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come-down-that-tree · 8 days

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Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter 20:Unu partì per piglià a so scarpa, l'altri dui parlavanu.

Geno had watched as the other looked absolutely flabbergasted at his bare foot. Understandable. How could someone go through their whole day without noticing they’re missing a shoe?

That was a show of incredible head-in-the-clouds behavior.

Not that clouds couldn’t be very distracting but that was certainly not the point he was trying to make.

Point was: Nightmare had been rightfully mortified by the ordeal and had eventually run off to search for the missing boot, shouting that he must have lost it on the way back.

And all of this led to his current situation: alone with Dream, a plate of untouched cake sitting innocently in front of him and a ring around his finger.

The last element made his mind twirl in a confused dance, hesitant on where to put his next step and if doing so would unleash a beast or a rose.

The fluttering feeling spluttered out once a simple question was thrown his way.

“Do you like the cake?”

“Uh?”

“I said,”Do you like the cake?”, you barely touched it.”

Geno hesitantly brought a piece of cake to his mouth, munching on it until it dissolved easily with a fizzy leftover taste (indicating it was at least partially monster food) and nodded in the other’s direction.

“For my part, I think the berries are a bit young, it’s bitter than it should be.”

Another nod, it wasn’t like he was any good at baking himself. Baking With A Killer Robot was one of the only times he watched someone explain the process. Unsure if the dramatic poses and furious buzzsaws were an obligated addition.

Silence stretched for a minute.

They ate their piece.

He then spent a moment ogling at Nightmare’s gift and wondered about any implication with choosing a ring.

Shaking his head, the monster chuckled at the thought. Mere coincidence! And perhaps a little cultural difference.

“Can I ask you something?”

Dream’s question was sharp, gutting the silence with a surprising precision.

He merely hummed in answer, eye still focused on his hand.

“Who are you?”

At that, he glanced up and met a serious gaze. He frowned.

“Mind elaborating? I’m Geno.”

The eyes didn’t blink.

“What do you want?”

“I’m calling you back when it’s relevant again. I don’t want anything.”

A stone statue peering at him, unblinking.

“What are you doing here?”

“I think I remember that it was you who dragged me here to be precise.”

Not a twitch, it was a bit eerie if he dared to say.

“Have you hurted Nightmare?”

A flash of something made the guardian's eyes shine for a second before it’s gone. Geno hesitated, waiting. Maybe Dream counted that as an answer.

“Willingly?”

And at that, he indignantly sputtered and before he realized what he was doing, he shook his head furiously.

A beat.

Another one.

A sigh and a rigid pose gaining back some fluidity.

“I want to believe you.”

It didn’t even occur to him that Dream could have been anything other than a trusting soul, maybe a bit naive. To his defense, the guy brought a stranger to the very treasure he was made to protect.

“Allow me to think about it, alright?”

And like that, the tension disappeared fully as if nothing happened. Dream smiled and took another piece of cake before frowning jokingly.

“This one is thoroughly burnt.”

The monster chuckled and pointed at the blackened crust -pushing away the unease to think about at a later date, maybe never- and declared that as it was still possible to see the colors under the black, “it couldn’t be that burnt!”

And they bantered about failed cakes and if baking something at a high temperature could shorten the time efficiently (obviously it would but it would be worth some experimenting to determine the length it worked) and thus and that for a good while.

Above them, the blue of the day was blending out with a softer orange, making the clouds pink on the underside.

A black shape flew right above them, shrieking and startling them both.

“What was that?”

A thud resonated and something fell on the grass between them.

There, lying in all its fluffy glory, a whole bat. A whole confused creature who bonked hard on the tree’s bark. Somehow.

The event got two very different reactions out of them.

Geno bit out an incredulous laugh and Dream swiftly started fretting over the dazed animal, quickly pulling it into his lap to check it.

It had dark fur all over, except for some burned golden hue around its throat, and was roughly the size of a fast-growing pupper.

Geno watched, bemused, the guardian handling the bat with care, moving parts, observing stuff.

“Do you do that often, you’re being very… efficient at the task?”

Without looking up from the small beast trying to sink tiny fangs in a thumb -which ended up not doing much beside getting a chuckle out of the spirit, bone can be heard to break- Dream hummed.

“Yes and no, I wouldn’t say it’s a very common occurrence but it is not the first time a bat bumped its head here,” he looked up, displaying an amused grin, “and now I’m starting to wonder if it’s not the same one as last time…”

Little screeches arose from Dream’s prisoner and the bat was released at last.

“Bye, little bat, please stop bonking your head against mother’s trunk.”

And, like that, they watched the chiropteran fly in a circle over them once before going away in the darkening surroundings.

Dream sighed once and they quickly fell back into silence.

The gentle wind played with the frayed end of his scarf and a lonely thought of days it blew without help idly passed his mind.

“Isn’t he taking a long time to find a boot?”

“He is.”

They both glanced at the village, with its newly lit lights, contemplating.

Geno wondered, face closed and pinched, if Nightmare was even capable of going down there without running into deep troubles.

“What do you mean by that? It’s just the village. A few folks there can be pretty rough -and most hard to please, ignore that I said that- but they aren’t bad!”

