Okay so that post asking about which demon/spirit would be drawn to your Rook for possession planted some Brainworms and I have to share. As is the way
An AU where Rook was captured during a mission for thier faction. They're sold into slavery -- or at least they tried to sell them. Rook is trouble, through and through, so the captors are planning to just end them when one Zara Renata comes combing the markets for new, disposable test subjects.
A Rook that's picked for thier fire. For their anger and strength. They manage to kill 14 Venatori by the time the bastards get them to the Ossuary.
A Rook that sits in a cell one corridor across from another prisoner. He's Zara's favourite, the poor bastard. A Crow from what they've heard between sessions on the table and the rack. Between blood spilt and bone cracked, sand and salt and Other Voices. Has heard the words 'potential' and 'nuisance' in equal measure in reference to him.
The first time they see him try to escape, they understand why.
14? Chump numbers. He creates a red river under the ocean and Rook thinks he might just do it--
He's twisted like a ball joint doll to kneel before Calivan. The mage holding a small vial to fuel the obedience spell. His phylactery.
The crow is pressed down, bled until nearly unconscious, but Rook sees his eyes, staring at them, vicious and determined.
Rook makes a plan.
It's not a good plan, but it's better than what they had before.
They're pliant when hands grip them. Go lax after a blade cuts. They need anonymity. They need to fly under the radar as best they can.
The first time they manage to get free, they get as far as the door. They need to appear hopelessly weak. Down trodden. They're getting out of here. They're getting back to their people. The idea of a rescue doesn't even come to mind.
The next time, they get to his cell door.
Possession hasn't happened yet. They're just two people meeting in the dark for the first time.
If he has a phylactery, so must they too. Somewhere.
"There's not much time," Rook begins. "How do I get you out?"
This attempt ends much the same as the last. They're further separated. They start leaving notes to coordinate escape plans. Mostly just markers as time stamps. Items may be stolen and hidden in the dirt for the other to find. A pin, a shard, maybe a knife if they're lucky.
Then it's food that's shared. Cloth found and shred into bandages, rolled up and shoved into crevices.
They know eachother without ever knowing eachother. Their sanity becomes dependent on these few and far between gifts, between long stretches of nothing. Of numb, hazy thoughts of elsewhere.
Then the crow sprouts wings in his next attempt.
Demon, Rook's mind hisses. Abomination.
But then he's reaching for their cell without a thought, breaking them out, bodily lifting them to stand. There's barely any strength between their physical bodies, but something else, something new is driving him.
"Hey," Rook murmurs, heavy on his shoulder. "Name's Rook."
He breathes out his nose in the facsimile of a snort. "Lucanis."
They're caught that time, too.
They need those vials. Need them destroyed. There's no escape for either of them otherwise.
Then Rook hears of plans of them being transferred elsewhere. Another dungeon. Another torture chamber.
That's when Lucanis gets his hands on their phylactery.
"For such precious cargo, they didn't even lock the box." And he's handing it to them outside their cell. Just like that.
"They'll know it's gone."
"So we better make this chance count."
'We.'
When had it become 'we'?
They were using eachother. It was the best option. If they were free of Calivan's influence they could fight him. Give Lucanis a chance at his own phylactery.
Or they could run. Forsake this fragile trust and flee like a coward. A free coward, but a coward nonetheless.
Not Rook's style.
...
The vial is a fake. A trap. They all realise this too late, and then it's Rooks turn in the chamber. Rooks turn to be forced to house an inhabitant that does not want to Be. A spirit dragged from its place in the fade kicking and screaming and--
I'm thinking Faith. Faith that things will work out. Faith that every leap you take there will be ground to land on. Faith in others, in thier ability to come together and fight.
But that Faith can so easily become Recklessness. Carelessness. Rash and unwise but so passionate. A good, strong emotion.
The Venatori wanted Despair. They wanted Envy. A Good, Strong Emotion.
Instead they got Impulse. Something far too chaotic and wild to use for thier needs. Spite is tempered with rage and -- at a push-- patience if a goal is set. Impulse... really isn't.
Shaped like Rook, this creature wants freedom. Demands it. Consequences do not exist to them. They push Rook to try and escape again and again without reprieve, has no understanding of conserving energy, of careful planning and execution. It wants action. It wants. To leave.
Anyway yeah I'm thinking Rook does get transferred and somehow escapes but has no way of finding that Ossuary, of knowing if Lucanis is even still alive. They're searching for it when Varric turns up/gets in trouble/gets them out of trouble.
