Tumgik
#AO3 Fakiru
ladysunamireads · 3 months
Text
3 notes · View notes
magic-in-onyx · 7 months
Text
Fakiru Week Day 3: Tie
Inscribe into the Oaken Tree  A tale of One, Two, Three:  One – tied to a debt most painful,  Two – tied to each other, faithful,  Three – tied to a Fate resentful. 
Then recite of Four, Five, Six:  Four – tied to a kingdom hollow,  Five – doomed a frail love to follow,  Six – tied to a father cruel, in his hand a bag of tricks. 
And seven is the Truth unseen. 
What you see cannot be seen.  What you hear makes no sound.  You must hear what mute remains.  You must see what stubbornly its mask maintains. 
The lovers true make their way ahead,  On their journey.  Upon one neck a jewel red,  Upon the other the gem is water clear. 
Two halves, a whole.  Two fates entwined.  Upright should they remain – trials overcome.  On their heads, astray – foolish designs, tragedy. 
One.  The man who should have died,  For his Moira a token he had found.  Clotho maintains a sacrifice profound,  A single duck in the webs it spins it had bound,  For no sin truly her own, save too soft a heart  – condemned and tried. 
The duck herself a foolish sort,  Willingly to the Spinner she had went,  A soul who once kind to her had been,  To save, rekindle, and court. 
But tied to him she could not remain,  So upon herself his freedom lost She had taken.  Still truly free he had not become,  Only desolate and remorseful.  Alas, in learning of this she – both!, would be delayed –  Betrayed!  A duck’s sacrifice in vain, kindness for kindness too great a cost. 
Four.  A man who should have died,  A storyteller he had been,  Of fae, brave heroes, but foes in fall belated,  His stories he had spun. 
A Prince he had envisioned,  Noble, kind, courageous;  In a plot the Spinner trapped him,  Vicious and disadvantageous!  “Heartless become thee!”, he commanded,  “Or as your foil and proxy, one other you must offer!”  A paradox, a paradigm most backhanded! 
The Prince chose his heart to fragment and scatter,  (For what other choice truly had he,)  Before his plan was soiled –  A duck with too soft a heart,  His place to take the words had uttered. 
The Prince’s blood and hers,  The blooming jewel of cruor formed,  Only by another lover true, could the curse  Be broken! 
Three.  One lost boy was saved,  Upon his shoulders a world’s weight.  A lone withdrawn creator,  Of destinies imagined,  Of fae, brave heroes, and foes abated. 
“Write!” he said, “for me a tale,  “To lead me from this town.  “Oh the stars, the moon, and Death itself,  “Guide mine path far, far the hills down!”  In doing so the Moirai he had challenged,  His Fate to the stars, the moon and Death he had tied!  His blood shared with an undead evil,  The scales for him in equal tip  To happiness,  To glory. 
He must hear what mute remains.  He  must see what stubbornly its mask maintains.  Seek he must, what buried is,  In the bog of Truth. 
Seven.  Before the very eyes  Of the creator still unripe,  The shy little Truth gives chase –  For the Truth is lonesome,  And when not sought, its cries  wake the Moirai. 
His lover to a waterfowl’s guise is reduced  As he watches awestruck;  Before fully she would change forms,  Urge him she does, with some luck:  “Seek a kingdom hollow!  “Seek a lover frail!  “Inscribed into the Oak Tree,  “Track the Tale of One, Two, Three!” 
One – tied to a debt most painful,  Two – tied to each other, faithful,  Three – tied to a Fate resentful. 
Then recite of Four, Five, Six:  Four – tied to a kingdom hollow,  Five – doomed a frail love to follow,  Six – tied to a father cruel, in his hand a bag of tricks. 
And seven is the Truth unseen. 
To him who accepts all, happiness.  To him who defies all, glory.
**
&lt;Prev> <Next>
AO3
8 notes · View notes
alotmoreginger · 1 year
Text
Prosperity
Tumblr media
A very good friend of mine @therookieking412 and I have been working on this fanfiction together, and it’s FINALLY GONNA START COMING OUT!!!!
https://archiveofourown.org/works/45645418/chapters/114860812
We hope you enjoy, and thank you for your compliance to Prosperity.
12 notes · View notes
forgetthetimetravel · 3 years
Link
Fakiru Week 2020 begins!
Day 1 is Pumpkin~
13 notes · View notes
twinkletoes-rp · 4 years
Text
Princess Tutu College AU Ch. 5 - “Fifth Position”
(Can also be read on FFN | AO3 | Previous )
--
It’s a week before Gold Crown Fine Arts College breaks for the late Easter holiday, and everyone is eager for the reprieve. Everyone’s talking about going home, seeing family and friends, and eating tons of food, and Ahiru loves it. She loves seeing everyone so happy and excited.
Lilie and Pique have some extra time today, so they’re walking with her to her and Fakir’s practice room. They’re talking about what they’re going to do over break, making it a kind of competition to see who can have the most fun, and Ahiru can’t help but laugh. They’re really ridiculous sometimes.
Once they arrive, they pause their game and stop Ahiru before she can leave. “So, what are you doing for the break, Ahiru?” Pique asks.
She’s a little early and Fakir’s not here yet, so Ahiru doesn’t mind them keeping her a minute. She hums in thought, only for a bright smile to spring to her face. “I’ll go swimming and eat a lot, of course! It’ll be fun!”
“Oh, really? That sounds nice!” Pique encourages.
Lilie, however, leans into Ahiru’s space, her sneaky, gossipy smile on her lips, and Ahiru inwardly braces herself as the blond nudges her with her elbow. “But I bet you’ll miss your dance partner, huh?”
Ahiru takes a huge step back at the assumption, half a “Quack—?!” escaping before she muffles it, face bright red. “W-what’s that supposed to mean?!” she sputters, embarrassed and honestly confused. Why bring up Fakir all of a sudden? What does he have to do with anything? “O-of course I’ll miss him, he’s my friend! I’ll miss you guys, too!” She glances at the door and shifts from foot to foot a few times before backing up toward it. “A-anyway, Fakir should be here soon, so I’ll just—see you later!”