He said that out loud, curses.

“I’m sorry if you’re stuck in temland or something but I can’t say they made a good first impression on me and I’m pretty sure they had been making a lousy one on your brother for a while now.”

Dream kept quiet for a few seconds and idly, Geno briefly thought about adding more facts to the argument.

“...really?”

The voice was small and the eyes searching, searching for what? He wasn’t sure.

He nodded.

They both once again glanced once again to the houses and streets, ant-sized people moving along and treading back home.

Geno swore and stood up.

“I’m going to go find him.”

The other did not follow but he felt burning eyes digging into his back all the way down the hill…

End of chapter 20... Go to chapter 21?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

That chapter is dedicated to @shinechermont! Happy birthday AC <3 🦇🎉💖

#aftermare #come down that tree!#chapter 20 #yup it's a lil' bit on the short side #like maybe 50 words under my usual limit #but it did NOT want to be written #characters were not cooperating #I just wanted to sit Geno and Dream down so they can talk at least #they did not want to talk-

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loppiopio · 4 months

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psychic damage.

#durarara #izaya orihara #a cheap imitation #i made a thing #for chapter 45 #i can finally start unloading the shit i've made for this fic #it's been so long #sound effect is from resident evil 4 remake i think #apparently i screen recorded it from a video ?#i made this months ago and since then have considered making an improved version since this one is so static #besides the ptsd popup #buuuuut i will probably never get around to it #gonna keep the tags short(er than usual) because idk what to say rn #maybe i'll update them when i think of something #oh my god it's coming to me now #i think the most time consuming part of this was editing a pokemon background to be blue #like the ocean #haha #anyways identify anything here and win my appreciation :)#i remade or edited a lot of these assets pixel by pixel because that is the way i am ;o:#which is why i don't think i'd make it through more advanced edits #but i'd like to

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lorelaiislatte · 8 months

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in which the power goes out, and greta opens up

#i have had genuinely like a quarter of my usual comment numbers and idk if it’s because people hate it or just aren’t commenting #but giving it a little boost here because it really does mean so much even if they’re short comments #this chapter in particular was such a labour of love and i’m so proud of it #a league of their own

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skania · 11 months

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Replies to OnK Asks #3

Idk how this happened but I can already do a third round of replies, so here we go!

That's exactly how I read it, too. To me that panel confirms that Aqua has thought of being intimate with Akane, which contradicts his earlier statement about not seeing her as a woman. Which means the way he views Akane did change, some people just don't like acknowledging that.

Can a relationship be endgame just because it's healthy and can a relationship not be endgame just because it's toxic?

I mean, since this is fiction, then that can absolutely be a valid criteria in choosing your endgame ship.

That said, this is just my personal opinion, but I'm honestly not sure I'd consider Aqua and Kana particularly healthy. His feelings for her have been described as an "obsession" and Kana was so emotionally dependant on him at one point that she couldn't shine on her own. Aqua doesn't let her see the real him, the one that is so traumatized and guilt-ridden that he can barely function. Kana doesn't know about the darker sides of his personality which, combined with how easy to read she is, makes her extremely easy to manipulate; case in point, Aqua knows exactly what to say to get certain reactions out of Kana. So Kana is basically at his mercy, if he chooses to manipulate her she's essentially defenseless.

These issues seem bigger to me than anything that Aqua and Akane have going on, because at least Aqua and Akane are pretty much equals mentally. It also helps that they have developed enough emotional intimacy that Aqua feels comfortable showing himself as he is to Akane, and that Akane has an accurate reading of him overall.

So it's just like you say, there aren't any perfect relationships anon! It's up to Aka to decide which relationship works best for his story.

I agree, I think Aka kind of messed up by rushing the Aqua/Kana reunion. And by that I mean that we spent chapters upon chapters showing how dependant Kana is on Aqua and how miserable she is without him. This eventually led to Kana realizing how unhealthy this is and deciding that she isn't that kind of girl. Which is great! More than great actually, that's the Kana I know and love.

Except instead of letting Kana walk the walk, he basically has Aqua enter her life again almost immediately after. Which, again—I get it. Kana realized the issue and thus got the development she needed, so Aka considered it done. But it'd have been much more satisfying to see Kana actually shining without Aqua being in her life just yet lol

Here is to hoping Aka delivers when it comes to Aqua and Akane! Honestly, their big moments are so iconic that I do think Aka will rise to the occasion.

Yeah, even if Aka goes like: Kana is everything Sarina was and everything Aqua thought Ai to be, but since she is her own person it's like Aqua is getting the best of both worlds! I would just be like

Preach it anon! Being Aqua is suffering :(

My take is that Aqua messed up because now Ruby is more attached to him than ever. There is no way he can doom himself without breaking Ruby in the process, and the last thing he wants is to hurt her :(

Your English isn't weird at all, no worries anon! And I agree, I find it really soft too 😭 He is such a nurturing person by nature

I'm with you, Akane's goal is to save Aqua. Since her goal is intrinsically tied to him and to his outcome, trying to write her out on that premise backfires lol

I think Aka is at his best when he is subtly developing something rather than being in-your-face about it, so I can only hope that he subverts the expectations of everyone who is expecting the predictable end lol

That they're falling victim to confirmation bias.

