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an oc/canon fic for Q, with their oc Kin ( i cannot begin to explain how much I love her ;0; )! I'll fix up the wordcount & formatting later and I have a tiny extra unrelated doodle for you, but for now have this! I hope your Valentine's Day was wonderful <33

Shibi’s beard was scratchy, and everytime he shifted in his nap, it’d tickle her neck in a way where she could blame it for the little smile on her face that refused to fade from her lips and how unconcentrated on her book she was.

Laughter and chatting floated through the backyard as the children played at the table. A children’s book about Valentine’s day was propped up on the table and they were crafting whatever they’d chosen on from the book. A few squabbles about which page should be used died down fast, and whispering and plotting filled the backyard. When she’d asked Shibi what they were plotting, he simply snorted and pulled closer to her. She had half a mind to tip him off the already crowded lawn chair she’d pulled out, that he’d chosen to not only invade but begin drooling on her as he snoozed. One look at his peaceful face and she decided not to do anything but place a kiss on the bridge of his nose that made him stir just enough for her to see his smile.

The small party was a group of Shino, Torune, Kiba, Sasuke, Hinata, and Hanabi.

Kin wasn’t sure if she could babysit them all at first. There were only 4 new children, but she just felt off. Observing the backyard scene didn’t help the mild knot in her chest. The children seemed fine now, which was such a relief to her, but she couldn’t help her worry.

Torune sat at the end of the table, struggling to fold his paper with the gloves he had on. Shibi had just recently given them to him, a part of the training he was going through to keep the poisonous bugs embedded in the body from spreading. They had yet to find a fast working antidote to his bugs, and she couldn’t count the times that Torune came out of the training room sniffling, and Shibi with a nosebleed. She worried for her husband, and she worried for Torune.

Shino seemed to be just fine, but he was so withdrawn. She knew the nature of her son, she’d watched him grow up, after all. But he’d begun thumping his head on the wall as a conversation ender, or as a ‘please go away’ that he was too polite to say. He’d taken to measuring the time. Kin knew that he didn’t enjoy being social, but he’d begun stepping away from people he considered friends, and counting down the seconds to how long he could stay. She’d seen his fingers move in a counting position, and then excuse himself from the conversation after 30 counted seconds by walking away. She’d asked and he’d simply said: “You can distract yourself from pain by counting. It’s an easy trick.”.

Motherhood was a battle you could never prepare for, and she thought she handled it gracefully most of the time. She could remember days she sat in front of her vanity, clipping on her earrings and straightening her dress while taking the same deep breaths she recommended freely, simply because Shino was a very late talker.

The doctors said he would start talking more when he felt like it. But she didn’t think that was logical. He was too small to be choosing never to talk. Barely even a babble left his lips, and he wasn’t particularly fussy about anything except his food. Which was the only care a baby would have, she guessed, while he was causing her grief. Shibi had held her hand through the doctor's appointment, and kissed her each morning, mumbling about how great a mother she was. She’d brushed it off as morning babble, he said a lot to try and convince her to nap with him for a few more minutes. He was going to be the cause of death of her early-rise sleep schedule.

And then, another child was given to them when Shikuro passed. A close friend of Shibi’s. He’d left his son behind, a small child with poison in his veins. Quite literally.

Torune couldn’t be hugged, couldn’t be kissed. He could crawl in a corner and sob, and all Kin could do was try to hold back tears of her own as the helpless child cried for his dad. It was only later that they’d realized the cause of death. Torune never stopped apologizing. To be in the midst of a crying child and be utterly unable to comfort them was a curse she’d never wish on her enemies.

Shibi snorted and shifted, bringing her back to reality. She was trying not to be pushed off the lawn chair by her cuddlebug of a husband while watching the kids. It was Valentine’s Day and the last thing she was going to do was bring down the mood. She checked the table and realized that one was missing, already too late to stop Shino from slapping his dad on the back. Shibi grunted, and nearly knocked her glasses off as he groggily sat up.

“whahuh… uuugh.” He slurred, turning to face Shino, who looked very small from this angle, almost enough to convince her he hadn’t done it if she hadn’t saw him winding up. He wasted no time at all, and she couldn’t stop her giggling, “why are. you laughing aa me?”

“I think Shino wants to ask you something.”

“Yeah?”

“When’s the party over?”

“I dunno. In an hour or so?”

“It’s over in thirty minutes Shino, go have fun. Okay?”

“What’s thirty times sixty?”

“1,800.” Shibi answered automatically, and Shino sighed.

“That’s a lot.”

He began to count on his fingers. She bit her lip as he went inside for a minute and then back over to the table. Shibi yawned and flopped back on Kin.

“You know we have other lawn chairs less than five feet away.”

“This is my lawn chair.”

“This is my lawn chair.” Kin corrected him, smiling, “You decided that you were going to drool on me while I was reading.”

“You love me anyways so I see no problem with it.” He sniffed.

