#He would let the new height go to his head SOOO FAST its not even funny like. just absolute menacery

[dhmis-autism]

Hey hello!

Here are some colored doodles of the fun little DHMIS bodyswap idea thought up by the very fun, very smart @escargon! I did them way back when and wanted to finish them up to add to the fun lol.

It was sooo much fun to draw and I hope I made it clear whos who by the body language/dialogue but if not! I put a helpful little diagram in there. Also,as well, I think if Duck had access to a relatively-normal sized body like Reds’ that duckman is dressing up and NO ONE can stop him. So that’s the last two.

[bagelbright-tok]

Take Me to Funkytown!

____   

Yellow Temperance proves to be a great enemy to Jotaro. Without much of an aid there to assist the teen, he hasn’t much of a choice but to fight for his life. After trying to burn and freeze temperance off of his finger, hope is lost. At least, until an odd individual dances their way into the fight. Ally or enemy? Temperance and Jotaro are unsure.

Jotaro x fem!Reader [Platonic One-shot]

Italics = the music

Word Count: 1,564 Warning(s): Violence, swearing, negligence, bit of social isolation, intense grooving, swearing again, gross horny man tries hitting on reader, I did not re-read __ Blame It on the Boogie! __

You were mostly just touring Singapore for your own personal reasons. You had nothing else to do and you got bored quickly. So, you packed your bags and left for Singapore. You had the essentials; clothes, personal hygiene products, and your Walkman cassette player and headphones. The flights over were smooth as could be. Not like you noticed much anyhow. Most of the time, you had your headphones on, listening to the several cassettes you also had brought in your bag. Since you’d left, you’d made 0 social interactions with other humans. That didn’t bother you in the least. You didn’t necessarily care much for making friends along the way. In fact, you dreaded when people would talk to you. They were annoying, quite frankly. So you would drown out the voices with your music. The only problem was that you would get sick of listening to the same songs over and over again. The perks of traveling were being able to try out new music from places around the world.

Your thoughts were mostly blank while you peered out of the train window at the city you were approaching. “Hey pretty lady~!”

A man’s voice quickly pierced the air around you. But you couldn’t hear him over your loud music. He noticed that quickly and took this as a sign to sit right next to you. “What’s a girl like you sitting all by yourself?”

You scooted away from him once you noticed he had sat next to you. Your smiling expression quickly turned into a frustrated one. You couldn’t hear the man, but his presence alone made you uncomfortable. You became infuriated when you felt his hand remove your headphones. “C’mon girl, don’t-”

You didn’t let him finish as you summoned your Stand, and sent it lunging at the man. Your Stand, Ace’s Wand, representing the tarot card Ace of Wands, was a Stand with the form that could vary depending on your mood and the sounds in the air. With you angry without music, your Stand took on a horrifying form that you could barely comprehend. The noises it made as well were scary. All you could see was the body of the annoying man getting flung like a ragdoll. His body was crumpled like a piece of paper on the other end of the train.

You scoffed, grabbed your headphones, and returned to your position. Your music continued and your site seeing went on. Everyone was scared and confused as they surrounded the man in concern. “Won’t you take me to Funkytown?” You bobbed your head to the beat while everyone whispered in a hushed and terrified tone.

***

The train ride turned into a cableway ride. You sat in a cable car with a man, his kid, and their dog. The kid happily snacked on his popsicle as he enjoyed the view from the car. You were doing the same, except you were listening to your music instead of snacking on a popsicle. Looking out the window, you noticed a guy on a cylindrical shaped building that was tall enough to reach the height of the cable car. It was an odd sight for sure, you even gave him a confused squint. You noticed his sights landing on your cable car. You blinked a couple of times. Your eyes quickly widened when you saw him back up, then charge forth towards your car.

“Oh shit!” You whispered loudly. The teen landed on the car and clutched to the side you had been viewing from. You noticed a purple figure emerge from him and rip the door off the car. Things only got weirder. The man peered at you, then turned his attention to the kid with the popsicle. 

“Hey kid, I am gonna need to use this.” The kid began to cry until the teen spoke again, “Alright, I’ll buy you a new popsicle when we reach the ground.”

The kid nodded, and the tall teen rose back to his height. Your headphones had been knocked off during the impact of the teen crashing into the car. You hardly noticed, even hearing the teen talk and hearing yourself talk. “Whoa! What an entrance! What the hell are you doing?” You blurted out.

“Is this your kid, lady?” The black haired teen asked.

“What? Hell no.”

“Then shut up and enjoy the view.”

Your brows furrowed at that statement. It was of annoyance, but then it turned into confusion when you noticed the yellow blob on the teen’s hand. Just what was going on? You could only ask this as the teen pressed the cold treat onto the yellow substance, wincing in pain in the process as the gross yellow jello spiked and stabbed into his hand. Things only escalated when another presence began to enter the cable car through the door that the teen had rudely ripped off. The presence was similar to the substance on the teenager’s hand, except larger and with another person inside.

“Can’t you get it through your thick skull?” The deep male voice spoke in a taunting manner that sent shivers down your own spine. “My Stand, Yellow Temperance, is indestructible! No matter how much power you may have, you cannot beat my Stand!”

Well shit. It means you’ve found yourself in a Stand battle. You found yourself even more infuriated than before on the train. The black haired teen referred to as Jotaro had ripped a pole from the car and tried to swing it at Yellow Temperance. It wasn't just Jotaro, though. It was his Stand, a large purple humanoid entity that was clearly fast and strong. Angered, you put on your headphones and stood up. It was as the Stand projected itself onto Jotaro and the cable car that things got weird.

Jotaro and the user of Yellow Temperance were now looking at you. Your expression was scrunched up and you could feel the heat rising. With the beat of your music, you had better control of your Stand. "Don't blame it on the sunshine!"

You moved with the rhythm and summoned your Stand without further comment. "Don't blame it on the moonlight."

"Holy shit!" Temperance's user yelled in horror as his eyes laid on your Stand. You could barely make that out with your music as loud as it is.

"What the hell!" Jotaro also exclaimed, but not as loud. Based on Temperance's reaction, it clued him in on the fact that you are clearly not with him. A relief, but also, you aren't with the Joestars.

"Don't blame it on the good times." Just as Temperance was about to latch onto you, you sent out your Stand first. "Blame it on the-!" "BOOGIE!" Your Stand screeched as it went up against the yellow Stand.

The enemy user only screamed as he witnessed your Stand vigorously and aggressively stabbing and digging through his sludge. Even while your Stand could make contact with his, it couldn't be said that the situation could be switched around. Your Stand's form was horrifying in itself, but the idea that his Stand with no weaknesses couldn't touch your Stand was just as terrifying. 

Jotaro realized the opportunity he had now. The enemy had even panicked and removed his Stand from Jotaro. He wasn't even paying attention to Jotaro anymore. You knew why. The fear was overwhelming. You are the greater threat at the moment to him. You bore your eyes into Jotaro, telling him to make his move if he wants it. Your Stand was slowly making its way closer and closer to the user with its claws. Just as your Stand was about to make it to the enemy, with him sobbing, Jotaro used his Stand's fist to punch the user and knock him unconscious. Your Ace's Wand stopped mere inches away from The Temperance card holder. Your Stand emitted a sickly wheeze of laughter before being de-manifested. You were still grooving to the song, though.

"This magic music grooves me! That dirty rhythm moves me! The devil's gotten to me through this dance!"

Jotaro was unsure of how to communicate with you. That uncertainty was cleared up, though, when you yourself removed your ear buds and spoke.

"Hey! Jotaro right?" You chuckled, pointing at him. Jotaro nodded, knowing you had caught his name in the fight. "That was pretty cool. We should do that again sometime."

"What?" Is all Jotaro could murmur in confusion as response to your suggestion.

"I'm [Y/N] [L/N]." Your pointing finger turned into an open palm hand to shake Jotaro's. "I'm a Stand user, too. Not like.." You looked down at the unconscious and shirtless man at your feet. "...him, though. I'm cool, like you."

Jotaro hated women who fawned over him. Most of the female students who crowded him referred to him as "cool," as well. Hearing you say it, though, was different. It wasn't of lust or love like those ladies at school. It was of genuine friendship and curiosity.

"That's.. Great." Jotaro said, extending his hand out and shaking yours. "Hey, I have a question…"

"Go ahead and shoot!" You shook his hand and returned yours to your side.

"Could you join us on our mission to Egypt?" Jotaro is well versed in being blunt and very straightforward. Not that you would know that.

You paused and processed what he had said. " "Our...?" Mission..? Egypt!?"

___

E N D.

A/N: AAAA! This has been sitting in my docs for sooo long! I had no idea where to take it and how to end it. Finally figured it out though! Apologies if it seems rushed or half-assed. This one is very similar to the In With A Bang one-shot. Introducing a character in that fashion. Also, In With A Bang has reached over 100 notes!! That's fuckin bonkers! Please go give it a read if you haven't! I promise it's better than this one, lol!

[sukiglycerin]

starless fairy tales || keigo takami, katsuki bakugou.

* pairing: keigo takami (hawks) x reader x katsuki bakugou (gender neutral!)

* genre: it’s a sandwich: angst on the top, fluff in the middle, and angst at the end :) not fantasy DLKFSF IM SORRY

* words: 5.2k, somehow

* warnings: angsty, reader is wary of hawks at first, tokyo skytree!! so don’t read if you’re terribly afraid of heights, a reference to blood for a small metaphor, a reference to the league of villains ;P, cliffhanger ending that i’m not sure i’ll resolve

* original request from @bien-sur: hey, saw you wanted requests and I read through some of your work, really loved the Hawks one shot!! i’m a sucker for enemies who make out. i’m feeling angsty so uh maybe, if you want, a bakugo one-shot where he kind of uh cheats on the reader...? or maybe just hurts her feelings very badly? maybe the reader feels numb for a while but is comforted by Keigo, and the reader realizes they deserve better? so sorry if this is out of your comfort zone or it’s dark content(?) anyways I like your writing so i’ll read a few more of your works before going to bed :)) thank you, i appreciate u taking the time to do requests regardless of whether you do mine :)

* a/n: ENEMIES TO LOVERS IS SUPERIOR!! i was so excited to write an enemies piece with hawks. this showcases the soft, kind side of hawks so i hope you enjoy it !! thank you sooo much for being so kind in your request! this request is completely fine. i added much more plot than i’d expected, and learned sooo much about tokyo skytree. i couldn’t do infidelity because it hurts me too much and i love bakugou too much. i tried to keep the angst.,., but happy birb..,., this might become a multi-chap fic, as i do have a plot jumbled in my head because of the cliffhanger, and i’d like to develop more aspects of your request! for now, it’s up to your interpretation! biggest thing i got out of this: i now really, really want to go to tokyo skytree.

* synopsis: you had a fairy tale love with bakugou until your prince became the villain for vague reasons. in a moment of serendipity, you find a new prince, hawks, who just might take you high enough to reach the stars you’d so longed for. sometimes your dreams are only a train ride and a couple elevator trips away.

love was like a fairy tale. at least, that’s what you’d believed. love, with its ornate leather cover and soft golden embellishments. the pages would be worn but so cherished; the black ink printed in a pretty font, telling of charming words and whispered promises under the shining moonlight and twinkling stars. it was supposed to be your security, a castle hidden in the lush forest away from the horrors of the world. your castle would hold you and bakugou for an eternity, kept away in the pages of a pretty love story. 

alas, even the strongest of castles fall, and the most beautiful of forests mangle. yours just happened to be a bit quicker. contrary to the illusion bakugou had painted in your fairy tale, your castle was not of stone nor brick nor iron. it was not of anything but sand, waiting for its turn to be washed away by the sea. your castle slipped through your fingers; the once elaborate stronghold now swept into the depths of the cerulean sea. what had once been painted seashells of wondrous hues and crystals that illuminated the night were now pebbles and corroded versions of things that had once been. it had slipped through your fingers so easily without a passing thought; now here you were, in your deserted kingdom, playing the fool. 

like the sand past your fingers, love had once come easy for you and bakugou. it was always there, drifting in the air as you walked or swirling above your heads while you bickered. love was supposed to be easy, like how your hand just fit in bakugou's as if sculpted after many lives with him. love was supposed to be easy, like how bakugou aced his tests in school and nonchalantly taught you math so you wouldn't have to attend cram school. love was supposed to be easy, like how it had been for forever with bakugou. but your fairy tale was now coming to a close, velvet curtains falling and pages turning to dust. 

you wondered if there were any fairy tales on the shelves of books bakugou had. contrary to popular belief at ua, bakugou was an avid reader. it was clear by the shelves that lined the wall in his dorm and the stacks of unread books on his nightstand. you never touched them, though bakugou had said you were free to pick them up whenever you wanted. the only time you’d touched a book from his bookshelf was when he pushed a book of yosano akiko’s to you. 

the colored spines of the books on his shelf in your shared apartment all blurred like paint on a palette as you stared at them, bakugou’s voice becoming a fading afterthought.

“y/n? y/n, please…” the voice which had so held you in its tight warmth went cold and unfamiliar. a light flickered out in your castle, and so started the crumbling.

“say…” you started, your throat clogged with disbelief, “it again.”

“please, don’t make me…” his voice trailed off. you could feel his deep scarlet eyes trained on you. “i just…. i’m not in love with you anymore, y/n.” his voice cracked. “you’ve got to understand. please.”

your hand trembled in your lap, your vision shifting out of focus like a faulty camera. 

“i tried to feel something, i really did. but…. i can’t.”

“how- how long?” your voice shook.

he paused. “a month… or two, by now?” he reached out to take your hand in his, but it no longer felt right. it was as if his hand was no longer yours to hold. you tensed, moving your hand away.

a light went out in his eyes as he understood and receded his hand. a tower fell in your castle.

“okay,” you said, turning away from him. tears dripped down your face silently and you quickly wiped them away with your sleeve. you stood up from the couch. “i’ll get my things,” you hollowly said, walking toward your shared room with him.

“you don’t need to,” bakugou said. the voice emitted from his throat was no longer his, but the shadow of a stranger’s. “not this fast, at least. don’t force yourself.”

