It's me, ya girl Sarah! I make wildly long and complicated fan-fiction and if ya feelin' spicy then I also write custom smut fics for your filthy little hearts!
I'm just getting started on social media for real so if you don't mind a follow or just a peek at my stuff that would be extremely helpful!
I hope you enjoy the stories as much as I've enjoyed writing them!
I'm SO excited to finally share these pieces I created for D&D's Ravenloft: The Horrors Within.
This project was such a huge honor to work on. I remember as a kid looking through the players manuals & doing little studies of the artwork in there, so this feels a bit full-circle.
You can get a peek at higher-res versions of them on my insta!
reprising my role as a fish man in a spelljammer d&d campaign. his name is ishmael. 🐟 deep down he is the same hawaiian-shirt-wearing fish guy as his first iteration a few years ago, but now he's going on space adventures
it's the year of the horse 🐎 trying a new paper and the orange ink drum was a little dry, which gave some interesting texture to this month's riso print.
sign up to my patreon any time in march if you'd like some art in the mail~ 💌
Major Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Full tags/warnings on Chapter links post
Major Characters: Original Character, Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Ieiri Shoko, Yaga Masamichi, Nanami Kento, Haibara Yu, Tsukumo Yuki, Choso
‧₊˚✧ Chapter 119 ✧˚₊‧
Utahime leaned with her lower back against the railing. The breeze was blowing in her dark hair which she'd worn up today. The summer that year had been brutal, just like all the other times. This time she was more prepared with more breezy clothes. That was interesting — living with Ieiri in this reality had changed her that much. The odd thing was, once all of her realities were stacked the way they were now, she was finally seeing what she'd never noticed before.
She tipped her head to her shoulder, the ice in her drink clinking. Ieiri was vacuuming the living room again. Ieiri was so nervous around her after the incident and it was grating. She'd never let herself get angry with someone for being afraid, but at the same time all she wanted was to just relax with Ieiri in their apartment. It would probably never be the same for the two of them again.
Seeing it all again through a different lens, she felt like a fool for being so afraid to admit she loved her. Ieiri was so patient, living with her and showing blatantly how she loved. She was quiet, but thoughtful. She didn't want it acknowledged. She only stepped in when asked. Now Ieiri was unsure of herself where she hadn't been before. It would probably never be the same for the two of them again.
"… unless." Utahime set her drink down on the table beside her.
Sarah and Tsukumo were still discussing how to lure out the filament creature again. The chat messages were going crazy as they blurted out thoughts to each other, bouncing around ideas. They were chasing the solution fiercely and had long since left Utahime behind. She was realizing her involvement in "the plot" wasn't meant to be as much as it appeared. That thought had struck her recently and it irritated her. Tengen and Kenjaku often compared their world to stories and games and now she understood why. There were patterns she'd followed, the same mistakes the same questions the same actions, but never anything that truly altered an outcome. She wasn't created to stand out.
But that wasn't what she wanted.
Tsukumo and Sarah were chasing it so hard because they had something they wanted. Her eyes flicked up to Ieiri, then back down to her phone. Ieiri was what she wanted, but not this one who was afraid of things she couldn't possibly know. She wanted the Ieiri who was able to make her own decisions.
She snatched up her phone off the table and walked directly up to Ieiri. Ieiri leaned down to turn off the vacuum, and Utahime asked, "I'm going in to Elysium with Tsukumo and Sarah."
Ieiri stared at her. "You mean, right now?" she asked.
Utahime hesitated. Her mouth wasn't just fucking saying what she wanted. So many years of keeping the very thought hidden was a hard wall to break. Then she inhaled, closed her eyes and said, "I'm staying there until we figure out how to do it. B-because I want it done to you first."
Ieiri made a soft sound and she heard her take a small step back. Utahime wanted to open her eyes, but she knew if she did she wouldn't be able to speak. "I want you to see what I've seen. Because we need to fix it. We need to fix what we… what I should be able to have."
"What are you talking about?" Ieiri whispered. Utahime was honestly expecting her cold fingers to touch at her jaw. If Ieiri wasn't so afraid of her, she would have.
"I need you to see what we've been through to get here," Utahime said, trying to keep her voice from wavering. "I need you to see how stupid I've been and how stubborn I am. I've always been this same way no matter how we've tried to do this. You'll see what we can all have if we just finish this and then you'll understand why I need to go."
Ieiri finally reached out, those cold fingers of hers gripping onto Utahime's. "Why are you saying it like that? What are you saying?" Her words were catching, her brows bunching up.
