foreteller-ava

[foreteller-ava]

This account is anti-censorship.

By following this account you agree with me that all censorship is bad and immoral. That no matter how repulsive and uncomfortable the media and content in question is (yes this includes SA, A/M, and incest) so long as the content is fictional in nature and no real human person (or animal, the take downs include (SFW) furry content too) who did not consent was involved in its creation, it has a right to exist.

We aren't using cutesy discourse terms we are saying exactly what we mean on tumblr.hell. Censorship is the enemy and to say "this content should be delisted" and "this content shouldn't exist" puts you in exactly the same camp as the people who have caused the bans on itch.io and steam. I have kept quiet about my views on this discourse for years but silence is to be complicit with the takedowns.

This is not just about liking gross porn on AO3 anymore. We cannot split hairs or care about somebody's browser history because we don't like the content. My very real trigger is one of the tags that got removed. I am still explicitly upset that this is happening and think all content deleted or delisted should be added back to the shop, no matter how gross I think the content is.

[foreteller-ava]

I got to write for a @astarion-fanzine a little bit ago, and pre-orders are live now. Go donate to any of the charities listed here and then let the mods know to pick up a copy!

[foreteller-ava]

📓 for the fanfiction you haven't written thing ❤️

I don't think I've mentioned it on here before but I have a Blupani roleswap that's never been written. I'd be like "Oh yeah that's it that's the story" but a bunch of people swap roles to the point that the cast looks something like:

Mario: Peach Tippi: Blumiere Peach: Luigi Bowser: Bowser Luigi/Mr. L: Mario/Mr. M Count Bleck: Countess Tippi Nastasia: Mimi (Except in combat) O'Chunks: O'Chunks Mimi: Dimentio Dimentio: Nastasia

So the backstory is over a century ago, Timpani's grandfather finds Nastasia in a cage and frees her. Nastasia pledges loyalty to him and his family and becomes a family servant for the Tribe of Darkness. It's mostly quiet until one day his son (Timpani's Father - Noir) befriends a human girl (Blumiere's Mother - Emma) from a nearby village. He spends a lot of time with her and they fall in love, up until Timpani's grandfather catches on. Rather than leave Noir to find happiness, he tasks Nastasia with destroying their relationship. She mind wipes him and Noir forgets all about Emma and marries another woman and has Timpani. Emma moves on and finds another man and has Blumiere. Sometime in this, Timpani's grandfather dies, and tasks Nastasia with one final mission, to destroy all humans so that his family may no longer be tasked with a disgrace on this level. But Nastasia really has no way to fulfill this request.

Until Timpani. She saves a human boy from certain doom and falls in love with him. Noir doesn't have it and tries to keep them apart, but when that fails, he sends Blumiere away to another dimension. Blumiere wakes up in Flipside and with no way home, apprentices himself to Merlon. (Still a human, with all his memories.)

Meanwhile, Timpani begins her search, but before she can get too far, Nastasia whispers in her ear that the answers might be in the Prognosticus. Against the better judgement of Mimi, Timpani opens the Prognosticus and becomes Countess Tippi, and destroys the world. Blumiere hears of this and begins to mourn.

Things go as normal for a while until Mimi and Timpani find Flipside and meet Blumiere. Timpani seems all ready to cancel the plans, but then Dimentio (under the control of Nastasia) shows up and attacks Timpani. He teleports Mimi away and explains that Timpani cannot know of this meeting.

After that, Tippi moves the final bits of the plans into action, kidnaps every one of the main Mario cast, and makes the Chaos Heart. Peach wakes up in Flipside, partners with Blumiere, and they set off to gather the Pure Hearts. They go through the different worlds, collect Luigi, then Bowser, then finally Mario (the Underwhere is interestingly told almost identically to the way it would be in the actual story) before confronting Countess Tippi. As some point in all of this Tippi also confronts Dimentio for the truth of what happened that day with Mimi, only to reveal that he didn't know what she was talking about.

The confrontation would result in Tippi resolving to die to protect Blumiere, but Blumiere won't hear of it. Nastasia then controls Mario to attack and reveals the truth of all the origin backstory stuff and then takes the place of Dimentio in the finale.

There'd be an epilogue too, where Dimentio reveals what happened to everybody in the finale, mostly to show that Noir and Emma are tentatively resuming their friendship, now that Noir knows the truth and that Blumiere and Timpani are happy where they are, but that matters not nearly as much.

This has set in my head for ten years. I really do want to write it but it's so much work and I really shouldn't do the whole "This is the SPM story" thing three different times so ya know?

[foreteller-ava]

Hey, here's a fun new game. Put "📓" or some other version of a book emoji into my inbox and I'll explain the plot of a fanfiction that I haven't written but daydream about.