With that, she disappears inside, breathing a heavy sigh of relief as she leans against the heavy wood. The next thing she does is try to slow her racing heart so her blush will go away before Fakir sees. She doesn’t want him drawing his own conclusions. He might think she’s sick again, and then he’ll worry. He always looks so sad when he worries.
Outside, Pique and Lilie watch her go, then sigh, but for two very different reasons. “She’s in denial…” Lilie says wistfully, hands cradling her cheeks.
“Maybe,” Pique replies, but she’s only half-listening, staring hard at the door Ahiru went through. She’s trying to make sense of what the younger girl said before Lilie got nosy. “She always says the same thing.”
“Hmm?” Lilie blinks, tilting her head. “About breaks, you mean?”
Pique nods, glad she caught on. The two of them always seem to be on the same page. It’s probably what makes them such good friends. “Mm hmm. She always says she’ll swim and eat a lot and have fun. It’s her go-to. It just makes me wonder what she really does or if it really is all the same like that. Wouldn’t that get boring?”
She and Lilie start heading to their dorm, the gossip giggling behind her hand. “Well, her name does mean ‘duck,’ after all. Maybe she really does take after them.”
Now that Pique thinks about it, Ahiru does have a lot of mannerisms that remind her of a duck. She laughs, too. “Yeah, it could be.”
Meanwhile, just around the corner with his back pressed flat against the side of the wall, Fakir listens closely. He really didn’t mean to eavesdrop at first, but when he got close enough to hear Ahiru’s friend mention him in that sing-song voice, well…sue him, he was curious. And while he did blush at Lilie’s teasing at first, now that he’s hearing Ahiru’s friends express confusion, maybe even edging concern, over her holiday plans, he can’t help but be glad he overheard.
He feels guilty and stupid for it now, but he hadn’t exactly…given much thought to what Ahiru would be doing for the holidays. He never has before. He always assumed she spent time with loved ones like everyone else. But honestly, thinking about it now, while he more or less knows she’s an orphan, he doesn’t know if she has a foster family or a guardian of some kind. She’s never mentioned anyone, and it’s none of his business, so he’s never asked in case it was a touchy subject. If she did at one point, maybe something happened to them early on, so she’s just been on her own since? On the other hand, even if she does have someone, she’s eighteen, turning nineteen soon. She’s old enough to be on her own, so maybe she is.
He sighs heavily. And even with all of that, there’s still the possibility he doesn’t want to think about, but would make the most sense: if she doesn’t have a family or guardian, does that mean she’ll be alone for the holidays? Does it mean she’s been alone, for God knows how many years?
God, has she…has she always been alone?
Those possibilities, but particularly that last one, make his stomach churn and burn white-hot with guilt and shame, almost make him sick...but they also make him wonder about her long game. Apparently, she always gives the same answer for every break, and as far as he knows, she, Lilie, and Pique went to high school and maybe even middle school together. So, if it’s been that long and she’s never changed her answer, did she…just think no one would notice? Or worse, care? It’s true that Pique and Lilie aren’t the most attentive or supportive friends, not nearly as much as Ahiru deserves, in his opinion, and that’s being generous, but did they really not notice that significant of a pattern? Did they never question any of it this whole time?!
And that’s not even the most upsetting part, at least for him—that part is the why. Why wouldn’t she tell him? Why wouldn’t she tell anyone? This is—she is important, damn it!
The sharp sting of his nails nearly biting into his palms is the only thing that breaks him out of his angry-worried spiral. He apparently also has to remind himself to breathe through something other than clenched teeth.
Of course, that just gives him a moment to catch his breath, at least somewhat, and that forces him to remember that he doesn’t truly know anything for sure. This is mostly speculation based on a vague answer, her friends’ contemplation, and the almost-nothing he knows about her home life. Maybe he could find out the truth if he asked her, but…honestly, knowing her, she’d lie to keep him from worrying. She’s always like that, always putting other people before herself, even if it means she suffers. It’s probably how she got into this situation in the first place. He wishes…he wishes she wasn’t like that. He wishes she’d remember that she matters, too.
As it stands now, it would be really helpful if he could at least know something with some degree of certainty. Quickly stepping out from his hiding place, he looks for Lilie and Pique, but they’re nowhere to be found. He must have missed them. He sighs, running a frustrated hand through his hair. Damn it…
Well…he supposes it can’t be helped. He can track them down another time. Right now, Ahiru’s waiting for him, and it wouldn’t do to just leave her hanging. Besides being rude as hell, she’d worry, and if there’s one thing he hates, it’s making her worry about him. They’re alike that way. So, for now, he takes another deep breath to calm himself as best he can before going inside to practice.
But he should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. When he worries, it’s all he can think about, and right now, when the object of his concern is his dance partner, well…it just makes it harder to ignore. Still, he does his best.
For all his efforts, though, Ahiru isn’t blind or stupid. She knows she’s not the brightest bulb, but she can tell when Fakir’s hung up on something, and whatever’s going on in that brilliant head of his today is winding him up more and more. Honestly, she’s worried he’ll snap, he’s stretching himself so thin. She wonders what happened. He was fine this morning, even when they met up for a quick lunch between classes. What could have happened in just a few hours…?
“Fakir?” she calls two hours later, stepping back into the practice room after a quick shower in the locker room.
Freshly showered himself, he’s waiting for her right outside, just like she knew he would be. It’s getting dark, and he doesn’t like the idea of her walking back all by herself. Mytho would laugh and say it’s the ‘knight’ in him. “Hmm?”
“Are you…okay?” she asks softly, concern written all over her face. It’s almost palpable. “It’s not like you to lose focus during practice, and I can tell you’re worried about something…” She hopes he isn’t worried about her bullies. Melody and her friends haven’t tried anything since that last time. In fact, it’s almost like they’re afraid to be anywhere near her, avoiding her at all costs… It’s weird, but she’s not complaining. Suddenly realizing how bold that might sound, Ahiru stiffens and flushes, waving her hands in front of her. “I-I just mean—you don’t have to tell me, but if—if I can help at all…!”
