#and by the time he'd settled in I completely forgot I hadn't posted here yet XD

[phoenixiancrystallist]

Month 10, day 15

Man, 2D art is *so* much easier for me XD At least when it comes to making the progress I'd planned to for the night

I redid the text and adjusted the size of the dragon, plus also made the canvas wider to fit the text in the way I wanted it. And honestly? I think I really like it like this! :D

Now I just need to tie down the dragon into a final piece instead of the sketch she's in right now :D

[scarlettriot]

Along for the Ride PT 3

Pairing: KirishimaxF!Reader

Summary: The cat is out of the bag and the plane hasn't even taken off yet! How long until things boil over?

Contains: Kirishima and Reader both come from very well-off families. Plus-Sized Reader. Fluff. Hurt/Comfort. Angst. Struggles with not feeling good enough ((there's a fair amount of self-doubt struggles this time around))

Warnings: TW: Manipulative Family Relationships. TW: Body Image Issues. TW: Anxiety Problems & Self-Doubt. Mild depression.

A/N: This was a lot harder to write out than I thought it would be! I didn't really know where these two crazy kids wanted to go! This was kinda a shit show, I should probably wait to post this but I'm excited and here we are. And yeah, the plane actually takes off this time. Crazy ass wedding, here we come!

Part One | Part Two

Tags: @lastroseofspring @black-bhabie-2000 @meadow-arts @sarahschance - thank you for following still <3

Word Count: 3,883

Your brain reeled, it was like time had slowed while your heart managed to speed up somehow.

He knew. Eijiro remembered. He said again. He believed he made you uncomfortable?

No no no no no...

You couldn't take your eyes from his back, stuck in shock only able to watch as he got further and further away. You could pretend you didn't hear him, didn't understand what he was implying but then this fissure you felt beginning in your friendship would only expand.

Ignoring it when you thought he didn't know, that was one thing. He put it in the open. Kicked the ball into your court and... what? What did he expect you to do with it? Did he want you to do anything with it? Obviously, Eijiro wanted something done or he would have just kept the whole thing to himself!

Then again, what if he just remembered? What if it hadn't been this whole time? What if this was his way of trying to start the conversation? You couldn't really fault him if that was the case. But, if he'd always remembered, always knew, then why now? What changed? Why would he let you think he didn't remember all this time? Was he embarrassed about it, fuck, did he regret it?

Your brain ran through about a hundred different what-ifs and whys in the time it took him to cross the living area. The moment he was out of sight, something in you snapped.

Damn the neatly tucked blanket, you sped after him nearly tripping over a footrest and most definitely banging your thigh on an end table but you made it to the conference room before he crossed into the bedroom. Your fist slamming the button on the wall causing both sets of doors to slide shut, effectively keeping you both inside because there was only one way you were going to get answers.

"You remember?"

"Yeah, I eh, never forgot in the first place."

"The whole night? All of it?"

Eijiro kept his back to you, hands still in his pockets, the toe of his shoe lightly tapping the closed door in front of him. "Listen, we don't have to talk about it. I know you don't want to. I-I didn't mean to bring it up or make this a- wha!"

You crossed the room and tugged his arm hard enough to make him whirl around so you could jam a finger into his broad chest. "We should have talked about this months ago. You shouldn't have kept it from me!"

"Well, you didn't say anything either. You snuck off in the middle of the night."

You swallowed trying to wet your suddenly dry throat because he was completely correct, that was exactly what you'd done. The realization that you were both at fault in your own ways settled over you and, man, did it suck!

Could you really be mad at him when it was you who walked away? Didn't face it? Crap, if he'd known this whole time, if he saw you leaving that night... you didn't even want to imagine what that looked like to him.

His voice sounded so incredibly small, ripping you away from your spiraling thoughts, "Ya coulda stayed, yknow?" It dissipated your anger, replacing it with guilt. You couldn't even bring yourself to look into those ruby eyes of his, only fold your arms around yourself and stare at your feet beside his. The fear and doubt awakening yet again.

That little voice reminding you wouldn't really be enough. You weren't who he really wanted to be with. Nails dug into the heel of your palm deeper and deeper until you could finally get the words out. He'd just want an explanation, nothing more.

"Yeah, Eiji, I don't think I could have."

"So... so you do regret it then?"

Five in the morning was such a shit time to be vulnerable. Although, the upside was your filter was damn near shot. You needed at least a solid five hours of sleep to get it back in working order so everything that fell out of your mouth was as honest as you could get. For as terrified as you were, you couldn't let him think you didn't like what happened between the two of you. That you didn't enjoy yourself. And before you knew it, one truth was leading to another.

"I sure as hell didn't say that, ya big dummy. It's just, a lot to wrap my head around. I don't know what came over me that night. I didn't- I don't wanna mess up our friendship over some drunken random happenstance."

He took a long and steady breath before closing his eyes and nodding in agreement.

"Yeah. Guess I didn't want to either. It's why I didn't tell you I was awake." You let him burrow his fingers inside the sleeve of your hoodie, brush against yours until he wove them together because despite the pain in your chest you still relished the feel of him.

"But, I don't think anything's been messed up and you sure as hell aren't gonna lose me! Maybe things are a little more complicated but nothing too bad. We could, yknow, talk about it though? Unless... you'd rather we just forget it happened."