[foreteller-ava]

💖 CONTRIBUTOR PREVIEW 💖

Preview of @foreteller-ava’s thought-provoking piece on Padme Amidala, plus a little about the author!

Preorders for Force Fatale are open now through September 8!

forcefatale.bigcartel.com

[foreteller-ava]

@forcefatalezine has opened for pre-orders and I'm a part of it, go check them out!

[foreteller-ava]

Preorders are OPEN for Force Fatale, a fan anthology celebrating the women of Star Wars! With a total of 106 incredible contributions from passionate artists, authors, cosplayers, and merch artists, Force Fatale features 65 different named female characters from across the Star Wars franchise, and we're so excited to share it with you! And all proceeds go to Malala Fund, a charity dedicated to providing education to girls around the world.

http://forcefatale.bigcartel.com

[foreteller-ava]

Flying Free

AO3 | FFN

Summary: NiGHTS has finally escaped Wizeman's grasp. Now they just need to find somewhere to stay.

A/N: Written for the NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams 15th Anniversary Fanzine.

NiGHTS approached the fountain in the middle of the forest, unable to stop themself from looking over their shoulder for signs that they were followed.

Running away from Reala, from Wizeman, from everything and everyone they had ever known, it had been something even just weeks ago they’d have never been able to imagine. It hurt of course, running from your family always would. But without the pressure to steal Ideya, to terrorize the children who found their way in the realm of Nightmare, they felt an unfamiliar lightness in their heart. They felt free.

A laugh bubbled up from within NiGHTS as they began looping in the sky, reveling in the feeling of joy for the first time since they’d been given their task. “I never have to go back.”

“Well, I hope that means you’re not making your home here then.” The sound of a voice behind them stopped NiGHTS’s victory celebration. They turned around, seeing an unfamiliar brown owl. He was an odd sight, nothing like the denizens of Nightmare that they had spent their entire life with. “Nightmarens aren’t welcome on this side of the world of dreams.”

NiGHTS flew down towards the owl, getting close to his face as they examined him with interest. “What is the meaning of this!?” the owl asked, flapping his wings in front of him to move backwards so as to put some space between himself and them.

NiGHTS pulled back. “Sorry, I’ve just never seen anything like you before.” 

The owl frowned, but seemed relieved that NiGHTS pulled back. “Let’s hope you don’t, your presence here is a danger to all the Nightopians who call this place home.”

NiGHTS didn’t think they were a danger; they were pretty sure their decision to betray Wizeman would’ve made that clear. Then again, the owl probably didn’t realize that. “I’m NiGHTS. What about you?”

“What?” the owl seemed taken aback, so NiGHTS tried again.

“Your name, if we’re going to become friends, it’s only right that I have something to call you, right?” They stuck out their hand, hoping the owl might take it as a peace offering, and a step towards friendship.

Instead, the owl was incensed. “I don’t know what game you’re trying to play, Nightmaren, but it won’t work on me. I won’t let you try anything foolish.”

“I’m not trying to play anything.” NiGHTS insisted. “I’m really not here to hurt anybody. I don’t understand why you can’t believe that.”

“Why I can’t believe that?” the owl scoffed. “I’ve seen hundreds of visitors come here, their Ideya stolen from them by Nightmarens who love nothing more than to terrorize the Nightopians who try to find a safe haven here. Why should I believe you when you say you’re different, when you wear the mask that marks you as one of Wizeman’s goons.”

NiGHTS stopped, unsure what to say of that as they reached towards their face, feeling the heavy weight of the mask. They had forgotten all about their Persona in their desperation to escape, but now that they heard the owl point it out, they understood his wariness. There was no reason for him to believe that they were any different from any other Nightmaren when they still wore the pledge to their former master on their face.

They grabbed the corners of the Persona, gently removing it as they looked at the ornate golden design. Their fingers lightly traced around the large red gem in the center. This mask had defined their identity for so long, and now they were considering getting rid of it after so long. “I had forgotten I was wearing it, I didn’t mean to cause you any worries.”

“You forgot?” The owl remained skeptical, but NiGHTS was not one to be deterred.

They nodded in response. “I was trying to escape from them.”

“Why would a first level Nightmaren be trying to escape from other Nightmarens?”

So their true nature wasn’t as easily hidden as they’d assumed, that was good to know. “Because I don’t want to chase down Visitors for their Ideya anymore. We can’t help what we’re created as, but that doesn’t mean it has to define our actions.” NiGHTS was a Nightmaren, created by Wizeman, but it didn’t mean they had to steal Ideya, not if they didn’t want to. Not if it wasn’t who they wanted to be. “I was tired of hurting people, so I decided to leave.”

“Wizeman doesn’t take betrayal lightly,” the owl noted. “You’ll never be able to return to the life you once had.”

