#rarepairs too i guess

[chiclete-com-manga]

I loved this one so much like this that i don't even know if I'll colour it

[surreal-duck]

live drama adaptations part 2 (prev)

cast reveal and girls movie night 🔥

[bungouchronicles]

I like my ships doomed by the narrative

[gelu-the-babosa-multiversal]

A ShockOP idea that I wanted to do for el día de los muertos, but I didn't have much free time. And so had the sketch!!

Basically, despite now lovers, both Optimus and Shockwave still miss their other lovers. So they both celebrate this little human holiday to remember them and treasure the memories they have of them.

[cammy-mcspammy]

could i pwease have some gonta/shuichi 🥺 thank you 🐞💚💙🔍

Of course! They seem so cute, I love wholesome ships with two soft boys 😭😭😭

It's also nice to see somebody willing to protect and defend Shuichi when normally, he's the one to do it for others.

[beperoncin]

first fuckin anniversary of this stupid little blog on the blogging website known as [tumblr] to celebrate i post lemoncino on main and maintag everything

[leonardalphachurch]

GOOGLE SEARCH: HOW TO TALK TO OTHER DADS REDDIT

Lavernius Tucker and Oliver "North" Dakota are two single fathers forced to brave their most difficult challenge as a dad yet: making small talk with other parents. Not many survive this harrowing ordeal, but the bonds forged through this traumatic experience create lifelong friendships. Or, perhaps, even something more...?

A modern single dads Tucker/North AU written for @rvbrarepairweekdos Day 3: AUs. Warnings for discussions of sex/masturbation, but no actual sexual content.

I don't know why I wrote this, either. I don't even ship this. I suppose the wheel compelled me...

Also avaliable to read on Ao3.

***

“Sooo, uh, what do you… do with your time?"

“Oh, I’m a pediatric dentist.”

“No, I know that, I meant, uh,” This sucked. Tucker had zero things in common with these parents at this School for Gifted Children that had scouted Junior earlier this year. Most of them barely gave him the time of day, but this guy, Oliver Dakota, was insistent on staying the entire time his kid was hung out with Junior. After multiple false starts, Tucker shamefully ducked away for a second to look up ‘HOW TO TALK TO OTHER DADS REDDIT’ and found, “I meant, what do you do with your free time?”

“Oh,” North smiled warmly at the other man, then looked back to the door to Junior’s room. Left open a crack— he would have preferred it to be open all the way, but Lavernius had insisted the kids be given privacy. He seemed like a genuine and nice man, if a little awkward. North appreciated him and Theta being allowed into his home. Still, he wasn’t that interested in talking; compromising on the door meant he needed to keep a closer ear out for if Theta needed him. “I don’t really have much free time. With a kid and work, it’s like two full time jobs. But it’s all worth it for Theta.”

“Right.” God, this guy was giving Tucker nothing. Every single topic went back to Theta. And Tucker loved his kid, but being a single dad meant so much of his life was already dedicated to him. If he was talking to another adult he at least wanted to talk about something adult for once. “You gotta do something with your time, though. You into sports?”

“Haven’t really kept up with any lately. Theta was on the soccer team when they were younger, but we’ve decided to focus on academics in middle school.”

“Okay… Watched any good TV lately?”

“I mostly just catch snippets of whatever cartoon Theta has on.”

“……..Do you play games?”

“Oh, Theta had me join them in playing a little farm game— what’s it called, star, starting… ‘Starting Farming?’ No, no, it’s definitely ‘star’… ‘Starry Farmy?’”

“Stardew Valley?”

“That’s it! Do you play it? It’s very cute.”

“Yeah, uh, not, really my type of game. What about stuff you do without your kid?”

“Ah,” That was kind of a strange question. Most conversations North had with other parents were all about their kids— mostly trying to constantly one up the other’s accomplishments. To ask about things that he did without Theta? Why did he even care about that? “Well, I read alone?"

“Awesome! What are you reading?” Tucker didn’t give a shit about books, but he would grasp onto literally anything this dude was offering.

“Mostly child psychology books. Though lately it’s been a lot YA novels. I try to read things Theta is interested before they do so we can have discussions about them. And to make sure there’s nothing too inappropriate for their age.”

Tucker was stunned. This guy could not be serious. Was everything about his kid? “Don’t you do things with your friends?”

“Ahh,” North’s smile got a little tighter. “We had to move away from my hometown a few years ago; the schools there weren’t great for Theta, and then they got accepted here…”

“You haven’t had friends for years?”

“I have friends.” North was taken aback. What kind of person asked something like that so bluntly?

