You're currently seated on a rolling chair in the research lab with Yuri and Jiro of Mortkranken. Just the previous night you had returned from a mission with Haru and Towa. The Chancellor had assigned the three of you to deal with a golem type anomaly that had been frequently spotted in a forest outside of Darkwick. Preferably, Cornelius wanted the creature detained or slain, but it became clear to all of you that there was no way you'd be able to capture it due to its size. And once Towa began communicating with it, he was very quick in his refusal to kill it.
Apparently, the anomaly Darkwick wanted rid of so badly was actually one that served to protect the forest.
"Yes, I'd recognize that marking on your wrist anywhere. It is a pseudo blessing that supposedly originates from an earth goddess," Yuri insists. He's sitting in a chair across from you, examining your forearm with gloved hands.
Right below the inside of your palm is a symbol etched into your skin that looks like an upside-down triangle with a slash through the tip. You recognize it vaguely as an alchemical symbol for earth.
"I thought the golem took a liking to us," You admit in exasperation. "How the hell did I end up with a double curse? I thought Towa said the golem told him that he wanted to give me a blessing!"
"To the anomaly, he very well may believe you have been given a blessing," Yuri comments nonchalantly. Glancing over his shoulder, the doctor snaps his fingers impatiently. "Jiro, scalpel!"
"Uh... scalpel?" You mutter with a nervous laugh.
Jiro reaches for the bladed instrument on a nearby steel table and hands it to Yuri.
Yuri's gaze hardens at you as he takes the tool from the Mortkranken vice-captain. "Do not question me! You came here for help-- did you not?"
You gulp, nodding reluctantly. "...Okay, okay."
Yuri brings the blade of the scalpel to your index finger and grazes it. To your surprise, you feel nothing. And you see nothing. The Mortkranken Captain furrows his brows.
"Uh... is that dull?" You ask skeptically.
"Of course not," Yuri snaps. "What good does a dull scalpel do?"
Before you can make any further comment, the captain grazes the tool against your skin again, this time choosing your middle finger.
No cut, no blood, nothing.
"...It's as I suspected," Yuri affirms as he releases your hand for the time being. His teal gaze meets yours. "You have acquired invincibility with limits."
"Huh...?" You tent your eyebrows in confusion. "How's that a curse?"
"This is a very uncommon occurrence, but if memory serves me correct-- and I know it does," Yuri starts, gassing himself up. "You have invincibility if and only if you're at ground level. The unpleasant aspect of this pseudo blessing is that in the event that you do become injured, it is far more laborious for your body to recover from it. In other words, serious injuries are now easily fatal for you."
Your jaw goes slack at the news. "Deadass?"
"Deadass? What are you even saying?" Yuri retorts irritably.
"I believe it is modern slang for questioning the validity of something," Jiro chimes in coolly. "I.E. 'Are you serious?'"
Yuri clicks his tongue impatiently, not bothering to turn in his vice-captain's direction. "I do not need your input; I can deduce these things for myself...! Anyway, speak clearly, Honor Student! How can you hope to ever integrate yourself into a professional setting using such primitive language?"
"How do we break it?" You ask, instead of acknowledging his reprimanding.
Yuri presses his lips into a thin line as he averts his gaze. "I... I have yet to personally handle such a case, so that will require further research," The Captain reluctantly admits.
"You said that the Jabberwock vice-captain is able to communicate with the golem?" Jiro asks, standing somewhere behind Yuri.
You nod.
"What will be done with it? The anomaly," Jiro clarifies.
"Uhm... Haru said he's going to try to communicate with the chancellor about using a method to draw humans away from the area, rather than trying to kill it. I'm not sure what that entails, but Towa decided the golem is very important to the forest."
"Hah! Good luck changing their mind," Yuri interjects derisively.
"What do you recall of the anomaly granting you their 'blessing'?" Jiro asks, his ruby eyes regarding you lifelessly.
"It just came up to me and placed its hand on my head. Towa said that the golem claimed the blessing would help with my ‘fragility’. Then it went back into its cave," You explain.
"And you did not think to move?!" Yuri near shouts. "Now you've given me double the work. How long until your other curse turns you into an anomaly? Five months?"
"Well, I didn't think it would curse me," You argue.
"I think for the time being, as long as you're careful, this may actually be beneficial to you," Jiro remarks. "So long as you keep a foot on the ground, you will be invulnerable."
"Do not make such assertions so easily!" Yuri reprimands. "We must do a few experiments to test the validity of that claim."
Based on personal experience and word of mouth, very little good came from Yuri's experiments.
"What do the experiments entail, exactly...?" You ask, eyeing the Mortkranken Captain dubiously.
"We will test your invulnerability with a scalpel on multiple types of surfaces, and on the second story of the building. It will determine your limits and just how useful this ability will be," Yuri replies, getting to his feet.
Jiro nods at you encouragingly.
"...Okay. Let's do it then," You agree.
Yuri performed the experiment as initially described, testing your durability on different surfaces. By the end of it all, it was determined that your skin is impenetrable on wood floors, stone, and soil. Metal was a no go, as well as the second story of the research lab. The Mortkranken Captain made two miniscule cuts on your fingertips that he made sure to immediately sew up, as it would be far more difficult to heal now.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, like Jiro said. But you still had plenty of questions.
Once you are finished with everything and back on ground level in preparation to leave, Yuri hands you a small first aid kit.
"You were watching how I stitched your finger, correct? Be sure to ingrain it into your memory, as it may be necessary should you be far away."
"Yeah, I did! Thank you so much, Yuri," You reply earnestly as you take the box from him. "You're a real sweetie sometimes."
Crimson creeps up Yuri's neck and instantly bleeds into his face. The Mortkranken Captain yanks his hands away, taking a step back. "S-SWEETIE...?! HAVE YOU L-LOST YOUR MIND? WHO CALLS SOMEONE THAT?!"
A laugh escapes you. "Oh, sorry. I think Rui's rolodex of pet names is rubbing off on me."
"W-WELL...!" Yuri huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do not say that to me! You do not have my permission to address me as such!"
You smile a bit at that. "Sure, I'll keep that in mind."
Yuri's endearing behavior mildly lightens your mood. And speaking of Rui... there was something that had been scratching your brain since the experiment had started. "Hey, Yuri..."
"What...?" The captain bites out, his flush receding as he begins to regain his composure.
"Do you think that I am also invincible to Rui's curse?"
"...The reaper curse?" Yuri places a hand on his chin in deliberation. "It would be foolhardy to test that theory, but if any curse could combat that one... one would think it would be a ‘blessing’ from a goddess. Who is better suited to cheating death than a god?"