He'd never been great at hiding his emotions when he wanted something. The twitch of his fingers in yours and the way he chewed on the inside of his cheek, they were more than enough indication of what he'd hope you'd say.

Why now? Why when your brain was a jumbled mess? He actually wanted to talk, possibly consider what happened?

You wanted to ask him, pour out all your questions but couldn't find the words so instead your head fell against his chest with a sigh, "Ei, I'm just scared."

Eijiro wasted no time before offering reassurance, "You don't have to be. 'M not goin' anywhere." Luckily, as easily as you could read him, he could read you in return. "You've got a lot on your plate right now." He wound his free arm around, over your shoulders, and held you near. "Why don't we get you through this wedding thing and then we can figure out things between us without other distractions? Okay?"

You nodded your head against him, ruffling your hair in the process, and stole a moment.

For now, he was still your best friend, even if you couldn't deny there was something different about the way you fit in his arms. So familiar that you were able to find solace in it and yet his heart was clearly drumming faster than you were used to hearing; like he'd held a small army back all on his own.

His hugs always lasted the perfect amount of time; exactly how long you needed them to, always waiting for you to pull away. But, something about the way he held you brought you back to that night without you even realizing it.

Fingers coiled in the grey fabric of his hoodie and you tugged downward twice.

"Yes?" Eijiro snickered, stooping down to your level.

All the worries in your head, everything that piled up within your mind, everything that could go wrong, all that you could lose, it didn't change your silly heart.

You tilted your head to the side and it was easy to catch him off guard. Just a quick peck of your lips against his while you still had to nerve to do so. You were met with wide, unblinking eyes, his mouth just barely hanging open.

"'M scared." You whispered, bringing him back to life, "Ei, I dun-"

His hand moved to the back of your neck, bringing you forward until you clashed together again effectively cutting you off. His tongue sliding into your mouth with a lot more grace than it'd been on that night.

The scratch of his stubble was welcomed with the way you moved against each other. "I told you not to be." His hand squeezing yours as he brought it around his back, letting you hold on before he wound his around your waist to pull you up on tiptoes, so high it felt like he was going to lift you right off the ground.

When your hands traveled upward, holding his face to yours, he deepened the kiss further, a noise so small and desperate escaping your lips had him breathless. Setting you back on the ground while you brought him down to your level, strong arms snaked around you, bending you backward ever so slightly before those hands began to roam.

There was a chance Eijiro was going to pick you up like he had that night in America, let you wrap your legs about his torso, and carry you off to bed. Or maybe he would have just backed you up against the shiny black conference table. Your mind shoved all the fears down and used them to jump from one dirty thought to the next.

"Mr. Kirishima Ms. Y/N! I'm so sorry! I just had to put these away before we began taxiing! I assumed you were in the bedroom!" Poor Luce. She set down the small box she was holding and quickly backed out of the room, closing the door again. "We are about ready to go." She called from the other side, "We'll need to have the doors open and both of you buckled in seats for that. Sorry!"

"Yeah, not a problem! We'll be there in a sec!"

You hid your heated face in Eijiro's chest, burrowing further as if he could shelter you from the world while he laughed and kept you close. "'Member, they can't say anything."

"Still!"

"Yeah, I know."

"And, and what happened to waiting until after the wedding and talking this out!"

"Hey! You started it!"

"Well you, you, yo-" He kissed away your stammer. There was a lack of tongue this time. Just a slow kiss that had you damn near melting in his arms.

"Sorry." He pecked another time, "But, you're really cute when you get flustered. Did you know I've always thought that?" And one more while your heart hammered, "I did say I wouldn't be a distraction though, so, I'll behave."

You raised a brow, "Will you?"

"Unless you'd like me not to."

That small part of your brain that had a minuscule thread of common sense remaining, you clung to it for dear life. It would only complicate things, more to worry about than you needed.

"Sunday?" You asked.

"We will sort it all out on Sunday, yes, ma'am. I'm gonna change clothes real quick before we get moving. Are you tired?"

"Well, not anymore."

He smirked. "I packed some movies. Why dontcha head out there and I'll meet you in a sec."

>>><<<

Tali was already grinning like a cat when she asked if you needed anything prior to taking off, making it all too obvious that Luce had mentioned what she'd witnessed. They might not be able to tell anyone publicly but that didn't stop them from talking amongst themselves.

All the windows had their shades up leaving only dim light in the cabin, which, you were thankful for assuming the sun was already starting to breach in the sky. It might have even been a lovely site to see if it wasn't for the fact you were exhausted. You couldn't go to sleep, you were pretty sure of that, but that didn't mean you weren't tired.

Eijiro joined you shortly. Bag of snacks and movies in hand. Mostly animated, some action, and a couple black and whites that he knew were among your favorites and thus had a permanent place in his personal collection.

He had Treasure Planet playing by the time the plane began moving. And when the pilot announced you were cleared for takeoff, he plopped his hand palm up, in the space between you. You took it without even thinking. A habit from the first time you flew together. A rocky takeoff had you clinging onto both him and Mina absolutely terrified and ever since Eijiro made a habit of making his hand available to you for both takeoff and landing, just in case.

Luckily, you didn't actually need it this time around, but that didn't stop you from keeping hold of him though. One habit led to another as you reclined in your seat and soon enough, Eijiro's head was in your lap, your fingers combing out his hair.

