#also death to anyone spraying perfume in public places

[allalrightagain]

Intellectually I know that migraines and headaches are two different things and neither mutually inclusive or exclusive.

HOWEVER— I don’t feel it’s reasonable to demonstrate this by making me have both at the same time.

[bastillewolf]

It’s More About Looks Than Skill (IX)

Pairing: Ryuk/Reader

Summary: Ryuk finds himself gaining feelings for Light Yagami’s best friend, but she doesn’t know he exists. When he makes the grave mistake of touching her, he makes things a lot more complicated.

Notes: Hope you enjoy ;)))

Let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list! If I wasn’t able to tag you, please check your settings and send me another ask.

@sarai-ibn-la-ahad​​, @rustypotatospork​​ @mantisandthemoondragon @baby-queen-girl​​ @itscalledtrust​​ @emilyshurley​​ @killtherandomness​​ @selmeuuh​​ @felicity291​​ @mahou-no-momo​​​ @bakarinnie​​​ @beccawinter​​​ @chantelle-c333​​​ @ria-demon29​​

Chapter IX

The café was rather quiet, most seats inhabited by typing away behind their laptops or cocooned between their books in an anxious attempt to memorise as much as possible. She recognized some of them as her fellow peers, yet she didn’t feel nearly as stressed; she was at the top of her class, she didn’t have much to worry about. Learning things was like riding a bicycle to her. She never forgets, and it’s just the same wheels that keep spinning.

She ordered a cup of tea while she waited, and glanced down at her watch. She had been told to meet at this exact location, at this exact time.

She was waiting for her date.

 “Does my hair look okay?”

Light studied the Shinigami for a good, serious moment. “…I don’t think anyone in this universe or the next would know what to do with your hair.”

“Hm. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Ryuk had spent quite some time preparing for his big date. He’d dusted off his clothes, polished his accessories, combed his hair and had even convinced Light to get him his own toothbrush. Though when he’d begged to let him borrow his cologne, the boy thought it went too far.

“It would be suspicious,” Light had explained, “People would be confused as to why there was a random waft of expensive perfume passing them.”

“But you humans are so smelly all the time! I can’t tell where which smell is coming from, because you all wear something different and prominent.”

“What does the Shinigami world smell like, then?”

Ryuk shrugged, “Rotten.”

Light pulled up his nose.

“I don’t see why you’re preventing me from having a successful date,” the Shinigami continued, “I can’t wear your smelly fragrance, I can’t wear makeup and you didn’t even tell her it was me she would be going on a date with. It’s not fair.”

“Stop it about the cologne. You’re not wearing makeup, because that’s for girls, mostly. And I can’t just tell her it’s you.”

“Why not?”

“Have you looked in a mirror recently? You’re a Shinigami, not a cute boy from school. She’d freak out. We need to do this through slow, deliberate steps.”

Ryuk huffed, “Fine.”

 When half an hour had passed, she was starting to grow annoyed. Her second cup of tea had long been consumed, and her third one was now getting cold. She picked up her phone.

“I really hope you have a good explanation for this, Light,” she ground out.

She heard some whispers in the background on the other end of the line, before the boy in question finally responded. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Is your date not going well?”

“No, it’s not going well. Because no one showed up, you buffoon! Tell me this is not some scheme you’re playing out to get me to do something for you-know-who.”

You-know-who had been the decided upon codeword when they referred to Light’s other identity, or to the Death Note. Well, decided upon by her, really. And Ryuk made the final call, as it was her word against Light’s.

“It’s not, I promise. He must’ve gotten lost or something. I’ll call him, all right?”

“Light, you wouldn’t set me up with idiotic boys who get lost-“

She glanced down at her phone with a gaping mouth. He’d just hung up on her.

 She didn’t have to wait long before Light was able to get a message through. Only, it didn’t come to her phone this time.

“Ryuk? What are you doing here?”

Her mistake was evident; people were looking at her funny. She quickly held her phone back up to her ear, smiling awkwardly at one of her classmates, who had also turned their head in curiosity. She’d have to remind herself of that trick more often if she wished to spend frequent time with the Shinigami in public.

The God of death sat in the booth across from her, so she didn’t have to turn her head oddly for the fake phone call she was having. Well, perhaps her eyes gave her away, as they looked up to meet the eyes towering above hers, even as he was sitting down.