"I'll be back, I promise," Utahime insisted, but Ieiri was already turning for the door.
"Then we'll go together," Ieiri said simply, grabbing a pair of socks out of a drawer on the end table by the door. "We'll go together."
Utahime didn't know what to say. Instead, she grabbed a pair of socks and reached for her shoes on the rack. Neither of them said anything, quietly putting on their shoes and grabbing their bags. They checked their phones, wallets — all the normal things one would check for just like any other day. Utahime grabbed her keys, passing Ieiri her own.
It wasn't until Ieiri's hand was on the doorknob that the tension finally broke.
"I want to fall in love with you."
Ieiri turned to face her faster than she was ready. Her hands were tugging at her breezy shirt and pulling Utahime into her — also faster than she was ready. She might have thought the kiss was also before she was ready, but once Ieiri's lips were on hers she knew she'd never stop it from happening again.
Ieiri drew back slowly, her fingertips covering her lips and her eyes down turned. Utahime's heart almost squeezed out between her ribcage to shake her by the shoulders.
"I'm not going to give up on this," Utahime said. Even then her words artfully dodged saying what she really wanted to say.
Ieiri nodded, wiping at the corner of her eye with her fingers before she smiled and gave her a sniffling nod.
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Tsukumo, Sarah, Utahime and Ieiri were all together taking their third precautionary check on their weapons and radios. This was already looking like it was going to be a long excursion, especially after the last one. Unfortunately, also preparing himself to join, was Kenjaku.
"The trees are starting to block our passage," Sarah explained. "They won't hurt us, but they don't want us to find the filament thing."
"Lazarus doesn't want you to find it," Kenjaku corrected her. "The resonates answer to him alone."
"Why does he even let us in then?" Tsukumo asked, "What is his angle even supposed to be?"
Kenjaku shrugged. "His job is to work with the Demiurge in some capacity," he said, then grinned. "Our Lord works in mysterious ways."
"Shut the fuck up," Tsukumo spat, "just answer our questions without the quips."
"He likely cannot control Sarah's actions," Kenjaku explained. "She isn't completely made of positive energy like most resonates so she has more free will than the other creations. Her people don't want to hurt her since she is like them, but they can't disobey Lazarus either."
"If we need to, I'll lure them away," Sarah said with a wave of her hand. "Let's just get in there."
The five of them landed in the pink field by the wisteria tree. From their vantage point on the hill they could already see the scrambling figures of the trees coming their direction from anywhere and everywhere. Utahime and Ieiri started to pull their weapons, but Tsukumo and Sarah turned the opposite direction and started to sprint. The other two women got the message quick and moved to join them along with Kenjaku.
"Ready?" Tsukumo asked, glancing over at Sarah.
She nodded, tugging a box cutter out of her back pocket. Taking one look back at Utahime and Ieiri, she waited until they'd acknowledged her before tearing the blade down the top of her forearm. Light burst from the wound, shivering in the air before fading off into the distance. Snapping the blade shut, she quickly shoved it back in her pocket.
"Get ready," Tsukumo called over her shoulder.
The approaching tree creatures were tumbling over each other in waves behind them. Their body's cracked and shattered only to grasp one another and build something entirely new. Their cloths stitched themselves together, the patterns amplifying and morphing into one another.
Tsukumo reached out for Sarah's arm, linking it with hers. The two of them abruptly turned directly towards the wave and charged. Then suddenly Tsukumo had Sarah up over her shoulders. She planted her feet and in a huge force enhanced by her technique, they launched at the wave.
The trees parted for Sarah, their shape jerking away and opening up a tear in their fabric. Three curses manifested by Kenjaku carried Ieiri, Utahime and himself through dodging the stretching and reaching branches and threads before it shut itself off.
On the other side, Tsukumo and Sarah continued their sprint. Their goal for this excursion was the clarifying pool. The wave would take time to turn and attempt to block their path again. Two more curses manifested beneath Tsukumo and Sarah, the creatures taking off to keep the pace going.
Tsukumo pointed ahead to the pool of water and shouted, "Go now?"
Sarah shouted back, pointing at the wave behind them, "Go ahead! I'll take it around so you'll have more time!"
Even from above it was clear something was wrong. The normally glittering crystals were dimmed and the grass was tinted brown rather than it's normal jewel like green. Tsukumo was the first to land near the edge and she cautiously approached just as the others were landing behind her.