You told yourself it was fine though, this was the way you usually ended up when watching movies, both before and after what happened in America.

But when his soft snores began a little over halfway through the movie and Luce came around to offer you another blanket and turn off the already dim lights, which you thanked her for doing. As the soft blue lights came on to illuminate walkways, your heart tugged.

The dread of dealing with your family was starting to weigh on you more and more. You couldn't help but feel like Eijiro was going to never want to speak with you again after having to endure them let alone actually possibly get into a relationship with you. And that thought had your heart racing.

So much could happen before Sunday. So, many things could go wrong. Dealing with your family as a friend would be one thing but, man, you couldn't think of anyone who'd willing want to put up with them for the foreseeable future.

Keep your expectations low you'd been reminding yourself since that little makeout session. He can always change his mind. You're no Katsuki Bakugo...

Eijiro grumbled something inaudible in his sleep before rolling over, his long legs now off the side of the sofa and face up against your tummy.

You continued to card fingers through his hair, unable to turn off your brain. You weren't able to stop it from taking a turn for the worst. Listening to that damn hissing voice in the back of your mind reminding you to keep your expectations low, something you'd been reminding yourself since that little makeout session. He can always change his mind. You're no Katsuki Bakugo...

You hadn't realized you were crying, only that his hand had moved and now rested on your cheek, thumb whisking away a tear. "Aw cutie," He cleared his throat, "I know the movie's a lil emotional but tears?"

"Sorry, Eiji. G'back to sleep."

"Not without you." He sat up, gathering the blanket in his arms, "C'mon, I promised I'd be a good boy. Plus, we both know you sleep better when you cling to somethin'."

Sometimes it really sucked how right he could be.

You left the movie on, nearly over now, letting Eijiro pull you back to the bedroom without complaint.

Ducking in the bathroom to change into sleep shorts, knowing full well you'd kick the sweats off in the middle of the night if you didn't, and something told you waking up in your panties with Eijiro in your bed would make you an unintentional tease and you weren't gonna be that person.

When you stepped out, he was already in the bed, sheets pulled back awaiting your arrival. His shirt was off. Much like you could sleep in sweats, Eijiro wasn't capable of sleeping with a shirt on and not sweating worse than Katsuki.

You cuddled in beside him, not saying a word. Even in the low light of the room, you were able to see the faint remains of the tan lines his hero costume left across his arms and shoulders. The ones from his face guard had long since faded.

"Gonna tell me why you were crying?"

"Nope."

He scowled, such a rare thing to see. He'd want to fix things, make them all better, and while he could help with some things, certain others were just out of his control.

Eijiro propped his head in his hand so he was looking down at you laying beside him. "I really don't wanna add to your troubles. I'm supposed to be here to make you feel more at ease, not cause more stress. So, tell me what I gotta do."

"Just get back down here and hold me." He obliged.

"'N what else?"

You tangled your legs with his. "Can you answer me a question?"

"Always. Or, I'll give it my best shot."

The words fell from your lips before you had the chance to rethink them. "If Katsuki asked you to take him back, would you?"

"You really wanna talk about this now?"

"I just need the honest answer to this one question, Eiji, everything else can happen later."

If he could put your mind at ease about this one thing, maybe you could get through this weekend. Maybe you could put everything else aside and see that there was a possibility of happiness if all the other stars aligned.

He shifted before answering, rolling onto his back and pulling you up onto his torso. "To be honest, it depends. In this scenario am I with a particular person who's happened to change my entire world in the best way possible?"

"Sure." You rolled your eyes.

"Then not a chance." He didn't even hesitate, "Katsuki, he made his choice, and now I'm free to make mine. I'm able to see things more clearly thanks to him, able to know what I want and have the chance to go after it." He arched his hips making you slid up towards his face with a squeak, "And, yeah, what I want is you." Your cheeks burned when he kissed them but, true to his word, he didn't take things further. "Does that relax that busy brain of yours for now?"

You slid into his side, "Yeah. But, 'm gonna have more."

"Don't worry. I'll answer 'em all as long as you answer the few I've got. But for now, try and sleep. If you can't, wake me up. Okay?"

You listened to his instructions but with his arms secured around you, the steady drumming of his heart, and the rise and fall of his chest, it all had you drifting to sleep quicker than you would have expected.

>>><<<

What time was it when you woke, hell if you knew!

It took you a solid minute to even remember where you were!

A plane. Right. A private plane. One that belonged to Eijiro's family-

Eijiro!

You flipped over in bed only to find it empty, the blankets haphazardly tucked in. The lights were still off and you had to feel around for your phone just to find a light switch. The room was in fact empty. The light off in the bathroom.

Sliding out of the bed you pulled your sweats back on over the sleep shorts to go find Eijiro.

Not in the conference room, and he didn't appear to be in the main cabin either. You were able to follow the sounds of laughter though, growing louder into chatter. Behind a door was the tiniest kitchen you'd ever seen, though, that could have just been because Eijiro was inside with Tali.

Her hair wasn't as perfect as it'd been last night, the sleeves of her white dress shirt rolled up, and an apron covered the rest of her uniform. "I can't believe you like it this burnt!" She was laughing, poking at something sizzling in the pan, bacon by the smell of it.