If Akane were "the second option", she wouldn't have been in his thoughts at all lmao

I feel them completely because that's exactly how I felt during my first ONK read. I just think that Aqua and Akane have more potential that people give them credit for, so I'm choosing to have some faith in Aka 😂

So they want Akane to steal Kana's thunder?

Kana is like a mirror, she reflects back whoever you project onto her 😂 Just kidding, but I am glad that more and more people are talking about all the parallels to Sarina and Ai.

Yes, me too!

That's one of the reasons I love her, she is such a dynamic character that she fits the story in its entirety instead of just fragments of it 😭

I went through something similar! OnK came out while I was reading Kaguya, but since I already wasn't very impressed with Aka's writing and the topic didn't interest me, I didn't bother picking it up. I forgot about it until the anime came out, and since I heard so many good things I decided to give it a shot. I already knew Ai would die, but making it through the first episode was a struggle. There were a few things I found interesting here and there, but not enough to keep watching. Then I heard about Akane and got curious, so I decided to pick up the manga and she blew me away. I've been here ever since lmao

#onk asks convos #if you don't see your message here scroll down a bit!#it should be on the first page of my blog #I'm up to date so I'll take a short break tomorrow to try and write my thoughts about chapter 98 #if you send me an anonymous message don't worry I'll get to it! it may just take me a bit longer than usual while I work on that post hahah

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27-royal-teas · 4 months

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sat down three hours ago n pounded out 2k of car crash angst. if it was slight slash but mostly genfic would u read

#toby speaks #I feel like I post fics too much. is that bad. bc every fic writer I know only posts a couple per year but they’re GOOD #and I write very short very bad fics. but I write a LOT of them #and then I don’t get a ton of hits which i know write for yourself but look I LIKE it when people like what I make.#it makes me want to write MORE #anyway this is mostly my own rhetorical musing— I just rlly love writing #I should post longer fics but im better at one shots because I lose motive if it’s longer than like. 5k usually #I have so many ideas for chaptered fics but I HATE writing long fics. instant gratification NOW!!!!

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memes-in-a-half-shell · 1 year

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Arabian Nights AU (Turtle of choice x F!Reader) - Ch.3

After uh ..... 4 years of staying in my drafts, here’s the next chapter fsndfbsdjfbsd. (Yep, started that AU in 2019 <__< ...)

Last chapter we spent some time with Raph and Donnie, now it’s Leo and Mikey’s turns !!

Reminder that this story is going to be a sort of “choose your own adventure/romance” kinda thing. “But Mama Vee, can I romance more than one turtle?” No. ‘cause, hell, that’d be too much work x’D Stick with one and read the story again if you want to romance another 👏 it’ll be indicated at the start of chapters whenever such choice is required.

Ch.1 || Ch.2

The next day you woke up with the sun, the whole world ever so silent - frozen in gold. You couldn’t help the feeling of being called by the oasis, the view of water ever so relaxing. It didn’t take long before you made your way to the luscious garden surrounding the source, walking barefeet into the fresh grass. A calm sigh escaped your lips as you stopped into a ray of light, closing your eyes and simply taking the moment in. Peace...

“Can you breathe any louder?”

You jumped slightly, unaware that you were not alone. Your gaze rapidly scanned the place and that’s when you found one of the turtles on a large, flat rock, a little farther from your position. It was Leo, the creature seated in a meditative posture, the back of his hands placed on his knees, palms up to the sky. You made your way to him, already apologizing:

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were here...”

As you got before him, the blue clad turtle cracked open an eye, next showing a grin.

“Don’t worry, I’m just messing with you. ... It’s not everyday I get some company this early.”

He gestured the empty space next to him on the rock.

“Come. Sit with me.”

You accepted the invitation, taking place and giving a chance for silence to settle once more. You tried to mimic Leo’s posture - after making sure that his eyes were truly closed. It was ... strangely relaxing! Your palms turned to the world, your energy felt like a stream; coursing through your veins in a beautiful flow. And to feel the turtle’s presence and own energy in return somehow made you feel empowered. This creature you first met in fear was now an unexpected source of comfort...

“Donnie explained the situation to me last night,” calmly started the other, getting you out of your reverie. “... The voyage is feasible, but not without any danger. ... Raiders travel in large groups and are often merciless. We are but just four soldiers that can do so little much.”

“Don’t you have any allies that could help?” you asked, looking back at him. “There must be people that fight for the same ideals as yours.”

His blue eyes fell on you, ever so calm and poised.

“Of course. ... But they are far and by the time they would arrive, your people would be long gone by then. ... We are sadly alone in this case.”

A small frown invaded your traits, your heart suddenly beating hard.

“Let me help. Let me accompany you and fight!”

A stifled laugh escaped the terrapin, but it quickly died as he knew you were truly sincere.

“Do you at least know how to handle a weapon?”

“I’ve handled sickles in the fields to help my family during harvest!”

