Once Upon a Time

"Write, write for the person waiting for your story" - Princess Tutu.

[mysteriousbag-deactivated202310]

I made this art inspired by

The swans cage fic it was really good and I figured I'd make art around it

[tidbitsandthoughts]

The Tragedy is that They Loved Each Other

Quick one-shot about the Prince and Vanessa from A Hat In Time! Might write more as I have an idea of where I’m going with this but mostly just exploring their potential relationship. Thanks for reading!

The prince drummed his fingers on his thigh as he leaned against the carriage. Outside, the pastel forest he called home paraded by. He would usually savor the taste of its dewy air on his breath and listen to the mirthful birdsongs on the way to the manor. But this time, anxiety squeezed his heart and it felt like cold chains constricted his lungs.

He chose to take a weekend away from his studies because Vanessa hadn’t responded to any of his recent letters. While he knew his princess—er Queen, now—was busy and he might be worried over nothing, the absence of her voice left him feeling lonely. Surely, she would appreciate his visit as much as he would adore seeing her for the weekend, right? Then again, she hadn’t responded to his letter about returning home either…

The drumming of his fingers turned to pinching his thigh as he thought about the possibility that maybe she hadn’t received his letters and this visit would be a total surprise. That should be fine, right? Vanessa typically liked surprises.

He pinched himself harder as the true fear fueling his anxious spiral pushed to the forefront of his thoughts. Maybe she wasn’t responding because she didn’t care about him anymore.

No, no. He was sure that that wasn’t it. Vanessa loved him. She told him plenty of times. No one just randomly stops loving someone, right? Still… it was possible he had said something stupid in his letters. He tried to recall the latest ones he had sent. He made a few bad law puns in one. Could he have overshared about the panic attack he had with his tutor? Maybe Vanessa didn’t like hearing him doubt his essay writing and he showed too much weakness.

“Prince!”

His thigh began to ache, and he loosened his grip. He began drumming his fingers again, needing to get the anxious energy out somehow.

“Prince? Hello?”

Staring out at the still, crystal lake, the Prince’s furrowed brows tightened as he cycled back through the part of his spiral where he wondered if Vanessa even knew he was coming.

“Prince!” A blue face with red markings in the eyes jumped into the frame of the window.

“Whoa!” The Prince leapt back before quickly recognizing his friend. “Moonjumper! You scared me.”

“I have been calling out to you,” Moonjumper stepped back, smiling with a toothy grin. “Is something troubling you?”

“Well,” the Prince began as he shuffled out of the carriage. He grabbed his things and gave his driver a thank you before following Moonjumper up the stairs to the manor. “Vanessa hasn’t responded to my letters.”

“None of them?” Moonjumper tilted his head. He crossed his arms and tapped his golden and blue coat sleeve. “Well, she does know you’re coming.”

“Is she alright with my visiting?” The Prince winced as worry pinched his heart.

“Oh, of course,” Moonjumper promised. “She’s been preparing since your letter arrived. She was probably just too focused on your arrival to send you a letter back.” The Prince let out a huge, relieved sigh and Moonjumper added, “but if you were worried you might want to mention that to her.”

“No need.” The Prince beamed, feeling as though the weight of the world instantly left his shoulders. Moonjumper held open the door to the manor and the Prince bowed with a smile as he added, “Now that I know she wasn’t upset with me or anything, I feel much better.”

“I suppose,” Moonjumper frowned, pausing in the doorway and gazing out to where the tips of the forest trees tickled the endless blue sky. Though it was the middle of the day and the sun warmed the earth, the white moon could be seen over the forest. The Prince followed Moonjumper’s gaze.

“Is everything okay back home?” the Prince asked slowly. He knew Moonjumper was a moon spirit, meaning he could only visit during the day, but that was the extent of his knowledge. Moonjumper had always been tightlipped about his home or his duties, but the Prince didn’t mind. He knew Moonjumper since forever, it seemed, and they had been best friends for what felt like longer.

“Yes,” Moonjumper answered, turning back towards the Prince and entering the manor. As he closed the door behind him, he explained, “I was just thinking I have seen much life beyond this forest. Even if you feel better about Vanessa’s motives in forgetting to write to you, I think you should tell her how her written absence made you feel, or it will probably happen again.”