Imagine their surprise when they go to the crows for the help of The Demon of Vyrantium and hear Lucanis' name
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Iâve been thinking about the day Jess meets Rory lately and Iâm trying to guess what made him accept he had fallen for her so quickly. Iâm not really a âit was love at first sightâ enthusiast but thatâs only because I canât stand insta love tropes where both characters are completely into each other 2 seconds after they meet, which is clearly not the case with Literati. (I can relate to meeting someone and developing an instant crush, and then getting to know that person and falling for them, I think this is a different kind of trope, and one I do like.) But about Jess, what I mean is, he had just been shipped to this town against his wishes, itâs interesting to me that he opens up to that feeling so âeasilyâ. We also know he wasnât very good at âconnectingâ to people either way, so, do you think he used to be like that when he had a crush or was it something that happened exclusively when he met Rory? Iâm so curious to know how he felt in that moment, you know? And after. I wonder if Rory was very different from girls that he fell for before. Not in the âsheâs not like others girlsâ sense but really, if it surprised him to feel that way or if he didnât think much about what was happening, if he was just glad he met her and now that town didnât seem that awful anymore. Iâm rereading what I wrote and I think I didnât explain at all what I mean, but I love your meta takes and I wanna know what do you imagine that happened inside Jess Marianoâs brain/heart that night, so Iâm gonna send the ask anyway.đ„°
Thank you so much for asking! đ. This is a tricky one, and one that I often wonder about as well, honestly. Like you, I'm not always fond of "love at first sight" scenarios in fiction, unless it's done really well, and most of the time I just can't buy it. At the same time, though, I'm really fascinated by the concept, especially because it apparently does happen occasionally in real life. I've always loved hearing real-life couples' "love stories," especially if they've been together a long time, and I've heard multiple accounts of it happening. Even more than that, my own father always said that that's how it was when he met my mother. And the way he described it (as well as the other people who had similar experiences) was that he saw her, and he just... knew. He didn't know anything about her yet, but he was just struck with this unshakable feeling that "She's the one." Weird, huh? It seems to happen sometimes, and I don't understand it, but it seems to go beyond logic. Was this how it was for Jess? I'm not sure. We know that even before he "met" Rory, he was struck enough by her photo on the mantle that he did a double take and went to pick it up. My husband (who is not known for picking up on signals of romantic interest, bless him!) when we watched that episode could tell right away that he liked her, because it was the first time Jess actually moved closer to someone after greeting them. He had never done that before.
If he felt it then, I would imagine that seeing her bookshelf only heightened that feeling (There's something almost "Edenic" about that sense of recognition of kinship, isn't there?- "This now is bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh!"). Did he recognize the full weight of it yet, though? I don't know. And it also seems to me that, even if he was feeling it, he was still struggling to "process it" at that point. I mean, despite the way he immediately tried to sneak her out the window with him, the way he looks at her seems just as wary and on-edge as it does transfixed! He's carefully watching her the way a wild animal eyes a person trying to befriend it: wondering if it's safe to come closer, but muscles tensed to immediately flee if necessary. I think he was feeling a lot of things, but had no idea what to do with it. I think the whole "Dodger" exchange really clinched it, though.
As far as if he'd ever fallen hard for anyone before, I really don't know. We really have almost nothing about his life before Stars Hollow, besides (troubling) bits and pieces of his life with Liz. I wouldn't count it out, though. I think he obviously feels much more deeply than he'd like people to believe. There are intriguing possibilities in his use of the plural "the girls that I like don't give a damn about me" (though, not necessarily). I think how he felt for Rory was the first time he'd felt THIS strongly though. A person (especially a person like Jess) wouldn't speak of "knowing" with such conviction if they'd been wrong about it in the past, I don't think. That has a way of making one more skeptical in the future (and THAT I know from my own experience, haha).
so neil has to fulfill a fuckin fine arts requirement. UGH.
he is not a fan of this because it is not exy, it is not practical, it is not useful, it is not related to math he will never need it
but the administration thinks itâs necessary for some fuckin reason, so. he looks over all his options and chooses a music theory class, because out of all of his options it seems like the one least likely to actually make him do art. like, theory. thatâs the opposite of practice. right???
but eventually he discovers, as so many disappointed music majors do, that music theory is fULL OF FUCKING MATH. SERIES AND SET THEORY EVERYWHERE. M A T H.