“But you don’t spend time with them.”

“I… see them often enough. When I visit home. For the holidays.” North didn’t know why he felt so defensive over this.

“Do you…” Tucker hesitated, not wanting to overstep with a guy he barely knew but also fucking floored at what this dude’s life seemed to be, “do anything for yourself that isn’t about your kid?”

North balked. “Of course I do! And, the- this question is flawed. Taking care of Theta is something I do for myself.”

“You can’t just only live for your kid, dude. There’s shit you gotta do without them.”

North twitched a little at the swear word. “There’s nothing I want to do that I would need to exclude Theta from.”

“What about sex?”

“SHHHHH!!” North panickedly looked over at the door, “Lower your voice if you’re talking about that!” He half yelled, half whispered.

“Dude. Does your kid not know about sex yet??” Tucker asked, not lowering his voice even slightly.

“Of course Theta knows what sex is!” North said, still whispering. “Teaching age appropriate sex education is incredibly important to a child’s understanding of their own body and safety. Theta knows exactly what leading child psychologists recommended an 11 year old knowing.”

“Okay.” Jesus Christ. This dude needed help bad.

North frowned. He could feel the judgement coming from Lavernius. Other parents always thought they could butt into situations that didn’t concern them. “I do not need your input on how I take care of my child.”

“I don’t care about how you take care of your kid, man, I care about how you take care of your you.”

“What?” North had no idea what he meant by that.

“Have you had sex a single time since Theta was born?”

“What?!” Seriously, how could he just ask something like that?

“You know what, not even sex. When was the last time you jerked off? Please tell me you’ve had an orgasm in the past decade.”

“This- this is a highly inappropriate conversation to be having with our kids in the other room” North had no idea how they ended up here, but he desperately wanted to move on.

“Not even once?”

“I don’t want Theta to overhear this conversation.”

“They’re playing a game, they’re not gonna hear, trust me. Kids don’t listen to their parents talking even when you want them to, they don’t give a shit what adults say to each other.”

“Theta listens to me.”

“Uh huh.” They needed to move away from the topic of their kids. Tucker needed to help this man. “Listen to me, man. I need you to do something for me.”

“What?”

Tucker grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. Or at least, he tried to. God, this man was way too fucking tall. And actually looking into his eyes— Jesus, they were piercing. Tucker didn’t think this kind of blond hair blue-eyed motherfucker actually existed. Terrifying.

“Tonight, when you go home, once you do whatever weird nighttime ritual you do to put Theta to bed,” Oliver started to make a noise in disagreement but Tucker pushed past it, “I need you to go to your room. I need you to be alone. I need you to get comfortable. And I need you to jack off.”

North had no fucking idea how to respond to that.

“Trust me. I have a friend, his girlfriend died, right? And for like a year afterwards he was so fucking miserable. Until one day I was like, ‘You NEED to blow off some steam, if you know what I mean. Bow chicka bow wow.’ Next day he was like a new man.”

“I don’t. know.“ North thought there were probably some other reasons his friend may have been miserable, there.

“I know, you’ve been out of the game, you don’t know how to find good porn. I got you, I’ll send you some.”

“I wasn’t—“

“I got you.” Tucker was already pulling out his phone, thinking of some good beginner porn he could send Oli’s way. “What are you into? You seem kinda vanilla but sometimes vanilla looking chicks are into the weirdest shit, y’know?”

“That’s— I don’t— this isn’t— I’m. Gay.” That wasn’t really something North tended to share with other parents, but they were so far outside of the kinds of conversations he tended to have anyway, any normal ways to respond had completely left his brain.

“You’re—” Tucker looked him up and down. Huh. Maybe he should’ve been able to guess that. “Uh. That’s fine. I have gay shit I can send you.”

“You have gay shit.” Right. Okay. North was pretty sure he just swore for the first time in years. What the fuck was happening?

“Yeah, y’know, I’m… uh, it doesn’t matter what I am. But I can get whatever you want.”

“Okay.” Okay. North’s brain was starting to catch up to where they were. Was Lavernius… flirting with him? Was this what flirting was now? He was so lost.

He should probably set a boundary.

“I… do not want you to send me porn.”

“Okay,” Tucker said, putting his phone back in his pocket. “You got it handled yourself?”

“Yes, I,” North let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, “I can handle myself.”

“Good. ‘Cause the shit you were saying before was sad, man. I know we barely know each other but, c’mon, single dads gotta have each others backs, right?”

“Yeah, um. Thanks.”

“No problem.” Tucker smiled at him.

North liked his smile.

