Hey, you made it! Congrats! Thanks for taking the time to read this!
As ever, the Embers rule remains. If folks don't like this story...well...I'll not be able to continue it. With two jobs and rent to pay, my free time is...at an all time low. I can't afford to write stories that no one enjoys. So by all means, speak up! Every bit of feedback, big or small, matters here! Truly, it does! That's no joke!
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work~!
~Nz.
R&R~!