#its just neverending for him huh

[brodorokihousuke]

Everyone Hates Apollo

[lemongrasstea1677]

Switcheroo

Jin x MC

Sypnosis: Due to an anomaly accident, Jin and the Honor Student switched bodies! how would their whole day go with each other's body?

(MC/Reader will be called Honor Student here)

||•||

"Captain? Are you awake yet?"

Tohma knocked on the door of his captain, a firm but not too loud knock as he knows how it irritates Jin when someone is making too much noise in his presence

and due to the accident yesterday, an anomaly was acting out where Jin and the honor student happened to be passing by and got both dragged into, both are lightly injured yet still needing some medical assistance from a nearby "medical" dorm

the captain of the Mortenkranken hesitated to treat Jin even if he was offered tons of paycheck but as soon as he heard that the Honor Student needed treatment he practically jumped at it saying something how he's the most befitting to do their treatment.

seriously that narcissistic self important doctor should be put in his place for once

"Good morning Tohma-kun..." a soft deep voice cut Tohma off his thoughts, Jin opens his door and yawns at the sight of him

"Oh? it's unusual for you to greet me, did something good happen today?" Tohma smirked, he's going to use this gesture later to tease his captain to no end

"Huh? why would something good need to happen for a greeting? anyways do you need something?" droopy half lidded eyes looked back at him, giving off the impression of a vulnerable and defenseless handsome man who just woke up

a man who is the total opposite of Jin Kamurai

"You are acting quite strange Captain, are you perhaps sick?" Tohma brought his hand to Jin's forehead before putting his forehead against it

"T-Tohma-kun!?" Jin jumped back at his gesture, face completely flushed and embrassed before letting what he said sink in and finally the confusion stir

"Wait... captain?"

•||•

Meanwhile, the Honor student of the Clementia dorm was seen striding towards the Frostenheim, with a frown that seemed permanently pasted on their face. Their blazer wrinkled as if they slept on it, some buttons of their shirt and tie almost undone

walking fast as you can might not have been a good idea after all as they bump to the captain of Sinostra, Hoshibami Taiga

"Huh? who the fuck're you?" Taiga scowled down at the person he bumped to

now, the normal Honor student would've apologized immediately whether they are in a bad mood or not and it doesn't even matter if it is Taiga, they'll apologize no matter who it is they are too kind for their own good. it'd be a bonus if Taiga decided to pull them somewhere and include them in his hijinks

but instead they acted completely out of character

"You're in the way, move." They scowl at him trying to walk past him, but instead stopped as he Taiga gripped their arm pulled them closer to his face

"Ha!? who do you think-- oh its you little kitty!" Taiga lightened up, finally recognizing their face up close

anyone would expect the honor student (?) would be embarrassed by his words but the anger deepens in their face instead

"call me that again and i swear I'll-"

"Jin-san!" a deep hearthy voice calls out interrupting the Honor student (?) from digging their grave by talking like that to Taiga

"Haah..... I'm glad I've found you, um I'm sorry Taiga-san but I'll steal the Honor Student from now!" Jin (?) apologizes to Taiga before hurriedly grabbing the Honor Student (?) and walking off together towards Frostenheim leaving the red haired man stunned with a baffled face

"...did that bastard just say sorry to me?"

||•||

"this feels so weird to look at" Kaito mumbled watching the two

"It is... very strange indeed" Luca agrees crossing his arm watching the same scene as Kaito

"I cannot agree more" Tohma added with a smug smile amused by what he is watching

Jin Kamurai, the cold king of Frostenheim is with a kind expression pouring tea for the Honor Student who is the opposite; having a neverending scowl plastered on their face whilst laying down on the sofa one will normally find Jin laying in

"Jin-san, I'm done with the documents as well I'm going to class no-"

"Good, now go tell the chef i want meat for today, don't disturb me until its lunch time I'm taking a nap." The Honor student or Jin in their body cut them off before turning his back and sinking in further to the sofa

"B-but...!"

"And also, don't do anything weird with my body, if i hear you go running around doing shit that would get people talking you'll pay for it" He threathens them, striking with a glare

"But what about my classes Jin-san? i also have gym today...." a moment of silence before he grumbles in their voice and propped him themself up

"....tch, The two of you lead the way" Jin walked out of the door, followed by Luca and Kaito sharing glances at each other before striding off after him

"Ah, remember to act like the Honor student Jin-sama if you don't want for people to be figure out what's going on and spread rumors about y-"

Jin slammed the door shut cutting off Tohma, who lets out an amused chuckle

"My, My, the honor student is so grumpy" Tohma snickered while The honor student in Jin's body sighed and slumped at his statement

"Can't we really just go on our day as usual? i mean its just our bodies that switched..." the honor student asked sitting down on the sofa Jin on their body laid down on earlier

"You can't at all, Jin tend to really care about his reputation and he's the future president of Japan's anomaly branch, we can't have him acting not like himself for a day... even if it is for the better he acts like you for once" Tohma explained while picking up and fixing the documents from the tea table

"I see... i kinda know Jin-san's schedule, but seeing as he is the captain he must have tons of work" They say picking up the untouched teacup and bringing it back to the tray as the real Jin left it not even touching it before he left.

Tohma grinned darkly, seeing an opportunity he won't get the real Jin to do even if he begged and dropped to his knees

"Well now that you mentioned it, he mostly help me with my paperwork during his free time" a lie, Jin wouldn't do that unless he is interested in the paperwork Tohma is working on and it's not even called helping when he blows a cloud of smoke at his face and give his own statement here and there while laying down lazily listening to some classical music

"That seemed like a lie but okay, I'll do my best then!" they beamed, Tohma's grin widen.

||•||

"what's their first class?" The honor student (Jin) asked them in a nonchalant voice, eyes half lidded looking bored

"U-uh well we both have Anomalous Information Studies today." Kaito nervously glanced at the sight of them, the approachable and kind honor student he have a crush on, acting cold and uninterested aches his heart a bit

"...okay" Jin doesn't seem to argue about it continuing to walk infront of them, Luca observes Jin in their body and thought to himself how the honor student would walk together Luca and Kaito, talking to them about something and perhaps their position sometimes in between of the two since him and Kaito act as a barrier for them if anything happens but now it seems like the honor student is leading them two acting more of a captain than a friend to them, though he must say he do love to see the honor student in a more cool aura and he can't help his mind wandering about the cool version of them and not Jin inside their body

"Oh if it isn't the honor student!" Ruistops at his steps and turns his attention at the honor student (Jin) as walks up to the trio, his charming smile brightens up the hallway making the passerbys turn their heads

"You look cuter today! did you do something with your appearance?" he looked at them with a smile and a flirtatious gaze, it took them a moment to answer before stepping forward and looking at gim properly

"...take a guess" The honor student (Jin) smirked at him crossing their arms

"Uhh, yes? i won't know if you don't tell me the deets--"

"Figure it out, if you can't then don't talk to me" The honor student (Jin) walked past him, their face returns to the same irritated scowl they are wearing earlier

"they seem... odd today don't they?" Rui scratched his chin confused, by how they acted towards him

"Yep, must've woked up in a wrong side of bed...or wrong body..." Kaito whispered that last bit but Luca heard him and nodded his head

The honor student (Jin) entered the classroom, some of their classmates looks at them before turning away instead to whisper, in Jin's case this isn't new at all he's used to this treatment ever since he was young, being an heir does get people talking alot. some even approaching him to get his favor

But this is different, the hushed whispers don't speak of compliments and opportunities, but instead of pity and concern

"They look grumpy today...."

"I wonder what happened that made them so angry"

"it's probably those ghouls huh? I'd be stressed out too if i have to spend my days running around them"

Jin was about to turn his back and snap at the hushing stufents before remembering Tohma's words, the servant would probably just be quite in their seat and it would be a bonus if they actually defended the ghouls

What a bother this day is

Luca and Kaito later on entered and sat next to him

||•||

"Do these men just go after them all the time?" Jin grumbled in the Honor Student's voice in P.E. uniform as he strut down the hallway

From the vice captain of Hotarubi, then to Alan and his first year to that happy go lucky anomaly carrier from Jabberwock. he can't believe how many ghouls had stopped on their tracks just to talk to him or the honor student in question

they just really even have to piss him even more off when he got lingering touches from them that stayed longer to be considered as a gesture. A pat in the head, a tuck of his hair in his ear, even going as far as hanging their arms in his shoulder...! just how touchy feely is HIS servant to these people really?

He can't also believe he had to dress himself in the dark and close his eyes the whole time he was dressing himself on their gym clothes

he clicked his tongue before walking to up the tracks, he stretched his limbs before preparing for his turn at the tracks watching the other general students finish a lap

Jin might not be the fastest runner in the world but he isn't bad when it comes to physical classes

so he sprinted as fast as he could

but he absolutely forgot he was in their body and gave it too much sheer force that he felt their legs almost give up with every stride he took when the adrenaline rush lowered bit by bit

he slowed down near the finish after a lap, the anomalous coach blew its whistle writing down something in the clipboard before he limped to the side with his laboured breaths as he felt the cramp finally getting to his or he meant their calf.

"Woah!!" few heads including Jin's turn to the usual deep cold voice that looks down on others is now toned with amazement for someone he considers his servant, Jin (The Honor Student) is here, in the shade of trees with admiration in his eyes while he gazed at the Honor Student

Everyone thought that was unnerving

"What are you doing here?" Jin whispers as he strode up to them slowly clearly tired from the whole running he just did in their body

"Ah, Tohma let me take a walk since I'm done with my work and i forgot i was in your body so i thought i was late for class and rushed to the tracks and..." Jin (the honor student) noticed how their legs shakes as the real Jin in their body gripped his body's shoulders with force they couldn't imagine they had in their fingers in the first place

"Jin..?"

"Well since you're here, carry me to the nurse's office i think i ran too much with this weak ass legs of yours" The honor student (Jin) slung their arms in Jin's (The Honor Student's) shoulders as they limply walked together with the cold tyrant captain of Frostenheim that who is seemingly to be in their mercy

The general students is going to mind their business on this one.

||•||

from a far, it seemed romantic really

in fact one would think like this;

the stoic stone cold captain of Frostenheim finally warming up to the wholesomeness the Honor student always seem to carry around them and now its Jin's turn to carry them and cheer up the Honor Student with the same warmth who's actually being so frowny and snappy today

"You were so cool Jin, i never ran that much in that class so seeing myself run that fast, it's so amazing!" It was really astonishing seeing his features smile like he have no problems to worry about, but he figures his face can only smile like that if they were in his body, only they can smile in his place.

he smirked at them

"If you think I'm that amazing for giving you a good grade in your records then do me a favor and--" a sudden force in his back cut him off as he slipped away from his body and slumped down together with the person who decided to just back hug him all of the sudden

Flowery scent filled up his nostrils as soft cotton invaded the stomach of the body he's currently on

"~~!!"

it's the lavender haired weirdo from Jabberwock, clinging to him-- no to the Honor Student this guy probably thought of

"Towa-kun? please let go of my- i mean the Honor Student" They say with firmness, trying to imitate the stoic Jin Kamurai, the real Jin in another hand find it amusing

"..." Towa stared at Jin (Honor Student) for a moment with a unreadable expression before letting go of the Honor student (Jin) and instead jumping and hugging Jin before enclosing his leg in his waist

"Woah! what's this all of a sudden?" Jin (the Honor Student) was taken aback by Towa's sudden change of target as the boy hums happily in his hold of them

"~~~! ~~!" Towa nuzzles himself further into Jin, hugging tightly as he could

the real Jin watched in awful shock at the scene before him, he doesn't know on which he'll be more appalled at;

at the blatant display of unwanted affection in his body or at the blatant display of affection for them infront of him

"Towa, you can let go of me i have to take Jin to the infirmary" Jin (The Honor student) tried prying Towa away from his body therefore only furthering Towa's clinging to be even tighter

"...---!!" Towa pouts at Jin (The Honor Student) before letting his legs slide down but not his arms that is still wrapped Jin's torso

"Didn't you hear them? they told you to fucking let go" The honor student's spoke with venom as Jin spites at Towa with their voice

"...." Towa silently glared at The Honor Student (Jin) as dark clouds started to brew outside with thunders that can be heard in the distance

"Towa..! I'll visit Jabberwock later, so please let go? I'll bring you a pretty flower later, okay?" they promise to the lavender haired boy in Jin's voice before accepting it with a smile and letting go of Jin's body before skipping down the hallway away from them

"Are you okay Jin?" They crouch down at him, he stared daggers at making them immediately nervous at his contact

"No, now help me up i think that guy dislocated my- i mean your ankles" Jin grumbles in a condescending tone as The Honor student helps him up finally slinging him back at their- his shoulder

"now about that favor, i want you to not let the other guys touch you THAT much anymore" their eyes widen at Jin's request as if its the most baffling thing he'll make them do

"...They don't touch me alot" They protest at him, fixing him up their shoulder before he slips again from their hold

"Oh yeah? i had five of them touch you everywhere earlier without me telling them to do so, actually make it six if you also consider that boy suddenly attacking me from behind " He clicked his tounge remembering the whole ordeal earlier, who the hell does that boy think he is glaring at him like that

"Towa didn't mean it, it's just that... he's very clingy you should understand him" They open the infirmary door alerting the sleeping nurse cat to wake up from its nap on the desk with the lunchbreak tag nearby it

"No, now do it or I'll ask your physical ed to take down the score i did for you today" Jin reprimanded them, it's a bit weird for him to be this worried for some little touches by other ghouls, but to be honest it's cute

"what are you giggling at?" he raised his eyebrow at them as they giggle at him even further

"i guess i can do what you asked" They beamed at him once again, he can't really get used seeing his face with that warm expression

but maybe, just maybe.... someday he'll experience to smile like that

if only....

"good, because if you don't then I'll tell them myself to fuck off forever in your body or not so you'll stay with me forever" he turns himself away from them before plopping and laying down in a infirmary bed ignoring the cat nurse that's sitting by in the nurse's desk that picked up a document, waiting for him to sign

"is that a promise?" Jin ignored them too but he guess they knew the answer

by the next day the two turned back to their original bodies, but Jin's promise remains if he sees one of those assholes try touching them once again

||•||

i got bored so.... ye

(I'm posting this at 1:36 am so i might be regretting this later on but its gonna be fine iguess)

[deadhands69]

Hitching a Ride would you like fries with that?

