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painless-innit-colourful · 3 years

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‘Two Down, One To Go’ - part 1

My biggest gripe with how late the three canon lives system was brought in is that the early deaths never got the weight they deserved in canon. So I fixed that. The night of L’Manberg’s independence is the biggest party any of them have ever attended, but Tommy’s not in a merry mood. Tubbo finds out why. Featuring a little headcanon about how a person knows how many lives they have left.

part two | part three

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Night of Independence

“One, two, three, four, five-” His heart was racing, fingers tightening on the bowstring. There was a kind of dread in his heart like never before. Not only was Dream a better shot than him; he knew it. And to bet both the future of his country and one of his discs on his abilities…

“-six, seven, eight, nine-” His arms ached; his whole body ached. Bruises and scrapes and barely healed gashes littered his limbs from Eret’s betrayal. That b*stard. He snuck a glance at his fellows. They’d all lost so much today. All their things, a war, a country; not to mention a life apiece. Something had erupted inside of him when they’d woken back in the camarvan with a tally mark each: something red and explosive. And they returned his gaze, Tubbo and Fundy watching with bated breath. He couldn’t see Wilbur from the direction he was facing, but he imagined his expression was about the same. Fear, apprehension and just the smallest sliver of hope.

“-Ten paces fire!” And then it died, for the second time in twenty-four hours. As did Tommy.

The mood around the campfire was merry. Wilbur had poured them all drinks (watered down for everyone but him, especially Fundy) and was currently leading him and Tubbo in a half-drunk singalong of something that had started as the L’Manberg anthem, that had since devolved into innuendos about explosions and jokes about ‘independance’, though they kept in the parts with the names and the ‘it’s a very real and not blown up L’Manberg’. Tommy tried to have a good time, shouting “F*ck Eret!” every time that line came up, but the feeling was bittersweet. He slipped his hand inside his shirt and felt the tiny ridges. Two tallies. He hadn’t told the others yet. They’d given him enough pity when he’d told them how he’d traded away the discs. He didn’t need them fawning over him for this as well.

Unfortunately, it seemed he hadn’t been subtle enough. Tubbo sat down beside him, out of breath from dancing and grinning at Wilbur’s antics, and the first thing he laid his eyes on when he looked to Tommy was his hand inside his shirt. Tommy internally cursed himself and quickly removed it, but Tubbo had already latched onto the topic, “Feels weird doesn’t it?”

“Hm?” “The… Death mark.” A slight tremor passed over him, his eyes wandering down to where his own sat. The marks always showed just below a person’s collarbone, on the left side of the chest, close to the heart. “Maybe not weird but… I never expected to have one this- this early.” His words hung in the night air. They were both just kids, Fundy too, and they were all too close to a permanent death than they should be. But Tommy found some solace in how his friends had survived the war gaining only one. They were the lucky ones. Tommy had not only lost his most valued possessions but another life too. There was a line to death, and now Tommy walked along it, feet placed end to end like an acrobat tip-toeing a tightrope. Any moment now could be his last forever. It was unlikely he’d die right this second: he’d just secured peace for goodness’ sake, but what if? All it could take now was a stray arrow, a random attacker, a careless match finding an explosive in an untouched corner of L’Manberg, and that would be it for him. Gone.

Tubbo shuffled closer, “Tommy, are you okay man?” Drat. Once again, his face betrayed his feelings. He glanced around the partying men. Of all the people here, he trusted Tubbo the most, but mainly, the secret was starting to weigh him down worse than a full suit of netherite. He was tired of saying he was fine. Besides, it was Tubbo. His best friend, his brother. They’d been fighting together since the beginning: the Disc War, the Pet Wars and most of his other scuffles with citizens of the SMP, major and minor. He could trust Tubbo.

“Tubbo, I… Give me your hand.” One boy put his hand in the others’, and Tommy laid it on his chest, where they could both feel the lines representing a betrayal and a duel through the thin fabric of his shirt. Tubbo’s face changed from concern to horror to pity as he ran his fingers back and forth over the two ridges, checking, again and again, to verify what he couldn’t quite believe was true.

“You never said-” He started to say, but Tommy silenced him with a finger to his own lips hurriedly. “I didn’t want to worry anyone.” He sighed. “Or detract from the celebrations. I’m fine. It’s just a second mark.” Tubbo gave him a look halfway between disappointment and sympathy. “First of all, it’s not ‘just a second mark’ and second, you know that because I can see it on your face. It’s affecting you, dude.” Tommy looked away, closing his hand around Tubbo’s. “I don’t wanna think about it tonight, but I can’t-” He looked around at his four closest comrades. “I can’t stop running it over in my head, how much we’ve lost.” He gestured around them, at the land of their country torn apart, at the small patch of scorched grass they’d found sound enough to celebrate on. His eyes met Tubbo’s, creased with worry. “Five lives between us. Five.”

“Well… We’ve lost a lot, but we’ve also gained, y’know? What you did-” “How do you feel?” “Hm?” Tommy squeezed Tubbo’s hand. “How does it feel to be down a life?” “Don’t you remember?” He smiled faintly. “It was only this morning.” “I was a bit preoccupied, Tubbs.” They giggled half-heartedly. “True.” There was a moment of quiet broken only by the sounds of the party, and then; “I suppose I’m okay. I know I’m a bit closer to dying now, but I’ve still got another chance. So I can manage, I think.” “Do you feel more… mortal? Vulnerable?” Tommy’s voice was small. “Yeah. Like, I know what it’s like to die now- or, I know I can die. That it’s possible. I think that’s what it’s like for the others as well.”

Tubbo’s gaze drifted to look over at Wilbur, and Tommy’s soon followed. “Well, he seems fine.” The blonde remarked as Wilbur whirled past, drink in hand, a brown coat over his revolutionary uniform, adding more and more names from the crowd around them to the anthem as Fundy looked on, bemused. “I guess,” Tubbo shrugged. “He’s a bit older, so it’s less… jarring to be down one. Still not ideal, but not entirely unexpected.” “Well he’s certainly taking it well.” And at that Tubbo laughed. “He’s also quite drunk. So drunk he hasn’t noticed Fundy’s stopped watering his beers down.” That brought forth a small smile from Tommy. Tubbo continued: “He’s had time, y’know?” He paused, waiting for Tommy to look him in the eye. “When… When did you notice it?”

