Loved working with @valandrawrites on their DCAURBB Sorrow's in the Marrow! I really love the cyberpunk setting and Valandra made it come alive wonderfully in the story!
The first piece was the one I submitted and was a labour of love (and some almost throwing my laptop out the window), then inspiration from the story for the second two pieces, guided by my author :)
I also made some chapter headings and a divider as well which you'll see in the fic.
“Now, this game,” Bang said to Izumi. They were at his dojo, because he offered to babysit while Tatsumaki was out on yet another date with Iaian. He guessed things were going well for there to be more than one date – the fourth, if he was keeping track correctly, and he never kept track wrongly –, and now that Izzy was almost three, she could begin to understand how important martial arts was. Perhaps, he’d finally find a suitable disciple, if he started soon enough. “Is very important to exercise your memory.”
“Memory?” Izumi asked puzzled. “But the cake?”
“Charanko is baking the cake while we play. But if we don’t play, it will take forever for time to pass.”
“Oh.”
He distributed the cards on the floor of the dojo between him and her, surprised to see that she was actually waiting for his instructions. Little Izumi was certainly more patient than her mama.
“What kind of cake, Bang-sensei?” Izzy asked and Bang beamed at her. She was so polite, she would definitely fit in with his policy.
“Chocolate? With…”
“Strawberries?” she suggested.
“You betcha,” Bang guaranteed.
To be honest, he had no idea what kind of cake Charanko was baking, he just hopped it’d be something the little girl liked. She was sweet and polite, alright, but it was never a good idea to piss off an esper.
“Now, the game,” he continued, Izumi looking up at him with slightly uninterested green eyes. Her expression reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t quite place who. “I’ll flip two cards, and if they match, I can flip other two. If they don’t match, it’s your turn to flip two cards. Understand?”
“I guess.”
“Do you want to start?”
“I want to watch a movie.”
“A movie?”
“Yeah, about a princess!”
“A movie about a princess?” Bang said frowning. Izumi nodded.
“With a shiny crown!” she exclaimed. “Movies make the time pass fast, is what Genos say.”
Bang gasped.
“Is Genos putting you to watch TV instead of actually taking care of you?” he asked and she nodded. “That’s so reckless. I need to have a little chat with him.”
“It’s fine,” Izumi said. “He always have popcorn and cake and tea.”
“You really like food, huh?” he said and she nodded. “Now, shall we play?”
“What?”
“I start,” Bang offered and chose two cards at random. “You take a good look, Izzy, to know where the pairs are. Here, they don’t match.”
He flipped the cards back and pointed at her.
“My turn?” she asked and Bang nodded. “Okay.”
Izumi’s little hand hovered above the cards, and when she chose one, all of the cards flipped at once glowing in green. She looked at Bang smirking.
“I found all the pairs, Bang-sensei.”
Bang narrowed his eyes at her.
“You cheated.”
“This is boring.”
“This is cool, and important.”
Izumi glared at him; he glared back. He would not step down to a 3 years old, one of the main teachings of martial arts was to make sure the strongest had the domain of the fight!
Three hours later, when Tatsumaki came to take her kid home, she found a snoozing Charanko having his hair done in colorful hairclips, a half-eaten chocolate cake, the TV playing some pink movie; Izumi was between Bang and Charanko, and the old man looked defeated.
“Oh, thank God, Tatsumaki,” he said relieved. “That’s the third movie she’s making us watch.”
Tatsumaki chuckled.
“Blame Genos, he lets her do everything she wants,” she said. “Fine guy, but he has no way with kids.”
“I’m almost done, Mommy,” Izumi said. She suspected that the girl was trying to braid Charanko’s hair, but in reality she was just making a bunch of knots. Izzy put both hands on her hips satisfied. “There.”
“Looks great, kiddo,” Tatsumaki said trying not to laugh. “Now, how about we get out of here before he wakes up?”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Bang agreed and set to cut a large piece of cake, for he knew the esper was a fan of sweets. “Take some cake home.”
“Thanks,” Tats said accepting the plate he was offering her. “Come on, Izzy.”
Izumi got up and fixed her clothes, pushed back her hair, and then took her mother’s hand.
“I take the date went well,” he said, a soft poke and Tatsumaki rolled her eyes.
“Mind your own business, old man,” she replied heading to the door. “And thanks for today.”
“Any time,” he said sincerely. Izumi was a lot of work, but whenever he got to stay with her, it was guaranteed he’d have a lot of fun – even if it wasn’t the way he planned it.
