I asked @zebcusonâ for a Flaming Arrow prompt and he gave me âAva gets a motorcycleâ so have a quick modern AU drabble. God, I missed writing these two.
- MOTORCYCLE
Odin stared at the girl stood across from him, expression twisted as if he was trying to solve some internal mathematics question.
âWh-What?â
âI said I got a motorbike! Check it out!â Ava grinned as she threw her arms out in a gesture towards the beaten up vehicle currently standing in her garage. When sheâd excitedly invited him over âto check something outâ heâd been expecting her to reveal sheâd gone and bought a kitten.
Not this.
âI h-heard what you said,â he retorted, taking a step forward and eyeing the motorcycle. It was a standard type in plain black and judging from the worn tires and scratched up seat, was second-hand. Nothing like his sport bike which was built for speed and acceleration but still dangerous for someone like her with no experience.Â
God, he could already see her crashing it into a wall.
Raising his head, his eyes drilled into her own as he gave her a dubious look. âW-What the hell m-made you go and b-buy a bike?âÂ
Some of the glee in her face faded at his response, smile fading into a frown as she regarded him defensively. âWhat, like youâre the only one allowed to have a motorbike?â
âThatâs d-differentââ
âYeah, yeah, we get it, youâre a regular teenage rebel,â Ava cut in with a roll of her eyes that made him frown. Planting her hands on her hips, the redhead held her nose in the air. âWell, maybe Iâve decided to try the whole rebel shtick now, too!â
Odin stared flatly. âR-Really? Youâre g-going to be a r-rebel? â
âMm-hmm!â
âYou st-still sleep with a stuffed r-rabbit.â
âWha-!â She snapped her head around toward him, face flushing as she dropped her arms. âLeave Mr. Snuggles out of this!â
Oh man, he couldnât help it. He laughed. Raising a hand to his mouth in a futile attempt to restrain further laughter, Avaâs face turned further red at his reaction.
"Are you going to help me ride it around out back or not?â
âY-Yeah, sure...â Heâd indulge her for a day at least.
Ten minutes later, when Ava pressed down on the accelerator instead of the brake and rammed the thing into a fence, Odin desperately tried not to laugh.
Title: Contract
Synopsis: Five years ago, Ava Ire made a contract with a demonic entity. Now, with the help of a snarky Reaper, a judgmental Exorcist and a bitchy ghost she's hoping to escape the fate of her soul being damned for all eternity.
Ships: Ava/Odin as a side-ship.
Characters: Pretty much everyone appears or makes a cameo.
Title: Rewind
Fandom: DanganRonpa 2
Synopsis: Chiaki Nanami discovers she can ârewindâ deaths within the simulation. But at a cost.
Characters/Ships:Â Chiaki, Hajime, Peko etc etc. Everybody from SDR2 is here. Some HinaNami which is either platonic or romantic based on how you want to perceive it.Â
Everyone dies. Everyone is a murderer. Nobody is free of sin.
Read on AO3 here.Â
- ACT 1:Â RESET
She first discovers it following the Imposters first death. Screams echo around her within the lodge as everyone stares upon the motionless body of âByakuya Togamiâ beneath the table.
Sheâd failed.
âWhat is this!?â Nekomaru roared, hands clutching his head as he stared in horror.
She was supposed to monitor them. She was supposed to help them recover. She was supposed to prevent this from happening.
âTh-ThisâŠ. This is impossibleâŠ.!â Kazuichiâs voice cried, voice wobbling before he became defensive. âDonât mess with me! This must be some kind of mistake!â
Her fingers grasped around the straps of her backpack tightly, knuckles turning white.
âThisâŠ. This canât be real blood, right? I-Itâs gotta be something like jam or sauceâŠâ Ibuki insisted. âC-C-CauseâŠ. if not then th-thisâŠâ
Her lips pressed together flatly. This wasnât meant to happen.
Nobody was supposed to die.
â...On this tropical paradise known as Jabberwock Island the very first murder has finally taken place!â Monobearâs laughter bounced off the walls as the students looked at him in horror as he went on in glee.
âByakuyaâŠ. was killed by one of you!â
No.
This wasnât fair.
This shouldnât be happening.
This couldnât be happening.
-and then, suddenly it wasnât.
Chiaki Nanami gave a jerk as she suddenly found herself standing outside of the old hotel lodge. The night air blew across her cheeks and ruffled her hair with a cool breeze and the sound of music blared from behind her inside the building where the party appeared to be in full swing if the laughter and cheers said anything about it.
What-
âOi, are you listening to me?â
She blinked at the annoyed voice, turning her head to find Fuyuhiko stood before her with an irritated expression upon his face.
The girl gave him a blank look and tilted her head. â....Huh?â
His nostrils flared. âI said what the hell are you doing here? Why are you even alone out here? Shouldnât you be inside with the rest of them?â
She stared. This felt⊠familiar.
â....Iâm standing guard to stop Monobear from sneaking inside.â Her lips formed the response automatically.
Sheâd met Fuyuhiko earlier.
âHehâŠ. How diligent of youâŠâ
Theyâd had this conversation before.
When the yakuza boy left, Chiaki stared after him as if in a daze as she attempted to quickly piece this all together. But even with her amazing puzzle solving she found herself stumped.
âChiaki-chanâŠ.â The concerned tone came from her side and as she looked down the gamer was about to gently scold Monomi for calling her by her given name in public. But then her eyes saw Monomiâs expression. She looked scared . When the rabbit spoke, her voice was quiet and laced with nerves. âChiaki-chanâŠ. what did you do?â
She opened her mouth but no words came forth. She didnât know.
What had she done?
âThisâŠ. This canât be real blood, right? I-Itâs gotta be something like jam or sauceâŠâ Ibuki insisted. âC-C-CauseâŠ. if not then th-thisâŠâ
Chiaki stared at the blood pooling from her classmates body.
Again.
It had happened again.
Somehow⊠somewayâŠ. She had gone back. To a few hours before the murder had occurred - even though that shouldnât be possible.
âUpupupupu! On this tropical paradise known as Jabberwock Island the very first murder has finally taken place!â
She squeezed her eyes shut and wished it away.
And it was granted.
The next time around she realised she should wait and figure out how to prevent the blackout. That was what allowed the killer the opportunity to murder.
She investigated with Sonia and found the irons in the warehouse. Every minute spent after the death not going back set her on edge. Was there only a small time frame between the time of death and the moment she rewinded where she had the capability to go back? After all, if somebody âdiedâ in the simulation they would essentially become braindead outside of it. To undo that - to bring the person back to life - whatever she was doing went beyond the current events inside the simulation and reached out to interfere with the students brains bodies directly.
What manner of âhackingâ would even make that possible? If this was a game it would be classified as godmodding and considered cheating.
âŠ.Was she cheating?
When the moment came that she did ârewindâ however and returned to being outside the lodge, Chiaki spun on her heel and ran inside the building â to the surprise of Monomi and Fuyuhiko â and turned the irons off thus preventing a power surge.
The party came to an end and nobody died.
Sheâd succeeded.
âChiaki, I-I donât know what you did tonightâŠ. But whatever it was, pwease donât do it again!â Monomi pleaded with her paws pressed together.
Monomi was the only other individual aware of the rewind. All the other students remained blissfully unaware of the fact their friend had died several times over tonight. Even Monobear appeared ignorant to it - thankfully.
âIâm sorry for worrying you, Monomi.â She whispered, giving her companion a soft smile as she sat on her bed and patted the crying rabbit. She didnât understand what had transpired tonight either. How she had been able to do such a feat which should be impossible â it didnât make sense.
Later when Monomi had left (off to battle one of the Monobeasts and claim a new island) and  she stood to get changed and remove her clothes, Chiaki caught sight of something odd.
Staring down at the inside of her right wrist, her eyebrows drew together at the sight of a dark patch present. It was no bigger than her thumbnail and looked off-colour from the rest of her skin. It was almost as if her avatar hadnât loaded properly. As if a few pixels had been interrupted and were now glitching-
Her heart lodged in her throat at the prospect and when she moved her hand to brush her fingers across the area, an unpleasant sensation shot up her fingertips like electric and left  a numb sensation. She yanked her hand away and kneaded feeling back into them.
After a while she threw her night clothes on and tugged her sleeves down to hide the anomaly from view so neither Monomi or Monobear would see it.
Maybe it was temporary.
She could hope that, right?
Two days passed.
And then Nagito Komaeda died.
Found on the beach with no external injuries, she was one of the first to find him when they noted he was missing from dinner. He still held that carefree and gentle smile upon his face even in death.
He didnât deserve to die.
âI failedâŠ.â Byakuya whispered as they knelt on the beach beside the luckster, face pale and engulfed with grief as they clenched their teeth. Sonia placed a consoling hand upon their shoulder as tears fell down her face and screams and panic swallowed everyone whole.
Chiaki made a mental apology to Monomi as she rewinded.
She knew she couldnât just rewind however. That didnât solve the issue.
Someone - or multiple someones - had been manipulated by Monobearâs words into killing.
Chiaki arranged a prompt visit to the beach earlier that morning with everyone invited. When she mentioned a BBQ being present Byakuya hopped on board immediately and assisted in sorting everything out and handling âsecurity.â
She tried not to look at Monomi who stared at her sadly from afar.
The skin around her wrist itched and her fingers twitched as she resisted the urge to scratch it.
When she spotted Teruteru purposefully avoiding Nagito she knew he was the one and she approached him for conversation, ignoring and shutting down his various innuendos. (âWant me to rub some sunscreen on your body? Iâve been told my hands are verrrrry talented outside of the kitchen too, uhu!â)
âDid something happen between you and Komaeda-san?â
The chef froze and instantly clammed up, stammering and stuttering. âW-Wh-What? P-Preposterous! Haha, wh- what are yâ talkinâ âbout? Oâ courâ nah!â
She probably didnât have enough hope shards for him to confess what had transpired. But she also didnât have the time to collect them all from him.
He was going to kill his classmate in just a few hours.
âI believe in you, Hanamura-san.â
When he stared at her in surprise - and was that guilt she saw? - she just smiled at him encouragingly. He wasnât a murderer. Not in this do-over. He had another chance.