“Light asked me to tag along on your date. You know, for moral support.”

“Moral support? Do you even know what that is? Do you even know what dating entails?” She asked.

He blinked. “Sure. Flowers and kisses and all that. Now, I was also asked to tell you that your date is at the wrong café. I can take you there.”

She sighed in annoyance. “I knew Light couldn’t plan a date for the life of him. He’s never even been on one! I’ll be shocked if he even manages to snag himself a girl. Or boy.”

Ryuk chuckled, and guided her outside.

He floated slightly above her as they walked the streets, careful not to bump into any people. He could not afford to mess this up now, he was so close to finally getting what he wanted. Or attempting to get what he wanted. Asking nicely, probably. Begging, maybe.

She wavered in her step as a breeze flew by. And another. She glanced up at him, her eyebrow lifted.

“Ryuk… are you wearing Light’s cologne?”

The Shinigami gulped. “Eh, I probably spend to much time in his room.”

“Smells a bit too strong for that.”

“Well, perhaps he sprayed it while I was next to him. Why? You don’t like it?”

She only hummed thoughtfully in response, making him sweat from nerves.

 Another thirty minutes passed; this time, at a different café. And she called Light once more.

“I really don’t know where he could be-“

“Light.”

“You know what? I bet he misspelled the word ‘café’. I think I know somewhere he could’ve gone-“

“Light, the fact that you’d even presume I’d go out with someone who shows up late, can’t follow clear directions, or doesn’t know how to spell ‘café’ is honestly insulting. I thought you knew me better than that. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going home. To study. Like you should be doing right now.”

She hung up on him this time. She barely glanced back at the distressed Shinigami as she stormed out of the shop.

 “You don’t have to follow me around anymore, Ryuk. No date is going to take place any time soon.”

He thought he’d humour her, and floated upside down beside her in the deserted street. He grabbed the rose he’d been hiding slid on his back behind his belt, and held it out to her. “How about I take you out on a date then?”

She suddenly stopped, and he grew wary once more. Until she smiled. Gently taking the rose from his long fingers, she couldn’t help but blush. “When did you get this?”

“Eh, we walked past a flower stand earlier. Snagged one when the lady wasn’t looking.”

“That’s odd. I must’ve missed it.”

Ryuk didn’t have the heart to tell her he’d been carrying it along for the past two days, unable to decide when the right time was to give it to her.

“It’s getting rather dark,” she noted, looking up at the sky.

“Good,” he said, “I’ve got something nice planned for us.”

“You do?”

 It wasn’t quite where she’d expected to end up on a date, but she wasn’t complaining just yet. Until she stepped closer to the ledge of the top of the office building she was standing on, where the people below appeared to have shrunken down to the size of ants.

“Ryuk, not that I mind you taking me up here for the view, but I don’t really do well with standing this close to ledges.”

He grabbed her hand gently, “I won’t let you fall.”

Her lips quirked up, as her eyes moved across his folded wings. “Do you ever really go flying with those anymore? You know, not floating a bit above the ground, but above the clouds?”

“Sometimes.”

“That must be really cool.”

He glanced down at her with a curious look in his eyes. “What’s so cool about it?”

“You know, just the fluffy white below, and nothing but the stars above while the wind blows in your face. I know rollercoasters have tried to recreate what it’s like to fly, but I don’t think they’ve made all that successful attempts.”

“I don’t know what or who rollercoasters are, but I doubt they’d know what it’s like if they don’t even have wings.”

“That’s true.”

He hadn’t taken his eyes off her yet, when an idea struck him. He bent down to his knees. “Hop on.”

“What?!”

“You heard me. Hop on.”

[cannibalisticshadows]

Nightcall (2/2)

[ao3 Link] .    [Part One]

Megamind drops out of the media. Though the media doesn’t drop him.

The spike in his frequent fights with Metro Man has done a complete 360, much to the relief of the locals and to the disappointment of tourists. The news and media alike have leaped onto his sudden change like scavengers to fresh offal. Talk of his recent rendezvous, or lack thereof, are on everyone’s mind.

“He’s a maniac,” some talk-show host said into the speaker, hunched over a desk looking quite aggressive. The screen of the television baths the blue alien in a dull electronic glow illuminated his reflective eyes. He frowns at the person but having no good point to disagree. He’s just offended someone would be so bold to jump into the obvious.

