Xerh | comms open!

"You're joking, right?" Marco said, jaw open.

With her back to him, Star blew a hair strand out of her face, brows scrunched together the way it does when she's made up her mind about something. "Nope, you're talking to Tom."

Wincing, Marco moved to lie down where Star was animatedly taking out her clothes from her luggage, having just moved into the apartment his parents set up for them close to their university. Star leaned over, her hair tickling his face and acting as some sort of curtain for her little intervention. 

"Before you say anything, it's not happening. We weren't a thing, and he's not even going to college. What can come outta that?"

"Tom, probably."

"Star!"

Star snickered, moving the box between them aside to sit cross-legged next to him. "What? He always has like, heart eyes for you, Marco." She fanned her face, half-lid gazing at him teasingly. "..even after you stopped talking to him since last summer's party. Negative aura move, by the way." Marco groaned, covering his face. It didn't help that he could still feel a trace of Tom's warm lips ghosting his. Damn demon.

"Star, please stop talking. And I did not lose aura for.." His mind raced, face growing hot underneath his palms. "..not being able to greet one person goodbye!"

Marco regretted the words as soon as they came out, hands dropping for a second long enough to display the sheer horror on his face. Seeing the glee in Star's eyes, he did the smart thing to do and rolled away from her. Incrementally. Painstakingly. 

"Oh? Tom's just one person, now?" She crawled over, mischief lacing her voice and pace matching Marco's roll of shame. "Not your very special guest at your house party?"

"NOooo." Marco moaned, arms covering his face now.

"Not the guy that THE bisexual baddie Jackie got jealous of you for?" He can practically hear her cheshire grin now. She was shaking him back and forth like a badly formed pizza roll.

"No, no, no, g o d, nOoOoo.." Fuck his life. Fuck his life. Fuck his fucking chungus life.

Star was cackling at this point, getting on her knees and pushing apart his forearms just to point and laugh at his face directly. His face was burning, but he refused to give her more satisfaction. She wiped a tear from her eyes. He pulled his jacket tighter, fighting a smile. Star smiled down at him.

"What are you so afraid of?" She asked. He took in the way her hair swished around her taller frame. He remembered how it annoyed her when Marco began towering over her, so her Mom gave her one of Mewni's old herbal remedies, and she literally sprouted to be just an inch taller than him post-growth spurt. Neither let the other live this down.

Marco, tired after a long day of moving and a long year of whatever, sighed heavily. "I don't know! I don't really know, Star," He stared at the ceiling, wondering when everything got too hard. "I'm just afraid."

His best friend looked at him for a while, the sunset filtering through her eyes in a way that completely suits her namesake. 

She grew to be quieter than she used to be, taking just a little bit more time to consider things before jumping right into them. Star came a long way from the blundering princess he met on her first day on earth, but then again, he supposes he came a long way from who he was then, too.

The growing silence should've made him concerned, but after years of growing up right with her, he knew that whatever would come out of her mouth next would remain as bluntly unhinged as ever. So, caught in a reverie of nostalgia, there was no way he could've prepared for:

"You're afraid of talking to your ex but not of breaking up with the girl who merged dimensions for you?" 

Marco spluttered, his hands flying, then coughed, knowing full damn well he had that coming. He pushed himself up to stare at her, shell-shocked. Star just shrugged and tucked her hair behind her ear and her legs beneath her, posture akin to a self-righteous judge. 

She waited for him to say something. His shoulders dropped, knowing he won't be able to get out of this interrogation.

"Touche, but that's - well, we're different." He made aborted gestures in the air like he was grasping for excuses.

"Yeah, different as in neither of us is capable of liking the other like that, and he's already laid you on a bed of roses." She booed him, one hand cupping her mouth, the other giving him an enthusiastic thumbs down. Marco couldn't help but laugh at that. "Seriously, he's gone far beyond all he did when he was in love with me." 

Marco turned to face her, pouting. "And we both know how that turned out!" 

"Hey, brochacho, just give it a chance." She nudged his shoulder, plonking her cheek right on his. "Can't hurt more than saving Mewni, probably."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Marco muttered under his breath, futilely. 

Star's eyebrows rose. 

Marco continued hesitantly, not daring to meet her inquisitive eyes. 

"I'm afraid that after everything we became, everything we went through, and– and everything I felt for him, it will all mean nothing." He felt her arms surround him, and that was enough for him to let out a sob. 

"That I'm this hung up over— nothing!" 

His lungs must have been crackling for his voice to come out so broken.

Star was silent for a moment, and then. 

