#ok!!!!

In another world

We could stand on top of the mountain

With our flag unfurled

In a time to come

In a time to come we will be

Dancing to the beat played

On a different drum

I didn’t forget about this!! I finally got an idea together!!

Crossroads Island AU: Veryl’s very unimpressed with her roommate’s inability to lie

—

When it rains/snows/storms

—

There were four apples on the counter.

Sabi took an apple to work with her every day. There were four apples yesterday, so there should be three today.

But there were four apples on the counter.

Veryl furrowed her eyebrows, walking over to the front door. Sabi’s bag and shoes were missing, but her umbrella was still in the stand.

Her roommate was stubborn, but even Sabriel wouldn't have left her umbrella after getting caught in the downpour two days ago. It was still raining today.

That meant she was still in the house. At eleven in the morning?

With a scowl, Veryl stomped up the stairs to her roommate's door. She knocked once, just out of habit, before trying the handle.

It was locked.

"I know you're in there, Roomie! And don't try to tell me nothing is wrong! You wouldn't be pretending you went to work otherwise!"

There was a long moment of silence before she heard a muffled groan and shuffling footsteps.

The door cracked open, Sabriel staring at her with one glassy eye. Her face was flushed with fever.

"I don't feel well. Don't come in here." She sounded awful.

Veryl sighed, scratching the back of her head in frustration. "I knew running around in the rain was going to backfire on you. I'll go get you some soup."

"I don't need it. I took medication already and I'm trying to sleep it off. I'll be fine by tomorrow." Sabi frowned at her. "Why aren't you at work?"

"I'm working from home today, not that you need to know," Veryl retorted, crossing her arms. "When was the last time you ate something?"

Sabi opened her mouth to respond, then closed it, moving to close the door again. "I'm going back to bed."

"Ohhh no you don't!" Veryl lunged forward, shoving her foot into the doorjamb. Letting the door hit it barely even hurt. "I'm making you some toast and you're going to eat it. And don't even think about locking your door, I'll pick it if I have to."

She watched as Sabi crawled back into bed, her back turned to the door.

She wanted to be petulant? Fine. Sabi was stubborn, but Veryl was more than capable of meeting that energy.

Maybe she could convince Varric to send up some soup.

—

this situation does escalate. Veryl’s not a good caretaker and Sabi’s not a good patient. Might need backup.

a part of him couldn't believe that he was really doing this --- that any of it was even happening , his focus trapped somewhere between disbelief and terror , cloud nine and absolute dread . it's reality , not a dream , even as it hung on the precipice of a horrible nightmare : if something went wrong here , wouldn't it have stayed that way forever ?

his secret'd be out , and that would have been the end of it . not just of him , but them . there was no way that he would have been able to hide anymore , whether or not neya hated him for every single lie he had ever told , and all of the happiness --- the fleeting touches , the time spent and shared that felt warm , more electric and spectacular than almost anything else in his life , would have crumbled away into nothing , rotting from a good memory into something fetid and painful . the thought was horrible , and the sudden tug at his chest is a thing that rouses dark and leaves his voice echoing again .

( didn't you want things to change ? ) himself , at first . into someone who could do these sorts of things with confidence ...

hatred . anger . disappointment . he had to keep going forwards no matter what he was afraid of . because she was waiting there for dark , and because more than any pathetic quality he could find and accuse within himself , he knew that he still absolutely owed it to neya to tell her the truth . for so long she had already shared so much of herself with him , giving him --- both of him everything and then some , so why hadn't he been able to do the same for her , barely ever surpassing glimpses at furtive halves ?

azumano's streetlights flicker as dusk falls around him and his nervous footsteps . their mock-gaslight lanterns transform the pink wrapping of the bouquet into an even more gorgeous pink-gold . even if it wasn't his first time confessing to someone , it was the first time since he had transformed . when he sees her in the far distance , no doubt still unnoticed himself , he wants to run ; to hide . to throw the flowers before plunging himself into the rivers and their ice-cold waters , but something else in him refuses .

there wasn't anyone who could do this but him . just him and dark , together .

' um ... ' still , he realizes too late that in his meandering anxieties he hasn't even prepared any sort of script . all of him flushes red ; he's positive that he must be a surprise , or look ridiculous , crazy . ' muito-san --- ' i can explain . i have to explain . this was supposed to be a confession , and not an interrogation . ' you ... you made it . '