“But can you kill? Can you look into someone’s eyes and see their last light flicker away as you emptied them of their blood?”

He had asked that while slightly leaning towards you as a way to emphazise his words. You were speechless, finally looking away in defeat.

“I- ... I don’t know,” you mumbled. Although you looked back to him with confidence. “But I need to do something. I need to help my people and I will not stand on the sideline.”

The turtle smirked, getting back into his previous position.

“Your words have power in them, but who knows if they will translate properly into actions? ... I cannot say if you’re ready, but I might know who will.”

“Who?”

***

You met Mikey, as per Leo’s request, a bit later in the morning. As you approached an interior courtyard, you were first greeted by the soft thump echoes of arrows getting stuck into targets. Your eyes finally landed on the orange clad terrapin, taking a moment to observe his form as he was nocking another arrow to his bow. Although the smallest amongst his brothers (but still taller than you), Mikey’s body was toned to perfection - remaining an actual threat to any wrongdoers. Only wearing loose pants, but still adorning golden jewelry to complement his style, you could only admire such a force of nature being so at ease in his environment. Readying his bow, the flex of his arms had you gulping in no time, trailing your gaze along the lines of his scales glistening under the morning sun. His breathing slowed down, taking a moment to properly aim. And with a sharp air intake, he released the arrow, which successfully planted itself near the center of his makeshift target.

“Impressive,” you couldn’t help yourself.

The turtle rolled his shoulders, his radiant smile appearing in an instant.

“Enjoying the view?” he asked.

A slight blush rose on your cheeks, diverting your eyes. But you still walked into view and closer to the terrapin.

“... I didn’t mean to intrude or be impolite.”

“Nah, don’t beat yourself over that. If I can enjoy looking at someone, I sure hope others can enjoy me in return,” he winked.

He got another arrow out, preparing himself for another shot.

“Leo briefly told me about testing you over, right as I got out of my room,” he continued, closing an eye to get a better focus. “But I don’t see why, really.”

Mikey let loose once again, hitting close to the center. He then looked back over to you, this feeling of respect in his gaze.

“You survived the desert. To me, you’re strong already.”

You smiled politely, but that didn’t stop brief flashbacks from your time under the scorching sun and heat to get to your thoughts.

“Maybe it’s more luck than actual strength,” you said. “It felt quite like hell out there...”

The terrapin’s traits softened, offering you his bow.

“Then maybe you’ll be our lucky charm in our upcoming quest,” he added. “Let’s see how you fare first with a weapon.”

You briefly hesitated before holding the bow, having rarely got any chances to actually wield one - except the short one your father had for hunting. The weapon felt a bit heavier, yet its shape was easy to place in your hands.

“I’m a bit rusty with bows, unfortunately,” you confessed, testing the chord and getting into an aiming position.

Mikey got closer, his touch gentle as he properly placed your arms and posture.

“Keep your firing arm’s forearm in a straight line, lining it perfectly with an arrow - up to your ear. Twist that holding arm a liiiiiiiittle towards the inside - there we go.”

His proximity brought heat all over your body, feeling much more confident already with his encouragements. He next handed you an arrow, making sure it was properly nocked. The turtle’s arms were now extending with yours, mimicking you posture, standing right behind you.

“That’s it,” he said calmly. “Center yourself and extend your sight to where you wanna hit. Stop any shakiness by holding your breath...”

You felt like your arms were about to snap at any moment, the tension even greater than what you had experienced before with your father’s bow. You held your breath in, finally focusing your shot.

“Shoot,” simply commanded Mikey with a confident smile.

You released, the sharp sound of the string’s release thumping loud in your brain for a brief second. The arrow nearly missed the target, only to land in its larger, near-end, circle. You finally breathed out, although disappointed.

“Not bad!”

“That was atrocious,” you added, gazing back at the male.

“No need to be harsh on yourself,” teased Mikey. “At least I know you have some skills that can be worked on.”

You handed the bow back to the terrapin, stretching your arms afterward.

“I may have more luck with shorter weapons,” you stated. “Like I mentionned to Leo, I handled sickles in the fields. I’m used to them.”

Mikey’s smile turned slightly flirtatious: “Oh, close combat, I like that too,” he ended with a quick wink. But his attention soon diverted as he proceeded to detach the quiver resting at his waist. “Although I think the best one to test you on that would be Raph - to which I’ll say good luck trying to convince him that you have any worth.”

How could you even spar with such a mountain, anyway?

“... If that’s what it takes to show you guys that I can defend myself and help, then so be it.”

“And that’s what I wanted to hear,” encouraged Mikey. “You’ve got spirits. It’s something you’ll need along the way.”

He rested his bow and arrows to a nearby weapon rack, next gesturing you to follow him.

“Now come! I think we deserve a lil’ break. Care for something to eat?”

You smiled, getting to his side and walking with him.

“Absolutely! Lead the way.”

((TO BE CONTINUED))

#arabian nights AU #I am REALLY trying to keep those chapters short #'cause know me - I can extend things for so long and my chapters are usually 463762876273234 miles long #but I want to not spend ten billion years on this and just have fun #also omfg I can't believe it's been 4 years since that chapter was in my drafts #goddamn I'm a mess lol #usual sorry for any mistakes #***'cause knowing me #gosh I can't type

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bluest-planet · 9 months

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Unfathomable Rage, snippet.