“After Dream took off with the discs. I finally came down from the adrenaline rush when I was alone in my house, just before I got back on comms to let you guys know. I felt it while I was taking off my armour. The tiniest little sting... And there it was.” He remembers standing alone in his house, examining both the duel scar and the extra mark in the grimy mirror he’d taken off the wall and leant on the floor. For a moment it was like the floor had gone out from beneath him again, but luckily this time it wasn’t an explosion. It hadn’t crossed his mind before then: all his brainpower had been in use, between worrying for his friends, discs, country and bow skills. The physical and mental pain of losing the duel had kept his mind off his own mortality as well, but there it was, staring him in the face, taunting him.

‘Two lives in less than twenty-four hours,’ it seemed to say (and he’d be omitting important details to not mention how it spoke in an American accent) ‘You won’t make it to twenty, or eighteen, or even your next birthday. Are you running out of time? Are you running out of time? Are you running out of ti-’

“What you did was incredibly brave and selfless.” Tubbo’s voice snapped him out of the memory of Death calling out to him, or maybe that was just him being melodramatic. “More like stupid. I didn’t know what I was doing.” “Well, Wilbur did tell you, he said ‘ohh Tommy, this country isn’t worth your life’.” “I wasn’t thinking.” “Well... I don’t care.” Tubbo squeezed his hand. “And maybe that’s a little selfish, but we’re free because of the trade you made, and maybe you’d never have pushed Dream to that point without the duel. I don’t know. But now we’re free. We’ve been beaten down by that tyrant for so long, but now we’re finally free.” He gave him a firm smile, “Yeah.” It was hard not to get swept up in Tubbo’s good moods, so Tommy reached for his drink. “Cheers. To L’Manberg!” “L’Manberg!” Tubbo knocked his tankard into Tommy’s and they both took a long drink. Wilbur overheard them and knocked Fundy’s drink out of his hands in his tipsy enthusiasm, and then there was another round of My L’Manberg. And as Tommy listened to the growing, rowdy chorus of his country, he let go of his fears for a while. Maybe they’d never leave him for the rest of his life, but for right now, they had their walls, their drinks and their song.

And as long as there were more crosses on the flag than lines on his tally, he’d be fine.

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Taglist: @nixavia @zrenia (Please let me know if you’d like to be on the taglist in future :)

#HI EVERYONE YES THIS IS THE FIC I'VE BEEN WRITING SINCE NOVEMBER I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!!#(this is the first dsmp fic i ever started writing... can you tell it's so different from my style now)#the whole thing (full three parts) is 10000 words in total and waaaaay over the tamblegram paragraph limit so first time doing a multi-part!#how on earth do hyperlinks work #anyway please rb + comment i have been working on this for so long i wanna know what y'all think :)#dream smp #tommyinnit #tubbo #clingy duo #l'manberg #l'manberg revolution #dsmp fic #crim writes

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blackcatanna · 4 years

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Kinky TB Adventures (probably) with Okita Part 1: Kyoto Winds

Finally playing another Hakuoki route because I spent 10 hours travelling yesterday and I deserve some imaginary romance, damn it! Choosing Okita because he seems fun and I hate that he disappears from the story pretty early on in most routes and then dies off screen :'(

WARNING: I wrote a lot :)

Intro:

I don't know why but Kodo's evil old man face made me laugh so much during the intro.

Playing the prologue because it has a hearty chunk of Okita in it and it's been a while since I played the game.

Chizuru talking about the invisible wall between herself and other people is relatable af :')

"I'm not sure if I belong here... No. No, that's all in my head." < < < ME. Hello imposter syndrome, my old friend :')

I now feel like a li'l bitch for complaining about my journey yesterday when Chizuru WALKED nearly 500KM from Edo to Kyoto X_X

I'm loving this old timey film effect on the Kodo flashback.

I feel like Kodo's actions and motivations change depending on the route so I'm not going to try too hard to wrap my head around them here.

I love that "Ronin" is basically shorthand for "Evil Douchebag Thug" in this game X_X

Yukimura: "Be careful, father! Kyoto is a dangerous place!" Also Yukimura: "I have nothing to fear because I look like a BOY :) " Selfless but foolish X_X Although, you could argue that being reckless is selfish because it disregards your loved ones' feelings, should you get hurt.

At least the game gives these ronin names :') although... they don't have eyes. I think I'd rather have eyes, if I had to choose.

"I could still hear the ronin cursing loudly" I just have an image of these three guys running through the streets of Kyoto yelling, "FUCK. SHIT. PISS. ASS."

This game invested a lot in blood effects and sounds and I respect and appreciate that.

"He died with the first blow" Silver linings?

"They were... broken" :'(

Awe, the furies look so happy to see me :') JK, this scene is appropriately chilling. They do have big smiles, though.

More blood splashes and visceral blood descriptions :')

Okita, your sadism is showing.

Or maybe he knows that Saito doesn't like killing his comrades and that's why he wanted to kill them first :O :O :O

"if you just sat back and let them kill the kid, you could have saved us some trouble." -_- I enjoy Okita's banter but I have a feeling that it's going to be a bit one sided because Chizuru doesn't do back talk X_X

WAIT A FUCKING SECOND, WHY IS OKITA NOT BLINKING?!??

Oh here we go. Let's take a moment to worship Hijikata. I still think that Saito and Okita are better looking but sure, let's take a break to gush about "smooth, dark hair" in the moonlight and "the wistfulness of flower petals" "as if the cherry trees were blooming out of season" X_X ick.

HEY. CHIZURU. REMEMBER WHO RESCUED YOU. IT WASN'T THIS FUCKER.

OH GOD, IT CONTINUES, "His voice was cold and quiet, like a blade of ice. Blue-white moonlight lit his slender face.." blah blah ick.

OH, WE'RE STILL NOT DONE?!? "But it wasn't the sword making my breath catch. It was his eyes. They were fierce and hard, but somewhere behind them... I could catch a glimpse of... something else." Blah blah, troubled, mercy, blah

"Run, and I will kill you. Do you understand?" SPLOOSH (yes, I have been watching Archer)

I was sort of joking about being aroused by threats of violence but swords are definitely sexier than... whatever that whole flowery passage was...

Okita still is not blinking O_O

Hijikata telling Okita to shut up is a mood. Sorry, Okita.