“He’s a maniac, and Metro Man has been taking his sweet-ass time in trying to bring this alien-fuck down. Sure, sure, all-righteous and no-killing and what not. I’m sorry but he’s just pious.” Not just ballsy, but controversial. “My only guess as to why Megamind has abruptly vanished like a phantom is because our city’s hero finally grew a pair and kicked his skinny blue ass into the next life. And by God will none of us miss him. Look at what a shit-show he’s turned this city into—“

Megamind turns the TV off by throwing the remote so hard that it shatters the screen.

Sighing, he crawls out of his little nest of blankets and decides it’s time. He’s been procrastinating enough; he’s done nothing for the past two weeks and it’s getting to his head.

His plan to tell Roxanne started out sounding like the only resort to fixing him and his dumb extraterrestrial make-up, but he’s been pushing it off since he got home the last time he broke out of prison. Who knew he could really raise some hell by simply doing nothing.

Roxanne has made few appearances on television since her last kidnapping. Sadly enough, due to his absence, she had little to do (at least, to the public eye). She was the main reporter, focusing on Metro City’s star inhabitancies. Metro Man had nothing much to do besides helping little old ladies or getting cats from trees—not worthy of making an emergency announcement on the news.

And since he hasn’t seen her, he’s going into such a stump he’s made several near attempts to just show up at her place with no spray. How would she respond?

Well, he’d find out tonight.

He filled the invisible car up with his home-made energy source, making sure it wouldn’t run on empty. Tonight he was going out, far enough to reach the boonies.

And he wouldn’t be alone.

Megamind, unsure of how she’d react but knowing this would be practically life or death for him, grabbed a few essentials. The de-gun. Knock-out spray. Rope. You know. The usual. This had to go as smooth as possible for him to get serious with her, to assure her he’d never bother her again as long as he got this off his chest so he could wallow in misery with a peace of mind.

So, making sure she’s home with the affirmation from one of his spy-bots, Megamind packs up his things in the car and zooms out of the Lair before Minion can so much as ask “Where are you going, Sir?”

When he gets to her building, he uses a brainbot to fly him up to her balcony. She never locks it (Oh, Roxanne, I do question your sanity sometimes), so when he pushes the glass doors open, he enters a relatively quiet domain.

The lights over her tiny kitchen are on, illuminating her one-person apartment. Sniffing, and catching the remnants of her perfume, he follows it until—

“Mega—“ Before he gives her time to even finish saying his self-given name, he whips around and gives her a reasonably large dose of spray. She gasps, eyes roll up, and her body drops in a dead weight. Flinging out an arm he catches her, unable to keep his hungry eyes from the expanse of her pale, bare neck. Megamind splays his fingers across her bare, marveling at seeing her for the first time in weeks. It’s been too long.

Tonight she’s wearing civvies. A pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a white peasant blouse with little red and blue flowers along the neck and sleeves. She’s missed a barber appointment, he thinks, as her hair is exactly two centimeters longer than usual. Her hair’s also a bit damp, curling ever so slightly at the very ends. She not wearing makeup, either, letting him see all of her little brown freckles dusting her cheeks, like little stars in a milky white setting. He licks his lips.

Megamind ties her wrists and covers her mouth with a cheap duck tape. He’s never taped her mouth shut before, but for once he doesn’t want her screaming or complaining. And despite every Hollywood movie where the bad guy tapes the victim’s mouth shut, it’s very possible to remove it without the use of hands.

He carries her out bridal style, whistling for the brainbot to bring him back to the car. Once on the ground, he tucks her into the passenger seat and pulls the belt on, all before getting in himself.

And then he drives. He drives for a long time, content for the moment to sit in silence beside the soft rumble of the car’s engine.

Swerving through Metro City’s night traffic, the city lights gleaming in this never sleeping place, he keeps his head low as he goes, so stressed he finds himself clutching the wheel so hard it threatens to snap. The leather of his gloves scrunches.

They (he; she’s still knocked out) drive out of the midnight city into the rolling countryside, past the lake and past the forests. Lush green hillsides and vast farm lands. He can hear the road scratch under the car tires as asphalt turns into gravel and dirt.