Even if Yoruhua's Heart is no longer made entirely of Darkness, their body still is. And sometimes it feels like they just swapped one steel cage for another made of bone.

Vanitas just wants his keyblade back.

Part of this series of a loosely connected OC and Vanitas' roadtrip snippets. Non chronological. And loose continuity.

Yoruhua honestly has no idea what he was doing anymore.

He is old, and he is tired.

He didn't want to do this again; there's was so much left yet to to do, he felt overwhelmed as to which path to follow next, along with worrying over taking care of both himself and Vanitas from any harm in their weaken states. Be it Light or Darkness.

He has no thought out rescue plan, no supplies, no protection in Quiet Regalia, no idea where he's going in such a vastly unrecognizable realm, one that's moved on without him after all these years.

He's just going, anywhere that'll take him. He has nothing to guide him, except his broken piece of heart. Even then, the mountain of work left ahead of him made him so exhaustively frustrated.

Yet again he was forced to restart his life from nothing. To figure out how to climb that infinite mountain.

First it was being born; created by his mourning sisters' misplaced hope in seeing their brother again- left to assimilate in the night, in the Dark. When he hadn't been what they were expecting.

Then, it was being forgotten in a rushed retreat- abandoned to a hostile foreign Realm. Completely detached from the collective he was apart of, like drifting like broken, dying coral.

At least then he had her to keep him company and teach him about her realm. She who allowed him to graft himself onto, anchored to her shadow.

After that, he returned to an immature collective, regained his crown, his power, his title, and his hour of night. But he didn't want any of it anymore, he couldn't, so he gave it up to be one with her forever; promising to share the same heart and shadow, mind and matter.

I am thou, and thou art I.

He thought that was the end of it, he finally had everything he ever wanted. Even if they weren't accepted in either grace of Night and Day. Now he existed in a state fuller than he's ever felt before, heart unbound by natural law, free to traverse between dawn and dusk. He had nothing left and wanted nothing more. Free to make their own choices.

Until... Well, nothing ever seems to last long enough.

Again it was all taken away again. Grossly ripped apart and without mercy. Unwillingly annullling his promise, left to watch the life he didn't even get to finish building, pass by him through a narrow, unfinished window. Leaving permeant angry claw marks on the sil and cracks in the stained glass.

And now? After all that time? He's free, he was alive, he was here, and he made it. But that wasn't very true was it? He's still waiting for her near the end of the finish line, as he promised. He refused to cross the line without her word. Not when he still has to gather all his pieces up again and again.

Over, and over.

It was grounding those pieces down, into nothing but dust.

And you can't fix dust, can you?

Nor can you get it back when it's been blown away. Lost in the wind.

Ash to dust, left to rust, all time fades away...

...

I'm going insane.

It would be so easy to fall back into that ever present anger that still simmered just under his cold skin. Boiling him alive. It was making him sicker by the minute.

For so long, his anger kept him tethered to this existance, using negativity to recreate his own well gravity where there was none; furious at his imprisonment, he used it to crush his foes and bind other hearts to his own, in an last attempt to drag the one he so desperately wanted back,

Her.

Orichalchemi.

His Heart's Promise.

A shuddered breath escapes him as he walks through the small village. It's barely audible under the humid and heavy, down pouring rain. He briefly looks over his short companion for a distraction. There, Vanitas walks beside him quietly for once.

Was he enjoying it? The heavy, oppressive rain practically flooding the streets, creating small waterfalls falling from old clay rooftops tiles into gushing streams atop gris weathered cobblestone. A loud swirling sound coming from the round drain grate in the middle of the street. And though they were largely protected walking besides the storefronts and under their awnings, the wild wind still manages to land a few droplets on them.

Yoruhua tries to enjoy it; having been stuck in a Keyblade for so long deprived of any sensation- this should feel... Euphoric, shouldn't it? Their anger should be washed away with the rain; they had no use for it, now that they were free- it should've instead burned out to give way for fiery determination only.

But...

Another deep breath escapes them, stealing petrichor rich air immediately after, hoping to extinguish the stubborn fury still burning in their lungs like fire in a coal mine. And they swallow saliva to banish the tight bitterness clogging their throat, the toxic fumes that escaped from the hell underneath.

Yoruhua is unable to stop the way their brows furrow into an unwanted hateful scowl on their face.

Immediately, they feel Vanitas' questioning stare. Always quick to pick up on their mood, likely able to smell the intensifying burnt copal wafting from them, even under all this rain. Regardless of the smell, he's annoyingly perceptive like that; able to read people in an instant, always anticipating for hostility.

They used to be the same; but now, they've lost that too, just like they did everything else upon being freed. Walking, talking, breathing, reading, sleeping. And so much more. All of it digested by gluttonous fury that deemed it unimportant to preserve.

They stifle a deep sigh. Guess they'll just have to relearn that too, they've done so many times before.