The thought was tempting. You had spent a lot of your time at Darkwick hanging out with Rui, and if you could touch him... that would be far more convenient for a lot of reasons. Some of those reasons being ones you haven't quite come to terms with.
"Should I try it out?" You offer recklessly.
Yuri wrinkles his face at the idea. "Knowing the outcome of such a risky endeavor would be incredibly beneficial to my research. However, if it doesn't work... who knows if you'd lose a limb? Worst case scenario-- you die."
"Yeah, that would suck, huh?"
"Should you choose to do it, be sure that I am in the area. And video call me so I can witness the results," Yuri requests, a smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth.
"Yeah… sounds good."
–
A few days pass, and you find yourself at the Obscuary bar after attending your classes for the day. You had initially come to spend time with Lyca and Rui, but when you arrive you find Haru seated at the bar as well. A few seats away from him sat Lyca and Edward. Rui is behind the bar preparing a cocktail, and his pink eyes catch yours the second you come into view.
“If it isn't my favorite cutie! Did you come all this way to see me?” Rui greets you with a wink. “It's been ages! I was worried you had forgotten about me!”
You smirk at his banter as you approach the bar. “Don't be so dramatic. It's been like three days max. And I've been texting you.”
Of all the ghouls in the academy, Rui is among your favorites. You messaged each other frequently, just to catch up. Even when you didn't have time to come visit in person.
“(Y/N)...!” Haru calls out your name, stretching out all the syllables exuberantly. When you stop right next to the Jabberwock Captain, he sits up and slings an arm around your shoulder, patting your arm in an awkward side hug. You notice the scent of booze on his breath almost immediately, and not the anomalous plant kind. The Jabberwock Captain is absolutely sloshed. “How ya been? I talked to the Chancellor about… hic! Y'know.”
You return the hug by patting Haru's back with your left arm. “Really? What's the verdict?”
“Told ‘em bout… y'know. And they said…hic! Golem will live… and prototype was put in forest to keep…hic! Away humans,” Haru explains near unintelligibly.
“And what about Towa talking to the Golem about… y'know?” You ask. You're not sure why Haru's insisting on calling the curse ‘y'know’, but you decide to go along with it. Though, you really hadn't told many people about it– not even the Obscuary students.
“Hic…! In due time…” Haru replies vaguely, shooting you a cheesy grin as he gives you a thumbs up with his free hand.
The goofy behavior from the inebriated captain elicits a snort out of you.
“Say, don't you think you've held on long enough Haru? You're gonna make a guy jealous over here,” Rui says, inserting himself into the conversation. The wry smile on his delicate features betrays his seemingly playful words.
“I think the gigolo is right for once. Let go of (Y/N)!” Lyca protests from your right, his brows creased.
“Haaah…? What'd I do?” Haru babbles in drunken confusion.
“He's just drunk, Lyca,” You assure as you gently coax the Jabberwock Captain back into his seat. “You should seriously pace yourself Haru. This happens nearly every weekend.”
“Naaah! ‘M good! Feelin’ good,” Haru insists with a giggle.
“What's this ‘y'know’ talk about? Keeping secrets from me, Cutie?” Rui pries in a lighthearted tone. The way he's holding your gaze as he fills the glass in front of him makes you think he's fishing for a legitimate answer.
“Oh, uh… I'll tell you here soon,” You say instead.
If you were being honest, you didn't want to reveal your new curse problem to Rui just yet. In the event that you decide you're going to touch him, it's better he didn't know. The Obscuary vice-captain was far too perceptive of your thought process sometimes for his own good.
Rui's smile falters for a moment at your dismissive reply. “Yeah… Sure, no problem.” He sets the cocktail shaker to the side and passes the drink your way. The liquid inside the martini glass is purple, with a viola flower accenting the rim of the cup.
You beam at him. “For me?”
Rui smiles half-heartedly back, rather than replying verbally. You watch the pretty blond move around the countertop. “I better get down to the basement and prep for customers before we actually open.”
You turn towards him. “I can help you.”
“No, that's okay! Rest your pretty little head,” Rui counters hastily.
You open your mouth to protest, but the Obscuary vice-captain is already making his way down the hatch in the cellar. “I have new recipes that you wouldn't remember, it would take longer explaining it all.”
This was Rui's move lately. You couldn't quite pinpoint when or why, but something changed between the two of you within the last few weeks. Before, the vice-captain would welcome your company for a task– even if he didn't ask you to do much of anything. Now it seemed like he was avoiding spending too much alone time with you altogether. And Rui is still flirty, but it's not as excessive as it used to be.
When Rui disappears from your line of sight, with the hatch closing behind him, Edward speaks from his spot at the bar.
“Oh, to be young…” The vampire drawls.
You narrow your eyes in his direction as you wrap your fingers around the martini glass in front of you. “What are you on about, old man?”
“Don't mind me, my dear. I'm simply enjoying the show,” Edward assures as he rests his cheek against his palm, sporting a languid smile.
“The gigolo seems kinda down in the dumps lately,” Lyca comments, looking up from the open book on the counter in front of him. “Been sighing a lot. This book says it could be ‘cause he's anx-teeous.”
Suppressing a smile, you walk over to Lyca and peer over his shoulder at the text in front of him. By the looks of it, the werewolf was reading a psychology book.
“It's pronounced more like ‘ang-shuhs’. The ‘t’ is meant to be silent,” You explain. “And that is a possibility. Has anything bad happened recently to warrant that?”
“Erm…” Lyca flits his gaze to the text in front of him, seemingly in a state of concentration. “Don't think so.”
“Perhaps our sweet Rui is feeling a little lovelorn…?” Edward suggests, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“Lovelorn?” You echo, eyeing him skeptically.
Ed nods. “For someone that is untouchable, it must be rather difficult to have such a pretty young student consistently present. A student with such a tender heart to boot.”
You take a sip of the drink in your hand. It tastes floral, sweet, and a bit citrusy. And as usual, it's delicious. Your eyes meet Ed's ruby ones, belatedly acknowledging his babbling. “And just who are you referring to?”
“I don't know any other pretty young students that are brave enough to trek through Obscuary's forest all by themselves,” Edward counters, amusement lacing his voice.
You scoff at the implication. “What, you're saying he's getting all soft on me? You know, it's not nice to spread information without finding out the validity first.”
“Not to worry. This conversation won't leave the room, my dear. Anywho, why don't you take a seat by me? Your scent is particularly fetching today.” The vampire pats the stool next to him encouragingly.
Lyca growls at that, grabbing your wrist. “Don't listen to that moth-eaten Casanova. Sit right here.”
You snicker, plopping down in the seat to the left of Lyca. Your eyes shift to the side to check on Haru a few seats away. The Jabberwock captain is resting his head in his arms snoozing peacefully against the countertop.
