#these four are all in the category of 'i used the tattle to get her opinion on every possible thing for the entire game'

[goldiipond]

big shoutout to girls that know everything

[baekthecorgi]

thank you for the music (haechan) genre: fluff, high school au, theatre kid au words: 2.8k w. summary: in which ABBA described how you fell in love with theatre kid, donghyuck.

it wasn’t like you couldn’t sing. you weren’t just really interested in theatre. you were more of a bookworm, film enthusiast gal–not someone who acts and sings and oh my god did renjun just say DANCE

renjun is this year’s production stage manager for the musical. he has a knack for plays and musicals so it was understandable why he’s in such a position.

renjun’s also the devil’s incarnate. you’ve always known that but renjun went full-on apocalyptic evil when he tattled about the upcoming musical to your mom. unfortunately, she was a musical geek AND an ABBA fan herself.

it was like hitting two birds with one stone. this was definitely a dream come true for your mother.

“auntie, i think it’d be a GREAT idea if you let my gorgeous best friend audition for sophie”

renjun complimenting you meant trouble.

“sophie? as in mamma mia’s sophie?!” renjun nods and your mom shrieks right behind your ear.

judging from her tone of voice, she’s set on bribing the principal to let you play the part. even if she has to pay a thousand bucks and mortgage the house.

“you bastard!”

“i am, in fact, a legal child. you can’t use that word on me”

“stop being a sarcastic bitch”

“that’s you, sis”

“RENJUN”

that night, your mom was on her knees, begging you to audition for the role. suddenly, she brings up her birthday next week. she says she’ll cut you some slack finding a gift if you would at least try to audition for sophie. she’ll consider it as a birthday gift. begrudgingly, you agree cause she’s your mom and you love your mom to the moon and back.

naturally, everyone was shocked when they saw the only girl in class who wasn’t stoked for the musical, show up on the audition day.

the audition was a breeze–easily passing the acting and singing category

(thank god for vocal classes every summer since third grade)

“so who’s my leading man?” you ask renjun while he skims through the script at lunch

he corrects, “men”

you almost choke on your milk, “men?!”

“oh wait, my bad” renjun corrects, “that was for donna sheridan”

“lee donghyuck,” he blurts out and this time, you really choke on your milk

donghyuck was the class clown and evidently, the most annoying student to ever pester you in class. not only is he the irritating kid behind your desk, donghyuck was also your only competitor for rank one.

you’ve actually grown up with donghyuck but never got the chance to sit down and become friends with the boy. it’s cause his obnoxious, ego-centric personality hindered it. like that time in third grade, he talks to you about nonsense all the time so you always wrote his name in the NOISY LIST on the board.

let’s just say, this silent feud was going on your entire youth

“save your dramatic ass for the musical. you’re gonna be his fiancée after all,” your best friend teases

the head teacher aka the musical director, introduces the students to the stage crew as well as the fellow actors so all of you could be familiar with each other.

jung jaehyun was sam carmichael, johnny seo was bill andersson, and moon taeil was harry bright

when the director calls out donghyuck’s name and character, he says a few lines of introduction before sending you a sly wink. the bitch KNEW.

have you mentioned how flirty donghyuck was with everyone ???

during rehearsals, you can testify to donghyuck being professional, leaving his class clown demeanor behind. he was surprisingly good at acting.

deep inside, you were quite convinced yourself that you’re really his fiancée. as sophie you mean, not as donghyuck’s (yeah sure)

HIS VOCALS THOUGH

it’s as if honey was seeping right through the pores of your skin. his voice was like stirring creamer into the coffee. satisfying. you were running out of words to describe the boy’s vocals because your mind was always in a haze whenever donghyuck opens his mouth to sing.

you kept your compliments to yourself. it would be your ego’s downfall if you ever voiced it out loud and you weren’t ready for donghyuck to tease you endlessly about it.

it made you dislike him more

as the opening night was nearing, the cast and crew were becoming closer, especially the main characters. your social circle was expanding thanks to the opportunity (ehem, renjun). you got to meet renjun’s other friends–jeno, mark, jaemin, and the ever so cute babies, chenle and jisung. some were part of the stage crew, some minor roles.

you still didn’t talk to donghyuck, though. even if he was a part of renjun’s group. something within you simply refused to make ends meet with the kid and you trust your instinct.

the disconnection between the two of you affected the musical itself

when the director commands donghyuck to wrap his arms lovingly around your torso (cause that’s what couples do!!), you two look like two poles bumping into each other. the rest of the dreamies just sigh heavily.

one time, chenle cringed too hard his limbs were almost paralyzed

so Renjun and Friends™ conjured a plan called, “#MakeSophieAndSkyLikeEachOther” aka “#SaveMammaMia2k18”

that was why you found yourself stuck inside the costume closet. your eyes widen when the door opens and a bewildered donghyuck is pushed inside as well. you hear the lock click loudly.

oooooffff awkwaard

donghyuck initiates, reaching his hand to you, “lee donghyuck but you can call me hyuck, sweetheart”

“can you–i dunno–be normal for once, donghyuck?” you huff, crossing your arms

“okay, sweetheart”

“that’s so cheesy”

“you like it”

“SHUT UP HYUCK”

“oh shit, i think i like hyuck more than sweetheart. it’s settled then,” donghyuck says before he bursts out laughing at your flustered face. donghyuck had no idea whether your red, tomato-ish face was of anger or annoyance. maybe a bit of both but he didn’t want to spoil this chance to get closer to you so he pokes the hell out of you.

“hyuck, cut it!!!” you swat his index finger and stare angrily at the boy

but the cute bitch just ??? puffs out his cheeks like a kindergartner ??? and your lips stretch into a wide smile cause he was so damn cute you couldn’t help it ok !!!!

then hyuck

breaks into a smile too

reference: the gif

it was so genuine you wanted to c o m b u s t

you two smiling like fools was the icebreaker

since then, you got even closer to hyuck. the dreamies high-fived each other when they finally feel the chemistry between you and hyuck the following rehearsal. in fact, you two were soooo close it was beginning to show in your acting

or was it even acting anymore

he helps you rehearse your lines and your scenes with him!!! like the boy was really a sweetheart

(though sometimes he still calls you that. you fake complain when he teases you so he’ll console you later, to be honest.)

donghyuck assists you with the melody whenever you were flat or sharp. the kid is a musical genius, what can i say?

oh and he claps his hands 1-2-3-4 to the tempo when you miss a beat.he was such a great help with I Have A Dream and Thank You For The Music that when you finished singing your solos, donghyuck was left in a dream-like trance. you had to lightly slap his face to make him snap out of it.

you must be a mermaid to enchant such a handsome young man.