“what makes you say that?” you snapped a bit too harshly. “sorry,” you added quietly.

packing your things was a numbing process. you left the photos of him and you on his nightstand, on top of his pile of unread books. you shoved it all in a backpack you had lying around; your clothes, your phone, your books. you took one last glance around the room and left. bakugou was still sitting on the couch wordlessly, not bothering to say farewell to you as you opened the door and walked out. not that you would’ve responded anyway. 

you realized you may have made a miscalculation as you stood cluelessly in the lobby of the apartment building. you had nowhere to go. you fumbled with your phone in your backpack and pulled up your contacts. you knew of no one in your contacts who’d let you stay; they were either on vacation or far away. in truth, bakugou was your closest friend since childhood. he was your map, your guide, your destination; where were you without him?

the wind brushed your cheek as you stood outside the entrance, watching cars pass. the world felt so big compared to the mere side character of you, who buildings loomed over like menacing shadows. it was a somewhat comforting moment, being an alone speck in the grand scheme of things. like this, it was for only a moment you’d forgotten why you were out here in the first place. you’d forgotten the warm feeling that once nestled itself in your heart, instead enraptured by the freeing breeze that rustled in it. 

red. then a breeze. that’s all you saw, eyes widening and stepping back. a man no older than you stood in front of you, hands in his pockets. vermillion wings protruded from somewhere on his back, arcing slightly over the man.

“heyyy….” he said lazily, shadows falling on his face. you started walking backward, hands discreetly feeling for the door behind you. “wait! i’m a pro-hero, i swear! i’m hawks, look it up!” he lifted his hands up in surrender, backing away from you. 

“who…. what do you want?” you asked cautiously, hand on the doorknob behind you. 

he sheepishly scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. “i, uh…. got lost…. tokyo’s such a big place, y’know?”

“where are you from?” you couldn’t really discern anything of an accent on him, other than a slightly rougher tone of speaking.

“kyushu, fukuoka…” he gestured vaguely. that explained the slight accent. “i’m in tokyo for a bit of work. business trip, y’know how it goes. haven’t visited tokyo in a while, honestly. what’s a good place for a bite? a bird is starving.”

“uh… there’s a place down the street to the right…” off the top of your head, you pointed out a cafe you and bakugou had frequented. 

“it doesn’t have chicken wings, does it?” hawks asked.

“chicken…?” you looked from him to his wings. “no, sorry.”

“don’t sweat it! ‘s fine. hey, i might as well treat you for wasting your time. where’re you heading off to? i could pay for a cab, if you gotta go.”

“ah, thank you....” you said bashfully. “i’m not really in a rush anywhere.”

“really?” he looked excited, innocently so, almost like a puppy. “can i treat you to something?”

“uh… sure,” you replied, strengthening your grip on your backpack. “sure.” 

“great! off we go, m’liege!” he pointed toward the cafe and started marching. he was a sight to behold on the street, red wings standing out a mile away. you followed somewhat reluctantly, grabbing your phone to google exactly who the pro-hero “hawks” was. the name sounded vaguely familiar, but you weren’t one who knew their heroes. yeah, it was definitely him; what was your luck, meeting such a famous pro-hero on the street after being dumped by the love of your life?

he hummed a tuneless melody, turning to the cafe. he held the doorknob waiting for you, opening the door for you first. the homey cafe was decently packed for lunchtime, the quiet chatter of people filling the atmosphere. the scene reminded you of so many other times you'd gone here with bakugou; it gave you chills as you stood next to hawks. 

"hey," hawks said quietly. "you okay? you seem tense." 

you gulped and shook your head. "nah, i'm fine. just thinking about what to eat," you lied. 

he nodded, seeming to buy into the lie. stepping toward the menu, he said, "the toasted sandwiches look good."

"uh huh," you agreed absentmindedly. your attention was on the bout of people who'd turned to look at hawks, some snapping pictures on their phones. he did stand out pretty well with his wings. 

"'scuse me-!" a little girl, no more than 6 or 7, approached the hero. she had a distinctive accent; it was slightly hard to understand her. "can i 'ave a photo with ya?" her eyes got all round. "yer my big brother's favorite hero!"

 "'course, darlin'," hawks smiled. his voice somewhat mimicked hers, his dialect becoming apparent. 

once he'd taken a photo with her, more and more people started following suit, crowding him. you stood awkwardly to the side. some people didn't even know who he was, from what you could tell. you debated ordering a latte and leaving, but decided it'd be unfair to hawks. he was kind to everyone he interacted with, unlike most celebrities who just wanted fame and disregarded others.

after some time, the crowd finally dispersed, leaving you and hawks together. 

he glanced at his watch. “ah, sorry, that took a while…” he apologized. “do you have somewhere to be? i must’ve held you up…”

“nah, don’t worry about it.” you waved him off. “i, uh, actually… was just dumped by my boyfriend…” you nervously shuffled your feet. “i don’t really have a place to stay at the moment… so i’m free the entire day, i guess.” you laughed nervously.

he blinked at you, bird-like eyes wide. “you must be starving.”

you felt your face warm and you laughed - this time, a real, genuine laugh that was a missed sensation against your tongue. “yeah. yeah, i am.”

“hey, dove.” his voice suddenly got close to you, gentler. “you’re crying.”

“oh…?” you felt your cheek with the pad of your thumb. “sorry. i have tissues in my backpack, hang on…” you unzipped the front pocket and started to rummage blindly through your belongings, groping for something vaguely feeling like a packet of tissues.

“here,” he said, handing you a tissue. you turned to him gratefully, accepting the tissue and wiping your face. 

“it’s just… weird,” you said after a pause. “he’s been there all my life - my ex, i mean.” ex. such a strange name for the man you so adored; ex, crossing off the relationship you thought you’d built with him. 

hawks nodded, guiding you to a booth in the cafe. 

you continued, “sorry. you probably didn’t want to hear this today… you’re busy with your hero duties and whatnot.”

“don’t worry ‘bout it, feather,” he reassured you. “he didn’t kick you out, did he?”

“oh, no,” you clarified quickly. “i… left,” you said, abashed. “i shouldn’t’ve been so sudden, but… it was an instinct thing.”

“why’d he do it so suddenly?” hawks asked. “you didn’t see it coming, right?”

“no, i didn’t… but maybe i should’ve…” you think about the part couple months with bakugou. nothing seemed different - you’d gone on dates like normal and spent time together like a couple that loved each other. his interest in you never faltered and nor did the sparkle in his eyes dull; what had happened? what had gone so wrong? 

you realize the silence that’s fallen between you and hawks. the hero was looking at the menu behind you intently. 

“ham and cheese…” he muttered to himself. “no, teriyaki… so yummy… with coffee…” he suddenly seemed aware of your eyes staring at him. “oh, what did you want to eat?”

“i’ll probably have the teriyaki,” you said. it was your go-to sandwich choice at the cafe. you reached for your backpack to retrieve your wallet, but hawks stopped you.

“let me,” he said. “i already caused you so much inconvenience.” 

“ah, okay…” you said meekly. “thank you.”

he shrugged. “what wouldja like to drink?”

“uh… orange juice,” you said. 

“alright!” he saluted you. “your wish is my command.” he got up to order, pulling out his wallet from his pocket. the cashier was particularly animated talking to him, initiating a conversation about aerodynamics with the pro-hero from what you could hear. 

he returned with the sandwiches (made at the fastest time you swore you’d seen them prepare food) and set yours in front of you. 

“let’s dig in!” hawks said, biting into his sandwich. you agreed, taking a bite of yours as well. 

“what’s your name, by the way?” he said in between bites. “i don’t think i ever asked.”

“y/n,” you said.

“pretty,” he commented. “i’m hawks.”

“i know,” you blurted. “i googled it.”

“you did?” his pupils widened. “what’d it say??”

“uhh…” you pulled out your phone, finding the tab you used to google hawks. you turned your screen to him.

he studied the screen. “not fond of that angle,” he mused to himself. “so, why’d your boyfriend dump you?” 

you were taken aback by his candor. “he… said he didn’t love me anymore,” you admitted.

“all of a sudden? out of the blue?”

you shook your head. “he said he’d tried to endure it for a while.”

“how long?”

“a month or two,” you sighed, thinking about the sight of him sitting dejectedly on the couch this morning.

“he didn’t say anything before that?” hawks gasped. “the nerve. how long have you been together?”

“four… or five years now?” you’d been dating him since your days at ua, even when most high school romances - between childhood friends, no less - were especially rocky. he was your promised forever. 

“and he gives up after two months?” hawks set his sandwich down. “wow. some boyfriend.”

“i think there was something more to it,” you said thoughtfully. “we’ve known each other for a long…”

“you still love him, don’t you?”

“i mean… yeah….” you hadn’t given it much thought; bakugou was a habit your heart couldn’t stop thinking about. it was like depriving your heart of oxygen: foreign and wrong. “i do.”

“i’m sorry, dove,” he said. 

“your sandwich will get cold,” you said in an attempt to divert the conversation topic.

“you’re right.” he picked up his sandwich and started eating again, eyes still on you. “this place has good food.”

you hummed in agreement, distracted by the cars going by outside the window. 

“where will you stay?” he asked, halfway done with his sandwich.

hawks voiced the concern plaguing your subconscious from the moment you stepped out of bakugou’s apartment building. it was definitely not the most thoroughly well-thought out plan, and you didn’t want to come back knocking on his door in the night. besides, you weren’t sure if you could stand being there again, in the presence of a liar and someone who felt so foreign to you. you wondered how much you truly didn’t know about bakugou; were there any other lies he’d blossomed behind your back? 

you knew you might be able to stay at a hotel for a couple nights, but not for long. going back to bakugou’s place… as much as you so dreaded the mere thought, you knew it might be your absolute last resort. 

“i’m not sure,” you finally replied truthfully. hawks appeared to have come to a conclusion of sorts.

“tell ya what,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “explore tokyo with me.” he took a bite of his sandwich. continuing, he said, “‘s not often the commission puts me in the big city. i’m off today, so…”

the offer was somewhat bizarre, but what did you have to lose? you agreed, under the terms you wouldn’t be out too late. as you walked out the door, you greeted the cool outside breeze with the hope this would help you put the past behind you.

walking through tokyo with a pro-hero proved harder than it sounded. for one, people kept approaching hawks; after all, he was like a walking light-up sign that said “LOOK AT ME!” with the size and color of his wings. after every time a fan asked hawks for an autograph, he sheepishly apologized to you, and offered two autographs to you. you always laughed and declined; the trip was a reward in itself, you supposed. each acquaintance made you appreciate all the responsibilities of a pro-hero. he was charming, though. he really was, so you didn’t mind.

“skytree! let’s go there!” was the first thing hawks had said walking out of the cafe. you’d been to the skytree a couple of times in your childhood, and it was a nice memory; the tall building stretching, touching the tip of the sky. your parents had told you that stardust flecked the very top of the skytree, for it was so tall. you’d never actually reached the highest floor; it felt like a distant fantasy, as you’d always get tired before reaching the top or circumstance would interfere.

it was a five minute walk to the nearest station, and it’d be another forty or so to skytree. hawks didn’t seem to mind, though, happily promenading down the street like a kid in a candy shop. he pointed excitedly to random buildings that you hadn’t given a second thought about and rambled about the facts he knew about skytree with an accent tingeing his words more than usual. he reminded you very much so of a child going on a field trip, and his giddiness only boosted yours.

“we’re here!” his eyes glistened with anticipation when you reached the station. you’d visited the station dozens of times, but looked at it with a new light when you realized how excited hawks was. “i’ll pay; i dragged you here,” he said immediately when you started to pay for tickets. 

“really, i can’t-” you started, but he cut you off.

“let me. it’s my off day! please.” he took the two tickets he paid for. “here.”

“i don’t really have a choice, do i?”

“nope!” he was already walking away, smiling back at you and waving his ticket.

“hey- wait!” you started running after him. “wrong way!”

forty minutes later, two transfers, and one circle around the station in pursuit of skytree, you stood at the entrance of the tokyo skytree. hawks’ mouth watered at the sight of the line of restaurants in the breezeway you’d passed prior, and you had to stop him from ordering the seasonal special from mcdonald’s before turning to skytree. 

“but you just ate!” you exclaimed as he stared longingly at the ice cream being advertised on a poster. 

he pouted. “but i’m hungry…”

you took his hand (which momentarily shocked him) and guided him to the entrance. it was a bit crowded, but not overtly so. hawks was looking everywhere once you’d entered; darting from here to there, sometimes carrying small souvenirs or drinks when returning to you. you were out of energy by the time you’d reached floor 340, though hawks told you there were only 29 floors total and the name was referencing the height. it certainly didn’t feel like an exaggeration, your feet dragging on the ground as you stepped out of the oddly fast elevator. 

you begged hawks to let you rest at the cafe you saw. the cafe felt like a little oasis of tranquility, uncrowded on contrary to the other floors. it was relaxing as you stared outside the window and up at the sky. it brought you to your parents words of stars and magic, though something as modern as the skytree must be strange to intermingle with magic. in the moment you were suspended; the still sky surrounding you and the ever-moving cars below. you swore you could just reach the clouds in front of you and float, so serenely in an eternal bubble of quietude to yourself. everything else was forgotten in that moment; things were the way they always were. it was always you, in the end.

after leaving the cafe, you watched people stand on glass flooring overlooking everything below. some jumped on the glass, while some frightenedly stuck a foot on the glass and jumped back. 

“quite the view, huh?” hawks mumbled with a mouth stuffed full with chocolate cake. “i usually have to fly so far to get this view.”

you nodded. “it’s amazing...” 

“so… where d’you wanna go after this?” he asked you. 

“actually…” your thoughts went back to the stories your parents told you. “can we go up to floor 455?”

he showed a hint of surprise on his face. “really? i know we bought the tickets to do it, but if you’re tired, we can just go down.”

“no…” you cleared your throat. “it’s been something i really wanted to do.”

he took this answer and smiled, grasping your hand. “let’s walk into the sky!”

the train ride back did not go as smoothly as you hoped. the adrenaline of being 450 meters in the air had worn itself out, and the pitting realization that bakugou was no longer yours dawned on you. the sapphire sky in your fairy tale story seemed so far now, stars shattering and crumbling. you reached for a piece of a star, but each piece dissolved above your head, light that would never reach you. 

“feather,” hawks said quietly. the intense look in his eyes looked like he was building up to something important. 

“yeah?” you asked. you fixated on him.

“do you want… a badtz-maru eraser?”

you stared at the spiky-haired penguin in the palm of hawks’ hand. 

“sure…?” you said. hawks happily plopped the eraser into your hand. 

“feather,” he said again in the same tone. “you should visit bakugou, you know. tonight, to make things straight with him.”

that was what he was building up to. bakugou. you hadn’t dwelled much on the thought of the man; the skytree filling most of your thoughts for the day. but it was still light out.