"Why is it dying?" Ieiri asked, bending down to touch at the grass. It was crunchy — crispy like something burnt. It fell apart in her fingers, blowing away in the breeze.
Utahime stood beside Tsukumo at the water. "There was one here that used to talk," Utahime said, watching as Tsukumo dared to dip a finger into the water. "It said that this place wouldn't last forever. Maybe this is where it's supposed to end?"
Kenjaku narrowed his eyes as Tsukumo pulled her hand away from the water. "What was the purpose of this place?"
"It's supposed to erase false memories," Tsukumo explained, turning towards him once she'd stood. "Sarah was supposed to use it for after she'd equalized too much false information."
Kenjaku didn't answer, instead stepping closer to the water. He squat down, watching the tiny waves left in the surface of the water after Tsukumo had touched it. Then slowly he reached out, spreading his fingers and smoothly pulling them through the water. Then he lifted it back out, holding the liquid in his palm.
"This," he said, still staring at it as it dripped over and back into the water, "is not water."
A clanging sound suddenly echoed in the air, like wind chimes. The crystals began to light up, all the grass around standing on end. Ieiri and Utahime hurried to Tsukumo's side, the two of them drawing their weapons while Tsukumo scanned the area above. The sounds of the chimes crashed and grated, yet sounded miles and miles away. The air felt dense, like something heavy was filling the space between every atom.
It's been some time, hasn't it friend?
Kenjaku shook of his palm, then stood up slowly. He adjusted the front of his robes before turning and putting on a smile. "Lazarus. It has been quite some time."
Lazarus stood abnormally still. His tawny skin was cracked and leaking with drips of golden light. His eyes were stained yellow and his mouth blackened and glittering with stars. The light bent around his figure into almost a rainbow haze and his every breath seemed to move the breeze itself. His eyes were solely locked onto Kenjaku. The air was prickling with static.
What are you seeking, friend?
It paused between its question and the title of friend almost as if it had to decide if that was still the truth or not. For a moment it's eyes rolled back before he blinked them slowly forward again. He smiled and it almost looked human.
"I want to end it, same as you," Kenjaku said with a chuckle. "Though I wonder which of us appears more desperate?" His eyes narrowed and he looked up and down Lazarus' crackling body. "That body won't hold up much longer. I hope you've brought a spare."
The body is for recognition. It is no longer required for me to be housed by mortal means.
"Tell me your vow, Lazarus," Kenjaku suddenly said, his voice wavering.
Tsukumo, Utahime and Ieiri backed away slowly towards the crystals for cover. The air was whipping harder now with every breath from Lazarus. His shoulders were starting to rise and fall with his increasingly heavy breaths.
"Tell me," Kenjaku urged, "please Lazarus. I can help you."
Lazarus' laugh sounded sharp and his face twisted into a mad smile. He craned his head back, letting his mouth hang open.
Re-write this world until everyone gets what they want.
Kenjaku opened his mouth, then shut it. Without a word, he stepped closer to Lazarus until he was standing right in front of him.
"Who gets what they want — us four?" Kenjaku asked, fighting to keep his voice calm. It was hard to tell if he was excited or frightened.
Everyone.
"Everyone," Kenjaku echoed, smiling now. "As in—"
You and I talked at great length about this topic didn't we? What kind of person would we become if we were all one?
Kenjaku nodded, then his brows dropped as a realization was hitting him.
It's so very hard to get people to agree on one singular thing and I've tried for so long — well, you know. You've been playing your role well.
"You want to merge us all to make one desire?" Kenjaku asked. His body was starting to shake and he smiled again. "That is… to end it that way would be—"
Against her wishes, yes. But you said it yourself, you want it to end. So do I.
Kenjaku turned slowly towards Tsukumo, Ieiri and Utahime. Then his eyes widened as Sarah descended right in front of them, already brandishing the box cutter in front of her. Her hands were shaking. Tsukumo stepped up beside her, the both of them moving closer in defense.
"Call her here," Kenjaku said, keeping his eyes on the sorcerers. "I want to ask her myself."
Are you sure? She is not going to forgive you.
"She never would have in the first place."
From the pool of water behind them, the filament slowly began to unwind itself from within the pond. It formed a vaguely human shape, the light scattering fractured colored beams from the crystals around the basin.
Sarah and Tsukumo darted back towards Utahime and Ieiri, stepping back as far as they could get into the wall of crystal. The threads of light began to stretch from the filament, reaching towards Kenjaku. He accepted its touch and cleared his throat as its dragged the light slowly over his face.