After about forty minutes of driving, he can tell Roxanne is beginning to stir. Quickly, he pulls up beside a huge oak tree in the middle of no where, and void of another living soul for miles.

Well. There is a cow outside but it’s like, ten feet away minding its own business.

As the car comes to a stop, he turns the key and all is instantly quiet.

With a soft grunt, Roxanne squirms in her seat and consciousness slowly comes to. He doesn’t watch her, choosing to star at his bony knees and twiddle his thumbs. All he can hear is her movements, and his own rapidly beating heart.

“M…Mmm?” Her eyes slowly open, blinking in the dim atmosphere. Her eyes then open wider, and she looks around for the usual sights of a kidnapping. Seeing as they’re only in the car, and her mouth is taped, she abruptly begins to struggle.

“Wait!” He says frantically, trying to calm her like one would do for a wild horse. “It’s okay! This isn’t a kidnapping! Well, technically it is but it’s just us—“

“MMM!?” She starts to work her mouth through the tape in earnest, tongue visibly trying to lick at the stickiness.

“Please, wait! This is—I just want to tell you something. Something… important. I promise on my ancestors that you have full permission and more to beat me outside but… please. Just listen to me. Please, Miss Ritchi.”

Her struggling stops, and she turns to him with a suspicious glare. He bows his head, flushing in shame. She hates me.

Though she’s trapped him under an intense stare, snaring him more than he had with her, Roxanne goes still as if awaiting for whatever stupid thing he’s got to say to her.

“I… want to apologize, for my behavior two weeks ago. It was unforgivable.”

“Mm.”

“But—I… I…”

She glares harder. Ashamed of himself, he turns his stare to the dashboard.

“I love you.”

He doesn’t look up to catch her reaction, but she doesn’t respond verbally.

“I love you, I love you, I love you.” He bangs his forehead against the steering wheel with each confession, feeling all the pint up emotions in him pouring out like water from a broken dam. It burns his insides with glorious relief and bittersweet shame all at once. Yet it keeps flowing. “And I’m so, so sorry. It’s—not my choice, Miss Ritchi. I can’t help it. My b-body…Ah—s—“ he stutters, so anxious it’s close to making him piss himself. He can feel it claw at this throat, threatening tears. “My species… we d-don’t have crooches, like a human. We… fall in love. Hard. And once. Only once. Once and only with one person. And that’s it. We mate for life, like doves. Or beavers. Wolves. I-It doesn’t matter. But once the relationship is formed that’s it. Cheating or finding a second love if the other leaves or dies is purely an earthly concept. My own p-parents, they—they only had eyes for each other. Sex or romance wasn’t even a concept I understood before I met y—…. I didn’t chose you, Miss Ritchi. I didn’t want this to happen. You don’t deserve this. I’ve already turned your life into a living hell, and for that I cannot apologize enough, even onto my grave. My transgressions are unforgivable. Yet, even being here on Earth I cannot…. There is no place for me. My planet, it’s… I’m all that’s left. And Minion. I didn’t think I could possibly imprint on anyone, much less a human, in this way. Yet… I am so sorry. It’s all my fault. I should have known…”

She’s fidgeting ever so softly beside him, he hears the crinkle of the tape.

He doesn’t realize he’s crying until he takes in a staggering breath, wet tears rolling down his sharp face and trickling on his lips. Salty like the sea.

He can’t bring himself to speak again in fear of weeping like a damn baby, but he feels as vulnerable as one in the moment. Weak. Childish. Pathetic.

The car falls into a silence, with his shaky breaths and a light breeze rolling against the windows. Other than that, it’s as quiet as a void. He glances at her from the corner of his eye, and sees her staring outside at the cow as if it had done something personal to disrespect her.

They sit in silence for a long time.

“I’m done,” he suddenly says.

He hears her move around again.

“I’m… I’m done. With this business,” he gestures to himself in general, to the car, to his gun. “I mean, there are things you don’t know about. Things I’ve done behind cameras. In the underworld. I’ve committed enough sins to last multiple lifetimes over. There’s blood on my hands. Miss Ritchi. Like you wouldn’t believe. And… I’m going to give it up. I can’t keep doing this…

“This such a archaic concept for me. Aah, uh, did you know… Of course you wouldn’t… The males, sometimes even the females, of my kind have to… catch the other sometimes. To express that they feel the same way. Avoids miscommunication or misplaced feelings. My own father… had to sneak into my mother’s household as teenagers to propose to her. It’s—I didn’t even realize it until recently I was courting you! Unconsciously! I’m—God I’m so sorry, Miss Ritchi. I just need to go away. “

She lets out a muffled sound again.