unlike the other people in his class, who are generally either a) music majors or b) non-music majors who are also not math majors and really just wanted to get this GE out of the way, neil is t h r i l l e d
he just happened to stumble on the ONE branch of fine arts, as far as he knows, that actually contains math. so this is like. him just using stuff he learned in math classes two semesters ago. the professor loves him
this is long but tumblr is absolutely refusing to let me put in a read more im so sorry. pretend it was here
(the professor also isnât quite sure why neil was completely apathetic about the class until she introduced the concept of a harmonic series, since a harmonic series is not a very intellectually exciting topic, but heâs engaged and putting in effort so! not gonna question that too hard!)
and listen, at this point, neil knows his major doesnât matter. heâs going to be a pro exy player. his classes are just a way of giving him a few extra years to train before he starts looking at contracts.
and he is someone who appreciates intellectual challenges. this is a man who decided to major in math. math. and neil finds the whole concept of music theory interesting, because itâs so... irrelevant to survival? someone invented music, and then later on, someone decided to analyze music, and now itâs a whole ass field of study
he finds himself signing up for another music theory class for the next semester. presumably, itâll get more complicated as he gets further in. more math.
also, music is something neil canât quite work out how to conquer yet-- the subjectivity involved, and the understanding of phrasing and rhetoric, is exactly the same stuff he has trouble with in writing. his ear is nowhere near as good as most of the other people in the class, because neil has never been someone who listens to music a lot, if ever.
itâs a challenge. neil josten does not back down from that shit. he tackled learning languages, beat math into submission, and is well on his way to conquering exy. and heâs a little tempted to make music theory his newest victory.
the music theory major doesnât have a lot of required courses, enough that he could easily switch majors. part of neil rebels at the idea of majoring in something so impractical-- the part of him that still remembers maryâs advice and yells at him for not hiding from cameras.
neil listens to this part of him, and he does what he does best: he tells it to fuck right off. as long as neil plays exy, it doesnât matter what else he does.
he goes to that music theory I professor and asks her to be his advisor and help him figure out changing his major, and she is still completely mystified but at the same time strangely honored? because her class made this math major who was clearly only taking it for the GE completely change his mind and decide to study music. hELL yeah.
she does warn him that music is a time-intensive major, but neil dismisses that. heâs never really listened to music before. he can start. he doesnât need to keep his ears open for cars or passerby while heâs out on runs anymore. he can listen to music then, and when heâs doing warmups
he also forces kevin and andrew to listen to the music out loud with him at night practice. theyâre not amused but also what are they gonna say?? no?? this is a weird new Phase Of Neil but heâs happy so. they give in.
also the professor was 100% right and neil is swamped for the rest of his time in college, but heâs also not a performance major so that saves him a lot of time because heâs not taking lessons or anything.
and he starts figuring out how piano works. he has to search up some tutorials, but he knows how to read music now, and itâs not a great leap to translate sheet music to a piano. neilâs hands carry a lot of significance to him-- theyâre scarred, and they are one of the keys to his success at exy-- but this is the first time heâs ever used them to produce something beautiful.
also, he uses them to produce things that are horrifically ugly. really just the worst noises you can imagine on a piano. because neil is still neil.
he also discovers that kevin is surprisingly good at picking up melodies, because at one point kevin corners him and angrily hums a few bars of a gluck piece before asking what the hell itâs called because itâs been stuck in his head for two days and he canât get it out
neil desperately tries to get the orange notes to let him compose a new palmetto fight song for them. by the end of his third year, he wears them down.
at the foxesâ first game in neilâs senior year, fifth-year andrew takes one step into the inner court for warmups and says, âdid you fucking write that?â
he sure did and neil josten is like a proud mama listening to the orange notes play their new fight song.
he yells out some notes during the game. christy is half a beat off for like half of the b section and sheâs messing up the other trumpets. he likes the extra flourishes the drum section has added. the backliner marking him is utterly baffled
unsurprisingly, he still finds a way to make his senior thesis about sports
â ïœ„ïŸ : đœ  : .  INTRODUCTION â Zane Wancosh  .: đœ :ïœ„ïŸ â
â CHANCE PERDOMO, TWENTY-ONE, CISMALE, HE/HIM ⥠welcome back to gallagher academy, ZANE WANCOSH! according to their records, theyâre a FIRST year, specializing in MEDICAL TRAINING; and they DID NOT go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (sunglasses in every imaginable color, serenading â my heart will go on â loudly at 4 am, finger guns to the pals and the gals). when itâs the (aries)âs birthday on 04/18/1999, they always request their FRENCH FRIES WITH GRAVY from the schoolâs chefs. looks like theyâre well on their way to graduation.
tw; drugs, jail/prison ??, alcohol
PAST but not rlly since i always had to mention what it did to him
- Zane was raised in Ottawa, Canada .. something he is very proud of and will mention a billion times as soon as he gets to know someone -- he will also deliberately say â eh ? â to let people know b ut we all know he ainât sleek !!