Fakir blinks and turns a little pink himself, embarrassed and kicking himself at getting caught. Then again, she is the most emotionally intelligent person he’s ever met in his life, whether she knows that or not, so he supposes it makes all the sense in the world. He can’t help but breathe a laugh. For whatever reason, the way she’s looking at him makes him feel…better somehow. Maybe it’s having someone care, but he has Mytho, Rue, and his family, so... No, he thinks it’s more than that. He thinks it’s because it’s her.
But whatever the reason, all the pent-up tension finally bleeds from his shoulders, the hand squeezing his heart releases, and he can breathe again. Thank goodness…
She sees the change in him immediately, and she’s about to ask if he’s feeling better when he reaches out to ruffle her wet hair. She squeaks and closes her eyes in surprise at first, then instinctively lean up into his touch with a happy smile and giggle. His heart does flip flops in his chest, and he melts before he can stop himself. His voice follows in kind. “As long as you’re okay, I’m just fine.” Turning on his heel, he starts leading them toward the door. “Come on. It’s getting dark, and I know you still have a quiz to study for. I’ll help you while we make dinner.”
Blinking away her lingering confusion, she beams and hurries to fall into step at his side. “Okay!”
He asks about her day as they walk home, and while he listens to her excited chatter, he does his best to focus on her smiling face. He’s still worried, sure, but he doesn’t want to pass that on to her. He wants her to eat well, sleep better, and ace her quiz.
Him… He can wait.
--
The next day, Ahiru arrives for practice right on time, but Fakir’s not there. Normally, he’s never late, but she knows his classes can go over if it’s an important one, so she’s guessing that’s what happened. She doesn’t mind waiting, though. She’s almost always late (though she’s doing her best to get better!), and he never minds, so she’ll give him the same courtesy.
Sitting down on a nearby bench, she goes to pull out one of her Dance Theory books to get ahead on some assigned reading when something catches her eye. Lying beside her on the bench is a small stack of parchment. Someone must have left it here. She looks around, but doesn’t see anyone.
Picking it up to get a closer look, hoping to at least get it back to the owner if she can find the name somewhere, she does a double-take. Wait a minute! She knows this pretty handwriting! She’d know it anywhere! This is Fakir’s!
She looks around again to make sure he’s not here somewhere, double checks inside, too, but he’s still nowhere to be found. Hmm… Well, what should she do now…? And what is this anyway? It doesn’t look like something for any class she’s ever seen him take… She takes another look at the title.
The Prince and the Raven, huh? Sounds like some kind of fiction project. Color her intrigued.
Flipping to the first page, she lets herself read. She’s not planning on reading much, just a little bit to find out what kind of story it is, but then one thing leads to another, and she’s devouring it whole. She smiles to herself as she reads, and that’s how Fakir finds her several minutes later.
All he can do is stare. He’s frozen in place and blushing to his ears. Anyone else might be angry that she’s reading something of his without permission, but the only thing he can wrap his head around right now is the fact that she’s…smiling at his work.
Ahiru finally looks up a minute later when she feels eyes on her, and when she spots him, it’s time for double-take number two. “Qua—?!” Barely cutting herself off in time, she turns beet red.
Instantly, she holds the story out to him, head bowed as low as she can. “I-I’m sorry! I shouldn't have read it, I know! I-I did try to look for you, but when I couldn’t find you, I got curious, and once I started reading, I couldn't stop! The next thing I knew, I was done!" She whines, internally kicking herself. That was a total invasion of privacy! She’s such a jerk! “I’m really, really sorry! Please forgive me!”
She’s too nervous to look at him, so she keeps her head down and her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She can hear him walking toward her, and she feels it when he very gently, almost hesitantly, takes the pages from her hands, but she still doesn’t look up. It’s silent for a long moment, and Ahiru waits on bated breath. Anything else wouldn’t feel respectful right now, especially after what she did.
“You were…smiling…” He sounds…shocked, but happy, maybe even flattered and touched, like that’s not the reaction he was expecting. “You...you enjoyed it?”
She finally dares to look up at him, and she finds he’s staring at her like he’s expecting her to yell “Psych!” and laugh in his face, though he has to know she’d never do that. Her eyes go wide, and she nods a few times, giving him her most serious expression. “Mm hmm, mm hmm! I really did, I swear! I thought it was amazing! The way you wrote the brothers’ relationship and the prince’s struggle to do what was right for him and his kingdom were really emotional, and I thought the way the Raven’s daughter told the prince she loved him was really sweet! I was so worried when she sacrificed herself, but I love how the prince saved her and everything was all right in the end!”
She looks back at the story in his hands, a small, sad smile forming on her face. “The only part I didn’t like was the knight’s ending. I felt bad for him. He was such a good brother to the prince, but in the end, he was left all alone.” She peers back up at Fakir, smile growing into something hopeful as she drops her chin into her hand. “Does he really have to be alone? I’m sure there must be someone who can give him the love he deserves, the love he shows everyone else.”
For a long moment, he doesn’t say anything in response, seems even more shocked than before, and she swears he’s blushing more, too. She squirms a bit. Did…she say something wrong? Did that part about the knight offend him somehow? Just when she’s about to apologize again, Fakir moves to close the distance between them and sit down beside her. Settling the pages in his lap and folding his hands, he nestles his chin between his knuckles and, given a moment, finds his voice.
“The knight doesn’t deserve a happy ending,” he says softly, an almost bitter, sardonic clip to his voice that Ahiru can’t quite place. Is this…maybe personal for him somehow? “He couldn’t help his prince, his own brother, when he needed him the most. Why should he get to be happy when he ended up being useless to the person who meant the most to him?”
“He was not!”
Fakir whips to face her so quickly, she’s surprised he didn’t hurt himself, and his eyes widen at the fire in her eyes. “He did everything he could for the prince! He faced his fears and fought the Raven, was even willing to die to protect him!” She crosses her arms and looks more indignant than he thinks he’s ever seen. “So he couldn’t help his brother get his heart back, so what? That’s not what he was meant for! That wasn’t his role to play!” Fakir’s eyes blow open wide, and Ahiru swears he’s paler now than he was a second ago. Shaking, white-knuckled hands clutch the pages to his chest to ensure he doesn’t lose his battle with the tears abruptly threatening to gather in his eyes. He looks like she’s shattered his whole worldview, and she almost stops, but…she gets the feeling he needs to hear this somehow. Determined to make him understand, she keeps going. “That doesn’t erase everything he could do for the prince! He practically half-raised him and looked out for him as best he could! He risked his life to save him from the Raven’s wrath! How do you think the story would have turned out without him? How do you think the prince would have turned out without him?” She pouts. “I think it would’ve sucked!”