“look,” chenle lowkey points at you and donghyuck at the corner, “it seems like sky’s whipped for sophie”

“now that plan #MakeSophieAndSkyLikeEachOther is done, we’ll proceed to the next one,” renjun rubs his hands together like a fly, lifting a brow at the guys

mark asks, curious, “wait, how sure are you that she likes hyuck?”

“have you seen the girl smile THAT wide?!” renjun rolls his eyes

mark counts. each finger for each time he saw you smile in class. “four times” “exactly,” and mark forms an ‘o’ with his lips

renjun continues, “and with hyuck?”

mark looks over to your direction and starts to count again. “twelve times?!?!! under a minute?? how??”

“she likes donghyuck, dumb ass,” jeno states, matter-of-factly

We Love Intellectual Friends

this time around, jisung formulates plan “#MakeSophieAndSkyConfess”

renjun keeps donghyuck busy during take five’s so jaemin will have the chance to openly flirt with you. he’s the best flirt in the group.

it was like playing fire with fire

but renjun doesn’t keep donghyuck busy enough for him to take notice of jaemin’s advances on you. the dreamies did the same routine for three consecutive days, donghyuck begins to evidently curl his fists whenever jaemin talks to you.

one time, donghyuck warns you, “don’t talk too much with jaemin. he flirts with everyone.”

“oh so he’s like you,” you snap back and donghyuck was taken aback, clearly offended by your words.

“you’re so pathetic,” he breathes

you were appalled and the irritation washed over you for the first time since the closet incident. like who was donghyuck to tell you what to do and what not to do ???

and the dreamies, eavesdropping, was 200% panicking cause it wasn’t supposed to go that way!!!!

mark hits jisung on the arm and mutters an “i told you this wasn’t a good idea”

renjun was supposed to walk over and help patch things up but the director called for Act 3, Scene 2: Lay All Your Love On Me

the dreamies were SHAKING. the scene was sky and sophie literally fighting with their hidden emotions. it was too similar with you and donghyuck’s petty fight.

donghyuck sings the first verse:

I wasn’t jealous before we met Now every man I see is a potential threat And I’m possessive, it isn’t nice You’ve heard me saying that smoking was my only vice But now it isn’t true Now everything is new And all I’ve learned has overturned I beg of you

you proceed with the second verse:

It was like shooting a sitting duck A little small talk, a smile and baby I was stuck I still don’t know what you’ve done with me A grown-up woman should never fall so easily I feel a kind of fear When I don’t have you near Unsatisfied, I skip my pride I beg you dear

then the both of you begin to sing the chorus:

Don’t go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me Don’t go sharing your devotion Lay all your love on me

as the song fades to an end, you and donghyuck stand opposite each other under the spotlight. you were staring at him and he was doing the same. the song holds as some form of enlightenment of your feelings for each other. this was so awkward realizing your feelings for donghyuck onstage like how cliche is that ???????

you literally hear your heart break into a million tiny pieces when donghyuck nonchalantly walks offstage. it’s part of the script but somehow, his moves were too true to be plain acting.

“uh oh,” chenle massages his temples, “we have to fix this, guys”

“no shit. tomorrow’s opening night,” jisung retorts. he winces when chenle slaps his arm for disrespecting him.

“don’t worry, i have a plan,” renjun announces, crossing his arms

“oh no not again,” mark interjects

it was opening night and you were hella nervous you feel like projectile vomiting any minute. the crowd was building up as each minute passes. you peep through the curtains and see your mom at the very center of the first row.

we love a supportive stage mom

renjun rubs the small of your back. “you’ll do spectacular tonight. i know it. break a leg!” he pumps his fist before returning to his duties.

small as he is, renjun was shouting at the top of his lungs and commanding the stage crew to bust their asses.

you did breathing exercises cause your heart was pumping wildly. suddenly, you feel someone tap your shoulder. you turn around to see donghyuck in his stage costume–a loose blue shirt, tucked in, and black skinny jeans. as always, he took your breath away.

“hi,” his voice was small and soft, “i’m sorry. for yesterday. i didn’t mean it. if anything, i’m the pathetic one.”

“you are,” you say and donghyuck lets out an almost inaudible laugh. “i’m sorry too, hyuck. i was rude, and you’re right, i am pathetic.”

“you aren’t okay? the truth is, i li–”

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN YOUR WORK CLOTHES?! WHY AREN’T YOU IN YOUR COSTUME JESUS CHRIST YOU STILL DON’T HAVE MAKEUP?!?!!!!”

renjun was blowing everyone’s ears off

“i’ll do her makeup, geez,” donghyuck grabs your wrist and stomps off to the makeup room.

“DON’T GIVE ME THAT SASSY ATTITUDE LEE DONGHYUCK YOU’RE GONNA GET THESE HANDS”

renjun pls chill

hyuck is such a pro at makeup. like you didn’t even know the step-by-step process but he’s basically nailing your makeup. being a part of the theatre club has its perks.

hyuck was doing your eye makeup and he realizes that he’s super close to your lips, he has to resist the urge to place his on top of yours. he was supposed to do a light makeup on you but since this is theatre, hyuck had to put layers of everything. before he actually does anything he’ll regret, donghyuck sends you off to change into your costume.

a little later, the musical starts. you swear you see your mom sobbing in the front row as soon as the curtains were drawn. the scenes were perfect, as well as your acting. donghyuck’s superb vocals blew the socks off of everyone.

the scenes where you and donghyuck acts as a couple seemed so natural as if you two were really one in real life

you could only wish

donghyuck gazes at your eyes like they contain all the stars in the sky that you had to force yourself to break his gaze so you can continue with yourlines

Act 4, Scene 10: Super Trouper. Wedding Scene. (Last Scene)

hyuck swears on his life that he doesn’t have asthma or any kind of respiratory problem but you rendered the boy breathless as you walked down on one of the theater aisles in a wedding dress

like this may seem farfetched thought but this was what donghyuck imagined on his wedding

back then, his bride-to-be was always a question mark but now, as donghyuck looks at you walking towards him, he might just have an idea

the scene continues on. it was revealed to the audience that sky and sophie called off the wedding, only to be replaced by donna and sam.

the finale song starts to play. donghyuck notices glitter (???) on a banner with huge bold letters: “CONFESS NOW, IDIOT” held up by renjun, jaemin, and jeno. plus the rest of the gang shouting words of encouragement that were drowned by the music.

donghyuck, albeit startled, twirls you around like planned. he gets a dose of courage when you sang your lines:

Tonight the super trouper beams are gonna blind me But I won’t feel blue Like I always do ‘Cause somewhere in the crowd there’s you

when he catches you in his arms, your eyes turn into crescent moons enough to make donghyuck’s heartbeat ring in his ears

“i like you,“ donghyuck mouths

you were too busy dancing you miss the words he mouthed. you can’t speak back cause the microphone would catch your voice so you mouth back, "you what?”