“i know,” you replied softly, looking down at your fingers. these were the hands that held your heart as you gave it to bakugou, the hands that bakugou held tenderly for so many days and nights. they were the same hands that held your heart now, returned by bakugou shattered and clinking to the ground. the rest of the train ride was silent.

you could now hear your thoughts echoing around the train compartment, deflecting off walls and still making their way to your heart. you wondered what words were left unsaid by bakugou, painful truths untold hidden in the recesses of his heart. you wondered if he remembered how he’d first nervously asked you on a date in high school, words rough but fingers softly fidgeting with each other. it was in may, near the end of the day. he shoved a small box of chocolates towards you, muttering something about “weird hair” making him do it. he’d aggressively stuttered his way through a confession, barely making eye contact with you. the memory brought a fluttering to your heart, but with it came a sore pain for the first time. you wondered if he felt the same or if he was just numb, like how he now felt about you. what did it feel like to fall out of love? 

you wondered if he remembered the many times he’d walked you home (only for your sake, of course, not anything else). you wondered if he remembered how fondly he looked at you then. his heart was on his sleeve during those times, the perpetual blush on his cheeks disclosing his very vulnerable feelings towards you. 

even on the most draining of days, bakugou would always be there for you. even if his eyelids were closing upon their own accord and legs were sore from a day’s work, he made it a point to be there for you. while children might’ve had their security blankets, you had bakugou. your heart dropped realizing those days of coming home to bakugou were gone.

what had happened? now, you were alone on a train that felt so cold and without the love that had so warmed your heart. why had things ended up like this? why did you numb bakugou’s feelings so? the wave was slow at first, but once it had reached the shore, your tears fell hot and unyielding as you toppled off the edge of being okay.

hawks was by your side wordlessly, a wing around you and leaning you close to him. the feathers were soft. you cried unabashedly in his embrace, sniffling as he soothed you. you tried to say thank you, but all that came out was another sob.

your feet, on instinct, took you to bakugou's apartment without any problem. it could’ve been any other day; you, coming back to the apartment after running errands. it was your hand that hesitated as it hovered an inch away from the wood of the door, the only sign that something had changed. you liked to pretend it hadn’t. you wished that when you’d open the door, you’d hear a light chatter from the tv and a familiar voice saying, “welcome home, idiot.” you wished that the air that enveloped you as soon as you opened the door was that of liveliness and comfort, of warm orange and yellow hues. you wished that the atmosphere didn’t feel so dead, dull, and musty; you wish it hadn’t drowned in shades of blue and gray. you wished you didn’t have the key to the apartment still.

you wished that bakugou would say something, anything, rather than sit on the couch with his head bowed. you wished that you didn’t miss him so much and that you had him, all at the same time. you wished you turned back as soon as you heard the knob click and pushed open the door; you wished not to see all that you had in what was once your apartment.

you wished you didn’t revel in his presence next to you on the couch. you wished you didn’t almost lean into his touch because he was your home, and you wished your eyes didn’t well up the way they had. you wished to have sat in that silence for a while then up and gone; you wished he hadn’t said anything at all.

“hey, idiot,” was a cracky and raspy thing coming out of his mouth, words familiar but so foreign at the same time.

“hey,” was what you whispered back, quiet enough for only you to hear.

“where’d you go?” but it wasn’t a question, just a fragile plea devoid of hope.

“skytree,” and you felt you’d break the mood.

“did you reach the top?” his response surprised and killed you at the same time.

“yeah,” you said quietly. “i did.”

“alone?”

“i could never alone.”

“who…?”

“met a pro-hero by chance.”

“your true hero, huh?” it was a bitter tone, venom biting you.

“no,” and your heart sunk because it was the truth.

he scoffed. getting up from the couch, he said, “you forgot something.”

your eyes followed him as he disappeared into your once shared room. he returned quite fast, as if you’d left it on the dresser, carrying a decorated shoebox. you’d almost forgotten about it entirely, eyes wide as nostalgia hit you. 

it was a memory box you’d made the last year of high school. it was supposed to be for school memories, but it really just became a box of mementos of bakugou. you could barely see the contents inside, too busy trying to hold back the tears in your eyes. you thumbed through photos and polaroids of you and him, some with his friends and some with yours. oh, what you’d give to have those times back. though it was all blurred, you could feel the moments so vividly: feel the cool summer breeze and hear the sound of people conversing with each other at a festival; hear mina’s excited ramblings and bakugou’s grumbling at the supermarket; smell caramel and vanilla at a movie night, pressed against bakugou’s body warmth. you dropped the photos back into the box and picked up a scorched pencil. a pressed rose. a neatly folded sheet of notes you’d sent back and forth with bakugou during class. 

and then it was all gone, shutting the box.

“keep it.” you regretted the words as soon as they left your lips, but you wouldn’t take them back. you handed him the box, staring at the floor and wiping your wet eyes. the memories were no longer yours to keep.

bakugou was silent, taking the box and leaving to his room to put it away. 

“is that all?” you tried to make your voice sound strong, impatient. like you had better places to be without him. you hoped he couldn’t tell how it was more of a beg to stay.

“yeah.” cold. emotionless.

you stood for another second, looking around. everything seemed different, as if the glass which surrounded your universe had shattered. “bye, katsuki.”

“bye.”

your footsteps were light, but each step felt weighed by metal weights. you wished he stopped you from leaving. you wished you looked back at him. you wished you weren’t crying.

you shut the door quietly, weakly, behind you. it all came out in the hallway, tears and desperate sobs. you prayed he couldn’t hear you; but you knew, even if he did, he wouldn’t care anymore. he was numbed, no longer the firework you’d known.

“hawks,” it came as a quiet plea as you felt for your phone and dialed his number. he gave it to you right before you walked into bakugou’s apartment.

“please pick up, please pick up,” you muttered, trying to wipe the tears from your cheeks as quickly as they came.

“hey, birdie? are you okay?”

“hawks,” you sobbed. “hawks, no, i’m not.” 

“hey, are you still at the apartment building? i’ll be right there, chickadee, alright?”

you nodded, sniffed, then said meekly, “yeah.”

“stay on the line. talk to me, birdie.” his voice was soothing.

“hawks, it hurts, everything.” you felt as though you were pouring out your heart, spilling scarlet on the carpet. “hawks.” tears dropped onto the carpet. “hawks.” your knees almost gave in.

“what floor are you on, dove?”

“third,” you hiccupped. 

“i’m right there, feather.” you saw hawks emerge from the stairwell. his hair looked windblown. he looked relieved to see you at first, then his face fell to that of sympathy. “oh, birdie,” he said softly, running up to you. “i’m here now.’

you weren’t aware bakugou was listening to you cry on the other side of the door as you sobbed into someone else’s shoulder, not his. with dark eyes and trembling hands he couldn’t calm, he dialed a number on his phone.

“well, tomura? i did it.”

[misumeaw-blog]

13 Days 13 Fanfics | Counting down Albedo’s Birthday

Pairing : Albedo x GN! Reader 

Genre : Fluff | Established relationship

Warning : None

Word count : 1,699 words 

note : I can die peacefully now, I believe the entire family can hear me screaming. Day 13 will be based on Albedo's mail. I suck at kissing btw, sooo I tried

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

Day 12 Moment of Birth Part 1: Midnight

Light from houses in the city of freedom starting to turn into darkness; but not all, liveliest place in the slumbering city in the lake still filled with drunkards and music from the bard. Angel share, is night-active with drinks and socializing drinkers.

You have a meeting with your friends to discuss what to give Albedo for his birthday, Although..

 

“You guys seriously haven’t kissed yet? It’s been nearly a year”

things seemed going in the completely wrong direction “Shhh quiet please, Captain Kaeya. It’s not a big deal, I understand he wanted to take things slow” Still, there are times where you yearn for more than hugs and pecks on your face.

“Our Chief Alchemist has really taken your advice Too well, Kaeya” Lady in purple attire and a large witch hat, decorated with roses spoke up “That little genius never opened up for this sort of relationship” eyepatch man took another gulp to his mouth “I’m still surprised you managed to make him fall for you”

“Kaeya, rude” lightly zapped the one-eyed captain before turning to you “If he doesn’t make the first step, you’d need to do it” she placed her finger on your lips “Alright, alright, stop everyone” you harsh your friends before things getting out of hand “I just wanted a piece of advice on what to give Albedo for his birthday, so how did this turned to-“ Yup, that sparked your idea.

 

Both Knights of Favonius glanced at each other then back to you “Do you still need our help?”

 

The following morning you knocked on the Acting Grand Master’s room “Come in” an assertive voice flew out from the wooden door “Good morning, Master Jean. Do you know where Klee is?” “Good morning, I think she’s by the lake near Wolvendom. Oh and if you’re going to meet her, please make sure she doesn’t explode all the fish” she spoke without looking at you, eyes on massive amounts of paperwork

“One other thing, Acting Grand Master. I would be greatly appreciated if you kindly grant Albedo’s leave on his birthday” you figured your boyfriend might need a day off, in case he wanted to spend time with you and Klee “Oh right, his birthday is approaching” she glanced at the calendar “Yes of course, please do send him my regards if I couldn’t inform him myself” Closing the door after thanking her, ‘alright, off to Wolvendom’ you recalled your plan

 

Explosions can be heard from afar, the little girl should be nearby. Fish flying out in the sky, big splash easily visible. A small girl in red clothing having fun tossing bombs into stilled water. You called for her and she turned around “Y/N! Klee missed you” red coat sprinting to you, hugging you as soon as you’re in her reach By now she sees you as another sibling, despite you’re actually dating her brother. “Having fun today mh Klee?” glancing at the amount of dead fish on the ground “Yup! The kind uncle at the fishing asso..asso..” “Fishing association?” “Yes! the fishing association told Klee there’s a bunch of new fish all over Mondstadt, Klee will blast them all” You know fishing normally is better for the fish, but you let it slide for her happiness “Hey Klee, I have to borrow your brother the day before his birthday; well, tomorrow, is that alright?” You crouch down to the little girl’s height “Aw, but Klee wanted to be with big brother Albedo..” “I know Klee, but by that time you would be asleep. Would you like to help me prepare snacks for Albedo then?” “Yayy, Klee wanna help!” “Alright, keep it between us m’kay?” Holding out a pinky finger for the young one to hook with hers

 

‘And to keep Albedo busy..’ You head to the fountain plaza to one of your boyfriend’s assistants, Timaeus. “Morning Timaeus, do you know where Sucrose is?” A bit weird to start a conversation about her, since you and Sucrose don’t really get along “Sucrose? I’m not sure. Do you want me to help find her?” “No, no no no, uh, Timaeus, I need you to help distract Albedo tomorrow, mild difficulty experiment, anything” “Is that all? All Right” Scholar alchemist agreed to lend you a hand “Thanks, Timaeus”

    You headed off to your next destination ‘Alright, time for a hard part’ the last part of your plan is rather hard, you wondered if he gonna help you

 

 

“Mark it as done!” wow that was.. easy, perhaps it’s because of three high-quality bottles of wine in his hands. You asked.. or rather, hired anemo bard to play songs for the night and extra requested to let the wind carry the song to you.

In the evening, you have scouted the area you wanted to give the alchemist your gift and found the perfect place. An area where you can see both the city of freedom and the icy summit, high enough for the gentle breeze to flow, beautifully decorated with flowers and greenery. Starsnatch cliff, also the home of the flower which held meaning, the truest feelings of prodigal son, Cecilia.

 

The next day everything went according to plan. Light meal fully prepared with the help of the pyro girl, Timaeus kept Albedo busy so he couldn’t come home and caught you and Klee in action.

Quite late night when you knocked on Alice’s door, the blonde, still in his usual attire opened to greet the unknown guests. “Y/N? What are you doing here this late hour?” Judging from the angle of the moon, it's around 9-10 PM “Hey, what about me?” eyepatch covering male’s hand and he placed his elbow on the opened door, the alchemist only nodded to his presence “Evening Bedo, I would like to show you something, could you come with me please?” you don’t normally use the formal language after being with him for so long. He can sense your shyness from the way you speak and your body language “I’d love to go but Klee..”

You pointed to the man behind you “Don’t worry about little Klee, just go enjoy your time” he basically dragged the alchemist out of his house

 

 

Chitchat along the way, fingers intertwined with his “Not sleepy yet aren’t you?” you bent down and look at him in the eyes “Not at all, I’m rather excited about what you prepared for me” giggled to his answer “Good, 'cause the night is still young!” you have reached your destination, Large fabric covering the grassy ground, a basket filled with snacks lies atop, along with a flower vase to decorate the scenery. Log of wood has bags and books resting against it. The wind bringing the scent of white flowers and the tune of the harp. Moon and star shining bright, needlessly of other light sources.

“Didn’t know you had anything romantic in mind” he teased your boldness “..well, what do you think?” hiding your embarrassment and teases the alchemist back

Sitting down to the location you prepared, he started to examine the scene “There’s no musician nearby, nor to any instruments.. Am I the only one hearing the melody?” Trying to find a scientific explanation for a strange event “The wind carries messages. Was music not a kind of message too?” He wrapped his arms around your waist, drowning in the love you gave him

“Enjoying it hmm? Here, I prepared some light food for us” slowly getting plates and snacks out from the weaved basket, the fabric is soon filled with various types of dishes "You’re not gonna sit on your seat?” his arms tightened, head bury to your shoulder “..I don't want to move” it’s rare seeing him clingy to you like this “you’re adorable you know” finally commented on his action

 

“We got your favorite,” one of your dishes has turned to Albedo’s favorite “These are canapés, I chose bread base, topped with different types of savory” bite-sized dishes, you know he prefers smaller portions

Pointing to each topping one by one, explaining what each one is made of. In his eyes, you’re like a professional chef

“Bedo, check this one out” you pulled out Fisherman’s toast with clover ketchup, onions, cheese, and heart-shaped parleys “..Fish-Flavored Toast, Klee’s specialty. You’re so thoughtful, I have to thank her later” he pecked your cheek, definitely in love

“And we got desserts- after savory alright Bedo?” His hand was already reaching for the dish, you have to stop his fast hand Brownies, Berry Mille-Feuille, and a jar of chocolate chip cookies are all making him drool “Shall we dig in?” He suggested, perhaps the desserts engaging him.