“Hmm,” the Prince gnawed on his lip as they headed down the hallway. “I suppose that’s true…”

 “Anyway,” Moonjumper offered to take his luggage while grinning. “Your princess is in the garden, I believe. Why don’t you go see her?”

“Thanks, Moonjumper,” the Prince smiled. He passed over his luggage before nearly skipping down the hall.

The garden behind the manor stretched all the way to the forest boarder. Colorful flowers in shades of gold, blue, red, and purple thrived in natural clusters. The fresh perfume of roses, lilacs, and daffodils lifted his spirits, but nothing lifted his spirits quite like Vanessa’s crouching figure next to a flowerbed of violets.

“Vanessa!” The Prince crossed over excitedly. Vanessa whirled around in surprise, her features lighting up before horror painted her countenance.

“No, no, wait!” She insisted, holding up her dirt covered hands, but it was too late. He flew into her embrace, knocking them both to the ground. The Prince laughed, hugging Vanessa close as she rolled her eyes in his arms.

“Dummy, now your clothes are all dirty!” She shook her head as she scooted away but he could see a hint of a smile on her lips.

“Who cares?” the Prince asked, stretching out on the ground and propping his chin on his hand. “You mean more to me than a couple soiled outfits.”

This caused Vanessa to preen with pride as she pushed to her feet and brushed off the majority of the dirt.

“Still, it would not reflect well on me if you didn’t look presentable,” she insisted, stooping down to pick up her light green gloves. “We’ll have to go to the market together and I can help you pick out some new clothes.”

“Any moment with you sounds wonderful,” the Prince pushed to his feet and took her cold hands into his. She looked up into his eyes, tangling her fingers between his with a smile.

“I’ve missed you.” She pushed to the tips of her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. He gave her hands a squeeze as he held his lips against hers.

“I’m missed you too,” he whispered against her mouth, all his previous anxiety forgotten. He waited for her to pull back before he glanced down at the flower bed she had been tending to. A trowel with a pile of soil sat beside a half-planted violet.

“I love violets,” Vanessa hummed, lifting their hands and pressing them between their chests. “They look so lovely in the sunlight or moonlight, don’t you think?”

 “Absolutely.” The Prince rubbed his thumbs over her fingers, lending her his warmth as was tradition when they held hands. “But you look lovelier.”

Vanessa giggled, sounding as sweet as bell, and the Prince felt warm all the way down to his toes.

“You say the sweetest things.” She pulled away and dropped one hand but held onto his other as she tugged him towards the manor. “If only I could keep you by my side forever.”

“Sounds nice,” the Prince laughed. “But that means you’d have to come to law school with me.”

“Ick.” Vanessa stuck out her bottom lip into a pout. “You know you don’t need to learn a trade. You don’t need to do anything since I’m the Queen.”

“I know,” the Prince said, his shoulders slumping a little. “But I love studying law and I’d like to think it could be useful to you if I had some background knowledge in it at least.”

Vanessa gave him an unimpressed look boarding on frustrated, but she quickly sighed and softened her features.

“Okay,” she relented. “But don’t think I’ve given up on trying to convince you all you need is right here.”

The Prince nodded. He supposed she was right. All he needed was here in the manor. But there was a world outside of the forest. He wondered if there was a way to show her that.

[tidbitsandthoughts]

Before the Storm

I don’t know how you all have been but it’s been a stressful year and I thought I’d dabble back into writing about the Layton family! This takes place directly after Katrielle’s anime and Hershel, Alfendi, and Kat are trying to have a proper family vacation now that Hershel is back! I have more ideas for this potential series tiled, The Lost Continent but we’ll see how my writing pace fairs. Please enjoy!

Alfendi Layton’s knuckles were stark white as he gripped the ship’s railing. For what felt like the millionth time that afternoon, he emptied his stomach into the churning sea below. Once he slowed down long enough to breathe, the acidic taste coating his mouth lingered unpleasantly. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. He tried to focus on the salt air that he could consider refreshing. The sound of a seagull flying overhead. His fingers released their death grip on the railing. The lull of the waves… rocking… back and forth and causing the ship to creak and the floor to tilt under his spindly legs.

“Urk.” Alfendi slipped onto the ground, pressing his forehead against the hot metal railing. He had nothing left of lunch to lose but the nausea clung to him.