Tomura Shigaraki x Reader 

Dabi/Touya Todoroki x Reader

[separately]

Choose your own adventure with Shig//Dabi routes. This chapter has shorter optional sections and an extra shared part to scroll to at the end. 

part 1 - this is part 2 [series masterlist]

As you crack your eyes, the golden light breaks through the horizon. In your bleary vision, you notice that the driver has changed. You can hear Spinner’s gentle snores a seat back while Twice is behind the wheel. He hums along to the radio while his navigator, Toga, is still passed out. Her arms wrapped around a giant bag of gummy bears. 

You don't recall waking up when they switched, but you decide quickly that Twice is a better driver. The van rolls smoothly over the neverending stretch of road you can see above the dashboard. 

It feels like a dream. 

Tomura Shigaraki ᝰ⛐ 

Your head is still on Shigaraki’s shoulder, his face glowing in the light as you clutch the sleeve of his sweatshirt. You don’t recall cuddling up to him, but it would appear that your sleeping body had its own agenda. Not that you mind, he’s pretty and the warmth of his body is a nice change from your usual mornings. He begins to stir so you slowly extricate yourself from his arm. 

For the first time since climbing into this van, you have a chance to really look at him. He's beautiful. The morning glow illuminating his features. 

A bump in the road jolts everyone awake. 

Groggily, Shigaraki opens his eyes. “What time is it?”

“7:48,” Twice answers, “and we’re about fifteen minutes out from our next gas station stop.”

“Cool,” he mumbles, leaning back into the window.

Pulling into the parking lot, he perks up again. 

“Everyone remember the rules? If you see a wanted sign or yourself on the news-”

“Leave,” the group grumbles. 

“And if you’re going to steal anything-”

“Do it quickly,” Toga finishes, “yeah, yeah. We’ve been over this.”

“You have five minutes,” he reiterates. 

The group piles out quickly, spreading in every direction. You're a bit slower, grabbing your bag before you make your way towards the restroom to wash your face and clean up a bit. 

A man bumps into you. Instinctively you yank your bag away, jumping more than necessary in the process. 

Shigaraki glances at the lumpy cash-filled sack before looking at you knowingly. No one has explicitly asked about it and you appreciate that. Even if you know you look like a stereotypical bank robber in an old movie. 

[scroll to continue the story] 

Dabi/Touya Todoroki ᝰ⛐

Your head rests on Dabi's chest, one of his arms slung casually around your shoulders. You feel the warmth of his body against yours, it's comforting in a way you haven't experienced in a while. You remember him falling asleep before you, hands folded in his lap. He must have moved in his sleep, you both did. In any case, you definitely don't mind. 

A bump in the road jostles you all, making him jump in his seat. 

“Fuck, sorry,” he mumbles, moving his arm. 

“No, it's totally okay,” you respond. More than okay. 

The two of you sit quietly, looking out the window but with occasional glances at each other. It's nice, you decide, having someone to pay attention to. Having someone paying attention to you. 

In almost no time, the van rolls into a gas station parking lot. 

The group grumbles their way through some ground rules, but you're hardly listening. You've been to a gas station before. 

Packing up your only belongings, the giant bag of stolen money at your feet, you climb out of the van quickly as the doors open. 

A man bumps into you on his way out the door, making you jump back and wrap your arms around your bag. 

“A little overprotective of that, huh?”

You instinctively pull the lumpy sack a closer at the mention of it but he makes no moves to press further. Instead, he just rolls his beautiful eyes. 

“Come on,” he begins walking towards the back of the store, “Shigaraki will be pissed if we drag our feet in here.”

⛙ Continued ⛙

While in the bathroom, you transfer some of the money to your pocket. For the first time, actually seeing the contents of the bag. Some combination of excitement, shock, and terrifying protectiveness overwhelms you. You've never seen, let alone been in possession of, that much money in your life. And, so far, you got away with it. A pang of anxiety shoots through you. 

Trying to tuck the feeling away, you splash some cold water on your face. Pull yourself together, it's fine. 

Rushing out the door, you grab a toothbrush, get something to eat and drink, then head outside to meet up with everyone else. 

Dabi is smoking by road; Spinner is filling the gas tank. Only Magne has returned to her seat. Even Shigaraki broke his five minute rule, filling a less expensive soft drink cup with coffee. 

You watch as Twice and Toga debate over candy flavors before shoving them all in their pockets. Compress is nowhere to be found. 

Eventually, everyone is wrangled comes back together and the van moves on. 

The day flies by quickly. 

“I'm hungry,” whines Toga from the passenger seat, “I've eaten nothing but gummy bears for three days now!”

“And who's fault is that?” asks Dabi, “you should have stolen more than candy when we stopped earlier.”

She's not the only one though, none of you have had “real” food for a while and you're starting to feel it. 

A few minutes later, you see a fast food drive thru sign in the distance and offer to pay. It's the least you can do for the ride. 

“Welcome ta Fat Gums, can I take your order,” a grouchy voice rings out through the speaker. It's more of a command than an ask. 

Toga picks half the dessert menu and a small order of fries. 

Both Dabi and Shigaraki barely order anything, even if you know they have to be starving. 

Halfway through ordering, you hear a loud scream coming from the building. 

The voice on the speaker groans then continues like it's nothing.

“Pull up ta the next window!” without turning the headset off, he continues, “has no one started the fries? Do I have to do everything around here?”

When the van rolls around the building, the window opens and a cloud of black smoke billows out. You hand the money to a muscular arm you can only barely make out as the air clears. 

“Soy Sauce!” yells the angry one who you now assume is shift manager. 

“I'm on break,” a voice answers. 

“Not now you aren't! You're on grill,” he yells, still not realizing the microphone is on, “Dunce Face electrocuted himself again.”

“Again?? How? I thought we made that harder to lick?” 

Through the window you watch a different cloud of smoke follow the dark haired boy you know as ‘Soy Sauce’ as the bathroom door opens. In a booth nearby, a very dazed blonde is drooling on himself.

The food is still burning. 

“Um, is he okay?” you ask. 

“Oh, yeah,” the red haired boy handing you change responds, a little too cheerfully. “Don't worry, this happens all the time.”

Through the hazy air, you notice a girl with pink hair dancing around the kitchen. She seems to be tasked with filling the soft drink cups; they're overflowing.

It takes a solid fifteen minutes for your food to come out, the boy stationed at the register awkwardly attempting to make conversation with what he assumes is a very unconventional church group. There's an air of discomfort around everyone involved, disrupted only by the sporadic yells coming from in the building. Finally, four large bags of food make their way into your hands. 

“I'm really sorry about them,” he says with an awkward smile before whispering, “we threw some extra fries in there. On the house.”

You thank him and the van lurches back onto the road. Food is dispersed and you all dig in, quickly realizing it's the worst fast food you've ever had in your life. Half of it's burnt, the other half is frozen. 

Only the fries are edible. 

Hours later, you're all beginning to crash. Spinner has been driving half the day and he's becoming delirious. Twice is too tired to switch back again. 

“We'll pull off somewhere and sleep in here, there's not enough money to spend it on hotels.” Shigaraki reminds the group. Once more, you chime in, happy to help. 

It takes nearly an hour to find a motel who's ‘no vacancy’ sign hasn't been lit up for the night. You snag the last four rooms which, assuming they all have two beds, should be the perfect amount of space to accommodate the group. 

The lobby is run down and a bit grungy. The carpet could use a good deep cleaning and there's a prevalent mustiness that you can't quite place. Still, you know it'll be the most comfortable any of you have been in a long time. 

You pay in cash. Key cards are issued and dispensed. Even in the haze of drowsiness, everyone's autopilot gets them through. 

People instinctively pair up. Toga and Magne. Twice and Spinner. You look around the lobby and everyone's already picked a roommate for the night. 

Well, almost everyone.

series masterlist - bnha masterlist

[revasserium]

neverending daydreams with kenma? 🫶

reqs are open :)

neverending daydreams

kenma; 3,709 words; almost freakishly fluffy, but also kinda trippy. basically my specialty and i love this fic a holy freaking hell of a lot. if u read pls PLS tell me what u think u__u and lemme know if u 'get' the ending!!!

he has never been, in all seriousness, what people would have called a dreamer. but having spent most of his waking hours either gaming or wishing he were gaming, kenma quietly considers the implications of being called as such. a dreamer. what a title — what a name.

what a burden.

“was it bad last night?”

“no, not as bad… but at least it was interesting.”

“oh yeah? tell me.”

“so there was a maze, right — and then you know the super hot manga character from the new series — yeah, he was there too, and we had to like figure out this maze but we couldn’t wear shoes —”

kenma lets his head lilt to one side, his eyes falling shut in the early afternoon sun filtering through the wide classroom windows. they’d been cracked open half an hour ago to let in some air, the spring blossoming into what kenma is already sure would be an absolutely sweltering tokyo summer. he’s already dreading it.

“— and then i woke up!”

“aww… lame! you didn’t even make out!”

your laughter spills across the room, warm as the sun now soaking into kenma’s skin and he shakes himself awake, blinking unfocused towards the gaggle of girls sitting three rows ahead of him, heads bent together, a multi-limbed conglomeration of painted nails and hair pins, phone baubles and perfume. he shudders slightly — making out — what a thought. how gross. he’d never understood the appeal, even as more and more of his classmates began to whisper about it, to joke and cackle about it next to the shoe-lockers, in the stalls of the boys bathrooms during lunch, on the benches near the playparks on the way home, loitering around convenience store corners, eyes lingering on bare skin and bracelets, on rolled up sleeves and blushing cheeks.

kenma crinkles his nose, thinking now, of noses. and where on earth they’d even go if you were to —

“oi kenma-kun, do you have notes from yesterday’s class? i lent mine to kiyo in 2-b and she says her dog ate it.”

kenma blinks, nonplussed as your face swims into view, his vision catching on the tiny gems glinting from your earlobes.

“huh? you… don’t really believe that, do you?” he asks before he can quite stop himself. the resulting silence makes an uncomfortable heat climb up the length of his neck till his cheeks are burning with it, and still, you stare at him.

“why shouldn’t i? her dog eats weird stuff all the time.”

kenma blinks again, owlish, and he’s unsure if your confusion is feigned and this entire thing is just some elaborate prank, one that’ll break you into laughter any second. he resists the urge to look around, to make sure that the rest of his classmates aren’t all watching him like they’re in on the joke, waiting for the cue to start laughing as well. he feels his shoulders shrugging up as he fights down a frown.

“yeah but… that’s like the oldest excuse in the book, isn’t it? my dog ate my homework?”

this time, its your turn to blink, cocking your head to one side as you regard him, not a hint of malice or trickery in sight. he feels almost ashamed of himself for thinking it of you. of course you wouldn’t.

and then, you laugh. and he starts again, not because this was what he’d been afraid of but because this is the exact kind of laughter he was not expecting, pure and unhurried and unabashedly happy.

“ah — i guess you’re right, but… well, if she wants to keep my notes, then that’s fine. i’ll just make another set. so…” you smile at him, bright as dawn and summer starlight, “can i borrow your notes from yesterday?”

kenma resists the urge to groan, because his mind is already racing into overdrive — why not just ask kiyo from 2-b to give you back your notes again? nay, to demand that she give it back? to threaten her dog with… with what yet, kenma isn’t sure, but he is sure that that would be simpler, would it not, than to ask him for his notes. even though, sure, yes — he has almost all the same classes as you and sure, yes — he does also take pretty good notes. and sure, yes — fine.

this might be the path of least resistance but… doesn’t it feel a bit like punching in the cheatcode? isn’t it stunting… character growth and exp gain for both you and kiyo in 2-b? what if this causes a glitch in the matrix and you’re stuck in the eternal loop of borrowing people’s notes only to have your own notes be taken and eaten by kiyo’s homework-devouring dog until no one in school has notes anymore and everyone fails? would everyone have to hard-reset and start the year over?

“uh… sure… i guess. if you promise to give it back.” he reaches into his bag to pull out his notebook, pressing his lips for a second before handing it over.

you make a noise that’s caught between a squeal and a squeak. it’s a happy sound, he’s sure.