“i like you”

“wHA–"

you were cut off by hyuck’s lips pressing onto yours

somewhere in the background, the dreamies were jumping up and down, cheering, "GO GET IT”

the way donghyuck smiles into the kiss like a giddy child receiving ice cream. the way your lips fit like two puzzle pieces together. the way you slowly snake your arms around donghyuck’s neck and softly grabbing a fistful of his dark brown locks. the way hyuck held the small of your back with care as if you were some fragile being. it wasn’t fervent or needy. it was only filled with much love and adoration.

donghyuck places his microphone far away from his lips and say, “i said i like you”

“that’s not part of the script”

hyuck didn’t miss the reddish pink color tinting your cheeks

“it was an impromptu”

“did you think of it beforehand?”

“no, i only felt it”

and with that, you lean in and give donghyuck another well-deserved kiss

after the musical, everyone was like going crazy on taking pictures of you two for being such a cute couple onstage, and now offstage. renjun was highkey bragging about being the best cupid in town to which the dreamies tattled on the whole jaemin flirting with you thing.

the kiss started out as an impromptu. let’s just say, donghyuck included it in the script until the gala night. only on the gala night, he slips a little tongue action.

the dreamies were grossed out but to hell with that

you love donghyuck

and donghyuck loves you

note: stream we go up!!!!! our boys deserve their first and last win as ot7 ;;; i had the urge to combine theatre kid donghyuck x abba cause it’s beyond perfect as a prompt. don’t even deny it. this has been sitting in my drafts for a long time tbvh. i love renjun and his devious plans in this scenario lmao we love supportive friends !!!!!

LET’S TALK ABOUT WE GO UP MV. hyuck in a bandana and mark in a wet black shirt unffff fuck me up markhyucketh!!!!

drop by and send some feedbacks pls

masterlist

[eliz1369]

Okitober Fest - Regret and Lost

Castle in the Corn

Rating: T Length: 2,200 words Description: Modern AU set ~10 years after An Unearned Gift. Okita and Chizuru are taking their daughters on an excursion to a corn maze, but their plans go awry when one of the girls decides to run off.

Author’s Note: Yay! OkiChi Week/Okitober Fest is finally here. I honestly can’t thank @kurokiorya enough for drawing the fabulous illustration! Be sure to check out her blog to see all of her amazing art. 

This is also on FF and AO3

“But Mom, I want to find the castle!”

Souji couldn’t help a small chuckle at the way their six year-old daughter managed to mirror Chizuru’s own stubborn posture. Everyone insisted that their youngest, Natsumi, had gotten his stubborn personality along with his green eyes, but he’d faced off against his wife’s own particular brand of stubbornness often enough to know that wasn’t entirely true.

The family of four stood in the middle of a giant, kid-friendly, halloween themed corn maze. Currently their older daughter was attempting to lead them to the giant pumpkin and was doing a fairly good job of it. Despite getting much of Chizuru’s calmer personality - an immense benefit with a younger sister like Natsumi - Sachiko thankfully hadn’t inherited her mother’s distinct lack of direction. The cards were still up in the air for Natsumi, but she was young… Or at least that’s what Souji hoped. Keeping track of Chizuru in busy places was hard enough, but at least she didn’t have a habit of running off when she didn’t get her way like Natsumi did.  

Chizuru gave him a slightly aggravated look for the ill-timed laugh before turning to Natsumi. “I’ve told you, it’s Sachi’s turn. Once she leads us to the pumpkin, then you can take us to Dracula’s castle.”

Mother and daughter faced off against each other, neither apparently willing to back down. The stalemate was broken when Sachiko hesitantly offered, “It’s okay mom. If Tsumi really wants to, we can go see the castle first.”

Chizuru shook her head as she turned to look at her other daughter. “That’s very mature of you, but it’s not the point. It’s your turn right now and Tsumi will just have to patient.”  

Souji could practically see the wheels turning inside Natsumi’s head, so it came as no surprise to him when she used Chizuru’s distraction to bolt down the path.

Instantly Chizuru’s head whipped back around, her voice rising in panic as she called, “Okita Natsumi! Come back here!”

He put a hand on Chizuru’s shoulder, stopping her as she tried to follow after their daughter and gave her a reassuring kiss on the forehead as he said, “I’ll get her, don’t worry.”  Chizuru meant well, but she’d be more likely to end up lost herself.

He felt Chizuru relax slightly, but that didn’t stop her from biting anxiously at her lip as she looked down the path where Natsumi had run. Turning to an equally worried Sachiko, he knelt down until he was level with her short eight year-old height and rested a hand on her head.

“You and Mom go see the pumpkin and Tsumi and I will meet you at the castle, all right?” When his reassurance didn’t seem to entirely ease his daughter’s fear for her sister, he said seriously, “While I’m gone, I need you to take care of Mom for me. Can I trust you to get her there safely?”

An all too familiar determined light entered Sachiko’s brown eyes as she nodded and took her mother’s hand. “You can trust me.”

“Good girl.”

Souji ruffled her hair before turning to jog down the path after Natsumi. His daughter was now well out of sight, but thus far the path hadn’t split. She’d be ahead of him unless she��d tried to get through the wall of corn. With his longer legs, he shouldn’t have too much trouble catching up with her.

When the first fork came in sight and he still hadn’t seen Natsumi, Souji started to worry. He stopped and looked down both directions, but couldn’t see her or any sign of which direction she’d taken. It was like she’d vanished into thin air.

Thankfully his worry didn’t last long. Now that his own feet were silent, he could hear the faint sound of running footsteps to his right. Determined to catch up with her before they ended up who-knew-where, he sprinted down the path, taking the turns as quickly as he dared.

It was with more than a little surprise that Souji slid to a stop at yet another divide and again he had yet to catch up to his daughter. How had he not found her yet? She was six years old for goodness sake. Worse yet, he couldn’t even hear over his own winded breathing. He’d known sprinting that distance was probably pushing it but he’d been so sure that he would catch up…

He rested his hands on his knees as he tried to slow down his breathing to the point where he could hear. “Shit…”

A high pitched gasp from behind him made him freeze and he straightened as he slowly turned around. Low and behold there was the very person he had been looking for. She must have heard him coming and managed to tuck herself into a gap in the corn before he’d come into sight. Her plan had almost worked, since he had very nearly run right past her.