Okay, NOW Okita's blinking. Guess all it took was Hijikata suggesting that they're going to kill me for a change. Apparently, only Okita's allowed to threaten to murder me X_X

Side note: if anyone reads this and is wondering if I'm aware that I switch between "You", "Me" and "Chizuru" then yes, I am and no, I don't care.

Apparently, Okita blinking was a fluke. Maybe he only blinks when he is pushed off stride or, like, flustered or surprised?

Also, I don't tend to think of Okita as being especially tall but he's taller than Hijikata!

"So we should just kill people now?" Um... you don't do that?

"What?! Come on, you can't be serious" HE SAID, BLINKING AND THUS BACKING UP MY THEORY.

"Almost as if I was being... drawn into their world..." Oh dear! We wouldn't want that to happen, that's not why we bought the game at all! :P

"A world where there is nothing strange in carrying on a normal conversation in the dead of night with corpses for company." Edgy. Although, I hope that this conversation is far from normal O_O

"As you wish." Hijikata is Saito's Princess Buttercup. I'm not jealous.

WHOA. I was just musing about death as usual and now Okita's RIGHT UP IN MY FACE.

"We did save you, didn't we?" WELL, TECHNICALLY, Saito saved me. You suggested letting the furies KILL ME.

"I didn't realise right away he was speaking to me." How? He's taking up the entire screen?

"Thank you very much." Fair. "I apologise for not thanking you earlier." Okay, calm down. It's not like they gave you a chance to speak in between death threats.

"The man called Hajime also looked confused. His eyes were wide and he had an expression I couldn't place." Then allow me: STARTLED ERMINE. Hijikata's is DISGRUNTLED HORSE and Okita's is SMUG LYNX. Aka: how three different animals react to the discovery that their prey is a girl. I know that horses don't hunt prey. However, they do have to deal with it when their animal subordinates unwittingly capture it.

"He broke out in laughter again, so much so that he was forced to wipe a few tears from his eyes" I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE HAVING SUCH A JOLLY TIME, YOU ASS.

Now that he's figured out that I'm a girl, he's suddenly keen to introduce himself :P

"The one you should be thanking for saving you is Hajime Saito" CORRECT.

Is he deliberately trying to let him kill me by giving out as much info as possible? O_o

"His fingers like iron cables around my arm." Kinky.

"The cause of my horror wasn't the gruesome end that awaited me, but something else entirely." Hanging out with these crazy fuckers.

Chapter 1:

Damn, I wrote a lot more than I had expected for the prologue X_X

"My limbs were tightly bound in tight knots" I wouldn't be surprised if Okita was a shibari expert...

"This is no way to treat a guest of ours" Obviously, Inou-bae is trying to be kind but this feels like something a supervillain would say after their minions bring you to their lair X_X

"he smiled at me and winked" get this man a route! Actually, wait, how old is Chizuru... OKAY, FORGET I SAID THAT. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO FLIRT WITH THIS 16 YEAR OLD GIRL. Although, maybe a dad route? No romance, just familial love. He's a better dad than Kodo. NO DADDY KINKS ALLOWED.

Apparently, Harada and Nagakura being "lively" is supposed to reassure me?!

Ah, Okita and his hilarious jokes about invading my personal space.

I'm so glad that Saito doesn't let him get away with this nonsense <3

And now we're sticking up for Saito and calling out Okita's bs <3

"the smile lingered through his bright eyes" Oo-er

"He looked more like a boy than a man." Says you!

The baka trio look so done X_X

"Their faces were still blessed with youth" Phew. Looks like we'll have some eye candy while we're brutally executed.

A STICK?!? THEY'RE CALLING ME A STICK?! HAVE THEY NOT SEEN THE ANIME INTRO?! CHIZURU HAS TITS!!!

"The hell I will, boy!" Calm down, Kratos.

"You could be taken for interrogating" not if you assholes don't make such a song and dance about me witnessing your shady activities! How would anybody know to interrogate me in the first place?!

"Let's just kill the kid" How about no!!!

"I was just kidding." WERE YOU, or did you just change your tune because daddy Kondou told you off? -_- I don't think Saito's buying your shit.

"Hehe." XD best response!

Side note, how am I the first person to witness the furies in action?! They run around the streets, chopping people up and there are already rumours about the Shinsengumi committing brutal crimes.

Also, how often do they sentence men to death? There are a lot of men in the fury corps and I bet that some choose death or try and run for it and die in the process.

"I think that Souji has a point" BOO, HARADA!

"Uh-oh. Well, this is going to make it even harder for us to simply let you go..." He's doing the not blinking thing again! Maybe that's because his prey is in his sights... O_O Also, thanks a lot, Heisuke X_X

"A man should always be ready to face death. You should make your peace with yours." Okay, first of all, I look like a child to you! Secondly, bit sexist! Not all men choose the path of the warrior. Thirdly, AS IF, I'm just going to lay down and accept my POINTLESS murder just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. No, Nagakura, I am NOT okay with being MURDERED. How dare you imply that I'm a coward for not wanting to die for this BULLSHIT.

Not sure if I mentioned this last time but Sano's casual suicide comments remind me of being at uni :')

"there's something I want to look into." Is it my stuff? Are you going to go through my stuff now? X_X

"I... I'm sorry." I forgive you, Heisuke! As for everyone else who's acting like this is all my fault and you've done nothing wrong, fuck you. Y'all shouldn't be doing evil science in the first place, especially if you're then going to try and justify MURDERING everyone who glimpses the evulz.

This whole bit reminds me of a DnD party where everyone's arguing over whether or not to kill someone. This is definitely more like a DnD argument than your average movie argument X_X

"All right, Saito, take care of the kid." 😍 Yes, Saito, take care of me :D NOT IN A MURDERY WAY O_O

Time to RUN THE FUCK AWAY. Maybe, if they hadn't acted like murdering assholes, I wouldn't be doing this but they don't seem to give a fuck about me so AWAY I GO.

"I knew it was rude, but I had no choice but to try and open the sliding door with my toe." Priorities X_X They kidnapped you, tied you up and threatened to kill you countless times. Honey, you stick it to those fuckers with your shady toe opening.

WE DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT OUT OF THE ROOM!!!

"Sorry," No your not -_- "but now we've got to kill you." No you don't!

