Chapter 23
If she could, she would have walked out of the royal camp into the night and away from the shadow of that conversation.
Unfortunately Rose lived in a society, so she accepted an invitation to dinner with her Father and his council. It was a cheerful affair. This far back from any fighting, the command post was really more of a celebration. Plenty of noncombatants flitted ...
2022-11-30 11:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostKakuzu had a very unfortunate sinking feeling that he had done worse than fail a mission.
The shinobi he was with clearly didn’t trust him. He shied away from the group and cast his face low, trying to avoid eye contact with the Priestess’s acolytes when they came tumbling out of the shrine to fall at her feet in tears.
‘She said that I won’t be punished.’
T...
2022-11-30 10:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 22
Every heartbeat shook her chest hard enough that Rose felt she might sick up. She bit the side of her tongue and felt the heat of iron bloom inside her mouth where her canine broke skin.
“Princess.” Guards and soldiers stopped wherever she walked to greet her and bow. There was no place to go, there was no place that was unobserved.
‘Discipline is impeccab...
2022-11-29 09:42:29 +0000 UTC View PostCHAPTER 13
A door flew open and hit the wall with a thunk.
Nobility scattered like a flock of crows, shrieking away from the men in armor that poured into the chamber. A woman fainted dramatically in the confusion and fell down the dais in a cloud of silks. Aiko counted six men who might be samurai or might just be some kind of bodyguards. Either way, she wasn’t that concern...
2022-11-28 11:28:04 +0000 UTC View PostShe felt less confident in her plans as the hours passed. Rose paced a line of footprints into the mud, too grim to even notice the squelching under her boots.
Where was everyone?
A soldier made eye contact with her and then took a quick step backwards, behind a tent.
Someone should have come back by now.
She wanted Etienne. She wanted Kian, Celestin, Lady LaMott. She wo...
2022-11-23 13:55:41 +0000 UTC View PostCHAPTER 7
The days passed in a haze of nerves and guilt. Yué sewed steadily and watched as she and Aunna began to accumulate a wardrobe suited to warmer climates. They were making the actual clothes and leaving ornamentation for last, for later. If they managed to escape, they would probably have a while on a ship to bead. At the harsh pace, even Yué’s nimble fingers began to accumula...
2022-11-03 00:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostMan, Madara was gonna owe him for this one.
Izuna readjusted the wooden bar over his shoulder and fought the urge to sneeze the stink of iron out of his nose. That clearing had been rank. This was already a weird diplomatic outreach and he had no way to report that actually, he was making a fun little detour to the capital. So he was also going to get yelled at.
Man, Madara was gonna owe him for this one.
Izuna readjusted the wooden bar over his shoulder and fought the urge to sneeze the stink of iron out of his nose. That clearing had been rank. This was already a weird diplomatic outreach and he had no way to report that actually, he was making a fun little detour to the capital.
‘Come to think of it, a bloody clearin...
2022-10-30 08:27:44 +0000 UTC View PostCHAPTER 6
"You would not believe the guy I met today," Katara fumed. Her sewing needle cut furiously through a blue parka she was repairing. It was the first time that Yué had seen sewing look violent.
Yué and Aunna exchanged an uncertain look. The southern princess didn't notice.
"He was such a jerk!" Katara huffed, blowing her hair strands to the side. "I went to meet Aang...
2022-10-26 00:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostROSE: the battle
She bitterly resented every step that took her further away from the city that she had been ordered to capture. Rose’s back was as tense and hard as a rock from where she walked at the back of the unfriendly formation of 3 prisoners and 3 guards. Outside of everyone else’s view, she allowed herself to limp and favor one leg. It was shameful proof of her failure, but h...
2022-10-23 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostCHAPTER 18
AFTERMATH: Etienne
He wept until the weeping was done, and then he was simply cold and empty.
"I don't understand why Davis was that far back." Etienne stared at his hands. They were literally and metaphorically blood soaked. He still had his gloves on (only the best protection possible for royalty). The screaming and sound of metal clashing and hacking was basicall...
2022-10-20 06:32:41 +0000 UTC View PostAunna cleared her throat. “I can’t help with that,” she admitted shamefully. “I’d be in too much trouble.”
The grin they got from their Southern cousin was bright and the slightest bit frightening. “They already think I’m a country savage,” Katara said smugly. “They don’t even think I’m smart enough to do things like inconvenience Hahn on purpose.” She tilted her...
2022-10-19 00:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostTsunade, as requested.
In all of the elemental nations, Tsunade could not find a decent fitting set of lingerie that met her specifications.
"I just want something that doesn't constrict at the neck, offers half decent support, and doesn't add 10 kg by gapping at the waist," Tsunade complained. She let her head fall back against the bole of the tree where they were stuck ...
2022-10-15 07:38:15 +0000 UTC View PostI've never done these before, but what the hell. This is very early, I'll put it up on other sites on the right day.
Kinktober prompt: collar.
Set in the AIC arc when Aiko has taken a genin team in to participate in Konoha's exams.