âIâm glad I was granted the chance to befriend you. I want us all to get along andâŠ. If something did happen, I hope you know that you can rely on us.â A pause and as she looked out into the ocean her expression hardened. She wouldnât let any of them disappear. Sheâd protect them. Even if it did mean being a lousy cheater.
When Mahiru came over (âHey! I hope youâre not making her uncomfortable, Teruteru!â) the discussion came to an end and she wasnât sure if sheâd said enough to sway his mind.
But by the end of the day everyone was alive.
Thatâs all that mattered.
Teruteru came clean about how Nagito had stated his wish to commit a murder. There was an uproar instantly and some wished to tie him up to prevent him having free reign. Others protested to this and eventually it was agreed they would always have at least two individuals watching over him and he wasnât to be left alone.
Chiaki knew Nagito was only acting this way because of the circumstances Monobear had forced them into. Otherwise, he would never be a murderer of his classmates. She believed in him and that was why she continued to defend him to the others and insist he join in their fun activities.
Hajime trusted her and followed step, and one by one the others agreed if somewhat hesitantly. Chiaki watched with a fond smile as hope shard after hope shard was obtained between them all.
Being able to see the former Despairs bonding was worth any unfortunate side-effects on her part.
When she next checked her reflection the âglitchâ as she referred to it as had grown larger, now beginning to crawl up her arm. It looked like rot spreading.
She placed another long-sleeved shirt on and put it out of view.
Monobear grew restless from their âboring murderless daysâ and shoved a further motive at them in the form of a video game. Byakuya loudly declared that nobody would play it and kept watch over it all night with Peko, alternating between security with Akane and Nekomaru. Nobody disagreed since none of them trusted Monobear.
The days passed by and one week faded into the next. Eventually there fears regarding the video game began to fade and after a long discussion they decided to ease up on the security - just a bit.
The following day Mahiru Koizumi died.
She rewinded.
When they arranged for Nekomaru and Akane to be on first watch, Chiaki intervened and asked to go in Akaneâs place.
Taking watch over the machine with the coach, she felt guilty when she asked him to go fetch some medication from the pharmacy after claiming her head hurt. And because the older man trusted her he went with no problem, promising to be back from the other island soon.
In the time he was absent she played the video game and passed it easily - she was the SHSL gamer after all - obtaining a prize and staring at the photographs within it with a narrowed gaze.
She later tore them to pieces and threw them into the trash can inside her cottage.
The glitch had now reached her elbow.
Monobear didnât give up.
The Despair Disease was difficult to combat since there was no way to âpreventâ it when it was a motive belonging to Monobear.
The first time it was Ibuki who died.
When Chiaki rewinded however it was different individuals who were infected with the disease.
Instead of Akane, Nagito and Ibuki it was Sonia, Hiyoko and Kazuichi. The student killed was Hajime instead.
Then Gundam.
Then it was Teruteru.
Each time it changed, the situation and the setup. The murderer and the victim.
The glitch had infected her entire right arm and shoulder, now beginning to creep its way onto her torso.
She purposefully avoided looking at her reflection when changing.
Monobear was aware of her rewinding.
She suspected this the first time she went back after Ibukiâs death and the victims of the Disease changed. If there was one thing she knew regarding her âhackingâ it was that every instance she rewinded everyone did and said the exact same things unless she interfered and altered the course of events.
Monobear had changed his behaviour without any input from her.
She didnât call him out on it but it did make sense for him to be aware if Monomi was as well.
The realisation that he was conscious  of what she was doing made her nauseous.
She continued to rewind.
Chiaki sat on the steps within Nezumi Castle, a GameBoy in her hands as she stared blankly at the âGAME OVERâ screen after dying. This was the only location on all of the islands where neither Monomi or Monobear could enter.
Monomi was upset with her.
Guilt ate at her heart knowing that fact but she couldnât stop. She knew she was breaking the rules. She knew whatever she was doing wasnât meant to be possible and however she was making it happen was going against the rules of the simulation. She was a lousy hacker. A cheater. The side-effects it was causing to her avatar was proof enough that it was a dangerous thing as it continued to eat away at her. If Monobear were to ever find a way to steal this ability for himself it would be bad.
But she couldnât not bring them back.
âNanami?â
Lifting her head at the voice she found Hajime walking towards her. Heâd died once. Sheâd seen it. The shadows beneath his neck at this angle looked eerily familiar to the dark bruises that had covered his pale throat like a choker-
âNanami?â
She jumped at his voice, blinking away the image. He was giving her a look of concern. How long had she been spacing out for?
âAhâŠ. Hinata-san.â His shoulders slumped in relief at her eventual response.
âUh, is it okay if I sit with you?â
âMhhm.â She shuffled aside and returned her gaze to her console as she restarted the game. He seated himself beside her with a comfortable space between them.
âAre you hiding from Saionji-san?â She asked without removing her eyes from the screen.
âHuh?â Hajime gave her a look before grimacing slightly. âUhâŠ. hahâŠ. Yeah, the whole drill sergeant motif is pretty tiring.â The Despair Disease seemed fond of keeping things fresh. Hiyoko was intimidating to begin with. Having her then yelling at them to âshut the hell up and do five laps around the islandâ was just overkill. It didnât help that Akane and Nidai seemed to love it, going along with the whole charade and encouraging the dancer. Even Mahiru wasnât spared from the girls wrath.
âTogami and Koizumi were trying to get her to accept treatment from Tsumiki last I left them.â Hajime went on. He paused before casting her a glance. âActuallyâŠ. I wanted to ask if you were okay, Nanami.â
She blinked. Her character on screen died - again - when she failed to make a jump, having become distracted. âHuh? Me?â She looked at him in confusion.
âYouâve beenâŠ. different these past few days. Togami thought you might be ill as well but when Tsumiki checked you, you had no fever so we passed it off. But... it doesnât change the fact  that youâve not been acting yourself.â
She frowned.
Had sheâŠ. really been acting so different? It was hard to keep a clear timeline of things when sheâd rewinded so much. The impact of seeing so many repeated deaths of those she considered her friends - it was logical for it to have affected her somewhat. Especially lately when she was still at a loss of how to prevent it.
Perhaps she had been acting off.
â....Sorry. Thank you for worrying about me... but Iâll be okay.â She stopped herself from tagging on âI thinkâ to the end, knowing that wouldnât help.
He still looked doubtful. A moment passed and he pulled something out of his pocket. âHere, this is for you.â
Her eyes fell on the power gauntlet and in an instant her eyes lit up. âAh-! Â This is a really rare item!â As she grabbed the console and moved it around in her hands with a grin, Hajime relaxed upon seeing her smile for the first time in a few days.
âThis seems a littleâŠ.â Her expression softened, lips quirking. âI feel like this might raise a flag.â
âHuh?â
One day she rewinded and there was no Despair Disease.
She went to breakfast, dreading who she would see afflicted today but nobody was. Not noticeably anyway.
The only one who appeared to be acting any differently was herself since she was on edge and paranoid.
The numbing sensation had spread along her back.
The Despair Disease may have stopped.
But the motives continued. Blackmail. Money. Starvation. Love. Fame.
The murders kept occurring. Poisoning. Stabbing. Shooting. Drowning. Electrocution.
Always a different victim. Always a different method.
The days began blending together. She found it difficult to piece together which event happened on what day - what had happened, what had been erased. On more than one occasion sheâd mention something only to receive confused looks when they had no idea what she speaking about.
Even her diary was a scrambled mess. She was guilty to admit sheâd become so fixated on rewinding lately that sheâd been lacking in her reports. That was partially due to being afraid of how those outside the simulation must think of her now - her actions could be considered deviation from her original role. What if she was damaging the simulation? Was she considered a threat?
She felt exhausted as well. She hadnât been napping since sheâd been so determined on working to prevent murders and talking fellow students out of killings they were planning. She was still a young AI, it tired her out to be so active for such prolonged periods of time.
Monomi had seen her body and the glitch overtaking her one day and had been horrified. The entire right side of her body from the neck down was now afflicted, pixels off-coloured and distorted as if the very data of her avatar was corrupted. She had begun wearing gloves and tights to hide this.
âChiaki-chan, you have to stop this! Itâs destroying you! Itâs not meant to happen! Th-That Monobear must have pwanned this! You canât do it! Pwomise me!â
When she had stared at Chiaki with pleading eyes full of tears, the gamer had swallowed past the lump in her throat and shaken her head. She couldnât make that promise.
Monomi refused to speak to her after that.
One day the intended murderer came after her.
Chiaki narrowly missed the sword aiming for her as Peko swung it - a real sword. The swordswoman kept a stoic face showing no emotion as she cornered the gamer in the library. Chiaki hadnât told anyone of her intention to visit the building that morning but Peko seemed too prepared and determined for this to be a simple coincidence of the wrong time and place.
Was she infected by the Despair Disease again? Occasionally that did reappear. Had something happened with Fuyuhiko? Had Monobear told her something?
She fell against a wall, using it for support.
âPekoyama-san-â
It was no good. She had to rewind. If she died she couldnât be here to prevent any of these things from happening.
But Peko true to her SHSL title was quick and the next thing Chiaki knew there was a sharp blade imbedded within her right shoulder.
It⊠didnât hurt.
She stared wide-eyed at Peko hovering over her. The braided girlâs expression twisted when Chiaki made no sound of pain nor bled from her shoulder. A strange liquid did begin to seep from the area but it was like dark sludge. Peko stared at her as if she was a monster.
âWhatâŠ. What are you?â
Chiaki felt her face paling before she quickly slammed her eyes shut and erased this moment.
The next time it was Kazuichi. She winced when he began trying to shove her over the metal railing at Sea King Industries head first. No matter how much she yelled at him to calm down he continued crying and babbling. âY-Youâll all see-! Sonia-san too! Sheâll see how cool I am and nobody will laugh at me!!â
The moment she was thrown over and went sailing through the air she rewinded.