Natsumi froze, her eyes widening as she realized that she had given herself away, but the look didn’t last long. It quickly transformed into her usual defiant expression that tended to give her Uncle Hijikata fits. Head up and shoulders stiff, she gamely marched out of her hiding spot to face him.

She pointed a finger at him as she said, “That’s a bad word! I’m going to tell Mom what you said!”

The sight of his six year-old daughter attempting to blackmail him was amusing enough that he had to seriously fight to keep a smile off his face. Instead he raised an eyebrow as he folded his arms. “Oh, you are, are you?”

“Y-Yes!” she said, though there was now a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Clearly that wasn’t the response she had been expecting.

Souji let a smirk start to pull at his lips.  “Hmm~, I thought you knew what happened to tattletales…”

He and Chizuru had made sure that both of their daughters knew the difference between tattling because it was the right thing to do, and doing it purely to get someone in trouble. Blackmail certainly did not fall into that former category.

Natsumi’s eyes widened as she tried to bolt again, but Souji was faster and within only a few steps, he had scooped her up. She let out a half giggle, half scream as he dangled her over his shoulder by her knees. He had to dodge as one of her flailing legs came close to hitting his head and her fists beat uselessly on his back.

“Dad! Put me down!”

“Nope.”

After a few more moments of struggling, she finally gave up and sagged against him as she muttered, “Fine, I won’t tell.”

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.”

“I won’t tell Mom!”

Carefully, he pulled her back over and settled her on his hip. She glanced up at him briefly before hiding her face in his neck, her fingers tightly curled into his shirt. “I’m sorry…”

He had a good idea of what she was actually apologizing for, but decided to ask anyway. “For what?”

“…For running away,” she hesitated a moment before she asked with a quaver in her voice, “I-Is Mom mad at me?”

Souji sighed as he rested his cheek on top of her head and gently rubbed her back. “No, she’s not mad. You just scared her.”

“Oh…” After a moment Natsumi pulled back to look up at him, biting her lip in a way that she could have only learned from her mother. “Can we go find her?”

“Well I’d like to, but I came after you, so I don’t know where she is. Why don’t we go wait for her at the castle?”

Natsumi’s expression brightened at the offer, but it was quickly touched by a trace of confusion. “How do we get there?”

He grinned down at her. “Like this.”

Repositioning his hold, he lifted her until she sat on his shoulders and could see above the cornstalks.

“Do you see the castle?”

Keeping one hand on his head as she twisted around, she scanned the area for a moment before excitedly pointing in a direction to their left.

“There!”

He started walking down the left path as he said, “All right then, let’s go find that castle.”

Considering it was a maze, their method of navigation worked fairly well. Every time they reached an intersection, Natsumi would point them in the direction of the castle. Even with the occasional backtrack, they soon found themselves walking into the castle’s clearing.

Calling it a castle was a bit of an overstatement in Souji’s opinion. They’d done a decent job of setting up the surrounding graveyard, complete with witty sayings on each of the stones, but “Dracula’s Castle” was more of a tower with a painted stone motif and a spiral staircase wrapping around to the observation deck on top. Of course, he knew nothing could be permanent if they were going to be able to replant next year, but still.

He set Natsumi down, and she instantly ran to the nearest of the grave stones, tracing her finger along the carved words as she tried to sound them out.

“M… T… Tom-Tomb?” She glanced up at him and he nodded approvingly, keeping back his grin at the pun that had flown right over her head. Excitedly she ran to the next, “I… L… Beback”

Natsumi had started toward a third, when she hesitated, her face becoming slightly sad, “I wish Sachi was here…”

Souji walked over, picking her up and settling her on his shoulders again as he started toward the tower. “Yeah, I know, but that’s what happens when you run off. We all do things we regret or wish we hadn’t done. What’s important is that you learn from it.” He felt her wrap her arms around his neck and rest her chin on his head. “What do you say we go watch for Mom and Sachi from the top of the castle?”

She didn’t say anything, but Souji felt her nod as he started walking toward the staircase.

Despite being slightly lacking as a castle, the tower did have an excellent view. From the top they could see all the paths and clearings spread out before them, and even to the edges of the field itself. The very top of the giant pumpkin was just visible above the tips of the corn and presumably, Chizuru and Sachiko would be coming from that direction.

“Dad?” Natsumi asked hesitantly, breaking the silence as he moved them to better see the opening he guessed the other half of their family would appear from.

“Yeah?”

“Have you done things you regret?”

Souji let out a slow sigh as he closed his eyes, a familiar wave of guilt rolling through him. True, his own list of regrets wasn’t long, but that only made those few moments stand out in sharper, more painful relief. Like he’d told Natsumi, he had gotten better at holding on to the lessons rather than the guilt of the memories themselves. The passage of time had helped as well, but there was still one memory he refused to let go of. He’d made more mistakes than he cared to admit when it came to Chizuru, but he would rather walk through hell than repeat that particular one.

Before he could figure out how to answer her question, Natsumi excitedly pointed down into the corn. “There they are!”

Souji pushed back the unwelcome memories as he opened his eyes and smiled down at his wife and oldest daughter. Chizuru had never held his mistakes against him or thrown his inadequacies back in his face. She was far more than he deserved, but of course she would just argue that wasn’t the point.

It didn’t take the pair long to cross the clearing and climb the tower. When they had just crested the stairs, he set down a squirming Natsumi, who ran straight to her mother.

“Please don’t ever do that again Natsumi,” Chizuru said as she knelt down and enfolded her in a hug so tight it almost looked painful. Natsumi didn’t seem to care one bit, her smile stretching from ear to ear as Chizuru picked her up and settled her on her hip.

While Chizuru saw to Natsumi, Souji walked over to Sachiko and ruffled her hair before putting an arm around her shoulders.

“I’m proud of you kid. You did a good job getting Mom here.”

Sachiko looked up at him, her eyes bright with the praise as she gave an impressively convincing melodramatic sigh. “I don’t know how you do it. She almost got us lost three times.”

“Hmm, sounds like you deserve some ice cream for all that hard work.”

They both turned to look excitedly at Chizuru, whose resigned sigh was tempered by the smile pulling at her lips.

“I think we can manage that.”

[pot-of-gluttony]

To an Extreme or Two

Prompt:

Day 4 - Guns and Roses

Day 5 - Yu-Gi-Universe!

