#will never forget him whining but taking care of helena

[nobloodneeded]

I would love if Mar’i were brought into canon for so many reasons.

- I would love to see positive co-parent relationships between Dick and Kori and Babs. Times when Dick is off doing his Nightwing duties and Kori drops Mar’i off with Babs, transferring the child seamlessly from one hip to the other and chatting away. Dick doing the drop-off and endearingly kissing Kori’s cheek and nuzzling noses with his daughter as he hands her off. Dinners with all four of them some nights, going to future gymnastics events as a family.

- With that exact thing in mind, I would love to see a passing comment between Bruce and Dick about how the hell he managed to work out that situation to which Dick would shrug and go unlike him, “Kori is not an assassin daughter of a demon and I ended up with two good guys, instead of villainesses (no...well, maybe some offense), I guess.”

- Moments at Wayne Manor like:

- Bruce, rigid and stoic as always, yet completely doting upon her in his own way. Mar’i casually sitting on his lap all the time, holding his hand as she toddles or floats through the hallways, Bruce checking in on the family in the kitchen with Mar’i on his shoulders, commissioning an abundance of portraits for her, all the latest toys and her own dedicated playroom at the manor (more of Alfred’s doing, admittedly, but completely sanctioned by Bruce). 

- Mar’i being obsessed with her uncle Damian who in turn whines begrudgingly about being followed by a child, yet the second anyone tries to take her away all but hisses with his hackles raised, especially Tim.

- Speaking of, I imagine Tim being initially awkward, holding her like a sack of wet potatoes, but pretty immediately after being really great with her. Playfighting and allowing her to win every time with over-exaggerated actions she would giggle at. 

- Jason threatening to kidnap her then sending selfies of Mar’i sleeping, tucked into his side, with the caption “See? Kid nap. What did you think I meant?”

- Mar’i accidentally learns curse words from Stephanie who keeps trying to curb her foul language, but will accidentally replace one curse with one of less strength, apologizing in frustration. Dick glaring suspiciously at Stephanie whenever he hears his daughter utter an expletive. 

- Harper improving baby tech gear for Mar’i’s room, creating links from baby monitor to earpiece when Dick is away on patrol, and crafting funky little gadget toys for her to play with. 

- Cass being an incredible hide and seek partner.

- Duke playing peekaboo with her, but after a few rounds when he removes his palms she’s no longer there and he freaks out before looking up where she’s floating and feels a brief relief before realizing he has no idea how to get her down and oh my god what if she falls. He then proceeds to trail beneath her with a couch cushion until she finally makes her way down. 

- Alfred sneaking her all manner of sweets and treats. Dick asks him to stop doing that for fear of her growing sweettooth, to which Alfred admonishes him for denying his daughter the same treatment he received as a child. 

- Selina playing with her while Bruce watches, casually leaning against the doorframe, eyeing her in a particular way. Selina catching his eye and, completely dead-pan, preemptively saying, “No.” He continues looking at her and she responds, “The answer is no. I know what you’re thinking - no... She is really cute, though.” He would tease, “Ours would be cuter.” She would respond, “I don’t think that’s possible, look at these cheeks.” He would repeat, “Ours would be cuter.” She would smile and agree, “Yeah, fine, ours would be cuter. The answer is no. No. No, Bat, you stay over there.” 

[revoleotion]

“at least it wasn’t your hands”

content warnings and additional tags: autistic Licht, minor injury, hospital mention, (German) curses

.

“At least it wasn’t your hands,” Hyde says when they pick him up at the hospital. It’s a small, unsuspecting building on the side of the road, with only one long hallway that Licht grew very familiar with while waiting for someone to take a look at his injured knee. They forgot him in that hallway for a while, which was fine with him, he had a good book, but it might not be fine by other standards because Krantz seemed a little pissed about it. Licht could sense that he was prepared to start yelling at anyone who was nearby the second Licht made a complaint but since Licht didn’t do it, Krantz stayed silent. Instead, he listened to the explanation from the doctors, which is good because Licht cannot bring himself to pay attention to anything right now. The pain is still present but his body has already gotten used to it. It would hurt more if he weren’t an Eve but, then again, even before that he has never felt pain until it was too late. Growing up with headaches and cramps, he was told to “take medication before it is too late”. It’s something Licht still hasn’t quite understood yet. 

Hyde finds this whole thing hilarious. Of course he does. 

“While you were busy here, we bought you something,” he announces from the back. The direct sunlight hitting the car turned him into the hedgehog version of himself, which does not stop him from grinning at Licht. He was cuter before he started talking. 

“We also returned your ski because you won’t need them anymore. They didn’t even charge you for the day. Oh and, get well soon.”

“Fick dich,” Licht mumbles under his breath. 

“Wie war das?” Krantz asks. 

Licht shrugs. 

It’s hard to squeeze yourself into the passenger seat of the car, especially if your leg hurts and you can’t properly move. They wrapped his leg into an uncomfortable black bandage that is supposed to restrict his movements - and does it very, very well. He manages to bend his leg just enough to sit down and pull the door shut behind him. Gil greets him from the back but doesn’t seem to take offense that Licht doesn’t reply. The vampire is wrapped into full skiing gear, including ski mask and helmet, so he doesn’t get hit by sunlight. 

Krantz makes sure Licht has his seatbelt secured before backing out of the hospital parking lot. Licht is ready to glare out of the window and somehow not take in any of his surroundings but Hyde’s voice pulls him out of that. 

“Don’t you want to know what it is?”

“What.” He can’t be bothered to make it a question. It numbs his throat and no matter how hard he swallows, he doesn’t get the aftertaste out of his mouth. Right when he can emotionally remove himself from this reality, he gets hit with something. Licht can’t avoid it quick enough because he is trapped in the car and in a lot of pain but it turns out that the projectile wasn’t dangerous at all. 

It’s a small stuffed animal, about the size of his hand. A bunny, although it does not look anatomically correct, nor do the colors match any real bunny in existence. It’s obviously a toy for children, and what’s worse it seems to be the kind of thing you grab at the supermarket checkout, so your kids stop whining. In other words: It’s perfect. 

“Get well soon, Engelchen,” Hyde says but this time it seems like it’s genuine. “It was the only one they had, isn’t it hideous?”

“Sagt der Richtige,” Licht says quietly. He already loves the bunny. This is going to be a problem. 

“I have the feeling that you said something insulting.” 

“Good because I did.” He looks down on the bandage, back up to the stuffed animal. “Danke.” 

“For what?” 

“For giving me a stuffed animal to love instead of you.” 

Hyde sighs theatrically. “I named her Helena. You better take care of her.”

Helena, Licht repeats inside his head. He almost can’t feel the pain anymore. Hyde has that effect on him, he annoys him into forgetting everything else. Or maybe Licht just likes to have him around. 

This could’ve ended worse. Like Hyde said, they can be glad that he only injured his legs. (But, then again, Licht is not defined by his hands, thank you very much. He will not stop being a pianist, ever, no matter if he plays or not. Nobody can take this away from him.) 