“thank you, thank you, thank you! and yes, i promise i’ll give it back! and my dog doesn’t eat homework — only table scraps and puppy treats — and maybe the occasional piece of trash on the sidewalk, but definitely no homework!”

you press the notes to your chest and beam at him and kenma finally lets out a soul-shaking sigh. he wishes he were home; he wishes he were playing video games; he wishes that the day came with a fast-forward button so he didn’t have to deal with all these scenarios that don’t make a lick of human sense.

the next day, when you return his notes, it’s with a shy smile and that he isn’t entirely sure what to make of. you’d licked your lips and looked anywhere but at him before pressing the notebook back into his chest and scurrying off with a thankssomuchforyournotes! tossed over your shoulder before you’re disappearing into your multi-limbed girl-gaggle and they were all laughing and giggling as they absorb you back into their amorphous blob, casting furtive glances his way that make his shoulders want to shrink up to his ears, if only to hide his face behind.

he hunkers down over his notebook, adjusts his sports bag and hurries into homeroom.

it isn’t until japanese literature, when he’s flipping open said borrowed-and-now-returned notebook that he notices — there’s a drawing on next blank page. or, well, what used to be the next blank page but is now definitely no longer blank. and it’s a drawing of you.

kenma stares down at it, at the cartoonishly large head, the huge, anime-lashed eyes, at your chibi-rendered hands clasped together in an unmistakable gesture of thanks. and something inside him jumps. something warm and thumping and uncoordinated. it coughs, skips, skids inside his chest and it takes him a moment to realize that it’s his heart.

thanks again! let me treat you to lunch sometime?

he reads the line four times before he finally manages to process the words. lunch. sometime.

treat?

he frowns. but school lunches are always free.

his eyes slingshot towards you, drawn as if by a magnetic force, and he finds you immediately. your eyes meet and a zing sings through him, shaking him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. your cheeks flush, but you don’t look away. instead, you cock your head as if asking a question.

his heart thumps, and then thumps again. heat slowly unfurls in the base of his stomach, something like hunger, except it isn’t actually hunger. it’s a wanting, a thrumming wish — pressing and feverish and — he swallows hard, tearing his eyes away from you to look back down at the drawing, at the words.

treat. lunch. sometime.

sometime. but it can’t be during school. then when?

kenma freezes as realization washes through him, cold as a too-large bite of icecream.

oh. oh.

and then, he blushes hard enough for him to bury his face in his arms, refusing to pick his head up even when the literature teacher asks him expressly if he were feeling ill.

it’s saturday at noon, to be precise. and as kenma waits outside the neighborhood soba house, he wonders briefly if he’d accidentally stumbled upon a hidden side-quest that’s actually more difficult than the main storyline, because he’s almost certain that he’d never signed up for this.

cold-soba with you. alone. together.

no. he scuffs his feet against the floor, his fingers furling and unfurling in his pockets, so unaccustomed to not having a game console to fiddle with, no controllers to twiddle. he feels it like a phantom itch, like ghost-controllers as he opts for chewing on his lower lip instead.

stupid kuroo, taking away his switch. stupid, stupid, genius kuroo, letting it “slip” that kenma had a date on saturday, so that his mother had fussed all morning and had subjected him to a full-body pat down to confiscated the rest of his ill-hidden hand-held gaming consoles one by one with a scowl and a reprimand of no gaming when you’re on your first real date, kozume!

at least, he thinks, tugging his phone out of his pocket to flip through the preinstalled games there, there’s alway snake —

“kenma-kun! hi! sorry i’m late!”

your voice catches him like a punch in the stomach and he almost drops his phone, fumbling it for a second before catching it and shoving it into his pocket.

he looks up, a frown already forming on his forehead when he stops — he catches sight of you and that strange, twisting not-hunger-hunger gnaws at a growing space inside him. because oh — there you are. you’re standing in front of him, a little breathless, but dressed like… like a display from a pastry store window, or one of those ball-jointed dolls that have entire fan-followings online. you’re lashes and lace, earrings and nail-art, and all the normal things he’d come to associate with the strange, foreign concept of girl-geometry but you’re also nervous, and sweet, and looking up at him with those huge eyes, not unlike those in the chibi-doodle version of yourself that you’d left in his notebook.

and nervousness he understands. sweetness… he understands too. to a certain degree.

“no, you’re fine… i just got here too,” he says, and it’s a not-really-lie, because he did just get here… like fifteen minutes ago. but time’s just a human construct anyway, and there’s no point in getting caught up in the semantics.

he takes a breath at the same time you do, and you break into a fit of nervous laughter that makes him want to reach out and bottle the sound. or maybe just to record it on his phone for a rainy day. he tamps down the strange and doubtlessly creepy urge with a cough and motions vaguely towards the door.

“uh — you wanna…”

you nod, a bit too hard, before brushing by him into the soba shop and bowing to the middle-aged woman behind the counter.

she seats the pair of you in a booth, tucked into the corner, and for this kenma is thankful. he feels himself relaxing into the secludedness of the position.

“hot?” he asks, watching as you fan yourself with your hand from across the table.

you freeze and blush again, and he looks down immediately, feeling rather guilty for putting you on the spot. but when he glances back at you, you’re smiling.

“yeah, a little. it’s gonna be so gross this summer.”

“yeah, i know. i hate it already.”

he would’ve winced if it hadn’t been cut off by the sound of your laughter. with this, at least, he is familiar. how many times had he let himself melt into that sound during all those classes you had together? how many times had he centered himself around it, made it the still point of his turning universe, grounded himself to it so he could count from one moment to the next. he hadn’t thought it anything strange before now — after all, isn’t that what the internet says you’re supposed to do when you’re feeling unmoored? to find a commonality and stake yourself to it. only…

is it strange that he’d chosen your laughter?

it’d been such a simple choice, so easy to make — it was everywhere, and when it wasn’t there, he could conjure up the sound perfectly.

sitting across from you now, he pauses, wondering what kuroo would say if he were ever to bring this up. probably call him a pervert and never let him live it down.

“me too. i think i hate a lot of things but…” you break off, your eyes meeting his for a split second before looking away.

kenma breathes, watches the way you worry your bottom lip.

the conversation is stilted, but after a while, the awkwardness wears off. like silver soaking off years of accumulated tarnish, the shine breaking through as the soba is served and the pair of you are left slurping at the chilled noodles.

by the time he offers to walk you home, kenma finds that he’s no longer searching for things to do with his fingers, the phantom itch of a ghost-console no longer needed to occupy the space between his hands. and when you say goodbye to him this time, it’s no longer a string of words strung together too fast, tossed like an endless hope over your shoulder, but held between the pair of your bodies like a promise.

“see you on monday!”

kenma smiles, “yeah… sure. see you then.”

he watches as you turn to walk away, and his feet warm with the premonition of motion, but something holds him still, holds him there as he watches you take two steps, three steps — and then, you turn back around. and you’re closing the space between you and him, quick as a flash, your lips grazing the skin of his cheek, and then just as quickly, you’re falling back onto your just-taken steps, your cheeks ablaze as you wave a hand at him and race off before he can do more than open his mouth, his jaw loosened by the action, the thought — the motion and e-motion of it all.

kenma stares at the place where your body had just been, taking up space, and then oh-so-abruptly… not.

you’d turned the corner, and now not even your shadow lingers, but he fancies that there’s still a break in the light, a tear in the air just in front of him where you had been, warmed by your just-there-ness. slowly, he raises a hand to swipe it through that space, before bringing it up to his cheek to brush it against the place where your lips had been.

and are now no longer.

and there too, he feels his own skin, warmed by the just-there-ness of your no-longer-there lips.

three days, it takes him. three days to build up the courage to ask you out again. on another date. and this time, he doesn’t tell kuroo, or his mother, but he doesn’t bring games with him either.

the frozen yogurt place isn’t too crowded on a wednesday night, early enough to still be dinner-time, too late for the afternoon-stragglers to be out and about. he arrives, as he had done, fifteen minutes before you, and he wastes no time in starting a game of snake on his phone.

by the time you get there, it’s getting hard to maneuver the pixel-snake’s body without it’s tail trailing across the entire screen.

“i thought you’d only be into the kind of games with like… a million levels or something.”

your voice jolts him out of his intense concentration, and this time, he does drop his phone. your reach out to catch it with a knowing grin, handing it back to him, but by then, the large GAME OVER is already flashing over the screen.

“oops… sorry,” you say, looking genuinely apologetic.

“don’t be. and you’re right, i do like games with a ton of levels but… things like this are fun once in a while too.”

he blushes as he motions at the space between the pair of you, his phone still clutched in his hand, so that it’s unclear if he’s talking about the game or… something else entirely.

“only once in a while?” you venture, the slightest hint of a tease in your voice. and it’s incredible, he thinks, the change a single week’s worth of familiarity can do for the both of you. because while your first “date” had been all awkward silences and rough, stumbling changes of topic, this one — already — has taken on a sheen of smoothness and liquidity that makes kenma’s skin prickle up with what he can only assume is excitement.

“well… maybe — i dunno…” he gulps as he holds open the door for you to walk into the yogurt store, “it’s only a pattern if something happens more than three times, right?”

and god, where had this come from? this daring, this strange, almost alternate-universe confidence — and is he really flirting?

you let out a pleased sort of hum that warms his entire body and he thinks that he’d rather like to hear that sound again too. to add to his collection of bottle-able sounds that come from your body — he bites off the thought there, because kuroo will really start to call him a pervert then.

“i’m free on saturday,” you say, turning towards him to offer him a yogurt cup.

he stares at it for a second before taking it, letting his fingertips linger where they brush against yours.

“okay then,” he says, allowing himself the shadow of a smile as you ask him what his favorite yogurt flavor is, and he asks you your favorite toppings. and it’s easy like this, isn’t it? how had he ever thought this difficult? had it ever been? the bell-like sonance of your voice, the tinkling texture of your laughter, the great, blossoming fire licking up, up from the base of his stomach all the way to the top of his chest.

why had he ever scorned this as strange? as unnatural?

how could he have ever thought this to be a mere sidequest when this — he’s sure of it now — is the entire point of the game to begin with? because don’t all roads lead to this? to this giddiness and certainty? to this… unshakable knowing that he, even in his youth, is held still by in it’s immensity that this could be something more?

something like… love?

but it’s too early for that yet, and he’s getting ahead of himself. skipping the levels and peering at the walkthroughs.

he forces himself to focus on the tang of the yogurt, the crunch of the oreo chunks. he anchors himself to the grace of your smile and the weight of your laughter.

and after, when the yogurt is done and the night is still young, he offers to walk you home again. and this time, he doesn’t wait for you to close the gap between your bodies — he leans down to do it himself. because somewhere between the space of then and now, he’s made the decision that he doesn’t want the shadow or the just-there-ness anymore. he wants the just and the there. separate and whole and oh.

so that’s where your noses go.

the kiss breaks between you and kenma leans in to unbreak it.

you make a small noise at the back of your throat and he has to keep himself from grinning.

there, again, another bottle-able sound.

he inches his hand up to cup your cheek and you lean into him, pressing both your palms to his chest. and for moments and moments and moments, the pair of you stay locked there, breaking and unbreaking the kiss again and again and again until finally, you press him away to take a breath.

you are breathless, and so is he.

and briefly, oh so briefly, kenma wonders as he looks at you, stares into your eyes as you look back at him, if this could be called dreaming.

“oi… oi kenma-kun?”

kenma blinks, frowning slightly as your face swims into view, his vision catching on the tiny gems glinting from your earlobes.

“h-huh?”

your face is inches from his, and the afternoon sun is warm against his skin. the classroom behind you is filled with the scent of a blossoming spring, trailing into what kenma already knows will be an absolutely sweltering tokyo summer.

your voice rings through him like knowing, and your smile, when he finally focuses on it with bleary eyes and a buzzing mind, looks something like the remnants a dream.

“do you have notes from yesterday’s class? i lent mine to kiyo in 2-b and she says her dog ate it.”

kenma chews on his lips as he weighs the answer on his tongue, and finally, he allows himself a tiny, secret smile as he digs around in his bag for the notebook, handing it to you as he says —

“you don’t actually believe that, do you?”

[jennsterjay]

What's up, danger? (spoilers ahead)

---

Somewhere in a relatively unpopulated part of Spider HQ, Miles and Hobie were walking and talking. Actually, Hobie was listening to Miles vent, but he didn't mind. He probably hadn't talked about much with anyone. The two slowed their walk to a stop, and found supports to rest their backs on while they faced each other and continued talking.

Hobie: I can't say I agree with you mate, I think you're a bloody good Spiderman.

Miles: But that's the thing! The second I got here, I've been treated like a danger to everyone. And now everyone's acting like it never even happened! And me escaping this futuristic joint, beating the other me, and stopping Spot all in one day, was all by the skin of my teeth!

Hobie raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything

Miles: -And don't get me started on Gwen and Peter. They're trying...but I don't even know what to say to them now. I wanted to see them so bad before I got here and- hell I don't know... I...

Miles sighed and hung his head for a moment

Hobie: I understand, you've had this stirring around in your head like a neverending mixtape. It's good that you're letting it out. Things may not be the same anymore, but thing is the most consistent thing about life is its inconsistency

Miles lifted his head up, waiting for him to continue

Hobie: I know you care about those two, and you know that they care about you, so give it some time and when you're ready, talk to em.

Miles thought about this for a moment and nodded his head

Hobie: And as for Miguel, Prowler, and Spot. Against you it was no competition, mate. You folded them into next week.

Miles laughed

Miles: Barely but ok

Hobie: Nah mate, you were just too damn smart for them. That's why you're the coolest Spiderman here.

Miles: Huh, you think so?

Hobie: I know so

Miles: Heh...thanks man. If anything you're the coolest for real. I'm surprised you don't have like 50 people hanging off of you and trying to get your number.

Hobie snickered

Hobie: Haha so you think I have rizz, mate?

Miles: Yeah I mean look at you! You have this punk rock style going on and your jacket and suit has spikes on it and you're tall as fuck bro. And your hair is cool, never seen anything like it.

Hobie: Well Yards, I can say I'm flattered. Your suit is equally cool though. You're the only one with a spraypainted suit. Very anti-establishment.

Miles: Haha yeah...

Hobie noticed how Miles looked away, like his thoughts started to drift off somewhere else.

Hobie: Something on your mind Meters?

Miles: I uh...really liked Gwen before all this. And a part of me still wants her as a friend but...sometimes I think even before all this happened that I was out of her league. Then some weeks back I had a crush on that girl that let me escape from Miguel before I was launched to Earth 42. Come to find out she's taken already. I swear I have such bad luck with this stuff you'd think it's a canon event.

Miles tries to laugh it off, but Hobie can tell the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes.

Hobie: Well mate, flirting is a skill forged with confidence and experience. You have a damn good personality, and you don't even need to try if you're just being yourself. Plus, somewhere there's a bloke out there who understands you and truly appreciates you for who you already are

Miles was caught off guard by this and felt his face heat up. Hobie was just hyping him up, being his straightforward self. He still wasn't used to hearing compliments like that...but he had to recover somehow before Hobie noticed the look on his face.

Miles: How are you so sure?

Hobie smirked

Hobie: I was this sure the whole time

Miles chuckled

Miles: Oh really? Then how about we make a bet. If you can find one person like how you described in a week, then I'll buy you that new guitar amp.

Hobie: Alright bet. In fact...I can think of one person right now who would like nothing more than to swoop you.

Miles looked around confused, then looked back at Hobie who had a smug look on his face

Miles: Who?

Hobie leaned off of the support he rested his back on and walked forward, steadily closing the distance between them. Miles' eyes widened and his heartbeat sped up as he finally understood why.

Hobie stood in front of him and placed his hand on Miles' shoulder, and looked into his eyes with a gentle smirk.

Hobie: What's up, danger?