- His parents had always been a loving bunch so he grew up receiving so much affection and attention that he now is a little FULL of himself but only because he seeks love and wonât stop until someone provides it for him im srry i didnât make the law
.- So given his upbringing heâs always been the completely affectionate type, having his hands everywhere all the time and achING for hugs and small things like hand holding or just a pat on the shoulder like he is seriously convinced that if he doesnât get at least four hugs a day he will die a painful, lonely death
- So in addition to that, he had always been a very active, youthful and energetic kid which was pretty much something he got from his dad since he sort of kept things playful and always did the best that he could while his mom was on the stricter side but instead knew how to teach him things that were important !!
- So growing up he always made friends very easily because of how open he was ( except that time when he brought this girl home at the age of 7 because he thought sheâd make a cool pet ) and because he was always vERY friendly, even if he had a tendency to be too nice at times and just got upset when people didnât like him ?? which is honestly still the case
- Of course he loved being popular which is kind of his aspiration in most things nowadays?? he seeks to be liked so much itâs sometimes a lil sad but he will legitamately try anything to make you his friend and he wont care if ur bothered because at least then heâll get a reaction out of you !! but yeah itâs something he never really learned bc heâs used to getting validated from his parents so he genuinely doesnât COMPREHEND meanness ://
- It was when he was around ten ( 10 )Â years old when his dad randomly moved to New York ?? which was honestly super scary to him but his mother assured him that it was for a special job which was definitely weird for him because that was the only thing she ever said when he asked her about his father and ofc zane wasnât dumb just a little idiotic !!
- They still visited his father often where Zane was able to get to know America and New York a little better, which he definitely enjoyed even though he sort of preferred Canada always because he likes snow a lot and the fact that it kind of melts when you pee on it but anyway he was getting a bit more suspicious as he grew older
- Then on his sixteenth birthday he was able to visit his dad once more to which he then was revealed that his dad was the ring leader of a spy business !! WOW to which Zane was baffled of course bc his dad ??? who tripped over his 7th birthday cake because Zane saw a squirrel and started to chase it ?? exactly !!
- So of course, Zane wanted to start working there !! Not only because of curiosity but school was kind of boring ( ngl ) and he missed his dad a lot so while his mother was not happy about his choice at all she always believed in people doing whatever they wanted so without much time passing the male moved to New York and started working for his father !!
- it was quickly noticiable that Zane wasnât great at spy work, considering he was incredibly clumsy and was always distracted by everything and almost shot off his left toe ONCE okay it was only onCE !! Anyway his father got a little frustrated with his chaotic energy so he gave him the jobs were he was usually with someone else so they could babysit him which was honestly better for him too bc he could make friends !!
-Â So when he was around 19 thatâs when he got to know his boy Landon, his main squeeze, one could even say the love of his life ( only he would say that ) but they immediately vibed with Landon being his driver even though they lowkey ended up doing stuff that completely wasnât what his dad wanted but Zane was honestly just loving life and just doing a bit of shady stuff with his buddies was bonding ??
- HOWEVER NOT ALL THINGS CAN BE SUNSHINE AND CAKE; so they often kind of got into trouble ?? they were good at hiding and sort of running from the cops a couple of times but honestly not that much of a big deal as Zane would say but once upon a time, these assholes rlly got caught ahead of their time to which Landon then got away in time with someone from Gallagher helping while Zane honestly didnât know what was happening n got caught ??
- To which he then ended up in jail for a year !! love carrying contraband while being high as fuck !! anyway, it was a very self reflecting time . even though he sort of learned nothing ?? anyway not even his dad could bail him out, only shorten the time if he in return joined Gallagher, a school where he would learn how to behave and use his spy knowledge to some good instead of just causing trouble !!