This is a minor setback. Hyde didn’t think it was that bad when he quoted that Revenge Of The Sith dialogue at him. Licht also didn’t think it was that bad because he did him the favor of replying “I hate you!” in his best Anakin-voice. It was only later, when Licht couldn’t get up on his own, when they had to call someone to rescue him... 

It had taken a while to locate Gil and Krantz who were off who-knew-where. In the end, they made the decision to split up: Licht went with the ambulance, Hyde attempted to locate Licht’s manager and his own subclass. It must’ve worked, since the three of them came to pick Licht up. 

And honestly, that’s all Licht cares about. 

“Hey, Licht.” Hyde has managed to climb up his seat and now rolls down into his lap, careful not to land onto his bad leg. Licht can appreciate this. “This means we’re going to have a lot of free time up on the Alm while the others are skiing. Just the two of us.” 

“I learned a new word, Hyde,” Licht tells him and pretends not to notice how his Servamp squeaks at the mention of his name. “Simp.”

“What now?”

“Simp.”

Hyde looks up to him, wide-eyed, innocent hedgehog face. Licht fights the urge to smile and loses. It’s hard not to smile when a hedgehog looks at you like you’re the most important thing in the world. 

“Is that supposed to be an insult?” Hyde asks. 

“Yes.”

“In that case, I feel very insulted. Does it still hurt?”

“I am an angel, I don’t feel pain.”

“Right.”

Licht gives him a few seconds, then he reaches out with his hand and starts petting him. It doesn’t hurt. Hyde always makes sure it doesn’t hurt. 

.

… and then Licht and Hyde spend their day in cozy cottages ordering good food and hot chocolate while Krantz and Gil have the time of their life skiing, the end. 

[moonflower-31]

I Won’t Forget You - Spencer Reid x Reader

Masterlist 

Part 21

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader 

Warnings: Nothing much, just the usual. 

A/N: Hey, so, Saturday, also known as Halloween just so happens to be my birthday. So, naturally I will be taking that day off from writing to celebrate. Just as a warning! 

Tags: @dra-reid, @eevee0722, @ceeellewrites, @anotherr-fine-mess, @ssahoodrathotchner, @egg-boy03, @helena-way07, @l0ve-0f-my-life, @serendipity-imagines, @kaelyn-lobrutto24, @thatsonezesty13 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spencer widened his eyes and rushed to the receiver, standing beside Hotch as the call was put on speaker. 

"Morgan-! Morgan, w-where are you?!" He asked hastily, his hands finding the edge of the table and gripping harshly. 

"Nngh… I… I think Charleston? The concussion I got from his damn gun isn't helping my vision much. I know we're in West Virginia. I got somebody to send Garcia some coordinates." Morgan explained in a tired voice. 

Spencer felt a heavy and relieving sigh leave his chest. Morgan managed to get free. That meant they had a good fighting chance to find you. 

Hotch nodded and began to gesture to JJ to talk to Garcia. "Thanks Morgan. Keep in touch and get some help-" 

"Hotch, that isn't it. She… I wasn't able to get out on my own. She… she made a deal for my freedom. She said she'd… consent." Morgan revealed, sending a shiver of shock running down his spine.  

Spencer’s eyes widened at Morgan’s reveal, feeling his heart break in his chest for you. If he wasn’t already showing it on the outside, he was grieving for you and the pain you had to go through.

"...what?" He asked. 

"You know what I mean, Reid. He already raped her once. Right in front of me and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. Just… just get here dammit. She doesn't have too much longer."

Hotch sighed. "Alright. We're on our way now. Just get some help for those injuries. We're unfortunately going to need you as a guide." 

Spencer was still in shock, his anger growing slightly as he made the promise to kill Peter if he got the chance. He had done the worst thing he could do to you. And Spencer was pissed. 

"Got it Hotch." Morgan replied, hanging up shortly after. 

"Wait!" 

Spencer looked up at the stairs, still seething from what he’d learned of your experience, and saw a frantic Garcia rushing down the stairs. "Wait! Did-Did he already hang up?" She asked. 

Prentiss nodded. Garcia whined and groaned. "Damn it. At least he's okay. I got the coordinates. It does in fact center in on the Charleston police station." Garcia informed. 

Spencer looked down, took a deep breath, and began to think, the gears moving in his head. Rossi looked up and raised an eyebrow. 

"I know that look. What you got, Reid?" He asked. 

Spencer bit his lip for a moment before he quickly opened his satchel bag. "Garcia, did you run those properties? Everything Peter’s ever purchased?" 

Garcia raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. But nothing stands out." 

"Well, narrow that down to properties bought in the last 5-6 months and near the Charleston area." Spencer urged. 

Garcia's eyes widened and she smiled at Spencer. "Goody gumdrops, this is why we call you the resident genius, g-man." She says, hurrying back up the stairs. "I'll call you guys with the info on the jet. Just get down there and find our other genius." Garcia insisted. 

Hotch nodded. "Right. Wheels up in ten. We need to get down there and fast. Like Morgan said, (Y/N) may not have much time before he relocates her. Or worse." 

At Hotch's final statement, the team dispersed to get their go-bags and gear to get on the jet. Each of the members had a determined look on their face. Spencer would be lying if he said that didn't comfort him even just a bit. 

Spencer hurried towards his desk and slung the strap of his go bag across his shoulder, rushing towards the jet before anyone else. But who could blame him? 

The rest of the team joined him one by one on the jet, each giving him their version of a look of pity. But Spencer wasn't paying attention, all he was doing, was trying to figure out how they planned to find you. 

"Hey…" Spencer heard. 

"Hey." He said quickly, never looking up from the seemingly interesting wood pattern of the table in front of him. 

"We're here if you need anything." JJ smiled down at Spencer as the plane began to take off. Spencer, still not looking up, just nodded and mumbled an incoherent form of 'yeah' 

JJ frowned, but didn't push it, taking her seat quickly. Prentiss sat a seat ahead of him, Rossi and Hotch being a few seats away across the walkway.  

Spencer never broke his concentration on the table, his mind wandering to each and every possible outcome for this. He didn't want to lose you. He'd already lost too many people. He couldn't lose you too. 

A single tear fell from his eye, encouraging him to close his eyes tiredly. He sighed gently, rubbing his thighs. 

Then, the thud of a chess set case echoed in front of him, jolting him from his concentration. Spencer quickly wiped away the tear, blinking a few times as he looked up to see who had dropped the set. 

Rossi leaned against the seat in front of Spencer and gestured towards it. "Mind if I join you?" He asked. 

Spencer took a moment before he nodded silently, trying to re-focus on reality. Rossi took the seat in front of Spencer and opened up the set, setting up the pieces with white in front of himself and black in front of Spencer. 

"You know, we can all see right through you." Rossi spoke casually, continuing his set up. 