“Good for him. He needs a break.” You take another sip from the glass in your hand. Warmth begins to buzz in your stomach from the anomalous plant cocktail. You tilt your head to the book in front of Lyca. “Are you studying for school?”
Lyca nods as he flips a page. “Uh huh. But I'm reading ahead of the course.”
Your lips curl into a smile as you watch him. “That interesting?”
“It's helping me get why some people don't like talking to me much…So it bothers me less now,” Lyca explains slowly.
You frown at that. “They're just assholes, Lyca. You always have me and Ed here. Rui and Suba, too!” From the corner of your eye, you catch Ed smiling in approval at your assertion.
Lyca shakes his head. “It's not just that. Says here sometimes people are closed off ‘cause of the ‘unknown’. I get that, I think. I wasn't so nice when I first met you too, (Y/N). ‘Cause the only nice person I met here was Suba. Being ‘vul-ner-aable’ when you don't know what will happen. It's scary, right?”
You involuntarily pucker your bottom lip out and stare at Lyca in adoration. “Yes… you're right Lyca. That's a very mature way to think about it! Can I squish you?”
Lyca's looks to you in confusion. “Squish?”
You lean forward and throw your arms around him anyway, pressing your cheek against the top of his head. “SOOO, CUUUUTE!”
“H-Hey…!” Lyca goes stiff at the contact as he flushes in embarrassment. “W-What's that got to do with what I said?”
“Tons and tons!” You nuzzle Lyca's head vigorously a few times before pulling away and sitting back down.
Lyca tents his eyebrows and smooths down his now ruffled hair. “You don't make any sense…”
“Sorry, Lyca, had to. My hands were tied.” You grin wide as you hold your palms up.
“...Intriguing. When did that mark on your wrist get there?” Edward interjects as he sits forward slightly to get a better look from Lyca's right side.
Oops, caught earlier than you had anticipated.
Should you just tell him? Judging by that knowing look on his face, you'd guess the Obscuary Captain already has an idea of the symbol. And its Ed. Ed somehow knows everything.
You decide to give in and explain everything while Rui is out of the room.
As your retelling of the mission's events comes to a close, you add the most recent bit of information. “Towa is supposed to ask the golem about breaking the curse, too.”
“Break it? Now why on earth would you want to do that?” Ed asks, regarding you with awe.
“Uhm… ‘cause I'm technically more at risk if I'm not careful? Is it a bad idea?”
“Yes. It is,” Edward insists. “In fact, that blessing may just extend the time in which your curse from Kyklos takes over.”
“What, you mean it might take longer to turn into an anomaly? Didn't you say my curse is like… extra malignant, though?” You press, your expression puzzled.
“There are minor setbacks, but a sacred blessing is nothing to bat an eye at. Until you know that you can break your previous curse, you should not attempt to remove the new one,” The vampire says with conviction. “Be sure you're always at ground level when you're at your most vulnerable. Perhaps even opt to sleep in a traditional futon for the time being.”
Well, that's an unexpected development. But if what Ed is saying is true, this really is a sort of blessing. There is only one other unanswered question that has been eating at you.
“Um… do you think touching Rui would still kill me?”
The question seems to thoroughly amuse Ed, because he fans his fingertips over his lips like he's trying to hide it. “Oh…? You're interested in touching Rui?”
Lyca speaks up for the first time since you've begun your explanation. The werewolf's face appears startled from the suggestion. “Touching the gigolo? That's dangerous, you can't!”
“Well… only if Ed thinks it might not kill me,” You admit sheepishly.
“Might…?!” Lyca bites out, his voice raising marginally.
“Touching Rui very well may not kill you. Though, there is the possibility of severe injury on the off chance it does not work. Might I suggest touching him with just your fingers first?” Ed offers, his tone lackadaisical.
Lyca nearly stands in alarm. “What?! No! She just said it will be way more difficult for her to heal! That could kill her!”
You press your lips into a thin line as you deliberate the idea. “Yuri also seemed interested in seeing the results if I decide to do it. I would feel kinda bad for Rui if anything happened, though. He'd probably feel guilty even if it's my fault…”
Edward laughs airly. “Humans truly have such an endearing way of thinking. Regardless of how Rui may feel, the choice is yours. If you feel it's worth the risk, it would be selfish of me to discourage you.”
Lyca grits his teeth, narrowing his gold eyes at the vampire. “Old man…”
“In the event that this endeavor is successful, I have a feeling Rui will be thrilled in time,” Ed adds.
“Right…” You digest the information, considering your options. “Thanks, Ed. You're kinda insightful sometimes.”
Edwards lips curl into a coy smile. “I know nothing, my dear. When you've lived as long as I have… I can only offer a unique perspective.”
Suddenly, the hatch from the cellar flies open, effectively ceasing further conversation between the two of you. A head of blond hair emerges, and then Rui's pretty face.
“Everything's prepped!” Rui lifts himself fully out of the cellar and closes the door behind him. He’s cradling a basket filled with herbs and bottles. “Lyca, if you would be a doll and run the bar for a little bit? I wanna get started on dinner before it gets too busy. We may get some customers in a few minutes. More specifically Romi.”
Lyca huffs with downturned lips, seemingly ready to protest. But after a few beats, his expression relaxes. “...Fine.”
Rui grins appreciatively and sets the basket on the countertop several feet away from you before turning heel. “Thanks a million! I'll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me!”
Before you can even think of saying anything, the vice-captain is already on his way out. You sigh and decide to give him a bit of space before checking on him.
Lyca stands up and makes his way around the counter. The Obscuary student pulls a notepad from a drawer that's just out of sight. “Guess I'll reread recipes,” He grumbles.
After about twenty minutes of chatting idly with the three of them, Romeo makes an appearance. When you catch him in the corner of your eye, you lift your head to greet him. “Oh, it's Romeo! Hey!”
“It's you, BB. Why am I not surprised? Come to live here now?”
You open your mouth to reply.
“Nevermind, don't answer that– I don't care.” The vice-captain comes up behind Haru and immediately smacks him on the shoulder a few times, effectively disturbing the slumbering captain.
“Hnn…?” Haru lifts his head from the counter to look at Romeo, with remnants of drool on his face. The poor guy looks entirely disoriented.
“Wake up! You are not falling asleep now that I am here,” Romeo tilts his head in Lyca's direction, and slides a couple of bills towards him from across the countertop. “Two Vieux Carre.”
The Obscuary student wordlessly pockets the yen before getting work. It takes several minutes, but Lyca eventually slides two filled rocks glasses Romeo's way.