“I’m moving from this place,” he looks around at the vast farmland, the dot of the city in the distance, reflected by his rear-view mirror. “Romania sounds nice. I do a lot of business over there. Lots of forests and hillsides where there’s no one for miles. I can’t bother you or anyone out th—”

Roxanne suddenly spits.

Looking over to her in surprise, he sees she has vanquished the duck tape and has rolled it up in her mouth to spit it onto the dashboard. Turning on one hip, she faces him with such a glower it chills him to the very bone.

“Don’t. You. Dare,” she hisses.

He shrinks in his seat.

“Don’t you dare drop this on me and say you’re just gonna leave!” She yells, pulling against her taped wrists. He opens his mouth to let out a string of never ending apologies, but—she’s starting to cry, he sees, much to his absolute horror. Has he truly upset her this bad? He really was a monster.

“How—you stupid, stupid man,” she cries out, and suddenly—he sees her raise her arms, still taped by the wrist, and he honestly thinks he’s about to be hit when—

She loops her arms around his big blue head and latches onto his neck, yanking him closer and making him clumsily fall onto the stick shift as—

Her mouth is on his. So hard do their mouths come together that their teeth clack, faces clashing together he barely has time to process what’s happening. Gasping, hands wild and unsure in the air as she seemingly tries to suck his soul out, but—he knows what’s happening, mildly, but a bigger part of him is convinced he’s dreaming or hit his head.

The feeling of her lips touching his, though, is electrifying. Every nerve in his body begins to sing and scream all at once, overwhelming him with a sensation override. She moans and presses closer, both of them awkward and clumsy as they clutch at the other from opposite seats. Clutched… he feels his hand involuntarily grab her waist, holding his close but terrified he’s mixing the signals. It feels so so so good, though, and—

She pulls away before he can even realize he was responding back, albeit unsurely. Arms locked around his neck, he mentally curses himself for tying her up. But. It felt like the thing to do at the time.

“You listen to me you son of a bitch,” she viciously spats. “You come to my place, ten’o’freakin’clock at night, and tell me you love me only then to say you’re leaving? What the actual hell!?”

He attempts to pull back, hide in his shell, run away from her furious reprimand, but his neck is still trapped by her arms. Shit. Really a bad decision to tie her up. The alien’s prepared to say something, anything, to show how much of a lowly creature he is in her light, but all that comes out of his throat are choked warbles and whimpers. “I—“

She sniffles.

He meets her eyes in surprise to see two glassy blue orbs meeting his. Frantically, he try to console the weepy female by nervously patting her back. “Ah—M-Miss Ritchi—“

“You were such an A-hole,” she says, sobbing. “Megamind, for once you were actually cruel. It scared me.”

“Oh, oh my dear—No, no, my sweet, no! I wasn’t—“ he swallows. “I wasn’t trying to be cruel. I was just frustrated. With myself. With my instincts. I—if I behaved any less I would have made a fool of myself.”

“Well, you already did that by yelling at me, you cabbage.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“You made me feel like a whore the last kidnapping.”

He remembers that dress she wore. Wine red, rimmed in black. His... comment to it. Megamind bows his head and clenches his whole body. “I am sorry.”

“And you made me worry about you. I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

Confused, he looks up at her. Roxanne then pulls at her arms and lets him go from between them. Gesturing with her wrists, he catches her drift and pulls out his trusted butterfly knife and whips it out, glad to have something to do with a tool he’s familiar with. Nothing else felt familiar; alien and strange.

As the plastic finally rips away, her skin safe from his sharp little friend, she wraps her hands around his neck and yanks him to her again. Eyes wide, he numbly feels her kiss him a few quick, consecutive times before—

She slaps him in the chest.

He’s nearly got a concussion from how bad the whiplash is.

“Is it true?” Roxanne demands. He’s unable to speak. “Is it true? Do you love m—“

“Yes. Yes, I love you. A million times over.”