"Then you may do whatever you like with me." Um, why is this the Okita romance option? XD Don't say those words to that sadist, who knows what he wants to do to you! O_O

"We aren't going to eat you or anything." ...Damn X_X I hope that your stance changes if we get married.

"Heh. Never seen such an innocent girl like you." Ugh. As if. Running around dressed as a boy. Can't be that innocent. Certainly not if he read my last comment :P . Anyway, YOU SOUND CREEPY, TALKING LIKE THAT XD

"All right, all right. Now, tell your big brother... Why were you cross-dressing around Kyoto?" THA FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL YOURSELF?!?? And MIND YOUR DAMN BUSINESS XD DON'T KINK SHAME ME!

"Well, 'she' claims to be a girl, but it's not like we have any actual proof, right?" Um, I'M not the one who said that I'm a girl and I DON'T LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING. I WILL FIGHT YOU FUCKERS IF YOU COME NEAR ME >:(

"My apologies, but I took the liberty of checking through your belongings." I wouldn't mind, except NOT ONCE did they give me a chance to explain myself or plead my case. He could have just asked whatever he wanted to know and then checked my bags to verify it X_X

"Hey now," HEY NOW, NOW, sing this corrosion to me... No? I'll be quiet :(

"So, you've been withholding information from us?" YOU BARELY GAVE ME A CHANCE TO SPEAK, YOU DICK!

Welp, they've agreed not to kill me and yet Okita's still taking it upon himself to threaten me with death while fixing me with his unblinking, predatory stare X_X

"Gee, didn't take long for you to change your tune once you knew she was a girl, eh Shin?" TRUTH

"Having a lady here at headquarters is sure to brighten things up." Joke's on you: I'm a goth ;P

"you can't just pawn her off on someone else." Okita, nooooooo! Don't make me work for this grumpy bitch!

"I hope you you'll take good care of her." Wink wink, nudge nudge. What's the matter, Hijikata senpai? Am I not pretty enough for you? :'(

"You sons of BITCHES." HEY. HIJIKATA. NO NEED TO INSULT THEIR INNOCENT MOTHERS. Just call them straight up bitches :)

"The Shinsengumi keeping a woman here... If such rumours were to spread, tongues would begin to wag." Yeah, yeah, so we might as well just all fuck. People are going to say we're doing it, regardless, so let's get this over with...

Or I could keep pretending to be a man. That could also work.

"You're gonna get a room, and you're gonna stay in it." FUCK YOU

"I could have sworn we decided she was going to be someone's page" O_O FUCK YOU EVEN MORE, OKITA.

So... lonely... must... find... friends...

Okita and Saito friends :D

When I first played this game, I was really keen to find my "father" but now that I know what he's like, it's hard to muster quite the same level of enthusiasm X_X

"Draw your blade, unless it is merely decoration." Spicy! I'm glad that Yukimura is not so easily goaded into fighting.

"I'm not lying." You tell him, girl!

Saito and Okita's stunned faces when you suggest that you might accidentally hurt Saito are priceless! X_X I guess this shows that you take this seriously, though.

"Excuse me... You don't have to laugh..." XD Is this almost sassy?

Surprise, Okita likes it when I do what he says despite understandable reservations XD

Saito looks way too happy to be doing this XD was this just a chance for him to show off? :P

IS HE LAUGHING AT ME?!? XD RUDE!

WHA THA FUCK. I think that it was a glitch but there were suddenly about seven Saitos on screen. Maybe that's what it feels like when you're fighting him.

Woah, it happened again, only this time there were two and one was squashed.

I'm fine with there being more Saitos.

Aaaaand he's holding a sword at my throat... Sploosh? Shut up, swords are sexy. I probably watched too many period and fantasy films as a child...

"In the blink of an eye, his face was only inches from mine," O RLY? 😏 WAIT, I'm supposed to be playing Okita's route X_X Must... stop getting distracted...

"Your master should be proud." SAY IT AGAIN 😍

"I then noticed how wildly my heart was beating." Though not from fear, right? ;)

"You all right?" Kind words? FROM OKITA?!?

"polite applause" FROM OKITA!?!

"If you want, we'll keep you company." Yes, Okita, obviously I want that :D

First sign of madness: talking to your own head!

Okita could look less smug about catching me talking to myself -_-

"I wanted to scream, but before I could open my mouth, Saito stepped out from behind the door." X_X Well, they did say they'd keep me company.

"I think that's enough fraternising, Souji." Wait a second...

"I figured if I left the two of you alone, it would be longer before I saw either of you," ... Why does that sound slightly risqué? -_- I feel like this scene changes slightly depending on your affection levels...

-_- The only reason Heisuke is short is because Nagakura's stunted his growth by constantly stealing his food.

"How are we to deal with accepting such insanity?" MOOD.

Wait, does Okita subsist entirely on sake?! O_O

"Try not to worry about eating too much or being a freeloader or something. Just eat your little heart out, okay?" Surprisingly wholesome content from Okita :')

Takeda! <3 My douchey doppelganger!

"your adorable page" -_- Watch it, "big brother"

"I'm not having any of your insolence today." Hijikata temporarily transforming into a villainous English aristocrat.

And after aaaaallll that, I'm just going to stay behind to spend some quality time with Okita, probably X_X

"Huh!? Why? You're finally getting the chance to search for Kodo." GOOD POINT. However, gotta get that dick, amirite?

"Perhaps, I should have gone..." YUP. PROBABLY.

"Are you regretting it? If you are, then you should've just gone with them." TRUTH.

"He smiled wryly before continuing while touching my chin." WEEEEOOOOA WEEEEEOOOOA PHYSICAL CONTACT ALARM. WE HAVE INITIATED PHYSICAL CONTACT. IT WAS WORTH STAYING BEHIND AFTER ALL!

"You don't regret it at all? Not even if you knew that Hajime and I went out of our way to convince Hijikata?" Aw, y'all did that for me? Yeah, this is a terrible decision X_X Except for the part with the chin touching. I guess stalking you overrides all logic?

"I was surprised. Saito did make that promise" and what? You thought he was a liar? Girl.

"It was actually Hajime that convinced Hijikata." Not sure if Okita's being modest but this is making it reeeeally hard for me to stop myself fangirling over Saito. Again.