Your hypothesis was turned down after seeing him having a high appetite for savory, you figured he actually wanted to savor your cooking

 

Hours passed and you both are finally full, cuddling against the wooden log, enjoying the melody floating in the air. His platinum hair reflects the elegant moonlight, half-lidded eyes resting against your neck, handheld on yours. You looked up in the sky- its almost time

“Albedo?” He replied with a sweet hum, glancing up at you “Do you know what day is tomorrow?” “..my birthday. but I still don’t understand why you chose to celebrate it tonight” “Wouldn’t be nicer to receive a gift directly after the clock strikes midnight?” Lifted his chin to face you, he’s so close to you, closer than usual

Both yours and his cheek painted rosy, he cupped your face and look deeply into your eyes. “was all this not my birthday gifts?” “nope.. would you like to find out what it is?”

 

Moon motions overhead, the clock strikes midnight, soft breeze touched exposed skin, the sound of the harp soaring in the sky. stars as the witness, Cecilia as the oath, feelings as vow sealed between the two bodies.

Hand slide by the side of his neck, placing on the backside and pulled him closer, half-lidded eyes slowly closed, chest-pounding hard, tilted your head to the side a little-

sweet lips finally placed on his loving ones, passionated and full of affection, butterflies flying in your stomach. After a while, you break the timeless kiss

“Happy birthday my beloved Albedo”

[onyourzeus]

• certainty | kyh

ykcyj ➝ arskyh

title: certainty pairing: kang younghyun (youngk of day6) & you genre: FLUFF words: 2.6k

author’s note: requested by @strxwberrifields :’) thank you so much for fueling the idea for this prompt. i think i strayed away a little, though, i’m sorry! i hope it is still enjoyable. also, youngk’s cover of when you love someone was playing while i wrote this, it helped set the mood a ton. (listen to it, you won’t regret it)

any requests? check my pinned post if i’m accepting any at the moment, thanks!

there’s something about being in love 

that you can’t put into definitive words 

it’s so sickeningly cliche, you know that

there’s nothing more annoying than hearing 

someone gush about their significant other 

over and over and over— we get it! you’re in a relationship and it’s great and just

don’t rub it in, please��

kidding aside

—you don’t think your relationship with younghyun is like that 

if anything, you feel somewhat lacking in telling him how much you love the guy

dating a pretty famous bassist, idol, vocalist, business admin major—

scratch that. dating someone like younghyun is already out of the ordinary for you 

and so you can’t help but feel… insecure, at times

or feeling left out from his idol circle and the fact that 

you can never bring yourself to fully immerse in it like he does

you don’t blame him!! you never blame younghyun for who he is 

it’s just a bizarre concept to find yourself even crossing paths with the now love of your life

for almost a year, might you add

the thought still sends goosebumps all over your skin

and a silly smile that gets you weird looks when you’re in public 

man, if they knew who that smile was about

who your heart is for

they’d be jealous, duh

or judge you because— 

you? with a guy like him? scoffs 

you should get out of your head sometimes, it’s healthy (try it, please) 

you’re good to younghyun, right? you think you are

a guy like him is smart enough to know what’s good for him… right? 

STOP IT STOP you have a mission to do today

and that’s to bring the very same guy—  

(plaguing your mind and disrupting the rhythm of your heartbeat every waking second)

—his lunch today

it’s just him in the studio; him and his bandmates have been doing their own thing for a few months now

which is a refreshing change of pace for everyone, you heard  

but work is still work; and younghyun is recording yet another single to upload sometime soon

you’re excited, and jealous of how his mind works 24/7

but with that much thinking and execution comes a lot of hunger; and younghyun is not immune to not having an appetite

man’s stomach is the blackhole, anything that goes in there is nowhere to be found

(as if it never came in the first place)

you text him you’re by the entrance, and there’s a lot of typos

“hrre> i hv lunch. its heavy”

you know he won’t respond because there is no second wasted recording; you still do it, anyway 

just in case

you’re greeted by a few people working in the bldg, some of them recognize you already which you’re still shy about 

finally, you enter his studio, careful not to topple over the take out stuff you have in the bag

as expected, younghyun is inside the soundproof room where the ~*~magic~*~ happens, eyes closed and headphones on

immediately, your heart soars at the sight of him. it’s not a new thing for you to see him in his workspace

but it’s always a new feeling to watch how he lets the music flow in his presence

he can’t hear you but you’re careful in taking out bowls of ramen, broth, rice, and other side dishes on the coffee table. he’ll probably be done in a few minutes—

door opening louder than you anticipated

“you’re here!! and there’s FOOD,” younghyun exclaims, the headphones slung around his neck with the cord hanging in midair

you’re shook at his speed, but then again the one thing he loves the most is right in front of him

yep: food 

you laugh, greet him with a kiss on the cheek (that warms your own face up, you’ll never get used to doing that) and let him know about his probably expensive headphones just dangling around

“eh who cares,” younghyun casually shrugs but you keep reprimanding him with an expectant look 

“fine fine, i’ll put them down safely”

“good, have you eaten today?” 

“yep but that was like an hour ago” 

that’s younghyun for you, and you expected it. so you tell him to dig in

“it’s from the ramen place we tried a month ago, thought you’d want some soup since it’s getting colder”

his eyes light up like a kid opening his birthday present which he already knew what would be inside

“this is amazing, babe, thanks!” he reciprocates your kiss on the lips this time: short but sweet 

you squeal, and temporarily feel calm and collected about his “approval” 

you sit next to him, just watching him attack the noodles first, then slurping the broth with utmost grace (spoiler alert: he is chowing down like it’s his last meal)

and yet you’re falling so deeply in love again as you try to picture the image of him happily eating in your mind, framing it and keeping it stored there safely

“you’re not eating?” he asks in between bites of kaarage and takoyaki. it was practically a meal for three

you shake your head. “i ate before coming here” which wasn’t a lie, and he’d know if it was since he’d hear your stomach grumble 

but that takoyaki sure looks tasty… 

“wh—” younghyun shoves one right inside your mouth, chuckling as he watches you struggle to chew it so suddenly 

“you know you wanted some,” he teases. pouting, you finish the takoyaki before trying to defend yourself

but younghyun had something else up his sleeve; or rather he grabs a tissue and dabs it on the side of your cheek

“someone was hungry,” he sing-songs, slanted eyes glinting with amusement

“you have the nerve to say that considering you finished a full course meal!” you sneer at him, feeling his gentleness as he wipes your cheek clean

you keep bantering back and forth like that; it’s natural, it’s what you like about your relationship

he finishes and it hasn’t even been an hour since you got here. someone can study this man’s digestive system and find new wonders of the human body in him 

buuuut you kinda wanna keep younghyun to yourself for now— as much as you can, really, seeing as he’s an idol… 

“that was sooo good,” he sighs, leaning back against the couch with one hand around your shoulders

you rest your head against his, cradling up to his warmth

he’s so cuddly when he’s just finished eating

not to mention

“zzz”

“younghyun, you have a song to record!” you shake him awake, and he’s not kidding either

the man just falls asleep! 

“mm five minutes…” he dozes off, hugging you even closer to him. both arms around your frame this time

now that you’re face to face, you can clearly see the exhaustion smearing his perfect features

without make up on, his eyelids are veiny, there’s a shadow underneath them and his face just physically looks dull 

the more he eases into you, the heavier his body feels sinking into the couch

and your heart sinks with it

younghyun works so incredibly hard— literally every single day, there is no stopping him from creating and doing and sometimes

you just want to tell him to slow down, pause for a moment

it makes your chest tighten, to think that younghyun thinks time is moving so fast for him

that he needs to accomplish so much before time runs out

you lift your hand up and card your fingers through his hair (he had it dyed black recently, and you’re all for it) 

he hums in satisfaction and nuzzles his head against you even further

then, you move your hand over to his cheeks, tracing its height and going over the tip of his nose

boop

and steal kiss 

he can really fall asleep like this, right next to you

you might doze off with him too 

but, just like younghyun, true to his word— 

he’s awake and back into recording mode less than ten minutes later

he stretches like a cat, and leaves you bewildered at the amount of energy he’s recharged himself with in such little time

“you give me energy, what can i say?”

“shut up” 

he tries to clean up the empty bowls and used utensils, but you shoo the musician away

“go. work, i’ll handle this” he knows he can’t argue with you on that

it makes you feel useful to him, somehow, just doing these little things to accommodate for his lifestyle

you wonder if it’s enough

you spend the rest of the afternoon in the studio. while he records and edits and goes back to recording, you brought your laptop to do some work remotely

he lets you hear some of the recorded lines he’s done, and you nod your head all the time and say they sound perfect, they sound like him

he doesn’t really like that

“there’s bound to be something that’s missing. what else would you have liked to hear from this verse?”

he looks so serious, brows knitted, lips curled forward whenever he listens to himself in the audio

you feel bad; you don’t know much about music mixing and all that— plus you’re not lying when you say you like what you hear

but maybe in this area, there’s not much you can contribute in his life 

and these are the moments when you think you fail as an equal partner

younghyun realizes the abrupt quiet in the air as you make yourself feel smaller than you do

“just a little more and i’ll be done for the day,” he tells you, patting your head reassuringly

you give him a meek nod, not meeting his eyes, and go back to some work

at least, you try. for distraction

he sounds disappointed— maybe you need to learn how to analyze beats and harmonies and such next time? 

before you know it, younghyun finishes up and saves his progress

you’ve also fallen asleep a little there while sitting down on the floor, and your head on top of your laptop 

“babe?” 

when you wake up, the take-out bags are nowhere to be seen and your laptop is inside your messenger bag

“can i hang out at your place tonight?” younghyun asks, and you try to regain your senses

“yeah, yeah of course,” you say absent-mindedly, concerned thoughts swirling your consciousness

younghyun doesn’t bring a lot when he goes to the studio, he leaves the instruments in the room and only carries his phone and USB on him

upon exiting the place, he grabs hold of your bag and slings it on his arm

on the other, he invites your hand in his

you don’t say anything, still feel guilty for the incident a while ago, but accept his intertwining fingers

he squeezes yours tight, and gives you a slow, reassuring kiss on the cheek 

“i’m sorry if i pressured you back there,” he apologizes firmly, looking at you straight in the eye

it’s a little intimidating, if you’re being honest 

because when younghyun owns up to something— or even when he’s just determined about his words

he wants you to look at him, and see the truth in what he’s telling you

in retrospect, that’s how you fell in love

as that’s how younghyun confessed his own feelings

but now, he’s saying sorry for something you should be sorry for

before you even feel the tears well up, he has his hands cup your face, rubbing alongside your temples 

the air is still outside, and there’s a faint noise of people chattering, walking, and existing in the world

but what you see is younghyun, and the way he presents you all of who he is at the moment

“it’s not you,” you start off the cliche, so you stop yourself

“i just feel like i don’t do anything…”

“anything?”

“in this relationship… that’s beneficial to you…” finally, words that explain some of your true, insecure feelings

you shut your eyes as tight as you can as to avoid confronting younghyun’s gaze 

he’s quiet

probably mad

possibly about to break up with you

realizing that you’re right

instead, a slight pain on your forehead and you mutter a surprised, “ow.”

“that’s what you get,” younghyun says, seriously but his eyes show that of worry

you pout, and he tries to resist but he can’t so he kisses you

“for thinking the opposite of who you are to me,” he continues, letting go of your face and sliding his fingers in between the crevices of yours once more 

you leave it like that, feeling just a tad bit calmer than before

but younghyun keeps looking at you, poking at your side which causes you to be ticklish

and he knows that 

“you hungry?” he asks once you reach downtown

“just a little,” you say, thinking of what to cook dinner for the both of you soon since he said he’s coming over

“let’s get some galbi,” he urges, tugging you towards the restaurant with the glowing sign

“but you just ate…” you say quizzically, and as if on cue your stomach grumbles

well it has been a few hours for you

but for younghyun, technically he should already be full for the rest of the day!

“c’mon, my treat,” he doesn’t take no for an answer and you guys sit at a table with the stove in the center

for the rest of the night, he grills you your meat 

doesn’t even let you put them on your plate, it has to come from him as you feeds you some of your favorites, galbi, gobchang, hangjusal; the whole nine yards

of course, he’s eating too, and laughing, and making you smile

“room for dessert?” he asks, and you shake your head no too many times

“get yourself some, i know you want to” you tell him, and he’s already calling for the waiter to bring him a mochi or two

he eats it while walking back to your apartment with you; and he seems like such a satisfied kid

you can’t go on throughout the day being all sullen with younghyun; it’s impossible

back in your apartment, you ease into the familiarity of the place

and so does younghyun

you ready some clothes for him that he’s left in your dresser to prepare a warm bath

but he calls you in the living room 

“just a moment, younghyun”

“no no i need you now :(“ 

well, can you resist that tone? no

“what’s up? don’t you want to freshen up first?”

“i want you first” 

:( “okay,” you say as shyly as your pounding heart can let you say

and you’re back in the same position as in the studio, right after he ate

arms around you, and he coaches your legs to rest on his 

basically you’re koala-hugging him on your couch

“what’s this?” you say embarrassed. even in your own goddamn apartment, he makes you feel so many things at once

“being extra clingy”

“i can see that— but why?”

“so you don’t doubt yourself” 

you’re taken aback

“there’s nothing that you need to change or do in front of me, or for me to make me love you more,” he starts off, and there goes his eyes again. staring, watching you. steady, serious but.. calming, in a sense

“because i already love you, so much. for everything that you do for me. all the little things.”