(continued in reblogs)

[potatochip-oc-dump]

Cringetober Day 9 - Crossover [friend]Ship/Rarepair

[carma-tjol]

alternate opm universe where the suffering isn't perpetual idk

[en-chi-la-da]

danganronpa rarepair week 2023 DAY SIX: pride/postcard feat: makoto/kokichi

for day six, i decided to go with a more, like, "we may not be very compatible as people/classmates, but we do share that familiar experience of figuring out who we are" kind of theme with my personal headcanon(s) for these two. like an uplifting "you're not alone in this" type of vibe?? yknow what i mean? lmao happy pride month! ✌🏼

[chiistarri]

sapphic rarepairs save me

[riddlerosehearts]

i don't know what agatha all along is but i wish it didn't have to be abbreviated to a3 when there's already a separate thing called a3 that has a tiny fandom 😭😭

[rachhellraye]

I have a boring email job now so I sit there and write fanfic all day. But because I’m only interested in writing messed up shit rn, I don’t actually get any real writing done because my job is in person and someone peering over my shoulder and getting an eyeful of rolan baldusgate experiencing the Horrors and subsequently getting me fired from my job would be the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to me so I just write thousands and thousands of words of stupid bullshit I say I’m going to improve upon later but never do bc by the time I get home I just want to lounge and it just repeats itself

[bakafurai]

good day to all 5 people who ship Clemmy have this shitty ass no effort me meme

[xisanamii]

liu wei featuring his homie (gay) and homie (platonic)

[lowkeyclueless5137]

Day 7- Wishing On A Home

Pair: Malleus x Idia x Azul

Prompt: Lost and found

Au: surprise au (trust me, bro, I know what I'm doin U-U9 I don't :'3)

Notes: DUN DUN DUN! The last part is a surprise! :D

Warning: This part contains excessive violence :D

There was an abyssal silence over the tall halls of the courthouse. And yet, a couple of hurried steps echoed through, like a distant ghost of the once expected crowd. Outside, the rain was accompanying the said grim atmosphere as the figure reached the end of their path, in front of 2 big doors.

Their pale hand reached hesitantly for a second, brushing against the handle, before finally opening the left door. Despite being tall, the boy in question was slim as his golden eyes traced warily around at lightning speed through every millimeter the opening enlarged.

"You may enter, Idia."

And the door was swung open, revealing the whole figure of Idia. He was definitely not very eye-catching from his clothes's dull colors. The silver embroidery climbing around his flowy pants ended around the knees, as his grey button shirt with frilly sleeve ends were framed around by some black leather suspenders, holded around different belts over which different kinds of charms were dangling around, much like the dark blue tie with the same silver embroidery.

But the actual eye-catching piece was Idia's hair.

The blue flames were framing his face, styled in such way that his whole right side was completely shrouded in between the fire. The hair was long, pinned nicely in a low braid, decorated with all kinds of accessories, the bottom tied with a small black bow as the top had a big one with different fabrics and lace, on the middle of it a gem with a silver frame residing.

"Well... That was the last trial for the day..." he started, putting on the office desk a clipboard with a few notes on it. "Tomorrow the opera is used for a magic show, but before that, there is a trail to attend. This was the last one for today." he pointed with his leather glove towards the said hours and their respective events. "Oh... I see..." The one at the office exhaled. Idia made a small pause.

"And... I caught wind of some rumors... Apparently this infamous traveler will arrive tomorrow in here, by boat." "The traveler?" Idia nodded. "It's only a rumor..." "Your rumors are always true in some way, Idia... I wouldn't doubt that this will stirr up trouble." the latter breathed out. Idia closed his eyes, trying to speak, but he was interrupted.

"Lady Furina would appreciate if you would be present in the audience at the magic show. If that is what you were wondering." "I-I will be there, Monsieur... If that is all... I'll go..." he bowed a little before turning around and going for the door.

"And one last thing, Idia..." "Hm?" "Don't tamper with the machineries for the show... Apparently the magician needs to adjust them to his own likes." "Yes, Monsieur Neuvilette..."

"And... If you will, I believe lady Furina would also want to share a serving of ice-cream..." he added. Idia stood by the door end, a soft smile creeping up his lips. "I would love some ice-cream... It is, a sunny day after all..." He trailed, looking at the bright sky from outside outside.

"But I would also appreciate if you wouldn't lie to me, Monsieur..." He turned to the side to face the said man at the office. "If you wish for ice-cream... We can find a time and place..." He added with the same soft smile.

It wasn't the last time Idia smiled like that, but it sure was the last time Neuvilette saw it.