Then it was Akane. She suffered a black eye from the gymnasts fists who then proceeded to throw the gamer around before clamping hands tightly around her throat. Fingernails bit into her skin and she released a choke as she tried to push the heavier girl off her. A trail of black liquid trickled down her nose from where sheâd been hit once.
âNgggrrrhrhhhhhh.â Akane growled animalistically at her, no sign of the laughing and joking girl from earlier present. What had happened?
She managed to rewind only seconds before she blacked out.
The first person she met after several consecutive attempts on her life was Hajime and she instinctively flinched away from him. He gave her a confused and slightly hurt look and she felt guilty. She shouldnât be acting like this. She wasnât created to act like this.
Maybe she really had contracted the Despair Disease. Or maybe the glitch was affecting her in ways more than appearance. Was the black sludge inside her toxic? Was it a virus? Was she a virus?
Hajime gave her the same speech about his concerns over her before gifting her the power gauntlet again. She replied the exact same dialogue, like a character in her video games who was destined to provide the same pieces of text over and over.
As she held the console in her hands, the smile felt foreign and unfamiliar on her face. How long had it been since sheâd smiled?
She looked at Hajime who appeared delighted with her reaction. She held the console tightly against her chest and spoke the same line.
âI feel like this might raise another flag.â
âHuh?â
She wondered idly how long it would be until Hajme attempted to kill her.
After Mahiru made an attempt on her life, Chiaki visited Monobear.
âWhy are you doing this?â
âHmmmm? Doing what exactly? Youâll have to be more specific there, Iâm a busy bear!â He asked as he tilted his head innocently.
She frowned. She knew he was manipulating different students into killing her each time. Sometimes it was obvious he had infected them with the Despair Disease to make their personalities unstable. Other times she was certain he had met with the student in private and emotionally manipulated - or blackmailed - them into it.
âWe wonât let you win.â She said, a firmness behind her words. âI wonât let anybody die.â
The bear grinned back at her. âUpupupuâŠ. You say that Nanami-san, but just how long do you have left before you vanish?â His eyes shined with glee as he stared at her body as if he perversely peering directly at the infected skin underneath it. âYâknow nobody likes a rotten cheater! And youâre rotting from the inside out, upupupu!â
He was still laughing when she turned and walked away.
One day she looked in the mirror and realised the glitch had begun to crawl up her throat. She took to wearing a scarf partially hiding her lower face.
âBwahahaha! You dare to imitate the Dark Lord Gundam Tanaka, a lowly human such as yourself?â The animal breeder bellowed when he saw her new item of fashion. âYour power level is far too low to even attempt to be on my level! âŠ.Hm, but perhaps with trainingâŠ. Yes, yes, consider yourself lucky, thoughtful one! For I, the great Gundam Tanaka have decided to give you my precious time and knowledge!â
Her body began to feel more numb with each passing day. Even the emotions sheâd been programmed to feel seemed to become more and more bland.
When youâd seen so many consecutive deaths and dead bodies in a row, the shock began to wear off.
One day she found herself knelt over the body of Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu during investigation. Her attention turned to the boys decapitated head and when she moved to pick it up, Sonia screamed.
âD-D-Donât pick up the head!!! Are you crazy? Do you want to get cursed, lady!?â Kazuichi screamed.
Chiaki stared back at them blandly and it took a while for it to click that her actions werenât ordinary. She placed the head back where she found it but everyone present still looked restless and eyed her warily.
Her fingernails dug into her sleeve as she scratched her arm.
All of her limbs and back had been claimed now. She felt no sensation. No touch. No cold. No heat.
She wondered if she really was going to vanish away completely.
She wished she knew what her father or big brother would have done in this situation.
She couldnât figure out any solution to this neverending nightmare.
One day she found herself stood in her cottage at night and couldnât remember how or when sheâd arrived there. The last thing she recalled was being on the beach that morning.
Her memories were being eaten away as well as her body.
She caught sight of her reflection whilst changing one day and noted further pixels had been corrupted since she last looked.
She didnât remember rewinding to have them appear.
Was she forgetting entire days now?
The next morning she awoke and even more had been eaten away.
She held firmly onto her determination. She wasnât scared. She wasnât. She was an AI. She wasnât even alive - she didnât exist in reality. The notion of âdeathâ or âdyingâ shouldnât terrify her.
So then why did her heart thump erratically when she considered she might disappear?
She dropped the knife with a startling clang as it fell against the diner floor, staring in horror at the body of Mikan Tsumiki laid motionless before her.
Blood. There was so much blood.
It was on the knife. And all over the floor and-
Her.
Her breath caught in her throat. What had happened? What was going on? Why was she holding a knife!?
Sheâd been- sheâd been in her cottage just a moment ago- hadnât she?- Itâd been night- Now it was daytime- sheâd been going to sleep-
She turned her face to look out the window only to meet the eyes of Junko Enoshima peering back at her from the window reflection.
She screamed.
Stumbling against a chair, when she looked back in the window it was just her own reflection but that wasnât- itâd been-
âOi, we heard a scream! Whatâs going on- oh shit!â Fuyuhiko appeared in the doorway with Nagito and Hajime, the three boys dressed in swimming trunks.
Hajime quickly rushed over to Mikan as Fuyuhiko looked towards her. She saw his eyes take in the blood coating her hands and clothes before his eyes narrowed suspiciously. âWhat happened?â Before she could reply, another voice interrupted them:
âHey- Sheâs alive!â
All three of them snapped their attention towards Hajime. He remained by Mikanâs side as he peered up at them. âRun to the hospital and get medical supplies! And someone grab Pekoyama - she said she has medical training!!â
Chiaki felt the floor fading out beneath her.
Mikan was alive.
She was going to live.
Chiaki didnât have to rewind.
Except.
No.
If Mikan livedâŠ. Sheâd tell everyone that Chiaki had stabbed her- because she had, hadnât she? Sheâd somehow- someway- she was broken- she was infected- she should be deleted-
âNanami!â
She met Hajimeâs frantic gaze who was staring at her with panic as he held onto a pale Mikan. When their eyes locked he grit his teeth together. âFuyuhikoâs gone to get Peko and Nagitoâs gone to the hospital, go help him!â
She didnât move.
âNANAMI!â
âIâŠ. Iâm sorry.â
She rewinded.
She ignored the knocks on her cottage door.
She couldnât see any of them. She couldnât speak to them or be with them. She was dangerous.
It was ironic. Sheâd gone through all of this to keep them safe and in the end the biggest danger was now her.
It was probably for the best that she be deleted.
Monomi had been right hadnât she?
She wasnât sure how long she remained there, with various and different people coming to her door to try and coax her out. Hidden beneath her scarf, hoodie and blankets upon her bed she simply did the only thing she was good at.
She played games.
Sheâd completed this particular one seven times when the door suddenly opened causing her to look over.
âHey, Nanami.â Hajime greeted her with a warm smile as he entered. She saw him glance back - presumably others were outside - before he closed the door softly.
âHow did you get in?â She asked, blinking. It had been locked.
âMonobear let me in. He was reluctant at first but we needed to bring you this.â He placed a plate of food on the floor by her bed. When was the last time she had eaten, again? Not that it mattered - she didnât need to eat to survive even if she was programmed to feel hunger. She wasnât real after all.
She stared at it for a long time before speaking. âThank you. Iâll eat it laterâŠ. I think.â
He nodded, allowing a long moment of silence to extend between them. She waited for the inevitable.
âNanami...â He sighed. âDidâŠ. something happen? You refuse to come out of your cottage. It wasnât long ago you seemed really excited for the beach.â
âMhhm, that was fun.â She admitted, lowering her gaze.
âWha- no I mean, we havenât gone yet. We were meant to go today.â Oh. âThe girls want you to come too. Uh, Mioda is really excited about seeing you in a bikini. She wanted me to tell you she has some you can try on?â He scratched his cheek awkwardly when mentioning the latter part.
She said nothing.
He frowned. âWell, if anything changes⊠weâre all here waiting. Owari was planning on breaking your window to get in just so you know which would be breaking a rule. Nidai had to physically restrain her as we begged Monobear to let us in.â He turned to leave before stopping abruptly. âOh. Before I go - here.â
Even before she looked up she knew what gift would be waiting for her. Chiaki reached out and accepted the gloved shaped console. âThank you, Hinata-san.â
He raised an eyebrow. âWhat, not going to say anything about flags?â
She froze. Her eyes shot up to meet his and his forced smile gave way to confusion at the intensity of her gaze. âUh, yeah?â
He didnât even seem aware of what heâd said or he was at least unaware of the importance of it.
âWhatâŠ. flags?â
âHuh? UhâŠ.â He scratched his temple before frowning. âUmâŠ. I donâtâŠ. know? Ah, I donât know why I actually said that. Sorry.â He gave her an apologetic smile.
The moment of hope that had been blossoming was quickly squashed down. It was just a flook.
She was still alone.
Whenever she heard a body diÍÍÌŠÌÌÌscovery announcement she rewinded. Sheâd lost her entire body below her neck now. Her face was also suffering, her right vision partially gone.
Even a scarf wouldnât hide the damage now. It was impossible for her to leave the cottage.
They continued to bring her meals as she remained hidden beneath her bed sheets. They tooÒkÍ turÌns, with whoever visited opting to stay a few moments to speak and attempt to coax her out.
They all failed.
Then, oÍÍĄnÌe day it was Monobear who brought the food.
âHere you go, kid.â
She glared at him.
âPuhuh, if looks could kill Iâd be dead where I stood! What happened to the innocent Ch̶Í̧iÍĄaÒÍąķ̚iÌą Ì·NÍaÍÍĄnami I once knew?â He asked. âOh right-! My bad, we killed her years ago!!â He covÌžeÍÍŗ̎eÍd his mouth beneath his paws as he giggled. âBecause itâs noÌąÌŁtÍÌÌŻÌȘÌ€Ì Í̧ÍÌÌlÒÍÌÌȘÌÍike youâre the real Chiaki. Youâre a fake. A cheap replacement. Maybe you should be the SHSL Imposter instead, huh?â
Heŗ̻ ÌĄÍÍ ÍÍfÌÍ̱ÌșÌÌ€ÌłÌŠÍ̱ÍiÍÍsÌĄÌÌÍÍts clenched in her lap.