“Alfendi, I’ve found peppermint tea,” a calmer, older voice sounded distant but when Alfendi glanced up, his father was standing right above him.

“Hmm,” Alfendi hummed behind his clenched jaw, squinting at his father’s outline—complete with his top hat—that was overshadowed by the sunlight. “No thanks,” was all Alfendi could muster out. Sure, getting the acidic taste out of his mouth would have been nice but the idea of swallowing anything made him feel sicker.

“Not to drink—unless you want to,” Hershel knelt down and his features became clear. Even in the middle of summer, on the open sea which magnified the sun’s heat every time the water reflected the golden light, his dad wore his orange sweater and dark chocolate brown coat. “But even the smell of peppermint should soothe your stomach a little. While a tea bag isn’t traditionally used for aroma therapy I thought it would work in a pinch.”

Hershel pulled a tea bag out of the box in his hands and offered it to Alfendi. Alfendi accepted it in a shaking hand and he turned away as he lifted the bag to his pointed nose. He sniffed tentatively at first, but when the scent of fresh peppermint cleared his head, he relaxed his shoulders, allowing himself to just breathe.

Hershel’s hand engulfed Alfendi’s shoulder and Alfendi let out a sigh.

“Thanks, Dad, I’m feeling better,” he said slowly, meeting Hershel’s soft gaze.

“I found some vitamins that can help with sea sickness!” An enthusiastic voice yelled. Alfendi didn’t need to look to know his sister, Kat, was running across the deck excitedly.

Hershel helped Alfendi up to quivering legs and led him over to a chair on the deck. Alfendi dropped onto the chair and closed his eyes—overcome by fatigue. The rolling of the ship beneath him churned his stomach and he forced his eyes back open.

Kat and Hershel stood above him and he momentarily had a flashback to the last time he woke up to a group of people towering over him.

He pushed himself up as Hershel scooted another chair over so he could sit. Kat shoved Alfendi over so she could sit down next to him.

“While Dad brought you the tea bags, I brewed some and got the chef to lend me his pills for sea sickness,” Kat explained proudly, pulling a thermos out of her bag after she pushed the pill bottle into Alfendi’s hands.

“Thank you, Kat,” he muttered, slowly undoing the clasp on the bottle.

“I’m sorry I didn’t think to ask if sailing would pose a problem,” Hershel began. “We could have chosen a vacation setting closer to home.”

“Please,” Alfendi shook his head. “This was a gift from an old friend. Of course, it made sense to make use of free tickets.”

“But I should have—”

“Dad, the concern is touching,” Alfendi smirked, tilting his head in a way that one would swear his lavender hair looked crimson, “but I’m not a child you need to fret over anymore.”

“Says the one who couldn’t make it over to this chair without help,” Kat hid her smile behind her hand as she flashed him a mischievous look.

“That’s bold talk coming from my baby sister.” Alfendi quickly grabbed her before she could run and fussed up her hair like he used to when they were younger. Kat squealed before slipping away and jumping up. She brushed out her sailor skirt and hair.

“I am no longer a baby and am an English Lady,” she instructed with her nose turned up, though the smile on her features were thinly veiled. “And I would appreciate you treating me as such.”

A chuckle came from their father and they both turned in surprise.

“Apologies,” Hershel beamed, looking between them. “But I really missed this.”

“Please.” Alfendi rolled his eyes, though his chest felt light. “You were asleep for the past decade it seems like it was only a few days to you.”

“You’re right,” Hershel nodded, “but I never once stopped thinking about you two, and coming back and seeing how much you’ve grown reminds me that I’ve missed much.”

“But,” Kat cut in, “it doesn’t matter because you’re back now.”

Alfendi winced, looking down as the tint in his hair dulled. His stomach constricted and he leapt to his feet. Mumbling quick apologies, he flew to the railing and dry heaved. Once his stomach calmed down, he slouched over the railing and pushed back his hair. He groaned.

“Here’s that pill,” Kat offered, at his side in seconds.

“And tea to help it down,” Hershel added from his other side, pouring the tea from Kat’s thermos into the cap.

Alfendi downed the pill and tea in one forced gulp before leaning back against the railing. Kat pulled his hair tie out of his hair and started running her fingers through his locks. Hershel leaned against the railing, letting his arm brush against Alfendi’s. Alfendi closed his eyes, thinking.