The next few days, many things happened. And as expected, Idia, the schedule manager of the court room, was busy. With the traveler arriving in Fontaine, Furina tried to meet them and escape whatever calamity those infamous foreigners brought with them. The magic show was meet with a murder and investigations brought forth the infamous dissappearances cases.

Still, 2 guilty verdicts were made. And the last one was one that Neuvilette himself was against. But, Childe was more than happy to fight for his own innocence, as long as there are some new conditions.

"I want to duel him! Right here, right now." The ginger Fatui pointed towards Idia, who stood next to Furina's throne. The crowd gasped at the said demand. "But didn't he want to fight that scary lady a few moments ago?" Paimon asked the Traveler.

"He is always by the Archon's side. I never noticed him up until now, but his purpose is, definitely, more than just a simple schedule holder. Why else would he carry a weapon?" Childe insisted. Idia, out of instinct, hid a bit behind the throne, masking that way the sword attached to his right hip.

"I deny this." Neuvilette boomed suddenly, hitting with the bottom of his crane the floor. "And you gave a wrong verdict. If I was so wronged, then I believe I have the right to choose who I'm dueling. And so, I choose him!" He pointed again towards Idia. "Don't..." Furina whispered as her hand prevented the latter from coming forth.

"If... The Oriatrice truly made a mistake... Then I doubt sparing with me will benefit him in any other way..." the firehead whispered, before stepping forward to the balcony railing. "I am not a Champion Duelist. Therefore I demand my right to put my own condition too. Otherwise you won't duel me." The firehead demanded. It was silence in the whole courtroom.

"If... I win... Then I demand that the charges will be changed. If I lose, I wish for an investigation on the Fatui's actions in Fontaine." he demanded. "The Oriatrice is a machine. A machine in perfect condition can't lie unless something tampered with it. If your Verdict is of guilty... Then it may be not for the dissappearances, but for something else." he pointed out. "If you accept to my conditions, then we can duel... A guilty Verdict will be thrown anyway." he puffed. Neuvilette seemed to sit back down, calming a bit as he heard the demands. "You are condamning him either way... A smart move, I admit..." Furina hummed. "I accept those conditions." Neuvilette exhaled.

"Sure! Why not? Let's duel." Childe insisted, which took everyone by surprise. "Wait! You will lose either way!" the traveler tried to warn, but it all fell on deaf ears. Idia exhaled. "What's with these brutes nowadays?" "Idia... Please..." Furina begged. "No... The conditions were accepted... And either way... He'll be thrown behind the bars." the firehead mused, taking a leap as his body dissolved into blue flames that fell down like rain, Idia now on the same ground as Childe.

And so, the duel started.

....

"And this... Is all that I remember..." the firehead finished his story in the Diasomnia lounge. Next to him, Azul sat down, picking up his own cup of tea as Malleus finished a sip from his. "I see... You say that this 'Childe' defeated you in a duel... And you woke up in here..." The Fae mused. "Seeing how your arrival was a few days after the VDC... It was truly a shame... A schedule manager would've been good to tame down THAT chaos. And I, a fresh new Dormhead, was put in charge." Azul breathed.

"Lilia informed me of your connection with the Shrouds... Clearly the world you described also seems to not resonate with any description..." "The headmaster searched through the library for a half an hour or so... From their Intel... Still I don't know why he sent me to you 2." The firehead breathed out, looking at the 2 from behind his messy locks. "Ortho did say he is trying to find a way to trace the wierd magic you've been using. So I guess that is a back-up option." Idia mumbled. It was hard to believe he was related to that bubbly 2nd year. Still, Ortho was 2 years younger, only here because he was a child prodigy.

It reminds him of Lady Furina if he was honest.

"Well... We might help... Your 'vision' as you call it... Is acting in concordance with your magic only, you insist... Perhaps it is because of the exposure to a different type of magic, rather than just elemental power..." Azul pointed out. "It is no surprise that, during my research on this, I encountered a few other incidents similar to yours. Swaps in between people. The school archive had only a few mentions, but I believe you are a special case..." The mer mused. "Eh?"

"If my theory is true, then it seems the traces of magical power from Teyvat are resonating with ours..." he explained. "So you imply... That if we push more on that resonance, it is possible to make a portal in between..." Malleus concluded. Idia looked at the 2 with hopeful eyes. "You could do that?!" "Of course... Matters of magic are my specialty..." the fae proudly puffed.