This little woman shakes her head, eyes glistening with something he can’t begin to understand. He feels like he’s drowning, with a weight tied to his feet to prevent him to swimming to the surface. He can't breath. She then grabs onto his shoulders. Shaking her head again, she says, “Then don’t go to Romania. Don’t leave Metro City. This place is our-your home.”

“Miss Ritchi, I can’t… stay around you anymore,” his voice breaks. “I can’t without—“

Her lips are on his again.

Shocked, but rapidly trying to learn this new skill she’s apparently trying to teach him, he responds as best he can. Periwinkle blue to unpainted pink, their lips press against each other, seining the warmth and the wet of the other’s mouth. He once saw this activity between lovers an unsanitary and strange thing, but now he understands its meaning. His lips are quite sensitive, and this kissing sets his body to flame, scrambling towards something he can’t seem to catch.

When she pulls away, he follows her, not wanting this connection to end. A tiny bead of saliva snaps between them as their lips depart.

“For such a genius, you can be unbelievably dense.” She cups his face. “I love you Megamind."

What.

"God, I love you. And your behavior, this month—I thought you’d finally lost it. Or just got tired of me.”

His first instinct is to respond yes, yes he has lost it, completely and utterly, but—

“You—you what—“

Roxanne shakes her head again, this time smiling so wide that it nearly reaches her ears, all pearly whites on display for him. She lets him go, finally, letting him think straight. Which is bad because his brain runs in about five hundred directions. Blinking rapidly to disperse the tears in her wet lashes, she continues with, “I’m glad you told me this. Because—I was considering on moving as well.”

He jolts in his seat.

“I sometimes get job offers in other places. This time… I had an offer in Liverpool.”

“Leeverpul!? What’s can you find in Leeverpul?”

“I like the British accent. And it’s far, far away from here.”

Hapless, he stares at his knees.

“Hey,” she pulls him out of his stupor. “Look at me. That’s better. Now. That stuff you said about… imprinting on me? Is that true, too?”

“All of it,” he breaths.

Roxanne nods her head and leans back against the leather seats. “Then listen to me. I love you with all of my heart. I have for a long time, Megamind. So it hurt me, so, so much with how much of a dick you were suddenly turning into. You may as well have stabbed me in the heart.” He winces. “And then you just up and vanished. Gone. Everyone is talking about you!”

He can’t believe what she’s saying. It’s nothing like he ever imagined happening in any probable outcome of this. She… actually… returned his feelings? What??? What witchcraft is this!? He really must’ve bumped his head hard!

“I... know. I see the news. I see my lack of an appearance in the public eye has given you less work… Ah, are you sleeping better?”

She looks at him in confusion.

“You were always falling asleep.”

Roxanne lets out a loud sigh. “I know… I know…”

“Why.” It isn’t a question.

“I always thought you were just a bit ol’sweetheart that grew up on the wrong side of the law. I fall in love with you a little harder every time you goof around like that. I hate that you’re always destroying something or trying to start a fight, but it was a little endearing.” She lets out another loud exhale. “And then you started acting like I was shit under your shoe.”

“N—!“

She raises a hand, and he immediately goes silent.

"So I started drinking. Tried to drink the pain away. But that doesn't work," her voice breaks a bit.

He wants to bang his head against the wall.

“And I hate that you dragged me out here,” she motions toward the countryside. “You don’t have to ship yourself off to God knows where, but stopping the kidnapping would be nice. Even if it’s apart of your… culture.”

“Whatever-Whatever you desire," he swears reverently.

“What I desire,” she says, placing a hand on his knee, “is for you to take me home.”

He nods, expecting that answer.

“And I want you to come up with me. We’re gonna have a talk.”

“O-kay...?”

Suddenly she leans over again and presses his lips to his cheek. With his breath hitching, because its still a lovely, foreign feel to him, she adds, “And then I’m going to show you how much I love you, too.”

“W—“

“I know you, Megamind. I can see it in your face. Now. Take us home, sweetheart.” She kisses his lips again.

This time he knows what to do, and copies her actions better than before. It feels like fireworks.

He’s glad he told her.