Except this time Orichalchemi isn't right there by their side to learn along with them, their mind circles back, entirely intrusive. They shift the tracks on that dreary train of thought to something more positive; on her never wavering support and fun mischief. Gone, but not forgotten.

They longed so deeply to hear another of her dumb jokes and puns, get sidetracked listening to whatever rant about some odd plants she found, or just goofing off while the furnaces smelted iron in the privacy of her forge.

He feels the ghost of Orichalchemi's metal touch on her cheeks. It would be warm, heated up by a day's work blacksmithing, comforting on Yoruhua's cool icy skin. Always trying to keep them warm even if she herself couldn't feel the temperature. Smudgy ash would get on his skin, but he wouldn't mind, not when she'd always wipe it off with that well worn, patchy handkerchief of hers.

What Yoruhua would do just to be able to dance with her one more time, or collaborate on creating a new keyblade, or gardening in peaceful silence.

He wanted her and Vanitas to meet. To show Vanitas that not all hope was lost; there were some Lights that accepted and respected them for what they are. That there was a chance at a normal life for them, he didn't have to walk only at the edges of sunrise; the day was theirs for the taking too.

They just knew she would share the same admiration and love for the Dark in him as she did for them.

But their rose tinted memories and dreams do next to nothing to soothe their pain. It only fans the flames.

If... If she didn't find her, then neither her nor Vanitas would be able to truly stop running. She'd never be able to claim the day for herself again. Yoruhua doesn't think she can do this all on her own, so it's not an option. She must find her.

And instead, she's here. Wasting time.

This time, there's no mistaking it, another frustrated sigh seethes past their increasingly blackening teeth. Their icy breath misting miasma into humid, hot air.

Ironic that their emotions burned them inside out within a frosted shell.

They can barely breath. Charcoal black copal suffocating their lungs.

Another step, keep walking, the rain is never ending. His footsteps next to yours; my footsteps next to his.

They're his, they'll always be his, I can recognize his gait anywhere. I would know, I've watched him since birth. You're irreplaceable, you're me, so I'll never forget what you sound like; but when he walks next to me like that, it's like he's stepping in the footsteps you left behind.

Did you make this desired path for us to take? To make this journey ever so easier for me, just as I tried to support him? I hope it leads back to you. I miss you, I miss you, I miss you, where are you? Why am I here at the end of the line, without you? Did you take a branching path I somehow missed? Please wait for me to catch up!

...Will you always be out of reach?

...

Light flashes over the village, a blinding white in less than a second. Lightning. A very old fear plucks at her heartstrings, stopping her in her tracks.

"What's got you so spooked?" Vanitas jeers.

Yoruhua's fingers twitch, and they resist the urge to clench right into a fist. Or to let their claws unsheathe. Ruining their white leather gloves.

Instead, they bring their hands close to their chest and crack their knuckles against their palms. A satisfying string of boney pops and cracks echo between them. Then they twist their atrophied wrists, it's louder, and sounds painful. But it isn't. It snaps instead like pulled rubber.

The space between their joints feel looser, less tight, lest upset.

For now.

Vanitas seems mildly put off by their actions and lack of reply, but puts on a mean smirk, "well, whatever, I'd thought you'd never shut up."

That gets a response.

Yoruhua's miscolored eyes snap to look him directly in the eye. His own red pupils scorned by hers; yellow stained sclera, with birthed red on the right, and adopted blue on the left.

She doesn't say anything, just stares at him as if she's looking right through him. It's... Terrifying. It's not at all what he wanted or expected trying to get another rise out of her.

She shouldn't look at me that, his mind tells him, so vacant but so full of fragile, ancient agony, just waiting to spill out. He feels like he's staring down death.

Maybe he is.

How many lives has Yoruhua taken, as Void Gear? And before that, as a creature of pure Darkness?

In an era where keyblades hadn't been created yet; the first, baby Lights unable to defend themselves against hoards of Darkness.

Her one blue eye has always upset him- how illfitting and horribly familiar it was. It was filled with Light; it made his skin crawl when she looked at him. As if she could find him anywhere and always would. He always expected her to see him for what he really was eventually, like all the other Lights. Just another disgusted, hateful, or scared holy blue added to a growing chest full of ultramarine.

But it never came.

He looks at Vanitas, and his blue eye never averts. Only staring at him with unbridled attention and... Care.

It wasn't pity; just care and attention. It tracks him because it didn't want him out of its loyal sight; Yoruhua was afraid of loosing him. She watches him because it brought her comfort, because she was protecting him.

Not because he needed it, but because she did. Not willing to loose her one connection to the real world in eons.

And then he realized; it wasn't just like the Lights. There was only one other blue eye, recognizable sapphire instead of lapis just as ancient as hers, that he felt- not a fondness, but trust, reliability- when it looked at him. Void Gear.

The realization made him sick to his stomach. He hadn't lost it, his keyblade, he hadn't lost her. His one true companion, and constant since he was brought into this world.

Maybe it wasn't Wayward Wind, and maybe he hated her at first for not being his original keyblade, the one born of his heart and made for his palm. He blamed her, as if she was a symbol of all his failures and proof that he wasn't worthy of reclaiming his old identity. The only keyblade fit for a monster like himself, equally rejected by the Light.