His eyes widen a fraction more at that last part, and then he sputters a laugh. That sputter turns into a chuckle, a giggle, and then full-out laughter, so much that he throws his head back to let it all out, his shoulders shaking with it. Ahiru’s wide blue eyes blink once, twice, her cheeks slowly dyeing red. She’s never heard or seen him laugh like this before. It’s…he’s beautiful…
When he finally calms and turns back to her, he feels lighter, less burdened, than he has in a long, long time. Years, he thinks. He looks more relaxed to her, too, maybe more than she’s ever seen. It’ll probably take him a bit to process all the ways he feels better. He smiles at her softly, and Ahiru’s breath catches in her throat. She could be wrong, but…she doesn’t think she’s ever seen a smile this soft from him before… This is a day of firsts for them, it seems.
“I admit, that’s not the reaction I was expecting,” he tells her softly. He reaches over to drop his hand on her head and ruffle her hair, making her snort and lean up into it happily, which just makes him melt further. Geez… If she isn’t careful, she might melt him completely… “Not that I was expecting a reaction at all. I didn’t mean to leave this here, after all. I misplaced it earlier,” was too preoccupied with thoughts of what to do about her to pay attention to what he was doing, “and I was looking for it when I found you.” He glances up at the sky to watch two birds swirl around each other, and he takes a deep breath. A tiny, almost hopeful smile comes to his face. “But you know, it’s just a rough draft, so maybe…maybe you’re right about the knight. At least…” he lets his thumb brush over the title, over The Prince specifically, “...in some ways. Maybe I’ll rethink his ending.”
She gasps and nods enthusiastically, beaming. He swears those are stars in her eyes. “Yes! Yes, please do! When you do, can I read it?” Realizing how forward that might sound, she puts her hands out in front of her in her own defense. “Ah—only if that wouldn’t be a problem, I mean! And I promise to get permission first this time!”
He chuckles and nods in turn. “Actually…I’d like that.” He softens, then glances away almost shyly as a new thought occurs to him. He hopes she doesn’t see the way his cheeks turn pink. “I…I trust you to make sure the knight gets the ending he deserves.”
Ahiru raises an eyebrow and tilts her head at that. She doesn’t really know why, but she feels like she’s missing something, like he’s trying to tell her something and keep it under wraps at the same time. She can’t imagine what, though. All the same, she’s really glad he trusts her to be the one to read his writing! She feels honored, maybe even important! She clenches her fists at half-mast. “I’d love to! Thank you so much!”
He breathes a helplessly fond laugh. “You’re welcome.”
A comfortable silence settles for a long few moments, and then something sparks in Ahiru’s mind. “Hey, so what’s this for anyway? Some writing class I didn’t know you had?”
He stiffens and colors brightly, and Ahiru wonders if maybe she shouldn’t have asked. But then, quietly, “I…I want to be a writer…”
Instantly, it’s like her entire being lights up. “Really?!” His eyes widen at her ecstatically excited tone, and they do even more when he sees how starstruck she is. His cheeks darken. He nods, and if possible, it’s like she lights up even more—hell, becomes the sun itself. “What I just read was incredible! I can totally see that! You should, you should! Absolutely!” She nods so many times, he’s surprised she’s not dizzy, each time more enthusiastic than the last.
He can’t help but laugh, still feeling shy, but not nearly as embarrassed. She really is diving headfirst into this, isn’t she? He can’t pretend he doesn’t feel a massive confidence boost from it, though. Ahiru is a lot of things, but disingenuous isn’t one of them, and she’s always had a thing for fairy tales. If she likes it, especially this much? To him, that must mean he’s really onto something.
They end up just talking for the rest of the day, skipping practice entirely (they practiced extra yesterday, so it should be fine). Heading home just as dusk starts to settle, he smiles softly in listening to her ramble about her favorite parts of his story. He’s never had someone ramble about his writing before…
--
The next afternoon, he catches Lilie and Pique on the way to one of the only classes they don’t share with Ahiru. They’re surprised to see him, but he doesn’t care about that right now. All he cares about is his friend.
“I overheard something the other day I need you to confirm.” He’s not bothering to beat around the bush, his voice and expression demanding no nonsense. “Ahiru told you that she ‘swims and eats and has a lot of fun’ on her vacations, and when she left,” he points at Pique, “you said she says the same thing every time, that her story never changes. Is that correct?”
They look startled that he heard all that, never mind that he remembered it all almost word for word, but nod in unison. “Y-yeah, that’s right.” Pique tilts her head, brow furrowing. “Why?”
Lilie gets that look on her face, the one with the stage-whisper hand to her mouth that makes him want to twist his face in disgust and call it a day, but he stands his ground and just gives her a lower level dose before letting her say her piece. “Are you asking because you care about her?”
Somehow, she makes it sound almost…devious, like she means more than she’s saying. Beating back his rising blush, Fakir just lets his eyelid twitch and forces himself to roll his eyes instead of insult her to her face. He doesn’t have time for this. “Don’t be an idiot, of course I care about her.” Okay, so he gave himself half a win, sue him. Turning back to Pique, the only semi-sensible one of the two, he answers, “I’m asking because I’m…concerned. If she always says the same thing, maybe she’s hiding something. You’ve never heard her say she spends time with anyone, stays with anyone, sees anyone?” His own brow wrinkles. “It’s always just the swimming and eating and fun?”
Pique nods, frown deepening. “Y-yes…?” She bites her lip. “She’s never mentioned anyone else or doing anything else. It sounds so boring, but she always seems fine and even excited when she comes back…”
Lilie pipes up with something else, but Fakir knows enough about her character to have already stopped listening. All right, so he has his answer now, one more piece of the puzzle. The only problem is, it’s the one he didn’t want. Turning on his heel, he absently throws a “Thanks for your help” over his shoulder as he makes his way back to their dorm, a plan already forming in his head.