"I can't believe you ate it when it was still oinking!"

She smacked his arm at the same time, catching your eye. A mischievous smile bloomed across her face and Eijiro quickly whirled around.

"Your up! I was gonna let you sleep a bit longer! Wake you with some breakfast." He held up the tray of food Tali was apparently preparing. Fruits, eggs, toast, and some of the omelets she'd spoken so fondly of the night before.

With her shoulder, Tali nudged Eijiro forward a step, "Go." You barely heard her whisper, "I'll bring your bacon when it's charred to your liking."

"How'd you sleep?" He asked once back in the bedroom. You could have eaten in the cabin, it probably would have been less of a mess but Eijiro insisted the bed was more comfortable and, well, he wasn't wrong.

"Honestly, that's the best sleep I've had in a while. I might need to invest in a new mattress. I'm being spoiled."

He popped a piece of fruit in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before adding. "Right, because it had nothing to do with the company."

You flicked a blueberry at him. "I'm just sayin'! You did sleep pretty much on me the entire night so..."

"No. No, I didn't."

He nodded. "I felt like a turtle. You held on like a little shell." You knew you liked to sleep cuddle, you'd always cuddled with people regardless of your relationship! But never physically on top of someone! "Don't look so scared! Damn! It's not like I minded! Not like it's the first time you've done it either!"

"Excuse me!"

"Well, there was the time in the sleeping bag. I kinda expected that though since there wasn't a lot of room. You also did it when Denki fucked up the room reservations third year at the expo, oh! And I can't forget about all those movie nights on the sofa too when you'd fall asleep."

Your face was burning up. You'd been climbing on him in your damn sleep and he said nothing! Who else had you done this to? You furiously texted Mina, needing to know, while Eijiro nearly choked on a piece of toast while laughing.

My Queen: Yeah babe, all the time! It's sweet though, you wiggle your little nose and-

You stopped reading, ready to throw the blankets over your head and hide. In fact, that was exactly what you did. Breakfast forgotten. You didn't need to eat. Too full of embarrassment.

Eijiro, still laughing, flipped the blanket up by your feet and dove in beside you, making you squeal, "It's adorable! Don't hide from it! I like it!" To prove his point he scooped you up and set you on top of him much like he'd done the night before.

His hair fanned out against the white sheets like a fiery mane while he continued to roar with laughter with you wiggling in his arms until you both settled and he was able to free you from the sheet cacoon you'd created.

"I love having you in my bed. I love having you so close to me. I love that you trust me so much. Y/N, it's a great feeling." He pulled the bowl of fruit onto the bed. "Seriously, I'd stay like this all day if I could."

"Well, I don't know if that'll be possible today. I mean, we're landing at some point."

"Still have a few hours at least."

"But you don't have your bacon."

He pondered. "It'd be tough without bacon... but worth it if I got you."

As if on cue, Tali knocked on the door, "Why have one when you could have both?"

You sprung up to get it, thanking the woman with a smile before Eijiro demanded you join him back in bed.

[mysticpetals]

Supermarket runs

Pairing: Jake × mc (Syianne)

Genre: fluff, humor

Words: 2.5k

Summary: Three times Jake ran into Syianne and one time he actually made plans.

Anonymous asked: Hello. If you do still requests, can you do 27 and 40, with Jake and MC from Duskwood from fluff? Sorry I forgot to add that.

Prompts: 27. "Are you blushing?" 40. "Why are you so afraid of loving?"

Notes: here it is! A cute meet up fic with Jake's point of view. I hope you like this one because it's going to be the last thing I'll be posting for a while 😬

Jake had reached his new hideout just a few hours ago.

After evading yet another capture from the government and planting false trails in his wake, he had escaped to a small town, renting an apartment for the time being.

Opening the door to his new house for a few days, he put his cat down, opened his cage and let him explore. Glitch immediately disappeared and Jake put his bags down, sighing tiredly.

He needed to make a quick run to the store nearby, getting some food and other essential items since it was clear that they didn't stock it in the room.

Before he could change his mind, Jake picked up his wallet, locking the door and walked to the store he came across on his way over to the apartment.

It was a medium sized store, probably the one of the few in this small town. Jake browsed the shelves picking up the things he needed along the way. He avoided eye contact with everyone, putting his hood up.

When he was done, he quietly put the few cup noodles and microwaveable dinners on the counter and waited for the cashier to scan his items. Just as he went to pick up the first item, the cashier's phone rang and he glanced at the screen, eyes widening in surprise before his face settled into panic.

"Oh shit, oh shit, I completely forgot," he mumbled to himself frantically and giving Jake an apologetic glance, ran towards the back room.

Well then, it wasn't like he was in any hurry either. He didn't want to go back so soon anyway. He rocked back on his heels, adjusting his mask so that it still covered the lower half of his face and looked around in boredom.

From the backroom, he could hear two voices arguing, one male and other female and just when he thought that maybe it was going to take a while, the cashier ran out of the room, hefting a jacket over his shoulders and looked back.

"I owe you one, Syianne! Thank you so much!"

Jake tilted his head on hearing the familiar name, memories of conversations with his Syianne creeping up.

"You really do, Percy! I better have a three day weekend after this!" The girl shouted back and Jake smiled behind his mask. She even sounded like her.