"When I see Saito later, I need to apologise and give my thanks to him." YOU BETTER. >:(

Did he just call me useless (in a battle)? XD I mean, he's not wrong... As we will no doubt soon find out...

Wait, wait... He just said that if I'm in danger, I will become a nuisance and he'll FRICKIN' STAB ME. WHAT?! DOESN'T THAT MAKE YOU THE GREATEST DANGER, OKITA!??

Chapter 2:

Did we ever apologise to Saito? X_X

"Please allow me to continue looking for my father!" Where was this enthusiasm earlier -_-

"If you want that risk, feel free to join us." Ooooooh, scary.

"Remember that you're here to keep me company" Um, excuse me!?

Burn down the city and kidnap the Emperor while everyone else is "losing their shit." This seems like the plan of crazy people o_O

"Would you care to join us." Kondou's making this raid sound like a dinner party X_X

Chizuru getting distracted by the more "elegant" night uniforms while preparing for the raid is a Big Mood.

Am I going crazy or does this game normally give me more choices here? Am I being paranoid or is it now shipping me with Okita? Can't I normally choose to go with Hijikata or stay behind?

"Giving the enemy a good, loud warning that he's about to kick the tar out of them. That's Kondou for you..." Okita kind of has a point X_X

"They sauntered towards the inn" Quite the image.

Oh shit! Okita's fighting Kazama O_O

"Okita was battling a ronin." Damn, you're lucky that Kazama can't read minds X_X

"Thanks for the dance, chump." -_- Kazama's such a dick.

"You're our enemy, so you've gotta die." Okita's philosophy is simple and elegant.

"His sword moved in large, crude arcs, while Okita fought with skill and finesse." Wow, SUPER glad that Kazama can't read minds O_O

EXECUTE PLAN: HURL BOWL AT KAZAMA.

IT'S SUPER EFFECTIVE: OKITA SENPAI NOTICED ME.

Wait... WHAT WAS THAT "WET CRUNCH" WHEN KAZAMA KICKED OKITA'S CHEST!??!? O_O IS THIS HOW HE GETS TB?!? O_O

"Wet, tearing coughs." OH FUCK O_O

"I like watching children squirm." WTF, Kazama. BEGONE, THOT.

:'O Injured Okita is trying to put himself between me and that crazy bitch <3

Oh damn, he is coughing e blood :'O

"What a fool" UUUURRRRGGGGH KAZAMA IS THE WORST. SOME PEOPLE CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE, KAZAMA. AND SOME PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PUT THEMSELVES IN DANGER BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT MORE THAN THEIR OWN SELFISH NEEDS.

"I... I can still fight..." NO.

"You always said you'd kill me if I got in your way..." OOOOOOOOOOOH! HERE WE GO! THE FAÇADE BEGINS TO SHOW CRACKS *munches popcorn*

Iba... y u no mention our shared childhood?

ISHIDA POWDERED MEDICINE.

Nagakura says that it's delicious... I wonder if it tastes like cough medicine. Cough medicine is delicious. And addictive...

"I would never have thought that Toudou or Okita would return from a fight injured..." Why, Inoue? Are skilled and strong warriors invincible?

"The injured are a burden, so we shall remain here and guard the compound like obedient soldiers." O_O Ouch, Sanan!

Wait, I don't get a choice to go with them?! I KNEW IT. THIS GAME KNOOOOOWS! I'm too far down the Okita path to turn back now, I guess.

"Um... " Chizuru is me trying to make small talk.

Weird isn't necessarily a bad thing, Chizuru! Take it as a compliment!

I feel bad for not realising how badly injured he got during the raid during my other playthroughs X_X

I thought that I'd somehow missed the scene with the children because this playthrough's taking so long because I'm making so many fricking notes X_X Turns out, I have a lot more to say when you actually get to spend time with the chosen boi.

"Oh, don't worry. I didn't kidnap them or anything." ... GOOD!????

"I was bored" Hey, I get lonesome too! Why can't you come play with me? D:

"They take care of me." Pretty cute. :3

"You wanna come play with us?" Duh!

"No" GURL

He really does look like a happy cat when he smiles!

Wow, these children have a lot of attitude.

"It's a place for men to do, um, work." Yes, just normal human work. Nothing funny going on here.

"They're catching bad guys and keeping Kyoto safe" "No, they're not. They're just killing people." These kids are SAVAGE :')

"Can't deny that" ... Way to back me up, Souji...

"I probably hear him talk about death everyday." Wait, really? What exactly does he have to say about death?

"The Shinsengumi are a bunch a weirdos." :') And that makes them extremely lovable!

Last time, I tried defending the Shinsengumi and Okita ended up terrorising a child so LET'S PICK THE OTHER OPTION AND SEE IF THERE'S LESS CRAZY...

"Don't tell me you're taking this seriously?" CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE, OKITA!

"They all look like bad guys." Why? Because they're hot?

"I didn't know what I was supposed to do..." Uh, maybe tell this childries not to judge a book by its cover? Idk, maybe try and suggest that the world is not so black and white? Definitely don't mention the bloodlust.

"Grinning like an idiot." You're just jealous of his happiness, you cynical-ass child

"He's a wuss." UM, pretty sure he's the most powerful member of the Shinsengumi so stfu :P

"He grabbed the child" Oh dear... Here we go...

Okita! Use your words to teach the children a lesson! Not whatever this fucked up shit is X_X

Ah, ruling with fear! :') When has that ever backfired?

"I'll tell them I'm sorry. Then I'll tell them how awesome Kondou is." GUD. >:(

Uuuuugh, I'm so so tired and I've written so much CRAP so I will SLEEP and play the next bit tomorrow! :D

#hakuoki #hakuouki #okita #okita souji #SALT #kyoto winds

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frangipanidownunder · 5 years

Text

Falling: fic

A/N This was written for the @just-fic-already workshop on love and romance, using this rubric. I chose a motel, a dog and the line ‘the forest isn’t the only place where ancient flora and fauna reside’. I couldn’t decide on sickfic, friends to lovers or first time, so it’s a little bit of all three! Tagging @monikafilefan and @ofmulder at their request.

It also responds to prompt 10 of the @xfficchallenges ‘come here Mulder, let me look at that’.

The motel looks like it was built out of dirt and animal hide. She takes a long hard look at the front of it and then back at Mulder, who at least has the grace to look as disgusted as she does. The Dog Basket Inn – you’re always welcome to rest your bones here.