While his father and Kat seemed closer than ever since Kat saved their dad, Alfendi felt significantly out of the loop. This family vacation was supposed to offer much needed bonding time and Alfendi wanted to be with his family. He really did.

But the son and brother they loved was often overshadowed by a seasick stranger.

“Look at the horizon,” Kat suddenly exclaimed.

“Good heavens,” Hershel marveled.

Alfendi looked up, his golden eyes widening as an expanse of dark grey storm clouds and rain blocked out the horizon. The ship shifted and Alfendi gripped the railing as he felt himself tip forward. The floor slowly righted itself but Alfendi’s heart remained in his stomach.

“Are we heading straight for it?” he whispered.

[tidbitsandthoughts]

Hey All! Just popping by to say I’ve uploaded three of my Layton brothers fics onto AO3! I’ve addressed some grammar mistakes and junk! If you’re interested please check them out! Have a lovely day filled with laughter and light!

https://archiveofourown.org/users/TidbitsAndThoughts/works?fandom_id=1035314

[tidbitsandthoughts]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Hey-ah Guys! I wrote a quicky Miraculous Ladybug au! It’s like, almost one hour and Christmas is over, but hey, I posted it! Please feel free to check it out and let me know what you think! Love you all! Merry Christmas!!

[tidbitsandthoughts]

I don't know if you're still into LBMR but imagine Lucy learns what shitposting is and now can't stop, much to Alfendi's dismay She becomes the meme master of Scotland Yard and puts pictures of Pepe everywhere

Haha, I’m always still into LBMR, sorry, I just haven’t been working on fan fic much because of classes and original works! ALSO OMG She would totally. Alfendi would ask her a question about like, Idk a case and they’re searching for handprints on the doorknob and she’s like “man hook door.” And Alfendi is like, “Lucy, this is serious we have to find the murder weapon.” she looks him dead in the eye and while cracking a smile replies, “gun” and then dabs.

Also she frames the gorden ramsey memes about pasta and puts potty’s face on them. Placid thinks it’s hilarious and maybe this starts a meme war between the three.

[tidbitsandthoughts]

I really like your stories and i'm not good with words so i'm just gonna say, I hope you never give up on writing ;;

;O; ahhhh thank you my friend, that’s super sweet of you and this really made my day! Thank you so much. I promise to never give up writing, and I know I haven’t updated this a lot recently but I do have some fan fics in the works! I hope to have more stuff in the future!!

[tidbitsandthoughts]

W h o. I s. B l a i n e

He’s a (potential?) character in Mystery Room. I think he was seen in an earlier trailer? And he’s only ever been seen, he hasn’t been introduced in the game in anyway but a lot of the fandom loved what little we’ve seen of him and gave him a name and it went from there! I don’t know the specifics of who designed what aspects of him, but he’s typically accepted as Alfendi’s rival in the yard and has a huge crush on Lucy. Does that help out a little?

[tidbitsandthoughts]

Lbmr headcanon: al is afraid of lightning. Mostly it's easy to hide but sometimes Lucy will come into work and find him with his head on the desk, hands over ears, shaking and quivering. Do with this what you will

omg I’ll have to use this in the future, I’d imagine that Placid and Potty show their fear differently. It might be interesting to have Placid become irritable while a thunderstorm goes on and he becomes more withdrawn and each time there’s lightening or thunder he jumps. If Potty is in control maybe he’s quieter and more focused on keeping himself and his loved ones safe, so when the lighting strikes he grabs Lucy without realizing and holds her hand protectively but also for safety. (He says it’s for her sake, but she understands, of course ;)c) and when they have down time during a storm Lucy gets him his headphones and she even made a little playlist for him and she sits next to him while he listens to music and falls asleep while the storm is raging outside.

[tidbitsandthoughts]

The City of Lights and Lovers

Wow, it’s been awhile since I posted a fic, and this one isn’t even Layton brothers, so forgive me for that, but this is a short bit of fluff fic for The Miraculous Ladybug! I hardcore ship these poor super nerds and I thought it would be really fun to play around with their romantic predicament. Adrien, Chat Noir, is in love with Ladybug. But Ladybug, Marionette, is in love with Adrien and neither know of the other’s identities. In this fic Chat Noir and Ladybug are on patrol and Ladybug starts confiding in Chat about her crush. Please enjoy!