âHey, at least hear a bear out!â He c omplained. âLetâs face it, the way that gross rot is spreading you probably only have a few more attempts at that cheating ability of yours before itâs game over!â
Chiaki jerked abruptly in her seat and Monobear grinned, teeth flashing at the sight of her.
A long moment of silence stretched between the two before the girl spoke softly, voice lilted.
â....What are your proposing?â
"Upupupupu~"
Act I: End
Join in for the second - and final - act with our protag Hinata taking charge of the narrative next chapter. Itâs gonna be wild.
Trivia:
Chiaki did still attend Soniaâs beach party but wore her hoodie over her swimsuit to hide the glitch on her.
Hiyoko didnât die in the third instance since Mahiru was still alive to tie her kimono.
Peko went after Chiaki because Monobear manipulated her into thinking she was a threat to Fuyuhiko. Monobear was a bitch.
Chiaki âIâve never screamedâ Nanami. That came untrue in this fic. Seeing your reflection as Junko can do that to ya.
In this case they never entered the funhouse. You could argue itâs because the âtrainâ that took them there only had 12 seats and thereâs 16 of them⊠but itâs mostly just down to Monobear changing his plans due to Chiakiâs interference.
flaming arrow prompt: ava finds out odin is the host for wrathia's husband
edit: I since learned the Limbo Lenses are Ava-exclusive and only work for her and that she canât hear the demons - only see. This was written before I found this out so take it with some suspension of disbelief.
- Who Are You, Really?
He was seated on the couchhalf-dozing as they waited for the ship to reach its destination. Gil hadvacated to the other side of the vehicle in a not-so-subtle attempt to get asfar away from himself and Ava as possible. Maggie had attempted to follow afterthe boy but considering the argument heâd heard taking place soon afterward, hewas under the impression the younger teen had been rebuffed and sent away. Heh,serves her right for lying so much. Karma always came back to bite you in theass for things like that.
âNnâŠ.â
Odinâs gaze moved towards thefourth and final occupant of the ship, currently laid asleep on the sofa beside him as ifshe had no care in the world whatsoever. You would have never thought the girl capable of decimating an entire TITAN headquarters if you looked at her now.
Her eyes moved beneath hereyelids as she shifted, and Odin jerked when Ava rested her head against him,the abnormal heat from her skin seeping through his clothing. It was like having a human hot water-bottle pressed against him. Just as he wasquestioning what to do with her, he felt it.
A wetness on his shoulder.
âUrgh-!â Shoving her off the sofa he recoiled away, the âdangerous alienâ landing with a thud and yelp.
âW-WhaâŠ.â There was a pause as she quickly took note of her surroundings at the abrupt awaking. Then, another when the relalisation of what had just happened sunk in. âHey-! What the hell!?â Pushing herself up, Ava pinned him with a sharp glare which he easily returned.
âY-You drooled on me!â
Her eyes widened at that, anger giving way to embarrassment and cheeks flushinggolden. âI- I did?â Her voice was a squeak.
He pointed to the wet patch uponhis sleeve. Her eyes took it in, face burning brighter and seriously- was thisreally the same girl who had annihilated an entire haven of TITAN followers?
âW-WellâŠ. I canât help it, I wasasleep!â she protested, looking anywhere but at him. He scoffed in responsethough he had to admit it was a little amusing watching how flustered shesuddenly was and- yup there came the infamous âpervert glassesâ as she tried tohide behind them in humiliation.
ââŠa-anyway! You still shouldnâthave shoved me off the sofa for that!â she snapped, regaining some of her ireas she glared at him from behind the lenses.
âRightâŠâ he drawled, âso n-next timeâŠ. I sh-should justlet you cuddle up t-to me all you want?â
Her face shone like a beacon, nostrils flaring and wisps of smoke escaping them. âI-Ididnât-!â
She stopped.
He raised an eyebrow.
â...Uh... A-Ava?â
The girl said nothing. The glow in her faceinstantly extinguished as she continued to stare up at him.
She was beginning to creephim out.
He stood and took a hesitantstep forward because this was getting way too weird for him. âH-HeyâŠâ It was then he noted her gaze still fixated in thesame position. She hadnât been looking at him.
Sheâd been looking at somethingbehind.
When Odin turned his head, his eyes fell upon Pedri seated on a counter behind the couch. The demon wasstaring intensely at Ava.
And AvaâŠ
Ava was staring back.
His heart leapt into his throat.
âY-You⊠You can s-see him?â His voice felt odd to his own ears, abit too high pitched to be normal but it successfully broke Ava out of whatevershock sheâd been caught in. The girl visibly flinched, head snapping to him andthen back to Pedri before she quickly jolted to her feet only to stumbleslightly.
âHeyâŠâ He reached outtowards her but she backed away, head dipped down to stare at the floor andavoid looking at either of them.
âNo no noâŠnononononono⊠this canât be happening!â She muttered, hands tugging at redlocks of hair.
 âYou can see him, c-canât you?â
She raised her head up to meethis gaze, expression torn and confused and looking as if she wanted to be anywhere but here right now. Odin wished he could read her thoughts right then because in this moment he had no idea what she was thinking.
âLittle firefly.â
Both of the teens jumped at the deep voice,looking toward Pedri who was gazing at Ava in⊠fondness?
Ava peered at the large andintimidating demon for a few moments before she let out a strangled sound andripped the glasses off her face with a pinched expression. The glasses were thrown across the room and Odin watched thishappen with little fanfare however he noted when Ava looked back in Pedriâs direction,her gaze now seemed to look through himmore than anything.
Breathing heavily, Ava wiped herhands down the length of her face with a groan. âWhy you? Why him? Wrathiaâsgoing to have a field day with this!â
âWrathia?â
âArgh!â She let out a yell thatmade him jump, stomping her foot as she paced the length of the room inagitation and muttered more. Odin watched her do this for a few moments before going to pick up theglasses sheâd discarded.
Were these what allowed her tosee Pedri?
Ava noticed him just as he placedthem over his own eyes and she made a beeline for him.
âHey-!â
-and suddenly there was a terrifying demoness heading towards him, like an older Ava with sharper teethand larger horns and an anger more aged and murderous.
She ripped the glasses off his face and the vision vanished, the demonic entity replaced with Ava once more whoglowered up at him. But unlike the other being heâd seen, he had no fear of this girl killing him. Not right now anyway. Ava took a step back away from him, her anger dimming as she turned her head to avoid his gaze. Silence stretched between them as she carefully toyed with the glasses in her hands.
ââŠ.Wh-Who are you really⊠AvaIre?â
Her lips pressed tightlytogether at the question, closing her eyes and releasing a soft sigh. When she looked at him once again she appeared tired - tired and resigned.
(Fun fact: When boiling water is introduced to freezing temperatures, it instantly evaporates and turns into mist).Â
âWhose bright idea was it to bring the girl who spews lava to a cave made of ice!?â
Read on AO3: Link
- Reflection
âY-You did it again.â
At the abrupt (and rather vague accusation) Ava glanced aside at her companion as they meandered through the ice caves and frowned in response. âDid what?â
Odin briefly cast her a glance before returning his attention forward. âY-You always look away⊠when you see your reflection in something.â They turned a corner and the pathway became narrower as they shifted to walking single-file with Odin in the lead.
Ava glared at the back of his head following the comment, deciding not to dignify it with a response as she instead attempted to focus on getting through this accursed underground labyrinth. The temperature was far below freezing and even though she was wearing several layers of gear and had molten lava flowing through her veins, each inhale sent an involuntary sharp chill into her burning lungs.Â
She felt as if she was being slowly frozen internally.
They made it through the narrow portion of the cave and entered a wider area where the ceiling was hidden beneath rows of thick ice stalactites hanging down. Odin paused for a moment to look up at their glistening sharp points whilst she meanwhile strode past him and went ahead.
When he caught up with her, he persisted on.
âI br-brought it up becauseâŠÂ I've noticed youâve only done that s-since you transformed.â He stepped into pace beside her as he observed her face without subtlety in trying to read her expression.
âNow whoâs the pervert spying on other people?â The floor beneath her feet sizzled with each footstep.
He scoffed. âD-Donât flatter yourself⊠and youâre avoiding t-the subject.â
âItâs none of your business.â Her skin shone brighter, ice within close proximity melting away.
âI-Is it because you look more like her?â
She spun on her feet and glowered at him. âI said butt out!â
He actually looked startled by her outburst, raising his hands in front of him in a placating manner. He spoke but she didn't catch sight of his words, attention snatched away by the sight of her reflection in the wall behind him. Red lips were pulled back to display pointed teeth, slit pupils burning with animosity and drowning in a sea of red as her scleras changed colour. Her skin glowed like the sun, with pointed ears and sharp horns completing the terrifying appearance staring back at her.
She looked the spitting image of Wrathia.
Ava jerked back so abruptly her back slammed against the wall, steam rising as the surface of the cave sizzled and burnt away to liquid upon coming into contact with her. Her eyes dropped down to the floor to avoid sight of herself, vaguely noting the fact they were now standing in a puddle of water as she grabbed at her head and tried to control her breathing.
She wasnât her.
She wasnât Wrathia.
She wasnât her tormentor.
She was Ava.
Ava Ire.
-and she was NOT a demon!
âH-Hey-!â Odin appeared in her vision as he stepped towards her with alarm, hands outstretched. She flinched away from him, pushing herself further into the wall which gave way like butter beneath the heat she gave off.
âA-Ava!â He grabbed at her wrists only to wince when the heat from her skin could be felt even through the thick gloves he wore. She snapped her head up at the sound of pain but before she could open her mouth to yell at him she noted his expression. He looked...
...terrified.
"Y-Y-You.... you n-need.... t-t-to calm down!" he forced out, words more jumbled than usual as his grip on her wrists tightened until she was the one wincing in pain. "O-O-Otherwise w-we're both going to be t-t-taking a s-swim...!"