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked. Rossi hummed for a moment, finishing up his set up. 

"We can all see how much you care for her. It's almost like you like her or something." Rossi teased gently, flashing a knowing look and a smirk at Spencer. 

"T-there was never an attempt to deceive you all, I-I do like her." Spencer answered, fumbling with the king piece he had subconsciously grabbed. 

"Oh?" Rossi replied, pausing for a moment. "You didn't say anything." 

"T-that's because statistically only 60% of all relationships end up working out. Especially those that start with very little time in the beginning to get to know each other. And… adding the fact that I am socially awkward, unable to flirt properly like Morgan has tried to teach me, and that I am increasing in age, the probability of anything working out between her and me are slim. I didn't want to rush into anything without being sure." Spencer rambled, gesturing with his hands as he nervously went through all of what he thought were aspects of why he wasn't made for you. 

Rossi raised an eyebrow as he took his first move. "Kid, you always listen to those statistics but never your heart. That's your problem. You know," Rossi began, beginning to talk in his story-telling tone. Spencer took his turn, trying to focus on both the conversation and the game. It was a little tough.  

"My second wife, she always told me that I worked too much. Wrote too much and never spent that much time with her. Though my heart kept saying I wanted to. I never listened. And now here I am, three wives down and a dozen books added to my collection. Don't be me, Kid. When we find her, you're gonna run to her, and hold her in your  arms again. If that feels right, holding her like that, she's the one." Rossi encouraged, taking a second move.  

Spencer’s eyes wandered over the board before quickly taking his next move and tanking three of Rossi's pawns. Rossi widened his eyes and nodded to Spencer, impressed. 

"I… I know I want to be with her Rossi. But I also know that, after traumatic events, it takes 6 months or more for a victim to recover and get back into their daily routines. Let alone start anything new. I don't want to add to her pain, or start our potential relationship on her thinking I'm using her. Or her just using me for comfort and then leaving me after she's better." Spencer debated, watching as Rossi took another turn. 

Spencer then spoke up. "Check." 

Rossi raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Reid, do you know her to be that type of person? To use someone for her own benefit?" He asked, taking his next move. 

"No…" he replied, taking his as well. 

"Then should you be worried about her doing so?" 

"No…" Spencer sighed, shaking his head as he watched Rossi take another turn. 

"Then don't worry about it. Just trust your gut. And follow your heart before it betrays you." Rossi says, taking his hand off of his piece. 

Spencer then moved his, and called out. "Checkmate." 

Rossi chuckled. "Well, you are the undefeated champion of the BAU. I should've expected that." He laughed. Spencer’s lips curled into a gentle smile.  

"You could do it, you just have to focus on the logic." Spencer says, smiling at Rossi. 

"Eh, who needs logic when you've got aged wine and some good pasta? Solves every problem." Rossi teased, beginning to get up. 

"Rossi, a-actually…" Spencer began. 

Rossi turned his head, facing Spencer and encouraging him to continue. 

Spencer sighed. "Would you mind playing one more round? It… it's helping me clear my head." 

Rossi smiled and nodded. "Sure. I haven't gotten my butt kicked enough yet today." 

Spencer chuckled gently, and helped Rossi begin another game. He was still worried about you, but you were going to be okay. He… had to trust his heart. 

○●♡●○ 

You bit your lip as he finished, exhaling long and hard. He sounded satisfied. You knew he was. You hadn't fought him. You hadn't moaned either. Sure, you still felt the effect of what he was doing to you, but the horror and the pain overwhelmed the faint pleasure you had felt. 

Peter pulled himself from you and fastened his pants back, leaving you against the wall. "That was amazing… better than the first time. Such a slut for me." He slurs, causing a painful shiver to run down your spine towards your bruised core. 

You looked towards the wall, refusing to look at him or let him see you cry. He didn't deserve to. Nor would he get the pleasure. 

"Oh come on, you liked it." He insisted, standing up and rebuttoning his pants. 

You still refuse to reply, your bottom lip quivering softly. Peter rolled his eyes and kicked your shin, causing you to cry out in sudden pain. 

"Such a weak thing. Big ol' FBI agent? Pathetic." Peter snarled as he pulled a gun from his back pocket. You looked up at him, fearful of your life. 

"W-what… what are you going to do with that?" You ask, trying to mask your fear. 

"What do you think, bitch? I had to let that bastard go so I could get you to listen. Now, I gotta go kill him so nobody ever finds you. Just relax, I'll be back for round two." Peter grinned, not missing the crack in your voice or the sob that came from your throat. 

The cellar door slammed, and you curled up your weakening body. You then began to silently cry. All of this would soon be for nothing if Morgan didn't get somewhere else in time. You felt hopeless and alone. Not even thinking of the dance you had invited Spencer to was able to calm you. All you could do was cry, and hope to whatever God there was that you'd make it to see the other side. 

○●♡●○ 

Morgan sighed and winced as the medic bandaged his leg properly. "Watch it man, I still need that leg to find my friend." He hissed. The medic nodded his apologies and continued his first aid. 

It wasn't long after that the doors of the police station opened, and in walked his entire team. Hotch and Reid were the first ones to approach Morgan. 

"Hey… how're you feeling?" Hotch asked. 

"Eh… like I got hit by a semi truck. Twice. But I'll live. What do you all got?"  

"Garcia and I narrowed down Peter's properties and found he purchased a large portion of land nearby in the last 5-6 months. He also had work done on it to build a cellar." Spencer explained. 

"That's gotta be where he held us. I was only able to see the way we got there from the car. Couldn't tell you the directions to the place though. I can take you all back to the cellar though. If I retrace my steps." Morgan assured, adjusting his position. The medic continued to fuss over Morgan, trying to keep him still so that they could work. 

"Morgan, if you can't walk or are unable to help us, you'll be the best help here getting as much rest as you can-" Hotch began. 

"I ain't a vegetable Hotch! If I can get up and I can walk, I'm gonna go with you. I want to help you all get justice served to this bastard on a silver fucking plate." Derek seethed, his hands forming fists at his sides. 

Hotch sighed and nodded, knowing it would be of no use to argue with Morgan now. "Alright, just let us know if you need to take a break." He assures before he begins getting the police and the SWAT team ready to search the woods. 

Spencer began to turn to do the same, before Morgan grabbed his hand, pulling him back. Spencer raised an eyebrow, a bit confused by the action. 

"Reid… kid… I gotta warn you… she's not in the best mental state. She's gonna try and get away from you at first. She's...not going to look her best is what I'm saying." Derek sighed, letting his hand fall. 

Spencer nodded. "Of course. I-I'll try and calm her before I approach her. Promise." He says, flashing Morgan a gentle smile. 

"And… one more thing…" Spencer added, sighing gently. Morgan looked up at the younger man, encouraging him to continue. 

"Is she… does she blame me at all? Is she injured fatally? Anything I need to know?" He asked, beginning to ramble his worries. 