"But.. it wasn't nothing, Marco." She turned his face to meet hers, thumbs rubbing circles on his freckled cheeks. 

"Lately, you've been looking to make things last forever, but sometimes, things are just better off changed."

She pointed at herself. "Look at me! I used to be a Princess of a magical dimension, and now I'm living my best life as a regular girl about to start college in New Mewnearth." Star bumped their foreheads together. 

"With my best friend," she whispered.

Marco finally smiled at that. Star was glad to see it.

Star continued. "Not everything loses value just because everything's different now."  She finally pulled back to move the bulk of the mess in her room to the pile she's clearly tackling tomorrow, speaking over her shoulder. "Whatever you wanna call you and Tom, it meant a lot to both of you, and it would mean a lot too if you reconnect." 

Marco sat there on the floor for a while as Star walked out of the bedroom, considering everything. 

Deny it all he wants, and he wants to so badly, but Star's words rang true. He knew he couldn't keep lying to himself; he still kept a photo of himself and Tom from one of the last times they were alone in Tom's room in his wallet, for goodness sake. 

There was no way he could keep this facade up if they met again, and if his resolve was so weak, then maybe he was always more willing to be vulnerable than he thought.

He was still stuck in thought when he heard Star yelling from the bathroom about getting her delivery. Walking out into the hallway leading to the living room, he could hear the doorbell ringing and moved to answer it.

Marco opened the door only to face Tom Lucitor, all his wickedly good looks shrouded in some delivery boy uniform. 

The blue boy smiled shyly at him. "Hey," he waved the plastic bag he had with him. "I've got coffee for my two favorite people."

Marco's jaw was still on the floor when Star waltzed in, all smug and grinning. "Looks like you got my coffee! I'll be heading out on the town with some of the girls tonight, so you two can have a nice little chat, okay?" She shut his gaping jaw and giggled. "Sheesh, no need to tire yourself this early in the evening. Have fun, you two!" 

She turned and practically skipped out the door, leaving just the two of them

That shook Marco out of his daze. He fussed with his hair and straightened the skirt he borrowed from Star, glancing up to find Tom still smiling, softly. They both stood there in silence, seemingly finding just about everything else interesting.

"So, uh, can we talk?" Tom glanced at him and scratched the back of his neck, ears darkening.

Marco looked at the gorgeous boy in front of him and swallowed before finding the courage to speak. 

Blink

"..Dad!"

There's ringing.

Blink

"..ad! We have to get him!"

..where is it coming from?

Blink

Brown floods his vision. It blocked the sky. It looked…

Wrong.

..Is that red?

Blink

Shaking, shaking, shaken by a figure screaming at him.

"..enko! Tenko!!!"

Why's it getting harder to breathe? 

✦

There was ringing in their ears. Rocks scraping on their knees. Blood on their hands. Was that theirs or..? 

Perish the thought.

There was just too much evidence of carnage. Blood was splattered everywhere, but no bodies to have originated from, no chunks of meat spread through the ruined courtyard that once belonged to the Shimuras. Nothing seems to remain but the boy who remained in the epicenter of destruction. No one else knows the truth of the matter but the two children surrounded in blood.

Silas almost slipped over the blood, trying to get to the unconscious boy in front of them. Having seen the disaster from their second-floor window across the street, they screamed and dropped everything to run. They have a faint memory of calling for their father, so they rest assured in the thought of adult assistance before falling on their knees and cradling however much of Tenko that they could hold in their lap.

He looked dreadful. Blood and dirt ran through his hair, while fresh, raw scars clung to his eyelids. Silas silently begged to see his scarlet eyes, if not for the fear that it would match the blood on him. 

They placed their stubby digits on an approximation of Tenko's veins before grunting in frustration at the futility of the act and shoving their ear on his chest instead. Silas listened closely, sweat dripping for a moment, two, their heart sinking in the suspense—

BA-DUM, BA-DUM

There it is.

Silas heaved a sigh of relief. They took the moment to assess for any injuries, not really knowing what to look for. When they're certain that there aren't any visible injuries, they look around for a clean spot to move him. Their eyes landed upon one such space near the street when their attention was caught by parents yelling. 

Reaching the two of them, their mother held their face and inspected them for injuries, speaking words Silas couldn't hear. Receiving no response, she placed a kiss on their forehead and carefully pried Tenko away from them, bringing him to the spot they were eyeing. Their father handed her a medkit that Silas didn't notice them carry, and moved to kneel in front of Silas despite the blood soaking their knees. 