"But... Our only lead is very unstable... The cases I mentioned are from good years ago. Some of these people passed away due to old age, no doubt... Others could be adults, already absolved of their past lives's burdens." Azul arranged his glasses. "And your roots... Are in this world... You were supposed to stay in that, in theory... But something pulled you out..." Azul arranged his glasses. "This is tricky... Alas... I can't possibly leave you in this pickle. Not after you helped me with a lounge schedule Being fresh from that world... Maybe the magic imprint is more powerful."

"My vision... Visions are bestowed upon people by Celestia... I tried to hand it to Ortho or someone else to hold onto it, but it seems to not be able to be used by anyone else, it simply shuts off all of its power." Idia mused, taking from his bow the said object, showing it. It was a bright fiery gem with a flame like symbol on it, crackling with small flames inside as it holded a faith glow to it. "When I use it... It turns blue... Monsieur Neuvilette said that it means I'm special..." He mumbled.

"Well... We have a magical object from that world. Clearly we can trace its magic..." Malleus closed his eyes, seemingly contemplating. "But before we proceed any further, Idia... Or should I say, Shroud... answer me one question." he made a small pause.

"Why are you so keen on abandoning your family again?"

Idia swallowed a lump in response. "Because... Monsieur Neuvilette... And Lady Furina... Took me in since I couldn't even say my name properly... And they are in danger... The whole Fontaine is in danger... I have to repay them somehow... To be there when they need me the most. Just how they were there for me, almost my whole life." he declared. Malleus and Azul exchanged a few gazes, before the mer put his hands over Idia's, the vision in between them.

"We will find a way for you to go back... But only if you promise to give this world a chance too." "I... I will..." he breathed out.

First few weeks were hard when very little information was available. Idia recognised Rook's alleged 'French' as Fontaine's common language. But that was the only lead they had. Rook had no affiliations towards Teyvat, thus it was a dead end.

It was one rainy day when Idia was alone on the hall, looking outside at the pouring rain and humming a small song.

"You like the rain?" A voice made Idia to perk up. It was Ortho, who silently leaned on the balcony corner, looking behind him at the rain. "I hate it... But... I guess it reminds me of the days when trials were finished." "I don't like thunderstorms... But I like the sound of rain... It's soothing..." Ortho mused. "I guess you are right..." Idia mumbled.

"You are really going to leave?" Idia nodded. "I need to go... Monsieur Neuvilette and Lady Furina are probably very worried for me..." "I guess when you have a family there too... It's hard to leave them." the younger breathed out.

"Family?" "Eh? By the way you speak of them I thought this Monsieur Neuvilette is some single father that took you in." Ortho admitted. Idia slouched down on the balcony railing. "I guess you do have a point... Monsieur Neuvilette tends to be... Very reserved when it comes to showing emotions..."

"How is it to work at a courthouse tho?" "Busy... Very busy... It doubles mostly as a theatre hall too... So you can imagine what dramas stirr up in there." He made a pause. "How is it to be the sole heir of a tech company branch tho?" "Ehe... I try to see the better part of things... The atmosphere there isn't usually as gloomy as most make it seem..." he shrugged. "Huh... Guess the courthouse is a bit of an upside down... There's always someone guilty of a crime... So there's always someone thrown to the fortress." "Oh... Maybe that explains the rain..." The younger gestured towards the outside.

"Well... When it rains... It is said that the Hydro Dragon is crying... So there was a little song... Kids sing it when it rains to 'cheer up the dragon'." "You have dragons too?" "Not very common... But they are kind of the same caliber as our archons... For example, Fontaine is ruled by the Hydro Archon, Lady Furina..." "Eh? But isn't she an actress?" "Lady Furina is... A pelicular Archon..." Idia shrugged.

"You know... Mama and Papa also were so shocked when they heard that you are back..." "I know..." "Mhm... Since you... Well we all thought you were dead to be honest... Mama and Papa were all over me... It was... A wierd period... I didn't even register the loss until months later they said." "You are still, much younger than me." Idia pinched the cheek of the latter with a small smile. "I'm... Glad... You didn't mourn me that much..." he added, looking up at the rain. "I'm glad too... That you didn't miss me..." Ortho turned to lean forward on the railing, looking at the rain hitting the ground.

It fell into a somewhat comfortable silence.

"You want... Some ice-cream?" Idia awkwardly offered. "I mean... I don't mind... But won't you go seek Mr Azul? Or Mr Malleus?" the younger had a teasing smile. "Ah... I need to leave them some space, can't push them too hard. I'm only here for almost a month after all... Can't rush them when I'm the one who's requesting their help." the latter mumbled with a tint of pink dusting his cheeks.