The Sinostra vice-captain flits his gaze to the drinks. Almost immediately, he scoffs. “This is not what I asked for. These are Old-Fashioned cocktails!”
Lyca lifts an eyebrow and glances down at the notepad in front of him, turning a few pages. His eyes scan the scribbles in front of him, and a moment later he speaks. “Hrm… sorry. I'll make it again.”
“Don't worry about it Lyca! These look great,” You reassure him as you stand and take the glasses. “I'll just bring one to Rui, and I'll take one. I'll put it on a tab and give you a tip at the end of the night!”
Lyca smiles a bit as he begins preparing the drinks Romeo ordered. “You don't have to.”
“I insist! Be back soon!” With that, you head to the kitchen to finally get some alone time with the Obscuary vice-captain.
When you walk into the kitchen, you find Rui leaning against a large wooden island in the center of the room. There are a variety of ingredients laid out on the flat surface and he seems to be preoccupied with reading a sheet of paper laying in front of him. You can't help but notice the apron wrapped around his waist. He totally looks cute as hell.
It isn't until you set the glasses down across from him that he looks up, appearing a little startled.
“O-Oh, (Y/N)!” The blonde chuckles nervously, as he rakes his bare fingers through his hair. His eyes land on the drinks. “Whatchya got there?”
“Lyca accidentally made Romeo the wrong cocktails. So, I told him I'd take one of them for you. And one for me.” You lean against the other side of the island, subconsciously mirroring his posture.
“Ah… an Old-Fashioned? Those are pretty strong. And I'm about to start cutting stuff. Alcohol and knives don't really mix for me, ya know!” Rui explains clumsily. Based on the rigid expression on his face, you have a feeling like he's not really saying all that he needs to.
“Oh? I'll handle the cutting then. I actually have been getting some practice in recently!” It was true. After finding out about the new curse, you went home and practiced cutting vegetables super fast when you were bored one evening.
Rui looks like he wants to argue further, but he's likely running out of things to say without revealing a little more than he's comfortable with. Cautiously, he reaches for one of the glasses and pulls it closer to him. The vice-captain smiles at you.
It's so pretty it's almost blinding.
“Thanks for thinking of me, Cutie! You really know how to make a guy's heart melt.”
“I'm glad to help. I like doing things for you, you know,” You admit easily as you roll up the sleeves of your shirt in preparation to assist.
The comment seems to catch him mildly off guard by the way his expression falters, almost imperceptibly. Distracting himself, Rui reaches for the skewered cherries on top of the rim. He brings the steel pick to his lips and pulls the fruit into his mouth with his teeth. The reaper chews a few times before swallowing.
“That's good news for me then, huh? I don't want you to sully those pretty hands for my sake, but if that's what will keep me company for the evening… I guess I can't just pass that up,” Rui flirts with his signature wink.
You snicker at his lame recovery. Tucking your hair behind your ears, you approach the sink and begin washing your hands thoroughly. “My hands will be just fine. I'll impress you with my sick knife skills.”
“And I'll enjoy the show,” Rui teases.
Once you come back to the island, the Obscuary vice-captain sets out a board in front of you. Apparently, Rui had been in the process of making a hearty beef and cabbage stew. You slice the stem off of the napa cabbage with the knife provided to you and then move to the sink to rinse the vegetable off thoroughly. By the time you make your way back to the island, you spot some… unique looking ingredients in front of you. Rice, white wine, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, sour pickles, jalapenos, and bean sprouts?
You must have looked bewildered because Rui laughs. It sounds like a string of harmonies reverberating against your ear drums.
“Looks weird, right? There's actually supposed to be onions and garlic, but Yuri said it's not good for Lyca. I promise, it's delish! This is one of those ‘trust the process’ type deals!” The vice-captain insists.
You smirk and begin cutting the cabbage leaves into more reasonable chunks as you prepare to julienne them. “I've had your cooking before, so I believe you. Has Lyca tried this, yet?”
“Nooope. He will like it no matter what though, since there's beef!” Rui finally lifts his cocktail to his lips and takes a small sip. “Hmm… this is well mixed. Lyca really is doing a good job. A liiittle on the strong side.”
“Too strong?” You ask, glancing up to look at him. His captivating eyes lock with yours for a moment before you divert your attention back to the board.
“Enough to not want to drink it fast,” Rui replies.
“Hmm… maybe we can play a little drinking game then,” You suggest.
“Drinking game? Couldn't that like, do the opposite though?” Rui counters skeptically.
You hum. “Not if you're better at asking burning questions.”
“Questions? Is this one of those college party games? Gotta say, you don't strike me as the type to attend those, Cutie.”
You shake your head. “Puh-lease. It's a juvenile game as old as time. I played it without the drinking as a kid.”
“The suspense is killing me! Let's hear it,” Rui quips playfully.
“Never have I ever,” You announce as you begin stacking squares of cabbage somewhat evenly on the board.
“Oh, I've definitely heard of that. Remind me of the rules?”
“Simple. I ask a question by adding it to the end of ‘Never have I ever’. If it’s something you've done, you drink. If it's not, I have to drink. Vice versa. Any objections?” You ask.
“That seems like it'd be a cute first date idea. Any boundaries with the questions?” Rui asks, resting his cheek against his knuckles as he looks back at you.
“No. You're free to know anything you want about me! But if I cross a line, let me know.”
Rui's posture stiffens and he shifts his gaze absently to the glass in his hand. “Haha, that seems totally unfair, doesn't it…? I'll answer as best as I can.”
You begin thinly slicing the cabbage, drawing your eyes back to the board. “You start.”
Rui lets out a low whistle. “Me first? That's a lot of pressure. Hold on… let me think about it.”
The sound of the back of the knife in your hand rapidly thudding against the wooden board becomes the only noise in the room for a good fifteen seconds.
“Never have I ever…cheated on a final exam?” Rui asks, his tone indecisive.
The anticlimactic question evokes a giggle out of you. You deliberate for a moment but end up not sipping your drink. “Sorry, but you should have specified. I've probably cheated on a regular test, but finals are much harder to do that with.”
“Daaang,” Rui clicks his tongue, playing up a disappointed expression as he takes a drink. “I'll do better next round.”
You think for a moment before deciding the next question and glancing up. “...Never have I ever… learned to swim?”
“You did that on purpose,” He accuses, puckering his soft pink bottom lip before taking a sip. “Can't most people swim? Plus, haven't I mentioned I used to surf?”
“Mmm… Must have totally slipped my mind,” You say nonchalantly. It didn't. “Go on. Your turn again.”
“Never have I ever been to Tokyo?” Rui wears an impish smirk as the words leave his mouth.
You snort, rolling your eyes. “We are in Tokyo, basically.”