[fandonnavyce]

Jason In Wonderland - Part 2

Part 1 Part 3

AO3 Link

Jason asked once again why a King in this Supernatural Dimension would have any interest in him. But the couple only gave cryptic answers before speeding away on their motorcycle. The two giggling, "You're his type", was the straightest answer he got before the couple disappeared out of view.

“OK so it doesn’t matter which way I go; it’s only a short Hunt away,” Jason tried to psych himself up. His eyes roved the unnatural expanse before him. Jason decided to pick the direction which could only be labelled as Away.

He kicked his feet and felt his body push forward.

...

Jason had been a little too busy screaming in agony and then being stuck in maddening conversation. But (as he felt his body bob along merrily) Jason realised something.

He was flying!

There was nothing solid beneath his feet; nothing was supporting him. Gravity had no hold on him. He was floating in a green-tinted void!

Holding his arms in an aeroplane pose, Jason allowed his body to tilt. And he started flying in his leaned direction. Giddily, Jason did loop-de-loops. Because he was flying! Jason did a few laps, picking up speed, getting faster and faster, circling and tumbling everywhere. Spiralling high at accelerating speed, before nose-diving below headfirst, burrowing into neverending depths. Then freezing in place. At the instant of a thought.

A massive grin was on Jason's face as he laughed in delight. How did Kyrptonians bear not just flying all the goddamn time?

...

Skulker’s Island really was unmissable.

Jason spotted the floating island with its landmark Skull and soared over. He made sure to climb high and ascended over the island. With his bird-eye’s view of the Island, like an optical illusion or a trick of the light, he could now see the Revolving River of Doors. An uncountable number of purple doors of abstract design floating in corkscrew spirals, drifting in orbiting revolutions. A swirling river of doors as far as he could see. Jason tried to spot which door might be the one to Gotham from a distance. But all the doors looked as spooky and avant garde as each other from here. He decided to get closer.

Jason hemmed and hawed in front of a purple door. Out of all the purple doors it surely did match the description, ‘A Purple Travesty to Gothic Art Deco’. However, there was one little problem. It was far too small. It was the size of a mouse hole.

Jason crouched down and patted his finger tip against it in an imitation of a door knock. The door warmed at his touch, pulsing in mirrored response. Jason blinked in wonder. “Huh. Ok. Excuse me, sorry, is this the door to Gotham? I would like to go through.”

The tiny door warmed again but this time with the whirring of a buffering electronic. Then it materialised a black bubble. Which burst and Jason reflexively caught what was inside into the open palm of his hand. It was a thimble-sized bottle. A whiskey decanter with a fancy crystallised stopper with a black ribbon wrapped around its neck which read in cursive silver,

“DRINK ME”.

But Jason wasn’t an idiot. He was a born and bred Gothamite. Uncorking the bottle he lightly sniffed it. It didn’t smell of Joker Venom, any of Scarecrow’s fear toxins, Poison Ivy’s preferred pheromones, or any of the less specialised and more common drugs and poison.

Cautiously, Jason dabbed a drop onto his fingertip and licked. It tasted like one of Alfred’s hot chocolates, thick, sweet, and creamy. In unthinking delight, Jason gulped the rest down.

As he savoured the aftertaste, Jason felt pins and needles crawl all up and down his arms and legs. Then between one blink and the next, the door was the perfect size. Jason lifted his hand onto the adorned black brass door handle and swung the door open. Arrogantly rolling with shadowy furls, thick smog languidly spilled out into his face. Jason smirked. ‘Good ol’ Gotham,’ Jason thought to himself.

For the second time that day he stepped across dimensions.

Unfortunately, it became real apparent that Jason had not returned to Gotham City, Earth.

Jason Todd sorely wished that he’d been more specific when asking for directions. For he had landed in Gotham. But it was even more obvious that he had arrived in Gotham, the Supernatural Otherworld Edition. (The sky was still a void of swirling haunting preternatural green. But there was a misty haze to everything, a blur that went beyond Gotham’s smog.) Or at least an Impressionist version of them. It was like the defined lines of reality were brushing up against each other and smudging; the glances leaving each other more indistinct with each faint touch.

Jason walked down semi-familiar busy streets amid Gothamites who were the shades of people and echoes of walking crowds; indistinct and blurry; a constructed memory re-enacted. Jason eyed up and down the front window of Tony’s. One of his favourite pizza joints, who’s owner was one of Red Hood’s. Unlike its neighbouring buildings, Tony’s was brought into sharp relief.

“Curiouser and curiouser.”

“̷̼͗My̸̜̍ ̷͎̈b̴̬͋el̷̻̉ov̸͇̌e̵͚̓ḓ̷̓ ̶͇͒Re̶̫͗d̵̬͌ ̸̩͝Kń̵̲i̷̘͌g̸ĥ̷̡t̴̮̓,̵͎̿ ̶͙̋wh̸̽a̶̼̍t̸͔̉ ̷̢̿ma̵͕͝ỳ̵̧ ̸͔̀ȳ̶͎o̶͉͠u ḇ̵̕e̴̖͊ ̵̝͒dǫ̴͘i̴n̴̠̄g̸̪͝ ̶̭́h̵̺́er̶̢̈́e̴̪̋?"(surprise, delight, wonder)

Jason spun around. His surroundings blurred out-of-focus and were swallowed up into indistinct smog. All of the reality’s focus was concentrated on the figure before him:

Lady Gotham.

There was no way else to describe them. Just like how the Statue of Liberty was Lady Liberty; this blood-headed figure begowned in the velvet black of a shadowy night’s bewitching mysteries; bedecked in the poor man’s sweat and tears turned oil-black svelte evening gloves, and adorned with the anguished screams trapped in resplendent pearls that hung like noose around her neck and dripped like spilled blood from her earrings.

Of course she was Gotham.

Jason bows. “Lady Gotham” he greets. “I seek your help. I’m not where I wish to be.”

Gotham laughs. It’s the screech of a night owl, the scrape of fork against a porcelain plate, the mirthless titter of a socialite. It puts Jason’s teeth on edge.

“Not all who wander are lost.” Gotham smiled. It was cruel. It was uncaring. It was welcoming. “A̵̍̑͜r̶̞̳͋e ̸͍͜͝ÿ̶̢̥́o̸u No̸̖̯̽t̴͘ Họ̸̅̅m̸̿ẻ̸̩͘?̷̅ M̴̢͙̜͇͓̂̑̉͝͝¥̶̖͙͖͇̳̃̿͑́͠ Sð̶͓͚̟̟͚͗̅̃̋̒ñ̸(Mine, mine, MINE)(My-Twice-Born)(My Red Knight)(My Beloved Bloody Butcherbird).”

Previous Next

[duchess-of-dilemma]

A neverending crisis...

--------------------------------------------------------

So its been a while huh?

A lot has happened since I first showed my face for the first time, its almost draining.

currently living with @gothamghostwhispers and @bugboi-of-gotham

assistant to @doctorcranes-ask , occasionally I just hang out with him and @tetchy-hatter for fun.

@3n1gm4blogs is (unfortunately) my father

@scarecrowspawn is my very best friend, we often annoy eachother and hang out basically daily

@cl0wn1ng---ar0und is my older sister and mentor. I've known her for years and she was my primary caregiver before Artem and Beau.

@blinding-shining-star is my girlfriend! I've known her half my life, I'd do absolutely anything for her.

@pr0ject-conundrum1 is my little brother. He's an oddball and we didn't start on the best of terms, but I've grown to love him.

I just turned 16 in July...technically 6 due to being a homonculous/clone/whatever I don't care anymore

and yeah..that's me. Nothing too special.

Main- @biggie-cheeese

Her voice claim- Ruffnut Thorston, Race to the Edge

[sunwarmed-ash]

Angst Prompt: Billy Hargrove

Neverender

Characters: Billy Hargrove, the hawkins crew, Eddie Munson Trigger Warnings: Suicidal ideations/mention, no attempts, homophobic language/violence Tags: Sad Billy, post season 3 & 4-Billy lives, Billy and Steve are ex's, Eddie is a worried friend, Neil Hargroves A+ parenting, post harringrove fall out, hurt/minor comfort, suicidal ideation/mentions, dissociative/Major Depressive Disorder Billy

*Fic also under cut*

Nothings been the same since July. 

How could it be? Billy died. And what was left of their heated-rivalry-turned-blazing-sex-life and budding romance died with him. Because Billy wasn't the same when he came back. How could he be? Nothing that Billy liked about himself existed anymore; Nothing that Steve fell in love with was recoverable. 

He’s a shadow of his former self, and its obvious to everyone, but worst of all himself. His Calforinan tan and meticulously sculpted torso were gone, replaced by a ghostly pale all over color, and ugly, horrifying scars left behind by the monster that almost took his life. His hair, which he had spent months learning to cut and style himself had to be cut to add stables to keep his brain inside his skull post attack. The ‘doctors’ did such a piss poor job of it too Billy lost almost all of the length. He hated how it looked now. How he looked now. 

Nothing is the same as it was before. 

When the Steve finally got the balls to call off whatever their pathetic attempt of going through the motions, Billy told Steve the first lie he’s ever told them since they became exclusive. 

“I get it Steve. Don’t worry, I’ll be alright.”

“Billy…”

“I’ll be fine. Really.”

-

He wasn't fine. He wasn't even in the same ballpark as fine. He was ‘okay at best’ on good days, and seconds away from diving headfirst into the shallow end of the quarry on bad ones. The demons in his mind that plagued his night and daymares were nothing compared to the venom spit from his classmates, from Neil after everything with the mall went down and Billy was arrested after he barely surviving an interdimensional monster attack. 

Some rack of shit huh? Instead of a welcome wagon and fucking parade like the hero who sacrificed everything for a stranger should get, he was gifted with 100% of the blame, 7 months of rehab and a 6 thousand dollar fine for the damage. 

What was worse was that no one refuted it. Not a single person who was actually there that night. Not Steve. Not his fucking father, and since he was unconscious at the time, busy ya know, not dying, certainly not himself. 

Billy shut himself off from everyone after that. He quit the basketball team, spending the extra hour of silence after school at the quarry, increasing his likelihood of lung cancer, one malrboro red at a time. 

Since Steve had graduated, and dumped his ass, and he learned the hard way his so-called friends were as fake as silicone tits, he didn't see a point in being social. He was content to just keep his head down and degrade, one major depressive episode at a time. And at the end of each day, the bottom of the quarry looked more and more welcoming. 

Harrington Home

“So what's going on with Billy?” Eddie asked suddenly, and unprompted, catching everyone off guard. Enough that Steve dropped the dish he was washing into the sink and Dustin choked on the pizza crust he bit into. 

“Why- do you want to know about him?” Robin asks, eyes jumping anxiously between Steve and Eddie. 

“He’s been, weird,” Eddie said, unsure why now everyone else in the room was being weird.

“I haven't noticed,” Dustin shrugged and Max smacked his arm. 

“You ‘haven't noticed’ how the once loud and proud Californian Dickhead is now essentially a ghost? I don’t think I’ve heard him talk in months. It’s like he’s trying to will himself invisible. I think I even saw Carver bullying him last week. LIke isn’t that weird- What, whoa what did I say?” He asked anxiously, because now 7 sets of intense eyes were on him. “What? What is it? You can tell me.”

“Billy is… a complicated topic around here,” Lucas starts, hedging something big and looking very intently at Max. 

“Why?” Eddie asked again anyway and Dustin and Max sigh way too heavy for 14 year olds. But then again, they all did just barely survive an apocalypse. Some their second and third….

“Because he died,” Max answers, and Eddie’s mouth dropped open.

“Because he used to be our friend,” Dustin added, which is actually more surprising in some ways. 

“Because he’s my ex,” Steve says, finally addressing the real elephant in the room if all of the others matching tense expressions was any indication. 

Harrington Living Room

“He saved me. But, no one wanted to see that,” El said, her own tears staining her face as she retold the story of last July. 

“The Hawkins lab and the press have had an ongoing, lethal NDA since, what four years ago now? By the time Vecna rolled around, well, we were as close as you got to for experts at that point. The mall burned down because we had to kill the monster inside it. Without alerting the town there was one in the first place.”

“Which, happened to be controlled by the bigger monster possessing Billy at the time,” Lucas finished, because one look at Steve confirmed he couldn't. 

“As the building was burning down, The Mind Flayer basically had El, ready for the monster, but Billy, our Billy broke through. Sacrificed himself to the monster so she could get away. So we all could.” Dustin finished. 

“None of us knew if he was alive or dead for months,” Max chimed in. “And then one day, he just shows up on our doorstep. Looking like he got the shit beat out of him. Didn't say where he’s been, or why. I wasn’t even sure it was him. So I tested him.”

“How?” Lucas asked, evidently even he hadn’t heard the story. 

“I punched him,” Max shrugged, “He didn't block it or fight back. He barely even looked at me. He just waited, until Neil stopped screaming and then went to his room. He’s been like that ever since. Whoever, whatever he is now, that isn’t my brother.”

Hawkins High Locker Room

It's been 34 days since he returned to Hawkins, and there's still another 156 days left in the semester until he can graduate and move back to California. He’d leave now if that was an option. But it wasn't. 

He just wants to get through the school year without any trouble. He’s lived through enough already. But its evident in the next moment, Carver and Hill aren’t gonna let that happen. 

“Oh how the mighty fall,” Carver laughs, referring to Billy’s more-scar-tissue-than-unmarred-flesh shirtless torso. “Serves you right, karmas a bitch, huh?”

“I told you, I didn't do that shit.”

It was of the general Hawkins misunderstanding that Billy set the mall on fire, as an act of ‘unamerican criminal mischief’ turned way wrong. They also say he endangered the lives of several minors as well as many ‘respected members of the community.’ 

When Billy was hit with so much violence and hatred upon reintegration, he almost high tailed it back to California with his tail between his legs. But then, and now, he had exactly $197 to his name, and he needed more than that to get out of here for good. 

“Right, just like you didn't try and fuck Chrissy at Tina’s Halloween party right?” Hill piled on. 

He actually didn't. Chrissy was a friend. And Billy was gayer than Liberace. Just outfitted with denim instead of glitter. But Hill and Carvers sudden and vicious betrayal still stung and he just wasn’t in the fucking mood. 