The rain, thankfully, cleared as the 2 fireheads got their desired ice-cream. The mood was great. "This still doesn't beat the Parlor from the main street." Idia mumbled. "Really?" "It's more creamy... Melts right into your mouth..." "Woah!" "Maybe... Since we are talking about a way back and forth..." Idia trailed. "You could visit and try it..." "I would like that! Wonder how this nation is! You said that there are 6 nations now?" "Mhm... Although... I've never been outside Fontaine..." he admitted bashfully.

"Maybe you could take Mr Azul and Mr Malleus out on a date there!" "E-EH?!" Ortho casually hummed, while Idia had his hair in bright shades of pink. "I am not repeating myself." "E-excuse you?!" Ortho replied with a tongue show, while Idia puffed and looked the other way.

Definitely Ortho and Lady Furina will get along.

"IDIA! There you were!" Azul panted as he ran up to the 2. "Monsieur Azul? What's wrong?" The older firehead stepped forward, right hand mechanically holding onto his sword sheet. "You know how you said your elemental power from the vision is different than our magic here?" "yes..." "Well... There is this summoning spell... And it summoned some creature... Malleus tried to thunder it but it only seemed to charge up... And now its mad." Idia seemed to rack his brain for an appropriate answer.

"uhhh... How does it look like?" "It's a purple blob with some sort of antenna..." "And where is it?" "..." "Monsieur Azul... Where. Is. It?" "Malleus lost it... We... Are still searching for it..." The latter mumbled in between laborious breaths.

Idia massaged his temples. "If it is really what I think it is, then it's not a big problem... Unless you outright attack it, it will simply jump around... Still... Gotta take care of it." the older firehead took a deep breath. "Oh! Are you going to use your Vision?" Ortho asked with big eyes. "Well... The second the slime sniffs my vision it's set to attack... So it's either getting struck down by lightning or killing it." the older firehead shrugged.

"Killing it..." Azul ghosted his lips with a dread, while Ortho seemed the more excited to see the said demonstration. "Come on, Mr Azul! Let's see!" the younger firehead dragged on the mer's arm after Idia, who seemed to not be hurried at all.

Finding Malleus was much easier than anticipated. But the slime was still bouncing outside. It was a big one, easily recognized by students from afar. Still, they didn't run away, rather were ready to square up with the intruder being at any moment, which made it more easy for the little group to find them.

"I recommend you keep around this distance..." the firehead mumbled, hand drawing out his sword, a slim and long white blade, embossed with blue metal in a flame pattern towards the tip, with a delicate handle and a long ribbon with the same embroidery as on Idia's pants, rolling out and fluttering in the air. "Everyone, please steer clear of the creature..." Azul shouted, but in little avail. "Step aside!" Malleus boomed, scaring the said students away from the slime, allowing it to see Idia and immediately charge towards the firehead.

SPLAT!

Idia stuck the blade through the slime, swinging it as the being was getting weakened, still it wasn't defeated. "Well, I didn't plan this... But let's finish you properly." he shrugged, making his blade to dissappear and reappear in its sheet.

"Lights." And out the same blue flame, stage lights materialised above the slime, shining on the 2's aera. "Camera." out of the same fire, an old school cinema projector materielised as well, Idia finally pointing to the poor slime.

"Action!"

BOOOM!

Malleus stood in front, shielding Azul and Ortho out of the gushes of wind and the flames that shot up, taking more the form of stage props flying in the air and dissolving just as quick, leaving in their place only Idia, who dusted a bit his gloved palms. "I'm done..." he breathed out.

"Woa! That was so cool!" Ortho beamed. "It was... A very theatric display of power..." Malleus mumbled. "And the slime is very much gone..." Azul exhaled. Idia bashfully scratched his nape when more people around started to comment on the fight.

"But we do have a lead!" Azul clapped his hands happily. "It was an aincent summoning spell. Unfortunately this is something that myself has a hard time conjuring from nothing." Malleus noted.

"How about you 3 rest a bit and then hit the library for seals and runes that might help you?" Ortho suggested. "I-" "Good, good! Something just came up at my dorm, so imma leave you alone~ Bye!" The Ignihyde Dormhead happily skipped off, leaving Idia to deal with his pinkish tips as he was cursing the latter in his mind.

Ortho set him up!

Still, a cup of tea in the Diasomnia lounge was welcomed as Malleus was resting on the couch. "I didn't expect to summon something so... Troublesome..." "It isn't troublesome... Slimes are just sentient and nothing more... They don't really have any advanced thoughts." Idia mumbled. "Which, from all the Intel gathered, means that Malleus summoned something that, usually doesn't necessary ask for a lot of power, if it was in our world plane." Azul hummed. "If even a mage of Malleus's caliber has a hard time with this kind of spell, maybe making an actual portal would require less magic effort on our part in the long run." the mer mused.