“Sorry,” he says quietly and opens the door. “I know it’s not exactly the Hilton…”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know we were going to end up…it’s only one night.”

“We’ve survived far worse,” he says, but his shoulders round and he kicks at a pebble on the footpath, sending it skittering into the car tyre. “We keep surviving, don’t we?”

The room is even more pitiful than the outside suggested. Grimy, ripped carpet, tawdry furniture, drapes with mould growing on the lining. She drops it back and a flurry of dust motes burst into the fluorescent light. “The forest isn’t the only place where ancient flora and fauna reside,” she says and he cracks his face into a half-smile and she feels her heart squeeze a little.

He’s had a rough day. Insulted and humiliated by the law enforcement team. Laughed at by the locals. Roughed up by a stray dog as they chased, and caught the perp, who turned out to be a teenage boy in a Sasquatch costume.

“Let me look at those bites again, Mulder.”

“They’re not bites, they’re just grazes. It was only being friendly.”

“It was a giant hound and it dragged you down like a wolf with a sheep. I think you need to take a shower and I’ll find some antiseptic lotion in my kit.”

“There are all sorts of ways of showing friendliness, Scully.” He looks at the door to the bathroom. It’s almost hanging off its hinges.

“Dogs wag their tails, lick you…”

“Sniff your butt,” he adds. “I know, all I’m saying is that there are lots of ways to measure friendship. That dog was all bark and no bite. Sometimes it’s actions not words that are telling.”

“Okay,” she says, pressing her hand to his forehead. He shifts slightly, closer. She blinks away the sad look in his eyes. “No fever, but you should take it easy. Go shower.”

The bathroom is as gross as the rest of the room, with questionable green-grey slime festering in the corners. When he comes out, wet-haired and softer at the edges, she can see the scrapes down his back and shoulders. “Come here, Mulder, let me look at that. Oh, they must sting.”

“They will after you’re done with me, Doctor Scary.”

She dabs at him and he hisses every time she touches his skin. “Let’s hope you don’t turn into a werewolf, Mulder.”

He mock-howls and bares his teeth. “If I were to transform into an animal tonight, I think a cockroach would be the wiser choice.”

Laughing, she sinks down on the bed next to him. “Is the shower worth the risk to my health?”

He holds his breath. Her cure came at a price. A piece of his soul. He’ll never forget or forgive himself, she knows that much. They’ve navigated a long and twisted path to reconciliation, after Antarctica, after Diana, after Padgett. Their friendship is deeply-rooted but there are fronds unfurling inside her that point to more. The question of what to do about it remains between them with each lingering look, each unnecessary hand to the lower back, each night in a motel with nothing but walls between them. They are closer than most friends should ever be.

“You’ll have to use this, because it’s the only one,” he says, looking down at the rumpled greying towel covering his modesty. “And you do realise we’ll be sharing the bed too? Are you okay with that, Scully?”

“I’m a big girl.”

“Then don’t hog the blankets. It’s going to get cold.” He stands up and grabs a pair of jogging bottoms and a fresh shirt from his bag.

“Friends don’t hog blankets, Mulder.”

When she comes out, he’s rustled up some beer, corn chips, a packet of Oreos and a video. “Movie night,” he says, grinning and taking the top off the Shiner Bock. “Maybe this is a sign we can turn this day around.”

“The Fox and the Hound? Really, Mulder?”

“Seemed apropos.” He settles next to her, back against the headboard. Their legs brush and he glances at her quickly. She sips her beer and tucks the chips between their hips.

It’s not long before she’s cold and slips herself under the covers. He looks a little disappointed. She pats the top. “Come on then.”

He grins, lifts the covers, and stretches his long legs under. “What you said earlier, Scully, about being friends?”

On the small television screen, Tod is practising his lines to approach Vixey and they both end up talking over each other.

“Yeah?”

“Is…is that really what we are?”

There’s a splash from the set and Tod is up to his neck in water trying to catch fish.

“We are, Mulder. We’re friends.” Inside her, the words and feelings she’s kept down for so long are pushing up. It’s so hard for her, this sharing of emotion, declarations. He told her in the hallway those years before what she meant to him, he saved her life in a selfless act of heroism; and then he…His foot taps hers, a kiss of toes. She twists her face towards him.

His brow is crinkled and his mouth is glistening with beer. “Is that all we are?”

Vixey is laughing at Tod and he’s sulking.

“Do you…are you asking me if…we could be more?”

His foot tugs at hers so that their calves are hooked together. Despite the less than savoury surroundings, she feels so suddenly at ease, like they’ve been intertwined forever, and in some ways they have. His hand slips over hers and he rubs the tip of her thumb, as though he’s looking for it to ignite something.

“Is it something you’ve thought about, Scully? Because I’ve been doing a lot of thinking over the past year and you’ve been on my mind a lot. A lot, lot.” He brings their joint hands to his mouth. The cooler air is a shock but the moment his lips press into her knuckles warmth flows through her. “I’ve done some stupid things, some selfish things, and yet you’re still here. By my side. Literally.”

In her periphery, the dog is shielding his fox friend and she thinks about how her and Mulder have always been ferocious in their protection of one another. How they’ve always reacted without hesitation when needed. In the face of adversity and acrimony, they’ve stood strong for each other. Bonded by something without name, without end; a loyalty that exists inside and out.

“I think about it too. I think about you.” She lets him kiss the thin skin on the back of her hand. His face is so close to hers she can smell the beer on his breath, sweet and yeasty. If she leans in just an inch she could taste it, lick it from his lips. “I think we have nowhere else to go from here but forward.”

His lips brush hers and she closes her eyes to truly feel the moment. This is such a small gesture, mouth against mouth for a second, but it is seismic in terms of their momentum. It’s a shift that opens up so much potential. She feels her heart pump and her soul spill open, ready to give, ready to receive. Mulder is her friend, her best friend. It could be a disaster, but right now, in this grotty room, she sees only hope.

“Are we really doing this?” There’s wonder in his voice, awe.

She sniffs out a small laugh. “It looks like it.”

“In the Dog Basket Inn, huh?”

“Could we really expect anything different?”

“I’d like to take you out when we get back. Somewhere more…salubrious than this joint.”

Now she’s smiling. Tracing the contours of his face. “A date, Mulder?”