For a few moments, they just stared at each other in silence. Silas wondered what he was thinking, what he thought of his baby now covered in blood. Silas has no response to give him. 

Then he reached out to wipe tears from their cheeks. "You've been really brave, buddy." He smiled, freckled dimples curving above brown whiskers. "Your friend's gonna be alright, Mama's taking care of him. Now it's my turn to take care of you."

Leaning into their father's embrace, Silas sinks into the feeling of receiving care not meant for them.

What a rotten day to be isekaid.

✦

It's disorienting to be back in the "their" bedroom after sabotaging a major plot point, but that is where Silas finds themself. 

After the paramedics arrived, this body's mother, Maricel, who was also a paramedic, brought Tenko Shimura to the nearest hospital. Meanwhile, the father, Jude, never seemed to take their eyes off the kid whose body they hijacked, like he suspected something was wrong. Dinner was a brutally awkward affair, the two of them sharing silence over reheated cake. It killed Silas, not knowing even the name of the kid whose body they now reside in, much less what they could've possibly discussed with their father before their sudden removal from this world. They can't feel any other existence in this body, that's for sure. Their skin fit them perfectly, though they once knew a different body.

So when they found an opportunity, they booked it from the kitchen to "their" room. Locking the door and sliding down the opposite wall, their neck prickling in fear of him discovering his toddler was possessed by some random ghost. Would he be mollified at the thought that the spirit inside his kid was still a minor instead of a creep? Probably not, they were still twelve years older than the kid.

Oh my gods, I possessed a kid.

Silas dropped their head and screamed into their sweater sleeves, but raised their head suddenly to check if Jude noticed. Affirming their breakdown unnoticed, they slowed their breathing and splayed out their hand. This wasn't how they planned their death to go, but they can't bring themself to think of that when the stubby little fingers in front of them were so—alive.

Bringing their hand close, they tried to think of all that they know now.

One, I was dead. I was supposed to be dead. Thumb down. Two, I am in a kid's body, living in their family and in their house. Pointer finger down. Three, I inexplicably isekai'd into my favorite anime. Middle finger down. Four, I interfered in and potentially altered the entire character arc of the main villain. Ring finger down, hand shaking at this point.

Five, I most definitely have caught the attention of the true villain of this story. Pinky down, and probably their chances of survival.

What were they supposed to do now? Tenko might have been saved the agony of wandering the streets confused and alone, but it does not erase the fact that All For One had been pulling his strings from before he was even born. No doubt, he already had his eyes on the kid's family for messing with his plan.

Their eyes drifted to the closet, a familiar solution arriving unbidden in their mind. 

It's cruel, but Silas has already dragged this family unit into enough this morning alone, fictional lens aside. A bloodbath and a suspicious kid aren't exactly an average morning, even for parents in anime Japan. But would it be better to stick it out with their new parents, or leave before All For One finds them?

..however, none of it matters without actual information. Silas feels like banging their head on a wall. 

How could I forget I don't know shit about this life?

Silas stood up, pacing around the room. They surveyed everything this kid owned, searching for hints about their identity. 

For one, they don't own any academic paraphernalia, so they're assuming they haven't turned Japanese school age yet, which should be 6 if Silas isn't wrong about international standards of education. That puts their body around 5 to 6 years old. 

Next, the wardrobe is surprisingly gender neutral, a good mix of both fem and masc articles of clothing. Silas remembered a few of the picture frames around the house. The kid was almost always dressed in something explicitly gender non-conforming. For a kid under the age of 10, that says a lot about how the parents intended to raise their kid. 

Either they're really progressive, or they think their kid is on borrowed time. Very hopeful outlook.

Silas tries to search for more, but all they can find are toys and sketchbooks. They were hoping to find documents, maybe, or even just some ID. That way, they can confirm their background and their chances in society, not just on the streets. It's always good to know which groups are likely to persecute you. 

They open drawers, sift through clothing for anything hidden. They checked underneath the bed; nothing more than what they've already found. They looked through most cloth in the room, searching for embroidery. 

They were sitting at the desk, defeated, when they noticed the stack of papers in a clever little cubby underneath. Silas pulled it out to discover the handwriting of both a child and an adult. It was clearly just a few practice sheets, but it raised the concern of having to hide their true handwriting from the kid's parents. At least they have names now.

Maricel Palacio, Jude Lassiter, and the little Palacio. Seems like a classic case of Filipinos finding Americans and moving abroad with their families, except Silas distinctly recalls how Maricel discussed payment options for Tenko's hospitalization, and Jude did all the chores.