- Which he honestly didnât vibe with so much because he was kind of scared of these spy kids ?? legit all of them could kill them w a look he wasnât sure was his dad was thinking but thatâs also why he chose medicial training, in order to not get hurt and if he did, he would be able to take care of himself which honestly wasnât that much of a help when he was about to bonk this girl but ended up hitting his dick against the ground as they rolled around ?? he doesnât wanna talk about it
- Anyway, he sort of grew into Gallagher for the most part, since he is a very adaptable person in general and was looking forward to making friends with people who were way cooler than him which was honestly a plus !! he just vibing yâall there ainât no problem at all at all
PERSONALITY & LITTLE QUIRKS
- Heâs super chaotic and all over the place, loves talking about anything and everything and sort of philophises over the most mundane things because its fun to talk about life yâall
- He has a super colorful taste in clothing and decoration and is pretty extraordinary in most things in life, whether its sunglasses or flowers on his backpack and shirts and stuff thatâs way too big
- Is a slow talker and also doesnât understand people who talk fast
- Has a habit of interrupting people mid-conversation and doesnât realize that it could appear rude
- Loves everyone, is also super affectionate and always has an arm around his friends or will at least ask for conSENT bc that matters to him but he will most likely touch u some type of way im sorry
- Probably because he is super fidgety too, he legit has his hands everywhere all the time because he doesnât like to stay still
- Somewhat of a class clown and certainly does not enjoy studying or any school related work so heâs kind probably always on the verge of failing ?? idk how he does it you guys
- will fist bump you but will also grab your ass
- Just wants to chill most of the time but somehow still always stressed
- Is a party ANIMAL like if there is a party, heâs there and probably drunk and high before the party even starts ?? in general i donât think heâs been sober a day since he turned 18 who the fuck knows
- Will probably trip and fall everywhere as a drunk but he just laughs about it the second day, like he says if he doesnât get hurt it wonât be a good party and i honestly worry about him and iâm not sure how heâs still alive
- does the peace sign way too often
- could be considered a sunny boy but since heâs from cold ass Canada he loves snow way much more and the cold for some reason
- has the biggest potty mouth like he doesnât even realize heâs swearing
- is extremely honest like he will just stand there listening to someone complain and be like well thatâs a bitch
-Â also huge flirt and also catches feelings fast and will mostly say it outright when he falls for someone like boy has seriously no shame ?? he will feel the heartbreak but he believes he can deal with it better than questioning it all the time and if they feel the same he will just loVE
- he also might be polyamerous he doesnât know it yet bc heâs never had that many chances but he just likes to love whatever
- his head is everywhere and nowhere at the same time so itâs possible that he doesnât make sense 80% of the time
- has tattoos that donât make sense at all, i like to refer pewdiepie or uhhhh whatâs his name uhhhh kURTIS CONNER ?? im too lazy to fact check i been writing this for an hour let me be
- knows how to juggle and thinks thatâs that probably the coolest skill heâs ever learned
- has two earthworms that he got during a biology project back in high school who have been in his possession for six years now ?? ( i checked they live for four to eight ) he loves them to death ok their names are Niall and Liam ....... ( yes he was an 1D stan donât confront him about them heâll cry )
- is very superficial, loves the horoscope and believes in like bad luck and stuff like that, will scold u if u donât listen to him rant about unlucky things !!
ËËË @hellraiscdââ liked this for a starter ! ËËË
as they approached, nico fingers paused what they were doing (flicking through the pages of the bookstoreâs book log---his shop isnât particularly busy, at the moment). he closes it and leans, cautiously, against the counter towards them. âyouâre not hiding a glass of ice water behind your back, are you?â more than anything he is wary, for the entire situation is simply embarrassing for all parties involved. nico had been intoxicated himself when the whole debacle went down at the bar last weekend, but he remembers clearly the iced beverage dripping from the ends of his hair, his chin, onto his shoulders, down his chest. if the revelation of being his exâs mistress hadnât been enough to sober nico up, that was.
 âdo what you have to do. just not on my books.â he doesnât hate them, although maybe he should---and maybe he had, for awhile. after reflecting on it for the past week, often over a few beers, heâs come to the conclusion that his ex was the asshole. the truth was, the other was just as clueless as nico had been in the whole thing, so he doesnât blame them. but he needs them to know, that he hadnât known either. based on the fifth!
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Communication with Izuna could be a teeth-grinding, frustrating, hair-pulling, infuriating, and irritating ordeal. His brother had a bad habit of dropping off the grid on a whim and no matter how much Madara nagged, he never changed this. But as his thumb hovered over the Send button, Madara was struck by a rare bout of indecision.