“I know. I knew the moment I left that things wouldn’t be the same.” They could still picture Reala’s expression as they’d told him that they were planning on leaving, that they couldn’t stand stealing Ideya and being under Wizeman’s thumb. They could still feel the chains that Wizeman had tried to throw them in when they’d left, the phantoms of shackles they’d only just managed to avoid.

Wizeman would never let them be free if he had anything to say about it, and they weren’t about to let him take them back either. 

They looked at the owl, remembering their determination to escape. “But I would rather be on the run the rest of my life than spend another day as Wizeman’s tool.”

The owl finally relaxed, their conviction convincing him of their intentions at long last. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Does that mean I can stay?” NiGHTS asked, perking up.

The owl chuckled. “Against my better judgment, yes. The Dream Gate is perhaps the only place that Wizeman and his Nightmarens have yet to truly ever invade. It might be the only place that you’ll ever be safe.”

NiGHTS doubted that, but said nothing, choosing to go along with it if it meant the owl was comfortable with their presence. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“I would expect nothing less. One action against the Nightopians who spend their time here, or the visitors for that matter, and I’ll be sure that you never set foot here again.”

NiGHTS smiled. That would be an easy task, they were tired of hurting others, and had no intention to do so again. “I’ll even help you protect them.”

“When another visitor comes through, I’ll hold you to that.” The owl extended a wing. “I believe you asked for my name earlier. It’s Owl.”

“Owl.” NiGHTS grabbed Owl’s wing and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Owl.”

Owl ended the handshake first with a hoot. “Now, NiGHTS, was it? If you want to settle in at the Dream Gate, you’d best follow along. There’s not a lot to see, but it’s important that when a Visitor arrives, you don’t get lost. Not if you’re going to help them.”

“I’ve got it!” NiGHTS held back a laugh. They would try their best to make a good impression on any Visitors that showed up, but it was still odd. A Nightmaren doing their best to avoid scaring the Visitors they’d meet while trying to impress them, what a novelty.

A Nightmaren defecting from Wizeman. That was a novelty as well.

“Oh, and one more thing. I’d get rid of that mask as well. Anything that marks you as one of Wizeman’s soldiers would never go over well among the Nightopians. Not if you want them to stop fearing you.”

“Right, of course.” NiGHTS looked at the Persona in their hand. It would be easy to just throw it away, to pretend that they had never been a part of Wizeman’s army, to give up that final part tying them to their past.

But that was the problem, in a way. It wasn’t just a mask tying them to Wizeman, it was a mask tying them to the other Nightmarens, to the ones they had considered friends and family, like Jackle and Reala. Getting rid of it would acknowledge that there would be no going back, though they weren’t sure there would be an option to go back regardless. Even if Reala managed to help them escape punishment, there was only one path left for NiGHTS: the one that would allow for Wizeman’s defeat at once, to free the Night Dimension and all Visitors from his grasp.

That was something to contend with another day. They returned the mask to their pocket and smiled. “Sorry for the hold up, let’s go!”

One day, NiGHTS would be willing to give up their Persona for good, to separate themself once and for all.

But for now, that didn’t matter.

Right now, they’d made their first non-Nightmaren friend, and for once, their future looked bright.

[foreteller-ava]

Raft

AO3 | FFN

Summary: Riku and Kairi continued their bickering as they emerged back onto the beach. As they walked to the docks, Sora stopped. He looked at the boats, an idea starting to form. “Hey guys,” he said. “What about a raft?”

[Or, how Sora, Riku, and Kairi decided to build a raft to leave the islands.]

A/N: Written for @destinytriofanzine. Leftovers are now available so go grab a copy while you still can!

The day on the islands had been hectic as Sora and Riku began to head back in. Even as things started to wind down, the smile hadn’t left Sora’s face from the games they’d been playing on the beach to mark the end of the school year and beginning of summer. But as the others had returned home, even Sora’s boundless energy had started to fade, and it was time for them to return home for the night.

As they got to the docks, he and Riku paused, noticing a third boat still sitting next to theirs. Sora frowned. “Kairi’s still out here?”

“Seems so,” Riku said, a frown on his face. He turned to face Sora. “I thought something seemed off when she said she was sick.”

“You don’t think something happened to her, do you?” Sora asked.

Rather than answer his question immediately, Riku turned around. “I don’t know…But we should probably look around and see if we can find her, just to make sure.”

Sora nodded. “Right.” He followed Riku’s gaze to the Secret Place, understanding without words.

If there was anywhere that Kairi would choose to hide, it would be there. In their hideaway from the others, where they played games just the three of them.

Sora led the way, Riku not even a step behind him as they made their way across the beach to find their missing best friend. Whatever was actually wrong with Kairi, Sora would make sure to find out. He had to do whatever he could to make sure she was okay.

The moment they entered the cave, it was obvious they had come to the right place. There was a clattering sound, as though somebody was hitting the walls of the cave with another stone. Once they entered through the corridor, they saw Kairi doing just that. She was etching a new picture on the wall of a bird.