Silas sat back and contemplated. Thirty minutes passed by in this frantic search, but All For One could arrive any second. 

On one hand, a child is better off protected by a guardian than striking out alone on the streets. Tenko— Tomura–  was enough proof of that. On another, no singular civilian can fend off All For One as he is right now.  They know they're vulnerable

Silas sighed. Making their way over to the only mirror in the room, they took in their reflected expression.

There's realistically nothing much a child can do in this situation. They also know nothing of Japan, and they don't know how much anime differs from real life when it's your reality. But that doesn't stop them from stuffing sets of clothing into a bee-themed backpack for when push comes to shove, and hide turns to run.

Silas was just zipping up the backpack when a knock came on their door. Their shoulders bunched in anxiety, and they cautiously regarded the door in fearful silence, not daring to make a sound. 

"..'ging, nakatug naka? Naa na si Mama."

They exhaled, muscles relaxing at the nickname. They made their way to the door slowly, but paused when they heard Maricel continue.

"Ah, langga, it's ok, you don't need to pretend to be asleep. I know you're awake."

Silas could shit themself right now. Silas might as well be eating concrete and shitting bricks. They recoiled quickly, socked feet silently padding through the room as they grabbed their bag and unlocked the window.

".." There were whispers and shuffling outside.

 "Don't worry, your friend is safe at the hospital, na. Maygali, you told us in time, although I wish you had told us you were friends with the boy across the street." Silas didn't know whether to be grateful that this wasn't sounding like All For One at their door or to be scared of their Filipino mom. They gripped their backpack just in case, hidden slightly behind the bed in easy access to the window. 

"I know Mama left in a hurry earlier, but I was worried about you. You see, little kids aren't supposed to see big, scary things like what happened at the Shimuras this morning. Even adults wouldn't be able to sleep after seeing something like that. So your kuya Jude and I are here if you need us, okay?"

Silas could hear shuffling and two badly muffled voices outside, so they thought it was fair to assume it was Not AFO. They shuffled to their door once more, cautiously opening it to reveal the parents. Jude was sitting on the floor with their mastectomy scars on display, leaning on the railings. Maricel was standing to the side of the doorway. She let out a gasp when she saw Silas, turning to Jude. "Babe, ngano wa man nimo gi-ilis ang iyang sanina?" 

Jude, having just realized his mistake, tried to respond, but his hair flaring pink gave him away. He tried to gain sympathy from either Silas or Maricel, but it was of no use.

Meanwhile, Silas became suddenly conscious of the dried blood still sticking to them. They tried to scrape some blood on their hands behind their back. 

Maricel sighed and gestured towards the bedroom. "Change sa ta ng clothes, langging, pabay-e sa ang imong kuya diha na lutang." As Silas was guided towards their closet, they could hear Jude's cackles in the hallway. It made them smile to know they're in good hands.

Maricel opened their closet and began picking their clothes. Silas took notice and got up the courage to ask. 

"Mama, these aren't pajamas."

She stilled before she turned to smile at Silas. "Let's get you clean, first." She passed Silas some pajamas. Silas entered the shower and tried to clean themself as quickly as they could, with their mom helping scrub away the blood. Maricel looked out of the window for a while after Silas finished changing. She soon broke her silence.

"Your friend Tenko is asleep, but the doctors said he would be awake by tomorrow. I was thinking of preparing your clothes for tomorrow. How does that sound?" She turned to face her child.

Silas smiled as brightly as they could, remembering they were supposed to be five. "So I can wake up Tenko tomorrow?"

Maricel softened, tugging Silas into a side hug. "Ou, nak." Silas cheered, and Maricel grinned. However, it was short-lived when she pulled them to face her, expression becoming stern. She emphasized her next words. "Be honest with me, nak, are you still scared? It's okay to be, after your Papa died." 

Silas was taken aback. "Jude isn't my Papa?"

Upon hearing that, Maricel deflated. Their hands left Silas' shoulders to cover their face instead. Realizing their mistake, Silas tried to offer apologies and backtrack, but Maricel held out a hand.

"Stop, stop." She finally raised her head to face them, expression far more exhausted than it was just mere minutes ago. There was a heaviness in her amber eyes when they met Silas' own. "It's fine, I'm fine." She sat back against the window, patting for Silas to join her on their bed. Silas was wide-eyed as they waited for her to continue.

"..it is fine, I was just not expecting confirmation," Maricel spoke ruefully, not meeting Silas's eyes.

"..Confirmation of what, Mama?"