It was then she became aware of the water now level with their ankles as the ice on the walls and ceiling continued to rapidly melt due to the spike in temperature emitting from her. The water bubbled around her feet as it boiled from her proximity, but even with that evaporating the water level was still rising as the cave submitted to the high temperature. The stalactites that had been hanging from the ceiling were either melting or falling down as one fell into the water a few feet from them and sent a splash of water against their legs. Odin flinched at the contact, body trembling and fingers squeezing her wrists hard enough to bruise even though she had long since eaten through his gloves and was now burning his skin.
If it had been any other situation she wouldn't have calmed down. She would have worked herself into a frenzy or run off. But when he was looking at her like that and holding onto her as if she was the only thing tethering him down, Ava found herself cooling down all too quickly. She knew she'd succeeded when the water ceased sizzling upon meeting her skin, and the boiling water at her feet released a plume of mist upon being introduced to below freezing temperatures so suddenly. Ava would have fanned it away had both her hands not been restrained by the older boy before her. She felt him tense as their vision was briefly obstructed from one another.
"I'm here."
The words left her lips automatically to reassure him since she feared he'd otherwise have his own panic attack. Ava recalled him telling her on one occasion before that he disliked water - she'd never realised just how serious his fear was.
"Come on." She managed to move one hand and slide it into his own as the mist finally faded around them, allowing them to see the exit once again. Pulling him along, she headed down the pathway which was on a raised incline and after a while they left the pool of water behind them. As they entered another area which wasn't affected by her outburst, Ava looked back to find him staring at his feet as he breathed heavily in an attempt to compose himself.
He was still gripping her hand.
"...Are you okay?" she asked and when he jerked his head up to stare at her with a hard gaze she knew that was pretty stupid question to ask. He noted their joined hands and yanked his own back as if she'd burnt him - which technically, she had.
"D-D-Don't..." He was still shaking, and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as he grit his teeth together to collect his words. "Don't.... e-ever do that again."
Her temper flared at that, a look on indignation passing her face. "You think I did that on purpose? It would have never been an issue if you hadn't been pushing your nose in!"
His eyes shot open at her sharp retort and he looked over to her in surprise before his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed together. "...I-I w-w-w.... w-was...." He stopped and his nostrils flared in frustration at the fact he was unable to get more than a few words out. Ava's anger dampened once again upon noting how effected he was, which wasn't fair god dammit! She wanted to be angry at him - he deserved it! It was his fault! She had every right to be mad at him and lash out!
...So why did she feel so guilty?
"...Do you want me to treat your hands?"Â
He gave her a confused look. "M-My.... m-my h-h-hands?" Odin looked down at them only to blink in surprise at the damage down to the palms of his hands. It looked like second-degree burns. He made the unwise decision of touching one only to hiss in pain, and then as if he had opened the floodgates and the pain had all come at once, the older boy swore colorfully.
"I can patch them up," she offered, taking a step forward.
"No." His reply was instant, not looking in her direction as he sat down on a ledge of ice and attempted to dig out some bandages from his backpack. Clearly rebuffed, Ava settled for sitting down as well although several feet away from him.
The silence was uncomfortable. She sat and chewed the inside of her mouth and picked at her fingernails for something to do, meanwhile Odin did the best he could to bandage his burnt hands until they returned to the ship with a proper first aid kit.
The atmosphere between them was as cold as the temperature of the cave itself.Â
The both of them stewed in their own thoughts for a long time before Odin eventually spoke up again. His lips were pulled into a slight grimace, reluctance clear in his face as the words left his mouth. âI... I-I shouldnât have asked about your issue⊠I wonât ask about it a-again soâŠâÂ
Ava look towards him but his attention was still on his hands. She knew he wasn't the type to apologise so this was the nearest to one she'd ever get. She swallowed and returned her gaze to her knees.
ââŠYou were right.âÂ
Odin blinked at the barely audible response. âW-What?â
She avoided his gaze, hugging herself. âYou were right... I donât like looking at myself. I try to avoid it if I can since.... since I look too much like her. I donât even look human anymore, I look like a m-" She cut herself off, clamping her lips together.
âA monster?â
Ava snapped her head around to stare at him in utter devastation. Odin flinched, holding his bandaged hands out with a look of alarm. âA-Ah, I didnât mean- I-I donât think that-! I was j-just⊠finishing what you were going to sayâŠ! Honest.â He lowered his hands somewhat. "I-I don't think you're a monster..."
She continued to eye him for an extended amount of time, visible beads of sweat lining his forehead at her intense scrutinisation. Until, eventually, she turned her head with a snort. He relaxed in relief.
ââŠDo you mean that?â she mumbled softly without looking back at him, using her hair to her advantage to conceal her face, âyou donât think Iâm monstrous?âÂ
âHeh⊠I-I saw you have five wipeouts i-in one day. You donât scare me.â
She looked across to him with pursed lips. ââŠI canât keep believe you kept count. Now whoâs the sad one?â
âYou, b-because you had five wipeouts in one day.â
She glared at him. He smirked smugly. The atmosphere was warmer.
ââŠAnyway, sh-should we move on? My s-socks are wet and itâs really despairing.â More so than the burnt hands apparently, but she felt he was avoiding mention of them for her sake - it wouldn't stop her from guilt-tripping herself over the injury of his for weeks though.
âFine. Though honestly, whose bright idea was it to bring the girl who spews lava to a cave made of ice!?â She resumed hugging herself as they stood and trod onwards through the tunnels.
âI-Iâd offer you my jacket again⊠but I d-donât need another one being burnt up.â
âThat was one time!â
âYou j-just ruined my gloves as well. Youâre going to owe m-me an entire wardrobe soon⊠o-or is this your way of trying to get me out of my clothes?â
Prompt- Odin asking Ava what Wrathia's part of the pact is
Sorry for the wait on this!
- Pact
âS-So, whatâs her part of the pact?â
Currently sat on the floor, Ava glanced back over her shoulder towards Odin who was sat in a chair reading that book of his at the table. At his question however, he turned his attention towards her leading the red-head to give him a suspicious frown.
It hadnât been that long since Odin had become aware of Wrathia, and Avaâs pact with her. To be perfectly honest, she wasnât entirely comfortable with him knowing since she hadnât intended on letting him know in the first place.
The less people who knew, the better.
âHer?â Ava repeated in an attempt to stall, acting as if she had no idea what he was on about.
Oh my God, I found a super old fanfiction I thought Iâd lost, that I wrote back in 2011. Behold a short cracky fanfiction based on the following video with the English Dub VAs.Â
- Confession Gone Wrong
"Fakir?.."
Ahiru peeked her head through the doorway, standing on tip toes as she tried to survey the bedroom for the familiar figure. Seeing nothing of the writer, she frowned and leaned further in.
A moment later, the balance on her toes vanished and she went flying forward into the room with a loud cry. Wincing, she rubbed the end of her nose which had met the floor, and stood up within the room.
He wasn't here.
Her frown deepened and a sense of impatience bubbled inside her. Why did he have to be out today?
Scowling at his absence, Ahiru turned and marched out of the room whilst muttering to herself. The one time she finally gathered the courage and he wasn't even there!
"Stupid." She muttered.
"Hey."
"Quaâ." Her hands flew up to her mouth as she turned around in surprise. Meeting the gaze of two green eyes, she took a step back in the hallway and felt her face instantly go red. It wasn't like she was blushing because she liked him or anything! Ever since she'd realised her feelings some months ago, she'd been fine at hiding them â it helped that Fakir seemed pretty clueless to her slip ups in occasional odd behaviour.
No, her blush was because of the reason she had come here to talk to Fakir⊠and now he was suddenly stood there.
There was no longer any excuse for her to back outâŠ
She could do this!
Lowering her hands, she swallowed nervously and opened her mouth, "F-Fakir?"
Her voice squeaked at the name on her lips, his gaze causing her to fumble on her words. It'd been much easier back in her room when she practiced with the birds in the morningâŠ
Fakir's eyes narrowed at her voice, moving his weight from one foot to the other as he tried to balance the pile of books in his hands. For a second Ahiru considered backing out, now obviously wasn't a good time if he'd come home with so many books!
Before she could excuse herself however, he replied.
"Yes?"
She slapped her hands over her mouth again to fight back the noise she knew she'd surely let out otherwise, she didn't know if it was just because of the words she planned to say and how nervous she currently was, but somehow his voice seemed much deeper than usual⊠And gentle too.
"âŠIdiot."
Scratch that last part.
She glanced down at the floorboards, too nervous to muster up a retort, "Um⊠Never mind."
Keeping her head down to avoid his eyes, Ahiru walked on to brush past him. Maybe another time thenâŠ
"No."
She stopped, her body now besides him. Lifting her head she found him still staring at where she'd previously been stood before Fakir turned his head down to gaze at her. "No, go aheadâŠ"
She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it againâŠ
Fakir sighed. "You've already got on my nerves, so you might as well finish."
Damn him!
She scowled, how could one person be so contradictory within such a short space of time? How the hell was she supposed to confess her feelings with him switching between hot and cold each second?
Right! She'd do it!
Turning around so her body faced him, Ahiru clenched her hands into fists, her eyes staring up at him with determination. He seemed intrigued by her sudden change and turned his body aswell, maneuvering the books so they weren't between them.
"WellâŠ" She began weakly before clearing her throat and trying again. "UhâŠ"
Just spit it out already!
"There's⊠something I thought I would say to youâ"
"Yes, pull down your pants."
Wait⊠What!?
The books fell. He pulled her towards him and leaned forward.
"QUA-mmmph!"
Ahiru leapt up, her hands slapping over her mouth as her face glowed a cherry red.
Her two friends meanwhile laughed aloud.
"And that's how that went down!" Pique shouted, holding her sides as she laughed uncontrollably.
"How sweet," Lilie giggled. "Poor Ahiru's first time, how embarrassing when Fakir realises she knows nothing!"
"But Fakir might like that." Pique replied. She placed a finger to her lips as she thought. "Some guys do prefer the girls to be less experienced so that they can lead."
"W-W-Wait guys!" Ahiru cried, her face now completely red. "I-It isn't like⊠like that between me and Fakir!"