The cool night air sent creeping shivers down his spine. He crossed his arms tightly, trying to appear nonchalant as he tried to squeeze away the cold and prayed that Ladybug would hurry and show up so that they could begin their patrol. Not only would it be nice to finish up early for the night so that he could jump into a near scalding bath and make himself a huge, sugary cup of hot chocolate, but Chat Noir always felt warmer when she was around.

While he waited, Chat Noir gazed out at the city that stretched before him. At the moment, he was perched on a rooftop that provided the perfect view of Notre Dame and the river Seine. This was Ladybug’s favorite place to meet, as it was one of the calmest places to be in the bustling city. He couldn’t agree more and found that the tranquil meeting place was only made even more special when the moon was full and a couple stars were able to peek out from behind the blanket of the night sky, as it was that evening. He glanced towards the heavens and found a glittering star. He closed his eyes, whispered a wish for warmth, and a brisk breeze blew right through his costume, twisting his lips into a grimace as a shiver tore through his very bones.

“You hanging in there, Kitty?” A warm voice from behind teased dryly.

“Mon Cherie! Of course I am.” Chat Noir smirked, gritting his teeth together so that they would not chatter as he turned to his partner dressed in scarlet with inky polka dots. His heart leapt into his throat, as it did whenever he met her brilliant blue eyes as clear and crisp as the winter sky but as warm and sweet as a summer breeze. He quickly cleared his throat and pulled his emerald gaze away from her adorable heart-shaped face and down to the two coffee cups in her hands. After quickly guarding himself, he returned his gaze to her with a mischievous raise of his eyebrow. “Refreshments? Surely my Lady cannot patrol properly while holding onto two cups of coffee.”

“Oh hush.” She scowled, closing the gap between them and shoving one of the hot cups into his chest. Startled, he quickly took it and immediately felt relieved as the hot cup filled his frozen hands with heat. Ladybug stepped back with confidence swimming in her eyes. “I could patrol with both hands tied behind my back, let alone holding two cups of scalding liquid.”

“Still,” Chat Noir drawled tauntingly while tilting his head, “you think we should indulge in such a caffeinated drink this late? I don’t know about you, but I have school tomorrow.”

“You got hot chocolate, Kitty.” Ladybug rolled her eyes as she lifted her own drink to her lips. “I got tea.”

“Hot chocolate?” Chat Noir eagerly took a sip. He let out a pleasured sigh as the creamy drink filled his insides with sweetness and warmth. He pulled the cup away from his lips and, smiling brightly, asked, “how did you know it’s my favorite?”

“I… uh…” Ladybug paused, giving him a funny look before continuing, “I actually guessed, I… a guy I know loves it and I figured hot chocolate was a safer bet than a bitter tea.”

“A guy?” Chat Noir’s ears perked, “anyone I know?”

“I doubt it,” Ladybug laughed breezily, “anyway, let’s get to work.” She shot past him, walking determinedly across the rooftop. Chat Noir, however, caught the faintest brush of pink that had settled on her cheeks and his heart sunk.

“So this guy,” Chat Noir prompted as he hurried to keep up with her, “he wouldn’t happen to be your little lovebug, would he?” This, he realized all too late, was the wrong thing to ask. As soon as the word “lovebug” left his lips, Ladybug choked on her tea.

“Lovebug?” She coughed out into her elbow. She looked at him with wide, frantic eyes. “That has got to be your worst pun yet.” Chat Noir frowned, bewildered by her reaction before he realized that her cheeks had turned crimson. His heart collapsed, but he forced a playful smirk.

He desperately hoped he was wrong.

“Ah, but he is, isn’t he?” Chat Noir mused, strolling ahead of her as they navigated across the buildings, scanning the city as they walked. “My Lady, you have got a crush and you have got it back.”

He prayed that she didn’t.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter right now, does it?” she scowled, “we have a job to do.”

She did.

“Yes, but everything is fine so far.” He shrugged, sipping his hot chocolate, finding it didn’t taste nearly as sweet as the first sip. Finding out that Ladybug had a crush on someone that wasn’t him left a sour taste in his mouth. “We have time to talk about boys. So. Tell me all about this lovely gentleman, what did he do to win my Lady’s heart?” And, he thought to himself, how can I win it back?

“Well,” Ladybug hesitated, searching Chat Noir’s gaze. He did his best to soften it, while still maintaining his nonchalant smirk.