When she heard their footsteps, she stopped. “Sora? Riku?”

Sora smiled and waved. “Hey Kairi.”

She gently put the stone down, turning away from her drawing to face them. “I’d have thought you guys would’ve gone back by now.”

“When we saw your boat at the dock, we got worried,” Sora explained. “So we went looking.”

“Besides, we couldn’t leave here without you.” Riku extended a hand to her. “You should know us better than that by now, Kairi.”

Kairi gave a small smile, though she hid it behind her hands. “Sorry for worrying you. I just needed some time alone.” She brushed past both of them, heading for the cave’s entrance. “Come on, let’s go back!”

“Hang on.” Sora grabbed Kairi’s wrist before she could continue onward. Despite her insisting she was okay, this wasn’t normal. Not for her. “You didn’t tell us what was wrong.”

Kairi stood still, not saying anything. She remained quiet long enough that Sora wasn’t sure that she would tell them what was wrong, but before he could ask again, she spoke. “It was the comment Selphie made.”

“The what…?” Sora frowned, trying to think of something she had said that could’ve upset Kairi.

“The one about your memories?” Riku asked. Kairi nodded. “You seemed a little off after that.”

“It wasn’t meant to be such a big deal, just…” She trailed off, as though trying to decide how much she wanted to let Sora and Riku know. “Sometimes, I wonder about what my life was like before I came to the islands. About my old homeworld, and about the friends and family I had before I came here.” She looked towards them. “I know there isn’t anything that can be done about it, and normally I try not to let it bother me. What she said just brought all of it back up.”

“Oh.” Admittedly, there wasn’t a lot that Sora could do to help reassure her. There was no way for Sora to help her access those memories and remind her of what they contained, and so it was a problem with no real solution to be had. “Well, I know we can’t really make up for the memories you’re missing, but there’s all the memories you’ve made with us. And the home you have now.” He grinned, letting go of Kairi’s arm to put his hands behind his head.

Kairi nodded. “I know, and I wouldn’t trade getting to know you guys for any amount of time on my homeworld, but still…”

“You wonder about the life you used to have out there, and about the world you left behind.”  Riku filled in the silence Kairi left behind.

“I had to have a family before I was here. They must be so worried about whether or not I’m okay.” Kairi rocked on her feet, smiling despite the small amount of hurt in her voice. “But I’ll be fine. It’s not like I remember them anyways.”

“Then that means they’re out there looking for you, right?” Sora asked. “They’ll have to come across our islands so long as they keep looking.”

Riku shook his head. “We don’t need to wait for them. Maybe instead of that, we could go to the other worlds. We could find your homeworld, Kairi!”

The idea had merit. The three of them were decent at fighting if they ran into anything dangerous, they were smart, and they were experienced in traveling at least the short distance between the main and play islands. They could handle themselves long enough to make it off the islands and find another world. And then they could keep exploring the worlds as long as it took.

“I’d like to try.” Sora nodded, turning to Kairi. “What about you, Kairi?”

“What if it’s dangerous? I don’t want you getting hurt for me.” Kairi bit her lip and frowned, almost as though she held a memory of a threat she wished she could forget. A threat that could put them all in danger. 

“We won’t.” Riku insisted, trying to put her mind at ease. “You don’t have to worry about a thing, Sora and I will stay safe, and we can help protect you too.”

“You sure?” Kairi asked. Riku nodded, and just like that, the worried expression vanished before Sora could ask why. “Then in that case, let’s do it!”

“Hold on, aren’t you forgetting something?” Riku asked. Kairi tilted her head. “We still need to figure out how we’re going to get there.”

That was a part of the plan Sora hadn’t thought out yet. He looked around the walls of the cave, searching for any sort of inspiration before his eyes locked on the picture of the bird. “We could fly there!”

“Fly?” Kairi smiled, much more genuine than before.

“Yeah! On a ship. Like a rocket.” Sora could see it now. Obviously, they would need to fly to get off the different worlds. It wouldn’t be that hard to navigate the stars above if they could fly.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to get a rocket.” Riku shook his head and crossed his arms, clearly doubting Sora’s plan for them to get off the islands.  “We can’t make one either, we don’t have the materials.”

Sora pouted. “So what’s your idea then?”

“I think we could make a portal. It couldn’t be that hard.” When Riku mentioned the portal, Sora saw a brief glimpse of a woman flying away in armor from the islands in a light portal in the sky. A memory from a long time ago.

“Do you know how to make portals?” Kairi asked. 

Riku hesitated. “Well…no, but it can’t be that hard to learn, right?”

“Well…considering we don’t have any magic books…” she pointed out. Riku frowned, as though bothered by the lack of knowledge, or possibly trying to remember something from long ago.