“With proper food and clean furniture.”

“Sounds fake.”

“I could mark my territory, if that’s more your thing. Shake my fur all over the place. Chew on all the table legs.” His face relaxes into a grin and she kisses him again, this time with more ferocity, more intent. It’s hard to let go, to pull apart. His fingers knead her arms and hers brush his Adam’s apple. Their feet are entangled and the covers are twisting around them.

“Do we take this slow, Mulder? Or jump right in?”

“I feel like if we went any slower, we’d be dancing backwards.”

She lifts a knee up and over his midriff, revelling in the feel of his taut body beneath hers. “Jumping right in,” she whispers and lets herself fall.

#txf fanfic #my fanfiction #xfficchallenges #msr

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feymaid · 7 years

Text

A Julian/Samaria Drabble

This is for @larknnightingale ‘s Arcana MC Sammie and her nerdy doctor boyfriend Julian! I hope you like it! I ended up getting carried away and I also added a little art for them at the end since I like them so much!

The knock at the door is the first thing that startles her. The sharp rapping stirring her from her otherwise hazy mind. Her thoughts had danced from tomorrow’s stock, to finally dragging herself over to the docks pick up the delivery of Eucalyptus that had been sitting there for far too long. Her hand had been lazily traveling through the tangled strands of her midnight blue hair, before balling into a fist as she recalled her most pressing matter.

Her relationship with Julian. Or rather…what exactly that relationship was. If the doctor and Samaria had anything in common, it was that the both of them were extreme amateurs in the art of subtly. Even when they had first met, it seemed as though her tongue would swell up in her mouth and she became incapable of even the most basic speech. His face would twist into something of a mixture between a frown and a smirk, his eyebrows furrowed quizzically in confusion and fear as both of them stood nearly toe to toe, the evening light reflecting in his eye… She sighed wistfully before groaning and arching her back against the stiffness of her chair. There was another thing she was certain of, and it was that she was utterly taken with him. Even around the shop she found that her little everyday trinkets reminded her of him. So much so that it made her heart sick with longing and made her wish she could speak words she knew she would never have the courage to utter. The soft patter of the rain speckled across the window like her own little constellations splattering across the sky.

She feels her blood run cold as the knock nearly sends her flying from her seat. Her neck snaps to look over her shoulder at the entrance to her shop. She sits stunned for a moment, blinking back her surprise. It was well past closing hours and Asra said he wouldn’t be back for at least a few more days. When she hesitates, the frantic palm of her visitor bangs fiercely on the wood in several panicked blows. She then jumps up and almost trips over her feet to reach the handle. She looks through the peephole, her heart immediately growing tight at the sight of him.

Doctor Jules, standing there, his eyes wide with need and his arm leaning heavily upon the hinge of the doorframe. He jumps back when she begins to unhitch the locks on the handle. She doesn’t swing it open like he must have expected her to, because his neck cranes to the side when she peeks through the sliver of space between them. She opens the door cautiously, first looking out at him warily, before poking her head out and furrowing her eyebrows. She decides to wait and see if he wants to be invited in.

“Julian?” She breathes, her nails clicking nervously against the wood. His name is the question and he doesn’t need for her to ask her why he’s here.

“Samaria.” He answers with hers, and she opens the door fully to frame her tiny figure. She gazes up at him, his hair is messier and his face is redder than usual, probably due to the bite of the cold.

He takes another step forward and she steps back bashfully. “Oh..ummm.” her voice is light and airy like the wings of a hummingbird. “Would…would you like to come in?” She gently waves her hand to gesture to the inside of her shop and she swallows hard when he doesn’t budge and just furrows his eyebrows at her like he’s spotted something particularly unpleasant about her features.

“Oh! No?” She jumps and pushes a loose strand of hair behind her ear before folding her hands shamefully behind her back. She feels her own cheeks begin to redden. “I-Is there something you needed from me? A place to sleep? Hide? Someone to talk to?”

She is startled when his eyebrows suddenly shift up along with the corners of his lips. A light chuckle escapes him and it’s her turn to furrow her brows. Her eyes widen with obliviousness.

“Oh my dear you are far too entertaining without trying to be.” He hisses through his laughter. She pouts.

“Well…if you don’t want to come in and you don’t need anything from me,” she swallows again, her hands balling into the sides of her dress. “Then why have you come?”

Julian hugs his torso and brings a gloved hand to his face to cover his lips. “I swear Sam, every time we interact it’s like you’ve never seen me before.” She purses her lips and looks at the floor momentarily to contemplate his reasons for being here this late in the rain while at any moment palace guards could swoop down and drag him to the gallows. Any man wouldn’t be caught within any sort of perimeter of this place. Especially a man with such distinguishable features and boisterous personality. But there he stood, barely sheltered by the tiny ledge the roof cast over to give some sort of sanctuary over the front door.

“We’ve been through so much together,” He spoke with a grin still playing on his lips. He then stepped almost against the line of her, which forced her to angle her neck back so she could meet his eye. “I would have figured you’d have me memorized at this point.” He smirked, daring to run his hand over a long strand of her hair.

“You think i’ve memorized you?” She can’t help but imitate the same cat-like grin he sports.

“You think I haven’t done the same for you?” His grin is lopsided and boyish and her hearts aches in her chest.

“So…tell me the real reason you are here.” She says plainly, her smile soft and playful.

“Care to take a guess?”

“Ummmm..” She raises her eyes to look off in mock confusion. He tilts his head to the side in curiosity and waits for her to say something. She smiles again. “You’ve come to offer yourself up as my own personal doctor?”

“Is that what you’d like?” His voice dancing on the edge of something dangerous.

“Pfffffttt. No.” Her face reddens and her composure is lost. “I give up.”

“Pity, and I felt as if you were about to reveal all of my deepest darkest desires for wanting to see you again.”

“Wha-”

“Better yet, why don’t we discuss your deepest darkest desires for you wanting to see me again?”

“I…umm?”

“Here, I’ll start. I wanted to see you because I couldn’t sleep and the only image that kept coming to mind was you, and I thought to solve that problem, I should just seek out the source.”

“I…I’m a problem?”

“Hardly! You are the reason my life continues to exist in utter bliss rather than unbearable agony, you know. You give yourself far too little credit.”