"You won't stop us?" He asked, "You'll really let us go won't you?"
The strings traced along his jaw, then down his chin. They traced his throat and over his eyebrows before eventually drawing back.
"Please," he said softly. "Please let it end."
You want it to end?
The filament turned to look at the sorcerers. It tilted its head before the threads began to reach down towards each of them.
Major Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Full tags/warnings on Chapter links post
Major Characters: Original Character, Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Ieiri Shoko, Yaga Masamichi, Nanami Kento, Haibara Yu, Tsukumo Yuki, Choso
‧₊˚✧ Chapter 118 ✧˚₊‧ (NSFW)
"Alert! We're releasing the curse."
Amanai exhaled slowly, shaking her hands out at her sides. That guy, Ijichi, was beside her and maintaining a barrier that would keep her safe, but she would still have to reach out towards the creature. Last time had gone well, and the time before that, but she still didn't feel confident.
There was nothing in the way, the field was clear. There was nothing to interfere, nothing to use as a weapon. Sorcerers were nearby and ready to swoop in. All she had to do was catch it. She just had to catch it and hold it. That was it.
She still didn't feel confident.
The curse was in front of her so fast. She hadn't seen it even lunge but she pushed her hands out on instinct and closed them together. The motion was like catching a bug in a jar, and the curse bounced around within her barrier. She held her fingers together, feeling the weight of the creature slamming and roaring against the walls.
Amanai took a breath and it shuddered on its way back out. Everything was fine so far. One was easy.
"Second curse, stay alert."
The second appeared much faster and Amanai snapped it up into her jar. The curses climbed over each other up the smooth invisible walls of glass. She could feel them bouncing around even more aggressively. Glancing back she saw Sarah's fingers were glowing. She was speeding this up.
"S-stop," Amanai spat.
Sarah gasped, the glow disappearing. "Sorry!"
The third and fourth curse were caught easily, but the fifth was a flyer. She jumped, scooping it up, but three tried to scramble out. She grit her teeth as their nails and teeth on the rim of the glass tore at her skin, but she managed to slam the jar closed.
"Hold," Ijichi called on the radio. He turned to Amanai and asked, "Are you alright? Do you need to stop?"
Amanai shook her head. "N-no. Keep going. We need to get further than last time."
"Are you sure?" Ijichi asked.
"I'm sure." She kept her eyes on the curses and her hands closed. Sarah stepped up a moment later, slathering her blood over Amanai's wounds and sealing them back up.
"Sorry," Sarah mumbled, but it wasn't like she had anything to apologize for.
Two more curses came and two more were caught. Eight total. They were heavy inside the jar, angry and snapping. The feeling made her sick, like holding a bunch of bugs and snakes. They wanted to hurt her and it made her want to throw it down and run.
"It's alright," Sarah assured her, but that's not what Amanai was looking for. She'd rather her be silent if anything. Her not being there would be even better.
Two more — the last two. The ones already inside were trying to get to Amanai so she took her opportunity to snatch them in. All ten where there, whipping around and roaring and pressing against her fingers.
"O-okay," she stammered, glancing back at Ijichi, "start the timer!"
Ijichi pushed the button on the stop watch. Amanai knew better by now than to look at it. Counting the minutes made it too stressful. It was better to just try to relax. Just try not to think about it. Don't think about the feeling of them bouncing around in her hands. The scrape of their filthy nails and the stench of their rotten bodies. Don't think about them desperate to get out and—
"I— I don't think I can—"
Ijichi shook his head, turning his head to her. "Amanai, you can do this. Focus on it."
Amanai closed her eyes. Focusing on it wasn't easy, but at least Ijichi knew what was going on. He was more helpful than that old bag Tengen. They liked to talk about it like it came naturally, but Ijichi knew it was about discipline.
Before she knew it the call was out. Five minutes. Then ten. That was good. Just stop thinking about it, was all she could repeat. Over and over. Just stop thinking about it. Then the call was made — fifteen minutes. Just a little longer and…
She hit twenty and Sarah took off. She leapt out, right towards the curses fearlessly and allowed Amanai to snatch her into the jar. The curses were on her in a second, her golden blood staining their bodies until all movement stopped. They calmed down, relaxing as she spoke to them until finally they began to fade. The dust captured inside the jar, swirling into a dark miasma before finally bursting away a flash of gold.