Rating: T

Category: Gen

Chapters: 1

Characters: Aki Izayoi, Yami Yugi (Season 0), Tetsu Ushio

Summary:  A Shadow Game between an angry psychic and a vengeful spirit.

Author’s Notes:

More late prompts!

Also on AO3!

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

“They’re made of foam,” he explains, face half-contorted into a malicious grin. “Nothing but flat cut-outs made for a harmless game.”

“Why are they shaped like guns?” Aki asks. Her voice sounds foreign, even to herself: hard and emotionless despite the tremendous fear bubbling inside her. Divine had told her wearing the mask made her immune -- and she had already tested its effectiveness a handful of times -- but she still had yet to actually hear herself speak with it on.

“The game involves ‘shooting’ opponents,” he answers. He lifts his hand to her, holds out his index finger and thumb as if he were holding a gun, and aims at her face. “The players pretend to be crime lords who have worked together on heists and split the fortune equally. However, rumor has it that one of them has been playing the others for fools by taking more than their fair share. So the players hold a meeting to weed out the rat.”

“And kill him?”

He tilts his head and lowers his hand. He squints his red glowing eyes as he studies her. “Almost sounds like you already have someone in mind.”

“Him, her, them,” she shrugs. “I’m just putting a face on a blank.”

That’s not entirely true and she worries this other Yugi can tell. She has him in her sights, after all. But right now, they’re simply supposed to be talking about a game. Right now, this is supposed to be a casual, civil discussion -- in spite of her mask, in spite of his glowing eyes, in spite of what happened.

“The premise of the story,” he continues, “is that each crime lord brings a personal treasure that can be corroborated as such by a person of mutual trust within the circle. Accusations and tensions run high, they run loud and they run bloody, until the traitor is finally executed and their treasure is claimed.”

She aims the foam gun at his head. “The rules?”

He nods at a round table in the dim-lit room. Aki approaches it while keeping the fake gun pointed in his direction. On the center of the table lies a stack of cards. She picks the one at the top.

“’No proof for now, but stay on alert,’” she reads out loud. She pulls the gun’s barrel away from him. “So you’re safe then.”

“Actually,” he moves towards the table and picks a card, “that card’s yours. Each player draws a card, looks at it and places it face-down on the table in front of them.”

He does this with his card and she follows suit with her own. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see him shift swiftly. She calmly turns to face him and sees that he’s aiming a foam gun cut-out at her.

“And then?”

“Then each player takes turns accusing another of being the culprit. They aim their gun and make their case. Then the accused is given a chance to present a counter-argument in their defense. The rest of the players vote on whether or not they believe the accusation. If most of them do, then the accused’s card is flipped and based on what it reads, the accuser may shoot or withdraw. A player loses if they are shot three times or if their flipped card ends up being a confession. ”

Aki flips her card.

‘NO PROOF FOR NOW, BUT STAY ON ALERT’

The other Yugi lowers his foam gun.

“The card is discarded after being flipped over and the accused draws a new card from the deck.”

Aki draws another card, and holds it to the side of her body without looking at it. She takes aim at him again. “What if the other players aren’t convinced?”

“If most of the players don’t buy into your accusation, you may not shoot the accused. Instead, your turn ends and it becomes another player’s turn to make their case. In the event of there being an equal amount of players that believe the claim versus those that don’t, the accuser and the accused play a quick tie breaker. Can be anything from playing rock-paper-scissors to flipping coins. Whoever wins the tie breaker gets to shoot the other without flipping any cards. In the event of a tie, both get shot.”

“Can’t really trust a traitor to play fair, though,” she says.

“There are penalties,” he says. “Though, they vary with the severity of the cheater’s action.”

She twirls the card in her fingers but doesn’t dare look at it yet. He’s not trying to look at it either; he just stares at her with a thrilled, unflinching look.

“We’re going to need more players than just the two of us,” she says.

“You already know why we’re here, don’t you?” he says. “No need for story premises about thieves between the two of us.”

“I am not a thief.”

“But you are a criminal,” he remarks. “There won’t be more players, but we will have a jury of sorts. That’s something I can provide fairly if you’re willing to accept this invitation.”

“Just so you know, I don’t have time for children’s games,” she goads. “You either make this serious or I walk away.”

“That’s what I hoped to hear. It’s game time.”

It feels as though the room blurs and warps ever so briefly. In that moment, she realizes the room is partially bigger than before. All the windows have vanished along with the door.

More of his tricks, she thinks. Doesn’t matter. His powers don’t compare to this ghastly mark.

They both take a seat at the table across from each other. She finally looks at the card she had drawn; it’s blank. Doesn’t matter. She ignores her hammering heartbeats and steadily places the card face-down in front of her.

A golden box has materialized on the table, right next to him. He pats it twice and holds his hand to it, staring quietly at it.

“Here is my treasured possession,” he speaks lowly. After the brief pause, he motions to her side and smiles lightly, “I see you’ve brought your own as well.”

Aki turns to look and indeed a bloody red box of the same size sits on the table in near proximity to her. A bead of cold sweat rolls down her face. In any other situation, she would want to know what’s inside the box, but not in this one. If she can get through the game without once looking into it, she would be more than satisfied.

“I’ll start,” she declares and once again impresses herself with how detached she’s managed to make herself sound.

She holds up the foam gun at his face and four shadows gather to her left.

“Jury’s here,” he pipes up.

“Doesn’t seem so fair that I have to appeal to a bunch of your friends.”

“They are strangers to me, too,” he explains. “Souls of individuals long passed; very passionate in their convictions, just like you and I.”

“I wouldn’t compare myself to you,” she says. “You're a murderer. You come across people you don’t like and with a snap of your fingers, they’re gone.”

“I don’t kill. My... targets can corroborate that if you actually bothered to find out what became of them,” he says. “They’re not the same as they were and they never will be, yes. But, even lying still in their hospital beds, they’re still breathing, still alive, and may still one day walk out of those rooms.”

One of the hooded figures raises their hand, but the other three remain still.

Fine. She lowers her gun.

“My turn now.” He aims at her and the shadow court moves to hiss left. “You’re responsible for the murder of Tetsu Ushio.”

She chortles, he grimaces. “Just when I think you people can’t sink any lower, you hurl the pettiest lie I’ve ever heard right at my face.”

“I’m not done,” he hisses. “Ushio was never popular with anyone. He had connections and wanted a promotion. He was not above dirty tactics or manipulation, and he certainly wasn’t above tattling. If he got his hands on the right kind of dirt -- say the kind that involves your partner’s shady business practices -- then he would not have hesitated to bring that information to the people you prefer ignorant. For the right price, naturally.”