…
The days in Konoha were beginning to blend together, but the day that her genin had to go in for a physical stuck ...
for the next WAP chapter. I'm curious.
2022-10-11 23:16:01 +0000 UTC View PostCHAPTER 11
‘I must have lost my mind.’ She should have felt panicked, or been in disbelief that the Priestess could survive a beheading. Instead all Mayumi felt was fierce determination and a cruel amusement.
The Daimyo had chosen very poorly.
‘There is no way for this to end that does not involve the Daimyo’s death. She won’t suffer this insult.’...
2022-10-11 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post"Try to be less flashy," Danzo ordered. The old hawk sneered as he looked over Itachi. "You must be as unremarkable as possible. Try not to leave a trail of heartbroken acquaintances." His lips thinned to nearly nothing. "It's memorable."
"My apologies," Itachi said. He had no idea what Danzo wanted him to do differently. He certainly wasn't flirting with people while undercover. All of h...
2022-10-11 01:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe first wall defender took the last few steps at a jump, and Etienne needed to kill him.
He set himself grimly to the task. His hand was stiff on his blade but years of training kept his wrist flexible and sent him through practiced motions. The first soldier down the stairs had clearly just dropped his bow and pulled out a dirk. Probably an archer, probably poor, certainly not as well ...
2022-10-10 15:05:44 +0000 UTC View Post‘I must have lost my mind.’ She should have felt panicked, or been in disbelief that the Priestess could survive a beheading. Instead all Mayumi felt was fierce determination and a cruel amusement.
The Daimyo had chosen very poorly.
‘There is no way for this to end that does not involve the Daimyo’s death. She won’t suffer this insult.’
It had bee...
2022-10-05 09:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostRejected chapter 10 concept
it was originally going to be from aiko's perspective but it just didn't have the OOMPH that way.
“You want to give me a puppy.”
Aiko turned her teacup in her hands. The feeling of heat against her fingertips was oppressive. It grounded her.
Mayumi hummed. “You seemed interested.”
She didn’t se...
2022-10-05 08:59:01 +0000 UTC View Posttbh I love this so much I want to share it Immediately even though the second chapter won't go up anywhere else for a week.
TW: it's fucked up even for me.
The utter shame of it would follow Tobirama into his grave. Worse than that, his complicity would follow Hashirama until the end of the world.
Chapter One
“Oh no,” Toka said ...
2022-10-04 17:41:38 +0000 UTC View Post
CHAPTER 16
When they finally separated, Etienne reached down deep for patience and reminded himself that Rose did not intend to be an ass. The easy way that she'd taken command of his unit and everyone had deferred to her had his hackles up. It hadn't even occurred to her that she shouldn't be leading, when she was the only one present who didn't know the route and had an injured leg...
Patreon will be as usual for the month, but I'm going to go feral on the other sites. If any of these stories look interesting to you, please know that they are there for you.
2022-10-01 12:43:15 +0000 UTC View PostCHAPTER 10: the fall
The priestess was distracted lately. Hana glanced up through her lashes to steal another glimpse of her face. It was serene. Her hands were neatly folded on her legs. She still looked- she looked a step above human, with her perfect stillness and flawless skin. Hana didn’t reach out to touch the scars on her face from old sores, but it was a close thing.
...
2022-09-28 00:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostCHAPTER 15
“I cannot believe you.” Etienne said under his breath. His tone was vexed, but you wouldn’t have known it from his blandly pleasant facial expression. “I thought that you were in danger.”
‘What does he mean by that? I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?’
Rose raised an eyebrow in question, but he let out a heavy sigh and leaned in closer withou...
2022-09-26 00:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostWhen the lesson ended, Yué and Katara fell in step on their way back to the Palace. Yué’s guards followed at a respectful distance.
On Yué's end, it was a comfortable silence. She thought it was the same for Katara until she looked over and saw how openly unhappy the other girl was.
Oh.
"I plan to speak with my Father today," Yue offered in a murmur.
Katara's beads ...
2022-09-21 05:25:01 +0000 UTC View PostCHAPTER 14
‘They didn’t realize I heard all of that? These people are hopeless. It’s really embarrassing for me that they took me hostage. They can’t fight their way through a conversation.’
She knew, as deeply as she knew her own name, that her twin was nearby. He was going to find her.
‘Of course Etienne came for me.’
Rose started laughi...
2022-09-19 06:40:01 +0000 UTC View PostCHAPTER 13
“I feel gauche. I think it’s terribly awkward to lock my fiancee in Great Uncle Albert’s old room.” Marcel paced the length of the study and turned around to keep going. He couldn’t outpace his distress. “It still smells in there, you know. It smells like an old man. She’s never going to marry me.”
Willame didn’t look. “We could lock her in th...
2022-09-14 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostOr, Karin and Gaara stage a coup in Kirigakure.
I made a new tumblr account and was inspired to do this by someone who'd tagged me in a list of Gaara related recs, and decided to give it all to Patreon at once. Part one is already up on tumblr but you get part two at the same time.
It was pointed out to me that when Aiko left AIC verse, she didn't actually tell...
2022-09-13 23:06:00 +0000 UTC View Post