The cashier yelled back something but he was already out the door to hear properly. The girl came out from the back, wearing her uniform jacket and grumbling about having to do two shifts, but Jake had frozen.

"Sorry about that. My coworker forgot about the date with his girlfriend and had to bolt. Between you and me, she's pretty scary so I'd be running too," she said, already ringing up his few items but Jake couldn't reply. He kept staring at her familiar face, which he had accidentally accessed when going through her chats before.

This was his Syianne.

She glanced at him, probably wondering why he didn't say anything before looking back on the screen. He broke out of his stupor when she told him the total and held up a bag with his items.

His fingers brushed against her and it felt like a lifetime, blood rushing to his cheeks and heart pacing.

"Thank you," he said and got a smile in return.

"You're welcome! Sorry about the delay earlier."

He shook his head rapidly, telling her that it was no trouble and he completely understood. That made her smile widen, her eyes crinkling with happiness.

"Come again soon!"

Oh, he'd be coming back very soon, indeed.

The first thing he did after reaching home was to power on his laptop and search for Syianne's location. Glitch hissed angrily at him for disturbing his slumber atop the chair he was now sitting in but Jake's eyes were fixed on the screen.

The results baffled him, as it showed her living in a completely different country from when he had searched her before, when he had just gotten her number. And then, realisation dawned on him that she might be using a VPN.

He banged his head on the table in frustration but also a little impressed that Syianne had thought of doing something like this to protect her identity.

He was supposed to stay away from all of them, to prevent pulling people into his messes but now one of the most important people in his life literally worked a walk away from his hiding place. He couldn't change places so frequently as it hadn't even been a day and he had to give some time to the police to cool off, before he got on the move again.

He sighed, too wound up to make anything but cup noodles, he got up and went into the kitchen. Glitch trailed behind him, sniping at his heels for his own food and Jake emptied the last can of cat food into Glitch's bowl.

With a jolt, he realised that he would have to go to the supermarket tomorrow again and it brought him equal parts of excitement as well as anxiety at the thought of seeing Syianne again.

———

The next evening, he put the cans of cat food on the counter and was disappointed to find that the guy from yesterday – Percy, if he recalled right – was going to scan his items.

Jake shifted the mask on his face and looked around to see if Syianne was somewhere but to no avail. If Percy noticed him looking around, he didn't say anything. When he grabbed the bag from him, the employee room opened and Syianne came out wearing casual clothes, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"See you tomorrow, Percy!"

She came out from behind the counter and her eyes widened in surprise as they fell on him.

"Oh hi! You're the one from yesterday."

Jake cleared his throat and let out a hesitant, "Y-yeah."

Percy snickered, throwing a knowing look at Jake before turning to Syianne.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, idiot. Bring some coffee with you." He handed Jake his bag as he scrambled to bring out his wallet to pay and gave him a wide smile.

"Syianne here works the morning shifts." He winked and Jake was mortified to hear the amusement in his voice, knowing that he had been caught.

"I'm not bringing you anything until I get my three-day weekend. Anyway, nice to see you again…." She trailed off when she turned to Jake and his mind went into overdrive as he thought about whether he should tell her his real name or not.

"Phil." He blurted out, "My name's Phil."

She tilted her head, no doubt thinking about that bartender from Duskwood who was currently locked up in jail.

"Funny, I know a guy named Phil. Not from around here though." She glanced at the door giving him a final smile.

"Because all the customers come in the evening." Percy complained and Syianne only rolled her eyes at his antics.

"Well, come by in the morning if you want to chat. It's pretty chill that time."

"Deal with it. Anyway, see you tomorrow." She waved one last time and walked out, Jake's eyes following her figure until she disappeared around the corner.

"She's sweet and a little too trustful. I better not hear any complaints about you from her Phil or I won't hesitate to throw a punch or two." Percy threatened and Jake flushed before muttering a hasty excuse and practically running out of the store.

She actually talked to him today and hearing her voice, her words just made it harder for him to stay away. But it was okay if he didn't tell her who he was, right? She won't be in any danger then, right?

These thoughts chased him as he walked back to his temporary home, almost tripping over Glitch when he entered and found a disgruntled cat, waiting for his food.

———

The next morning, Jake worked in his room, occasionally shooing away Glitch who was determined to get his daily dose of affection.

"Just a minute, Glitch." He muttered, typing rapidly, his eyes scanning the screen with an eerie quickness.

A loud, disgruntled meow from his cat breaks the silence again and Jake heaved a frustrated sigh, pushing his laptop away and glaring at the culprit.

"Fine, you little devil! I'll give you breakfast first."

He walked out of the room, Glitch trailing behind him, purring in appreciation and hopped on to a chair while Jake took out the instant pancake mixture that he had recently bought. And that reminded him of the fact that Syianne was here, so close and whether he should tell her or not.

Making the pancakes in a daze, he put a plate in front of Glitch who immediately started gobbling it up. Jake huffed out a laugh and made his own plate, sitting across from his cat. The syrup was towards Glitch and when he leaned forward to take it, he was met by Glitch's paw swatting at his hand.

"What the hell? You ate already! Let me eat too!"

Glitch's paw rested on the syrup bottle and edged it towards the end of the table.

Jake froze.

"Glitch, no. Give me the syrup."