"Pretty boy… calm down for a minute. No, she doesn't blame you. She's gonna be hurt, but not that bad. She's sick though. Probably an infection causing her fever." Morgan answered, rubbing Spencer’s lower arm. 

Spencer sighed in relief and closed his eyes. "Thank you." 

"'Course. Now come on, let's go find her and bring that asshole to Justice." Morgan enthused, slowly rising to his feet and beginning to limp towards the exit. 

○●♡●○ 

"Are you sure it's nearby, Morgan?" Hotch asked, aiding Morgan in walking through the woods. Spencer was ahead of them, looking for anything that resembled a cellar door that Morgan had described. 

"Yes, I recognize the gravel trail. There was a ton of it, that's how we knew he was coming. The rumble of the gravel." Derek insisted, wincing as he put all of his weight on his bad foot for a moment to climb up the slight hill. 

Spencer urgently looked to and fro for any sign of a cellar or even some brush that looked out of place. He heard the feet of the search dogs behind them, breaking his concentration for a few moments. 

Spencer shook his head and sighed, wishing he had better navigation skills. Then, he spotted an area of gravel that began to collect together. He furrowed his eyebrows for a moment before he slowly advanced towards the northside of the rock that prevented him from seeing the rest of the gravel. The team thankfully followed behind him, preventing him from having to instruct them on where he was going. He pulled out his gun slowly and aimed it in front of him as he advanced forward. 

It took him a few minutes, as the rock had turned into a large hill that was just on an incline. But as soon as he reached the bottom, he saw the wooden door. He rushed over to the door, trying the handle only to find it locked. 

The team met up with him and saw his struggle. "Is it locked?" Hotch asked. 

"Yes, just… Hotch?" He asked, looking to his boss pleadingly. He was so close, so damn close. One door couldn't be the dividing force. He wasn't going to lose you over a damn locked door. 

Hotch sighed and rolled up his sleeves, nodding to Spencer. "Move out of the way, Reid." He says. Spencer does so, and not a minute later Hotch kicks the door in and the cellar is soon filled with the team. 

"FBI!" Hotch called. 

You shrieked and began to shrink into the corner as much as you could, pulling on your chains as they came in. "P-please! P-please don't do it again! I-I don't want it! I don't want to, please!" You beg while sobbing, holding up two hands in front of your face to prevent being hit. It broke Spencer’s heart to see you so terrified. 

Hotch shared a glance with Spencer, earning a gesture from Spencer that meant 'wait'. 

Spencer then slowly approached you, not even trying to keep his tears from falling. "Hey… I'm not going to hurt you, (Y/N/N). Promise." 

You slowly moved your hands, shivering in fear. Spencer finally reached you and gently touched your hands with his warm ones, finding yours extremely cold. "See? You don't have to be afraid of me." He tightened his hold on your hands, rubbing his thumbs against your cold fingers. "Let's get you out of here, okay? I'm a doctor, you can trust me." He looked into your eyes with hope that you would see the truth in them. And he thinks you did. 

You bite your lip and finally give him a good look. You saw his tear-stained face and his worried eyes, feeling a deep realization fill your body. Your mind's haze finally began to lift, and you recognized him again. You felt your eyes fill with tears, blurring your vision. You then immediately pulled him closer to you, albeit slowly. You wrapped your arms around him tightly, as much as the chains would allow. 

"S-spence… y-you found me…" you whisper hoarsely, trying not to sob. Spencer bit his lip and smiled happily, holding you close to his chest. He held a hand to your back and cradled your head with the other. 

"Yeah… I did…" he whispered. He turned his head towards Hotch and gestured towards your shackles. He mouthed the word 'keys' before he turned back to you. Hotch nodded, and quickly found the keys on the hook. 

Morgan took the keys from Hotch and came towards Reid and you. 

You turned your head and let out a relieved gasp and sob as you see Morgan approach you, still holding onto Spencer as you did. 

"Y-you're alive…" you whispered, smiling gently. He nodded, taking the key and unlocking both of your shackles. 

"I am, kid." He says. 

Once you felt your heart stop pounding, you also felt an exhaustion wash over you. You slowly close your eyes, laying in Spencer’s arms as you fell into a healing sleep. 

Spencer smiled down at you, the smile quickly fading as he saw the numerous injuries that littered your body. He adjusted your form and began to carry you bridal style. Your head immediately leaned towards his chest, making his heart swell for a few moments. You were extremely warm to the touch other than your fingers and feet. He knew he'd have to get you to a hospital for medical attention quickly. 

But for right now, you were safe. Even if Peter was still out there. But you were safe. That was all that mattered to him. 

[yoontothemoon]

— sense8 x love in a cluster x minghao ( november 7th 1997 cluster ) angst and fluff. yeah was supposed to be a drabble. 2k+ words later. yoon notes — honestly don't know what i was thinking, i just rewatched sense8 though so... there is that.

love inside a cluster is the worst kind of narcissism, you were told. to fall in love with anyone in your cluster was to fall in love with yourself and the moments that you shared with them. you lived through their eyes and felt their emotions as if they were your own. it was the worst kind of narcissism, and yet you fell so fully and deeply.

you knew that denying love wasn’t such a terrible thing and yet you held fast in your belief despite what minghao often said to you.

you were decidedly too busy for it, you thought to yourself when you leaned back in your chair, stretching out over your textbooks. you supposed you were the normal one, the college student while your cluster was out living their best lives.

it was something that you had only come to realize a year after the birth of your cluster and everything that you had come experience in that time. it was fractured at first, fragmented between the five of you but somehow you seemed to thrive. it was nice to know that you weren’t crazy, though it made you seem much more boring at first.

while you were slaving away trying to learn, your betters were so alive. you lived through them, though it was mostly your escapist mind that seemed to set off your visits. at first the connections were slow, not something that you ultimately wanted somewhere near your eighteenth birthday, very young for a cluster, but there you were.

you were still children back then, learning to cope with the world when your father had birthed you—his second cluster. he was the one that brought you altogether.

you were still learning how to be yourselves and tended to reject the idea of one another, medicating if you could as the connects grew stronger.

the five of you shared everything with each other, the highs and the lows and the judgment that seemed to come when you’d visit without meaning to.

it was almost a funny thought to you when you had first visited helena at her first comedy show in a dingy bar that she had only got into with a lousy fake id. you couldn’t help but laugh at all of her jokes, even if they weren’t funny. there had maybe been three or four other patrons barely paying attention but somehow you had mentally stumbled your way into that bar in france with sayuri and minghao. you will never forget the look on helena’s face when she realized the three of you weren’t actually there.

you had visited because you felt the same anxiety and needed a distraction. you later found out that sayuri had been stuffed in a jail cell that night for joy riding. and minghao, well he had a couple rough patches that he cared not to speak of at the time. he didn’t know how to convey his message, fumbling over korean words out of habit like the two of you just couldn't understand.