He remembered how their dad used to keep him on a short leash. Itâd only gotten shorter as he grew older and itâd been the endless source of arguments between the two of them. Heâd hated the lack of freedom, the constant oversight, the feeling of being caged... and heâd promised himself to not be the same. And here he was, doing the exact thing he hated.
There was probably a difference between his dad micro-managing his time between school and work and Izunaâs late-night disappearances, but wasnât that what Madara had wanted? The chance to wander, to run from his responsibilities, to play games with his growing body and the people who interested him...
Biting his lip, Madara hit the backspace before he changed his mind. Let Izuna have his fun.
2. iâm sorry
They didnât fight often. Oh, sure, they bickered constantly and sometimes it got a little personal, but they rarely ever actually fought.
Well, this time, they had. And this time, Madara hit him.
Izuna was five centimeters shorter and twenty kilos lighter than him. He fell the instant Madaraâs fist touched him.
He regretted it immediately. But instead of apologizing on the spot, he left. And now he was in the park at two a.m. staring at his phone with the worldâs shittiest apology text hovering in front of him.
He grimaced and shoved his phone in his pocket. No. If he was going to apologize, heâd do it in person. His brother deserved that much from him.
3. heâs gone
Their relationship with their father was never comfortable. Tajima had always struck Madara as a man who was eminently unsuitable for fatherhood and only cognizant of that far too late in life. He was sharp, jagged all over, and his tongue was the sharpest of all. Heâd always loomed over his two sons no matter how far they went, the dim shadow they both felt on their backs.
Privately, Madara always thought their dad preferred Izuna. Was that an unfair thing to think? He didnât think so. Even though Tajima paid more attention to Madara, his attention fell differently. Harder, colder.
It came as no surprise to Madara that he would be the one to kill him. Technically, it was being ruled as an accident. Blunt force trauma to the head. But he knew better. And when the call came, he decided not to tell Izuna.
He would eventually. But right now, Madara wanted to be alone.
4. tobirama? rly?
His brother has a strange proclivity of picking up the worst people. Madara hadnât liked Boyfriend #1 or Girlfriend #2. Heâd personally chased Boyfriend #5 away. So when the news breaks from Hashirama of all people that his brother was hooking up with that guy --
For a real and genuine moment, Madara was tempted to find his tire iron and beat Tobiramaâs pale face into wet pulp. Looking at Hashirama soothed the violent urge in him, as did hearing about the alleged date.
His brother was... happy. Tobirama made him happy. Madara couldnât imagine why or how but he did and wasnât that enough? His brotherâs happiness mattered more than his dislike. Tobiramaâs face could go undamaged if looking at it made Izuna feel the same way that Madara did when he looked at Hashirama.
So he deleted the accusing string of texts he typed up and turned his phone off for good measure. The tire iron option would always be there if Tobirama messed up. But... let Izuna have this. Let him be happy.
5. iâm dating hashirama
So maybe he never got around to telling Izuna about his own love life. That was just how things ended up being, him being too busy to ever tell Izuna and Izuna having his own shit to deal with and --
Alright. Madara will admit it.
He didnât want to tell Izuna. He didnât want his brotherâs interference. His entire life heâd shared everything with Izuna, from clothes to secrets, and that had suited him just fine, but not this time.
Hashirama was his. He wanted to keep it that way.
Heâd tell him. Eventually.
1. iâm coming over
Thatâs the last text he ever sends his brother before he walked into their shared flat and found his dead body.
Murder, says the police after they arrive. Madara didnât call them. His neighbors did after they heard him screaming. They had to pry him off of Izunaâs body and nearly tazed him when he went berserk.
Need to find the suspects, someone else says. They sounded far away. Madara could only think about the notification that flashed on his phone right before he texted his brother.
Are you still doing the fluff holiday fic thing? If so > 25. new yearâs eve kiss < (maybe 2017? I'm trash for anything happening around that time because the show's given us so little) <3 <3 <3
(i, too, am trash.)
Itâs nowhere close to midnight when Vanessa hears the knock on the door. She frowns; Rhona isnât due for another hour, at least. Sheâs waiting at home for Marlon to come so they can switch off. Theyâve made a deal this year - to ring in the New Year together with a long collection of resolutions, No Paddy or Charity at the top of that list.