"Ahiru's embarrassed! How cu-ute!" Lilie cried, leaping up and pulling Ahiru into a crushing squeeze. "There, there..." she petted the girls head. "Don't worry. It's fine if you remain single and alone the rest of your life! Don't worry about what others think!"
fluttergem: Ah, how about KomaMiki with Mikan finding out about Nagitoâs illness?Â
This did not go in the way I intended it too. Still cute, but wow I originally intended this to end in angst but somehow Mikan and Nagito refused to let me do that. I suppose thatâs a good thing? Also I always feel paranoid writing Nagito, how do you write him.
- Purity
âEeeeh!? Y-You have cancer?â
The boy beside her nods casually, admiring a seashell heâd picked up from the sand and acting as if he hadnât just dropped a major truth bomb upon her fragile state of mind.
Tsumiki had literally bumped into the luckster upon walking down the beach, and somehow the two had come to sit side by side in the sand at his suggestion. Although nervous, Tsumiki had been quite happy until heâd suddenly told her that.
âYes. Shortly before being accepted into Hopeâs Peak I was diagnosed with stage three malignant lymphoma as well as frontotemporal dementia.â
Her eyes widened with this news, staring down at her lap. âB-But thatâsâŠâ Her voice trailed off. To have such a diagnosis so young⊠the life expectation couldnât be that long-
âYouâre right. I was given six months to a year when I entered the school.â Komaeda went on, somehow being able to read her thoughts. (Or perhaps sheâd been mumbling aloud?) There was a pause, before he glanced aside at her with a brilliant smile. âI considered the good luck of attending such a beautiful academy to balance out such an unfortunate thing. And now I even find myself honoured to be in the presence of all you who embody hope. Why, I could die tomorrow and would be quite happy to -â
âP-Please donât say things like that!!â
ââŠHm?â Cutting off at her abrupt exclamation, Komaeda cocked his head to the side as he watched her, waiting for her to go on. He didnât seem at all surprised by her outburst.
Lips pressing together tightly for a moment, her eyes glanced from side to side nervously as she spoke. âIf⊠If Komaeda-san died, w-we would all be very upset! So⊠So, um, p-please donât talk about it in such a care-free manner!â Squeezing her eyes shut as she yelled the latter part, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.
The luckster stared at her for a moment, a moment of surprise on his face before he broke into another wide smile once again. âAah, how thankful I am to have someone as talented as you worried for trash like me. I clearly donât deserve such treatment, but thank you very much for your kind words Tsumiki-san.â
âUuuu⊠Komaeda-san, Iâm sorry-â
âHere.â
Raising her head at that, the nurse blinked away tears upon finding him offering her the seashell heâd been toying with whilst they sat there. However, upon staring she found it wasnât actually a seashell, but-
âA... pearl?â
He nodded. âI found an intact clam before you came by, and it happened to have this inside. Beautiful isnât it?â
Tsumiki was an awe. Werenât pearls supposed to be very rare to find? Then again, for someone with the title SHSL Good Luck, it wasnât all too unexpected for him to find one. At his insistence, she held out her hands and allowed him to drop it into her grasp, staring down at the white pearl.
Placing his hands behind him on the sand to support himself, Komaeda turned his attention forward toward the sea. âDid you know, Tsumiki-san? Pearls are said to attract wealth, luck and also grant protection. Amazing.â
âEh? Ah, uhm, n-no⊠I didnât know.â She wasnât sure how to react to the change in topic. After a moment she settled for trying to give it back to him, however he shook his head and spoke on.
âGems are also known to symbolise the wearer, itâs said. In particular, qualities such as purity and generosity.â His lips quirked up. âSomeone filthy like me could never hope to symbolise such traits.â
She frowned, gaze focused on the small object in her hands. Sheâd never been gifted such a beautiful item before. She felt⊠happy but also unsure how to respond. The fact she now knew he was dying continued to heavily weigh down on her, eventually leading her to hold out the pearl to him once again.
âHm? Ah you can keep it Tsumiki-san.â
She kept her hands out however, cheeks turning slightly red as she forced herself to speak. âIf it grants protection th-then... I want Komaeda-san to have it. I-Iâm useless and canât help with your illness, Iâm really sorry. But⊠m-maybe this will helpâŠ?â Oh what was she saying? She was being stupid and silly and he probably already hated her by now, right? Tears began to reform in her eyes at the thought, outstretched hands trembling slightly.
Gazing at her with surprise once again, Komaedaâs expression then melted into a smile and although she expected him not to, he accepted the pearl back and pocketed it. âThank you, Iâll treasure it.â
âHuaaaâŠâ Letting out a sound of relief, she then perked back up again a moment later when she heard their names being called. Turning her head, she found Ibuki along with a few others calling them from in the distance.
âHaah, it seems our secret rendezvous has been interrupted.â
âR-Rendezvous? Uuuu, p-please donât say things that might make people misunderstaaand!!â
anon: Mikan/Chiaki, things you said at 1am that I wasn't supposed to hear (very preferably fluff?)Â
I decided to do these two together, hope you donât mind guys! Have more shamless cuteness and fluff.
- 1am
It was 12.55am.
And yet Mikan Tsumiki found herself wide awake.
Somehow drawn into playing late-night video games with none other than their resident gamer Chiaki Nanami, the two girls sat atop a pile of pillows in dark-lit room with controllers in their hands and a large TV monitor in front of them.
âHawawaâŠ. Iâm stuuuck!!â Mikan cried, a constant source of nerves as she played.
In contrast Chiaki expertly clicked the buttons, eyes never once leaving the screen. âYou need to move back onto the track, Tsumiki-san.â
âI-Iâm tryiiiing!â She wailed, mashing the buttons like hell as their vehicles moved on screen.
.
It was 12.56am.
And Mikan Tsumiki wallowed as âYOU LOSEâ flashed up on her side of the screen.
Ten times. Ten times sheâd lost at Super Mario Kart.
Chiaki looked over towards the girl, and after a moment of thought reached out a hand to pat the nurse on the shoulder. âItâs okay, it takes practice.â
âUuuu⊠Iâm sorryâŠâ Mikan whimpered. She was awful at video games.
âItâs fine, Tsumiki-san. Youâll get better at it⊠I think.â
âHuu⊠youâre better asking s-someone else to play with you. They wonât be so awful.â
Chiaki blinked at her words, seeming unphased. âBut I want to play with you, Tsumiki-san.â
.
It was 12.57am.
And Mikan Tsumiki found herself staring at Chiaki in surprise.
âY-You doâŠ?â
âMhmm.â The gamer nodded, smiling.
ââŠBut⊠w-why?â Mikan frowned, eyebrows drawing together and her paranoia and self-esteem issues rising once again to the surface. âI-Iâm no good at games⊠a-and whenever we play on the same team I-I just ruin the game for youâŠâ Did Chiaki enjoy watching her do so badly? No, it couldnât be, Chiaki wasnât that sort of person. She was caring and kind and Mikan liked her and looked up to her so much.
âŠWhich was all the more reason she didnât want to make a bad impression in front of her.
Chiaki watched the girl who was deep in troubling thoughts, and setting the controller down, she turned around to face her.
âIt doesnât matter if youâre bad or good at video games.â Chiakiâs face softened with her words, offering the girl a warm smile. âSo long as weâre together, we can have fun.â
Mikan stared at her in surprise, hands clutched together over her chest.
âNanami-sanâŠâ
.
It was 12:58am.
And Mikan Tsumiki found her heart fluttering within her chest.
Cheeks tinted pink, she hoped the dark room hid the blush on her cheeks as she tore her gaze away from Chiakiâs in embarrassment.
âYouâŠâ She began, voice nervous and shaking. âY-You donât mind⊠if Iâm bad at itâŠ? Y-You donât think Iâm pathetic? O-Or silly or a nuisance or botherâŠ!â
The other girl shook her head, smile remaining upon her face as she leaned forward. Grasping both of Mikanâs hands gently, Chiaki pulled them away from the girls chest and held their hands between them both, smiling at the nurse as she interlocked their fingers together.
âTsumiki-san is Tsumiki-san.â
.
It was 12.59am.
And Mikan Tsumiki found her heart now thudding wildly.
As Chiaki gazed at her with a kind smile and held her hands firmly, Mikan found her heart swelling with emotion.
No matter what happened, Chiaki always looked at her with nothing but fondness and treated her sweetly.
The feelings that sheâd been keeping trapped within her until now suddenly felt too overwhelming, her pulse quickening and breath coming short. If she didnât release these emotions now, she feared she might burst from them.
Her hands gripped Chiakiâs tightly, and Mikan tugged the gamer a fraction closer as she leaned forward, their faces scant inches apart.
âIâŠâ
She couldnât keep them contained anymore.
âI like you, Nanami-san!!â
.
It was 1.00am.
And Mikan Tsumiki had just confessed to her crush.
Oh no.
Oh no no no no no no!
She hadnât meant to do that!
Chiaki wasnât supposed to hear that!
She froze, her body tense and face one of utter alarm and panic as she stared into Chiakiâs surprised eyes.
It was over.
Sheâd messed up.
She was so so stupid!
Why had she done that? She hadnât mean to-
âI like you too.â
-do that!
âŠWait, what?
Mikan blinked, staring at the girl before her. âH⊠HuhâŠ?â
Chiaki smiled at her, a faint hint of pink on her cheeks. âI said I like you too, Tsumiki-san. Very much.â
âO-OhâŠâ
.
It was 1:01am.
And Mikan Tsumiki had just had her crush reciprocated.
anon: Can you do a talent swap with Mikan/IshimaruÂ
Holy crap, this became so mushy and cheesy. But here you are! I can only pray I got Ishimaru IC, I relied on some old threads done with an Ishimaru RP-er for inspiration in writing his personality.
- Hand Holding
She was extraordinarily clumsy. In fact, he didnât think heâd met anyone before who spent so much time in the infirmary when they werenât a member of the Health Committee.
Not that he minded her frequent visits.
Actually⊠he rather liked them. Very much so.