“i love you too,” you whisper, finding it hard to find words to describe how lucky you are to have him

again

but this time, you know he doesn’t mind

just having you right here by him is enough, having him recognize the small yet appreciated gestures that you do

and how he manages to check up on your own feelings so quick, and remedy the sadness just like that

there’s just something about being in love with younghyun

that words can’t express

but this moment with him right now can at least make you feel

that much loved by him too

[kevinwastaken]

okay so idk if anyones done this yet, but this has been in my mind ever since i got into omori lmao

so uhHhHhhh heres my idea for an identity v omori crossover! just because i think it would be neat

this is going to be a super long post (probably), so if you want to read it, just hit read more or whatever

i also want to say that some character choices are gonna be taken from my friend, @/kami.rikki on instagram. but she didnt think as hard on these as i did so like idk

there Will be spoilers for omori, so just be warned of that lmao

so as i said before, this has been on my mind for a HOT minute. and i think it would be a cool collab

for starters, this crossover will be split up (as is every other crossover) in two parts, with one hunter two survivors. i know essence usually have one hunter three survivors, but theres not enough characters for that, and six can be split up evenly sooo

i was thinking that the skins could be like the ones from the persona 5 crossover. like, they can be “awakened” in a sense. the base costumes will be the dream world versions of everyone, while the awakened costumes will be the real world versions. i wasnt here for the persona 5 crossover, so idk how many of those spirit things you had to collect, but i Do know that omoris spirit things could be. uh

well actually i dont know. initially i was thinking lightbulbs, like the one in white space, but the lightbulb isnt too important in the game i dont think? and im not sure about clams either. i know theyre dream world currency, but??

oh actually, maybe you can collect Something to awaken the costumes. because something is a representation of the truth in sunnys mind, and by awakening the costumes, you get to see the characters as their real selves. yeah lets go with that, you collect something from the essence

i swear ive been thinking this out shut up

the hunter costumes wont be awakened though, and i have a reason for this

anyway

part one

the characters that will be present in part one are sunny, basil, and aubrey. i chose them first because. ofc, sunnys the protag, basils his best friend and helped cover up maris death hes important to the story but anyway, and aubrey is <<33 yuh

so heres whos going to be who:

sunny/omori as wu chang

so let me preface this by saying that im not a hunter main. never have been, never will be. and ive never played wu chang. but i swear thisll make sense, im doing research

wu chang is actually composed of two characters, with two different stats: xie, the white guard, and fan, the black guard. i cant tell the difference while im playing, considering the fact that my ass is either running away or decoding. but theres a difference i looked it up

sunny would be the white guard. xie is a fast chaser, but has slow attack speed. ie, slow hits, slow pallet breaking, that stuff. this reflects how sunny is in the real world. he can run, yes, but hes still physically weak due to being locked in his house for four years and spending all his time sleeping. he would be better for chasing than attacking

omori would be the black guard. fan is the opposite of xie, having slow chasing speed but faster attack speed. this reflects in omori. omori is Very apathetic, and really, i dont think he would care to chase anybody unless it was for a quest. though, i guess killing survivors Is a quest for hunters, but. anyway

in battle, omori is a good fighter. his attacks are strong, (although not as strong as say. aubrey or kel. but who am i to say, the playthrough i watched had omori constantly sad) out of him and sunny, omori would be the attacker. so theres my choice for them

the umbrella can probably be switched for a knife. maybe an elongated knife. im not entirely sure, but i know the umbrella wont stay as an umbrella

basil as kurt frank

so i know what youre thinking. why is basil “the explorer??” hear me out this is actually a really good idea

the true best choice would be emma, since shes the gardener, but idv doesnt like giving characters skins of the opposite gender if you know what i mean. anyway

basil isnt a fighter. hes an assist, yes, but that was only for a crime four years ago. not my point, he wouldnt want to be in the action

i think he’d be a really good decoder. especially a good kurt

i originally wanted him to be prisoner, out of no bias whatsoever (/j) but kurt is a good fit for him

basil hides. he hides from things. he hides from the truth just like sunny, and he hides from others. albeit he still goes outside

i will not lie, i have a very personal grudge against kurt players. i dont want them to have anything because every kurt main ive come across was toxic to me specifically. but anyway

so one of kurts abilities is that he can go smaller to run around undetected and/or hide. i find this perfect for basil, because. yknow. hiding

his other ability is to find password pages and use them to decode ciphers faster. i think this would be funny because basils existence in headspace leads sunny to remembering the truth about maris death. i mean, if he werent in headspace, omori and the gang would continue going on adventures like nothing is wrong, so basil sort of speeds up the acknowledging process

this sounds dumb actually. but it makes sense in my head

anyway, the book would be turned into basils photo album, and he wouldnt have a backpack like kurt does. theres my answer

and finally,

aubrey as margaretha zelle

aubrey was actually really hard to pick out. none of the female survivors really fit her, aside from maybe coord, but i dont know what her gun would turn into. i will admit that her section wont be as detailed as basil or sunnys. but anyway my choice is with margie

aubrey imo would be a good kiter. she has strong stats all around, so i feel as if she’d be a great fit for margie. not to mention her speed boost when falling from large heights, which would make her a faster runner and harder to chase if used right. aubrey would be more physically fit since shes a fighter and seems to do a lot of stuff with the hooligans, which also helps prove that she should be a kiter. ANYWAY

so margie has these music boxes that can mess with the hunter, right? some of aubreys attacks can mess with enemies iirc. soooo theyre kind of similar in a way, arent they?

im not exactly sure what the music box can be turned into. maybe a small piano? aubrey cares about mari a lot, and the reason shes so pissed at everyone and rebellious is because she felt like everyone had forgotten about mari and moved on with their lives. so the music box could be a tribute to mari

i dont know how many changes they made with ann tamakis costume in the persona crossover, other than cosmetics for the skin only, so im not sure if the music box was changed at all. i can dream though

in the case that its changed, the blue box could be the song from the playground in headspace (yknow the one) while the red box could be the final duet song. but just with the piano, not the violin

essence

because yes, i thought about the essence too

of course, aside from the skins, there will be other stuff in the essence too. so itll be as follows:

for portraits, theyre going to be the neutral battle portraits from headspace. aside from basil and mari, who do not have battle portraits. theirs will just be of their neutral expressions with the neutral emotion backround behind them. i would add pictures, but the character pictures add up to six, so i’d run out of room before reaching part two

for graffiti, im not really sure. maybe everyones overworld sprites in headspace? along with maybe one of Something

for accessories, i actually have an idea of what thesell be. theyre going to be character exclusive accessories, just like how tpn did theirs

for aubrey, she’ll have mr plantegg. i was thinking of maybe having her bat as an accessory, but

OH ACTUALLY her bat could be a shop accessory that changes the music boxes!! probably an a tier tbh

anyway, the essence accessory for her is mr plantegg, and its there strictly for cosmetic purposes. for basil, he’d get either a pair of garden shears, or a basil plant, since yknow. his names basil. this is also for cosmetic purposes

they all are. i should say that now, the accessories are all cosmetic except aubreys a tier shop bat

finally, for sunny, im not entirely sure what to give him. i could give him a knife, sure, but then he’d have two knives because of the umbrella. maybe a steak? or a pair of red hands? im torn on this

and that concludes part one

part two

**PLEASE BE AWARE THAT MARIS IMAGE HAS THE PHOTO FROM THE TRUTH ALBUM WHERE SHES HANGING FROM THE TREE. IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE IT, SKIP PAST IT. SHES THE FIRST CHARACTER IM PUTTING ON HERE

part two consists of mari, hero, and kel. do not separate them </3

here are my character choices:

mari as yidhra

so i know yidhra may seem like a weird choice. i originally thought of maybe mary, but this makes sense to me

yidhra herself will be mari. im not sure which version, but even though i have real world mari in the photo, maybe headspace mari would be better. nobody can see her anyway lmao

yidhras servants will be, again, mari, but she looks as she did when basil and sunny hung her on the tree. her hairs covering her face, with her right eye being visible. kind of like the girl from the ring, but anyway yeah

yidhra is the dream witch. she haunts your dreams and she haunts mine when i go against her. maris death haunts everyone, especially sunny and basil (whom know the truth of what happened,) so this just seems like a perfect fit

her death is “leeched” onto everyones minds (pun entirely intended), so attaching herself to survivors with only her death appearance visible is mmmm

instead of an axe, maybe her weapon can be the jump rope she was hung from? and it can be used as a whip? that makes the most sense to me idk

im not good at explaining things, but if you were to see dream witch in a match, youd know how good this would work

also brings a new meaning to “my thoughts will follow you into your dreams” HELLO

hero as norton campbell

so hero was kind of hard for me to pick too. i wanted him to be a support character, but looking around, there are. barely any that would work. my closest choice was victor, but?? the letters???? they dont correlate

hero doesnt give me kiter vibes, but nortons good at rescues too, as long as youre in an area with obstacles. and usually, when someone dies in battle, hero can make life jam to revive the fallen party member

nortons magnets are used to either bring the hunter closer to him, or push the hunter away. both can be used to stun with obstacles. while hero doesnt have any stun attacks that i can remember, he does have charming abilities that can be used to take damage for the other party members. so similar stuff? idk

i guess his magnets can be turned into chocolate chip cookies, since thats what he uses to heal everyone. if not cookies, then i dont know

oh actually one of nortons abilities is called “attract.” thats so funny if you put hero as him lmao

heros section is kind of short, my bad

kel as william ellis

come on. who else were you expecting me to use? its the basketball man as the football man

while kel is a fighter in battle, he can also be used as a backup healer. aubrey is the main fighter of the group, and hero is the main healer. so hes kind of a catch-all in a sense

kels an athlete. he plays basketball. williams an athlete. he plays football. need i say more

im not gonna lie, this is kind of a don tpn situation where it just Makes Sense that kel would be william

the football will probably be replaced with either a rubber ball or a basketball, depending on which skin youre using. the former is for headspace kel, the latter for real world kel

the buffs and debuffs for william makes sense on kel too. kel would probably have trouble with something as (probably) complex as the cipher machines, and the struggle and vaulting buffs show off his athleticisim

same with the football, using rush to rescue is such a kel thing to do

essence

for part two, there will be about the same things as part one

the portraits will be the neutral battle portraits, this time with the real world counterparts of everyone. basil and maris will be their neutral expressions on the neutral battle background. though, since mari doesnt have Real real world portraits, i guess they could use the one from the one i used on the mari yidhra picture

for graffiti, it can be the real world overworld sprites

in terms of accessories, theyre still cosmetic and character exclusive. maris can be the white egret orchid, since thats the flower that represents her. heros can be a spatula, as thats his weapon of choice in headspace. for kel, im not sure. hes using the ball as a weapon so???

maybe he can get a cactus, because thats his assigned plant

in terms of shop items, i think i know the perfect thing

mewo as a pet

mewo my beloved. nobody could ever forget you

mewo would be a hunter pet. she would be cool for survs too i guess, but considering both her owners are hunters.....

mewo would probably follow the hunter around, not really doing much. i think it would be Extremely funny though if every time a survivor was chaired, she just chilled next to them in the pose shes always in in white space

thats pretty much it. if you got this far, thank you!! i spent like two hours writing this whole thing out LMAO damn

[krystalficloverdh]

My hero - New life and a friend from the past

I’ve always had this idea about what would happened if Izuku was a woman then one thing lead to another then in this quarantine…so now she reincarnated in the medieval era where she was supposed to be a villainess followiing AFO. 

In summary, ex villainess + sassy deku + reincarnated deku + pinning kacchan So enjoy! 

First chapter.

.

.

.

She never thought that she would end up like this, dead and it’s because of that bus that appeared in front of her. She was walking down the street on her way back from returning a book borrowed from the library.

Just a few hours ago, she was a normal teenager that was studying for final exams.

Books gave her freedom from those boring mathematical problems and sleepless nights of studying. You could go everywhere, be it a romance story or a fantasy one, with knights in shining armor, dragons and princess.

“I know, cliche but a girl can dream..my head hurts, everything hurts like fucking hell.” She mutters.

The feeling stopped.

She is in some kind of a dark corridor that has no end. She rubs her eyes to at least improve her eyesight and perceives a wooden door at the other side.The girl is getting closer and closer. Someone is calling her name but at the same time it doesn’t belong to that girl, very familiar. When she is about to touch the door a middle-aged woman opens the door. She’s a short lady with green hair and a gentle look on her eyes, she likes her already.

“Izuku, breakfast is about to get ready!” She closes the door.

Huh…

She turns on both sides and a recognizes that is a bedroom. Just a single-bed, a wardrobe, a desk with some books, a small dresser that faces the bed along with a huge mirror on the wall. This is not her body, she used to have a simpler appearance, brown hair, dark eyes and an average face. Now she possesses very wild green curled hair and big eyes of the same color along with cute freckles on her cheeks.

That’s when it clicked, that’s why it was so familiar to her, recently she read a book named ‘My hero’ that was dated in the medieval ages but with a little detail, there is magic and it doesn’t matter what type everyone has it but some people have more than others.

The story unfolds around five characters, a knight who possesses amazing speed, a prince who dominates ice and fire, a magician who dominates gravity with the things her hand touches and dragon prince who causes explosions from his hands along with his dragon. They take the path to stop the greatest enemy that dominates the darkness, they called him master, well no one knows what exactly his power was and for that they have to find the greatest hero of all time, All Might. These two had a battle many years ago that left them both badly wounded and both disappeared. This is where this girl enters, Izuku Midoriya, one of her followers who carried evil everywhere on behalf of the master while he sees from the shadows waiting for All Might to disappear from the map and return.

“A little coward if you ask me,” She mutters “the events of me being a villain should not happen yet because I remember that Izuku became evil because of the death of her mother at her village, for not having the ability to protect her and without a father or other familiar in her life she was left alone.” She was running away from a thief and killed him with her powers to protect herself, people marked her for a murder. Someone from the past came back, not a good person… Hisashi Midoriya.

Her father disappeared many years ago, it turned out that he sided with master and returned to take Izuku to the villain league. She learned how to kill, she was very good at summoning powerful creatures and could levitate things with her mind. Sadly she dies by the hands of the master cause she hesitated to kill All might in the last battle, I guess she was not that evil. That was basically the first book with All might defeating the bad big guy with the last bit of magic left in him.

“So, I just have to practice my magic, levitate things...Fuck yes how cool is that?!” She always wanted to have powers and save people who needed help just like the movies with a smile on her face. In her previous life, when she was twelve years old, her family was caught in a fire in our home while she had to go to the store that was nearby. When she returned, the house was almost about to collapse and the firemen did not let her in to save them.

This time it won't be the same if she can do something about it.

Her name is Izuku Midoriya and her new life just began.

Getting out of the bedroom she quickly finds the dining area, breakfast already set, Inko Midoriya, she is her mother, she's the lady from earlier that is humming to a song, she doesn’t know what came over her, she hugged her.

“Why the sudden hug my lovely daughter? not that I’m complaining...did you had any sort of a nightmare?”

“You could say that...I just... I love you mom!” She smiles, she means it.

“Me too, my darling!” She smiled so kindly and squeezed back.

“Let’s eat or the food will turn cold.”

“Indeed...Oh I almost forgot, what would you like for your sixteenth birthday?” She asked so spectantly with big eyes. Hearing no answer she puts her hand on her chin thinking and then clasps her hands together making a loud sound as she smiles. “Right...when you were younger you told me that you wanted to become a hero, you can enroll at the UA guild”

Of course, in this world people have powers, because of that they created guils to train their powers, do jobs and become heroes. Anyone can enter and there is a famous guild nearby called UA so it’s a perfect opportunity to become stronger but…

“What happens if I go there?...I won’t be able to save her.” her worries came out.

Let’s stay out of the plot events.

“I did?”

“Yeah, you used to play with that kid from the dragon tribe...kacchan it think it was his nickname.”