Amanai exhaled slowly, letting her fingers pull apart. The barrier opened up and Sarah landed lightly on the ground, her wounds just finishing off sealing back up. The other team was calling, asking about if she was alright and getting the update on what was happening next.
"Good job," Ijichi assured Amanai.
She glanced at him and nodded. "Thanks."
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The lights on the stage flashed multicolor and bright, the crowd was going insane. The beat was picking up, the break was coming. Haibara spun to the middle of the stage, pausing with the build up and waiting until—
"Hi!"
It was only one word, but the crowd bowed back like trees in the wind. He smiled and it happened again. His own face was on the screen behind him and the lights started to flash again. The beat dropped and he locked in, keeping his cursed energy pulsing. This was so much easier than he thought at first. He didn't have to do much, just flash the images and dance. Crank up that euphoria and they were in it. Screaming wild and dancing like crazy — like riling up a bunch of sugared up five year olds. They were addicted to him.
It was coming, the tingle under his skin. His smile widened as the high was taking. A shudder rocked through him when the beat was crashing and he laughed into the mic, a wave of screams from his fans making the buzz in his veins turn up. He felt his teeth start to grind before he remembered to sing again. The show was a blur, but everyone was eating it up. He was back in some room backstage before he knew it, watching the live reactions still pouring in on every social media.
Then Suzu walked in and he threw his phone onto the floor.
They panted into his frantic kisses, dragging their dark nails down his chest. Haibara pressed harder into them, feeling their muscles shift softer and thinner beneath him. Their breasts filled out more for his reaching hands and he yanked off their top at the clips on their shoulders.
"Yu," Suzu whined, wincing as he bit their lower lip on a draw back for air. Haibara's hands had found their ass and they arched their back to fit right into them.
"Don't care," Haibara hissed, tugging at their tights, tearing at them with his fingers. "Don't care what— who, whatever—"
Suzu was nodding into his words, kissing desperately where they could fit their mouth on his cheeks, forehead or even the bridge of their nose. Haibara yanked their tights between the legs until Suzu yelped, but the tear was distinct. His hands fumbled through the mess of fabric for only a second before he found something to touch.
Cock. Fine. Still Suzu.
Haibara's hand wrapped around Suzu's dick, giving it a few soft strokes. Their hands were scrambling for his and arms locked and bumped until both of them had something to stroke while their tongues slid together. He was backing them both up, guiding with one hand still on their ass as he walked backwards until he fell into the big arm chair in the room.
"Ride it— c'mon, hurry," he pleaded, his eyes rolling back at the weight of their body landing on his lap.
Suzu nodded, rolling their hips downward into his. They reached down as their cock slid against his, but when their hand smoothed down over it the organ shifted inward. They tilted their hips back, then slid him against their cunt. He shuddered as their lips parted, their hole dragging wet on his shaft.
Haibara hissed, his breath catching on his moans. He was desperate for it. The high was peaking and they were so fucking hot he wasn't sure what to do. His fingers pushed up his face, the warmth making him groan from that too. The tingles under his skin and the fullness in his lungs was already making his teeth chatter with his hissing inhales.
"Yes, yes, ohh fuck," Haibara groaned, his eyes rolling back when Suzu took their time to give him an extra little wiggle of their hips. Suzu laughed, then arched back taking his cock right into their ass.
Haibara's whole body jerked, his back arching and hands slapping and gripping at Suzu's thighs. "Holy shit, that's amazing, ohhh fuck you're amazing," he managed between gasps.
Suzu blinked up at the ceiling before pressing down a little deeper, their face twisting and teeth biting their lip. Haibara reached out, flicking his thumb on their clit while he had the chance. Suzu cried out, one of their hands slapping down onto Haibara's chest and they started to really get into it.
Haibara's eyes rolled back and he almost howled. Or maybe he did. His lungs felt empty and he gasped, his fingers pressed into their clit and gave it a hard swipe. Suzu pulled back, taking his dick deeper inside.
"Ohh you're amazing," he breathed. His head fell back and their pussy pushed down onto his fingers. His back arched, a shudder chattering his teeth and lungs.
"Suzu, baby," he moaned. He was a loud guy, but he was sure he was louder than usual. Especially when Suzu cried out for him.
Haibara gasped, snatching them around the waist and standing. He pulled his cock out then let them drape over the arm of the chair.
"Where? Where?!" He urged, slapping his cock desperately on their ass while his other hand kneaded and rolled over the other cheek.