She never belonged to him, but was lent to him. She, a dying keyblade without a wielder, and he a doomed wielder without a keyblade.

A pact made out of survival rather than trust or worthiness.

Haunting sapphire forever forced to silently serve possessed ruby turned tyrant topaz.

Regardless of his vitriol and violence, how he abused the blade in day and night. Refusing to properly maintain the blade as a punishment for the both of them. Waiting for the blade to finally give up on him and break during battle; she stubbornly stuck by him.

Till the bitter end.

And still does now.

She's watching him, like she would when he'd sleep, or when he'd be caught in a fight. Never sparing a look at his opponent, only him. Wondering if he'd make it out unscathed.

But this look, this old, detached rage.

He didn't want to be right this time; all blue eyes would come to hate him eventually.

They always do.

Both of them don't say anything. Vanitas doesn't have the guts, and Yoruhua knew that once she did- she wouldn't be able to stop the floodgates.

Then...

in the distance-

-THUNDER!

"Shit!" Vanitas jumps, turning to see another flash of jagged lightning striking a far off mountain and away from their staring contest.

He doesn't realize his mistakes until it's too late.

The sudden movement, the fact that he looks human, his uniform particularly triggering, the loud thunder and blinding lightning-!

Yoruhua finally snaps, unable to reign in the destructive wildfire festering in their body.

They char within hungry rage, eager to swallow them back in and sink it's teeth into his battered body. Like slipping into an old shoe, he fits in its between its protective fangs perfectly.

Bones snap to relieve the building pressure inside, allowing Darkness to reshape itself into something bigger and meaner.

Vanitas gets the wind knocked outta him, thrown into flooded streets.

"Ahugh-!?"

He twitches on the ground, unable to think straight while so lightheaded. Water soaks into his expose hair and face, the rain has no mercy; filling up his nose and ears.

The shadow cast over his body is what tells him Yoruhua stands above him; hanging oppressively tall and dead silent.

Their sharp golden feet barely make a sound, the ripples following their long strides disrupting the flow of floodwater in front of his face. It gives him a second's reprieve to surface his face to for desperate gulps of humid air.

Uncomfortable cooling droplets fall down from his black hair to his face. He tries to wipe it away to see better, but it's a pointless endeavour while vulnerable in the middle of the storm.

His lungs tremble inside; wracked with exhaustion and heavy pain. A deep bruise settling over his chest where he was struck by pure muscle.

Heaving, he brings a hand to cover his face, about to yell at her for hitting him in the first place, when he finally looks up.

Endless black hollowness.

He stifles a swear. Looking directly at her was a mistake.

As a pure Dark being, Yoruhua has no face and her body was the epitome of her entire existence; Instead it's a hollowed out heart with curled heart shaped horns ending into a sharp point. Long claw like hair tiredly falling down their back. Ending with an upsidedown crown choking their neck. But, with no mouth or nose to breath, her cries have nowhere to go.

The same atrophied, spindly hands- now thin claws- wrap around under their shoulders. A warped mimicry of a hug, or strangulation. Kept in place by white leather belts and golden chains, preventing them from reaching out. Unable to defend a larger heart shaped hollow on their chest, much like an other Darkside. The rain passes through them as if she isn't real; nothing to be concerned about with little impact on the world around them.

Small bat like wings peak from his hips, sharp enough to cut anything trying to get close, but are rendered useless by the long, heavy dragging tail behind them. It almost looks painful to carry, in contrast with the much thinner and weak looking body. It's awkward, really. The sharp halberd point adding unnecessary violence.

The silhouette reminding him of mixture of various monsters made of Darkness, the Heartless, Nightmares, Unversed and the emptiness of a Nobody. But no where did he see a unique mark.

Fitting, considering Vanitas had no idea what Yoruhua really was; she refused to fit into any one definition since he met her.

< When.... When does this end...? >

Vanitas cringes, the sound of Yoruhua's... Voice, grates in his mind. Like it was trying to scrape its meaning into his soft brain with a jagged rock.

But he recovers fast enough, this time, he knew what to expect and could adjust.

His own voice comes out haggard, "you're gonna... 'ave t'be more clear.... 'bout that..."

He couldn't fight back like this, so against his gut instincts he didn't move. Glaring at her gold crown instead.

Wind blows through her hollow face, whipping past to sound like clamoring howl.

< When does it end? > Yoruhua asks.

Vanitas shakes his head annoyed, "I... I don't k-know what you mean!"

One of their hair claws crack like a wip, dredging him up by the neck to force him to look at them.

< WHEN DOES IT ALL END?! >

Vanitas bites down a yell, the loudness pounding against his skull. Angry now, himself, he tries to fight back.

He repeatedly claws at the hair around his throat, even his his fingers just keep slipping through, he doesn't stop trying to break free.

This isn't how he wanted this to play out; he wanted to see the extent of their Darkness, but not with it turned against him like this.

At first he just wanted their power for himself; wanted them to revert back into a sapphire eye caged in black steel for him to wield again. But now he wanted nothing to do with it. Not whole they were possessed by lapis, it looked wrong on them, like they were at its mercy rather than the other way around.