She mouths every word he speaks underneath her mask and smiles. “For the right price, naturally,” she parrots, and for a microsecond, she swears she sees him flinch. “I could not have murdered Ushio for I never met him before. At most, I had just heard about him. Certain... incriminating things.”

“What incriminating things?”

“That he was nothing but a lowly bully picking on the weak,” she says. “Come to think about it, didn’t little Yugi have an altercation with him once?”

The shadowy figures fidget and light, indistinguishable whispers flit among them.

“He did,” the other Yugi whispers.

None of the shadows raise their hands. He holds his breath and stiffly places his gun on the table. “I end my turn.”

Aki aims at him, the shadows back on her left. “So little Yugi had an altercation with Ushio and he was found dead yesterday morning. Whatever killed him was internal,” she says. “That’s all I had heard. You seem to be fully convinced it was a murder, though. Why? Do you know something? You said you leave your victims lying still in beds. That’s a way of saying they’re comatose,” she can imagine hearing the gun click. “Did you mean to leave him comatose and messed up?”

“I gain nothing from punishing an innocent,” he replies in a low, breathless voice. “It only serves to give the guilty another opportunity to hurt my partner and those around him. I’m not scapegoating you. I wouldn’t do that to anyone.”

“You would do anything to protect your partner. I know that much.”

“Do you, now?” He pauses. “Yes. I believe you do.”

Crap. He didn’t need to know that. Pick it back up, pick it back up!

“So you admit it, then,” she claims. “You would do anything to protect Yugi.”

“Doesn’t mean I’ll do everything,” he says. “Some remedies are worse than the problem they aim to fix. Placing any blame of my own on you will just motivate you into making a target out of my partner.”

Two hands raise, two don’t -- the jury’s divided.

A clinking sound echoes. Before her card are three coins. One side sports the same eye as his gaudy pendant; the other is blank.

“If I miss by two or three, you get your shot,” he explains. “If I only miss by one, then both of us get the shot.”

“And if you don’t miss any?”

“I get the shot.”

She rests her hand over one of the coins. “Call it.”

“Tails.”

She flips the first one: heads. He shuts his eyes.

She flips the second one: tails. She sucks in air.

She flips the third one: tails.

A single gunshot is heard. She’s clutching her right shoulder and he’s clutching his left. It’s a wild, scorching sensation, but there’s no blood or wound when she removes her hand to inspect the damage.

The other Yugi picks his gun back up. “Don’t worry,” he speaks breathlessly. “I would not start a game where my host body would suffer permanent damage.”

She wants to say something to that, but she can still hear the gunshot ringing in her right ear.

“Dirty trick,” she mutters. She’s not sure if he hears it or not. He may have been too distracted by his own pain or she may have been speaking too low. “Every single one of you. All you ever have are dirty tricks up your sleeves to scare us for not fitting in and then throwing your hands up with self-affirmation when we choose to defend ourselves.”

He’s quiet. She’s certain he’s heard her now, but he doesn’t respond or react beyond a blank stare and his foam gun aimed at her face again. “Aki Izayoi, do you blind yourself from your own sins so that you may hurt indiscriminately?”

She stiffens. “I do.”

“How much do you block? Your victims’ faces? Their voices and names? The full extent of your actions?” he asks. “If asked you to describe what you did to your most recent victim in full detail, can you?”

“I can,” she says. “He” -- she pauses for a single second -- “was in a gang and they were fighting another gang. He grabbed hold of a kid who shouldn’t have been there toting a gun and wearing a jacket with the other gang’s insignia emblazoned on it, but so he was. The guy offered to let him choose how he would hurt him, so I stepped in and commanded him to top. Then he threatened me and I did him in.”

No show of hands from the shadows.

The other Yugi pulls back his cut-out as if to end his turn, but irritation flickers across his eyes and he aims again.

“What did you say to the kid?” Dead silence. “What. Did you say. To the kid?”

“If I see anyone wearing the same jacket as yours again, and they’re causing trouble, I’ll do the same to them. No matter who they are,” she answers.

A dark hand raises within the jury.

“But you yourself said that kid shouldn’t be there,” the other Yugi replies.

“There are always alternatives. He still made this choice.”

Another raises.

“You made a questionable choice, too.”

“He chose to go around, taking what he wanted, destroying what he didn’t and terrorizing people senselessly.”

“And you haven’t?”

A third hand raises.

She has no counter-argument.

He stands from his chair and looks down upon her from behind a gun that is looking more and more real than it should.

She places her hand over her card -- the same blank card she had at the beginning of the game.

“Hypocrite,” he snarls.

Blood boils through her veins and she stops herself short of yelling at him. She flips the card.

‘IT’S MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.’

He blinks and withdraws the gun. She draws another blank card and places it face-down before her. Every fiber of her being is burning up and raring to go as she watches him sit back down with absolute confusion. The second he’s settled in his chair, she pulls her gun out and motions her index finger pulling on the non-existent trigger.

Another gunshot.

He’s stunned speechless. An unholy terror creeps into his eyes as he hesitantly turns his head back and sees that yes, there is indeed a smoking gun hole on the wall behind him, precisely on the spot she shot.

“You can make the game real,” he whispers in horror and indignation.

“You want to talk about hypocrisy?” she hisses.

“Izayoi, wait. We need to stop,” he says. “My partner, the other me. He did nothing wrong. I won’t allow him to be harmed.”

“That’s funny,” she says. “My partner is safe and sound, back home, waiting for me to get back safely. Because I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m fighting my own fights and even a few other people’s fights, just to survive. And yet you impede me and accuse me of things I haven’t done, things you very well could have done yourself. We have very similar beliefs -- according to you at least -- yet you act as if you’re allowed to judge me. Then you call me a hypocrite when I try to judge what I do know. But the worst I’ve done is protect my own and the best you’ve done is admit that you’ve exposed yours to the danger you went seeking on your own.”

Four hands raise. His hand shakes as he flips his card.

‘HE HAS ENDANGERED HIS HOST FOR HIS VICE.’

“Izayoi--!”

One more gunshot. This time around a bloody scream escapes him and a flurry of rose petals are scattered all around him: on the table, on his card, on his lap, on the floor behind his chair. He’s clutching his chest and his eyes shoot daggers at her. He removes his hand from his chest, a handful of rose petals spilling out. There’s a hole in his chest, near his -- Yugi’s -- heart. No blood pours out; only more petals.