“I promise I will not tell a soul.” He held out his pinky finger. Ladybug looked to his finger and after a beat, chuckled as she lifted her own pinky and entwined it with his. He felt his pulse quicken as he beamed at her.

“Alright, alright, I guess it won’t hurt to share a little,” Ladybug mused as she pulled her pinky away. Returning her gaze to the city, she elaborated, “he’s a really great person. He’s so kind to everyone, even me.”

“Of course he’s kind to you, you’re Ladybug!” Chat Noir cried dramatically. “Anyone who isn’t is going to answer to your lucky charm! And,” he puffed out his chest proudly, “me.”

“I mean he’s kind to me without my mask,” she chuckled lightly. “I don’t really stand out when I’m not Ladybug. But, when he looks at me, like he’s so focused and interested in what I have to say, I feel like a superhero. I feel like I’m not just a normal girl, but that I’m special.” She paused, frowning. “That’s weird, isn’t it?” She turned toward Chat Noir, whose heart was throbbing in his chest.

“Non, not at all, my Lady,” he promised quickly, holding her blue gaze gently. He bit his lip, wanting to spew out all the thoughts on the tip of his tongue, but he knew he had to choose his next words carefully. Because, of course, he knew exactly what Ladybug was talking about. He was the popular kid in school, he had a ton of fans both as Adrien Agreste and as Chat Noir, but the person he wanted to please the most was Ladybug, who was benign and protective of him and everyone without wanting anything in return. To be cherished by her would be the highest honor. He hesitated as he tried to articulate that, “I think… I think I understand. It’s one thing to be a hero to everyone in Paris, but it’s another to be a hero to one person who matters.”

“Wow.” Ladybug’s eyes widened.

“Why do you look so surprised?” Chat Noir asked sheepishly.

“That was really eloquent and out of character, Kitty.” Ladybug tapped her chin worriedly. “You aren’t sick, are you?”

“Hey!” Chat Noir smiled with uncertainty, “I’m always eloquent! Anyway, enough about me, this is about your little lovebug, so he’s kind. There are a lot of guys who are kind.” Like him, he wanted to scream, but funnily enough he thought that shouting about how kind he is would contradict the statement he wanted to convey.

“Yeah but not like him,” Ladybug sighed dreamily. Chat Noir felt his heart sink into his stomach. He had never seen her so unguarded before. She obviously loved this guy. “He’s also got a charming smile. It’s enough to show he’s confident, but he’s also not flaunting it, like a certain feline I know.” She shot him a look.

“A regular Prince Charming.” Chat Noir muttered into his cup.

“Yeah.” She didn’t seem to notice his sour disposition as she lifted her gaze to the moon. “He’s also smart and sweet, and…” she trailed off, her glittering blue eyes dimming.

“What?” Chat Noir frowned, quickly forgetting his heartache as he noticed hers. “It’s just that,” she sighed, shaking her head, “sometimes he seems so lonely. He’s quiet and seems so distant sometimes. I can’t help but wish that…”

“You could be the one to chase that loneliness away?” Chat Noir filled in the blank, all too aware from his own experiences that he had hit the nail on the head. 

“Yes.” She nodded, looking toward him.

“Me too.” He looked away, busily scanning the streets.

“What?”

“I said,” he refused to turn around, knowing his expression looked as despondent as he felt, “he’ll come through. You’re an incredible girl, and he’ll realize that soon enough, and he’ll chase away your loneliness just as you’ll chase away his.”

Silence hung over the duo for a few moments. Chat Noir could feel his heart throbbing against his chest, and he prayed that she could not hear its beating that was as cheerless as a brass minuet.

“Chat?”

“Yes, my Lady?” He felt a shiver run down his spine, but this one was not from the cold.

“Thank you,” she said, her words dangerously tender.

“My pleasure.” He mustered up a smiled and turned to her, forcing a lightness to his words he added, “and know that it will also be my pleasure to always help you if you need it. If he doesn’t appreciate you or fails to make you feel like the brilliant heroine that you are, I’ll be there for you.”

“I know,” she smiled, “thank you, I know I can count on you, Chat.” She gave him a playful nudge before adding, “you are a pain, but I know I can count on you.”