“Didn’t need to initiate anything. She was begging for a fuck on anything bigger that pencil dick of yours.”

The next moment Tommy’s fist is in his gut, knocking him down before he has a chance to brace. Carver is standing above him, one shoe making contect with his solar plexus when he tries to raise up off his knees. 

“Remember your place fag,” he sneers and Billy laughs in his face.

“Well which is it? Am I fucking your girl on the side or too busy choking on cock? Can’t do both.”

Carver launched his own attack now, kicking into Billy’s chest hard until he wheezed. Hill added a right hook that knocked Billy flat on his ass. 

Any other day, before The Mindflayer, he could have taken them both. But almost all of his former strength vanished with the monster attack. He was vulnerable to everything they gave him. And what’s worse, he’s lost all will to get back up. 

It wasn't long before Tommy’s own kicks started. Billy’s been in this position on the floor all too often. He pulls his legs against his chest so hopefully his ribs won’t break under their combined force.  

-

Billy skipped the rest of his classes that day. 

After Carver and Hill left, (got bored of kicking an unresponsive Billy), he just laid there on the cold, filthy floor. All through the lunch period. No one else came into the locker room. Not even the Coach. Billy was grateful. It took longer than usual for him to get back up these days, and he really didn't want an audience to his shame. 

The quarry

Billy didn't go home. He didn't want to explain the bruises that weren’t from Neil. Neil would accuse him of trying to get social services called. So he just stayed out, drove to the quarry, lit up a cigarette and watched the sun go down and the moon rise. 

Some undetermined time later, another vehicle arrived at the quarry. For a moment, Billy froze, expecting to see the cops truck, or his fathers, here to drag him back home by his hair. But it wasn’t, it was Eddie fucking Munson’s screaming metal death trap and that was somehow worse. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Let alone his ex’s new BFF. 

Billy ignored Eddie when he exited his car. Maybe if Eddie realized he wasn't welcome, he’d leave. Eddie was soft. Billy, even now, could probably still scare him away. 

“Thought I might find you here,” Eddie says and the statement sets him the fuck off. 

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Eddie’s huge eyes only got bigger and his hands flew up in surrender. 

“Nothing, just, this is a good space to think. Figured after today you'd be looking for thinking space is all.”

“And why would I need that?”

Eddie grins, hands still up in the air. 

“Okay, you caught me. Steve uh, filled me in with what happened today. With Jason.”

Billy balks and jumps off the hood of his car that he was comfortably sitting on. He is not here to talk about this. Fuck Eddie Munson. 

“Wait! Billy hang on,” Eddie pleads, and for some reason, it stops Billy in place. He doesn't bother turning around. 

“You got three seconds freak.” 

“I brought weed.”

Billy huffs in frustration before yanking his hand off the door handle. 

“...Alright.”

-

“What's going on with you man,” Eddie asks, not more than three seconds into Billy’s hit. Guy really knows how to kill a high. Probably how he stays employed. 

“Nothing’s going on with me,” he said because it's true. He’s been silent for months. He’s just trying to make it to May. As soon as he graduates he can get the fuck out of this hellhole. Go back to California, his home. It's where he belongs. 

“That's what I mean. I actually never thought I’d say this, but I kinda miss being bullied by you.”

Billy takes another hit instead of passing the joint, flipping Eddie off. 

The brunette only laughs in amusement, his eyes crinkling adorably as he laughed. 

“Yes finally! Goddamn this has been the longest slow burn of my life!”

Billy rolls his eyes but the weed is helping soften some of his bad mood. And maybe the company is helping. He won't admit that shit outloud though. Never again. 

Eddie follows up with, “Carver’s a dick, don't let him get to you.”

Billy scoffs. 

“I’m not.”

“Then why are you out here?” Eddie asked, far more perceiving than Billy appreciates right now. 

“What’s it to you?”

Eddie’s eyes are too honest when he says,

“I don't know.”

Billy doesn't like it. Doesn't like how its making him feel. He can’t let someone else get in the way again. 

Billy shrugs, admission falling off his lips easier than expected. 

“I wasn’t planning on going home.”

Eddie’s eyebrows raise to his hairline but Billy didn't see it. He was too busy staring at the body of water that had to be below freezing by now. 

“So you’re just gonna what? Sleep here? In your car, all night?”

No. Ideally, if he jumped from this height, the impact would probably be enough to break some bones. His neck preferably, but beggars can't be choosers. 

“That's not what I said.”

Its eerily quiet in the next moments, as what Billy meant finally sunk in. Billy’s hand shakes on his last inhale. 

“Oh…” Munson says.

Well, at least Eddie didn't apologize, or launch into a monologue of 1000 reasons to live. 

“Yeah…” Billy sighs, feeling lighter but also so much worse finally admitting just how far gone he was out loud. He passes the dead joint back to Eddie before pulling out his car keys. 

“Wait, where- where are you going?” Eddie asks, panic obvious in his voice. 

Billy wishes he could feel something. Anything. 

“Home. Can’t try and kill myself now, can I?”

Eddie’s expression exposed he was probably suffering from the illusion that someone genuinely giving a shit could be enough for Billy to change his mind. But it wasn’t. Not long term. Not after everything he’s been through. “Night Munson, thanks for the weed.” 

[mentallyshattered]

This is part 22 of the "What if Yuu didn't want to go back?" Series!

(I, the author of this work, do not consent to this work being crossposted/translated without my knowledge or used to train an AI, ever.)

Masterlist

Sam's shop. I've never been there before, but it's about time to change that, I'd say. We need the distraction. Grim is enjoying it fully, probably thinking about the tuna he's sure to get.

And here we are! Admittedly, I'm not sure if we can afford anything that's not on sale, but it's worth a shot, right?

The shelves are stocked high, but not too high- many students are a bit short, so the items are only about two and a half meters off the ground at the highest. Despite that, there are stools along the ends of the rows, magically attached to their paths along the edges of the isles. I don't need them.

"Okay, Grim, can you smell the tuna or anything? I don't know where to look."

"No need, dear customers! I'll show you, just follow me."

Grim and I follow the man in the patchwork top hat through the expanse of items and prices, recognizing him as Sam, the owner. As he leads us, an odd feeling settles itself into my being. What is it? Oh, that's it- though the shelves are short, the store is vast, stretching onward like a neverending maze. Following Sam through all this feels a lot like I'm walking through a limnal space, guided by a supernatural entity of unknown origin.

"Here we are!" In front of us, Sam is motioning to a shelf with stout cans of tuna stacked one atop another. Sure enough, the price tag on the edge of the suspiciously strong plastic reads "SALE" and is followed by a slashed-out price displayed above a price that's worth half the original, written in larger font. I don't need to look to know Grim's reaction.

"Thank you!" I wave to Sam, grab some tuna, and turn back. He's gone by then, so I just move Grim to my other shoulder and walk to the counter. Sam is waiting there, smiling as usual, and sends us off with an enthusiastic "Thank you!" When we pay and leave.

How unusual. Oh, well. I'll let Grim have a can of this now, and the rest can be saved. Now, where's a trash can?..oh, over there!

...huh. There's a spot in the trash bags over here that's cleared out, about the size of a first-year student. Why? I can't see any reason someone would clear this out. Other than boredom, but this looks like it's been here for a while now. How odd. Meh.

I trash the lid and walk away. We have better things to do. Say, for example, hiding pencil erasers in Ace's bag until he notices and says something, or trying to figure out what the hell is up with Korrak.

"Myeeh, do you hear that?" I stop walking, merely two steps from the indent, and attempt to fine-tune my ears. When I hold my breath, I hear it. Music.

I'm a sin, but I'm half of the hourglass, glass, glass

I don't recognize the song, but I hear it. There is definitely some kind of music playing. But from where? A quick glance at Grim's ears tell me it's toward the pile of trash.

I turn around, slowly, silently, and look a little closer. The music is decently loud now, but I can't see its source.

"Hold my can." I take the half-eaten can of tuna from Grim with one hand and lower the other to allow him to jump down. He ignores the platform entirely and jumps down without my help, landing on concrete and quickly deciding he'd rather move the bags with magic than with his paws or face. The one right in front of him glows somewhat, rises, and reveals a pair of beaten-up headphones plugged into a strange, once-white rectangle.

Grim looks at me. I reach in with my free hand, grab the headphones, and Grim releases the trash bag the instant nothing is under it anymore in favor of hopping onto my arm. When I'm fully upright again, I pass Grim his tuna.

"Myeeh, thanks." He returns to eating. I try and examine the device. It resembles a rectangle when viewed from the front or back, but looking at the top gives it a more almond shape- if almonds were pointed at two ends and not rounded at one. It's very thin, too, much thinner than an almond.

The music still plays. I can't identify the song, but this is probably on a playlist, so I wait for the song to end. It loops.

Dah dah dah dah, da-dah dah dah, dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah

The music kicks up. I still don't recognize the song. The headphones don't fit over my head, but, in my endeavors to put them on, I see him, on the edge of my vision. Barely visible.

Korrak. I don't see Rook. Why is he here?

Ok, Yuu, hold on. You don't want to sound suspicious. That's your roommate and friend. He doesn't know I've seen him yet. So...

I turn to face him and ask, "Hey, are these yours?" He startles. Okay, maybe that wasn't the right move. Still, he attempts to reply- a series of quiet chitters and chirps I can't understand, yet still too loud to miss for my now cat-level hearing, even over the wind and faint music.

"Yeah," Mandible nods, presumably translating for Korrak, "those are ours. Thanks for finding them." I can't be sure as to why Korrak stutters and Mandible doesn't.

"Well, here you go. Your song is still playing." Indeed it is, the singer's voice calling out to be remembered for hundreds of years. Korrak, upon seeing my outstretched hand, visibly relaxes and reaches out to take it.

I've seen that reaction before, on videos, in photos, and in the mirror- not the magic one- when I realized something I saw as precious hadn't been stolen or lost, but was being returned to me.

I saw it in Grim's eyes, reflected from my own when I saw him before the entrance ceremony.

These must be important to them. They've probably had them for years and years, a persistent source of comfort through tough and easy times alike.

Grim was like that for me.

"Thanks," speaks Mandible. It takes me a moment to register his words as his, momentary confusion clouding my judgment of Korrak's voice vs. Mandible's jaws moving. The confusion clears with a single word rushing into my mind: ventriloquism.

Another question rises from the ashes of my puzzlement, burning like a Phoenix: why doesn't Mandible stutter?

Just as quickly, the question abandons me, and nothing more comes of the interaction- rather, a new one begins at the moment's end, with Rook walking up and playing a hand on Korrak's unoccupied shoulder. Korrak briefly panics, a flash of intense fear taking root in his eyes, but that fear is pulled up when he realizes whose wrist the black-gloved hand is attached to.

"Monseurs," Rook begins, nodding at me and Grim as well as Korrak and Mandible, "Come with me. You are going to brew potions in class soon, and I have been instructed to ensure that you all know the basics and how to apply them."

I approach when Rook motions with his free- well, not really, he's holding his bow with that one- hand for me and Grim to follow his lead. A short-feeling walk later, we're back at Pomefiore's main building, through the lounge, down a flight of stairs, and standing in a dark, basementy room that reminds me of medieval castles- if they were cleaned and the atmosphere of a damp, uneven-floored chamber were intentionally crafted. Rook leads us over to a cauldron, and I see the nearby bench against the wall. Epel is sitting there, head slumped a little to his right like he's drowsy, but not yet asleep.

Rook snaps his fingers. Epel jolts upright, his head turning rapidly from side to side until he spots us and hurries from his seat to a spot beside the cauldron. He's in his labwear, and, with a flick of his magic pen, so is Rook. Korrak follows suit, swapping his neatly-buttoned jacket, dress shirt, and Pomefiore-purple vest for a dull white lab coat and a pair of the goggles every Pomefiore student has. Mandible chitters something I don't know at him, and, a moment later, me and Grim are the only ones not in labwear- a fact soon made false. Clearly, my practice is paying off.

Rook waves his magic pen again, filling the cauldron with a shimmering liquid I initially fail to recognize as water in the opalescent lighting of the room. Epel looks at us all, moving his goggles down his face to sit over his eyes once Grim taps the clear frame of the cat-adjacent familiar's protective eyewear.

"Now, then," the vice housewarden speaks up, his voice steadfast, "Every Pomefiore student worth their salt needs a flawless pharmalogical grounding." He briefly moves away to fetch a cart with three levels, the upper two of which are covered in a thick, single layer of small glass vials with corks. The top jars look to contain herbs, judging by the faded green and slightly-wilted brown reflected and refracted by the smooth, light-bending surface of their containers. The ones on the middle level, however, appear to contain a collective rainbow of various spices, rocks, furs, and everything else Crewel hasn't let us touch yet, with the exception of equipment.

I squint at the sudden, unmistakable scent of mint wafting off the cart, in spite of the fact that it's on Rook's right and I'm on his left. Grim moves to cover his nose with his paws, but stops when he remembers he's wearing lab gloves and that might not be a bright idea. Looking over, Mandible's nose is twitching like mad- he and Korrak must be getting the brunt of it.

In asingle half-second, I realize Rook is holding his breath, his chest steady instead of slowly moving with his lungs, and then he pushes the cork down onto a vial I hadn't noticed him reaching for, closing it. The aggressive scent of mint wanes and blows away. Rook exhales and inhales, clearly relived. He's a hunter; his sense of smell is sharp. Too-strong oders must be overwhelming to him- they are to me.

A memory surfaces in my mind- falling asleep in a bed of mint, wild mint, dug up and moved to one spot, with Grim in my arms, and then it fades, vanishing like clear gel tossed into the sea. Another event rises into the forefront of my attention, more solid and vivid than the last. The mix of disappointment and sorrow that rose then comes with it, soon yet gradualy overtaken by the sense of apathy that settled into my being back then. That numbness stuck around for years until fate dragged me into this school to reunite with Grim and feel again.

Why did that particular memory surface? What is it that ties then to now, only now? Laying in a bed of mint- oh! My nose is sharper now, much sharper. Back then, I could lie in a bed of it and rest well, but now a meter and a half away is too close.