[sanchoyo]

(Ask and you shall receive) 6 + 15, Kaede & Tsumugi

Bookshop AU + Criminal AU

BOYY HOWDY I AM LATE WITH THIS basically I tried to make a modern au where things are more..realistic (as much as dr can be?) but the premise isn’t too different :”) this is a good ship and tsumugi is the most underrated girl 

_____________________________________________

Kaede tapped her fingers on the table rhythmically; It was a song, one note against the wood, but the pace was solid and steady. Tsumugi loved the sound, and smiled to herself from the front desk. A notebook was laid out in front of her, copying notes from a music book into it. Kaede caught her eye and smiled; Tsumugi smiled back and looked away, eyes casted down.

The first week Kaede had come in, she’d informed the other girl they had a copy machine, and Kaede had told her writing the notes down by hand helped her memorize them. She was going to college nearby, with the goal of becoming a concert pianist. 

Tsumugi had seen a few local shows after Kaede had told her to come; And Tsumugi had fallen quickly: for her music, beautiful stories unraveling with swells and lows swooping through the air of an auditorium, and the gentle smile Kaede wore while her fingers danced. There was never a stumbling, never a mistake in those steady notes.

Tsumugi had steady hands too, so she could admire it; when she sewed, when she put books back in their homes, when she…

She caught Kaede’s eye and smiled again. Kaede abruptly put her books down, shoving the notebook into her bag and approached the front door.

“Tsumugi! Do you work a full shift today? I’m so stiff; we should go out and walk a while!”

Bold as always- it was so cute. Tsumugi tucked a stray strand hair behind her ear.

“Really, it’s not good to sit indoors all day!”

“I think I’ve mentioned, I work at a bar after I leave here, Akamatsu-san. I’m afraid I can’t.” She shrugged, and her Kaede’s entire body visibly slumped. So cute. “Mmm, maybe tomorrow?”

Kaede perked up. “Yeah, for sure! I don’t really drink a lot but maybe I could stop by the bar or something if you want?”

“Oh, I don’t know if that’s a great idea. It’s not really a bar for a girl like you.”

“A girl like me?! C’mon, I’ve been to a few parties in my time!” Kaede’s cheeks puffed out. “Is it safe for you? Is it like,” Kaede leaned in, as if sharing a secret, “really sketchy or something?”

She leaned towards Kaede, so close she could smell her flowery perfume. 

“I’m able to handle myself well enough, but thank you for your concern. I have pepper spray.” She could laugh; but it was truth enough that she could handle herself- no need to give the blonde unnecessary need to worry. 

“Okay, if you’re sure! But I should give you my number in case of emergencies, okay? Call me in a pinch! Or, y’know, if you just wanna chat!”

She opened her mouth in faux surprise, and accepted the scrap of paper; Kaede had signed it with a heart. 

“If you really want, tomorrow night...”

“Yeah! I really do wanna go out, what time?”

So they chatted, set a time and place for the next day, and Tsumugi’s hand clenched the scrap of paper tightly.

And she held it close when Kaede smiled and walked away, her perfume lingered.

“Oh dear,” She whispered to herself. This was bad! Kaede really was beautiful! And strong-willed enough...how beautiful would she look under glowing lights in full costume, how hard would her delicate hands hit if faced with adversaries?

She wanted her; more than she’d wanted anyone, in a long, long time. 

She turned open her own book, a manga murder mystery. She’d already guessed the killer from the first time she’d read it, the pretty, strawberry girl that the main character had already forgotten about after she faked her death; but for some reason, it held her attention anyway, even if she’d read it at least ten dozen times. 

Did the girl, Junko, feel remorse at all? Or did she feel glee, euphoria, and more love when she saw the impassioned fight her friends was giving? Tsumugi smiled, closing her favorite book and setting it on the counter.

She had a date to get ready for tomorrow night.

 _______________________________________________

“You’ve never read the Dangan Ronpa Murder series?”

“I dunno, it’s a little gory for me.” Kaede’s laugh was light and airy. “I know it’s just books, but I get so grossed out! I know they’re huge right now, but…”

“Mhm, they aren’t for everyone. But the main character is so noble! So willing to sacrifice everything for their friends. They remind me of you.”

“Of me?” Kaede looked up from her fries, mid-bite. “No way! I could never do that kind of stuff, I’d freak out!”

“I’ve seen you with your friends, Akamatsu-san. I think if it really came down to it, you’d try and help them however you could.”