“Uuuh d-dragon tribe?” Izuku asked with a crooked smile and alarmed trying to recall that name somewhere but nothing came.

“His name is Katsuki Bakugou, the crown prince from de dragon tribe here from the Badlands.”

That’s when a few images appeared in Izuku’s mind from a boy and a girl playing in the forest, blurry ones. Then she felt a strange fluttering feeling in her chest.

They knew each other? That was not part of the book.

“I just recall a few things” Izuku bites her bottom lips nervously and looks away.

“Well you were pretty young, like six years old and you haven't seen each other for 10 years.”

“That’s long... I don't think he will recognize me after all these years.”

“He will”

“How confident”

Her mother points Izuku’s neck, more like the thing around her neck. It’s a simple necklace with a little pendant of the same color of her eyes.

“He gave you that necklace, it’s a traditional ornament from his tribe and curiously it’s the color of your eyes.”

“Uh...waaah I’m sooo full so I’ll do the d-dishes!”

The woman just laughs at her daughter’s embarrassment.

Izuku runs to the kitchen trying to hide her red face having a particular thought over and over again.

What are the odds to see him again?

Izuku started to train her magic in the forest, six months ago she could levitate little things like little rocks but nothing more. Now she’s able to move heavy objects or even herself at the same time, she’s a fast learner.

Some attacks have occurred near her village, they have been looking for someone with the same features, blonde hair and a height of about 6 feet or more.

They’re looking for All Might.

In one of her trips through the woods she discovered a small waterfall about five meters high piled high with rocks that climb high into the forest and mountains of the badlands.

Maybe she shouldn't go any farther because according to the book she remembered how close dragons live in the Badlands, which means the dragon prince Bakugou Katsuki could be close.

That's not a good sign.

The book says that he was a very explosive man, she found it funny how it goes pretty well with his powers. He has blonde hair almost going to ash, with crimson red eyes and an almost barbaric way of dressing.

“I mean he is shirtless all the time...not good for my eyes and my maiden heart.” She muttered under her breath.

She touches the water near a big rock and from the looks of it the water is not very deep so it is perfect for swimming.

There are no bathing suits here and definitely she won’t get into the water in mere underwear so in a simple pants and a t-shirt will do. Then out of nowhere a emerald little lizard with wings steps over the rock in front of her making her jump backwards.

“What the fuck?! that’s a freaking dragon!” The creature only observes Izuku with its dilated eyes, his pupils are only a thin line and moves his head from side to side looking for something in her eyes. After a few seconds, apparently, he finds it since his eyes returned to their natural state and approaches her. He just purrs at her and starts to rub its head against her legs.

“What a cute baby dragon...I guess we are friends now!” She scratches his back.

A loud explosion from above echoes.

“Oi! where are you, you little lizard!” the dragon hides behind her like playing hide and seek.

That’s a male voice, she cringed “Wait a damn minute...I’m not your hiding spot!” She whispered tensing up while getting up, alert.

A big shadow lingers above her head, more like in the sky and she looks up. It’s a big red dragon with a person on its back, She can’t distinguish who might be that man and she hears another explosion. The man jumps, he lands on the ground with a strong boom leaving a leaving a hole from his landing and she opens her eyes wide, waiting any way to escape.

Again, not a good sign.

“What do I do?! Oh fuck he might think that I stole him” her thoughts screamed in her head.

Neither of them take their eyes off each other. As he approached Izuku, every muscle and every fiber of his body appeared to strain to force out his next movement ready for any possible fight.

“He has the most beautiful crimson eyes…” her thoughts betrayed her.

Katsuki held up his hands, his palms crackling. She immediately started to feel the presence of things around her in case she needed to fight but she preferred not to so she held her arms in sing of surrender.

“Where's Kaia ..? depending on what you say ... you’ll live.” he growls.

The cracks from his palms stopped.

Curious, Izuku roams his face with her eyes to notice that he is looking at the necklace gaping with with mouth.

“...Deku?” the blond man asks with a deep voice.

When she was about to open her mouth the little bastard started to roam all over her body like some monkey, now she really looks life she stole him.

Run.

And boy she ran.

While running Izuku turns to look back and all she sees it’s a demon.

Scary.

“Oi stop it! Fuck!”

“Be gone you demon!” She yells and then she hears a loud explosion.

He caught her.

They rolled to the ground and falling together down the hill. Izuka found herself on her back, Katsuki above her, with his hands holding down her wrists. Both of them gasping, taking in deep drags of air, drags that smelled of ash, nitroglycerin, mint, a smell of earth and skin. Their chests raising and falling. Izuku could feel the power in his thighs against her holding her in place. Katsuki was gritting his teeth, as if he were in a battle. A moment that felt like hours, Katsuki and Izuku stared at each other trying to memorize their features afraid as if any movement would cause someone to disappear from their field of vision. Katsuki decided to break the silence and smirks.

“I know it’s you shitty Deku…I would recognize that necklace anywhere.”

“...K-kacchan?”

“You’ve changed.”

“Well it’s been 10 years, of course I’ve changed ... you’ve changed too.” Izuku replies nervous and looks to the side.”Um...I didn’t steal him.”

“Hah?!”

Izuku gathers courage to look up into his eyes and answers almost breathlessly.”The baby dragon.”

The moment she mentions her little friend, somehow the dragon finds its way between the two of them breaking the spell. Katsuki grumbles and stands up looking at the dragon in Izuku’s lap.

“Just for the record, Kaia is a female.”

Izuku looks at the dragon confused and pouts. “He's a she?!”. Katsuki chuckles and approaches her.

“It’s your first time seeing one isn’t?” He reaches out his hand to Izuka and she takes his hand gladly standing in front of him.

“Huh...yeah… I mean I’ve never been in your tribe.” She scratches her cheek with her index finger nervously and Katsuki tenses up. “How come she’s here and not...in your tribe.”

“Lately they’ve been robbing the young ones in order to dominate them better and use them to search for …”

“All Might...he came back.”

“There has been circulating rumors that he has returned saving towns, but he disappears the moment he finishes the job.” Katsuki glanced back up the hill from where they fell. “Let’s go back.”

Izuka started to climb back but katsuki stopped her grabbing her hand and held her against his chest.

“Put your arms around my neck.”

Izuku hesitantly hugs his neck looking up.

“...Kacchan no.”

“Kacchan yes.” He said imitating her with a squeaky voice and kicks the ground with a loud boom.

“Noooooo!” She cried out with being suspended in the air and notices that Kaia is flying at her side following them towards the red dragon. There was a small crack and then landed on the dragon. They sat with Izuku in front of katsuki, he grabs the pointy spikes on the dragon's head and she could feel a strong arm surrounding her waist.

“Wow wow wow wow wow Where are going?! This is not my way back home.”

“To the Dragon Tribe...ppf obviously.” He snorts as a matter of fact.

“What?!”

After 15 minutes they landed on a very lively town, full with a lot of dragon with different colors and sizes. A very excited Izuku livitates herself off the dragon leaving a very amused Katsuki with his extended hand towards a empty spot. It brings to him a smirk to his lips but it fades just as quickly as it appears.

“Is this the famous Izuku of the forest?” The voice is a deep rumble, emerging from somewhere low in the dragon's throat, he shifts into a man with red hair and eyes. “Names Eijiro Kirishima.” He said while pointing himself with his thumb.

Amazing. That’s all she can think.

“Um Izuku Midoriya...a pleasure.”

“Fuck off shitty hair!” Katsuki snaps.

“Hey I’m a man for only one woman.” Kirishima from the corner of his eye spots a woman with pink skin walking by. “Ashido wait up!... nice meeting you Midoriya.” He said and runs towards the woman.

Katsuki just grunts a reply and faces Izuku.

”Didn’t knew you could levitate yourself.”

Izuku turns on her heels to look around and glances sideways smirking towards katsuki to say. “There’s a lot of thing you don’t know about me…I can’t for long distances though,been practicing in the forest on that.”

The moment the start walking they hear a lot of screams in the distance.

They're under attack.

Next chapter.

[a-damson-in-distress]

The Protégé

Pairing: MadaSaku

Plot: In search of a new cellist for his prestigious orchestra, an infamously feared maestro stumbles upon a young rising star. Modern day AU.

Note: Sooo yeah, I dunno, I did a thing? And now the thing has been done and wants to be shared. This idea has been floating through my head for the last couple of days and I just absolutely had to write it down. I’ve never been part of an orchestra, so please just ignore the fuck out of any irregularities and mistakes. Hope you like it, let me know what you think.

Also, please watch this video before reading the chapter, as this is the piece Sakura will be playing. I feel like you really need to hear/watch it beforehand to be able to fully dive into the musical experience I’m so desperately trying (but probably failing) to describe. Also sharing it simply because it’s fucking awesome. Enjoy.

“Why is she getting a solo again? This isn’t part of our usual programme.”

Someone next to her made a shushing sound.

“You know why,” whispered her seatmate while leaning down to her face. “She’s the star of the show.”

“She’s been with us for more than a year now, she never got a solo before. What’s so different tonight?”

Another shush. This time accompanied by an angry glare and a finger pressed tightly against a pair of lips. She shot the shusher a fake smile, gave a tiny, barely audible grunt of contempt and leaned back in her seat. As she watched the person in question approach the seat at the centre of the stage amidst excited applause, she had to supress the urge to roll her eyes, fully aware of the cameras surrounding them.

A tap on her shoulder made her turn her head slightly to the left, as she felt another voice whisper in her ear, “Rumour has it the maestro gave her the solo tonight, because somebody asked her to. Supposedly another conductor who’s trying to poach her.”

Her eyes went wide as she turned her gaze from the girl getting ready underneath the spotlight at the centre of the stage to the person sitting behind her. “Why the hell would she even agree to that? If I were a conductor and someone was trying to poach my best musician, I’d lock her up instead of presenting her on a silver platter. Besides, our maestro doesn’t even like any of the other conductors, she thinks she’s better than all of them. I can’t think of a single one she would do this for.”

Another shush. Another glare. Another finger.

They all momentarily turned their gazes to the front and listened to the last bit of their maestro’s short speech introducing the solo and its musicians. There was that whisper behind her again.

“Well, rumour has it that he recently kicked out a cellist and is looking for a replacement.”

Her jaw dropped. It couldn’t be. With wide eyes, she frantically searched the large concert hall as if she could spot the infamous conductor somewhere in the sea of guests enveloped in darkness. She suddenly felt her nervousness grow into exorbitant heights while at the same time feeling her confidence shrink to the size of a peanut. He had that effect on musicians.

Her heart was now beating to the beat of the Radetzky March, and she was afraid it was so loud her seatmate would hear it when he leaned towards her again. “Don’t be jealous. I hope he does take her on. At some point, she won’t be able to meet his crazy high expectations and that’ll be the end of Miss Goody Two-Shoes. He’ll eat her alive.”

Sakura watched her fellow cellist approach the two seats in the middle from the stage entrance on the other end. As she let the applause of the audience wash over her, her right hand went to the left sleeve of her white blouse to roll it up to her elbows and do the same on the other side. Normally, such an unkempt look was an absolute no-go in the world of classical music. Everything had to be ironed, styled, and made-up to perfection – they were, after all, Tsunade Senju’s orchestra. However, for this particular performance, both cellists were allowed the singular exception of discarding their suit jackets and rolling up their sleeves.

Grabbing a hold of her beloved instrument and settling it between her spread legs, she listened to her maestro explain her two cellists’ dishevelled look and assuring the audience that they will soon realise why the musicians need a bit more freedom of movement from their restricting concert outfits. Their maestro went on to explain that even though this was supposed to be a solo for the principal cellist – Sakura – the piece nevertheless required another to accompany her.

Setting down the microphone on her music stand, Tsunade gave her two cellists a silent nod and retreated to the back of the stage, where the rest of the orchestra was sitting underneath dimmed stage lights.

Sakura exchanged a knowing look with her cellist partner and took a deep breath. Lowering her head and silently setting her bow onto the four strings of her Knilling Maestro cello, she positioned her fingers onto the neck and started to play.

Perfectly in tune with one another, the two musicians let a harmonic, baroque melody engulf the audience while their fingers deftly wandered across their cello’s neck and their bows carefully drew over the strings with years of hard practice and musical passion.

The melody started out slow, gingerly eliciting the sounds from their instruments. Sakura’s experienced fingertips caressed the neck while her bow glid across the strings like a gentle breeze over a valley. While the first few bars of their piece were very classical, careful, and conservative, the melody slowly picked up its pace. The gentle breeze turned into a gust of wind as Sakura’s hands no longer caressed her instrument but gripped it with a starved passion. The two cellists seemed to be goading each other with their frenzied movements and the fast-paced melody, the gust of wind growing ever stronger, the originally careful tune of their piece long since replaced with hectic staccati and exhilarating chords.

And then, Sakura locked eyes with her partner, and they unleashed a hurricane.

At this point, she could no longer keep still. Her feet were tapping on the floor, her entire body writhing in her seat, longing to be part of the melody, and her head was bobbing up and down to the beat of their rendition of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck. What the two musicians were doing to their cellos now was bordering on instrumental torture, mercilessly yanking on the strings and dragging their bows across them with such a force half of the horse hairs had already snapped.

As they neared the finale of their piece, Sakura could feel her lips spreading into an excited smile and with one last forceful, passionate draw of her bow, she silenced the hurricane.

The principal cellist took a few seconds to regain her breath and only when she heard the thunderous applause of the audience in front of her did Sakura raise her head to peek at them through the strands of her hair that were ripped out of her sleek chignon through the force of her headbanging and were now hanging in her face. Quickly pulling the loose strands behind her ear, she stood up, leaned her cello against her chair, and joined her partner at the front of the stage. With her haggard bow still in her right hand, she offered her left to her fellow cellist and together, they raised their arms, smiling broadly, basked in the admiration of their audience for a few seconds before bowing deeply.

“Are you going to tell her today?”

Tsunade took another sip of her coffee while her eyes scanned over the sheet music for the symphony they were going to rehearse today.

“Of course not.”

She could feel her publicist’s expectant gaze boring into her back without turning her gaze away from her desk. Shizune sighed and asked again, “Are you at least going to tell her about the Sapporo concert?”

“No, I’m not and you know why. So stop bugging me.”

“Because he asked you to? Seriously, when have you ever done something someone asked of you, especially him.”

“I didn’t do it for him, I did it for her. He was absolutely right to ask it of me. He needed to see her perform without the pressure, without knowing what’s expecting her, without any doubts or hopes obscuring and tarnishing her performance.”