My familiar stands on all fours and stretches straight up, claws digging ever-so-slightly into the surface of my skin and coat. I snap back to the present. That's right, I'm busy. Busy doing what? Oh, that's right, Rook's helping with upcoming potionology work.

"Now, then..." Rook doesn't talk too much, evidently favoring the act of guiding us by our hands and arms, only commenting when the herbs become involved. Contrawise, he hums near-constantly, one of the melodies bringing the earlier encounter with Korrak and Mandible to my immediate attention. It's the same song.

Rook was there. Good. That means Korrak had some other company. I was a little worried, but now that I know Rook was there to keep an eye on them, some tension I was previously unaware of dissapates like smoke set free from a jar and into the cool evening breeze.

Soon, though, we are back upstairs, in the Backstage Room, discussing as we usually do. I hear someone say the time and our roommates leave me to complete my last two steps with ease, choosing to brush Grim until we're both off to bed. Korrak is asleep by the time we get there, and, soon, Grim curls up in his cat bed as I curl up in my human bed, and then we both close our eyes for the night. My dreams are a single, simple phrase:

"Memory Lane"

[ghostofnibelheim]

it's too soon

This is Goodbye || Always Accepting~

"Huh..." Just as he thought death felt strangely ticklish on the skin, Sephiroth had opened his eyes once more to finally register the touch of thin, dark feathers brushing against his face. It was all he could feel besides the throbbing agony of the gaping wound running through his stomach and back.

Angeal's sword had been handled crudely; the strike was not accurate. But what had lacked in skill was compensated by the sheer magnitude of the weapon: he was bleeding out, and quickly. It explained why his face and limbs felt cold already. His legs wouldn't move. His spine had been probably severed by the fall from the top of the reactor down to the platform below where he and Zack had shared their final moments.

And now, as life itself slipped away, and the clouds of his hatred parted to give him a final moment of clarity, there was but one lone spectator left on the seat of honor.

"... Genesis..." Sephiroth murmured, surprised to be even able to speak. What bitter bad luck that his lungs were still strong and free of obstruction, somehow. Like they'd been spared so he could say his friend goodbye. Hopefully the red-head (not so red anymore, to be fair...) did not expect some elaborate monologue from him.

He had none to give. He'd been angry the last time they had spoken. And that anger had consumed him like a wildfire. What remained was a spent husk of himself.

"... Was this scene... anywhere in that epic poem of yours...?" He chuckled, hearing his own words in a way he could not recognize. Muffled, gurgling. Was his voice leaving him, or his hearing? Probably both. His surroundings were already fading to darkness around the edges.

But he still saw the green glow of mako dancing against the steel walls. Beneath him and Genesis, the Lifestream bled and screamed its neverending cacophony.

"It took me... much longer than you, but this is my turn ... to be free, now. I'm done letting others decide who I'm meant to be... and where." And already, he was so tired of speaking. Sephiroth's eyes blinked shut, and opening them again felt like the hardest thing he's ever done. He couldn't even tell if his face was capable of giving Genesis that bittersweet smile he'd like.

With his last bit of strength, he let his head turn to the side, limp as he looked towards the edge of the platform, and that green hue burning below.

"This is my plea... Hero of Dawn." He heard himself whisper. "Deliver me... to her."

Before his mind would be drifted too far to not perceive his Mother's embrace.

[four-loose-screws]

FE7 Novelization Translation - Chapter 9 Section 6

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———————————

Chapter 9: Dragon's Gate (Section 6)

Eliwood, who’d just barely managed to escape, looked up at the charred remains of the Dragon’s Gate and said, “...What happened?”

Beside him were Hector, Lyn, and Elbert, as well as the siblings Ninian and Nils.

He took a moment to confirm that everyone was alright, then breathed a sigh of relief.

But he had not a second longer to relax.

“Grrr…! An utter failure!! That Nils! If only he hadn’t gotten in my way…!”

Now that the ceremony he’d long waited for had literally gone up in flames, Nergal’s anger reached its peak.

He glared at them with eyes full of hatred, then disappeared again into a teleportation circle. 

When he reappeared, he was next to Ninian and Nils. “...Come, you two!!”

“No!!”

“No way!! We’d never go with you!”

Nergal forcefully grabbed the two siblings.

Eliwood raised his voice in anger. “Stop, Nergal!!" He tried to unsheath his rapier as quickly as he could to attack Nergal - but he could not. Though his rapier should have been in its sheath, it was not.

The instant he looked around to figure out where his rapier had gone, he heard the sound of a blade stabbing into flesh.

“I cannot… let you do that!”

“Huh…!?”

Eliwood’s rapier was in Elbert’s hands. And the blade was stabbed deep into Nergal’s side.

“...You fool… I could never be defeated by the likes of you…”

“...As I said. I will never… allow you to do as you wish…!”

“...You… have outlived your usefulness… Guh…!!

Nergal cast a spell, pushing Elbert off of him. Then he looked down at the rapier in annoyance, pulled it out of his body, and cast it aside.

That seemed to have used up the rest of his power, as he disappeared into a teleportation circle alone, and left Ninian and Nils where they stood.

“Father!!” Eliwood rushed over to him.

Elbert warned his son, “...Eliwood, do not put your guard down. He will appear again…”

“I know. But, right now…. let’s get off this island… and return to Lycia.”

“This is… the end for me. …Eliwood, I leave… the rest to you.”

After being kept in confinement for so long, his body was weak, and his face was so white he looked as if the life once within him was gone. After everything he’d been through, his strike back against Nergal seemed to have squeezed his last bit of energy out of him.

Elbert no longer had any strength left to survive.

Eliwood would realize that soon as well. But he could not immediately accept it. After his long journey, they’d finally been able to meet. The fact that their meeting would be so quickly followed by their parting nearly made his chest tear open from sorrow.

“Please hold on! Mother… she’s waiting for you in Pherae!”

Elbert chuckled. “Ah yes, Elenora. She’s probably going to get mad at me again…”

Elbert pictured his beloved wife’s face, and his expression softened.

He’d been born and raised as the son of a marquess, then met Elenora and had Eliwood… His life was flashing before his eyes.

“Eliwood… Tell your mother… I’m sor…” Elbert’s words were cut short.

“No… Please don’t die… Father… Open your eyes…” Eliwood, unable to accept the truth in front of him, shook his father several times.

But Elbert did not respond.

Elbert, Marquess of Pherae, breathed his last, and vanished from this world.

“Fatherrrrrrrrr!!!"

Eliwood’s cries of grief echoed through the shrine like neverending raindrops falling from the sky.

[sothera]

After they finished eating, the four decided to take in the sights, starting with some of the tickets Tait gave them...

.. they weren't disappointed..

Each exhibit displayed a different, rare creature, none of which any of them had ever seen. It was particularly fascinating for Joey, as these things only existed in books and television for him. Each display also has its own lighting, as well as a vocal description via a hidden speaker which turned on by stepping on the floor in front of it.

Pretty Hi-Tech for a world that still relied on vacuum tubes...

The group approached the first enclosure, and were amazed, even Brann was wide-eyed.

"That cannot be what I think it is..." Brann finally said.

"It is.. we had.. a fair few of them centuries ago." William said, his hand half going for his sword.

"Oh my God.." Joey said.

"The God of the Green Eyes had nothing to do with this." Soth said, noticing the pallid red light under his shirt, trying to calm down.

Then, a voice, as if bone was scraping against bone...which very well might be...

The One That Consumes His Own is correct; your God did nothing as I starved, so I asked for help from another God. That one was happy to grant my Boon.

"And you are happy to be His Thrall?" Soth asked.

ALWAYS... With body and Soul...

"What Soul?" Soth asked, as he dead eyed the.. being.. in the cage

Before things could escalate any further, Joey pressed his foot on the spot on the floor... a pallid purple light shone from the top of the cage, immediately silencing the creature within, followed by a surprisingly pleasant, but tinny sounding, female voice.

The entity contained in front of you... has many names. "The Eternal Hungerer, The Bone Deer, The Soulless Eater, but the most current is the one with whom most people are familiar.

It is The Wendigo... Classified as an upper level Diabolical, The Wendigo exists only for one reason; to eat. They usually start with family members... Then, still unsatisfied, uses its newfound powers to hunt for prey; prey that will never satisfy its neverending need.. for food. We ask that you move on quickly; the spells of placation will draw its attention from you, but continued contact is... unpleasant.

"I'm sorry; this one skipped my mind, I should have warned you, especially you, Soth, are you okay?" asked a familiar voice.

Rafe wasn't smiling anymore; he looked haggard, but determined.

"Makeup" ... Rafe explained, "Just spiked my hair, and spackled the skin base on, then I remembered...Pete..."

"Pete?" Soth asked as he tried to calm the Flare.

"You named it Pete?"

"Yeah; it helps, takes some of the intimidation away...the light you're seeing is the spell kicking in; it helps, but this thing has a nasty mouth and can reach directly into your head."

"Uhh .." Soth said..

"Please... I'm sorry, normally, my control is much better than this...it just... won't cooperate." Soth said, embarrassed.

Smiling, Rafe took both of Soth's hands in his.

"Remember this?" Rafe asked...

"Yes!" Soth answered smiling, "I was in the park, watching Joey, with many other people. I was just another kid to them; no fear, no odd looks, no forcing my head down, no bare chest to remind people I'm not Human."

"Hmm.. maybe this, then.." Rafe said...

"What is that?" Rafe asked.

Soth smiled, "It's pizza; very very good.."

"Where.. are you...?" Rafe asked...

Soth knew it would come up sooner or later; he would've preferred later, but...

"On The Surface, Rafe, I managed to punch through granite, I was tracking a Purple Worm."

Rafe broke the link..

"That explains it; I wondered about those glasses.." Rafe said, looking at Joey.

"They're polycarbonate plastic." Joey said.

"Poly-carbonate.." Rafe repeated.. "Multiple resins, moulded together for added strength."

"Yeah... how did you...? Joey asked.

"Hey, I'm not just another pretty face..." Rafe smiled.

Rafe turned his attention back to Soth, "Purple Worm, huh? Have a look here..."

They walked away from the Wendigo, which seemed to be preoccupied with.. something, and went into another room to encounter...

All Soth would say was, "It's a good thing Ryder isn't here..."

"This one's been preserved and mounted; one of the few specimens that isn't actually alive." Rafe said.

"My compliments to the artist; they even managed to preserve the sheen." William said.

"Yep; he's a lot to dust." Rafe said looking at the display and stepping on the right spot.

This large beast chews through solid rock searching for prey. This creature regards anything it encounters as food. Loud noises attract them; although their natural habitat is underground, Purple Worms can be encountered on the surface, in rocky, mountainous areas.

"And that's how this part of my life began." Soth said, looking up at one of the creatures he'd...

"How long did it take?" Rafe asked.

"Once I got a good grip...not long, it didn't suffer, that's not my way." Soth said.

"I know," Rafe said, looking at Soth, "you've lived a life far different than mine, but we're the same blood, you and I, and I hope I prove to be a worthy friend."

"As do I." Soth said, "Despite my .. job.. my life has been sheltered, in many ways, compared to yours. I hope my naivete will not be too much of an annoyance."

"I got my... Soth... at the age of fourteen; his life has been martial in nature for many years, his Human fosters transferred his care to the Hunters in fear of the League, which was becoming worrisome by then. Despite what he says, Soth has come a long way from the shy boy that barely looked up at you." Brann said.

"Thanks in no small part to his new friends; and his solid foundation, you, Brann." Rafe said.

"And you should find this last being I'm going to share with you as beautiful as I do; his name is Elijah, and while he is incapable of speech, he's as smart as we are, and I consider him someone worth dying for. He is not an exhibit; he is my friend, who visits me, and he's agreed to meet all of you."

After leading them down a long corridor, Rafe opened the door.

"SELDARINE!" Brann said, seeing the creature first...

They each looked in turn...and were speechless..

Brann said something in Elvish; Elijah looked at him and snorted, as if happy.

Joey just stared, then said, "You understand every word we say, don't you?"

Elijah looked at Joey...and nodded.

Soth looked down at his feet, "There are no words; to be in the same room as you..."

"Soth...take your shoes and socks off." Rafe said.

Soth did as Rafe asked...

There... That's better..

The voice was male, deep, yet musical...

Elijah...

Your Handler seems to be having a religious experience; please tell him I'm not a Deity, and you can look at me, I like eye contact.

Elijah nuzzled Soth in the chest, his nose just under Soth's chin, he gently booped Soth's chin just enough...

There! Much better! Handsome boy, smart one too. But...you have your sorrows and doubts. How Human of you!

"Rafe speaks on your behalf? Brann, he's not a Deity, stop it. Joey, he likes you, and you William, you can stop gawking, he likes you too."

That's better! Rafe convinced me a while back not to.. end things.. when my beloved died; he doesn't admit it, but Rafe needs reminding Life needs to be lived, people you don't think of would be affected by the loss. You could give him another reason to wake up the next day. Not another job, but another life. He's experienced loss; he'll open up about that in time, but he does need help. Can you help him?

"I can, and I will." Soth promised.

Elijah snorted, looked at Rafe, and after Rafe nodded, Elijah moved back, and flew off.

"He'll be back; he wants to see you all again. For now, I will get back to business. William, the real reason I asked you to participate in the cage is that I would like to have a good look at your sword and your armour." Rafe said.

"I see; why?" William asked.

"I don't doubt that they're among the best available, but I'd like to see if I can do better." Rafe said.

"You could do better? William asked.

"Yep; like I said before, I'm not just another pretty face.." Rafe answered

"We have about an hour; let's go over what we should do, and I need to finish getting ready, if you three would go to the Arena, William and I will practice what we need to do." Rafe said.

"We'll be right in front.." Soth said, looking at William and Rafe.

"He'll be fine; I'm the one that will be getting stabbed." Rafe said.

"What?!? NO, absolutely not!" William shouted.

"Easy... I'm like Soth, remember? I'll be fine, we'll have money if we need it, and it's the only way I can get a good look at your sword, the way Roundy would approve." Rafe said.

"Roundy?" Brann asked.

"My first Handler...my life..my world.." Rafe said.