He is getting to the bottom of this if it kills him.
--
That evening, Ahiru is studying for a test she has the next morning, sitting at the dining room table so Fakir can quiz her while he cleans up after dinner. It’s been quiet for about ten minutes while she reads the next passage, and that’s when Fakir takes his chance.
“Ahiru?”
She looks up from her book with a small “Huh?”
“I forgot to ask before, but what do you usually do over break?”
She blinks. He’s never asked her that before. Then again, they weren’t exactly friends before. Excited warmth floods her at how close they’re becoming, and she brightens. “I swim and eat and have lots of fun! It's the best!"
And there it is. That same answer. Why weren't Lilie and Pique even the least bit suspicious? They're supposed to be her longest friends, aren’t they? Are they really that oblivious? Do they honestly even care? How can they call themselves her friends?
He's glad he's facing away from her. The angry, worried, frustrated frown on his face, his teeth gritting so hard they groan, and the way he's honestly surprised the plate in his hands hasn’t broken from how furiously he's scrubbing it wouldn't do for her to see.
He's fixing this. Right now.
He needs to call his father.
--
"Well, if it isn't my wayward son! Finally feel like calling your old man, huh?" There's loving mirth in Charon's voice on the other end of the line, and it helps calm Fakir's frazzled fury some. He's grateful.
"Is that big brother Fakir-zura? Can I hear, too-zura?" He hears Charon groan (mostly for comedic effect) as he bends down to pick up Uzura. "Hi, big brother!"
All of it makes Fakir smile softly, the vice around his heart easing a bit more. He needed that. He's missed them a lot. "Hi, Uzura. Hello, Charon. How are you? Well, I hope?"
Charon laughs warmly. "Of course! Uzura and I are doing great, aren't we, schatzi?" She gives a good few taps of her snare drum in answer. "Business is going well, too! You know the holidays always get busy and then slow down again, just in time for your school break!"
Fakir hums, fidgeting with the phone cord a bit. "Good. I'm glad." A heartbeat. "Actually, Charon, break is what I wanted to talk to you about. I need a favor."
There's a collective "Oh...!" on the other end, and he can picture the two of them looking at each other in intrigue. He breathes a laugh. "A favor, huh? All right, what is it?"
He doesn't waste any time. "There's a friend of mine, a girl, Ahiru. I've told you about her before."
"Yes, I remember. The clumsy one. What about her?"
"I always figured she was an orphan, but I just found out she's been spending all of her holidays alone for God knows how many years, and I—" he holds the phone tighter, so hard it creaks; he wonders if they can hear it, "—I can't let that stand. She shouldn't be alone for the holidays. No one should, but especially not her!" He pauses, takes a breath. He got a little heated there. "Sorry, I just... Would it be at all possible for her to stay with us during the break? We have a spare room, after all, and she doesn't have much. I just...can't leave her alone again. Not after knowing this." Not after everything.
Charon is silent for a long moment on the other end, and Fakir waits for his answer on bated breath. Even if he says no, he'll figure something else out. He has to. He will not, refuses, to let her spend any more holidays alone. Finally, Charon laughs. "She must be some girl if you're bringing her home already."
Fakir reels back from the phone like it's bitten him, face beet red. Moving in again before they can start making assumptions (or worse, teasing him), he protests, "I-it’s not like that!"
Charon laughs again, and he can picture the raised eyebrow he's giving Uzura and hear the smirk in his voice when he says, "Mm hmm. 'Course it's not." He's pretty sure he hears him whisper "He's in denial" to Uzura, who giggles.
Fakir growls, pointedly ignoring the way his ears are starting to burn now. "Charon, I'm serious—"
"Of course she can stay, Fakir." Charon makes sure to raise his voice over his adoptive son’s frustration, and Fakir stops in his tracks. "She's a friend of yours, and she needs a place to stay. Like you said, no one should be alone for the holidays." Charon glances at Uzura and hugs her closer. "Uzura and I will get the spare room all ready for her, won't we, schatzchen?"
Uzura cheers, tapping her snare drum, and Fakir laughs lightly, the tightly-coiled tension bleeding from him in a heavy, relieved sigh. "Thank you, Charon. I really appreciate this."
Charon can't help but melt at the warm tone to his son's voice. This girl must really be something special to him if he was this worried about her. "Of course, son. Anything for you, you know that. See you in a few days. Love you."
"Bye-bye-zura! See you soon-zura!"
His smile gentles even more, another breath of a laugh escaping him. "Goodnight, Charon. Goodnight, Uzura. See you soon. I love you, too."
--
When Fakir finally comes out of his room, Ahiru does her best to make it look like she hasn’t been glancing up worriedly every two seconds ever since he bolted to his room with dripping hands and a downright stormy look on his face. She's almost sure she fails, but does her best to smile encouragingly anyway. "You look better!" she comments, then inwardly kicks herself. Of course he does, dummy! "I-I just mean, you left so fast and looked really worried before!"
A heartbeat, a breath for courage, smile slipping as her worry comes out. "Fakir...is everything okay?" Pink dusts her cheeks at how forward that might sound. They're closer now, and she asked if he was okay the other day, but this is different. She waves her hands in front of herself, peering to the side as embarrassment burns her ears. "I-I know I'm not very good at—at helping people, but—" she looks back at him so earnestly, little fists balled up, it actually hurts, "—I'll still do my best!"
Fakir can't help but stare, heart sinking and thudding in his chest at the same time. She's...she really doesn't see her own worth, does she? Not at all. How could she, thinking she doesn't help, isn't good at helping? Does she not remember that, after all the years of doing his very best, she is the one who brought his best friend, his brother, his Mytho, out of his traumatized shell? Hell, she's bringing him out of his own more and more every day?
This girl... God, she'll be the death of him.
He doesn't stop himself from hugging her, though he thinks belatedly that maybe he should have asked first. She squeaks against him, and he looks down to make sure she's okay, but she just looks surprised. He laughs softly. "You help more than you will ever know, Ahiru." He lets that sink in for a moment. "And yes, everything's fine. In fact," he pulls away and tries not to laugh or get shy himself at how red and shocked (maybe even touched?) her face is, "how do you feel about coming home with me for the holiday break in a few days?"