"I think... I can handle the rest myself-" "Nonsense! We promised to find a way back, so we are sticking through the end." Malleus was, more or so, offended by the said insinuation. "Oh dear... But Malleus is right... We did promise to help you through the end... Calling it quits now would be just idiotic." Azul reinforced the fae's claim.

Idia hummed, hiding more of his face in his pinkish tinted hair.

It took another couple of days to properly find a suitable magic circle and the ingredients needed to aid in casting the spell. Now, as Malleus insisted, to make a tool specifically for making portals, Idia should have the choice of picking the object the said spell will be infused with.

"Of all things you could've picked..." Azul looked in disbelief at the object Idia finally presented. "Ortho gave it to me..." The firehead mused as Malleus analised the object. "It is... A pelicular color if I say so myself." He noted.

The object in question was a pair of silver sewing scissors. Slim and pointy at the tip, the handles decorated with small gems. One handle had lavender like gems, while the other had bright green ones. The decorations out of silver metal coiled around beautifully, making the object to look delicate.

"Very well... Then let us begin..." Malleus took the said scissors and placed them in the middle of the magic circle Azul drew, as the mer was finishing up the last touches. Once it was done and over, the fae started the said spell, Idia watching how the inscriptions on the ground glowed in response as the spell was imbued in the scissors.

Taking up the scissors, Azul hummed. "It isn't leaking over, nor did it crack... Maybe because of the silver..." He mused, before putting the object in Idia's hands. "Why don't you give it a try?" he smiled as he looked at Idia, Malleus resting a hand on the firehead's shoulder with an attempt at a similar smile. Idia gulped. "But... What if I can't go back here? I need to speak to Ortho-" "You said, you are more than willing to abandon everything in here if that means you'll get to return to your deemed home." Malleus noted. Idia gripped on the scissors, closing his eyes. "I... Have to go back... But..." "But what, Idia?" Azul asked.

"I... I want to take you with me... It... It feels wierd, alright?! It's fuzzy and I like it... I still want back home. I want back in Fontaine... But I also want to study around here, to hang out with Ortho, to stay with you 2..." The firehead blabbered, holding the scissors close to his chest.

"I think... The feeling is reciprocal..." Azul trailed as well, Malleus resuming to coiling his hands in a hug from behind, grabbing onto both Idia and Azul. "There are a lot of buts... And I will add another one: But this could work both ways. You can still visit us... We can try to work out things... Maybe the headmaster could be willing for remote learning, just how the 4th years do." The mer trailed. "Yet this needs time... And patience... If you're willing to have those, then there will be a way..." He added.

Idia gulped, breaking out of the said hug as he adjusted his scrissors in his hand. "Well... Here goes nothing..." He breathed out, trying to cut through the air with them.

Sparkles erupted from the said blades as a gate was formed, through it, one able to see a lavish and familiar fountain. Idia made a step back, seemingly in shock, before turning towards Malleus and Azul with a soft smile. "I... Will come back... I promise..." He breathed in and out.

And then left a peck on each's cheeks, before finally going through, the gate closing behind him.

Through the halls of the courthouse, hurried steps were heard, followed by a hesitant knock on the big, lavish doors.

"You may enter."

Creaking the door open a bit, Idia peeked his head in to see the Iudex at his office, like usually. Yet his eyes were drawing down on the papers, sad and with no wish to continue the monotone work. On the couch, Lady Furina herself was looking over some papers, which wasn't in her person to do so. Those were Idia's usual forums and papers that he would take care of.

"Monsieur Neuvilette... Lady Furina..." he called and immediately the 2's heads shot towards his direction. Idia slowly close the door behind him, awkwardly looking at his feet that were hidden by his pants mostly. "I-"

THUD!

"IDIA! YOU'RE BACK! OH! YOU'RE BACK!" Furina tackled the latter, Idia's back hitting onto the closed door, air knocked out of his lungs as the girl hugged him as tight as she could. "You're alive..." Neuvilette joined in the hug too, head hid in between the fire hair, taking in the warmness of it. Outside it was starting a small drizzle, the water droplets hitting gently on the window. Closing his eyes, Idia smiled as he responded to the hug. "It's a very, veeery long story..." he breathed out. "It was a long story here too, don't worry... Neuvilette here almost killed that wrenched Fatui! And I am not an archon anymore! No more dumb profecy! Isn't it great?" "What?!" "I said, don't worry... That Fatui guy broke out of prison and probably won't see him again!" she smiled. Idia couldn't help but creak a laugh.