âHm, here we are!â Applying the bandaid to the cut upon her knee, he pulled back with a wide smile. âGood as new, my friend!â
The girl seated on the edge of one of the cots, gave a small sheepish smile. âT-Thank you, Ishimaru-san⊠Iâm sorry to bother you like this, uyu.â
âNonsense! You could never be a bother, Tsumiki-kun!â He was quick to protest her statement, never wanting her to believe for a moment that he didnât enjoy her company. He loved seeing those beautiful smiles on her face and the warmth her expression and laughter would produce when she was happy. He found himself determined to make her feel such joy as often as he could, just as she did on him â even if it she didnât mean to intentionally.
Yes, Super High School Level Health Committee Member Kiyotaka Ishimaru was undeniably crushing on Mikan Tsumiki.
And he was crushing hard.
âI really am a klutz. I-If there was a contest for the biggest oafâŠ. I would certainly g-get first prize.â Mikan said quietly. âIâm supposed to be the⊠Super High School Level D-Disciplinary Committee⊠ but how can I do that when Iâm always f-falling down stairsâŠ. Iâm pathetic, huuuâŠâ
He watched her berate herself, his lips pressed tightly together. Why couldnât she see how amazing she really was? He didnât know what past the girl held, but from what he had observed in the halls, he was well aware she was suffering from rather harsh harassment by some of her fellow classmates.
It hurt him.
He knew himself what it was like to be mocked and laughed at. To be treated in a dehumanising way.
What good was his talent in healing people, if he couldnât heal her heart?
âTsumiki-kun.â
âH-Huh?â
Leaning forward, he grasped both her hands in her own, scarlet eyes staring into hers with such an intensity it made the girl flush.
âI⊠I-Ishimaru-san?â She squeaked.
âTsumiki-kun.â He uttered her name again, squeezing her hands. âI assure you with all my heart that you are neither an oaf or pathetic!â A klutz⊠he couldnât exactly refute that. But still! âYou are a kind, selfless, attentive person a-andâŠâ He could feel his cheeks heating up as he spoke, hoping he wasnât getting too carried away. His heart was fluttering inside his chest, and he hoped he wasnât making her uncomfortable with his words or actions. He swallowed. âAnd regardless of how many times you fall or how many injuries you receive, I vow on my SHSL title to be there to treat you.â
He felt slightly light-headed as he finished speaking, and it didnât help that she was simply staring up at him wide-eyed, lips parted in surprise. She wasnât saying anything. Why wasnât she saying anything!? Had he scared her? Or creeped her out? Oh God, please no! Heâd be ashamed for the rest of his life!
âIshimaru-sanâŠâ
He flinched as she whispered his name, her face red and eyes shining with unshed tears. Oh God, he HAD upset her!!
Before he could burst into apologies however, Mikan spoke first. âT⊠Th-Thank you⊠very muchâŠâ She whispered, ducking her head down to hide her face behind her hair.
âA-AhâŠ.â He found himself hard of finding his voice, unsure how to proceed. He was still holding her hands, but she had made no move to pull away so he found no need to either. He liked holding her hands⊠they were soft and seemed to fit just right in his own. âYouâre welcome⊠T-Tsumiki-kun.â
âMhm.â She gave a small embarrassed nod.
Needless to say, the moment shared between them was a sweet one and the comfortable silence spoke more than they could hope to say themselves.
âOi, aniki!â The door burst open, a certain Mondo Oowada peering inside and making both occupants jump apart in haste. Sporting a fresh bruise in need of treatment on his cheek, he opened his mouth to speak before pausing when he noted the dark blushes on both boy and girl who were present. âDid... I interrupt something?â
âN-No!â
âNot at all!!â
It would definitely take a while for these two to sort their feelings out.
 .
.
AN: She was totally tripping up on purpose most the time to have an excuse to go visit him lmao.Â
I ship Nico/Tenga and wanted to write some random cute one-shot. Depending on the reception, I may do an even fluffier/cuter sequel~
Also this is my first time writing Kiznaiver characters, so I do hope I got them IC. Also Iâm refering to everyone by their first names.
And regarding Nico, she seems to switch between âIâ and third person âNicoâ with no clear pattern in the show so she switches between in this too.
 - Cookie Dough Milkshake
âUrgh, another e-mail.â
Walking down the street in the early evening with his phone in hand, a nineteen year old Hajime Tenga ran a hand through his hair as he looked at yet another message in his inbox from his professor with a disgruntled expression. (Yet another reminder of a nearing due date on a paper that he hadnât even started. God dammit.)
Wasnât junior college supposed to be more relaxed and carefree compared to University?
Deciding to push that responsibility aside for now and leave it to a poor, future version of him to deal with, Hajime continued walking on. He was one of the few in their friend group who had remained behind in Sugomori City when it came to deciding on higher education, since the island did have pretty limited choices with only a few institutes.Â
Katsuhira, Nico, Tsuguhito and Honaka had all swanned off to some Universities on the main land. The latter two having gone to some prestigious as heck institutes with boastful grades. (He still had no idea what was going on with those two, were they together? Were they not? Heck if he knew.)
Chidori had left the island as well, accepted into a medical specialised training college which sounded fucking impressive to him and the others though the redhead had continued to act modest when receiving her acceptance letter and insisted it wasnât a big deal.
Yoshiharu was- well to be honest, Hajime had no idea what that masochist was doing these days. The handsome though slightly disturbed guy hadnât applied to any higher education as far as anyone else was anywhere, and Hajime still bumped into the idiot every so often on the island with him always sporting the same grin.
Even if the seven (eight if you counted Noriko who was with Katsuhira) were âfriends till the endâ, when a group found themselves split up and spread across the country it was rather difficult to keep up the close-knit friendship they used to have in high school.
They used online social media to stay in touch of course, and had all made promises to meet up when the first holidays came around and they all returned back home to visit family. But until then⊠it was just him. (And, well, Hisomu, but⊠hanging around that guy was awkward as hell without the others).
Turning a corner, the delinquent looked ahead only to freeze in place when his eyes landed on an old woman walking down the street towards him with a dog on her leash. It was unsightly. It was terrifying. It was going to attack him!!
(It was a Shitzu).
Alarm bells already ringing inside his head, Hajime flung himself into the nearest public building, heart thudding as he slammed the door shut and watched from behind the safety of the glass as the woman and her horrifying beast (again, a tiny dog that reached his ankles) strode by.
Only when they were out of sight did he let out a sigh of relief, and actually glance over his shoulder to see where he was.
He turned around to leave regardless however, very much intending on doing soâŠ
Only to stop.
Eyes landing on the young woman seated in one of the nearby booths, he blinked.
Nope, she was still there.
Definitely not hallucinating.
Hajime found he continued to stand there dumbly as he gaped at the nineteen year old Nico Niiyama nonchalantly slumped in a seat as she slurped at some milkshake or other with a rather disheartened look about her.
But- she was- what?
Deciding to actually go ahead and talk to her, he finally walked over, shadow casting over her and the table as he stopped at the booth.
âNico?â
The girl in question blinked out of whatever thoughts had been keeping her entranced, lifting her head and vibrant purple eyes meeting his own. As their gazes met, recognition swept across her face and she jumped in her seat, almost spilling her drink.
âT-T-Tenga-kun!?â
He winced at the yell, not even having to look to know the staff were shooting looks. Feeling sheepish as she stared up at him with complete shock, he leaned over and pointed a finger towards her.
âUh⊠not to be rude, but⊠shouldnât you not be here?â He raised an eyebrow. âDonât you have classes and the whole University thing back on the main land?â
Nico continued to stare at him in obvious shock, before she finally appeared to process his words. And â much to his own surprise â she frowned, glancing away from him with a pout. âNico⊠is dropping out.â
Wait, what?
âW-What?â
She frowned, resuming the earlier slumped position of defeat in her seat and looking rather weary and exhausted. âNico is a failure⊠sheâs more pitiful than⊠thanâŠâ Her eyebrows drew together in deep thought for a moment before she let out a wail and dropped her head to the table, causing him to wince with the force her forehead met the wood. âNico is such a failure, she canât think of something sheâs more pitiful than!â
âO-OiâŠâ He looked towards the drink she was having. âThat isnât alcoholic is it?â They were minors for crying out loud, if she was drinking-
âNo...â She slowly raised her head once more, now sporting a red mark on her forehead. âItâs cookie dough flavoured milkshake.â She glanced at the glass in question. âNico has had ten.â
âWait- ten!?â How had she not thrown up yet?
She nodded before her face crumpled again. âTenga-kuuuun, donât look at Nico! Sheâs too shameful for your eyes!â She raised her hands as if to cover his gaze, to which he only sighed and grabbed one of the wrists reaching out for him.
âCome on.â
âE-Eh?â She paused, eyes darting to the fingers wrapped around her skin as her cheeks darkened somewhat.
âHuh? B-But Nico already said she wasnât drinking any alcohol!â
âI donât care, youâve still had enough.â
Pulling her outside, he had her walk down the street with him before he paused on a corner and looked up into the sky. It was finally winter, so it was getting pretty dark even if it was only early. He frowned at the thought.
âHey, how far away do your parents live? Youâre staying with them, I guess?â When he received no answer, he looked down at her. âOi, Nico-â
He stopped.
Nicoâs eyes remained latched onto his hand, which he now noted, was still wrapped around her wrist. Cheeks burning at the realisation, he quickly let go though the red shade on the girls face didnât diminish by much.
âAh, s-sorry.â He stuttered, feeling self-conscious. He was well aware of the girls more than platonic feelings for him in the past after all, though if what Honaka had once insinuated was correct, she was currently dating some other guy at her Uni and had clearly moved on.
But even so.
Clearing his throat, he scratched the back of his neck. âI-Itâs getting pretty dark, do you live nearby?â
âEh?â Finally raising her head to look up towards him, the clearly flustered girl appeared to think for a moment before finally speaking. âAh-! Nico lives a short bus ride away!â
âAlright, good-â
âBut Nico doesnât have any money on her, sheâs such a goof, urgh.â
âOh.â He had zero on him either. Placing his hands on his hips, he released a sigh and shrugged. âWell, guess thereâs nothing else for it then, Iâll walk you home.â
âAh, thatâs okay Tenga-kun! Nico can make her own way home, you donât have to-â
âI said I would, so I will.â He interrupted with a gruff voice, still feeling slightly embarrassed from his earlier action. Upon realising that he might be coming off as too forward or making her uncomfortable however, he paused. âI mean⊠if thatâs alright. If youâre not comfortable with it, then-â
âN-Nico is fine with it!â She babbled, quick to dismiss his claim even if it made the blush on her cheeks even more prominent. When she spoke next, her words were nothing but sincere. âI trust you, Tenga-kun. So⊠thank youâŠâ She trailed off, clearly embarassed and heâd be lying if he said he wasnât too.