She immediately looks ready to protest, but he beats her to it. "Mytho and Rue won’t be coming home to visit until later, and even then, we have a spare room. My father and little sister are really excited to meet you. They already have the room ready and everything." Maybe a bit of an exaggeration on his part, the bit about the room, that is, but hey, if it can convince her to come...
She looks conflicted, hopeful, and then, "R-really? Are you sure? I won't be too much trouble? Your father's a smith, right? I don't want to mess anything up!"
Fakir blinks, then laughs. So she remembered, huh? "Yes, I'm sure. Absolutely. And no, I'm sure you won't be. Charon is a smith, yes, but you won't get in the way, I promise. His forge is separate from the house, and I can't see you needing to visit it, so it should be fine."
She still looks a little uncertain, biting her lip slightly. She really doesn’t want to impose...but it sounds like she wouldn’t be, and in her heart, the idea of being with someone for the holidays, not being alone? It sounds like a dream come true!
It doesn’t take her more than half a second to decide.
She's the one who hugs him this time, her arms tight around his middle as she presses her face into his chest, smiling so much that her cheeks hurt. "Thank you, Fakir!" she says softly, nuzzling in a little more, what must be subconsciously.
Fakir is frozen, not even daring to breathe, but given a few moments, he finally lets himself hug her back. Maybe a touch closer than last time. A warm smile comes through. It’s the first time he’s ever gotten to return her embrace. "You're welcome, Ahiru. My family can't wait to meet you."
12 notes · View notes
memoriashell · 6 years
Text
iridescent hues
Pairing: Fakir / Ahiru
crossposted on ao3
Summary: Shades of pink, Fakir realizes, is something he's come to associate with her more often than not.
( darling, that is the color of your love; ever-changing )
Pink is not her favorite color, but one that gets associated with her more often than not; knowledge that comes from being friends for as many years as they have.
Pink is the laces for her usual pair of ballet slippers. Pink is the rosy color of Ahiru's cheeks, an ethereal color that seems to remain consistently, never a shade lighter. Pink is the skirt that spins with her as she twirls around, hands grasping at Rue’s as she tries to get the other girl to join in her antics.
( Pink is the delighted flush of her face when Rue begrudgingly joins in and allows the younger to spin them around the room )
Pink is her favorite lipstick, the one that tastes like peaches and—
She catches him watching— staring, if Fakir feels like being honest— and beams brightly. He can feel his ears burn while Mytho has a good laugh at his expense.
( He makes an effort to hide his expression when the sound of her giggling manages to reach him ).
Pink, admittedly, is perhaps something only he associates with her; a little thing that is undoubtedly from years of minute observations. A subconscious connection more than anything— well, it is what he'd like to say, anyways.
So okay, maybe he’s in a little deeper than he originally anticipated.
It’s fine. He’s fine. Everything’s alright— as always, sweet and certain denial is how he chooses to handle situations.
Besides, it’s her dumb little plan; he can keep up the charade, even if things aren’t exactly according to plan on his part.
( After all, rekindling a crush he thought he’d gotten over was probably accounted for nowhere in her plans ).
“Which one?” She holds up two bottles of nail polish in his face, a pout protruding from her lips. “I can’t choose which one would be prettier.” Which one would make me look prettier, is what goes unsaid, but Fakir knows the way her mind works a little too well to not figure out what she means.
He gives her a very flat look, clearly unimpressed as he spares the bottles a glance, brushing her off and going back to his book. “You’re fussing over nothing. They’re both fine.” You’ll look fine, he thinks, but does not say— she won’t believe him anyways. He can hear her whine, and a light pressure leans against his arm, so he’ll put the book aside to better handle the situation, gently prying her off his arm to get a better look at her. “Why don’t you just wear both, if you really like them that much?”
She frowns. “Because that would be tacky.” A raise of his brows at that, because Fakir knows for a fact that she does not care about something like that. “Because it wouldn’t look very nice, a-and most people would probably think it’s kinda childish, so...”
He rolls his eyes at that, because if anything— Ahiru is childish, anyone at least slightly interested in her like that has probably accepted it. “Come on, I’ll do your nails for you... and you can paint mine. Might as well look tacky together.” It’s the kind of promise he’d usually make to Uzura, to get her to cooperate with him— but Ahiru’s mood seems to have done a complete one-eighty, so all things considered, he’ll take that as a victory.
( And yeah, of course he doesn’t really care for the fact that half of his nails are now a very vibrant shade of pink that won’t be going away anytime soon— but if it’s for her sake, he thinks he can bear with it.
The sweet smile and flush to her cheeks will always be worth it ).
31 notes · View notes
kimikaami · 2 years
Text
tagged by @sergeanthopeless, thank you! Me? Getting tagged for a fic meme? Wild.
1. What's your all time favorite ship?
I wont choose between setleth and fakiru and you cant make me
2. How many works do you have on Ao3?
7! All from this past year. I'm very new.
3. What's your total Ao3 word count?
16,173! That's a lot for me!
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
- (I feel something) when I see you
- Vertigo
- in the little things (I hate that this is here RIP)
- a new life with you
- Assurance
5. What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?
Surprisingly, for how much I like reading it, I haven't written much. If it counts I think the first chapter of my ficlet collection, Fragments, is the angstiest. If it doesnt, (I feel something) when I see you.
6. The happiest?
I think most of the others are equally as happy... if I had to choose it would be Vertigo because it's disgustingly, sickeningly sweet
7. Do you write crossovers?
No, I'm almost never into those.
8. Do you write smut? What kind?
Yes I have. Idk man, smut is smut. For me though, if it doesnt have a plot it has feelings to make up for it.
9. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
me? no lol
10. Have you ever had a fic translated?
same as before
11. Have you ever co-written a fic?
nope! I'm much too slow for that lol
12. What are your writing strengths?
um... painting a scene and high emotions
13. What are your writing weaknesses?
dialogue. And forcing myself to plan or write at all, lol
14. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?
If you know what youre doing, go for it. Otherwise err on the side of caution.
15. What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?
Unpublished, I wrote a mlp fic on my notes app. Published? you're never getting the answer out of me.