“Okay then, fine. What’s your great idea?”

“Well, I think there’s some merit to your portal idea. Just… rather than summoning it, we could find an item to open one, or maybe teleport us around them.” Kairi started to walk out of the cave, causing Sora and Riku to follow her back out onto the beach. “But I’m not really sure we could find something like that here…”

Kairi was right. If such an item did exist in their world, it would be well hidden and hard to find, and somebody would have likely found it by that point, making the idea unlikely to work. 

“It still seems like my method is the most likely then. I’m sure it can’t be that hard to learn how to summon one.” Riku smirked. Kairi shook her head. “What?”

“You’re just saying that because it’s your idea, aren’t you?”

“What, no, I’m not!”

Riku and Kairi continued their bickering as they emerged back onto the beach. As they walked to the docks, Sora stopped. He looked at the boats, an idea starting to form. “Hey guys,” he said. “What about a raft?”

Kairi and Riku stopped, turning to face him. “A raft.” Sora nodded. “Of course.” He ran up to the dock’s edge, looking over the ocean into the horizon. “The ocean can’t go on forever, no matter how big it looks. If we just keep sailing, we’ll hit the end of our world, and then…”

Riku and Kairi caught on, both of them running up beside him to overlook the ocean. 

“Then we’ll be in another world.” Riku’s voice was hardly more than a whisper, almost as though he couldn’t believe the idea Sora had said might actually work. 

“And then once we’re there, I bet we can find a better mode of transportation to keep going.” Kairi grinned. “It wouldn’t take much to make it either. Just some logs, rope, and tarps.”

“All of those are things we have here!” Sora turned away from the horizon towards Riku first, and then Kairi, all too excited about the plan he was starting to form. “It wouldn’t take long to build it either, if we’re all working together.”

“How far do you think it is?” Kairi asked. “What if it’s a long journey ahead?”

“Then we gather food and water from the island before we go.” Riku jumped into the planning, now just as enthusiastic. “If Sora and I hunt for supplies together from here, and we grab some things from home, we should be able to gather more than enough food to last the journey.”

“What will I be doing while you’re doing that?” Kairi asked, pouting.

“The most important job, of course. You’ll put together the raft for us,” Riku answered. “You are the one best at making things.”

Kairi laughed. “Are you sure I’ll be able to do it alone?”

“You won’t know until you try,” Riku said. Sora nodded in agreement.

“Alright, I’ll try.” Though judging by the sounds of suppressed laughter, it seemed as though Kairi still doubted she’d be able to do it without their help.It wasn’t a problem to Sora though. All three of them would gather the materials, then they would build the raft and gather the supplies, and then after that, they could sail to the edge of the world right until they found a new one.

It was such a simple plan, and yet Sora knew it would work. The three of them would be able to use it to make it off the island. “We should start working tomorrow!”

Riku and Kairi nodded, and there was an excitement buzzing between the three of them as they continued discussing everything they would need.

The raft would take them where they needed to go, and then they would find Kairi’s home world.

Their adventure was about to begin.

[foreteller-ava]

I'm committing myself.

[foreteller-ava]

Restless Nights

FFN | AO3

Summary: Timpani still isn't okay. Blumiere notices.

A/N: Part of the gift exchange for the @ultimate-spm-blog's server. For @maidpun.

Blumiere held Timpani while she slept. He was surprised she had chosen to let him stay with her for the night after everything she had been through. His father had hurt her, had tried to scare her off and do everything in his power to keep them apart, but even after her protests, she had let him stay, their love for each other winning out.

His hands traced around the yellowing bruises that dotted her arm, something he only wished he could do something to fix. She hadn't deserved any of what had happened; Timpani was simply too good for that. She deserved the world, not this mess, not everything that his father had decided had to happen simply because she was human.

She mumbled something he couldn't make out and curled into him closer. He was unsure whether she was talking to him or simply in her sleep, so he whispered to her. "I'm sorry."

Timpani looked up at him, her eyes still clouded by sleep. "Was already 'wake." Her voice was slurred as she struggled to stay awake rather than return to sleep.

"It wasn't my touch?" he asked. She shook her head. "What woke you then?"

"Don't worry about it." She didn't look up at him, instead grabbing onto his chest a little tighter and buried her face into him once more. "Not a big deal."

"Timpani…"

"I promise." Her voice was muffled as she spoke, not bothering to move. "It isn't your concern."

Her words felt final, like a resolve that made it difficult for Blumiere to pry further, it meant it was about one of two things: she either had lied when she said he hadn't been the one to wake her up, or she had woken up because of something to do with his father's actions that she still refused to elaborate on just what had happened. He doubted it was the first.

He sighed. He knew Timpani well enough by now to know that she wouldn't tell him what was going on if he pried. Still, he wished he could do more. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here."