“It’s not fully real,” she admits. “But it’s still real enough.”

He draws another card, lifts his gun and aims. Or rather, tries to aim. It’s a little difficult to do when you feel like you’re dying where you sit.

“You just shot someone you know is innocent.”

Four hands to her left raise.

“I shot you,” she snaps back. “You wanted this game.”

Three go down.

“Not like this. And,” he swallows hard, “not just because of Yugi or myself, but because of you as well. I keep telling you” -- he takes a deep breath -- “I’m not a killer.”

One goes back up.

“And you think I am?”

“I don’t know what you are,” he admits in-between shaky breaths. “I thought I did, but maybe I was wrong.”

All hands are down.

“You’re a bully,” she spits.

Two hands raise again.

“Maybe we should work together.”

“Maybe you should’ve thought about that first,” she says. “Not that I would have agreed to it anyway. I’m not here for you. I am here for those who have been abandoned by society.”

“We could work together for Yugi’s sake, then,” he says.

“Are you only saying that so I won’t try to win the game?”

He shakes his head. “Even if I lose, the door of darkness won’t open for those who aren’t guilty. And if I am guilty, it’s me and not Yugi.”

“But I can still end the game with a very real shot,” Aki reminds him.

He swallows. “You’d regret hurting him.”

“Would I?” she taunts.

She realizes she had lost track of the jury. Three in favor at the moment, it seems. Perhaps it would be best if she admits to regret. Because maybe she would regret hurting Yugi; he’s innocent and perhaps the closest thing she has to a friend outside of Divine.

“I want to believe you would,” he says.

It’s shocking that the anger has bled out of him faster than his life. She can’t make any sense of it.

“Maybe I would,” she whispers. “And maybe he could come join me at the Arcadia Movement alongside you. We could help others like him.”

His eyes widen with a flicker of realization.

“He’s using you.”

A chill runs up her spine. “What?”

“Aki, he’s using you,” he says. “Like you said, he’s safe and found back home while you’ve gone missing and he hasn’t made a single effort to come find you. He may very well be expecting you to be taking the fall right now.”

“You’re lying!” Her voice sounds more like her own now, but with all the rage she’s never allowed herself to show.

“Aki, let’s stop the game,” he proposes, dropping his armed hand to his side. “I was wrong. The door of darkness will not open for either of us and the danger from the gunshots--”

“No!” she yells.

“We can stop him together--”

“I will end you and Yugi both if you even breathe in Divine’s vicinity,” she threatens.

Four hands up.

She’s glowering at him, and despite the mask, she knows he can tell. He’s frozen shut. Hesitantly, he lifts his hand back up at her. The other Yugi swallows hard and screws his eyes shut. As if possessed by some otherworldly being, she flips the card and slams it on the table.

‘HER REGRET PALES IN COMPARISON TO HER RAGE.’

He shoots. She chokes back the pain.

More rose petals have scattered all around them. A gaping hole has appeared on her left arm.

She draws another card and aims the gun at him. It doesn’t feel like foam anymore. Strange shadows blur its shape and she swears it feels like the real deal in her hand.

The other Yugi is hunched over the table, looking paler than usual. His breathing is labored. More rose petals than before surround him and cover the table.

“You brought me here to bully me into taking the fall for the murder of Ushio and in the hopes of hurting my partner,” she claims.

Four shadows raise their hands.

“I came to learn what became of Ushio because whoever got to him tried to frame the Mutos,” he answers.

Three lower their hands.

“You brought me here to blame me for it even though I’m innocent.”

“I was wrong,” he says.

Two more for a total of three votes.

“Then it’s over.”

“You want to shoot me, fine,” he chokes out and forces himself to his feet. “But after this, I’m coming back. For you, not after you.”

Aki swears she can see red. Actual, literal, bloody red. She leaps to her feet.

“Just flip the damn card!”

He flips it.

‘NO PROOF FOR NOW, BUT STAY ON ALERT.’

No.

“Aki, don’t.”

But she does.

She takes the shot and the invisible bullet pierces a hole right through his throat, then rounds about and enters through her back and exits through her chest.

They both collapse on the floor, a rain of rose petals gently following their fall.

The table has been flipped over and the boxes lie on the floor. She only heard them fall, though. They’re out of her line of sight and she can’t move. He’s fallen on his back and she on her side.

She can tell he’s unconscious by the haze over his eyes.

She can feel her own vision fading.

[gyrlversion]

Rivalry rumours between Duchess of Cambridge and Rose Hanbury false

Prince William bears all the hallmarks of a contented man. At 36, he carries none of the emotional baggage that plagued the life of his father, the Prince of Wales, for so many years.

Since leaving his job as an RAF and then air ambulance rescue pilot, he has become a popular and hugely respected working member of the Royal Family.

This hold on public affection is in no small part thanks to the charm of his three young children and the happiness he has found with wife Kate. 

Yesterday William was determined to act as extraordinary rumours engulfed his family, threatening to disrupt their domestic tranquillity. Reports emerged in both the Saturday and Sunday newspapers which claimed a ‘rift’ had opened up between Kate and her Norfolk neighbour Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley (left)

Which was why yesterday William was determined to act as extraordinary rumours engulfed his family, threatening to disrupt their domestic tranquillity. 

Over the weekend, reports emerged in both the Saturday and Sunday newspapers which claimed a ‘rift’ had opened up between Kate and her Norfolk neighbour Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley.

One account said the two women had had a ‘terrible’ falling out; another suggested that Kate wanted her ‘rural rival’ banished from their circle, though the words actually used were ‘phased out.’

William, meanwhile, was being painted as a peacemaker who, because of his own friendship with Rose’s aristocratic husband, David (the Marquess of) Cholmondeley, wants the two women to get along.

At a time when we are being besieged on all sides by endless gloom about Brexit and Britain’s place in the world, tittle tattle about the royals might seem diverting enough.

But the weekend reports have gone beyond mere gossip (although tittle tattle can itself do damage, reducing the royals to a soap opera).

One account said the two women had had a ‘terrible’ falling out; another suggested that Kate wanted her ‘rural rival’ banished from their circle, though the words actually used were ‘phased out’

They are presented under serious headlines and, if nothing else, will be grist to the mill for the cause of republicanism, bringing a glow to the hearts of anti-monarchists everywhere.

For the royals, dealing with such rumours has long been a delicate conundrum. Ignore them and the risk is that they will be amplified, but by speaking out there is danger of somehow giving legitimacy to what, as we shall see, is almost certainly nothing more than scuttlebutt.