it was a learning curve for all of you, especially when graham’s daily drama would invade your lives. for a hockey player, he was honestly one of the most dramatic people you had ever had the pleasure of meeting. but with his drama, came the rush of adrenaline that occurred every time he played a game.

it was the high you’d get when sayuri would drag race on the streets of tokyo or the pride you felt when she’d best someone. they were your people, and they made you feel brave in your ordinary life between the rush of languages that you had mushed together in your mind or the plethora of knowledge you had retained.

you couldn’t help but feel useless, useless to all of them though you were the one they came to for advice. you were the calm space they had in your crammed one room apartment. all four of them would mentally squish onto your bed and complain or try to center themselves before the obstacles they faced.

you were the calm before the storm.

and after the calm, you always seemed to visit minghao. it wasn’t that you wanted to, it was more that you were drawn to him in the hours passed midnight.

it was the adoration you felt when you heard everyone cheer at every single concert, and how it warmed your heart until it was so full. or the sense of sadness that seemed to rise within you through his frustration when he couldn’t quite get something right. you were a person that felt everything, in the depths of your soul and you demanded it be felt. maybe that was how you separate yourself from the others, the ones that were so good at holding everything in until they burst.

it didn’t stop minghao from being your favourite person to visit because he was always up to something, always on the move. it was nice to be a part of something, even if he didn’t appreciate it at times.

honestly, you were sure that he didn’t appreciate it at all considering you would visit at the most inconvenient times, even though it worked both ways. you would joke, sometimes, that you tried not to think of him and yet you ended up near him, usually soaked to the bone from the heavy rain.

it always brought up the conversation of taking care of yourself and your health, to which you counter “what’s wrong with a little rain?” you had never been bothered by it, a little cold for sure but nothing a hot shower couldn’t fix as he walked you back home.

it was the daily ongoing with the two of you, small chats and checks up though you often did the same with sayuri and minghao with helena. it was always graham who made his problems known.

you equated it to a summons. not something that was brought about by chance but when you turned around you were with him.

they were the times when he was frustrated, overtired or injured. they were the times he had no patience for you, even though you’d just curl up beside him and bear his emotional weight.

he knew you weren’t actually there, but in the moments he swore he could feel you against his chest and you knew you could feel his hand running through your hair. the two of you would just lay there in silence until the moment took you over, quietly. you could hear him whisper sweet words to you, ones that made you scrunch your nose in your hazed knowledge of mandarin.

parts of you wished that you could stuff the feelings down, no matter how many times minghao would note it in passing—until he didn’t, until one day he had stopped entirely. you were probably too busy to have noticed at the time, too judgmental to realize.

but in the same vein, he would judge you.

it was funny at first, you note—just as sayuri or helena would drop a line whenever you had the fortune of dating. a part of you knew it was out of jealousy, a faint flicker that you felt yourself in the moments. you decided that it might have been jealousy at one point but somewhere along the way it blurred—not quite jealousy but more what you deserved. the thing about being connected by the psycellium was the fact that you couldn’t really hide anything without blockers. you couldn’t hide from the truth of it all.

all of them would drop their comments, quiet and funny depending on the person you had decided to see for the night. there were more than your fair share of arguments, small whines and questions of integrity. you never found it invasive though it might have looked as such from the outside. the thing was that you could never really stop them from visiting, sometimes it wasn’t something you could help.

it was the feeling that rose and sometimes you enjoyed the peanut gallery snarky comments more than your actual date. then again, it wasn’t that difficult to assume considering the fact that you had a knack attracting every boring date in a fifteen mile radius of your campus.

it was funny how minghao made it better, without really meaning to. he would make you laugh and play every terrible record you had accumulated in your collection.

it as the quiet in between that made you believe you were more attached that you realized. and as you grew older, you wondered why it was like this. why was it so hard to be happy with other people. it was due to circumstances or if you were overly attached in some way. you could never quite put your finger on it.

sometimes you would stand in the rain for no reason, or run until you were out of breath, heaving and your cheeks burned. that was what it made you feel, what you didn’t want to feel when you curled up in bed with faint thoughts of fingers through your hair.

it was the cruelest thought you had considering it wasn’t quite a memory—it was a thought in passing, not something that had ever truly happened because you were never in the same place. the truth was that you were stuck, somewhere in between the first and the last, your studies and your lack of social engagements while everyone else seemed to live apart.

perhaps it was why you fell into it so easily. it just took a bit of courage as you gave up hope. you fell into him without thinking, without a moment of hesitation in the cruelest way. there as a depth to it, grasping onto his shirt in one fell swoop. it didn’t feel like a kiss—agonizing and unforgiving; a memory. it felt like something that could have been, that should have been and wasn’t despite whatever feelings you threw into it.

you probably couldn’t have picked a worse time for him, practically shoving his consciousness into the mirrored surface of the practice room, tempting the boundaries.

“what the hell are you doing?” the words you expected to come from his mouth. the words that almost dreaded as apologizes spilled from your lips along with—it was a mistake. you were ready to take the blame for crossing the boundaries. you had crossed the line. in general, lines are there for a reason, for safety, for security, for clarity but you crossed it and you couldn’t see a way back over it.

it was an outburst that he didn’t expect, like he had been holding onto it for too long. he hadn’t expected to shout, shifting the visit in your direction—chasing you after you had retreated so quickly.

he wanted to say something, say anything as you cowered at foot of your bed. for all of your bang and bluster you seemed too easily resigned to go out with a whimper.

you had no more courage  left in you, holding yourself together in your quiet existence. minghao felt frustrated and confused, though he held in another outburst. he head it in but he paced, hands threading through his hair in fit. he didn’t know what to say and you didn’t know what to do.

had you regretted kissing him? no, though the thought of doing it again seemed terrifying.

honestly he didn’t know what he was going to do. there wasn’t really a thought associated with this feeling, not a moment where he hadn’t put it behind him due to his chivalry. it would have been abominable to do anything else.

the pause grew into an uncomfortable silence, something that seemed to confuse you more than you wanted but you were the first to speak after the fact. the first to speak because you couldn't even look at him and you wanted to apologize properly for how aggressive you seemed but he stopped you.

he stopped your apologies before they came in gentle waves. instead they were met with soft lips that tasted like a memory, a mix of salt and sweat and warm tea. a memory so bittersweet you wanted nothing to do with it, the feeling of fingers ghosting over your cheeks. you will the feeling, falling into it—he followed you over the line, crossing the boundaries until there wasn’t much of a line left.

it was like a light had come on without you realizing, like the the multitude of stars shone just slightly brighter. it was in the smallest acknowledgements, breathing in the sighs. you catch an i know in the depth of it, still quiet but it burns when you pull away.

“just don’t go hopping on the next available flight, okay?” you hear the fumbled confidence.

you felt his chuckle pressed against your cheek. and you definitely didn’t have to look up to know that all too familiar smile spread across his lips.