Charity grins at her from the top step, shivering as the wind whips around her. âFinally, babe. Itâs bloody freezing out here.â She scowls. âWhen did it get to be so cold?â
âSometime in November,â Vanessa says absently. âSorry, whatâre you doing here?â
Charity pushes past her into the house, shaking off her coat and tossing it over Vanessaâs chair. âWell, itâs the only time I could get off tonight. Pubâs packed to the rafters.â She leans against the couch, arms folded over her chest. âNoticed you werenât there, though.â
Vanessaâs chest burns. âOh, did you?â
Charity stares her down. âHard not to notice you.â
âCould have fooled me.â Vanessa picks up Charityâs jacket, folding the arms in before she puts it over the back of the chair again.
âWell, youâre miles ahead of Rodney, in the looks department, at least.â Charity makes a face. âProbably in the kissing department as well.â
âYouâve not given that a go?â Vanessa pretends not to see the flash of something on Charityâs face. âOr have you and now youâre bored of him?â
"Rodney,â Charity repeats. âHonestly, babe. How low do you think Iâd stoop?â She pauses and wiggles her eyebrows, her lips pulled back in a smirk. âI mean, we both know how low I can-â
âRight,â Vanessa says sharply. âIs that all, then?â
Charity frowns. âWhat do you mean âis that allâ? Babe, itâs New Years Eve.â
âAnd Iâve got plans.â
âWith who?â Charity asks quickly, leaning forward. She seems to catch herself and sits back again. âLet me guess. Daz?â She waves a hand in the air. âNo, no. Youâre all about the bits and bobs these days. Canât be Tracy. Isnât Leyla. Thereâs a short supply of women in the village.â Her eyes widen. âUnless itâs someone not in the village. Like that slapper Tracy told me she set you up with a few months-â
âItâs Rhona,â Vanessa says, frustration in her voice. She plants her hand on her hip. âIf you must know.â
Charity presses her lips together into a flat line. âHavenât you âbeen there, done thatâ babe?â
âItâs not-â Vanessa sighs. âSheâs my best mate. Not my-â
âBetter half?â Charity supplies. She grins wickedly. âLovergirl?â
âDid you come here for something?â Vanessa huffs, stopping herself just before she stomps her foot.
Charity drops her arms, pushing up off the back of the couch. She glides forward, her hand curling around Vanessaâs elbow and tugging her forward. âNo better luck than kissing a pretty woman at the stroke ofâŠâ She looks at the clock. âHalf ten.â She frowns. âLoses a bit of the magic that way, donât it?â
âCharity,â Vanessa says, half-heartedly trying to step back.Â
Charityâs arms slide around Vanessaâs waist, pulling her closer. âOh, come on, babe. Youâre not really going to make me waste my first kiss of the year on someone else? Like Rodney? Or Tracy?â Charityâs hand starts to drop from Vanessaâs waist as her forehead wrinkles in concentration. âActually, that might not-â
Vanessa scowls and pushes at Charityâs shoulder. âThen go kiss her.â
Charityâs arms tighten. âMaybe later on, yeah?â She grins. âYouâre my top priority.â She leans a little closer and Vanessa leans away. âBabe,â she whines. âIâve not got long. Chasâll be catching on that my trip to the loo was really a trip down here soon enough.â
âSo thereâll be other people, then. That youâre kissing,â Vanessa clarifies.
Charity shrugs a shoulder, feigning disinterest. âDunno. You donât seem keen on it being you.â
Vanessa can see the trap sheâs walking into. Charity does this to her - catches her and snares her in and makes it seem like it was all Vanessaâs idea to begin with. She can see it and she keeps going, diving headfirst into something Charityâll hold over her later on. She knows it and she doesnât stop.
âAnd you seem so set on making sure I know Iâm just one of the sad, pathetic people on your list.â
âTop of the list,â Charity reminds her with a wink. âAnd anyway, arenât you snogging Rhona in an hour.â
âWeâre not-â
âIâll be too busy slinging drinks to even think about kissing anyone when the clock strikes,â Charity continues over her. âLater on, who knows? Priya is looking fit this year, isnât she?â
Vanessa pushes hard at Charityâs shoulder. âRight then. Go on. Go kiss whoever you want to kiss and leave me out of it. Daz, Priya, Tracy, me dad. Just, go.â
Charity frowns. âSorry, have I missed something?â Her grip goes slack, leaving Vanessa room to move away. âI thought we were having a bit of fun, there.â
Vanessa feels the space between their bodies and she nearly steps in to close it. âFun. Yeah,â she says weakly.