This walk was going to be a long one, wasnât it?
âAlright, letâs go.â
.
.
.
The silence between the pair as they walked the first few couple of streets was smothering. It had been over a year since the Kiznaiver Summer between them all, and though the two were on good terms it was still awkward. The two had never found themselves with many opportunities where it was just them alone.
Feeling the need to bring up some topic to break the silence, he spoke. âSo⊠what do you mean by youâre dropping out?â
She flinched at the question, lowering her head. âNico means what she means. Sheâs dropping out... sheâll become a NEET and lock herself away in her room and live off instant food and energy drinks and surf the web all day, every day!â
âUhâŠâ Still the eccentric at times, as always. âThat seems pretty extreme. Did something happen?â
Nico frowned, remaining quiet for a moment before she spoke once again. âNico⊠failed all her first set of exams.â She let out a groan, slumping over as she walked. âEveryone must think Iâm such a total airhead. This is the end of everything⊠everyone will treat me like a moronic pariah.â
Wow, no wonder she was depressed. He frowned.
âCanât you take make-up exams? Or⊠something like that will be available, right?â He doubted âit was the endâ as she so claimed, she was just looking at it in the worst way she could.
She simply wailed again, throwing her arms in the air and almost hitting him in the face. âBut I doesnât understand any of it! I wasnât just acting like a ditz to get people to like me, I really, really did try! But everything was so confusing and my mind began to spin really, really fast during the tests and uwahhhh, it was so terrifying!! More terrifying than those dreams where you appear to class in only your underwear!â
Theyâd come to a halt now with the girls antics, Nico currently covering her face as she mumbled in misery. Watching her as she went on about her despairing situation, he studied her for a moment.
â...So you fled, huh.â
âEh?â She peeked up at him between her fingers, before raising her head and looking down with a shameful expression. âYes, Nico ran away. Like a giant scaredy cat, boo. Sheâs pathetic. Sheâs a total failure-â
âOi, stop calling yourself that.â He leaned over to flick her forehead.
âOw.â She raised a hand to rub the area, which was already sore after the table fiasco. Lavender-like eyes raised to meet him with a pout, as he brought down a hand to rest atop her head whilst leaning over to accommodate their height differences so they were face-to-face.
âYouâre not pathetic, or useless, or any of that crap⊠so quit saying you are.â He muttered, meeting her gaze. Nico was an eccentric headcase at times, but she had proven herself to be more than that and a deep-hearted perceptive individual who cared for those around her. âI wonât forgive anyone who badmouths my friends, even if youâre badmouthing yourself, ya hear?â
She stared at him in stunned silence for a moment before slowly giving a nod, taking a moment to get her voice working. âY-YesâŠâ She whispered timidly.
âI canât hear you.â
âY-Yes, sir!â She cried, even going so far as to salut him much to his amusement as he released her head after ruffling it affectionately and straightened up.
âAlright!â He placed both hands on hips, grinning. âFrom here on out, no more wallowing allowed. You wallow, Iâll flick your head again, gottit?â
âA-Ah, yes!â She nodded again, standing to attention and looking up at him with wide eyes.
âNow, letâs go do something fun and crazy! Heck letâs go swimming in the ocean again, leave all your problems to future you to deal with!â He yelled, going on impulse. He was intent on having her forget her troubles for a while and have some fun. Then, at some point heâd make her see sense and realise she was only running away at the first hurdle because she was scared to keep trying and fail at the end. Sheâd go back to University. And heâd help her figure out a way to understand her work better, even if it meant getting her to call Tsuguhito and beg him to help.
His plans and triumph were cut early however as he looked down at the young woman only to find her holding her hands over her mouth and looking rather green.
âUrgh⊠N-Nicoâs going to pukeâŠâ
âW-Wait, what? O-Oi! Hey, not on me, go to the bushes- the bushes!!!â
âBleurghhhhhh!!!â
âAhhhHHHHHH!!!â
And so it was Hajimeâs shoes were covered in ten glasses worth of cookie dough milkshake.
.
.
.
I originally intended on this going a lot further in terms of shippy-ness but apparently not. I do have plans for a sequel if I decide to write it which does involve more direct and obvious shipping, if people are interested in it?
No plot or anything. Just a little practice on writing LiS fanfiction since Iâd like to write some cute/angsty CaulScott in particular in the future. Not much of it in this fic though. Just some angry Nathan and concerned Max and Victoria.
- Eavesdropping
It was during school lunch when Max Caulfield found herself seated on the grass in front of Blackwell Academy, with the thick trunk of a tree supporting her back from behind. Satchel bag beside her, her eyes followed her hand as she wrote in her journal. She was ashamed to admit sheâd gotten quite behind on keeping it updated the past few days â she blamed Chloe with her shenanigans â so she was taking the chance to catch up now.
Itâs during this that he appeared.
Sitting down on the opposite side of the tree, Nathan Prescott loudly made his entrance known as he dropped his bag to the side and swore beneath his breath.
âFucking bitch, thinks she can lecture me...!â
So much for her peaceful break.
She lifted her head and half-listened as more profanities and threats were muttered from the troubled teens lips. Who was the source of his anger this time, she idly wondered?
Well, she wasnât going to stick around to find out.
Closing her journal, she reached out to tug her bag closer. She would finish writing up after school in her dorm room.
Ah, shoot-!
A can of soda rolled free from her bag as she pulled on it, and she quickly reached over to grab it before he noticed andâ
âWha- Who the fuckâs there!?â
Shit.
Yanking her soda and throwing it into her bag, Max quickly scrambled to stand up but sheâd barely even straightened up when Nathan stomped around the tree to face her. When his eyes fell on her, they narrowed, the irritation on his face increasing. âYou.â
She suppressed a groan. âYes, me.â Time to exit quickly. âGoodbye, Nathan.â She turned to walk on towards her dorms, but surprise surprise(!), he stopped her.
âHey!â Yanking her wrist from behind, he tugged her back none too gently. âIâm not finished with you, bitch!â
âLet go of me!â She span around and ripped her wrist from his, taking a few steps back. He didnât come any further, but he didnât back away either. Instead he simply continued glaring at her.
âYou get a kick out of eavesdropping on me, Caulfield?â He asked, voice laced with anger. âThatâs the second time Iâve caught you spying on me.â
âI wasnât spying on you.â She retorted. He was the one who kept on bursting into places where she was trying to relax. Â Of course with him in the near vicinity, that was impossible.
He snorted. Leaning back, he watched her for a moment before speaking lowly. âWatch your back, Max Caulfield.â Her name was practically spat from his lips, as if it burned him.
She would have been more scared had she not heard the same thing leave his mouth multiple times. She didnât want him thinking he scared her, so meeting his gaze unwaveringly she responded: âWhy? Are you going to trash my room again?â
He sneered. âThatâs nothing compared to the things I do. I can make your life a living hell if I want. You think youâre all that, walking around in your own fucking hipster world like youâre above the rest of us.â
âThatâs notââ
âAnd Iâm sick of it!â He yelled, causing a few passer-bys to glance over.
He was getting riled up. She tried to de-escalate the situation, voice firm as she gave him a leveled look. âNathan, I understand that youâre angryâŠâ He bristled. âBut you have got to stop taking it out on innocent people. You need help, and if you keep pushing people awayââ
âShut the fuck up! You donât understand anything.â He shouted, stepping forward threateningly. She began backing up as he came after her, eyes widening in alarm. This was getting out of hand â fast.
âNathan, calm downââ
âDonât! Tell me! To âcalm downâ!â He yelled, punctuating each word with more fury. He swung an arm forward which she ducked away from, holding up her hands in defense as he made to throw anotherâ
âNathan?â
âŠSuddenly a voice interrupted the both of them. Max darenât look away from the boy in front of her, but she didnât need to look behind to know Victoria was there.
Nathan seemed to catch himself at the sound of her voice, gaze moving from Max, to Victoria, to his raised fist. Only because she was staring so intently at him did Max see the quick flash of shame wash over his face as he dropped his arm and took a step back.
âNathanâŠâ She began, voice soft as she lowered her own arms, but she had no idea what else to say. Sheâd almost been punched by Nathan Prescott. And Victoria Chase of all people had been the one to save her this time.
The teenage boy refused to meet her gaze, hands clenching and unclenching at his side as he made an evident attempt to calm down. A few moments passed before he grunted and strode past her, shoulder shoving her aside as he walked off. Max turned to watch him leave, staring as he went past Victoria standing ten feet away. She gave him a concerned look as he went past, his shoulders hunched as he escaped out of her sight.
It was only when he was gone that the blonde turned her eyes fiercely onto Max. Why, if looks could kill.
âI can let a lot of things slide MaxâŠâ She began, expression cold. âBut if you fuck with him, he wonât be the only one you need to watch out for. You think youâve got it bad now?â She cocked an eyebrow, hands on her hips. âMess with Nathan and I can promise you, your hipster ass will be leaving this academy faster then you can say âselfie.â
Before Max could form a response, Victoria turned on her heels and walked off, presumably to go find Nathan after heâd cooled off. Meanwhile, Max found herself left behind feeling frustrated and⊠perhaps a tiny little bit guilty? No, she hadnât done anything wrong. It was more like⊠pity. It was obvious Nathan Prescott had issues â a lot of issues â and needed help. Help he obviously wasnât getting. And even if they were on bad terms, she wanted him to at least be given the chance to get better.
With a sigh, she turned to head back towards classes.
She expected that come dorm time, sheâd find her bedding all thrown out one of the third floor windows curtsy of Victoria and her pals.
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