“No, this is Darkwick! We totally have our own area code and everything. Who knows? You could have been shipped here from France or something!” Rui counters, feigning innocence.
Rui definitely knew that much about you. You stick your tongue at him childishly and pause your knife work. Reaching forward you pick up your glass and take your first sip. You were pleasantly surprised by the flavor of the drink. Rui was right. For a strong cocktail it was pretty well mixed.
“I'll have to give Lyca praise later. Anyway, next question…”
The two of you ask several more rounds of impersonal and benign questions as you continue to work. You're not sure if it's just the alcohol or a product of being in good company, but you begin to feel warm all over. It had been a while since you’ve had an exclusive in-person conversation with Rui. And right now, the cadence of his voice, and his charming witticism seems to have an amplified effect on you. Every time you lock eyes when one of you takes a drink, you swear you feel your heart skip a bit.
When you're on your last bunch of cabbage and your glasses are almost evenly a quarter of the way filled, the vice-captain asks something else.
“Never have I ever gone on a date with a Darkwick student that isn't Rui.”
When your head snaps up in surprise the vice-captain just watches you expectantly, cheeks flushed and a self-assured smirk.
“Nosey, aren't we?” You retort.
“Isn't that the nature of the game? Being nosey? It's about time I ask something juicy,” Rui quips back.
Taking an opportunity to mess with him and gauge his reaction, you lift the alcoholic beverage to your lips.
Rui sits up marginally as if he's taken aback. You watch his pretty pink lips part and his eyebrows tent with worry.
It almost makes you feel bad.
You set the glass down, not actually taking a sip. “What's that look for, you jelly?”
“Obviously!” Rui admits without hesitation. He forces a smile anyway. “C'mon, you know you have me wrapped around your finger, Cutie.”
You do?
You swear you feel your heart in your throat as he throws the comment at you.
Rui narrows his eyes sharply. “Who's the lucky fella?”
A lopsided grin forms on your features. “...I didn't actually take a drink. That's all you.”
The Obscuary vice-captain’s expression turns meek. A look of relief quickly follows, and he sighs. “You so tricked me! I didn't think you could be so cruel.”
“Go on, drink,” You urge, your grin now bordering on sadistic.
Rui complies, taking a sip. “Guess this is better than the alternative. I thought for sure you and Haru had something going on for a second.”
The alcohol must be causing the blonde man in front of you to be a little loose lipped with his words. Sure, Rui's joked about being jealous before, but specifying in this instance felt a bit different.
You tilt your head curiously. “Haru? Of course not. He's just my friend.”
Rui averts his gaze as he sets his glass down. The direct reply to his worry seems to embarrass him because his cheeks redden past the point where booze could be used as an excuse. “...Ignore me. That was out of line.”
You wave your hands placatingly at his unexpected behavior. “Hey, no! It's definitely not. I think it's cute you're worried about that.”
Rui doesn't return his gaze to you for the moment. He opens his mouth like he's going to say something else, but closes it again like he just changed his mind. A nervous chuckle slips past his lips a moment later. “...Okay, next question. If you stare at me like that any longer I might think you've finally fallen for me.”
You roll your eyes. “Fine, fine. Let's see…”
Maybe this time you'll ask something more personal? For your own self-indulgence and to make him feel better about his own shyness. It's basically a win-win, you have to do it. Right?
You draw your gaze back to the board and curl your knuckles over a stack of cabbage, resuming your slicing as you deliver the next prompt. “Never have I ever kissed anyone.”
The room becomes silent once more, aside from the ambience of your task at hand.
You almost glance back up when you don't see him reach for his drink, but then he speaks up.
“I don't kiss and tell you know! Plus, you really wanna know that? I wouldn't want to make you jealous too, Cutie.”
“Why? Is it like a ton of people? Maybe I'd be a bit jealous then,” You counter teasingly.
“...Wait, seriously? That was a joke!”
You glance back up with a deadpan look on your face as you toss more cut cabbage into a steel bowl next to you.
The vice-captain now appears mildly panicked. “Look, it wasn't like a lot! Honest! And it was forever ago, no need to be jealous, seriously!”
Thoroughly enjoying his reaction, you pretend to be annoyed and hum suspiciously. “I dunno, I've witnessed you being a little flirty with girls coming onto you before…” Pausing for dramatic effect, you sigh. “I bet you even call them ‘Cutie’ too. Is that why you stopped inviting me to your room? You got a new Cutie to fawn over?”
“So NOT true!” Rui exclaims, his expression shifting into a horrified one. “Look, if you've ever caught me saying anything remotely like that to anyone before, I swear I haven't done it in like– ages! I can't do that. Not anymore.”
Not being able to keep up the act anymore, a smile splits your features. “Oh? What changed?”
Rui stares back at you, the question leaving him completely despondent. He shakes his head guardedly and picks up his glass, downing the rest of his drink.
Your lips downturn as you realize you may have gone too far with your teasing. “Sorry, too far?”
Rui clears his throat as he sets his glass down, his gaze softening as he regards you. “No, it's not that.” He laughs a little in spite of himself. “You're the last person I want to be a witness to how pitiful I can really be. And the truth is, I can't answer that question.”
You try not to look expectant. As much as you want to know, it would be selfish to pry any farther.
“Maybe in another life,” Rui hesitates as he picks up the steel skewer that once held cherries, twirling it idly between his fingertips. “I wish I could meet you again as a regular guy. I doubt you would give me the time of day, though. You're too good for me.”
You're left breathless at his confession.
Your hairs stand on end as you drop the knife in your hands. Just when you're dead set on making your way to his side of the island, a voice sounds from your right.
“Hello, Rui. I came here to collect some herbs for potions at the medical facility. Have I come at a bad time?”
You look over to find Jiro who noiselessly slipped into the room. He nods stiffly in your direction while holding his phone in his hand.
“Oh, nope!” Rui separates himself from the counter. “I can go grab those for you. Is it the same list you sent last time via text?”
Jiro nods. “Yes, that would be greatly appreciated.”
“No problemo! Give me a few!” With that, the Obscuary vice-captain makes a hasty retreat.
Jiro approaches the island slowly as he stares at you. “...You decide if you're gonna do it?”
“I am,” You say definitively. “Wish me luck, hahaha. If I die, text my boss from my old job in the real world ‘Your Momma’s a hoe’, okay?”
“‘Your Momma's a hoe’,” Jiro repeats impassively. “...Yeah, I can do that.”
“Thank you, you're the best!”
By the time Rui comes back with bundled herbs, you finish cutting what's needed for the stew. You watch the Obscuary vice-captain set the clear package on the island in front of Jiro.