[houseisekai]

House Isekai: A Realm Reborn - Part 2, Through the Maelstrom (1 of 3)

House Isekai ARR Masterlist Here

—

Client: Hilda Valentin Goneril

Refusing to work with the newly reformed House Isekai due to Class VII, Duvalie takes her orders and storms off to Goneril territory, trying to get home faster. Not wanting to leave Duvalie completely alone, Raelyn and Fireteam Alpha-Nine accompany her.

Reports indicate of a giant serpent-like beast terrorizing the ocean trade routes near Goneril territory, and an unknown entity accompanying it...

---

[The Ocular - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]

Sitri tried to calm herself as Sothis powered three floating crystals in front of her.

They were alone in the Listening chamber, but it was still somewhat nerve-wracking to call the world leaders everytime.

She looked down in slight disappointment of herself. What would Byleth have done...?

(Sothis) “You shouldn’t compare yourself to him, you know.”

Sitri sighed in response.

(Sitri) “Right. I forget you can hear my thoughts...”

(Sothis) “He forgot all the time too, so it isn’t just you. And more importantly, just because you’ve taken his mantle does not mean you have to be exactly him.”

She unsheathed the Sword of the Creator, and it faintly glowed and hummed with her touch.

(Sothis) “The circumstances are completely different and the world has changed, for better and worse. You will be a worthy successor. I promise.”

(Sitri) “...Thank you.”

(Sothis) “We can discuss the rest of this later, for now...”

Sothis snapped her fingers and the crystals sprung to life, radiating a bright blue aura as transparent images of the world leaders began to form.

(Edelgard) “Connection is established here.”

(Dimitri) “Mine as well.”

(Claude) “Eh, pretty sure it’s working. Sitri!”

(Sitri) “Hello, everyone.”

Sitri bowed before clearing her throat.

(Sitri) “Emperor Edelgard, King Dimit-”

(Dimitri) “You do not have to be so formal around us, you know.”

(Claude) “Yeah, you can drop it if it's just us."

(Edelgard) “Hmph. Some professionalism wouldn’t-”

(Dimitri) “Time and place for all things. Now apologies, I did not mean to interrupt.”

Sitri sighed in relief as her shoulders began to relax and she put her hand to her chest.

(Sitri) “In that case, my top students have investigated the Zanado Tower at your request. There were some skirmishes, but nothing serious. We also have found groups from other worlds present. None of which we are familiar with.”

Sothis floated next to her and crossed her arms.

(Sothis) “We called in help from the original House Isekai, but so far only four have responded. Rean, Towa, Kazuma, and Aigis."

(Dimitri) "That is a bit...troubling. I figured more would have come to our request."

(Edelgard) "Troubling, but not surprising. They do have to worry about their own world's well being again after all."

(Claude) "We should be grateful they showed up to begin with. But anyways, there's probably a bit more to the story right?"

Sitri nodded and told the three what had happened inside the Zanado Tower: meeting the new groups and the creatures that had attacked them.

(Sitri) "-...And it seems at least one group is aware of what they are. We plan to hunt them down ourselves, and reinstate House Isekai while doing so."

The three leaders looked surprised after hearing her plan.

(Edelgard) "Hm...An interesting proposal."

(Claude) "A second generation, eh? How are the kids handling the news?"

(Sothis) "So far, we have only selected a handful of the very best the three houses have had to offer. Their reactions are...mixed to say the least."

Dimitri furrowed his brows as he crossed his arms.

(Dimitri) "After what happened during the original's time here, I cannot blame them."

(Edelgard) "Indeed. We are the only ones who know the truth, besides our militaries."

(Sitri) "Despite their problems, I have full confidence that they will come around in time. As head of Garreg Mach, I will see to that myself."

(Claude) "Of that, we have no doubt, Sitri. I am more concerned with how everyone else will take this news..."

Claude sighed as he shook his head.

(Claude) "We're already having problems with getting our people to work together as it is, doubt this is gonna make things any easier."

(Edelgard) "And it is something we will deal with ourselves. Sitri has an important task, and we do not have the luxury of time to drop our political problems on her."

(Sitri) "Worry not, I will make sure everyone is kept in line during their time at Garreg Mach."

(Dimitri) "Then we will pray for your success. We are counting on you."

Dimitri and Edelgard's figure disappeared while Claude remained visible.

(Sothis) "Is something the matter?"

(Claude) "...I think I know how to start this reformation off right..."

=====

House Isekai: A Realm Reborn - Part 2

Through the Maelstrom

[Raise Your Flag - MAN WITH A MISSION]

Raise your flag

With all your voice

With all your voice

Shout it out loud with all your voice

One day

Someday somewhere

Dream on as we wander

Under pressure, you are waiting for direction

Going on the road without your mind

All misleads they give ignoring our decisions

Killing yourself your soul we have inside

Continue the struggle and feel like you're discouraged

Rise up again to run to the end

In between the never-ending dream

We can struggle and muzzle the world before it fades away

Raise your flag

With all your voice

With all your voice

Shout it out loud with all your voice

One day

Someday somewhere

Believing that we will reach that goal

Come on and Raise your flag

So just Raise your flag

No matter how many times we feel defeated or lost

As long as we breathe

As long as we carry on

Dream on as we wander

Chapter 1

One day after the events of Part 1...

[Life at Garreg Mach Monastery - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

Mercedes, Recette, and Tear walked through the hallways of the main building as the bell rang across the Monastery.

Tear was hovering next to Recette looking at a clipboard and looking up at Mercedes.

(Tear) "Let's see, we are to accommodate new student dormitories, supplies, and equipment?"

(Mercedes) "That would be correct."

=====

(Recette) "So what do we do about the giant robot things?"

(Tear) "Knights, Recette. They are called Knights."

(Recette) "But we already have the regular guards called Knights too! Why do we have such confusing terminology?!"

(Mercedes) "Technically speaking, they are Armiger class knights. The real knights we have belong to our military and-"

(Tear) "Regardless, they are to be moved to the new dorm, correct?"

Mercedes giggled seeing Tear obviously annoyed.

(Mercedes) "Apologies, I am only teasing! Yes, they will be."

The three walked down the stairs as a mixture of students and guards passed them by.

After waiting for them to pass, they made their way towards the student dorms.

(Recette) "So...what is House Isekai like?"

(Tear) "I have been rather curious myself. Sitri speaks of them in high regard, as do you."

Mercedes looked up to the skies, reminiscing her time with the original House Isekai.

(Mercedes) "They were quite the odd group of people, of all sorts of origins and personalities. Many of their technologies and fighting styles varied wildly, some familiar to us while some were...well, otherworldly."

She had a smile on her face, though there was a tinge of sadness to it.

(Mercedes) "They weren't always the kindest, charming or...well, even the best people but...they cared for us and Fodlan. Even when some of their own perished, they continued to fight for us. I wish the circumstances of our meeting had not been so tragic..."

Recette and Tear remained silent as Mercedes had stopped walking, still staring into the skies.