“You’re also wearing my robe…”

“Our robe.”

“You’re copying me on purpose at this point.”

“Why would I not want to be like the most perfectly lovely woman on the planet?”

Kin flushed, “Oh, don’t flatter me. I’m not perfect by any means.”

“You’re a stunning wife, a loving person, a sharp businesswoman, and a wonderful mother. Every day I thank whatever fate led me here, because I can forgive past mistakes if they lead me here. This is heaven.”

“You just woke up, shh.” She pressed her lips to his brow, “You are very affectionate when you just wake up.”

“But it’s true. Look at them.”

Shibi gestured to the children and Kin froze.

Torune had a pair of tweezers in his hand and he was mimicking how she put jewelry together to pull the corners of the paper and glue things to his origami. He’d joined Shino on his observing adventures, and they’d watched her with the non-fiery parts of her jewelry making she could do at home.

Shino sat next to him, and gently directed him as the other kids watched. Sasuke, ever the Uchiha, began to copy what Torune was doing, and soon Hinata and Hanabi caught on. Kiba kept doing his own thing, still mildly intrigued by the origami artists.

Was Shino counting so that he could have enough time to help Torune?

The thought struck her suddenly, and all she could do was laugh.

Shibi smiled into her neck, “You’re a wonderful mother.”

“He’s right, love.” The couple turned to see Mikoto, breezing through the gates with a smile on her face. Shibi flushed and sat up more, and Kin barely resisted rolling her eyes.

“Shibi here has had some trouble expressing himself, so he wanted to help you out a bit. He gets flustered easily when he’s got a crush on someone.”

“We’re married, ‘Koto.” He groaned.

“He’s still got the biggest crush on you.” Mikoto badly stifled a giggle to Shibi’s embarrassment, “But I’m not here to tease him, unfortunately. I’ve got a message for you, from one mother to another.”

She bent down and pointed to the kids.

“You see those kids?”

“Yeah.”

“You see their smiles?”

“I do.”

“Kids will show you who they are when they’re babies. They grow as a person during this period, of course, but you can never really direct where your child is going. You can only help them on their way, and make sure you catch the small signs. Even if they’re going through something that worries you, there are still ways to make them smile. To help them. They’re kids, love.”

“How do I know that I’m doing this correctly?” She whispered.

“Mom!” Sasuke hopped up from the table and the other kids followed him, hands behind their backs. He ran straight up to Mikoto and happily showed her his paper crane with a bunch of heart stickers on it. “Happy Valentine’s Day, I love you!”

“Mom, Dad.”

Kin looked to see Shino and Torune holding up folded origami ladybugs, decorated with the small rhinestones in a pattern she could remember doing. Shino’s last finger went down.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“We love you!”

Mikoto smiled and murmured, “That’s how you know.”

Kin could feel the world slow to a pause. The butterflies in the garden stilled their wings, and the kids chatter hummed to a quiet. She could feel Shibi smiling on her shoulder with his tickly beard, and she could feel her heart swell with incoherent emotions and her eyes swell with tears behind her glasses.

She gently took the two ladybugs.

“Do you like them?”

“...I love them so, so much. Thank you.”

She could feel her voice wavering and Shino climbed on top of Shibi to hug her. Torune pulled his glove more firmly on his hand and cautiously held her hand, watching his own like a hawk.

She could blame her entire family for making her smile like this now. She didn’t think she could ever stop smiling.

Years later, when using her bedroom vanity, she would smile at the two sparkling ladybugs sitting there as she took off her earrings and decided that maybe sleeping in for a little bit with her beloved husband was okay. Just for a while.

This has like absolutely no meaning to anything. I just wanted to draw my girl Cordelia and mess around with some new brushes...although now I want this on a shirt. I would never wear it outside but, it be a good sleep shirt.

I needed to sketch something and honestly- this might have healed a little something within me, so I'll share it on my platforms. Anyways rare art for y'all

kurenai & asuma

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As always, thank you so much for your support 🖤

Tagged By: @akamikazae Thank you for the tag!!