There were several minutes of silence, then the three of them left, leaving Rafe and William alone.

"It will be fine; trust me, this isn't my first trip to the circus." Rafe said, grinning rakishly.

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Book 2 Chapter 2: Bad Omen

Warnings: dark foresight vision

Back in Emerald City, at night, Thomas had just rolled into bed after another boring, uneventful day of stopping crime with Roy as the city’s new secret superhero, with Tanner, Lucas and Kenji manning the comms with him on his computer. There seemed to be no purpose in it anymore. Another day, another criminal to stop, that’s how it always went by. For the average citizen, it might seem like the thrill of a lifetime, a steady flow of neverending action and excitement. The incredibly rare opportunity to work with a living Falkry. But he had been doing it for a few years now, and every street chase grew less entertaining every time. Roy was experienced and skilled enough by now that he often didn't even need his help or guidance on the comms anymore.

   Thomas missed the days when there was a real mission, an end goal of success. Mostly, though, he missed the unpredictability of a certain white-winged Falkry who had helped him save his brother a few years back. It was always something new and unexpected when it came to that Falkry. An endless fountain of surprises and snarky, sharp remarks. Not that the rest of his team at the laboratory weren’t good company, but it simply felt… incomplete.

   Thomas’s mind was filled with dozens of annoying, buzzing thoughts that refused to stay silent, and he found himself staring dully up at his bedroom ceiling. He groaned and smashed a pillow over his ears, hoping to gain some peace from it. After tossing and turning many times for at least an hour, he finally drifted off into an uneasy state of sleep. In his dreams, he found himself wandering around an unusual forest full of friendly, mutant giant squirrels and foxes bigger than horses.

   So weird, he thought to himself. He picked up a massive blueberry from the ground that was twice the size of his head and held it to one of the squirrels, who quickly snatched it up and gobbled it down, before licking blue juice from its furry whiskers. It then used a paw to start grooming itself.

   “Ha ha. You’re so cute and fluffy,” Thomas said, and gave the giant squirrel a pat on the haunches. The squirrel abruptly stopped cleaning itself, its ears and nose twitching furiously. It let out a sharp squeak of surprise, and whirled around before sprinting away at top speed. The dozens of other squirrels and foxes in the forest charged after it, only stopping once they were a considerable distance away from him.

   He slowly turned around to see what had scared them, and saw a lean, slender form melt into sight and step out from behind a nearby tree, wearing a full leather suit and black mask. Thomas’s jaw nearly fell off. It was Shadow, white wings and all.

   Huh… I guess anything really IS possible in dreams…

   He saw her pause when she spotted the many giant mutant forest critters in the distance, raising an eyebrow questioningly. 

   “Well that is certainly not what I would have expected a human to be dreaming about… Why giant squirrels and foxes, though, of all things? No–Wait–don’t answer that. It’s rhetorical,” she said dryly.

   "Well this is my dream, so I'm sure--" Thomas started to speak, but straightened suddenly, studying her melancholy expression. "Wait, Shadow. Is it really you? As in, you you? Are we both...?"

   "Yes, it's me. Me me." Shadow gave him an all too familiar eye roll, crossing her arms across her chest. Thomas knew in his heart the truth, but his mind had a hard time understanding it. He shook his head, thoroughly confused.

   "No no no, that doesn't make sense... You must be a figment of my imagination. Something created as a result of real-life scenarios..." 

   "Yup, you caught me. I have been sent here to haunt your dreams for all eternity..." She said spookily.

   Now he definitely knew it was the real Shadow. No one else could master sarcasm like she could.

   "But how is this happening? How are you... here?" Thomas sputtered in astonishment. She shrugged nonchalantly.

   "It's complicated. I am currently using a Dreamwalker Stone to reach you at the moment."

   "Like the one you gave to me before you left? Wait–Does that mean you're somewhere in the city right now?!" He gushed.

   "One question at a time. Yes to the first and no to the second. My physical form is still in Falkradia. The stone's power is not limited by distance. Although, the further away the connection is, the more concentration and focus it takes to maintain the link. Fortunately, I have a strong mind."

   Thomas's head was still exploding from all this new information when Shadow's face darkened.

   "Sorry to cut things short, but I don't know how long this connection will last. I came here to deliver a warning."

   "A... warning?" Thomas echoed blankly.

   "Yes. I had a vision recently. One that I found... to be a cause for mild concern." She shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "It involved getting into trouble. And not the fun kind "

   "What did you see?" He asked cautiously. He feared he wouldn't like the answer.

   "Well, it's hard to explain, but I felt this... strange darkness, and you were unintentionally caught in the center of it. It was some force of great evil, I could tell that much at least. A menacing presence of sorts, if that makes more sense."

   Thomas's brow furrowed. "No, actually, that doesn't make sense at all. What do you mean by that? A menacing presence from who?"

   "I am not entirely sure. But there was so much fear, and death... it was a powerful being, whoever it was coming from. I felt so much raw power, I daresay it might even rival my own. Whatever's coming... It's big. Colossal. I just wanted to tell you that you need to watch your back in the near future, because things are about to change in ways I don’t yet understand...”

   Thomas noticed that the forest scene around them was beginning to grow considerably lighter.

   "You're starting to wake up," Shadow noted aloud. She reached out to Thomas as her imaginary body started to flicker and glisten, and it began to fade. "Remember, not everything I see comes to be, so it could be something, or it could be nothing. I just think you should keep an eye out. And be careful." Her words were rushed as she tried to fit in the sentences before she was gone.

   "Danger is coming, Thomas... Danger... is... com... ing..." Shadow's voice grew distant and faded as she left his dream. The forest was filled with blinding light, and Thomas snapped back to reality with a gasp, sitting up in bed in a cold sweat.

   What on earth was that about?

   Thomas tried to calm his racing heart, but Shadow's words remained engraved in his memory, still echoing in his mind, clear as day.

   Danger is coming, Thomas... Danger.

   What danger, though? Where could it come from?

   His head buzzed with a thousand questions, to which he had very few answers.

   Maybe... maybe everything will be fine. She said it herself, her visions don't always come true, right? Thomas tried to reason with himself. But if she really thought it was nothing, she wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to warn me of that prophecy, his internal dialogue replied. An uneasy chill ran up his spine as he got out of bed to get breakfast.

   I bet I'll feel better after I've had a decent meal.

   He groggily rolled out of bed and got dressed, before heading off to meet with the rest of his friends in the lab. He found that they were already fully awake, and sitting on the sofa in the living space and watching a movie on the TV. 

   Tanner and Lucas were sitting on the ends of the sofa, and Roy was in the middle, his wings spread awkwardly to the sides to make him able to fit in the small space.

   Thomas laughed to himself. Roy was perhaps the only Falkry in history to ever master human video games, and enjoy human-made movies. Aside from Tanner, of course, but he wasn’t nearly as interested in such things as Roy was, though he occasionally dropped in for fun when he was in the mood for it. Thomas grabbed some food for himself and decided to join them.

⏪️ Back Next ⏩️

City of Monsters and Magic Masterlist

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@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things @togzy

@whump-till-ya-jump @cravesunconditionallove @whumpwritinglover222

[lovinglylibelle]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝐡𝐢 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧

-navigation || masterlist || montage of memories-

megumi x reader || fluff

requests: open

description: Megumi has always been curious about love, having never experienced it himself. So what happens when he meets someone from his past that might just be the key to changing all that.

"Ya Itadori, do you think it will rain?" Kugisaki asked, shielding her eyes as she looked up at the sky. It was the beginning of Japan's rainy season and it seemed like Tokyo was about to welcome it too.

It was getting darker by the second as more and more clouds gathered, blocking out the rays of the sun and from the looks of it, the sky was ready to let down the first rain.

"It's definitely going to rain," Itadori replied. According to the duo, he had some sort of sensor in him that allowed him to predict the weather... keeping aside the fact that it was already visible.

Megumi sighed as he watched the two sorcerers, now trying to climb the lamp post in order to get a clearer view, wondering how he managed to get himself surrounded by them. Not that he minded it. He had gotten used to it.

The three were standing outside a movie theatre, waiting for the movie to screen. Kugisaki and Itadori had insisted upon watching the latest romance movie, the same old story about love.

Fushiguro Megumi didn't know a thing about love and it really wasn't a surprise. To him it was just a myth, a fool's errand that the world seemed to chase for reasons unbeknownst to him.

He didn't get it, truly, the concept of it foreign to him but he wasn't the one to blame for it. He didn't exactly have the chance to experience it: his parents abandoned him, his sister was in a magic coma, and his 'relatives' wanted to exploit him... the only thing close to love, affection, and warmth he had ever known, not that he would ever admit it to him or anyone, was the chaotic white haired man child known as Gojo Satoru, and the two idiots who seemed to have taken it upon themselves to be the bane of his existence. However, that was all platonic anyway.

Romantic love was something he had only read about in the various novels and mangas: that were neatly stacked in his dorm, or watched in movies like these, and yet they weren't enough to make him believe in the notion.

It felt fictional to him, a love that transcends all barriers, a love that makes one do irrational things, a love that is unconditional... the idea was too far fetched. Everybody wanted something in the world, he knew that, he experienced that on an everyday basis. And everybody was selfish when it came down to it, so something as selfless as love was odd for him, odder than the existence of curses and magic.

However, he did wonder what it felt like, to be in love and to feel that feeling that all these things portrayed. Will he ever feel that? it was a question that made him ponder sometimes. He wouldn't mind it if he did and wouldn't mind it if he didn't either.

This reverie of his might have been neverending if it wasn't for the loud shout that Kugisaki had let out. "Fushiguro, it's open!"

He nodded, making his way towards them but stopping short after feeling a strong and familiar cursed energy.

"Huh?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing as he scanned his surroundings. A nostalgic emotion making its way to his heart. What was it-

thud, he felt someone bump into him, making him stumble slightly before he caught himself.

Looking up, he noticed the culprit and was ready to give them a terrible look but as soon as his eyes met yours, his entire world seemed to have slowed down to a halt.

There you were turning around to face him as your hair cascaded around you, framing you delicately like the buds do the petals. Your eyes were wide with evident shock that was etched onto your face oh so sweetly. Your lips parting slightly as it finally began to rain... the first of its season.

The air around you seemed to shimmer and Megumi could have sworn that he had never seen anybody look as beautiful as you did in that moment.

"Oh my god, shit, i am so sorry." you said hurriedly, a shocked expression on your face. You kept a hand above your eyes to be able to see.

Megumi couldn't even breathe much less talk or comprehend whatever you were saying as he noticed the feeling from earlier creeping in again. He squinted at you, running a hand through his hair that was now soaked and sticking to his forehead.

As he took in your features, the feeling started to bloom into something more, recognition.

You had the same aura around you, as you did all those years ago, of comfort and safety that once was Megumi's only solace. Your clumsiness was intact too, barely taking a few steps before crashing into things as he recalled. Your hair was longer though and somehow it looked even more perfect than what he had remembered... And your eyes, oh your eyes, they were the dead give away.

They had that same glint in them, the same warmth and insatiable curiosity that always left him in awe. Even now they seemed to hold the entire universe in them and sparkle like a million stars resided in them.

"Y/n..?" he whispered, loud enough for you to hear over the rain and soft enough to not break the moment.

"What? How do you know my nam-" you replied, confused beyond your belief when a flicker of understanding crossed your mind and you lit up with the same feeling of recognition.

"Meg- Fushiguro? No way..." you chuckled incredelously, disbelief on your face.

"Hello to you too, Y/n" he said, a smile on his face. It was genuine, the smile, just like it used to be all those years ago when you two spent time together.

To Kugisaki and Itadori who were watching it all unfold from afar, it was truly a rare sight; to see the alleged sea urchin, make that face and that too in a serious way.

"It's been so long Fushiguro, you've not changed a bit." you said, tucking your hair behind your ear as you smiled back at him. The more Megumi observed you, the more aware he became of his surroundings. He felt his cheeks growing warm despite the cold rain that was falling relentlessly around him.

"well my teeth grew back," he joked, earning a soft laugh from you and a gasp of disbelief from the other two, who exchanged a look. At the sound of your laugh, Megumi felt his heartbeat pick up, he couldn't comprehend what was happening to him. It was the first time ever that he had felt all those things, was it the weather? was it the rain? was he getting sick? what was happening to him? was he okay?

"that they did... makes you less cute though." you commented, making him nod his head and his friends face-palm themselves.

If they had been standing closer to you, Kugisaki would have smacked the oblivious guy's head right in that instance but due to the distance she couldn't.

"So you are back?" Fushiguro asked as the two of you started walking, the rain almost forgotten now.

"Yeah, Gojo Sensei had insisted on it and well i did miss everything here, especially you." you said, a hopeful look in your eyes as they met his.

I missed you too, he had wanted to say but decided against it.

"So what brings you here?" he said instead, his hands in his pockets.

He was looking down on the street, various puddles forming due to the water. He stepped in one, watching it splash against his feet.

"Believe it or not, it's a mission. There is a cursed spirit right around the corner there, caused a few suicides over the week." you said pointing at the alley behind the theatre.

"Speaking of, i can feel it manifesting again." you added, stopping in your tracks.

"They already got you going huh? You should go and exorcise it, we can talk later." he said, stopping to face you. He didnt want to stop talking just yet but he knew that the exorcism was more important.

"Alright, see you back at the dorms?"

He nodded in reply,

"It really is nice to see you again Fushiguro, i'll see you later." you said, taking off towards the alley with your hands clasped behind your back.

Fushiguro watched you walk away and felt himself coming to his senses again, he could now feel every raindrop on himself that had seemingly disappeared when he was talking to you. He realised that he was soaked, his hair sticking to his face, his hands cold and clammy and yet he didn't mind it at all,

He was so lost in watching you walk away that he didn't realise when Kugisaki and Itadori had joined him.

"So... who was that?" she said, holding the umbrella that somehow magically appeared in her hand. Her eyes narrowing at Megumi.

"A friend,"

"Just, a friend?"

"Yeah, just a friend."

"Sureeee, you made us miss half the movie though."