(Mercedes) "...Oh, pardon me! I was spacing out, let us keep moving!"

...

Astrid was the last person to walk into the group.

The chosen Garreg Mach students were waiting near their rooms with bags in hand.

(Astrid) "Oh crap, are we already going?!"

(Kairos) "They let us know last night, did you already forget?"

(Helena) "Obviously."

Astrid stuffed the food she was carrying into her mouth as she dashed into her room, hastily grabbing her belongings.

(Elizabeth) "It amazes me how airheaded she can be..."

(Stefan) "Being honest, I almost did the same thing..."

(Elizabeth) sigh "Of course you did. We cannot afford to slipping up like this! We are supposed to represent our classes as the best of the best!"

Helena shrugged nonchalantly.

(Helena) "Think that's just you. Everyone knows how I act and yet I'm here."

(Elizabeth) "Yes yes dear, we know you just nap away all the ti-"

(Kairos) "Gods above, can you quit your whining?"

(Elizabeth) "When you all get your act together, then I will!"

Kairos and Elizabeth stepped toward each other, and before their argument could heat up, Stefan stepped in.

(Stefan) "Come on guys, knock it off."

Astrid ran back out with her bags hastily strapped over her back, completely out of breath.

(Astrid) "Whew, made it!"

(Helena) "Good job."

Helena rolled her eyes hearing Kairos and Elizabeth's shouting get louder, and saw Mercedes, Recettte, and Tear approaching them.

(Mercedes) "Afternoon! Is something the matter?"

Kairos and Elizabeth finally backed down and cleared their throats.

(Stefan) "Not anymore."

(Recette) "Yayness! Now, let's get going!"

(Tear) "Right this way."

The group began to move towards the former Cathedral, Mercedes in front.

The Cathedral turned into a hangar for the Knights to walk in and out of, alongside receiving and shipping supplies provided by the three nations.

Mercedes frowned a little upon arriving. She had honestly never gotten used to being around these things. They went from mere prototypes to deployed all over the continent in only a year.

Something wasn't right about all of this technology they had been getting either...

Her daydream was interrupted when a guard cleared their throat.

(Imperial Knight) "Ma'am?"

(Mercedes) "Oh, sorry. We are here to check in with the new arrivals."

(Imperial Knight) "Understood. You'll find them in the war room."

...

[Spider Web - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

Rean looked around the room, barely able to recognize it.

This room was previously dedicated to the four saints during his time in Fodlan, now it was converted to some kind of information center.

There was a table made of crystal in the middle, displaying all sorts of semi-transparent text and images.

Towa appeared to be thinking the same thing as she was unable to tear her eyes off the table.

Rean sighed and finally turned behind him, the students of Class VII all looking around as well.

(Rean) "What are you guys doing here?"

His question caught their attention, making everyone turn to face him.

(Juna) "Us? What about you and Instructor Towa?! You guys are acting as if this is all normal!"

(Altina) "Observations have shown that you have reacted with little surprise."

(Towa) "Well, to make a long story short, we have been here before under some...strange circumstances. But how did you guys even get in here?"

(Ash) "Valimar let us in that portal or whatever the hell you guys walked through."

(Rean) "He what?!"

Rean had to calm down for a moment, and sighed again.

(Rean) "Guess I'll be speaking to him about tha-...Wait..."

(Kurt) "Instructor?"

(Rean) "When Valimar teleported us in, we all arrived at the top of the Tower. Why were you all teleported at the bottom...?"

(Musse) "Huh. That's weird."

(Towa) "There shouldn't be anything messing with the Tower from Fodlan's end, right?"

(Rean) "Hard to say, honestly. If those other groups got here, then something must be wrong."

(Kurt) "...Instructor, if I may?"

(Rean) "Hm? Go ahead, Kurt."

(Kurt) "I wish to accompany you here."

(Everyone) ?!

(Rean) "No. Out of the question. You all need to-"

(Juna) "Hey, you're our instructor, right? Then that means you have to watch over us, not go into some weird freaking dimension for goddess knows how long!"

(Ash) "Besides, we'd miss all the fun!"

(Musse) "And you, Instructor~-"

(Altina) "And potential training that could enhance our abilities."

(Rean) "..."

(Towa) "Well, time is very unpredictable here. The last time we were stuck here, only a few minutes passed by in our world while years went by in here. Who knows what could happen this time?"

Rean silently stared at Class VII, not knowing what to do.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

(Kingdom Knight) "Pardon sir, Mercedes is here."

(Rean) "Let her through."

Mercedes opened the door and her group came in, Class VII stepping aside to make room.

(Mercedes) "Good afternoon, everyone!"

(Towa) "Hello, Mercedes!"

(Rean) "I see you got the students and...who's that?"

Recette and Tear stepped forward, Recette excitedly waving as Tear adjusted her glasses as she floated next to her.

(Recette) "Hiya! I'm Recette, and that's Tear! We run a shop and helping fund Garreg Mach's reconstruction!"

Class VII looked at each other awkwardly, not sure how to make of that. She looked even younger than Altina, how could she run a shop?

(Kairos) "Trust us, she's telling the truth. We thought the exact same thing when we first met them."

(Kurt) "...Noted."

(Tear) "I am her...friend. It is a pleasure to meet members of House Isekai. I have been told many things about you all."

(Recette) "We'll have everyone's new dorms up soon and a lot of information to share, but we wanna get everyone together first! Do you know where your friends are?"

(Rean) "They're downstairs I think. At least that's what Aigis told us."

(Towa) "The tomb?"

(Mercedes) "Ah yes, that is where we have our new supply depot. Any excess supplies that cannot be brought up are taken down below, alongside extra knight suits."

(Tear) "It would be best to reunite with your friends before we continue talking. I am sure you all have many questions."

Class VII followed the group out, and went down the stairs and into the depot.

...

Workers moved back and forth, carrying varying sizes of crates into organized areas, with Knights being brought in by horseback on giant wooden platforms.

Knight suits were also moving around massive cargo filled with all kinds of armor and weapons, the sound of gears moving and workers shouting.

Kazuma still struggled to process everything he was seeing.

(Kazuma) "Where the hell was all this when we were travelling around Fodlan?!"

(Aigis) "They most likely developed this while we were away. While some aspects of their technology is primitive compared to ours, we cannot deny the amount of progress since we last saw them."

(Kazuma) "Primitive? They have giant god damn robots! That's WAY more than what Earth has!"

Kazuma turned to the other groups who were not standing too far away.

(Kazuma) "And speaking of..."

Kazuma and Aigis looked at the group of soldiers who called themselves ODST's.

Their weapons appeared to use conventional bullets, but their armor was far more advanced than the military had on Earth during their time.

One ODST named "Mickey" was doing something to his helmet, repeatedly tapping its side.

(Buck) "Anything?"

(Mickey) "Not a single thing. No comms, not from UNSC or Covenant. Whatever's going on here, it's completely cut us off from our world."