“Here ya go! I put a little extra in there to save you some running around. Go wild!” Rui exclaims exuberantly.
“Thank you. This will be very useful,” Jiro responds as he picks up the package.
You move around the island to Rui's side nonchalantly with the steel bowl of cut vegetables in your hand. While the vice-captain is distracted, you set it next to the stovetop.
“I have a few hybrid plants in budding stages that will probably interest you guys. I'll let you know when they're ready.” Rui peels off his gardening gloves and stuffs them in his pocket as he talks. He must have put them on in the cellar and is likely planning to wash his hands again.
Now is as good a time as any, right?
You creep forward a bit closer, your eyes locked on his naked right hand hanging loosely at his side for the moment.
“Really? Are they a blend of any of these?” Jiro asks.
Holding your breath you mentally apologize to Rui in advance. If your impulsivities result in disaster, you hope he will blame you. You outstretch your arm, fingertips just centimeters away.
“Yeah, actually! Here let me show you a photo…”
Shit!
“YOLO,” You whisper under your breath.
Just as Rui's hand reaches for his pocket and he starts to turn around, you shut your eyes tight and wrap your fingers around his.
The room goes dead silent. Your hand is warm. You're not dead are you?
“What, did it work? Move your camera closer, I can't see!”
The sound of Yuri's voice causes you to snap your eyes open. Your eyes instantly meet Rui's. He understandably looks completely horrified as he gawks at your linked hands.
“(Y/N)... What did you do?” Rui manages, his voice uncharacteristically fragile.
Feeling the aftereffects of an adrenaline rush, you take it a step farther and bring his hand to your lips, placing a kiss on the back of it. You smirk at him, bathing in a sense of victory. “Um, the Gods just think we would be mega cute together, duh!”
Heat crawls up Rui's neck as he stands there, jaw slack and at a loss for words.
“AAAGH! W-WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT WHEN I AM ON VIDEO CALL…?!” Yuri screeches.
You lower Rui's hand and turn your gaze to Jiro holding up his phone.
“You told me not to let them know you're here. That would probably be part of it,” Jiro replies monotonously.
“IRRELEVANT! W-WHO DOES THAT WITH COMPANY PRESENT?!” Yuri yells back indignantly.
Jiro scratches his head, staring at the screen in front of him. “(Y/N) does…?”
Yuri huffs on the other end. After a brief pause his voice comes, far less elevated this time. “Obviously, that was rhetorical! Tch…! A-Anyway… Honor Student, can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear,” You reply back.
“Good! I would like to run some tests, so go with Jiro back to Mortkranken, if you know what's good for you!”
“But I was helping Rui with cooking,” You protest.
“It's fine, you should go,” Rui interjects a little too quickly, his voice cracking.
You look at him, puckering your lips into a pout. “Huh? But…”
Rui turns his head towards Jiro. “If you could wait at the bar I'll send her to follow you out. I want to talk with her for a sec… alone.”
Jiro nods. “Okay, then it's settled. Ending the call now.”
It sounds as if Yuri is about to protest, but the Mortkranken vice-captain abruptly hangs up on him. Jiro bows slightly. “I'll be seeing you momentarily, (Y/N). Thank you again for the herbs, Rui. Text me those photos of the hybrids when you have a chance.”
“Yup, yup! No problem,” Rui replies.
You watch Jiro exit the room before diverting your attention back to Rui. He is staring at your still linked hands. You hadn't noticed it until now, but he appears to be trembling a bit. The urge to wrap your arms around him overwhelms you, but you wait.
“Do you want me to let go?” You ask carefully.
“This feels different,” Rui murmurs with an unreadable expression as he rubs his thumb soothingly over the back of your hand. “Something is protecting your energy. I can’t drain it. What changed?”
You explain the situation and the details of the curse, not leaving out any information. It's obvious by the way his expression hardens when you explain the negative aspects that he's not completely on board with this.
“(Y/N)... this isn't a solution.” Rui breaks away from your touch, settling himself against the side of the island.
“Huh? Well, I mean… It kind of is,” You argue. “As long as I'm careful…!”
The vice-captain creases his brow, giving you the most stern look you've probably ever seen him wear. “One wrong move and this could totally go south. What if I was standing on the second floor and you just forget? Or what if I do?”
“Then, we just… don't?” You suggest lamely. “Trust me, I wouldn't want you to deal with that if something bad happened, so I'll do my best.”
“Do you hear yourself right now?” Rui's tone comes out exasperated. “Why the hell is that your first thought? This isn't something inconsequential– it's your life on the line!”
“You don't think I don't know that?” You keep your tone steady as you attempt to explain your case. “I touched you because I was willing to take that risk.”
“That's what's worse! You could have died just a few minutes ago, you weren't even sure!”
You shift your eyes to the side. “Well… Ed was pretty sure.”
“Pretty sure isn't sure, (Y/N)!” Rui snaps, his voice elevated.
Any reply you may have catches in your throat. You don't have an excuse for yourself. This was a possible outcome, you knew it, but actually seeing Rui angry and raising his voice over this left you with mixed emotions. Maybe this was a little selfish on your part. Should you have asked?
But if you did, Rui would have never allowed you to touch him. You're certain of that much.
You're not sure the kind of expression you were making, but the vice-captain appears contrite in a matter of seconds.
“Sorry… I didn't mean to yell,” Rui flits his gaze to the floor. “Look, you should go for now, okay? We can talk about this later. Once I've had time to think.”
“...Yeah, I'll do that.” You give Rui a brief once over before walking towards the door. Just before you're about to exit, you turn your head one last time. The vice-captain still has his eyes trained on the floor in front of him.
“Your hands are really soft. And you smell nice up close,” You remark, your lips curling into a smile.
Rui glances towards you. His eyes widen in surprise as he's seemingly taken off guard by the comment.
“Okay that's all, bye-bye!”
With that you bolt out the door, feeling a little bit giddier about the whole thing.
–
A couple days have passed since you touched Rui. The two of you hadn't seen each other since, but you had exchanged a few brief texts in greeting. Nothing of substance considering you still had a lot to talk about. In due time, you told yourself.
Currently, you were crouched down in a plot of soil with a basket in your hands, harvesting some crops. You planted them a little over a month ago in Jabberwock after Towa had taught you a thing or two about caring for plants, and Haru gave you the tools necessary to do so. The Jabberwock Captain's expertise is mainly in caring for the anomalies, but he had the resources to make it happen.
Since you helped Haru out pretty frequently with daily chores, he had been more than willing to let you borrow an extra piece of fenced in land. You made sure to pick a fast growing and low maintenance crop that would be useful for cooking. Did you cook? Not really often– your equipment had been pretty limited at the cathedral.