Princess Diana spent much of the last five years of her life firefighting endless speculative stories about her, often with little success. Ever since meeting Kate Middleton at St Andrews University, Prince William has been determined not to follow in his late mother’s footsteps.

Instead, he has resorted to the law to defend both his family’s privacy — such as when French photographers obtained pictures of Kate sunbathing topless — and when their reputation is endangered. Inconsequential reports are simply disregarded.

But in which category do the weekend stories sit, and how is William responding?

I am told the rumours of a falling out between these two attractive young women are false. I can also reveal both sides have considered legal action but, because none of the reports have been able to offer any evidence about what the so-called dispute is about, they have chosen to ignore it.

The weekend reports have gone beyond mere gossip (although tittle tattle can itself do damage, reducing the royals to a soap opera). They are presented under serious headlines and, if nothing else, will be grist to the mill for the cause of republicanism, bringing a glow to the hearts of anti-monarchists everywhere

In fact, gossip started doing the rounds at smart dinner parties late last year. Quite why is still a mystery, but there have been some malevolent undertones to it.

There has been talk that the rumours were got up to damage Kate. So what is going on?

Geography plays a part here. In 2014 William and Kate decided to move full time to Anmer Hall, the country house close to Sandringham that was given to them by the Queen.

Among their near neighbours was the Marquess of Cholmondeley, 58, who as Lord Great Chamberlain had a unique role at the State Opening of Parliament — walking backwards in front of the Queen. 

An aesthete and former filmmaker, Cholmondeley had a string of glamorous girlfriends without showing any sign of wanting to settle down. Then, to the surprise of friends, in 2009 he married Rose Hanbury, a willowy ex-model, 23 years his junior.

They had met at a party at the Villa Cetinale, the grand Italian home of the disgraced Tory peer Lord Lambton — Rose’s sister, Marina, is married to Lambton’s heir Ned, the Earl of Durham.

In 2014 William and Kate decided to move full time to Anmer Hall, the country house close to Sandringham that was given to them by the Queen

The comely sisters, who were once pictured in swimsuits with former prime minister Tony Blair have an impeccable pedigree. Their grandmother was Lady Elizabeth Longman, a bridesmaid at the Queen’s wedding to Prince Philip.

The Cholmondeleys’ home is Houghton Hall, a stunning Palladian mansion built in the 1720s for Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole. 

The 106-room pile is barely four miles from Anmer and it was soon being reported that the Cholmondeleys with their three children were part of the so-called ‘turnip toffs’, a set of well-born friends of William and Kate with North Norfolk homes. 

Among their near neighbours was the Marquess of Cholmondeley, 58, who as Lord Great Chamberlain had a unique role at the State Opening of Parliament (pictured in 2007)— walking backwards in front of the Queen

Members were said to include William and Rosie van Cutsem, the Earl and Countess of Leicester, who live at Holkham Hall and James and Laura Meade, who is a godmother to Prince Louis.

One weekend report said the Cholmondeleys’ twin sons, Alexander and Oliver, were playmates of Prince George, despite the four-year age gap between them.

Rose and David were both guests (of the Queen) at William and Kate’s wedding in 2011, and three years ago the royal couple attended a black tie gala at Houghton Hall. 

Rose and Kate, meanwhile are patron and royal patron respectively of the charity East Anglia Children’s Hospices, and the Duchess has attended the Houghton Hall horse trials with her children.

William and David would appear to have less in common. The marquess — French-speaking, piano-playing and a lover of modern art — is, after all, the same age as his late mother. 

The men have been shooting together, but this is normal among landowners in Norfolk.

So does all that add up to a close friendship? According to an authoritative family source, the two couples have been to each other’s homes only three times.

William appears to have little in common with the marquess — French-speaking, piano-playing and a lover of modern art — who is, after all, the same age as his late mother. The men have been shooting together, but this is normal among landowners in Norfolk

‘They see each other occasionally and like each other,’ a figure close to Rose tells me.

‘They are not part of each other’s close circle. It isn’t even remotely a bosom-close friendship.’

Nevertheless, tongues started wagging. Last week the Daily Mail did report in its diary gossip that there was competition between the duchess and the marchioness. 

But Saturday’s Sun newspaper reported that the ‘falling out’ was ‘much worse than first thought’.

A source was quoted by the newspaper as saying: ‘They used to be close but that is not the case any more.’ It said William offered to make peace but added: ‘Kate has been clear that she doesn’t want to see them any more and wants William to phase them out, despite their social status.’

At first, William and David laughed the rumours off — I am told they even reached the ears of the wider Royal Family. But the latest reporting has changed the atmosphere.

I understand both men are baffled by the rumours and insist there is no rift between them or their wives.

A family source told me: ‘These hurtful rumours of a fall-out are simply false. William and David were in touch with each other over the weekend, not knowing whether to laugh or complain. Both wives are hurt by the suggestion that there is any argument or even a coolness between them. They have plans for future events involving their charity.

‘This is a question of a lie going round the world before the truth has even had time to take its boots off.’ Another family figure said: ‘A whisper which had no basis or truth has turned into a roar. 

William and Kate (pictured at the St Patrick’s Day parade in Hounslow) have not been photographed exchanging so much as a cross word in public. Richard Kay understands that both William and the Marquess of Cholmondeley are baffled by the rumours and insist there is no rift between them or their wives

Both couples laughed when it was first carelessly put around and endlessly repeated, even though it was patently not true. As more and more people passed it on, it took on a life of its own and has now become hurtful and toxic.’

A family friend of Rose said: ‘It has now become very upsetting and they are all concerned for each other, as they have never before had to start denying something for which these is no evidence or even a smidgen of truth. It is just mad.

‘David and Rose have been to Sandringham and shot with William and Kate, but they have been to each other’s houses fewer than three times each — some rift!’

For William and Kate the developments are especially troubling. They have always been enormously careful about friendships and they have placed a premium on trust. 

They have eschewed the celebrity friends that Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex appear to like to surround themselves with.

No friends of Kate have gone chatting to gossipy magazines as Meghan’s have done to People and Vanity Fair. 

As a royal wife and mother, Kate has never put a foot wrong, her family are loyal and discreet. She carries out her official duties with enthusiasm.

She and William have not been photographed exchanging so much as a cross word in public. 

But while William has never indulged in the kind of ‘what Meghan wants, Meghan gets’ foot-stamping as Prince Harry is said to have done, he knows how important she is as a mother and a future queen.

And if this whole sorry episode turns out to be some cack-handed attempt to dent Kate’s unshakeable standing with the public, it has almost certainly backfired.

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