#xrphansrevival

[saturnscholar]

trading art with mal!

what will he poke

[saturnscholar]

[ 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂 ] to saturn from hawk, maybe?

[ 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂 ] ― sender puts on the radio to listen to music with receiver

Light scratching of pencil and paper is all that fills the quiet of the singlet bedroom, at a time before looming roommates and broken hearts sits a young Saturn alone in his bedroom hard at work on the rewrite of an essay. He softly sniffs to himself, a little upset still his first draft had been so openly ridiculed in front of an audience of his peers during biology class.

The formatting was all wrong as he was more familiar with Chicago style over APA to begin with. The introduction was way too long as it was too involved in the backgrounding, and lacked focus in the actual study at hand. It was brought up as a great example of what not to do. But at least he finished it! There was real thought behind his draft over some of the others who turned in half finished slop. It isn't fair, why is he always the one picked on...

"Hey, freckles," Hawk invites herself in through a door left unlocked.

"Oi, Hawk! What are you-"

"You should really lock that, there's a lotta weirdos crawling these halls. Anyway, can you believe this inane project they put me on? My teacher wants me to work with two - TWO - of my other completely incompetent-- Ew. Wait a sec, why do you look like that."

Saturn rubs his eye a bit with his knuckle, embarrassed now. "Ah, it is nothing, really. I just need to rework this essay is all..."

Hawk crosses her arms, annoyed. "Okay. That doesn't explain that pathetic look on your face. I'm not blind, don't brush me off like I'm stupid, eh? Spill it."

"Ah... I suppose I just feel like I can't get anything right... My best is never good enough and I just get berated when I put in my efforts. It makes me feel so worthless. Maybe I should just give up..." His gaze drops back to the paper, looking at it with dissatisfaction in both his work and himself.

The explanation only makes her more annoyed. "Grow up, would you? If I have to hear any more of this pity party I will put a bullet through both our heads. You're here to become the best, no?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Good." She walks over to a nightstand, flipping on the radio. Close to the start of the song plays L'aventurier by Indochine. "So drown that whining ninny in your head and get to work. Show them why they were ever wrong to doubt you. If you're so smart, give them no room to judge and say otherwise. Do it your way. Prove it."

The knob is twisted to pump the sound louder and she walks back over to shove his pencil back into his grasp. She situates herself on his bed to ensure he gets to work, then starts taking out some materials to start her own. Independently, as she had wanted. Her way.

Saturn stews a bit frustrated at first, but as the music goes on he starts to nod along and lets her words better sink in. Again, she was right. So what if he did it a little wrong the first time, this was his opportunity to get it more than right this time.

So both get to work, and as the determination grows on his face Hawk slips out her camera to snap a memory. The spark in his eye was bright as ever, and beautifully captured. The boy was more than used to being her little model at this point, paying the snapshot no mind as he continues his work over the blaring French classic rock.

The formatting would be fixed. The methodology and study filled out. But he was doubling down on the background. They were getting everything. From the beginning.

Saturn bottled his tears and found his fire, and Hawk from behind a sharp lense felt proud in igniting it.

[apocalyptiacs]

KO !!! KNOCKOUT !!!

traced off this

[apocalyptiacs]

Gamma eyes Wishcast's scars. Just because she works in the clinic, doesn't mean she has full knowledge of every medical issue in the orphanage. "Someone told me you electrocuted yourself." She pauses, not betraying her thoughts. "Are you willing to share what actually happened?"

Wishcast is a pretty common visitor to the clinic, given his chronic pain issues. The check ups are par course. He seems preoccupied with inspecting the self-imposed craters in his skin and imagining peeling off scabs, but answers with some delay.

“They did? That’s kinda mean.” He frowns a bit behind his face mask. “I guess it’s not in my file. Huh.” A pause as he thinks how long it could be, or if they document each visit. “Oh. I was struck by lightning. Pretty early on in my stay here too. Lucky me, right?”

[apocalyptiacs]

Suspiciously not Umbral voice. Totally not Umbral at all. "I heard Eye is smooth like a ken doll. I heard he eats his own boogers and his own nails. Including his toenails. Yuck!"

Eye cocks his head a bit to the side, sniffs a bit, scratches at the inside of his nose, and wipes it on definitely not Umbral’s sweater.

Giving him a soft, polite smile, he mutters, “You would know, wouldn’t you.”

[apocalyptiacs]

Obelus slings an arm around Kismet's shoulder and ruffles his hair. He is not smiling. "Someone told me they saw you going through my desk, haha. Are you the one stealing my alcohol?"

"I don't steal, Obelus. And I certainly don't need your drawer wine." Kismet looks actually offended at the accusation. "Not from my dealer, and especially not from my friends! Swearsies, I'd ask first." Cross his heart, pinky extended. "What, you out? That's not like you. You need something? A drinking buddy, perhaps?" He throws open a drawer and offers his own stash towards his coworker with a smile, swirling it around enticingly.

[beyondthebackup]

Obelus shakes his head. "I heard some kid talking about you giving drugs to that redhead boy. That's ridiculous, don't you think? A professor giving students drugs, haha." He offers Hue a beer.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Hue looks genuinely agitated. "I don't have any reason to pull shit like that. Fuck, what is it with this place..."

He takes the beer and looks at it for a second, wondering if he even really wants it at this point.

...Well, it's either this or another cigarette.

"Why me instead of the motherfucker doing blow off his desk down the hall right now?"

[warofchanges]

I heard that Kira isn't actually a singular government! That Kira might actually be a small group of people!

Filtered-green light from a particularly sunny afternoon casts warm shadows over Light’s open textbooks. The college yard is buzzing with soft chatters, lingering exam anxiety, and the unmistakable scent of fresh yakisoba sandwiches —a well-earned reward after long hours of whispering notes like a chant. It would be just another ordinary Tuesday if not for the shadow now looming over Light, interrupting his quiet study. It takes him a long second to lift his gaze—more an automatic, cautious response, other than curiosity—and when he does, he blinks in surprise. He doesn't recognize his interlocutor's face or their voice. A new student, maybe? Or someone from one of his classes? Hard to tell. Light is keeping a low profile — deliberately so. The question, aimed directly at Light, carries an enthusiasm that oddly feels out of place. "A fan of the Kira case, I guess?" A genuine smile curls his lips, the textbook long forgotten on his lap. "The police haven’t released anything new lately. I suppose they’re still scrambling for leads… though I’ve heard the rumors too." I'd be off if he hadn't. The dark web is still buzzing with speculation, especially the Kira Our Salvation website —a site devoted entirely to dissecting every theory, clue, and sightseeing about the man who forced even the great L to descend on the battlefield from the darkness. Everyone wants to know who Kira is. Everyone wants to know how he kills. Even here, among students juggling over lectures and exams, the debates rage on. Light hums quietly, playing along. He isn't directly behind those rumors, but it could very well be Misa's doing. I should ask her later. "It might be true. The number of deaths on record… It got to a point where it was hard to believe it was the work of just one person. What do you think?" Then, as if remembering manners, he offers a polite bow. "I'm Yagami Light, by the way. In case we haven’t met yet… Nice to meet you." Who the hell are you?