But he was home. And home felt nice.

A few months later, there was a buzz at the court house, for a new magic show will be presented. This time, Idia was allowed to help Lynette and Liney with props preparations.

And to assure no more Fatui business is going on.

"Idia, I have to admit... Front row seats? You are spoiling us..." Azul giggled as the firehead was guiding the 2 to the said seats. There, already Furina was seated, swinging her feet before she happily clapped at the sight of the 3. "Oh! New people!" She smiled. In between her and Neuvilette it was an empty seat, the one meant for the firehead. "They are Azul and Malleus! It took a while to arrange a proper day to visit... But I guess 2 more seats won't be a big loss." Idia's tips caught a faith pink color as Neuvilette hummed and nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Alas, the show will be starting. You should take your seats." The man hummed.

Yet the now ex-archon spotted how Idia was holding onto the 2's hands.

"Idia! I demand to switch places!" Furina immediately jolted up on her feet, pointing accusingly at the firehead. "E-eh?" "This seat is too low!" "Fine, fine! Gee... Don't have to yell..." The latter threw in the towel as he switched places, sitting now in between the ex-archon and Malleus, Furina very pleased with this new arrangement.

"So she is your boss?" Azul whispered. "I don't know what has gotten into her so suddenly. Yesterday there was this new comedian from Sumeru, Cyno, and Monsieur Neuvilette laughed so hard, he started shaking. Lady Furina insisted that the next time I stay in between them to 'protect her'." "It seems... An odd description..." Malleus glanced over at Neuvilette, who stood stoic as a statue on his seat.

"Lade Furina... I don't understand this new a-" "Shhh! Look at them!" the girl cut off the Hydro dragon, gesturing with a mischievous smile towards the 3. Idia's hair again was getting pink at the tips. "I didn't believe Ortho at first, but, my, was he right! Ah~ Young love~ And to think you managed to enroll him at their school." she sing-songed. The man hummed as he peered over at Idia and how he was chatting with the other 2.

A soft smile creeped up as Neuvilette retreated more into his seat. "We should be quiet, Lady Furina. The show is about to start. And in a few weeks, both of you will have to attend school." he quietly spoke as the lights shut down and the show indeed started.

After that, the 5 had to leave, as many were now going to eat. Walking on the hall, Azul hummed. "It was a wonderful show." He noted. "Indeed. I appreciate inviting us to see it, Idia." Malleus mused.

"Ehem... Well... It is close to lunch time... I believe 2 more cups of tea wouldn't hurt at all. Especially since many say Fontaine's cuisine is best suited for a summer evening." Neuvilette mused. "Oh... That is very generous, Mr Neuvilette..." Azul trailed. Neuvilette tho, poked Idia's back with his crane, nudging him to speak.

"Well... Would you like to stay for lunch?" "Would you like to stay forever?" Furina piped in, which resulted in a pink haired Idia, looking in another part.

"Lunch would be lovely." Malleus responded with a smile. "Indeed... As a restaurant owner, seeing new dishes is quite an enriching experience." Azul smiled. "Then let's go! I'm sure Idia would like the most to have lunch with you~" "LADY FURINA!" the firehead stammered, all pink.

"If you would feel a bit overwhelmed, us 2 can leave you alone on your date." "MONSIEUR NEUVILETTE-" Idia tried to stammer out something in between the lines of 'that's inappropriate' and something about refusing the said suggestion.

Azul only giggled. "Ah, Idia... Your family isn't an inconvenience at all if that is their concerns." He mused. "I'm very intrigued to hear more about this world... And I believe the more the merrier, as Lilia would say." The Fae smiled happily. "Yay! We can tell you about tiny little Idia!" the ex-archon skipped forward. "ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Idia hurried his step after the girl, panicky about the said embarrassing stories. Azul and Malleus also followed in tow, enjoying the said small chase.

Neuvilette, the last in line, smiled at the display. He could see how, despite all the yelling and stammering, Idia couldn't hide his soft smile. He was glad he got to see the boy he raised smile again like that. He was glad that his little boy found a place, that Furina was free to explore around, that the 2 were willing to try a new experience together, even if this might make the Hydro dragon to miss the agitated, almost unbreathable, mornings at the courthouse. He never got to thank Azul and Malleus for their efforts, but maybe a formal thank you would've been too much.

Maybe he should write a letter to the Traveler. To at least thank them for their efforts too.