16. What's your favorite fic you've written this year?
(I feel something) when I see you. But special shoutout to picture it soft and aching, which is my only fic for princess tutu and I'm fond of it.
Tagging:
Anyone who sees this. Gotcha!
12 notes · View notes
peachsunset · 4 years
Text
Getting to Know Me Tag
Tagged By: Thanks for tagging me @lisatelramor!
Top 3 Ships: I’m actually gonna give you 4 bc I’m indecisive and couldn’t choose (in no actual meaningful order mostly). First, CloTi from Final Fantasy VII always and forever owns my heart, and my love has been recently revived by the remake. Second Fakiru from Princess Tutu (seriously amazing anime. If you haven’t watched it yet, what are you even doing with your life? I highly recommend you go do so as soon as possible). Third, while I love many ships from D.N.Angel, my favorite is actually platonic BrOTP Dark & Daisuke (identity issues aside, I love that those two nerds love each other so much while acting like they annoy each other). Fourth Stucky from the MCU (what can I say, I like tragic hurt/comfort childhood friend romance angst).
Last Song: Picture Perfect (Remix) from A Hat In Time (haven’t actually played the game yet, but the soundtrack is seriously good!)
Last Movie: Pretty sure it was Knives Out, which I really enjoyed! Definitely recommend if you like the idea of a Clue-like murder mystery that’s not too intense or gory (IMO) with a REALLY satisfying ending.
Currently Reading: I actually recently decided to re-read my first and favorite manga series, D.N.Angel by Yukiru Sugisaki and am in the midst of that! If you’ve only seen/heard of the anime, do yourself a favor and hunt down the manga bc it is 1000 times better in every conceivable way. Major 90′s shoujo/magical boy vibes, has been written on and off with many hiatuses and subsequent art style shifts, and is still ongoing, but I love it so much. Also recently started reading the fic series Izuku Haunts Class 1-A by Artistic_Gamer over on AO3 which I can’t recommend highly enough (just be warned that it does deal with themes of suicide and death).
What Food Are You Craving Right Now: I’m thinking pizza. Just saw a Domino’s ad with a picture of a cheese pizza on it that looked Very Appealing.
Tagging: @luanna801 @fioreromana @epiithets and anyone else who would like to do this!
5 notes · View notes
therookieking412 · 5 years
Text
Bright
Fakiru Week 2019 Links
(They’re all too long to just update to tumblr)
Bright: Selkie au. In which Fakir is cursed and the cute new girl in town is really pushing his buttons.
FF: Bright I ; Bright II
Ao3: Bright I ; Bright II
32 notes · View notes
inthewrite · 5 years
Note
7 from firsts, 6 from favorites, and 10 from Random Facts!
Thanks for the ask!
7) What was your first piece of fanfiction?
If we go by ao3, it’s Nightmares, a Fakiru (Princess Tutu) fic, but there may have been some Twilight fic that preceded that. I can’t remember which came first for fanfic. 
6) Who is your favorite soft little cinnamon roll OC?
Definitely Kayla from Secondary. She loves glitter and bright colors and being loud and I just love her so much. 
10) Which of your OCs can sing really well? Which ones would shatter glass?
This actually hasn’t come up, so I’m just going to go with my gut, for Secondary: Henry can sing decently well, but he only sings in the car or the shower, Jess doesn’t sing, and no one is sure if it’s because she can’t or won’t and Kayla doesn’t have the best voice, but she will belt out songs like nobody’s business anyway. :)
3 notes · View notes
ladysunamireads · 7 months
Text
5 notes · View notes
magic-in-onyx · 7 months
Text
Fakiru Week Day 2: Guard
An epitaph, an inscription –  Engraved in gold and etched in roots of ancient wisdom.  One gem for the Sentry brave,  But two for courage overflowing. 
The beginning of a story is a sudden event.  The end, the fate for which it’s meant. 
Amid the woodwork, but in town no longer,  I gaze upon the fowl I’d saved,  Absolved I had her of debt and anguish,  And yet her eyes remain of glow depraved. 
She speaks not to me,  Her gaze wanders, lost,  Soft skin pale, of life drained –  A cost, I reckon, imposed unjustly, a cost most grave. 
Upon her bust a necklace crimson,  A shell, an egg built of coagulated cruor,  Blood stolen from her own, sacrifice collected in her moving prison. 
Frail as she appears,  She is, no doubt!, most enduring.  “Maiden dear,” I ask her, “May I inquire  “Of a way to ease your sorrows, most assuring?” 
As her mouth then speaks in answer,  A voice most pleasant spills:  “You have done enough, my Master,  “For I could only ever do, as you will.” 
“‘Tis an error most dire!”  I cry,  “For I am no Master of yours;  “You are free now, should you wish to follow me,  “Or fly away on your own, on a trail paved in the sky.” 
“I cannot escape nor fly,” she pleads gently,  “My fate is forever sealed,  “Chained with this here jewel,  “To obey he who from mine own takes.” 
“And pray tell,” I go on, perturbed at once,  “What have I from you stolen?”  To which she lays both hands soft on mine,  And recites: 
“My heart have you,” she says,  “If you’ll take it,  “Stolen from me when for the first time these arms  “Have fallen, only to be caught by yours.” 
“My hope have you,” she continues,  “Should you take it,  “Seized from me when for the first time this body  “Was allowed respite from exhaustion and pain.” 
“And if you’ll have me,” she concludes,  “Should you wish it,  “I shall offer all of mine, to he who knows,  “How to guard it, how to care.” 
Before I could speak in turn, to no small amount astonished,  She presses one tender finger upon my lips, so mum I stay.  “And if you’ll chase me,” she then utters, “at least take me “For a handmaid or a servant, as I have no other place to which to stray.” 
Urgent, burning, heart ascendent,  Unhesitant I offer her – a vow most devout:  “Fret not, my sweet, for your knight, guard, and sentry,  “I shall become, I shall stay;  “A servant or a handmaid, by no means you shall be,  “For as long as you will have me, and stand proudly next to me.” 
“I have saved you not for this,” I continue, gently stroking  At her rosy cheeks,  “But nonetheless I am happy, if you should see me for what you desire me for you to be.” 