"I know." Her hands raised to the back of his head, playing with the blue hair lying at the base of his neck without saying anything more. Her touch was soothing, and had he not been aware that he would eventually have to return home to face his father, Blumiere would have been content to do nothing more than to fall asleep without a second thought. He closed his eyes anyway, knowing it couldn't hurt.

Only to find that she had stopped, and he felt the feeling of his glasses being lifted right off his face. He opened his eyes, the world around him significantly less clear with the exception of Timpani's face, a mischievous grin upon it. Though he could barely see it, he was able to make out the rough shape of his glasses within her hand.

"Timpani, I need those." She shook his head, trying to keep a smile off his face at her antics. He was aware it was a distraction to keep him from asking about her pain, but that didn't stop his amusement, or the way his heart always softened whenever he saw her smile.

She giggled. "I want to try them on." She didn't wait for a response before placing them on her face, blinking a few times at the inevitable sting from wearing glasses far stronger than what she needed. "How do you even see with these on, Blumy?"

"I need them, that's how." He smiled, extending his hand out for Timpani to pass him the glasses back, but she didn't. "I really do need those back."

Timpani gave a dramatic sigh before placing his glasses back on his face, and the world came back into a sharp focus with his vision returned. He adjusted them, returning them back to the position on his face that would be most comfortable. "I suppose it's for the best, they were starting to hurt my eyes anyways."

"That does tend to happen when they're not made for you." Blumiere cupped her face, bringing her in closer to give her a kiss on the forehead.

They fell back into an easy silence, and Blumiere contemplated letting Timpani drift back to sleep for a bit before he would have to return to the castle once more. She was probably still tired, and she needed the chance to recover in peace. She would most definitely prefer it if he let it drop.

But he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let it drop. He was worried, and those worries wouldn't go away just because she was able to smile and tease him. He shook his head. "Are…you sure you're alright?"

She didn't respond. The longer she remained silent, the more he considered that he may have missed his chance; that she had fallen asleep and that the conversation would be dropped. He had started to consider letting it go when she finally spoke. "I guess I couldn't fool you." She gave him a smile, one that reminded him of the same one she wore when she told him she loved him, but that they couldn't be. It was a smile he was really starting to hate every time it was on her face. "I hoped…I'd hoped that if I just pretended I was okay, that by the time you did notice, I would be."

He brushed a hand against her shoulder, hoping to provide her reassurance. "That's not how this works."

"I know." She nodded, but didn't elaborate any further than that. One of her hands played with the collar of his shirt while the other played with his hair at the base of his neck.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. He wanted to know, of course, but if she said no then he would back off. She would talk about it when she was ready.

"I've…I had a nightmare. I've been having them since your father." She didn't say anything more about their content, simply burying her head in his chest. "Blumy I…I don't want to lose you."

He understood. She'd been threatened into breaking up with him on his father's order. It had never been a choice for her, and it would never be a choice she would take. Even if she never told him what happened in those nightmares, he could only imagine them. Whether she was having dreams of his father hurting her far worse than she could ever imagine or if they were dreams of him leaving her behind didn't matter: what mattered was until those dreams were gone, Blumiere would do what he could to ensure that those dreams wouldn't haunt her anymore. "You won't, I'm not going anywhere."

She didn't look at him, and he could only imagine in her head that she was replaying the awful words and threats that his father had told her to get her to leave, that she was trying so hard to believe him so that way she could will those fears away, so that way her nightmares would finally stop.

He decided to pull her out of her head, tilting her head up so he could kiss her. Soft and sweet, lingering only for a moment. Tears had begun to form in the corner of her eyes, and so he wiped them away. "I love you Timpani. Never forget that."

She smiled at him, small and tentative. "I love you too."

[foreteller-ava]

We're Here For You

FFN | AO3

Summary: Minako misses her SEES. Akihiko attempts to comfort her.

A/N: This is a revamped version of a fic from 2019, so if you're like "I read this before" actually you did. It's revamped enough to be worth republishing because I just wasn't super happy with the og.

If you click ffn, you get the og fic. If you click ao3, you get the new fic. The read more is obviously the new fic and here's my tumblr post for the og.

“Uhhhhh, so are you a student from Gekkoukan High?”

“I mean I suspected that I had a few secret fans at school, but to think I’d meet one here in this weird place.”

“But none of us know her -- myself included.”

Minako had meant it when she’d told the Phantom Thieves she was happy so long as the rest of SEES was there, and that she wanted to help them. Their leader, whomever he may have been, deserved to be safe from harm and she had a feeling he’d do the exact same thing if this were her SEES and he was the one who had been dumped away from them. He was their leader after all, and she couldn’t imagine SEES taking a leader who wouldn’t do anything for them.

But even with the knowledge that he would help her too, it didn't take away from the fact that this wasn’t her SEES.