The bottle shifted a bit more.

"No, Glitch. Stop that."

The cat looked at him and stopped and Jake gave a sigh of relief, only to throw back his head in exasperation at the next moment as the bottle was finally pushed off the table.

"You little devil! I'm going to—"

The cat sprang up and ran into the other room, leaving Jake in the kitchen alone.

"Why is it always me?"

———

After cleaning up the kitchen and eating pancakes without any syrup, Jake found himself in the supermarket once again, embarrassed about being there everyday for the last three or so days.

When he put his items on the counter, including a syrup in a plastic bottle this time, he found himself facing Syianne who gave her an amused look.

"Having a good day, Phil?"

It took a moment for Jake to understand that she was talking to him and he flushed when he met her gaze.

"Not really. My cat decided to be an asshole today."

Syianne laughed and if Jake could have heard it everyday, he would. When she scanned his bandaids, she raised an eyebrow, and Jake gave her a sheepish smile, showing her his poorly wrapped hand.

"Oh no, that looks bad," she said but Jake only shook his head.

"It's better than it looks, I promise. I'm just bad at wrapping things up."

She didn't smile but only looked behind him. Seeing no more customers, she gestured for him to come to her side of the counter. Confused, he did as she asked and understanding dawned on him when he saw her opening the packet of gauze he had just bought.

"Oh, no, no. It's okay. I can do it at home." He rushed but she didn't listen, silently asking for him to hold his hand forward. When he realised that Syianne wasn't going to take no for an answer, he sighed and put his hand forward, face heating up and he regretted forgetting to wear a face mask that day.

"Are you blushing?" She asked teasingly and his flush only worsened.

"I-I'm not used to other people caring for me."

She hummed.

"That must be lonely."

She carefully unwrapped his hand, winching at the sight of blood and cleaned it with antiseptic wipes, before wrapping a bandage around the cut. Her hands were gentle but firm, as if she knew what she was doing and had done it a hundred times before. Jake was suddenly hit with a weird nostalgia, a feeling of wanting to know who she was, how many siblings she had, what her goals were.

He didn't realise when she had stopped, staring at him, as he was looking at her and only after several minutes had passed, did Syianne dropped her hands, letting him know that she was done.

The thought struck him like lightning and he quickly grabbed his bags, muttering another thank you and getting a simple smile in return. Before he knew, he was out on the streets and on the way to his house, his thoughts a raging turmoil.

"Thank you very much." He spoke softly, quietly, overwhelmed by such a gesture from her. He was essentially a stranger and she had still helped him, not knowing who he was.

She didn't know who he was.

What was he doing? Going to see her like that, finding excuses to go to the supermarket in hopes of seeing her? What did he want to accomplish?

He released a shaky sigh, running his hands through his hair, when he reached the place. Glitch, knowing that it wasn't the time for his shenanigans, only gave a welcoming meow from his place on the couch.

Maybe it was time he started searching again.

Jake opened his laptop but the ping from his phone made him look for it, heart quickening when he saw her name on it.

Syianne [5:00 pm]

Hey Jake!

How are you doing? I hope you're safe

I patched up a guy today who came in at work. He had a cat too!

Anyway, I don't know why I'm still writing but I hope you're safe and nobody got to you

Why are you so afraid of loving?

Sorry, insensitive question. Ignore that

Waiting for when you come back

...I'm still looking forward to that date

Jake's lips quirked at her messages, warmed by her concern. She had messaged him everyday ever since he went into hiding again. He hadn't replied then, being busy because of his relocation, but now….

In a bold move, very uncharacteristic for him, he messaged her back.

Jake [5:03 pm]

What if I told you that the guy you patched up was me?

Syianne [5:04 pm]

What?

His name was Phil

Oh

Jake waited as she typed and erased, all of it going on for two minutes before she stopped. Jake had a sudden, terrible feeling that perhaps he had made a mistake but soon enough, she replied.

Syianne [5:06 pm]

You're cute in real life as well <3

Jake laughed, amused by her flirty response and decided that perhaps he'd stay there for a few more days.

Syianne [5:06 pm]

What about that date at the Chinese restaurant you promised me?

Jake [5:07 pm]

Does tomorrow work for you? ;)

[scolopendress-tag]

I said I'd make a post detailing my kid Asra working for Lucio theory in this post so here it is! 

So Let's get STARDED.

So! To start off, how it began. We do know when Asra and Muriel were kids, Lucio came to them each seperately with a deal.

Essentially: work for me, or I'll hurt your friend.

This was the sentiment he repeated for both of them. So, not wanting the other to be harmed, they both agree - unaware of the other's deal.

For Muriel, it was playing heel/excecutioner at the coleseium. For Asra, it was doing... Well, we never know, aside from he worked under Lucio. But that's what we are here to discuss in any case.

Continued under the read more, for the sake of people's dashes.

Now presumably, if I got my timeline right, Asra at this time would've been around 12 or 13. We don't know much about how Asra was when he was younger, other than that he has certainly changed.

It's also worth noting that it's not amiss to say they were both also still homeless at the time, and the hut hadn't come into the play until after.

Asra was still living on the streets.

This all isn't overly important for any of my claims later, but perhaps someone else could make something of it. It does provide us with some framing for the situation as a whole, though.