Suzu groaned, their back arching to slide their hole against his cock. He wasn't even sure, if he was being honest. He was in something that belonged to Suzu and that was all that mattered in that moment. Suzu was tearing at the couch with their painted nails, their face relaxed into themselves. The moment of clarity hit him while he was reaching down to apparently stroke a cock. Easy enough, but seeing Suzu relaxed always took him out.
His thumb rolled over the head of their cock and when Suzu cried out Haibara did it again. Suzu was coming into his hand, whining and tugging anywhere on the chair they could reach.
"Fuck!" Haibara wanted to come too and he'd felt it almost start that wind up in his abdomen. "Shit, I—"
"Relax, relax," Suzu panted. Sweat was beading on their forehead and they smiled over their shoulder at him. "Keep going!" Just for a second though he saw a flicker. Something in Suzu's eyes was afraid.
"You— it's too much, isn't it?" he panted, his thrusts slowing. They shook their head, but he saw it again. He'd been too rough.
Suzu was getting mad now, but there wasn't anything he could do. Haibara tilted his head. His chest was heaving but he already knew it was too late. His cock was already losing it, slipping out of Suzu almost in defeat.
"What the fuck!" Suzu spat, shoving him away from them. "Why are you doing this?!"
Haibara scrubbed his face with his hands. This wasn't the time for a fight. He was still rolling. The realization was sobering him up, but not completely. This was going to hurt.
"I'm sorry," he said, taking a step back. "Suzu, please. Just drop it. We can talk later okay? Please?"
Suzu grit their teeth, snatching up a pair of his gym shorts. They said nothing to him, but that didn't make it any better when they left in a huff. He was still standing there with his dick in his hand, literally, and now his high was fucked.
With a sigh, he walked over to fish for his phone in the chair by the cushion. He hit the unlock button and grinned, thousands of messages.
"At least the show went well." He said it out loud.
Normally that would help, but the guilt was ploughing through all the E running through his system. Suzu was gone and took the fun with them. Haibara paused suddenly, his thumb hovering over his contacts list. There was one person who used to party with him…
He shook his head, but it didn't convince even himself. Would calling her be right? This wasn't the Sarah he knew. Maybe she wasn't like his — or rather, Gojo's — Sarah?
Haibara's balls gave him a painful reminder that he'd been "unsuccessful" in getting any kind of relief, but that also reminded him what a bad idea it would be to call his ex. Especially when she cheated on him. What kind of stupid TV drama was this, anyway? She wouldn't want to talk to him… right?
His finger was already pressing her name. The screen popped up without a photo — he'd deleted everything they had and tore up anything physical. Now he kind of regretted it. Almost as much as calling her, especially when she answered.
"Haibara? Everything okay?"
She asked that as soon a she picked up. Of course she would. She was still nice. That wouldn't change, would it?
"Uh, hey, uh, what are you doing?" He asked. Like an idiot. This whole thing was stupid, but he was already in it.
"Getting ready for bed. Everything okay?" She asked it again. She didn't want to talk to him, that was clear.
… Right?
"Oh, yeah sure of course, it's almost midnight," he said with an awkward laugh. He cleared his throat then asked, "… so uh, are you—"
"Is this important?" She asked carefully. "Because if it's not, then I probably shouldn't be talking to you."
Haibara hissed on his inhale. "Oh, my bad are we not okay? Are we, like, exes or…?"
"I'm sorry Haibara," she said with a sigh. She paused then said, "Maybe another time?"
Another time? Another time? This was a bad idea. And yet…
"Oh, sure yeah! When my tour is over, right? Like when we get back?" He asked, way more excited than he should be.
"Sure," she said softly. "We can talk."
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It had been a very long day, but long in the sense that everyone and everything had small issues that couldn't be accomplished without Yaga's involvement. From the moment he got there to when he'd left two hours late, he'd been on the move.
Finally home, Yaga was seated outside on his porch, looking out over the city. Behind him he could hear his wife chiding their children about a mess they'd made. The youngest was insisting it was his sister, but his eldest son wasn't letting it slide that all three had a hand in it. It made Yaga chuckle, his furrowed brow relaxing for once. Life wasn't easy, but he was happy like this.
Soon though, he'd realize the full reality of his situation. Soon, when Utahime, Sarah and Tsukumo discovered the method, he would know the truth. He already knew it wasn't going to be good, but what he could count on was his family. Even if it was grim, he had them now. That would be enough.
"Masamichi!" His wife called him and for just a moment he wasn't sure if he wanted to answer her or hear her call him one more time.