They wore the faces of her friends, they acted like her friends, they even talked amongst each other like her friends, but they didn't know who she was. They didn’t recognize her and she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge that fact in front of them. She hardly even wanted to acknowledge it at all. Her emotions were her own to bear; they couldn’t become their burden.

She thought she could handle it at first. When she first saw them, she’d put on her signature brand Minako smile, told them it was fine, and continued traveling through the labyrinth as though nothing had happened. But then in the lobby she’d watched Junpei and Yukari bickering, and Shinjiro and Koromaru had been playing happy in the corner, and Akihiko had offered her a beef bowl and the similarities started piling up until all she could see were her SEES and all she could do was think about the fact that they just didn’t know who she was at all, and she’d bolted. She’d run from their laughter and love and the concerned look Akihiko wore on his face when she couldn’t handle it any longer.

She ran as far and as fast as she could, only stopping when she was hidden by the darkness of the Kamoshidaman theater. It was supposed to only be a moment. It didn’t take her long to gather herself back together and bring herself back to normal after a rough day or a difficult moment. It was, after all, what she did best. But then the sobs started and they couldn’t stop, and all she could do was curl up in one of the seats and try to muffle herself enough that nobody who came in would hear. 

Her breathing had only just started to even out when she heard her voice in his name. “Minako, are you here?” She bit at the collar of her shirt, trying to muffle her sobs so Akihiko wouldn’t hear. “If you didn’t want anything, you could’ve just said so. I wouldn’t have been offended.” She didn’t respond, hoping to hide from his attention. “Akira is looking to send us out again soon. He said he wants you on the team.”

Akira could jump into the movie all by himself for all she cared. She couldn’t bring herself to face the other SEES. Not until she was sure that she could face them.

“Senpai, did you find her yet?” Yukari’s voice came in next. “Mitsuru-senpai and Junpei said she wasn’t in either of the other two theaters. And Fuuka and I couldn’t find her in the bathroom either.”

“Not yet.” She could imagine Akihiko shaking his head as he sighed. His disappointment at being unable to find her was clear in her voice. “Go report to Mitsuru and have Akira check the Velvet Room. If she’s like our leader, then she could just be trying to strengthen our arsenal before we go out.”

“What about you?” Minako could only hope Yukari would leave soon. It was bad enough that Akihiko could possibly see her like this, she didn’t want to hear Yukari’s reaction too.

“I’m gonna check the whole theater. We can’t leave without her.” Minako’s hopes of remaining hidden were dashed. There was only one exit out of the theater, and even if she tried to sneak away, it was unlikely that she could escape undetected. She could either stay hidden and hope that Akihiko didn’t notice her, or she could try to control the situation and leave on her own. She wiped the tears from her eyes, thankful for the black fabric hiding the tear stains. She took a deep breath, steadying herself so that she was no longer gasping for air, and put back on her smile. She wasn’t ready for everything, but if she could fool her SEES into thinking she was okay, then she could fool this SEES too.

“Hi Akihiko-senpai, Yukari.” She waved to both of them. The look of relief on their faces was immediate. “Sorry for running off like that earlier, I just needed to cool off a bit. I figured Kamoshidaman was a good place to do some training.”

“Of course.” Yukari nodded. Minako could hear the relief that she wasn’t in the Velvet Room. It was something she understood, Theo was overwhelming enough sometimes; having him and all of his sisters was even worse. “Akira wanted you on the team for the next trip. Do you want me to tell him you’re on your way?”

“Please do! I’ll meet with you guys in a few minutes.” Minako pulled out her phone, making a show of pulling up the alarm app. “I’ll set an alarm so I don’t forget if you want to go now.” It was all for show, but the sooner that Akihiko and Yukari left, the sooner she could actually pull herself back together again.

Yukari left. She expected Akihiko to follow after her, but he stayed. His intense gaze felt like it could, felt like it was looking for any inclination that she had lied. “Minako, I’m...glad you’re alright.” He wasn’t her Akihiko, but he had been worried for her anyways despite barely knowing who she was.

She needed to smile, as big and bright as possible if it meant getting through this conversation as quickly as possible. “Of course, senpai! I’m sorry I worried you.”

Akihiko nodded, looking her over. He seemed unsure how to act, but then again, her Akihiko had been the same: first hesitant on how to handle the new juniors on the team, and the uncertain how to handle himself when Minako had been a part of his life he couldn’t imagine being without. So he had claimed at least.

The reminder of the similarities made it harder for her to hold back the tears, and she felt them sting at the corner of her eyes as they threatened to fall. She closed her eyes, hoping that when paired with her smile, it would be enough. “I’m serious Akihiko-senpai! I’m doing fine.”