Trigger Warnings: - Blood & gore depiction - Mutilation - Physical injuries

Cold echoed hymns promising the world a new song made the crunch of snow beneath her boots the drums. These past twelve days of this five month long hunt had made her once beloved metal burn into her exposed skin as the crystals formed and cracked from each movement much unlike the green that had been hidden beneath thick snow. Truthfully she couldn't even recall when she had last stopped to turn and check for the hounds. Had she been sly enough? Could she finally take a rest for even a second in this land of white cold? The bird songs died telling her no as the heel of her boots no longer could be hidden with her magic. May the daughters guide me to my destination. Knowing damn well there were no daughters that would find her in this hour. "Were I an easy prey you'd have already warmed my corpse with the fires of your hut." "Yet you are not." The hooded one, snow melting from their cloth as if a ward had been placed on them. So she assumed as she could feel the blood pooling behind her nose. A mage, mentally she tsked, someone's certainly starving if they agreed to join. "This could all be rectified if you just came along like a good mutt." Curled tongue matched the twinge of the lips on the ranger. "Unless you wish to be forgiven with your blood on an alter of a god that will never answer." And this one is the greedy one no doubt, fucking rangers. Digging her already freezing hands into the snow with a rage that almost warmed her weary bones. The grasp of snow revealed a stone, nothing to gawk at but something big enough she could perhaps distract them. They never were her favorite brood, most were just in the pocket of some lord after all. Hopping off the horse, smashing the snow and dirt under their fall, ensuring a difficult spring for the plants, the ranger took out their small sword and swung it about dramatically as she scooted closer to the stone her back had found a match with. "I'll give you exactly one minute to think about it mage-growler." Swiping their blade upwards, pressing the tip to the stone, holding it above her head. Taunting with a twist of their wrist. "So either come with us or die quietly for me."

"I'd rather not." Twisting the energy of the stone with her own. The ridged edges growing sharper and sharper as it cut through her palm, the trail of red riveting down the cracks. With a fierce wind she slip it between her knuckles and slammed it into the rangers side. Forcing them to release the blade, her other hand free to catch it before it nicked her more important body parts. Could always just regrow any lost fingers after all, though the pain alone would leave any mage worth their salt bedridden for a time. Tossing the blade as far as it would go she slammed her hand back against the stone she had been pinned against. Twisting it out and through the rangers neck, a sick snapping of bones like the branches the stone inevitably hit. Why wasn't the mage making a move? Why were they still sitting there looking in her direction. "You?" The dark warmth of his soil tinged eyes captivated her as her reflection shot back. "Never the one for hellos, obviously." Calloused fingers, roughed from years of labor either on docks and farms, traced over the back of her hands like water to stone. Leaving a mark in the most minuscule of ways as the bandages he applied pressed tightly against her wounds. Making the ointment press thick into the wounds as his magic did it's best to stop the bleeding. "Rude is a thing I could never be to one such as yourself." The creek in his throat had her heart thump. The cadence of a past far too pushed behind her. "This dog will never be loyal to man when his howling still confuses them." "You are a disgrace of a mage then." "Says the one who gave me the curse." The sharp eyes she still found comfort in were the same ones that held something colder than the earth beneath her. Why did it need to be like this? "I'm guessing this means you'll be taking me in?" The twine he dug from the the rangers pack became evidence enough that she had to chortle. Of course. Any kindness they might have had left to spare for one another was being used up for the present moment it seemed. You teach a man to fish and he comes after you like a starved dog begging for more. Huffing a breath as he began to tie her wrists.

---

It grew wild and tall, encumbering the home beneath its weight with each wide breath. How could a fire so large be the cause of her skin freezing with a numb acuteness. No! No, he can't! Blood like lemon and red wine fought as the shot back blasts smashed the two against three and rock. Something entwined as air sucked and pulled from their chests. -- He was there, for the briefest moment, he could see, smell, hear it all at a small cloth covered table where a meal had been made and set before him. What... Momentarily thinking before the voice his ears drank like wine poured through his soul. Hand, his hand, found way up the soft cotton of the baby pink and white thin striped button up shirt. Pulling it clutch under his fist while sipping in the breakfast scene. "So messy," His eyes darted up to see the familiar red waves, pulled back in a weak braid with a band to keep her bangs from her eyes. She- what- "Just like your father it seems, ah," The gentle chuckle as she used picked up a napkin and wiped away mush from the small being in the highchair near her. Hair dark, eyes a warm honey like hers that he wanted to pour over his attention constantly. "But, I suppose you are both lucky that I love messes." This was not where he was meant to be, the strings that bind were meant to entwine with something, not show him whatever this was. For the clothes they wore, the furniture he saw, the meal, and the people were not of his own. -- "Are you manic!?" Salt hitting her nose as harsh as the older woman's voice screeched "And you're a rotted corpse." Coughing back as the fresh air returned to her lungs. Mae-Hui rolled over onto her stomach with a sharp glare courtesy tossed the old woman's way. Scoffing as her wrinkled fingers gripped then ripped at Ekashiba's shirt to expose his chest beneath. "Idiot girl! Those ingredients were rare and a moons like those do not come very often." "Then maybe don't try to sacrifice my party to some deaf non-existing god!" "Psh- he wouldn't have died, but now I have two which will make reviving difficult." "Weren't you listening old woman, your god is not real!" "The lady of the weave is very much so alive you twat! She took your threads did she not? But now she can not come as it is meant to be one body- which you idiots are not, though one mind maybe."

Tagging the following: Whoever would like!

reblog with a spoiler for your wip with zero context. no context allowed.

Still working on her color pallet but hey some quick sketches!

🥀Hanahaki🥀

Some oc angst uvu

my boy-

It’s now set up!