Shizune sucked in her bottom lip and let her worried gaze fall on the newspaper next to her. They were once again sitting in Tsunade’s spacious office inside the Kyoto Concert Hall, discussing the future of their orchestra’s best musician. While the maestro seemed to have her mind made up, Shizune still had doubts.

She picked up the paper and let her eyes rest on the picture that took up half a page in the Arts & Culture section. It was a photograph of their principal cellist, Sakura Haruno, taken during their recent concert in Sapporo, right after her solo performance of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck. The young woman is seen with both arms raised, one holding the hand of her fellow cellist and the other her half-wrecked bow, her dishevelled hair framing her beautiful young face, grinning like a maniac. Next to it, there was a review of their concert and praise upon praise for her performance and above it, written in bold letters: IMPERATRIX FURIOSA – SAKURA HARUNO BOLDLY TAKES JAPAN’S CLASSICAL MUSIC SCENE TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

“I’m not sure what this kind of medial coverage will do to someone so young. So far, I was able to shield her from prying eyes and the many interview requests, but if she signs on with him, that will unleash publicity hell upon her. I mean, she’s only 20 and she’s only been playing professionally for three years now and the public already has an unhealthy level of interest in her. She already has a nickname, for heaven’s sake. Do you know what they are calling her?”

Tsunade grinned from behind her coffee cup. “The Furious Empress.”

Shizune sighed, strode over to her best friend’s desk, and let the newspaper fall right on top of her sheet music. With a perfectly manicured finger, she pointed to the picture of Sakura and said, “This is what a Tsunade Senju-level of fame looks like for her. Imagine what it will be like with him. They will eat her alive. And I doubt that he has a publicist who looks after the young, inexperienced, and vulnerable musicians like I do, much less that he himself even cares. Do you really want to do this to her?”

The blonde conductor sighed and set down her coffee cup. “You make it sound like I’m sacrificing her to some evil volcano god.”

Throwing one last glance at the picture of her best musician, she turned around in her chair and fixed her best friend with a determined stare. “I have nothing to teach her anymore. She surpassed my expectations faster than I even expected her to meet them. She needs new challenges, and as much as I hate to admit it, he can offer her that. He’s got the bigger gigs, the bigger stages, the bigger audiences, and the more challenging pieces, though I would rather eat a shoe or set myself on fire before ever admitting to that in front of him.”

Tsunade got out of her chair and stalked over to her beloved, overpriced coffee machine before turning around and pointing her index finger at her best friend, glowering, “Now I will have that stuck-up Armani potato sit in the control room, unannounced and unnoticed, listening to our rehearsal as he requested and you will tell no one of this, especially not Sakura.”

The pink-haired cellist was busy packing up her sheet music and her cello when she suddenly heard the booming voice of her maestro calling out to her. “Ms Haruno, would you mind seeing me in my office in five minutes?”

It was a rhetorical question of course, Tsunade didn’t give her time to answer as she was already stalking off the stage. The pink-haired cellist followed the retreating figure of her conductor with a confused gaze, before being distracted by a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head, she was met with the face of another fellow cellist, Amy.

“Great rehearsal today, Sakura. I loved how you played the decrescendo in the end. I was just wondering if you could show me real quick how you do that. It just doesn’t sound quite right with me.”

“Sure, no problem. But I’ll have to be quick. Maestro wants to see me in five minutes.”

Sakura gave it her best to concentrate on Amy’s playing and give her tips, but in her mind, she was already in Tsunade’s office, contemplating what she might have to discuss with her. Their maestro rarely had her musicians come into her office for private talks, she usually said everything she needed to say during rehearsals in front of the entire orchestra.

Biting her bottom lip, she remembered the newspaper article she read this morning. Was it her appearance after her solo? Maybe she did look more dishevelled and ungraceful than she thought. It couldn’t have been her performance; Tsunade herself said how pleased she was and the rave reviews spoke for themselves. So what was it, then?

After finishing with Amy and packing up her things, Sakura made her way to her maestro’s office with a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. She could hear hushed voices from afar, one undeniably male, so she remained rooted to the spot, waiting for her conductor’s previous appointment to leave. When she realised the man made no move to vacate Tsunade’s office, she slowly approached it, only to see the doors were opened halfway.

Casting a careful glance into the part of the office that was visible to her, she only saw her conductor and decided to make herself known with a knock on the door.

“Ms Haruno, come in.”

Her maestro hurriedly ushered her into her office and it was then Sakura saw the annoyed expression on her face. Dear God, she really was in trouble.

“Ms Haruno, there’s somebody I would like you to meet,” Tsunade said slowly, her mouth set in a grim line.

Before Sakura could ask what was going on, she could hear a deep baritone behind her. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms Haruno.”

Sakura turned around and gasped. Her eyes widened in disbelief and glued themselves reverently to the man in front of her.

“I’m Madara Uchiha.”

[chris--daae]

Sooo... @opera-ghost made a shitpost that featured an... unusual pairing. And I wanted to write something more serious about it. This is what came from it.

"You can stay here." Said the kind woman, pointing to the dark corridor in front. "I know it's not the most comfortable place, but..." She trailed off.

It was much better than any place he had been in at least the last 16 years, he wanted to say. But his head hurt, the weight of everything that happened that day finally coming to him, and his voice was hoarse, not used to making any sounds but cries of pain and pleas for mercy.

"It will do." Was all he could say. And then, words that he didn't remember using before. "Thank you, Madame."

She gave him a small smile, not that he could see much. He was thankful for the darkness.

"Be careful here, boy." She warned. "You should not extend your stay for long. There are dangerous presences around. Please, leave as soon as you can."

"I will."

He didn't want to say he wasn't a boy. He kept count of his years, and despite his fragile appearance he was already a man. He also didn't want to say that he had already overgrown ghost stories.

He knew reality was much scarier.

Giving a nod, the woman turned away and slowly left. He kept his gaze on her, until she disappeared in darkness.

Then, he rested his bare back on a humid wall. He was so tired. His legs hurt from all the running, unused to any use. The wounds on his back hurt, a familiar company already. His head hurt. His heart hurt. Without warning, his body collapsed to the ground. It was hard and cold, but it did not matter. He allowed sleep to take over.

It was usually quiet at night. Except for the usual sounds of night, the footsteps of small creatures and the water dripping, a strange and comforting melody. That night, there was another sound.

Erik heard it as he took a walk in his domain. Like a soft roaring, low and following a pattern. He followed the sound, expecting to find a cat or another animal that could have taken refuge in the cellars.

He didn't expect to find a man lying on the ground.

The sound alone proved he was alive. His body trembled from the cold breeze. He wore nothing but a pair of dirty and ragged pants. His exposed chest and arms were covered in bruises and scars, and a layer that was certainly a mix of dirt and blood. As his chest slowly moved in rhythm with the snoring, his ribs were visible under the injured skin.

Poor creature. Erik decided he didn't mind his presence in the cellars. It was particularly cold outside, and the man certainly had nowhere else to go. He did not see anything he should not, sleeping heavily as he was. If he had stumbled into any of Erik's secrets, his traps would have taken care of him. No, the man's only crime was being all alone in that cold night.

Erik knew well what it was like.

He turned away, starting his walk back home. A shiver ran through his spine. It was really cold, he could still feel it even under all his layers of clothing. He turned his head back to the man.

"No." He whispered to himself, shaking his head. "Erik has nothing to do with him."

He took another step forward, and once again looked back.

"He will freeze to death if he stays here." He reasoned. "What if he does? No one will miss him. Erik certainly will not."

A sigh.

"He's just a nobody. Erik does not have to do anything for him."

A heavier sigh.

"He's just a nobody.", Erik repeated in a softer tone. "If Erik doesn't do this, who will?"

He knelt down and carefully picked the sleeping man in his arms. The man kept snoring, showing no signs of waking up. His scent was worse than that of the stables, like sweat and piss and mud and many other things Erik didn't want to think of.

"He better be thankful, for Erik is saving his life."

Erik decided to leave the man in his guest room. He would have to get rid of all the sheets in the morning, as no cleaning would be enough to remove the stains or the smell. Still, he didn't think twice before wrapping him the best he could, making sure he was protected from the cold.

In the light of his home, Erik could take a better look at the man. He was too thin for his height, no fat in his arms and legs. His wounds were all superficial, nothing that required special attention. Still, Erik could see that they were no accident. His dark gray hair was a tangled mess. He had a well defined nose, thin lips, a wide chin. Even in the bad condition he was, he was undoubtedly  handsome. However, the right side of his face was covered by a large red mark, his skin swollen, his eyebrow and hair much thinner in that side. At first it looked like another wound, but Erik soon realized his skin was not damaged. It just... looked like that, ruining what would otherwise look like it was sculpted by the hands of gods. A scar, perhaps. Or a birth mark. Erik's hand went to his own face, touching the fabric of his mask.

He knew very well how gods liked playing this way sometimes.

He blew the candles and closed the door on his way out, letting the man rest. As he later crawled into his coffin to get some sleep himself, he could still hear the snoring, a new sound in night's melody.

Erik enjoyed it more than he could admit to himself.

The wanderer noticed he was in an unfamiliar place before he opened his eyes. He was covered in softness. Panic rose inside of him. As he opened his eyes, all he could see was one small line of light. A melody was playing on the background.

He tried getting up, but the soft material that covered him was also restraining him somehow, wrapping his limbs. The fear made him helpless to get free, the blankets working like the strongest ropes against his struggling. The wanderer felt his heart stopping for a second as one of his movements caused a loud banging sound. The melody stopped. He heard footsteps approaching.

He managed to free one of his arms before the door opened, and raised it to his face as the light invaded the room.

At first, all he could see was a shadow against the light. As his eyes slowly got used to it, he identified it as a man's silhouette. He was tall and thin, dressed in all black. A fancy suit, boots, gloves, and a black mask that covered all his face, except for his amber eyes. Eyes that kept a deep stare at the wanderer, who felt like they could see directly to his soul.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Shouted the wanderer, trying to sound braver than he felt.

"I see you woke up." Replied the man, his voice calm and soft.

The wanderer fought against the blankets.

"Answer me, or I will-" He didn't know what he would do, but he was not about to let that man hurt him. Not without a fight. He hesitated, as he didn't know what he was facing, or if there were others around. The only thing the wanderer knew for sure was that he was alone, as always.

"You are the one who should answer, considering you are in my house." The shadow said, unimpressed.

His house, the wanderer noted. A large room with no windows in that stranger's house. His struggling became more urgent.

"I suppose you are homeless."

"Yes." The wanderer answered, not wanting to anger him.

"Family? Friends?" He asked. "A wife?"

Feeling mocked, the wanderer just shook his head. His other arm was finally free.

"No one to miss you if you disappear." The shadow whispered.

In one fast move, the wanderer jumped out of the bed, stopping right in front of the stranger. His raised his fist, but something held his wrist, pressing tightly and painfully. He couldn't see what it was at first, but looking closely he realized it was a thin cord. He tried pulling his arm free, but its hold only grew tighter.

"Don't try messing with the master, boy." The shadow said in a voice that gave the wanderer shivers. "Next time, it could be your neck that my cord will meet."

The wanderer lowered his hand, and just as it appeared the cord left his arm.

"There's a washroom there." The shadow pointed to a door. "Clean yourself. You will find all you need there. There are clean clothes inside the wardobre."

With these words, he left and closed the door.

The wanderer noted he heard no key clicking.

He held his wrist, at the regions where he felt the cord before. He cold see a small red line forming a spiral around it. If it held any tighter, it could have drawn blood. He shivered at the idea.

He was completely at the mercy of that man, and he still had no idea of what his intentions were.

He checked the wardobre, and as the stranger said inside was a complete set of clothing. The wanderer touched them, feeling the expensive fabric in his hands. It has been too long since he had last had real clothes.

He entered the washroom, that had not only everything he would need for a bath but also a good amount of medical supplies.

He spent a long time in the water, not sparing any soap. He scrubbed every inch of his body, until it scratched his skin. When at last he felt clean, he let out a laugh. It felt good.

The wanderer realized there was no mirror there. It was a small relief. He had not seen his own cursed face in years and had no wishes of seeing it so soon. He cleaned his worse wounds, but saw no need for bandages. He found a small pair of scissors, and guided only by instinct cut his own hair.

He fumbled with buttons as he tried the clothes. They were too big for his unhealthily thin body, but they were comfortable and had a nice cologne smell. He decided to stay in only shirts and pants, ignoring the other pieces that he didn't know how to wear.

He felt like a new man, clean and (almost) properly dressed.

Like the room he was in, the washroom also didn't have any windows. He had no idea of where he was or why. He couldn't even know what time of the day it was. There was a melody playing again. Carefully, he went for the door, the only exit he saw.

Erik left his new guest and waited by his piano. He listened carefully, and only when he was sure the man was bathing he resumed his song.

A guest, he laughed to himself as his fingers created the melody on their own. Yes, he had a house and he had a guest room, why not have a guest? Even more fitting that it was someone who just like himself would be considered an outsider by human society.

At least Erik assumed he would, by the state he was, and by the injuries he carried, certainly caused by another man. He would not be surprised if the man had said he had a family waiting for him. If he was born in the right place, he could have a wife, even with his marks. It was probably not a success with ladies, but surely there was a woman who saw his beauty beyond that!

But he seemed as alone as Erik himself. He had an accent, but even with all his trips Erik could not tell where it was from. Maybe he grew up in a multicultural environment, maybe it was just that no one taught him proper pronunciation. Erik had a guess of where he came from, the mark and his wounds and his speech and clothes and scent, all fitting perfectly. But he didn't want to believe it. The notes he played grew dissonant. Then, the sound of the door opening made him stop.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, not turning to face the man.

"Yes."

He nodded.

"Erik will prepare some food. You will like it."

He walked to the kitchen, feeling the man following him.

As Erik started taking the ingredients for their meal, still not facing the man, he heard him ask:

"Where am I?"

"In my house, as I said."

"You didn't lock the door." His voice trembled.

"You are no prisoner of Erik." He said calmly.

"Why am I here?"

Erik shrugged.

"Do you have anywhere else to be?"

As he didn't receive a reply, Erik glanced at the man, not keeping his sight on him for long. He had his head low.

The bath did him wonders, as did the haircut. It was not perfect, uneven at some parts, but Erik had to give him merit for doing it without a mirror.

He knew he would stare if he allowed himself to. The man had green eyes, green like the leaves made by Mother Nature. The clothes made his malnourishment more obvious. Erik noticed he did not measure the food for two, but for a full family of six. He started boiling the water.