(Romeo) "That's just great..."

(Dutch) "How do we get back?"

(Mickey) "I'm thinking..."

(Kazuma) "...Feels weird having actual soldiers here."

(Aigis) "Agreed. We are lucky to have been accustomed to Fodlan during our last stay."

Aigis turned her attention to the one soldier in massive yelllow armor, quietly watching everything around him.

(Raelyn) "..."

(Aigis) "I am unfamiliar with him. He appears to be aware of Earth and humanity, but what he is wearing is both extremely advanced and archaic, technologically speaking."

(Kazuma) "Is he even human? Dude looks like a gorilla in ceramite."

(Aigis) "Further data is required to make a proper assessment."

Aigis's eyes glanced over to Duvalie, who was pacing back and forth near the last group, calling themselves the "Knights of Favonius".

Aigis couldn't tell what she was saying, but she definitely knew she was cursing under her breath. She didn't seem terribly confused about what was happening, but it seemed like her appearance here was more like a major inconvenience.

Of all groups however, the Knights of Favonius appeared to be the least phased.

(Jean) "Hopefully the knights will be fine without us..."

(Lisa) "Relax dear, they'll be okay. I doubt too much will happen, we have people like Albedo in their care."

(Amber) "Is anyone gonna be watching over Klee?"

Jean suddenly grew pale.

(Kaeya) "Easy now Amber, don't give her a heart attack."

(Diluc) "We can't leave anyway. Abyss Mages got to this world and it's our job to get rid of them."

(Venti) "Yeah, whatever their plans are, we're gonna stop them!"

(Kazuma) "...Least someone knows what the hell those things were."

Aigis was about to say more until she saw Mercedes and the others walking down the stairs.

(Aigis) "They are here, Kazuma."

(Kazuma) "About time."

Kazuma whistled and caught the groups' attention, everyone going up to meet them.

(Rean) "Everyone here?"

(Jean) "It appears so."

(Buck) "Anyone gonna bother to explain what in the hell's goin' on here?"

(Towa) "Well to put it shortly: you've all come from your worlds to Fodlan, just like we have."

(Duvalie) "Why was it US, though?"

(Kazuma) "Hell if we know. To be honest, our groups showed up here by pure chance."

(Aigis) "There was no clear reason for us, but I suspect something may be different in your cases."

(Buck) "How long are we going to be here? We were in the middle of fighting a war back home!"

(Rean) "That's...not easy to answer. We were technically here for 6 years, yet only a few minutes passed in my world."

Many of the members looked at each other, unsure of how to process this news.

(Mercedes) "Whatever the case, we'll make sure everyone gets back! You're all part of House Isekai now!"

(Lisa) "Might I ask what this "House Isekai" means to this world? It seems very obvious that this title is held in high regard."

(Kairos) "To some anyway..."

(Stefan) "C-Come on now, Kairos. We can at least give them a chance!"

Rean made a mental note to ask Mercedes about the students later. They obviously did not like House Isekai's presence.

He was getting some unpleasant flashbacks to when his country occupied another, with similar reactions.

(Towa) *ahem* House Isekai was formed under Garreg Mach Monastery as a way to unite everyone from different worlds. The original House had people from all sorts of backgrounds working together, and we saved this world and ours from certain destruction."

(Kurt) "Had it not been for us visiting here, I am not sure we would have believed any of this."

(Aigis) "...If memory serves correctly, you and the other members of Class VII were involved during the Towers forming in every world."

(Juna) "Uhh...Think we would've remembered something like that happening."

(Ash) "Doesn't ring a bell."

(Towa) "We came face to face with them during the assault on the Zanado Tower. What...?-"

(Duvalie) "Bah, history lesson later! What are we even doing down here anyway?"

(Mercedes) "Well, we came down here to inform you that your dorms were soon to be finished!"

(Tear) "We only ask for a bit more patience. The transfer of resources to these new rooms was quite sudden."

(Elizabeth) "And what are we to do in the meantime?"

(Sitri's Voice) "Your first assignment."

Sitri walked up to the group, holding her sword's sheathe.

(Sitri) "Our first assignment has been given to us by Claude."

She turned to the Knights of Favonius.

(Sitri) "You said that you were familiar with the creatures invading our world, yes?"

(Diluc) "Abyss Mages. They were supposed to be our problem, so sorry that you all had to get involved."

(Raelyn) "If they are a threat to humanity, then it is our job to purge these witches."

(Sitri) "Claude has given us a report from House Goneril and House Edmund that these creatures and other objects were spotted within their territories. It is our job as House Isekai to take care of this offworld threat."

(Kazuma) "From classroom to full on hit squad, eh? Guess that was bound to happen at some point."

(Rean) "Not the first time anyway..."

(Duvalie) "OOOOH, NO."

Everyone turned to Duvalie.

(Duvalie) "I am NOT working with you all! I am perfectly fine of doing this on my own!"

(Ash) "Psh. Feeling's mutual."

(Rean) "Come on now, this is something you can't tackle alone. Even you."

(Duvalie) "S-SHUT UP, SCHWARZER!"

She stomped towards Sitri and grabbed a letter at random, pointing a finger at her.

(Duvalie) "I'll cooperate but you will NOT make me work with them! I'll be done with this faster than a big group!"

(Jean) "...Being fair for just a moment, it would be beneficial for some of our members to split up. The threats could be eliminated faster."

(Venti) "I'd be happy to help out with-"

(Duvalie) "NO. DEFINITELY NOT YOU."

(Kazuma) "Holy hell, would you quit whining?! Why does every person I meet that calls themselves a knight always act so entitled?"

(Helena) "I'm very sure that will get her calmed down."

Duvalie looked like she was about to pop a vein before Buck stepped in.

(Buck) "Alright everyone, stand down. How about this? You just tell us what we need to know about these guys, and we'll go put a few bullets in their heads."

(Mickey) "If bullets even work on them-"

(Raelyn) "From the one I encountered, a single Bolter round will do just fine."

(Lisa) "If it means less fighting, then there's no harm. Duvalie dear, do be careful at least?"

(Duvalie) "O-Of course, Miss Lisa!"

(Aigis) "That was a very fast change in attitude-"

(Rean) "You get used to it."

(Towa) "I suppose we'll just meet and explain everything more in detail later?"

A portal opened up behind Duvalie and she jumped straight through before anyone could stop her.

(Buck) "Tch, damn it. Didn't even ask about the mages. Whatever, which one of you knows the most about them?"

Kaeya raised his hand with a coy smile while Diluc nodded.

(Raelyn) "I will accompany her to ensure their survival. Until then, House Isekai."

Raelyn turned to the portal and walked through it.

After getting the minimum knowledge required about the Abyss Mages, Buck and his squad followed her through the portal.

(Kazuma) "...Wait a second, none of them knows anything about Fodlan. Why did we let them go anywhere alone?"

(Sitri) "...That's a good question."

[TO BE CONTINUED]