Secretly, you had planned to give these to Rui at some point.
Hopefully he liked baby beets. And hopefully he wasn't still mad at you in the upcoming weeks. Coincidentally, you selected a crop with a long shelf life too.
You continued to grip the leafy parts of the vegetables as you shimmied the ripe crops from the ground and tossed them in a basket as you went. The sun was already beginning to set, but you wanted to swing by here despite the long day you had. You had just gotten back from a mission. It wasn't particularly labor intensive, but you hadn't gotten the best sleep the last few days.
You're so absorbed in the task at hand that when you hear a random thudding sound against wood, you nearly tip over from your crouched position. Flicking your gaze to where you thought you heard the source, you find nothing. Just the wooden fence post standing in a patch of grass, nothing out of the ordinary.
Must have been a rabbit, or something.
You were super invincible now anyhow, right? So, basically you could take on anything in this grassland that tried to pull up on you. If anything they should be scared of you! Yeah…
Swallowing your trepidation, you continue working and harvest each crop in linear order– just to make sure you don't miss any. It isn't long before your basket is overflowing with vegetables. When you pluck your last baby beet from the dirt, you breathe out a sigh of relief as you throw it on top.
“Finally,” You mutter to yourself as you stand upright. Your back brushes against something when you do. At first you assume you had gotten closer to the fence than you had previously thought, but that theory is debunked almost immediately when you hear an all too familiar voice behind you.
“Shit…!”
You hear something thud to the ground. Flipping around, you find an all too familiar blond pretty boy lying flat on his back in the grass, with his bladed artifact lying next to him.
“Wow… creeper alert,” You deadpan as you look down at Rui, suppressing a spiel of laughter.
Rui props himself up on his elbows and smiles, his face flushed with embarrassment. “I totally resent that, y'know. Creeper is a strong word.”
“If you wanted to hang out, you could have asked,” You comment, regarding him with an amused expression.
“Ah…” Rui sits up fully, running his gloved fingers through his sunny tresses. “I actually was on my way to do something else.”
You quirk an eyebrow at him. “What, in Jabberwock?”
Rui laughs nervously, averting his gaze to somewhere on the grass in front of him. “Ah… not exactly?”
You set the basket down next to you and lean on the wooden fence separating the two of you. “So, how long have you been following me?”
“I plead the fifth? Article thirty-eight for Japan? At least until I explain my case better,” Rui says, appearing guilty.
“Alright, you better. Or else I'll start to think you're in love with me,” You tease.
“Well, you wouldn't be completely off base,” Rui counters flirtatiously.
A sense of relief floods over you as you witness his more characteristic behavior. You just smile expectantly in return.
“So… I was trying to get some intel that is unrelated to you, but I noticed you heading here kind of late. And I was worried so I had a change of plans,” Rui pauses, tenting his eyebrows in concern. “When were you planning on going home, by the way?”
“Soon,” You reply. “When were you planning on revealing yourself?”
“...That wasn't part of the plan,” Rui reluctantly admits, his cheeks flushing pink. “Look, I was just worried– honest. No need to get a restraining order, haha!”
You snort at the idea. “As if. I was waiting for you to come around. You seemed pretty pissed at me the other day. And besides, I need less protection than ever now.”
“Invincibility doesn't stop weirdos from following you around,” Rui argues. “And what if a giant bear anomaly picked you up and then tried to eat you? You'd be toast!”
“There aren't any aggressive anomalies like that in the area. I'm totally safe in that regard.” You smile appreciatively at him. “It's cute that you're looking after me, though. You're the only stalker I'd actively welcome to keep tabs on me.”
Rui stares at you incredulously for a few beats. “I'm not…!” The vice-captain huffs, shaking his head as he dusts himself off and gets to his feet. “You know what? It's fine. Personal stalker at your service, Cutie!”
A giggle spills from you. “Alright, does that mean I can give you orders?”
“Ahaha… orders?” Rui echoes. “I guess if I were to take orders from anyone, it would be you.”
“Spend some time with me?” You ask softly, rather than demand.
Rui smiles. “Since I'm already here, we might as well.”
The two of you end up sitting relatively close in a plot of grass outside the fence, the sky is now dark enough that it could be considered nautical twilight. Fireflies were even beginning to make an appearance.
You set your basket close by and flop backwards, opting to lay down flat. “I'm glad I came out here. Today has been productive.”
“Yeah?” Rui copies your actions, lying parallel to you about six feet away. “I didn't realize you were into crops. Should I be offended that you didn't tell me?”
“It was supposed to be a surprise,” You admit with a sigh. “I should have known I can't keep anything from you.”
Rui tilts his head towards you, his eyes widen marginally. “What, a surprise for me?”
“Yeah. Well, I hope you like beets. They have a bunch of antioxidants and shit, right?” You ask, flitting your gaze to meet his.
“Pffft. Yeah, a bunch of antioxidants and shit,” Rui repeats, his eyes crinkling with mirth. “...Thanks a lot, seriously. I'll use them, for sure. And for the record, I do like beets.”
“I guess my hard work paid off, then. Good to know.”
A moment of comfortable silence falls between the two of you. The distant sound of crickets hum in the distance.
“...Ed mentioned that it wouldn't be good to break your curse, right now. Are you not going to?” Rui suddenly asks.
You idly comb your fingers through the grass. “No, I already talked to Towa and Darkwick staff. Until I can break the curse from Kyklos, this one's here to stay.”
“If it can prevent the transformation… it really is a blessing,” Rui acknowledges earnestly.
“And if it means I can touch you without dying,” You add, smirking as you stare at the sky.
“...Not without risk,” Rui counters, quieter than before.
“Some risks are worth taking in my book.”
Rui doesn't reply to that.
“...But I don't want to do anything you don't want to do,” You say coolly. “So I won't touch you again without your permission.”
“It's definitely not that I don't want to. I'm just scared shitless of something happening to you,” Rui admits, his voice raspy. “I seriously don't know what I'd do.”
You flip on your side to face him, propping your head in your hand. His golden locks are splayed out around him messily as he stares at the sky. The vulnerable expression on his pretty features makes your heart ache.
“If our roles were reversed, would you touch me?” You ask. “If I had the reaper curse and you had the Antaeus curse?”
Rui creases his brow as he deliberates the prompt. “Honestly…? If I thought you had feelings for me, yeah.”
“So we are in the same boat. Hypocrite,” You accuse playfully.
Rui flicks his gaze towards you, eyeing you dubiously.
“I love you, you know,” You confess.
Rui's cheeks flush pink at the sudden admission. He brings a forearm over his head, partially shielding his face from you. “Hah… Of all the people here. You seriously have bad taste. No offense.”