Her rosy cheeks  Press back against my palms,  And our skins sing. 
A kiss I lower – a shy thing,  To her lips; tender, but unwavering, and sure. 
In that moment a crackle ripples  Through the air between us,  Her pendant crimson splits and shatters,  In two halves uniform – twin gems precious. 
An epitaph, an inscription –  Engraved in gold and etched in roots of ancient wisdom.  One gem for the Sentry brave,  But two for courage overflowing. 
The beginning of a story is a sudden event.  The end, the fate for which it’s meant.
**
&lt;Prev> <Next>
AO3
8 notes · View notes
alotmoreginger · 4 years
Text
Tumblr media
!!!!!! More fanart of this version of Ahiru to come soon! Chapter 9 is being worked on and OH BOY
55 notes · View notes
seasaltmemories · 6 years
Text
tagged by @timahina and @pendulum-sonata
What is your total posted word count on AO3? (Go to your Works, then click Statistics.)
359,706, I try and keep up with my total word count from year to year so that sounds right
How often do you write?
the goal is at least a few sentences a day but with college I just try to squeeze some in when I’m not super busy or tired
Do you have a routine for writing?
sit down and just try to write
What’s your favorite kinks/tropes/pairing?
powerplay especially with dom women/sub men, arranged marriage, obsession, enemies as lovers, hurt/comfort, healing from mental illness and trauma, well-intended antagonists who want to be good but don’t recognize their own villainy
for arc v: fruit, apple, prodigy and the other bracelet girls/reiji, pendulum, zarcray, sideshow, janus, entertainment, guilt etc
Other pairings lately include alm/celica, faith, scoop, fakiru, ruetho, utenanthy
Do you have a favorite fic of yours?
It’s hard to pick a specific one, but Pretty Lies and Their Brutal Truths has a soft spot for being so ambitious and signaling probably the most recent shift in my writing
Your fic with the most kudos?
In Which Howl and Sophie Talk Of Marriage And Things bit surprising one of my oldest fics and when I was still trying to get the hang of this writing thing has remained so popular
Anything you don’t like about your writing?
I’ve always thought my writing never feels grounded, you get the individual characters themselves but you can never really actually picture the events, it might as well all happen in white space, and related with my writing style I get so hung up on getting each sentence exactly right on the first time, which is very unproductive
Now something you do like?
People always praise my characterization and you know it is what I love writing, I think I’m good at unpacking a character’s introspection and lately I feel like my writing has gotten pretty which I never really used to think of it that way
7 notes · View notes
twinkletoes-rp · 3 years
Note
hi i just finished reading the existing chapters of your fakiru college au and lovedddd it!! u characterized everyone so well! i was wondering if the fic is still active/do you plan on continuing to write it? if you do i will be reading ~! thank u for writing such a cute fic for them
HOLY SHIT, someone actually read my Fakiru Princess Tutu College AU! ;A;
Tumblr media
Thank you SO MUCH for reading it and especially for letting me know! That's so awesome! I'm SO happy you enjoyed it so much! I worked so hard, especially on translating their characters well to this different setting/world! *U*
I am DEFINITELY going to continue it, don't worry! I actually have the entire fic planned out to the end and have 1.5k done on ch 6! I just have had my life taken over by my rediscovered deep love of Naruto and my subsequent Naruto AU fics (150k total and counting)! X'D As soon as those are finished, which I'm hoping will be sometime this year, I plan on going back to this fic and finishing it! :D
Feel free to keep up with it or anything else I write on my AO3 and FFN (I crosspost to both)! :D
Thank YOU for reading and especially telling me what you think! I appreciate it SO much, particularly since I NEVER get asks, let alone about my work! :D SO thrilled you think the fic is cute! It's gonna get even cuter, trust me! ;D
You're the best! <3
Tumblr media
7 notes · View notes
whiteclericmaris · 6 years
Text
Tagged by @twelve-to-the-highest-power (Thanks!)
What is your total posted word count on AO3? (Go to your Works, then click Statistics.)
219156
How often do you write?
Not a lot lately outside of texting. It’s not that it’s difficult as I was trying to get back to it with an adoptable but... I’m in Duel Links h*ll now.
Do you have a routine for writing?
Usually when I go per request/prompt go with the first idea that comes to mind. Don’t delete it too much rather rephrase. Try to get in some gestures of the characters and predict reactions or scenarios and done. Same for the Arc-V 30 day challenge.
What’s your favorite kinks/tropes/pairing?
Kink: G/T or where one is taller than the other by about a foot or more. 
Tropes: The Gentle Giant, Badass Adorable, Shrinking Violet (aka Me)
Pairing: Too many for Arc-V so I’ll just keep it brief with Reiji/Gloria at the moment. It’s such crack but I freaking made a next gen OC and commissioned 3 times with the next gen being included. I dug my own grave there. Outside Arc-V that I do read fanfiction for: Fakiru from Princess Tutu, Amu and the ninja guy or king boy (Shugo Character) 
Do you have a favorite fic of yours?
Giamore... I have just let it float though but it’s the first time a comment interacted with me with each chapter leaving a review.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/7868725/chapters/17970115
Your fic with the most kudos?
Also Giamore
On tumblr the most notes goes to Alone for Arc-V 30 day challenge
http://colorfulwatcher.tumblr.com/post/160083237077/alone
Anything you don’t like about your writing?
I use description of actions and sometimes too much on emotion even though I don’t write those parts often because I forget. I also find my dialogue is a bit repetitive and a struggle to come up with what words the character could say in response. Also my writing tends to be really short and brief instead of descriptive of scenery and stuff that could be happening around the characters.
Now something you do like?
Trying to incorporate sound into the writing. It’s hard because reading is more something mindful and soundless (unless writing from listening to a song). Also when writing my own ideas/AUs because just something about them attracts me and brings a sense of comfort when rereading. I also had that period where I tried using those words of the day to learn new words and come up with stories to write for them. That was fun!
Tagging: @aisaki-emiru, @nierza, @supreme-king-zarc, @checkurselfb4umachuwreckurself, @des-toy, and @ridiculouslyphotogenicsinosaurus (Don’t feel obligated if you don’t want to)
2 notes · View notes