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dr3amscap3 · 1 year ago

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#REAL FAN #FIRST

It's Quiet Uptown

Note: Okay, I know I have a bunch of requests in my inbox, and I'm so sorry BUT!! I got into a Hamilton phase and now, you all are gonna have to bear with it with a songfic.

Also, for the sake of this fic (and for my convenience), I'll refer to Vil's father as his stage name, Eric. Also, I'll be using the name Valentin for Vil's younger sibling.

This takes place at the first alternate ending of my Vil's Younger Sibling fic. Find that here, but it's part of a series, so keep that in mind!

(tagging: @dr3amscap3)

Warning/s: Angst no fluff, Death, Slight spoilers for Chapter 6, Canon divergence, Spoilers for Chapter 5, My attempts to change some lyrics to fit the situation

There are moments that the words don't reach There is suffering too terrible to name...

Vil's fingers press on the piano keys, his hands already knowing the notes and chords of every part of the song. Every cue to step on the pedal. From his posture to the elegance of his fingers, nobody would have thought that Vil was grieving.

It had become almost habitual at this point, keeping up a mask to hide his true emotions. It was a skill actors and models always had to have, after all.

He just has to look perfect. No emotion, not even a flicker, not even the tiniest amount of weakness must be shown. Nothing must be out of place.

He is perfect. He needs to be perfect. He is fine. He's moved on. His past is behind him. He needs nothing else, no one else.

He is whole...

The door opens, a small creak and a set of footsteps signifying the entrance of someone. Weary and puffy purple eyes look at Vil as he plays the piano. The sight was normal all the time, but Eric can't help but feel that something was missing.

In the Schoenheit household, the sound of piano chords was always accompanied with the sound of violin strings. Vil and his younger sibling would always be playing music together. And Eric loved coming home to hear the sounds his children would make together.

But Valentin wasn't here. They no longer are here, and perhaps that is why the sound of the piano on its own never felt right. The violin in the corner of the room is untouched, left in its case all in the back of the room.

Eric walks closer to Vil and the piano, listening and lightly humming along with the music. The two stop for a moment, expecting a certain violinist play a wrong note or add a new melody. Valentin always changed the line, they changed the melody every time.

But there was nothing. Just silence.

You hold your child as tight as you can And push away the unimaginable

Vil buries his face in his father's chest, his tears soiling Eric's dress shirt, but the man couldn't care less. Eric pats his son's back, running a hand through his hair in the hopes of soothing his eldest son.

There are moments when you're in so deep It feels easier to just swim down

Eric doesn't cry. He can't cry. Not right now, when Vil need him to be strong. It tires him to cry, but it tires him even more having to acknowledge the truth every day.

The Schoenheits give up their crown And learn to live with the unimaginable

...

I spend hours in the garden I walk alone to the store

Vil heaves a sigh as he walks around town. Eric had pushed him to take a stroll to take his mind off of everything. Eric had a waver to his voice that made Vil know that his father only made him go out the house so the man could cry on his own.

The hustle and bustle of the town was normal, everyone was living their lives. The townspeople had gotten used to having the Schoenheit family just nearby, and mostly left them unbothered. It was a slow and silent day, to Vil at least.

And it's quiet uptown I never liked the quiet before

From one of the houses nearby, a certain wolf beastman looks out the window, seeing the model walk past. Jack can't help but frown a bit, watching how Vil walks and stands tall, but his eyes have a faraway look to them.

I visit their grave on Sunday Placing some flowers on the floor

Vil plops down a bouquet of Valentin's favorite flowers by the tombstone, taking a clean rag and wipes the grave meticulously. There was barely any dust or dirt on it, thanks to Vil's weekly visits, but he couldn't stop himself.

At the very least, Vil could still pamper his younger sibling the best he can. The actor blinks multiple times, the tears in his eyes making it hard to see his surroundings properly. A Purple Emperor butterfly lands on the flowers on the floor, resting its wings.

And I pray That never used to happen before

...

If you see him in the street, Walking by himself, talking to himself, Have pity

Vil sighs, burying his hands in his pockets, burying the lower part of his face behind his scarf. He mumbles to himself, whispering apologies and reminiscing memories of Valentin. Vil can't help but manage a pathetic chuckle. He would always scold Valentin for mumbling and hiding their face.

Vil always told Valentin to be proud of who they are.

But Vil can't even follow his own advice, for once. Not when guilt and self-blame eats him up on the inside.

"Val, you wouldn't like things right now, it's too quiet right now..."

He is working through the unimaginable

...

His hair has gone grey, he passes every day They say he walks the length of the city

Eric walks through the city, trying to ignore the press and paparazzi following him incessantly. The man, for the first time in what feels like the longest time, wishes he had bodyguards with him or that he had simply not gone out at all.

But he knew that he had to leave the house. If he hadn't, then he would have been stuck in his youngest child's room, looking through every picture for the millionth time that day.

He looks across the street, seeing a father lifting up his daughter, a proud smile on his face as he plays around with his children, his wife laughing and taking pictures of the moment. Eric feels a pang in his heart, wishing that family nothing but happiness.

Eric remembers the first time he held Vil, the first time he saw Valentin. He remembers his children's first words, their first steps, he wouldn't even need a photograph or a video to remember it. When he saw Valentin smile for the first time, Eric remembers his exact words and thoughts in that moment:

"You knock me out, I fall apart"

Can you imagine?