Now onto Asra's time under Lucio. I don't know that we have any indication of how long it was, but presumably at least a year if not more.

We do also know that Lucio knew who Asra was. Both in that he knew Aisha and Salim had a kid, and that he knew Asra was said kid.

This is bring this up because we know Aisha and Salim were incredibly talented, and likely incredibly powerful. Lucio wouldn't settle for any run of the mill magician or alchemist for the work he needed. So he must've had some idea that Asra may take after that power as well.

To top it off, he also interacted and talked with the dock kids he also used, (two of which would actually later become palace guards,) and seeing as this is seemingly how he learned of Muriel, it's not off to think that this is also how he heard of Asra again to start. The kids knew of Asra's magic, and roughly where he was, and could've even continued talking about both Muriel and Asra to Lucio for unknown amounts of time.

So now Lucio knows that the kid of his two powerful practitioners of magic is not only still around, but taking after them as well.

If Muriel's intimidating size and physical power are what drew Lucio to him, why wouldn't Asra's considerable metaphysical power and talents draw Lucio in as well?

We know how much Lucio loves power, and that he has an interest in magic because of it, as mentioned in the main story. (no ss sorry... If you have one send so I can add. )

Plus, homeless kid in a vulnerable spot. Easy pickings.

That's what I think this whole thing was about, really. It's all power. Though Asra likely didn't have the full scope of power he does in the current game, he was probably still considerably talented, and was only getting better.

What Lucio specifically probably wanted from Asra then was either to be taught how to use that power, to use Asra for things that required it, and/or use his power for entertainment akin to how he used Muriel.

I think out of these however, using him for his power was most likely. Why? (And teaching him now, more on that further down)

(Sorry for bad quality lmao it's a small image. Also thanks to @8-bit-space for showing these to me like months ago. As you can see I can't stop thinking abt it)

These are screenshots from the old prologue. While they're not canon any more, there's reason to believe they still hold merit as to how Lucio feels about Asra.

Two things to me are major here. First is the "powerful potent magic," and how it's the "real deal," equating to a large part of how he views Asra yet again tying back to a heavy interest in his power. Now, you could argue this relates to using his powers in the palace during the plague, but the second point stands out even more to me.

"The one who broke him for me?"

What this implies to me is that Lucio could never quite get all the way through to Asra or control him when he was younger, and he's been dying to do so. He wanted Asra broken, presumably so that he'll become essentially a tool for him to use for his skill and not put up a fight- something Asra likely did as a child.

Because it seems that Lucio for the most part relied on control through fear when it came to Asra, threatening to hurt Muriel, lying to him about how he executed his parents, likely other things as well. But things seem to point to that never quite working like he had hoped.

This could allude to this as well. Though "impossible" is something Asra's been called a few times, namely also by Julian, there's no reason to assume Lucio wasn't also including his work with him as a kid in "always". Impossible to hate could be his draw to Asra for his power, his talent, his skills, the prospect of which I'm sure Lucio found practically mouthwatering. Impossible to love could be his stubbornness or reluctance to do what Lucio wants, always pushing against him or being hard to deal with, both as a kid and during the plague.

And lines like this, where he calls him a coward. I find it hard to relate this to the plague ritual as he was for the most part willingly helping with that, so it could be resenment for when Asra eventually ran off as a kid, unwilling to put up with him any longer, or his reluctance to do certain things for him then in general.

We know, and it has even been mentioned by a character within the canon, that Asra can be incredibly stubborn, to back that up. Plus, he could've been even harder to work with then both being a kid and as I mentioned earlier he has changed from how he was then, so he could've had more spunk to him or such.

This also easily means that what Lucio was trying to get Asra to do then was something Asra was quite obviously opposed to. Being used for his power is already degrading enough, but there could be more to it.

You'll notice in the post that was linked at the top (the reason I'm writing this) I mentioned pushing Asra to his physical limits and magical extremes. This could be one of the reasons for a push back.

If Lucio was having Asra do things for him involving magic, it's not out of pocket to assume he'd practically run him into the ground- I'm sure he really wouldve loved testing the limits of what Asra could REALLY do.

Wether it be huge expendure of power all at once, or tons of smaller things one after the other, it would absolutely take it's toll. We are shown a few times that using magic can exhaust someone, and I don't remember if this is shown in canon ever (tell me if so!) but pushing it even further could definitely lead to other things such as passing out, (Or nosebleeds, for the aesthetic,) alongside likely being incredibly painful and draining, both mentally and physically.

Basically, abusing his powers and the body that commanded them. It's also possible that the stubborness to work with Lucio could also be partially percieved because of this- Lucio taking Asra's literal physical inability to continue as defiance.

Another reason for push back from Asra would be making him do morally compromising things. This is a little more vague, but intimidation is a common headcanon I see for what Lucio made Asra do, and that could tie in here. Other things could be meddling in things and business he shouldn't, but again, it's a vague thing. Make of it what you will. Fucked up stuff all around.

[EDIT - TEACHING LUCIO]

(THANK YOU @tea-tye for showing me these, and credits to @hangedman-magician for the video they came from!!!!!!!)