Kaede looked like she was considering it carefully. “Yeah, when I think of them, I’d wanna try, but…” She grinned, changing the subject. “So, anyway, since you like the series, what do you think about who they’re casting for the live-actions?”

“It should’ve been animated,” Tsumugi sniffed, and she was a little bitter. “I’m not a fan of who they casted for Junko. She’s not- The wig looks too cheap! And- I have so many complaints!” She huffed, and Kaede laughed.

“You should send them your cosplay pictures to convince them to let you style her! Yours looks way better anyway,” Tsumugi felt her cheeks warm. 

“Thank you for the thought, but with all the retcons they’re doing...but oh! We should get you in a cosplay sometime! There’s a con soon!”

“That’d be fun! Even if I don’t really know the characters, it makes me really excited to think about wearing one of your costumes and hanging out all day!” Kaede propped her head on her hand, smiling. “You look so pretty when you get all excited about this, y’know?”

“Akamatsu-san-”

“You know, I think I’ve said you can call me Kaede.” Kaede slipped her hands over Tsumugi’s.

“I’m excited just being with you, Kaede.” She admitted softly. “And I’d be really happy if you want to meet me again next week?”

Kaede’s smile was like the sun. “It’s a date!”

____________________________________________________

Kaede looked even more beautiful than Tsumugi could have imagined, done up in purple and black lace, a masquerade mask over her eyes, hair pinned back.

“How does it look?”

“It still needs something.” Tsumugi circled her, checking over her own handiwork. “Maybe a hairpiece…” 

“Oh! How about a flower or something?”

She stared for a minute, considering it, trying to visualize, and Kaede ducked her head. 

“Honestly, with you staring so much I’m a little embarrassed. You don’t think it’s too much?”

“I could’ve gone more detailed with it! You wanted something simple, this is about as simple as I can do! I didn’t even put any anime references on the design!” She frowned. “I don’t know, maybe I could change your makeup a bit; something darker to show on camera more…”

“On camera? Will you be filming my performance?”

“Of course I will be! You’ll be the star of the show!” 

Kaede grinned, and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Tsumugi saw stars behind her eyes, and couldn’t stop glowing; Kaede really was perfect for this, the other girl’s attitude just made her even more sure; if she loved her so much, surely, everyone else would also-!

________________________________________________

“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Kaede muttered to the boy beside her; he was going to the same college, studying to be a detective. Tsumugi had been careful to pick students with varying fields, to make it more interesting- she hadn’t expected the boy to cling to Kaede so hard, and it was irritating to watch. 

Kaede held her dress up off the floor, so careful not to get it dirty (and wasn’t that sweet? She was by far the best dressed here, and the cameras were trained on her as the center, as they should be.) Her eyes glanced at Tsumugi, full of worry. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know,” She lied. “Weren’t we just on the way to your concert? We’ll be late…”

“Are you guys idiots? You don’t know what this is?” A short boy with purple-tinted hair laughed. “C’mon, there’s like, what, fifteen people here, none of you follow the news?”

“Don’t be fuckin’ stupid, there’s no way this is that scary-ass game show shit! No, no fuckin’ way, I don’t have time for this!” A blonde girl snapped, but her expression gave away her true feelings of panic. 

“What game show?” Kaede asked.

“It’s on the dark web. A bunch of sickos kidnap students and make them kill each other. The police haven’t made any real discoveries about it, not a single lead about who runs it or where.” Shuichi muttered. “I’ve been looking into it myself, but…”

“That’s impossible! How do they not know anything?!” An astrophysics student, Kaito, blurted out. “Seriously, they gotta be close and just not telling the public, right?”

“That’s right!” Kaede agreed. Everyone was looking at her; just as Tsumugi thought, she was a natural leader, so positive… “They’ll be here soon, until then, we all have to live and look out for each other! Right?” She looked at Tsumugi. Then softly, she murmured. “Don’t worry, okay? I seriously won’t let anyone die!”

And that would be a problem; it wasn’t like Kaede could really prevent it, but if she intended to really try… She would be a beautiful star, and an inspiring martyr. 

“Thank you, Kaede.” she squeezed her hand. “I know you’ll do great.” She knew that, because she knew Kaede, and she loved her. Still, she wished she had the foresight to put a piano around here, because she’d miss that sweet melody.