“None taken.”
“I feel like I've made it embarrassingly obvious… but the feeling is mutual. I've never met anyone quite like you, (Y/N).”
Your heart hammers in your chest as he admits to returning your feelings.
Rui continues. “If you ever change your mind, feel free to leave me in the dust. The reaper curse shouldn't be anyone's burden to deal with, but mine. You of all people deserve to be happy.”
“I won't change my mind,” You say with conviction. “If I die trying to give you a smooch, I'd say that's a pretty good way to go.”
An airy laugh spills from Rui. “You're seriously cracked for that.”
You smirk. “Says the one who admitted they would do the same.”
“If you really want to, I won't stop you. But if anything happens, I will haunt you in the afterlife,” Rui jokes morbidly. “So seriously… don't do anything you're not sure is safe. Please.”
That was more than enough of an invitation for you.
You sit up and move right beside Rui. You support yourself with your palm planted in the grass by the left side of his head as you hover over him.
The vice-captain stares up at you, anxiety etched on his beautiful features.
Reaching your free hand forward, you experimentally touch his face. Rui nearly jumps at the contact, but immediately relaxes when he sees that you remain unaffected. You lightly stroke the flawless skin on his cheeks, then you brush your thumb over his pink parted lips. A gasp escapes Rui when you run your fingers through his bangs.
Never did you think you'd have the privilege of touching him.
“You're so pretty.” The words leave your mouth before you can even think about saying them.
Rui's cheeks heat up as he struggles to hold your gaze. “C'mon, that's my line. You don't have to sweet talk me to get my consent, Cutie.”
Your eyes flutter shut as you lower your face and seal your lips with his.
Rui responds to your kiss eagerly, his hand immediately finding your waist when you settle more comfortably over him. You can feel his rapid heartbeat as you melt into him, tangling your fingers through his silky soft hair. For a moment, you separate your lips, and the intoxicating scent of his aromatic cologne tangled with skin fills your lungs.
As if protesting the distance, Rui sits forward, supporting himself with his elbow as he cups his free around your face and brings you in again. Your lips meld together over and over in a subconscious search for a rhythm. But there is none. Touch starved and desperate, the way the reaper continues to kiss you is nothing short of feverish.
At some point, Rui pulls away and manages to flip you over on your back. eliciting a squeak out of you. Caging you in, he presents an affectionate smile when you look up at him.
“I think you like this stresses me out a bit less,” He says.
“Understandable,” You acquiesce, returning a smile of your own.
“I'll have to set up a room for us on ground level at Obscuary. Mine is currently on the top floor, sooo.” Rui's smile transitions into a mischievous one.
The implication leaves your ears burning and this time– you laugh nervously. “We gotta sit on the floor, though,” You remind him, though he already knows.
“Sit, lay, hands and knees, whatever you want,” Rui counters, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
At that, you feel all the blood in your body rush to your face. “Y-You…!”
Your reaction must thoroughly entertain the vice-captain, because a laugh bubbles from him.
“Sorry, sorry! That was dirty. Let's keep going?” Rui tilts his head, his pink eyes searching for your approval. “I'll have to walk you home at this point, anyway. It's already dark.”
You narrow your eyes at him, your voice small as you recover from your embarrassment. “Do you even have to ask that?”
Rui's lips pull into a delighted grin. “Consent is totally sexy though, right?”
You lift your hands to his face and pull him forward, bringing him in for another kiss.
You spent a long time with Rui under the stars that night.
Why did they add a dress up feature to obey me when their "premium" fits are like this (not my screenshots)
Like Leviathan would not be caught dead in that imo and Belphie just needs a hat n cane before he starts walkin' them demonic streets. ASMO LOOKS LIKE A FUCKING CIRCUS CLOWN. LIKE WHAT. All these sprites look so weird too I kinda miss the black outlines? It worked for them
Well a certain lazy ghoul next to you probably wouldn't help that. It's Haku's room card!!! Honestly you can't even really see his pajamas lmao he's about as close to being fully dressed as Taiga in his room card. . . .
My internet decided to die before the card came out so I'm kind of all over the place rn because I can't just copy the text on my laptop and paste it on my phone and I had to transfer all the files by wire instead of wifi lol Haku is tempting me back to sleep. . . .
FOOT FOR FREE LETSGOOOO if you cut off like half of the character card he looks very naked. Are his clothes in a pile back there. . . . .too much of a hurry to undress I guess huh--
Character Card: Teasing Grin(「悪戯な笑みに誘われて」 "Inviting With A Mischievous Smile")
Skill: Half Joking(「冗談まじり」 "Jokes Mixed In")
Fully Awakened Skill: Warm Fingertips(「手先のぬくもり」 "The Warmth Of His Fingertips")
Warding Card: Misty Garden(「霧雨と庭風の中で」 "Inside The Drizzling Garden Wind")
New cosmic bonds as well! As usual idk who's in these etc etc
Locked Away In Their Hearts (「胸裏に伏せたまま」 "Kept Hidden Away In Their Hearts")
Walking The Endless Night (「果てなき暗夜を往く」 "Move Towards The Endless Dark Night")
Okay that's everything! Next week hopefully there'll be a new card on Monday and if not then well. . .we know the new episode is in a week! So there'll definitely be new stuff then!! I'll yap as usual and let you go 👌🏾 maybe i can do it lazier in Haku's name lol
Gacha is gambling! Banners rerun! You don't need to spend your money to have Haku in bed by your side! But if you do decide to spend, please keep a close eye on how much you're spending--set a limit and keep to that limit!
Holy shit my internet just came back I'M ALREADY AT THE END OF THE POST DAWG YOU MISSED IT.
Y'know what that's my advice for the day. Anything worth doing is worth doing a little late. Anything worth going to is worth going to a bit later than usual. Sleep in if you're tired. That's self care too. You wanna take a walk but it's too dark? Go for a little one around the block anyway. Don't worry about the 'right time.'
Here are the stats! See you Monday or next Thursday for the season finale!!!
already posted this drawing on my TikTok (crwnspade) and twitter account (which is adxele_ btw) but felt like posting this here too since i completely forgot about tumblr😭😭😭
crackfic where in some anomalous incident your future kid is sent back in time and thrown into darkwick during the canon timeframe (except they look exactly like you and are an absolute little SHIT who refuses to specify which of the ghouls is the father—(only that it’s one of them)
crackfic where in some anomalous incident your future kid is sent back in time and thrown into darkwick during the canon timeframe (except they look exactly like you and are an absolute little SHIT who refuses to specify which of the ghouls is the father—(only that it’s one of them)
pixelskylines
germansingergirl
2087
ellievsbear
dailybridgerton
discoholicmusic