...

"Look at where we are, look at where we started." Rook places a hand on Vil's shoulder, looking at him in concern.

Vil looks back at him, keeping back his emotion. He must be perfect, and not a single speck out of place. But the hunter could see and hear very clearly, how Vil was clearly too stressed for anything. It was a wonder how the dorm leader could handle going back to school like this.

"The potatoes don't deserve me, Rook-" Rook shakes his head and gently shushes Vil. He can't bear seeing his Roi du Poison so anguished, but knows that there isn't much he can do. Despite this, he tries anyway.

"Shh, hear me out, that would be enough."

Vil huffs and shakes his head in return, his thoughts spiraling back to the VDC tournament. His foolish decisions that led to his sibling's death.

"If I could spare their life... if I could trade their life for mine..."

Vil trails off and glances at Epel, who was despondently playing with his food. Normally, Vil would have scolded the first year for doing so, but he didn't have the heart nor the energy to do so.

They'd be standing here right now, and they would smile And that would be enough.

Rook sighs and makes Vil face him, holding him by the shoulders, trying to comfort his friend.

"I don't pretend to know the challenges you're facing. I know there's no replacing what was lost, and you need time."

"But don't be afraid, you'll know when you're ready. Just let me stay here by your side. That would be enough."

...

If you see him in the street Talking by his side, walking by his side Have pity

Vil briskly walks over to Epel, who was going back to the dorm from club time. The dorm leader had been trying to talk to the first year for a while, but it's been hard getting Epel to speak or even look at Vil for more than three seconds.

"Epel, do you like it right now? It's quiet right now.."

He is trying to do the unimaginable

But Epel ignores him, walking faster and faster until he starts running to the mirror, leaving Vil alone in the hallway.

...

See them walking in the hall, staring at the wall Taking in the glances full of pity

Epel walks as Vil tries to catch up with him. The first year's blue eyes gaze at the wall and the floor like it was the most interesting in the world. He can't bear looking at his dorm leader.

Not when Vil looked so much like Valentin. Not when looking at Vil reminds Epel of the friend he lost too quickly.

Then a butterfly flutters nearby, and Epel glances at it. His meemaw always told him that butterflies symbolized the dead, and he tears up. He could hear Valentin's laugh from when they messed around when Val was staying in his house. And then he heard their scream, when the rubble fell down and crushed them under it.

Epel stops walking, his gaze distant but fixated on the butterfly fluttering around him. Vil takes this as a chance to try speaking to Epel, but the first year beats him to it.

"Look around, look around, Valentin..."

It was an absent-minded murmur on Epel's part, but it brought Vil to tears as well. The two didn't speak, only stood next to each other, watching the butterfly land on an apple tree, eating an apple that fell to the ground.

They are trying to do the unimaginable

...

There are moments that the words don't reach There's a grace too powerful to name

Every class he goes to, Vil always notices the Purple Emperor butterfly following him. Some of the other students have pointed it out, Rook especially. The hunter would say that Valentin was always watching over him.

We push away what we can never understand We push away the unimaginable

But Vil won't believe it ⸺ he can't believe it, rather. Why would Valentin watch over Vil, of all people? It was a foolish thought, after all. Vil was the reason why Valentin died. So why would they follow him when they could simply rest in the peace that reached them too soon?

...

They are standing in the garden Vil by Valentin's side

Vil watches Valentin as they play with the butterflies that float around them. The younger Schoenheit had a ghost of a smile on their face as the beautiful insects fluttered about them. And Vil eyes the scene with wide, unbelieving eyes.

The older Schoenheit slowly walks over, hesitantly approaching his younger sibling, who was acting like nothing had happened. Like it was all a dream.

As though sensing their older brother's presence, Valentin turns around, the small smile on their lips still there. And they do something Vil never thought was possible.

They take his hand...

Valentin opens their mouth to speak, looking up at Vil with a sad, accepting smile.

"It's quiet uptown."

Vil's eyes widen and the dam of emotion is released once again. He falls down to his knees, clenching his eyes closed as tears run down his cheeks, ruining his makeup. Gently squeezing his younger sibling's hand, he presses it against his cheek, trying to prove to himself that Valentin was indeed here.

Forgiveness. Can you imagine?

And for the first time in a long time, Vil smiled. Happy tears fall down his face and he looks up at Valentin. Then he notices a small flicker in Val's expression.

Their eyes darken.

Their smile turn into a smirk that looked almost evil.

And then Vil realizes where he was.

Forgiveness.

Vil quickly jumps away, narrowly dodging a pile of rubble that fell right where he was a second ago. The Schoenheit rubs his eyes, wiping away the tears and gets his magic ready to defend himself.

Vil isn't in a garden. He isn't in home. He's in STYX, getting tested on because he overblotted and survived, though Vil wishes he never did. His heart aches, and he can't help but curse the Shroud brothers in his mind for bringing sweet Val into this.

He curses the world for having the gall to create a version of his younger sibling based on his memories just to attack him. For getting his hopes up, for getting him to think that Valentin was still with him. For making him go against his sibling once again. For making this the last time he'll see Valentin 'alive' and well.

Can you imagine?

#REALFAN ME #BEST SUPPORTER #I’MTHEREALDEAL #—Mika’s Reblogs ✧

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