"Erik found you nearby." He explained. "You seemed cold. The cellars are no place to sleep."

"I know." The man sighed. "I would not be there if I had a choice." Erik nodded.

"No one wants to live in the catacombs of hell if they have a choice."

He stole another glance at the man. The over sized shirt was not buttoned correctly. Erik had to hold himself to not fix it himself.

"Erik will give you new sheets for tonight."

"Who is Erik?"

"I am Erik, of course." He realized his mistake. "Please forgive my way of expressing myself. I am not used to having guests."

The wanderer nodded, the word "guest" echoing in his mind. So far, no more hostility from the shadow- from Erik. But he could still feel the cord around his arm, it still made him fear and be careful with his words.

When Erik served the food, the wanderer did not hold himself. He would have been more ashamed of eating like a savage, like an animal in front of a man who acted so much as a gentleman. But he was hungry, his last meal had been days ago.

He noticed Erik avoided looking at him, and he couldn't blame him for that. But he looked at Erik, maybe for longer than he should. He couldn't help it. Erik moved in a way that could only be described as fascinating. Every part of his body was hidden behind black fabric, making he really seem like a walking shadow. His voice was softer than most of the men's voice that he ever heard.

The wanderer figured Erik could not eat with his mask on. He waited expectantly for him to take it off, but he never did. Despite putting a plate in front of himself, he didn't serve any.

The wanderer ate quickly, until he felt full. There was still a lot of food left. Erik did not comment on his lack of manners or on how much he ate. The wanderer stared at him awkwardly, not sure of what to do or say now.

But Erik didn't seem to notice, instead with his gaze lowered to his own hands. The wanderer finally decided to stand up. As Erik didn't protest, he left to the room where he woke up in.

He sat on the floor, thinking of what now. After an hour or so, he heard music again. He had seen Erik by the piano before, so he guessed it was him playing. The melody made him feel calm, even if he had all reasons to feel anything but. It was comforting, even with the underlying melancholy there. He imagined Erik's hands running through the piano keys, and his own hands followed the movements. His eyes closed and he stopped thinking, stopped worrying. All he felt was the music.

Erik knocked on the door before opening it. His guest was sitting on the floor. Once again, Erik tried not to stare. He instead went to change the bed sheets.

"You didn't try to run away."

"You said I was no prisoner."

The man sounded much calmer than he did earlier. Erik appreciated that.

"You acted as if you believed you were."

The man took a while to reply.

"It's like you said. There's no one to miss me if I disappear. I have no one, nowhere to go." There was just a little sadness in his voice.

Erik just nodded, feeling some sadness too.

"What do you expect from me?" The man asked.

"Nothing."

"No one gives someone a thing expecting nothing." The man snorted. "Specially not to someone like me."

"Erik has been alone before too." He explained. I still am, he didn't add. "With nowhere to go. With nothing but his own clothes."

The man gave him a questioning look. Those green eyes...

Time passed fast in that house with no windows. The wanderer found a clock, but the numbers meant little to him.

Erik did not seem to give it much consideration anyway. He served food whenever the wanderer was hungry, and never ate or slept when he was around. He wasn't sure if Erik ever ate or slept at all. Sometimes he left to take care of his business.

The wanderer saw the entrance to the house. It was a complete darkness outside. He never tried leaving. He had no reason to.

Erik was not a bad company. He was always playing or taking care of some chore around the house. The wanderer learned that he composed his own music, writing down the notes after playing, always in red ink. But sometimes, when he was about to sleep, he could swear he recognized some old lullaby there.

Erik also never removed the mask. The wanderer did not feel like asking about it. He would not have recognized Erik if he did. He didn't know anyone. He didn't fail to notice that Erik never revealed his surname, nor any other detail about himself. He entertained him when he wanted to talk, but on the rare occasion the wanderer asked something, his replies were vague.

There were no windows anywhere in the house, and Erik never received anyone there. Yet he had a guest room. He kept the house on his own, never asking for any help and certainly never receiving it from any outsider.

The wanderer felt well there. He had a roof over his head, though he had no idea where they were, and a company that did not insult or abuse him. He had food and clothes and nice background music. He wondered if that was what a normal life felt like.

But when he thought about Erik and all the mysteries about him, about the way he treated him well but would never look at him for long, he couldn't help but have strange thoughts. He felt he was being kept just like a pet. Erik must be a rich man, he had no doubts of it, and he had reasons to hide his identity. It felt terrible, to think that he was being cared for but still seen as inferior, as less than human. But it was still better than the circus and the cage, than being beaten and displayed, hearing people's screams and mocking. Had he any right of wanting to be treated as an equal? He should be thankful for everything that Erik gave him.

Being a pet to a nice master was still better than being free in a merciless world.

Erik did not see a problem with the man staying at his house. He expected to. He planned on making him go away soon.

Every day that passed made him want it less and less.

He did not think having someone around would feel so nice. How lonely had he been before!

It was like having a new purpose in life. He did not want to stay away long, what if his guest needed something? And he couldn't even think of doing anything dangerous. He had to go back home, he had to be there.

Erik's overall mood improved. He wasn't as picky about the happenings at his opera house anymore. It didn't feel as important anymore. Not as important as pampering the man that lived with him.

He bought clothes that fitted him. He was glad to see the man gaining some weight, as he now ate properly. Erik also made sure to buy enough provisions to always give him nice meals. The man still didn't dress properly, but if he felt comfortable showing so much of his skin like that, Erik would not be the one to complain. It made it hard not to stare though. Be it for the scars that covered his body, or by how nice it looked.

And wasn't the man blessed when it came to looks? The mark on his face was the only flaw, and even that seemed small near all his other attributes. As he got healthier, his body got a pleasant overall shape. More often than he wished to, Erik found himself wanting to see more. Wanting to sketch such beauty, such perfection, so he could have a proof that it existed when he left.

Because Erik knew he would eventually leave. Because as much as Erik wanted him to stay forever, he knew he would leave, and he should. He had so much potential in him, he could not stay underground forever.

Erik knew his life would never be the same when he did. Now that he knew what it felt like to have the company of a real person, how could he go back to being alone? The silence of the night would be too much without his snoring, his life would be too empty without hearing his soft humming every day as he bathed, without feeling his presence sitting around as Erik composed.

Erik was proud of himself that he didn't make the man want to leave yet. He tried his best not to scare him out. He didn't allow himself to stare, as much as he wished. He never walked around the house without his mask. Even his room, he left locked at all times, not wanting him to see that his host lived like a dead man. He also was careful as he spoke.

And it worked well. More often than not, the man was around him. He didn't show the fear that was so clear during the first days anymore, and he didn't hesitate expressing his needs. They had a nice relationship.

Erik never expected it to go so well.

One day, however, he realized the reason. He saw the man looking at a wall, a longing look on his face. He realized he had never left the house since the day Erik brought him there.

"Have you ever worn a full suit?" Erik suddenly asked.

"A couple of times." The man replied, not turning at him. 

Most of their conversations did not include eye contact. Erik was okay with that. Not really, as he wished he could look at the other man more often, but it was better this way.

"You should wear one now."

"Any special reason for it?"

Erik shrugged.

"I think we could see a nice night outside."

He didn't want to tell Erik that he did not know how to put those clothes on. There was so much he did not know, and he couldn't not feel inferior near Erik.

The wanderer did the best he could, wearing it as it seemed right.

Erik smiled as he saw him. He wore them completely wrong. There was something adorable in it.

"You look beautiful." Erik commented, sincerely.

The wanderer turned to the side, his brows furrowing. It seemed a nice idea, a night walk outside. It has been a while since he last was outside. But Erik's comment reminded him of why. It felt safe in his house. He was used even to the way Erik always avoided looking at him. There were no daily insults, and no mirrors. He could let himself not think of his own appearance for as long as he wished.

Erik probably did not mean to be so cruel in his comment, but it hurt.

"I... I think I don't want to go."

Erik let his eyes met the wanderer for a moment. He felt something was off.

"What is the problem?"

"You won't want to be seen with me." The wanderer pointed to himself. He felt so stupid for agreeing and even getting excited with the idea. He knew he looked stupid.

"Don't worry, no one will see us." Erik said, hoping to ease his worries. He knew there was almost no one out in the streets that late. It was his favorite time to leave his house.

It didn't help. The wanderer was starting to feel it was only one cruel joke.

Erik noticed something was still off. After thinking for some time, he had an idea. "Wait here." He said, walking to his room.

Erik came back with another mask in his hands. It was the one he usually wore at home (before he had his guest around), one that left mouth and chin uncovered. He handed it to the wanderer.

"You will feel better with this."

The wanderer took it in his hands and silently thought. Back in the circus, he was allowed to cover his head when he wasn't being displayed. He didn't think of doing so now that he was free, but it was mostly because Erik didn't make him feel like he had to. Which was ironic, as Erik covered his own face all the time. He smiled at the thought that no one could tell how they didn't match if they were both covered, and decided to put it on.

Erik offered the wanderer a hand, that he quickly accepted. The two walked together out of the house, towards the darkness.

"Where exactly are we?" The wanderer asked.

"Not too far from where I found you."

The wanderer nodded. He had figured the house was underground.

"Are we still-"

"Under the opera? Yes." Erik replied. It was no use trying to hide it now.

"How is this possible?" The wanderer asked, amazed that a whole house could be located there.

"I knew some people." Erik shrugged. He did not feel like telling the whole story. Not yet.

"It's amazing." The wanderer looked down. Erik was really amazing.

Erik shrugged again.

"I will teach you how to locate yourself around here. If you wish so, of course." He offered. "It's not that hard. You just must be careful."

"Yes, I heard there are dangers around." The wanderer remembered the nice lady who brought him there.

"But you don't need to be afraid. I assure you I am the most dangerous thing around." Erik said with some pride.

The wanderer rolled his eyes.

"I don't believe you."

"It's true! I have a certain fame around here too."

"Yeah, yeah." The wanderer said in a playful tone.

Erik frowned at how he was not being taken seriously, but something in how naturally the wanderer dismissed him, or in the way his lips curled up in a smile, something there gave him a warm feeling.

Erik guided the wanderer towards the Rue Scribe door, the safest and easiest way out. They stopped for a few minutes as the wanderer caught a glimpse of the lake. He looked at it with wonder in his eyes.

"It's wonderful."

Erik nodded, but it was not the lake that he had in mind.

Once they got outside, the winded greeted them with a cold blow. They walked side by side on the empty streets, under a starry sky. The moon shone in its full glory, offering its silver light.

The wanderer's bare hand unconsciously moved towards Erik's gloved one. He realized he was no longer afraid.

"The sky is beautiful today, isn't it?" Erik asked.

The wanderer nodded.

"It really is."

"Nights as this are the most inspiring." More than he could tell.

"For your music?"

"Yes." Erik nodded. He felt suddenly bold. After long weeks holding himself, he felt he now could express himself more freely. "Of course, it is only better with such a charming company."

The wanderer felt like he was stabbed. His hand let go of Erik's.

Erik looked at him, not understanding.

"Do you want to go back?" He asked.

"Yes, I would like to." The wanderer said, his eyes not meeting Erik's.

"Of course. My pretty boy should not stay out in the cold for so long." Erik cursed his words as soon as they left his mouth. Too fast, too soon.

The wanderer was a few steps ahead of Erik, remembering well the way they came from. He didn't want to look at Erik, he didn't want to even be near Erik. Tears filled his eyes. He had believed Erik was different. He had believed his intentions were true, which made his mocking only more painful.

Erik was sure that any moment he was going to turn to a different street and go away forever. Why, why did he have to flirt like a young maiden? He didn't have even the right to stand near the wanderer, and he had to ruin everything asking for more. His incapacity of contenting himself with what he got, his ambition for more, that was going to be the death of him someday!

The wanderer stopped by the secret door, as only Erik had the key. Erik soon reached him, and with some difficulty, as his hands trembled, unlocked the entrance.

"Erik is sorry!" He exclaimed, his back to the wanderer. "Erik d- I didn't want to scare you."

The wanderer said nothing. Again, he walked ahead of Erik, his steps hard on the stone. Erik kept his senses alert, worried that he would accidentally get into a trap or call someone's attention with the noise.

He only relaxed when they safely arrived at his house. Door safely closed, he finally asked.

"Please tell Erik how to fix it, pretty boy!"

"Stop calling me that!" The wanderer yelled, finally facing Erik. His eyes were red with anger and sadness. "I'm not a boy, and I'm certainly not pretty!" He took off the mask and threw it to the floor.

"Erik is old enough to be your father." He felt a lump in his throat.

"I have a name."

"You never told Erik what it is."

It was true. The wanderer had never said his name to Erik, nor to anyone else. It was the last dignity he could have, never allowing anyone to insult him with his true name.

He noticed Erik did not justify calling him pretty.

"Call me what I really am." He said with a low voice, a tear threatening to finally fall. "A freak!"

Erik froze at the word. It was true then, that it was no accident that the wanderer was alone and injured when he found him. He had tasted some of human's cruelty before they met.

"You are not a freak." He said in a firm tone.

The wanderer let out a humorless laugh.

"I know pretty well what I am." The tear fell. "I almost believed that it was not how you see me, but I know well that you only mock me with all of this!" Erik growled in frustration.

"You think I see you as a freak? I will show you what a freak really is!" He shouted, before taking off his mask.

The wanderer's eyes widened as he saw Erik's face for the first time.

Erik sighed.

"This is a freak." His voice sounded defeated. "You, boy, are just a handsome young man in an unfortunate circumstance."

The wanderer kept frozen in place as Erik left to his own room. He stared at the mask Erik lent him, and all the pieces finally fell into place.

He stopped at Erik's room's door. It was the only place in the house he never entered. He pondered if he should knock or not, and decided to just enter. The first thing that caught his attention was the coffin at the center. Erik sat on the floor, his back leaning against it, looking blankly at the wall. The mask rested by his side.

Not knowing what words to say, the wanderer sat by his side.

"I should have let you know sooner." Erik said, not looking at him.

"You should have." The wanderer nodded. "Why didn't you?"

"I wasn't ready to lose you."

The wanderer rested his head on his shoulder.

"You thought I, of all people, would be this shallow?" He asked in a soft tone.

"You thought so about me."

The wanderer could not deny it.

"Gerard."

"What?" Erik asked.

"My name. Gerard. You are the first person besides my parents to know it." Erik's arm moved around his waist, pulling him in an embrace.

"It's a fitting name."

A comfortable silence followed, as each man enjoyed the other's touch.