She blinks as her sleep-deprived brain tries to wrap around his riddles. “Julian…I don’t-”

“Hush now, it’s your turn.”

“My turn? Why I wanted to see you?”

“You opened the door did you not?”

She rolls her eyes and smiles despite his strange teasing.

“What if…I said something selfish?”

“You think what I said wasn’t?” He laughs again. “And besides… You are one of the most selfless people I know.”

She ignored the compliment even as her own heartbeat seemed to drown out her voice. He had come here with every intention of having this conversation they both knew was inevitable, and he was making a game out of it. Probably due to his own fear of her feelings for him being a trick of his mind. It dawned on her his true intentions of him being here. He was trying to confess in his own painfully riddled manner. But she knew his courage was lacking in the way the corners of his mouth twitched with unease and he rocked back and forth on the soles of his heels. She knew he would stand here for hours talking about anything rather than what he wanted to, waiting for her to give him a signal, any sign that she understood how he felt. Maybe he was right about her memorizing him. Her own boldness pushing her forward, even as her confidence wore thin on her tongue.

“I know we have a strange history and what i’m about to say is weird and stupid and you might think me foolish forever and you will think i’m selfish and I probably shouldn’t be doing this but I just thought that-” She watched as his expression shifted from his cheeky grin to one that exhibited real fear in his realization of her seriousness. He placed a finger on her lips to silence her. He nodded and smiled. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“S-sorry.” She said meekly. He looked at her expectantly, even as his own face flushed red.

“What I mean to say is….” She paused. She wasn’t going to waste her time with I admire you and I like you and I think you are oh so attractive. She just had to say it like she had wanted to for the past several weeks. She could just kiss him. That would get her point across. But she knew It’d be sloppy and awkward if she just kissed him now with no way to be sure he would lean down to meet her halfway. If she were lucky she’d graze his chin. She pushed the mental image of that away and shook her head. She took a deep breath spoke with an authority in her voice she hadn’t known was there.

“Julian I know I’m selfish for saying this but…I like…I mean…I mean!” She huffed and balled her trembling hands into fists. “I love you!” She stammered, not daring to look at his face and then quickly added, “ And I was hoping that maybe you might love me too.” As soon as the words left her mouth she wanted to suck them back in. Julian stood frozen, his mouth almost gaping, his light grey eye blinked. Darting frantically across her face, trying to find something to hold onto. She looked back up at him and didn’t break his eye contact. She was ready for whatever he had to offer.

He leaned over her, ready to tilt her head up and finally solve what had been troubling the both of them for so long. His lips parted and her’s echoed the movement, her eyes half lidded as his hand moved to cup the underside of her chin. “Samaria…” He murmured. He grabbed her hands softly and ran his thumb over her shaking fingers. He was warm as he inched his face closer down towards hers. It was at this moment she saw the desperation in his eyes. That every inch of him had been screaming that he wanted this as much as she had. He looked at he as if he asking her if she was okay with this, if she truly was willing to love him. His thumb dragged across her cheek in long, gentle strokes and she nearly sighed into his touch as his hand moved to swipe across her bottom lip.

“Sam…may I kiss you?”

Sammie thought her heart might burst completely out of her chest, but in his advancements, she found herself shudder.

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

He reached up and gently touched her face, his fingertips trailing down her cheek, across her lips, and over her chin. His palm rested there, keeping her face pointed up at him, his eyes drifting across the moonlit skin on her face, her long lashes that fluttered in anticipation, her full lips, pink and parted, her eyes, as dark and beautiful as the sea.

He was analyzing her appearance as one might admire a precious gem, soaking in the sight of her like one would a painting. His look alone had the power to render her head light and her heart racing.

“W-well…what are you waiting for?” She stammered boldly not believing her own words, feeling completely bare under his unwavering gaze.

His thumb gently stroked under her jaw.

Her hands smoothed his shirt, palms pressed flat against his chest, feeling for herself if his heart was beating just as fast as hers. “Kiss me.” She whispered, her eyelids half closed.

He leaned forward, gently tilting her jaw as his lips hovered over hers, grazing them gently before sucking in a final breath. Then he moved to hold both the sides of her face in his hands; pressing his lips firmly against hers, warm and soft and perfect.

Her body was trembling beneath his palms. His hand skimmed along the line of her neck, coming to a stop at the back of her head, his fingers sinking into her soft, dark locks.

She lifted her heels up on to her tiptoes, pressing her lips just slightly harder against his, parting slightly to encourage more.

He took her cue, curling his fingers into her hair as he tilted his head and slowly moved his lips against hers.

She made a small sound, like like cooing of a dove, her lips moving to match his. Neither of them pressing the other further than what was desired.

Gently pulling away, he moved just far enough to break his lips from hers, noses bumping against each other. She had to fight to not move her hand and press her fingers against her freshly kissed lips.

“Thank goodness you have some nerve or else we would have been playing charades for the rest of the night.” He breathed heavily, his smile returning, still within a few inches of kissing her again. He stared at her with more adoration that she thought she was capable of causing, and again her heart swelled.“ I love you as well Samaria.”

She sighed deeply, and felt her lips begin to stretch into a cheeky grin before she heard a familiar voice from behind them.

“Sammie?”

Julian shot up like he had been about to press his face into a pile of hot coals. Samaria let out an audible gasp at the sight of her master. Only moments before she had been practically intertwined with Julian. How much had he seen?

“Asra.” She breathed, “What are you doing back so early?” She asked as kindly as her panicked heart would allow.

“I…just thought…I’d surprise you.” His voice was empty and soft, his eyes shining with what she might have imagined as tears.

It made her want to curl up into a ball on the floor.

“Asra…I’m...” She whispered but Julian placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from walking towards him.

He then moved to take her hand and held it firmly in his grasp, staring at Asra like he was a challenge to overcome instead of someone she considered to be a very dear friend.

“Asra.” Julian spoke, hard and emotionless, looking nearly unfazed as he started him down.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” Was all Asra managed before turning away from them. Julian squeezed her hand to comfort her and she squeezed back. It still hurt but having him there eased the small voice in her that told her to go after him. She knew where she belonged.

#I hope you like it dear!#I got a bit carried away but it was fun!#my writing #my art #not my oc #samaria #julian #fan apprentice #the arcana #the arcana game #i also wrote this at like 2am so if things seem in cohesive i apologize

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