"But it's just been ten minutes Kugisaki-" Itadori interrupted,

"Yeah yeah i know, i am exaggerating. Come on now and quit staring, you look like a creep for fuck's sake." she called out, making her way towards the entrance of the theatre.

"Shut up." Megumi replied, shaking his head but looking away too.

He was elated to see you again and was even looking forward to meeting you back at the school and introducing you to his new friends.

"For the record, I don't believe that she was just a friend." Kugisaki added as she sat on her seat inside the theatre. Megumi who was now dry, thanks to his shikigami, sat down next to her with a sigh.

He avoided her gaze as he replied, "I don't care."

He was glad that the cinema was dark enough to hide his face when he said that because despite everything, a small smile had found its way on his lips which he really did not want Kugisaki or Itadori to see or they wouldn't let him hear the end of it.

His eyes focused on the movie in front of him, a romance movie, about love and somewhere in his heart and beyond his consciousness, he knew that he had found the answer to most of the questions he had as he thought back to the encounter he just had with you.

He really was looking forward to seeing you again.

a/n: this is has been on my mind for a while and i tried sooo many times to write this, but it somehow wasn't giving the vibe i wanted it to give. However, writing it this time was better and i like how it turned out, may have gotten carried away down there but eh (is it obvious that i am absolutely enamored by Megs?) If you like it, please press that cute little heart in the bottom right corner and that reblog button just next to it. If you want more such fics, you can also drop a follow and i promise not to disappoint. Have a happy day ahead, keep yourself hydrated and well fed. Thank you

[ask-elland-n-will]

The moment Wren reaches for something hidden away in her costume, the prefect tenses up, the red glare in his eyes going off again at his command: oh, his friends have surely picked up on all the biting going around! This will be good!

Villiam gasps at the fiend comment. As any polite vampire would, of course.

"My dearrr Vrrren, do not mistake me for a fiend: vampirrres are simply nice undead gentlevamps and ladies, while vile fiends," and Villiam accentuates the last word with as much polite disgust as he can muster. "Fiends are ze malicious otherworldly creatures with no understanding of beauty!"

Will watches Wren like a hawk but the closer she gets to the end of her speech, the more sinister his facial expression becomes. He no longer is a nice polite gentlevamp. He is Villiam, ze Vampire Overlord, and if he laughs a tad too loudly, arrogantly and pitchy, there iz nozing to be afraid of. This is normal Vampire Overlord behaviour!

His majesty gets even more offended at how Wren is trying to protect his Slytherin captain. He is not some crazy vampire spawn, set on feeding without giving anything back. He is offering the most precious of gifts: immortality! Bot the both of them, neverending love! He— WAIT! This can't be!

"ZE HOLY VATAAARRR!"

Will pretends to hiss and spit at the flask, flailing his arms under the cape in a way that his whole mass resembles a petite body with huge bat wings flapping in the wind (thanks to the sneakily cast levioso behind the hiss), about to take off. A few students nearby cautiously step a few feet back, no doubt familiar with the prefect's antiques.

"How darrre you reject my gift!" Villiam shrieks and clacks his teeth at Wren and her dangerous cargo. Zis can undo him completely! Not hiz beautiful pale face, not today!

The sleeve of his black cloak flies to cover the lower part of his face as Will steps back, avoiding the liquid, hissing, eyes wide, before fleeting in the most dramatic way possible, yelling "I will get you next time, Vrrren! You and your beautiful vife!"

The reason for running away at the first glance is simple: Villiam is a vampire and to avoid confrontations with the priestess of the Holy Flask he makes the safest decision possible. But as William… Let's just say that just because Imelda looks stunning tonight in her beautiful black gown and luscious hair doesn't mean she would not go for Will's vampire noggin and does not hit him with something like a shoe. Its sharper side. And oh no, Will would prefer that his brilliant red hair do not deal with such a collision today. Oh, he shouldn't have mentioned Imelda at all!

Upon glancing back, he realizes that the girls took off as well. Huh, that takes care of the problem. Too bad he didn't get to leave his signature spell bite but you can't win all the time, can you? Coming up to those two was risky enough already. If only—

Will tangles up in his own cloak, his legs tiring out from the sudden vampiric sprint he went into. He does not fight it and Villiam ends up gently (thank Merlin for the slowing charm!) falling to the ground, face up, hands coming to rest on his chest as he closes his eyes and starts whining at how unlucky he iz today zat nobody vants to be turned into a vampire tonight! Not a soul! Perhaps zat little trick would make a few of his guests take pity on the poor Villiam the Vampire Overlord.

When he hears Elland's questioning voice somewhere from above, his lips spread in a happy sly smile. Anozer future vampire iz here!

William in his little vampire costume (complete with a cape, pointy ears, sharp fangs, and what you think is an enchanted gleam in his eyes that turns the irises red) slides past Wren and her date. With an excited "AHA!" as if just realizing who he saw, the prefect paddles backwards, beaming at the two girls.

"Greetings, ladies! What a majestic couple you are, I assume you are participating in ze costume contest tonight? Vell, vell, vell!" he chuckles, remembering to do what he considers to be a "vampire" accent.

"Ze competition is fierce tonight but I hope you vin! In ze general category I vill certainly be rooting for Theo and Montrose (if Andrew gets convinced to come at all). Speaking of costumes..." Will pauses ominously and then nervously glances at Imelda. He wonders if she will curse him some extra during the next Slytherin practice for what he originally planned to do with his friends. Oh, perhaps he should've caught Wren at a different time, when the Ravenclaw is alone... Too late now!

"Any chance I, a true and absolutely real vampire, can turn you into one?"

She’s never worn a dress suit before. The constricting attire isn’t the exactly the most comfortable clothing she’s owned, singularly held together by a sturdy tie coiled around her neck, closing in like a serpent with her every breath. The Ravenclaw had discarded her casual shirt and plaid vest tonight for something more presentable; not that she’s never been clad in fancy wear before, but can’t help wondering if she doesn’t look too pretentious.

She’s even tried neatening her hair, too, which Imelda’s received with mild bewilderment. (“Oh. So you do know how to use a hairbrush, after all.” The Slytherin has remarked in jest.)

Imelda has dolled up, too, clad in a very proper but heart racing ensemble: black form-fitting gown, with bell sleeves and a trailing hem in an eerie flourish. Her low ponytail let down, in a rare instance, a cascade of dark hair falling down her back. Thank the stars! Wren thinks, as tonight she is free to stare at those imperious eyes while threading her fingers through those locks without feeling like she’s being overindulgent. As much as she can pretend otherwise, Wren is perfectly aware she probably looks a tad smitten right now. She knows if the Quidditch Captain could pick, she’d choose their routinely evening flight without question. Yet Imelda is here of her own volition without much of a protest, so clearly Wren must’ve done too good of a job convincing her coming with her, as sappy or suggestive as that sounds.

They arrive at the table exhibiting varied morsels and refreshments, picking up a few of the Alihotsy-flavoured fudges and plucking the dressing with deft but messy fingers, crumbs flying in all directions.

“Mm. Come to think of it, we’ve just passed by two students and a ghost screaming at each other, a pirouetting scarecrow and a levitating niffler, but I find the most odd not one of your friends is yet to hijack any of the enchanted instruments.” Imelda grins.

Wren suppresses a smirk. “Odd, isn’t it? Not as odd as that.” She tilts her head towards a figure a few metres away. William, clad in a cloak spreading out like carefree wings, frolicking past them. Not half a second later, his little knees are shuffling as he backtracks closer with a red light of merry devilment in his eyes.

“Oh Merlin.” Wren snickers lowly. “He’s spotted us. Run, love - save yourself.”

She can hear Imelda’s scrutinising gaze before even assessing the situation. At least her girlfriend genuinely sounds entertained, especially when the prefect not-so-subtly slip into a curious new dialect. “He even sounds funny now. What did you do to him this time?”

Wren presses a hand to her chest in feigned offence. “Moi? ‘Villiam’ came up with this all by his own hand!”

A mention of the contest quickly kicks Imelda’s competitive edge into full force. Wren feels the grip tightening affectionately over her gloved hand, listening intently and can’t help but be caught up in either Imelda’s spirit in the dim light of the candles, or William’s almost childlike dedication in his role, surrounded with the scent of wood burning into fiery dust. It goes on pretty well after that, even after they catch William throwing Wren a coltish glance. His enchanted irises suddenly appear slightly redder when contrasted with his fangs that shine like pearls. It becomes clear now; the strange markings on her friends’ necks, the incessant, silvery giggling from the darkened corners, the strategic making of this ‘vampire army’ she keeps hearing about.

So she plays along.

Wren rummaged about till she whips out a hip flask she’s been carrying. “No trifling with me, ye fiend! I warn you that you do not turn me; to be your pawn for your unholy bidding, your jackal when you wish to feed!” She moves impulsively backwards, holds out a ‘protective’ arm around Imelda - who’s now staring at both of them like they’ve just grown a few extra limbs - and flicks the container, spritzing its sweetened content as if warding off a demon with holy water, into the prefect’s fanged smile.

“Don’t worry. It’s apple juice.” Wren snickers, before she laughs taking off with the incredulous Imelda in hand, into the dancing crowd, as quickly as her dress suit permits her. “You’ll never take us alive!”

[daunsun]

Writing prompt, GO

"All I've ever wanted was a place to belong. Somewhere I could call home. And you gave me that. Because you are my home."

I like fluff

SO ABOUT THAT FLUFF-

Writing this for my library au that I’ve never posted about because yes

Flicking through the book in your hands mindlessly, you tried to relax at the soft feeling of the paper against your fingertips. You hadn’t paid attention to what book you actually picked up, but you had to be given credit for trying to look like you did. The aisle was quiet, as libraries should be of course, but too quiet for you to stay sane. Cold air swept through the ventilation systems, sending chills up your spine you wouldn’t dare attribute to the standoff currently happening. Part of you wondered if an animatronic was capable of hearing heartbeats. You hoped their hearing wasn’t that advanced.

The staring never ceased, no matter how many pages of your book you flicked through. Moon’s gaze was unnerving, which you supposed just made him better at his job of kicking out unwanted guests. You weren’t an unwanted guest, you hoped. Maybe you were right now. The tense silence was practically driving you up the wall, your mind running at a thousand miles an hour. You were supposed to be the intimidating one! Not this jerk-who-you-happened-to-really-enjoy-the-company-of! Shutting the book you were holding with a loud “thump!” and letting out a sigh, you broke the tense air.

“Look dearie, you’re not going to get anything out of me with that stare. Good try though!” You slid the book back where you had gotten it, and gave your animatronic friend a strained grin. Neither of you believed your words, and you knew it. You have a reputation to maintain, however. God, you were tired.

You stepped down from the stool you stood on, relinquishing the little comfort you got from being equal height to Moon. Leaning down to pick up the stool, you swore you heard a very artificial sigh. Eyes darting to where your companion currently stood, you watched as his arms uncrossed and one hand moved to his faceplate. You couldn’t see much further without giving away that you were looking at him though.

“Just-” He started, pausing momentarily. “Why? Can you at least tell me that, dearie?” His tone was dripping with venom, which was understandable given the situation. It’s not like you were the good guy here by any means. Or a victim, at that. You squeezed your eyes shut, feeling the charade sliding. Slapping a smirk back on your face, you stood up to meet Moon’s neverending gaze.

“No, I can’t.” You let out a small laugh, “Please don’t ask me again.”

He seemed revolted at your smile, squinting as any softness seemed to vanish from his posture. You kept on smiling though. This is what you could do. Make him scared, disgusted with your lightheartedness like everyone else. You were awfully good at that. Maybe you could just ignore the humanity cracking away at your heart. Ignore your erratic heartbeat, or just how cold you felt right now. You could do that. 

“I have to, you know I have to.” He pushed further, but you held. “Hell- I certainly can’t let you anywhere near the library unless you do!” Hands gesturing to your surroundings, his voice went from monotone to furious in the blink of an eye. “What am I supposed to tell Sun, huh?”

You had to physically restrain yourself from stating the obvious. You didn’t know. You didn’t know anything. So many times in your life had you heard that the world was your oyster, but right now it felt like the oyster shell was clamping down with you in it. Absentmindedly, you dropped the stool back into its place, making a loud thunk sound throughout the room.

“I’ll take care of it, Moon.” You clenched your teeth. The shell was closing. “Trust me.”

“That’s asking an awful lot of me now, starlight!”

“That’s why I’m asking.”

“Of course, so polite of you! Why don’t I just go on and tell him that the guy tripped on a rock?” He sneered, closing the little space that was between the two of you.

“Moon, please-” Your smile was falling. Slipping, slipping. Down and down into the rabbit hole, Alice. His arm reached towards you.

“‘Moon, please’ what? What could you possibly-!”

The shell shut with a slam.

“Stop! For the love of god- JUST STOP IT!” You barked, almost tripping while backing away from Moon. You slapped his arm away, just barely stopping yourself from unholstering your pistol. He stopped moving. Silence. You needed it to stop.

“I CAN’T explain it to you! I just can’t! All I’ve ever wanted was a place to belong, somewhere to call home and you guys gave it to me dammit! You are my home, and I’m sorry if I don’t want to fucking mess that up like I’ve done everything else by getting you involved in what I have to deal with every single damn day!” Hands running through your hair, you let out a heavy breath of air, lungs burning for the new oxygen.

“I have always tried to keep you out of it! Always! So please, sweetheart, just let me do my fucking job, and you do yours! There is nothing good that could possibly come out of me explaining why I saved your life, nothing!” You gripped your hair, warmth running down your face across your now-flushed cheeks. It was shameful, downright shameful. You knew it. It only made you want to curl up into a ball and hide from the world even more. The world was a blur now, and you could only scramble away from it. A hand grabbed your wrist, stopping you as you met Moon’s gaze once again.

He was taken aback, judging by his now widened eyes, but still holding onto your wrist. No words were spoken. You were scared. He was scared.

“I-” Speaking up, Moon stopped himself. He pulled you in, and you didn’t have any will to protest. Arms wrapped around you, only mildly warmer than the freezing air temperature.

“Tomorrow, then.” His face plate rested on your frazzled and unkempt hair when he finished.

“...Tomorrow.”