“I thought you were at first, but…” He trailed off, trying to think of how to word it. “When we first saw you in the movie, your smile was different. It was brighter.” She didn’t know what to say. Perhaps she should have expected him to notice, he may not have known her, but it wasn’t like Akihiko to ignore the hurt of somebody he considered a friend. It hadn’t taken long for her Akihiko to warm up to her in the dorm, and it hadn’t taken long for this one to do so as well.

(She didn’t need to warm up to him. The similarities were so obvious that despite the loss of six months, it still felt like him.)

“I’ll be fine.” She couldn’t let him worry for her, not now. “It’s just...a lot to take in. That’s all.”

Akihiko didn’t respond, waiting for an elaboration, and when she opened her eyes to his understanding face in front of her, the realization that he wanted to try so hard for her despite not knowing who she was caused her to break, and the tears that had been pooling in her eyes began to spill over. “I miss my SEES. Being with the Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team was hard, but it wasn’t so bad because I could look forward to seeing them. Then you guys were here and I just…it was proof that my SEES wasn’t.” 

“Minako…” He tried to reach out for her, but she shrugged out from under his arm before he could try, unable to meet his gaze. 

Guilt burned through her at how helpless he looked. This had been the exact reason why she hadn’t wanted them to see her, why she hadn’t wanted them to know. It wasn’t their fault that they were the ones grabbed and not her friends. “I want to help you all find your leader. I promise. I just…need time…needed time.” She pulled at the bow of her uniform, tugging at the sides. “Hearing Junpei bickering with Yukari just reminded me of how much I miss my best friend, even if he doesn’t shut up about how much he loves the girl from Strega. And seeing Shinjiro so content with Koromaru reminded me of how happy he was making food with Fuuka, even when she can’t cook and then you…” She laughed, though it carried little mirth or joy. “You remind me so much of my Aki. You took me for food because you knew I was upset even if you don’t know me and you’ve sat here listening when you could just walk away because you care and…” Her rambling stopped as she heard him sit down on one of the chairs. When she could finally meet his gaze, she registered the dumbfounded expression he wore. She tried to go over everything she had said, trying to figure out just what would leave him so surprised before she realized exactly what it was.

She called him Aki.

“I’m sorry, Senpai.” She bowed her head, unable to shake the guilt of everything that she had offloaded onto him. “That’s a nickname only for you and Shinjiro, I shouldn’t–”

“We’re close in your world, aren’t we?” He didn’t acknowledge her apology, instead watching her reaction. He was trying to figure out if that was the truth. It wasn’t hard to guess. She’d said it herself, it was a name that only his childhood best friend referred to him as. With this Akihiko, it wasn’t her place. 

She nodded slowly, and his face fell. Guilt was written plain as day on his face, from the way his brows furrowed and his eyes looked down to the uneasy turn of his mouth. He felt guilty for something completely out of his control. For hurting her when it wasn’t even his fault. And that was so completely him. It was exactly what she had wanted to avoid.

“It’s not your fault.” She wanted to reassure him. It really wasn’t his fault that she was alone. It wasn’t anybody’s and she wouldn’t blame him for it if it was.

Akihiko shook his head at the notion. “Doesn’t matter who’s fault it is. You don’t deserve to feel alone while you’re here.” In an attempt to comfort her, Akihiko hugged her, and Minako couldn’t bring herself to pull him away. He wasn’t her Akihiko, he didn’t love her in the same way that hers did, but she couldn’t stop herself from taking comfort in him anyways. She buried her face in his chest, refusing to let go and he let her cry until her sobs calmed and her breathing finally evened out. 

“Feeling better?” he asked when she pulled away.

Minako nodded, her cheeks burning a light pink. “Thank you, senpai.” She gave him a smile, smaller than the one she had given him earlier, but much more sincere.

Akihiko smiled back. “I’m glad, that’s the smile I want to see.” She felt her blush deepen. “It’s nicer than the one you gave me earlier.”

“Because this one’s real.” It was only when she said it, did she realize it was true. At least for now, she felt happy. She may still miss her friends, and that fact caused her hurt, but could still make the most of it, could still help herself feel better, could still look forward to everything that might come. “You said Akira was looking for me, right? We shouldn’t keep him waiting any longer, we have to find your leader after all!”

Akihiko nodded and started leading the way before stopping to face her. “Minako...if you’re ever feeling down like this again. Let us know.” 

“We may not truly be your SEES, but just like them, we’re here for you.”

[foreteller-ava]

Dear Writers

Okay I saw part of this question going around, and I think a poll might be easier, but also I was ridiculously curious about whether writing linearly or not affects the outcome of single vs multi docs, as well as

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I miss your writing! Please write something Blumiere related!

I know this is a request but I figure it's only fair to tell you my current project is actually heavily SPM and heavily Blumiere centric! So I won't be doing a request for this one but I do think you'll be happy to see what I'm working on right now when it releases.

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Preview of my piece for @destinytriofanzine! Pre-orders are still open so go grab a copy.

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