âWeâre not a couple,â Charity continues slowly. âThatâs what you said, isnât it?â
âYeah,â Vanessa repeats in that same voice.Â
âBut,â Charity says, moving closer again. âyou are the first person I want have a bit of⊠fun with this year.â
The only, Vanessa wishes Charity would say.Â
Charity leans away suddenly. âKnow what, babe? You have Rhona watch the kid and just before the clock strikes midnight, you meet me at the backdoor of the pub. Weâll make it all official, yeah? First proper snog of 2018.â
âCharity,â Vanessa starts.
âNo.â Charity drops her arms from Vanessaâs waist, nodding sharply. âYou come round and Iâll make it worth your while.â Her phone rings from the pocket of her trousers and she fishes it out, scowling at the display. âChas. Probably wondering if Iâve fallen in.â She looks Vanessa up and down. âNot yet, at least.â
Vanessa rolls her eyes, but she canât stop the smile spreading on her face. âGive over.â She shoves at Charityâs shoulder again, lighter this time. Her fingers curl into the fabric of Charityâs shirt. âFine. Midnight.â
Charity winks as she picks her coat up, sliding into it. âIâll bring the drinks and you bring theâŠâ She nods at Vanessaâs chest. âWell, you know, babe.â
âCharity,â Vanessa hisses, though Johnny is asleep.
âIâll make it worth your while,â Charity promises. She wiggles her fingers at Vanessa as she backs up slowly through the house. âLater, babe.â
âLater,â Vanessa says quietly.
The door closes and Vanessa lets out a hot rush of air, rolling her eyes at herself. Charity Dingle is going to be the death of her; sheâs sure of it.Â
Name: Kaiya Nishimora
Species: Halfblood Vampire
Age/birthday: Early 20âČs / November 18th
Parents: Asame Nishimora / Father TBA
Hair/Eyes/Height: Pale blond / Emerald green / 5âČ3
Faceclaim: Anastasia from Idolm@ster
Orientation: Demisexual
Bio:Â After the rebellion and once Asameâs powers have been sealed away, she settles down in America so that she can be close to her friends. But the rest of the group had their own lives to live, jobs to do, and their own families to return to. Due to the fact that she had been locked away for most of her life, Asame rarely ever stayed in her own apartment, always out wandering, exploring new places and though her anxiety made things difficult for her, she met a lot of new people as well.
Most didnât go really anywhere other than that first meeting, a few she enjoys going out for coffee with and the like. However, there was one she had met that had stuck around. Even though she knew he wasnât human, she didnât quite know exactly what he was for some time. The two had grown close over the next couple of weeks, the man had practically swept her off her feet with his charming smile, suave words, and compliments. A few dates in and he told her those very words no one had ever said to her before, at least not without the influence of her powers before they were sealed.
She was still so naive to the real world and fell for him, hook line and sinker. It took her a long time to get over the fact that he had disappeared right after their first night together and to realize that she had been played. It was even harder the moment she realized she was pregnant, she ended up doing the very thing to herself that she never wanted to ever happen again. She locked herself away in her apartment for a long time and it wasnât until the pregnancy was in its final months that she emerged. She was determined to give her child the life she never had, to show her the world and to allow her to live her life the way she wanted to.
Asame had given her the name Kaiya which means forgiveness because in the end, no matter how much that man hurt her for what he had done, she forgives him because he gave her the most precious thing in her life. Kaiya grows up to be an incredibly sweet and caring girl, albeit a little shy upon first meeting someone and can be just as easily flustered as her mother always was. She loves music and is usually singing along to whatever song is playing or stuck in her head while she cooks, cleans or showers. If ever she is caught singing she gets incredibly embarrassed even though she has quite the talent for it.
She takes quite a bit after her mother, from sharing Asameâs looks to gaining her artistic talents, Kaiya simply adores painting and playing an instrument and can be usually found standing right along with her mother as she volunteers. But she is also an avid gamer and gets rather competitive when playing with someone. Could be anything from poker and chess to video games. But donât let those innocent looks fool you, she can be quite the actress and has a flair for the dramatics around those that sheâs comfortable with. Get past that soft and sweet side that youâre greeted with on the first meeting and youâll see the cunning, witty and bold girl that lurks just under the surface.
Kaiya has the ability to manipulate someoneâs life force. Sheâs still young and has yet to learn all of the aspects to her power yet she has found that she can alter someoneâs age, see how much time they have left in their life and sometimes even alter it, healing, life force transference, life link and more. Though in the eyes of the clans she is only considered a halfblood, the fact that her father is actually a demigod granted her these abilities.