...I cannot BELIEVE I forgot this, I KNEW I was missing something. Especially when I was fairly certain I remember Lucio being obsessed with the idea of magic. SO, MOVING ON,

There's not terribly much to pick apart here as it's rather direct- Asra saying he has in fact tried to teach Lucio magic. So in my eyes this solidifies that this was a component of Asra's time under Lucio. I still think my points about Lucio treatment (pushing Asra to his limits) stand, as well.

This can also tie in the stubborness mentioned as, well, can you imagine teaching Lucio? Asra backs this up by saying nothing he has ever said stuck with Lucio, and you know how Lucio gets when things don't go his way. He would've blamed his inability to learn on Asra, likely.

Looking to other quotes mentioned: the 'broke him' line still rings to me like he was trying to use Asra in other ways, and the 'coward' line could go either way from refusing to teach Lucio certain things, or refusing to do certain things for Lucio when he was merely being used. The "impossible" line could also go for others, as trying to teach someone like Lucio would've undoubtedly caused some head butting.

This is certainly really exciting and interesting to me as it gives a more complete picture on the exact situation at hand here. I still stay by my reasoning for Lucio simply using Asra as well on top of being taught because it seems highly likely that Lucio would've been too impatient to learn to do certain things himself, and like I said as well, I don't doubt he also just wanted to see what Asra was REALLY capable of. Something he could've saw as a tantalizing insight into the kind of power he could aquire of this kid would just... work with him.

NOW we have a MUCH clearer answer as to what exactly Asra was likely doing under Lucio, or at this point, almost certainly doing. It's a sad picture for Asra of course, but with this you can draw some interesting points as to how he could've been affected by this, as I'm sure it would've left some kind of imprint on him.

Sure it may not have been as traumatic as what Muriel went through, but when you look at it, it's hard to say it DIDN'T leave it's scars. If we consider all the points presented in this post truth we have:

A 12/13 yo homeless child, threatened with his friend's life to work for the Count that he knew was the one responsible for orphaning him and making him homeless in the first place.

Said child believing his parents are still alive, and as we see in Travel at Night, could very likely still be trying to find them. In a situation like Asra's that glimmer of hope probably was a big deal in helping him push on. This may also be a reason he agreed on top of Muriel's safety.

While working under the count, he is told that his parents were executed, no doubt devastating. The manner in which this was mentioned is up for debate, and could affect exactly how it was taken. Options could be Lucio joking or bragging about it (treating it as trivial or an accomplishment), or using it to threaten Asra, (as in I killed your parents, I'll kill you too,) both would work when it comes to controlling by fear.

It is also mentioned that Lucio told him the reason for his parents execution is that they messed up his gold arm, so Asra also has the knowledge that his parents were killed over something so unbelievably trivial.

Being used as a source of power and nothing else, both for teaching and pure work/entertainment, all for the man who killed his parents, day after day.

Being pushed to physically painful and mentally draining limits, expending so much energy that he completely exhausts himself, day after day.

Likely taking all sorts of verbal abuse from Lucio, day after day.

Like mentioned earlier, it seems clear that Lucio wanted to break Asra, so some other form of trying to chip away at his psyche to make him more convenient for Lucio is likely as well.

Those points alone, to yet again a CHILD no less, seem more than enough to cause some traumatic impact, and depending on certain specifics of what exactly went on during that time, it could be worse. I may make a post looking into the long lasting effects of this on Asra, I may not. It would mostly be headcanon regardless. If you want to add your hc relating to this situation though, I'll gladly reblog it!

And now that we are closing out, it's time to revise my summary. So, without further ado, THIS is what I think was going on during this time.

Lucio knows of Asras existence and parentage.

Lucio learns Asra is around and that he's got power.

Lucio LOVES power, so he threatens Asra into working for him.

Lucio uses Asra for his power and to be taught how to use it for himself.

While using Asra for his knowledge and power, runs him into the ground by pushing his limits to physical and magical degrees, possibly even moral.

Asra pushes back against a lot of this, or is at least percieved to, frustrating Lucio.

Lucio does what he can to try and control Asra even more, primarily via fear, but can't seem to crack him.

Eventually it's too much, and Asra leaves. Likely when the plague hit like Muriel, but it's possible it could've been somewhat sooner. Lucio is PISSED, because he wanted that magical power all to himself.

Less related, I can see Lucio trying to brush it off and pretending to be fine with it, excuse being "he was too difficult to work with, anyways," or something.

...And then... years later, as far as Lucio sees it, Asra comes crawling back- and he's tamed down to a degree! He's actually working with him. Lucio might not know what or who did it, but Asra is finally broke for him, and I'm sure he was absolutely ecstatic to have that power back in his hands- and more than ever before.

Think of all of this as you would like!

At the end this is all still speculative, so definitely feel free to make your own points or say if you feel any different abt anything- expansions or counters on this theory/headcanon welcome!

And if you also have any other screenshots or info not here that could add to the theory or change the outlook of certain things definitely add them!!! I feel like I'm missing stuff for sure, and my memory has probably muddled some things (hopefully I didn't get anything wrong, though.)

And @asrascherry thanks for the offer in helping word my hcs also! I forgot to say that. This one is just so long I wouldve felt bad bringing it all to you 😔 it's probably still messy as a result but I tried lmao (worried it's repetitive or unclear 😬)

Uh yeah! That's mostly it for NOW.

+All the love to Asra for going through so much I'm so sorry bb,,

Thanks for reading!