They'd promised to share their shadow with him, but this? This was just their stygian rage.

"I DON'T KNOW! MAYBE IT NEVER WILL!" he spits in their face. Braving the emptiness. He needed to dredge that sapphire out of them instead of endless black.

He manages to wrap a hand around their hair, clutching it tight together hoping it hurt, "it'll never end at this rate, so get yourself together! You don't get to complain to me, of all fucking people, for it to end!"

He pulls on the hair, tugging her head forward by just a bit. He hears and sees nothing; no breathing, no eyes.

Regardless, "I was finished. I was fucking done, Yoruhua! You were the one to bring me back, to drag me with you on this stupid quest, and keep us safe- It's your fault we're both still here!"

He screams in her face, "so don't you dare give up, and finish was you started!"

The monster in front of him recoils, its horns point towards him and graze his cheek as it withers in anguish.

< All of this, was a mistake. >

He barely flinches when blood spills from the cut but her words gut his stomach more painful more than any wound, a horrible sadness and indignation settling.

He used to be jealous of them; of the fact they never seemed to hate themselves as much as he did himself.

He hated being wrong, he hated being wrong so much more than he liked being being right.

He was a mistake. He never should've come back,

And neither, apparently, should've Yoruhua.

No... he thinks, after everything he's done? It can't have been for nothing.

Just like Vanitas; even where everything but the end goal was pointless, it was that one goal that gave him enough to keep going. His was the X-Blade and the peace that came with it, and he failed, so death was his consolation prize.

If Yoruhua refused to give that back to him, they owed it to repay him with something far greater.

Her own quest, to save her Light. To become whole.

Well, maybe he wanted to see the product of that.

And maybe... Maybe that would sustain him, to live through vicariously.

Yoruhua was more like him than he wanted to admit; chasing after the right to exist without pain. And she might just be able to do what he could not. She's done it before, so there was no way he'd believe she'd just stop trying when they've already done the hardest part of doing the impossible. That was just illogical.

Bitterly, he seethes, "Aren't you the one who said... Coming back was yours greatest moment? I thought you reveled in your existance."

< ... >

Vanitas scoffs a humorless laugh, the rain easily drowns it out, but Yoruhua is close enough to hear the mocking sound.

Their grip on Vanitas tightens around his throat, ready to squeeze the life out of him.

This death, could never live up to the first. He was a dying wielder, and they a doomed keyblade.

Well, even in this greatest betrayal, he refused to give her the last laugh.

"So much for your pride, Void Gear." He hissed. Never breaking contact with the shadow of his former sister, even as spots started to fill his vision and his body seized in her traitorous strangle.

What I am is Darkness, so to it I'll always return.

...

......

.........

Faintly, he can hear rain. It's a soft pitter patter against glass; nothing like the aggressive deluge of before.

The air is cool; not humid like before. Brisk, even. He wondered why, but nothing makes sense in the Realm of Darkness.

The wood beneath him is smooth and just as cold. A thin sheet under his body reminding him of the one he kept within his shelter in the Graveyard. Entirely impersonal.

He tries to get a gulp of air, but his throat trembles in weakness. It's scratchy and just shy of turning into a sore throat soon. He regrets it almost immediately. But a whiff of something in the air shakes off his grogginess instantly.

Faint Petrichor... bittersweet, burnt chocolate almost coffee like?... And thick smoky copal...

He almost chokes on it, which thankfully he doesn't; it would have made the tightness in his throat so much worse.

He doesn't have the strength to move his neck, let alone his body, stars, he's light headed...

His eyelids feel so heavy... And the familiar scent so comforting...

Maybe, he can go back and rest.

So he allows his eyes to droop, resting with his eyes closed for a few minutes. Entirely unaware of what conspired before this moment other an exhaustive hate.

Now was his time to rest.

He manages to turns on his side, using his arm to cushion his head, and the other to reach out for-

-Void... Regalia...?

Too tired to ponder if it was the right name, he accepts the summoned keyblade. It fits perfectly in his grasp, and that's enough to ease him back into a dreamless sleep.

The keyblade's resigned sapphire eye faithfully watches over him, quietly. Like it had hundreds of times before.

#kh #kingdom hearts #kh fanfic #kh vanitas #kh oc #starry stories #JESUS CHRIST THIS WAS A BEAST TO DO AND I JUST CUT IT SHORT LOLLLLL #Sorry ive been working on this for a while all on the tumblr app itself that where i usually do #this is not the norm but we were already in deep soooo #anyways please enjoy this angsty mess it was done on pure vibes alone #good night it is 5 am back to ponied #ponies* god mm a mess excuse typos lol #i really do be throwing vanitas against the wall soaked in milk huh #sorry boy ur a ragdoll now my b its just to fun to see him have to be taken care of/manhandled by Yoru cause shes almost 2x his hight #im not kidding. yoru is taller than any other kh character bc i said so #which means hes probably like. 7'5 or smth #allowed tho cause they're a homunculus lol #meanwhile Ori is- *gunshot* sorry no one is allowed to know until we get the Ori chapter actually

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