“That’s all I need, my Lady.” He felt the urge to kiss her hand, to make a dramatic gesture like he always did, but for now, he merely gave her a smile that he hoped conveyed genuine admiration. She returned it, and as they neared the end of their route, he looked up at the full, bright moon, and he believed that that was enough for now.

As long as she could count on him, that would be enough.

[tidbitsandthoughts]

I hope I'm not distracting you but do you plan to write Lucifendi fanfics anytime soon?

You’re not distracting me at all! I hoped to write a lot more this summer, but it’s been a little difficult, I’m sorry! but if I get back into the swing of writing again, I’ll write at least a little story for them!

[tidbitsandthoughts]

Mistletoe and Murder Cases

Well I'm a self-serving little potato, and ended up writing a quick blurb based off of this post here. It was done rather quickly so forgive me, but enjoy!

    Alfendi pushed open the door only to have a blast of fresh smelling air slam into him. He raised an eyebrow, walking into his office carefully before switching on the light.

    “‘Appy Christmas, Prof!” Lucy’s merry voice exploded. Alfendi blinked slowly, taking in all the multicolored lights and bundles of white berries and rich green leaves that hung from just about every doorway and window. Lucy, clad in a christmas sweater with santa penguins on it and a santa hat with mistletoe hanging down over her bright features, jumped over to Alfendi with a huge smile plastered across her lips. “Looks like you’re under th’ mistletoe!” She sang, her scarlet eyes darting up. Alfendi’s golden gaze followed hers and he smirked as a bough of white berries hung above him.

    “I suppose I am.” Alfendi glanced back toward his partner who had her cheek turned toward him. He sighed at her antics, but leaned down anyway, pressing a kiss to Lucy’s cheek. She giggled with satisfaction and he smiled calmly. “Now, my dear, we have work to do.” He ambled past her and over to his desk. Lucy followed closely behind as Alfendi opened up the case they were asked to solve.

    “Are you excited fo’ th’ ‘olidays, Prof?” Lucy asked as Alfendi flipped through the suspect profiles.

    “Yes, I suppose.” He muttered absentmindedly. “But there’s too much work to be done first. I have the machine set up, so-” he trailed off, catching her expectant gaze. Her eyes flickered up and he glanced up to find another cluster of mistletoe hanging above him. He met her eager gaze and rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. He pulled away with a firmness in his eyes. “Now, we have to get to work. Come on, the crime reconstruction machine is in the other room.”

    “Aye!” Lucy snapped to attention, bouncing after him as he headed to the back room. Alfendi flipped on the light switch, illuminating what must have been a hanging garden of mistletoe.

    “What in the the-?” Alfendi cried, his hair falling into his face as it shifted into a bright crimson hue. The whole ceiling was covered in bundles of leaves and white berries. He turned toward Lucy who was smiling mischievously. “What the hell did you do?”

    “I thought it would be fun!” Lucy ran into the room. Alfendi watched, crossing his arms and furrowing his eyebrows as she skipped over to the wall. She grabbed a loose hanging light plug and waved it around. “Look, Prof, I even added lights!” She grinned as she plugged the lights into the outlet. Alfendi glanced up as the mistletoe began to glow in the golden lights. Lucy jumped into the middle of the room with her arms wide open.

    “This is a fire hazard! Are you trying to burn Scotland Yard to the ground?” Alfendi growled.

    “No! Nowt like ‘at! I were jist…” Lucy let her arms drop, visibly deflating. Alfendi let out a huff, feeling a nudge of guilt for hurting her feelings.

    “Oh, for crying out loud.” He made his way toward her and cupped her chin in his hands. “If you wanted a damn kiss, you just need to ask.” He growled before pressing his lips onto hers. Lucy’s scarlet eyes widened in surprise, but when he continued kissing her, letting his ardent feelings flow from his heart and into the kiss, her eyelids closed, and she pushed back, lifting her arms up and around his neck to pull him closer.

    After a few tender, passionate moments, Alfendi pulled back and gave Lucy a chastising look. She smiled sheepishly as he shook his head.

    “I know you’re excited for the holidays, but we have work to do.” He warned. Lucy glanced down, nodding solemnly. “But.” Alfendi added, causing Lucy to meet his gaze with hope sparkling in her eyes. “I’d be happy to share a few more moments like this after we’re done.” He leaned down and kissed her nose gently.

    “You got it, Prof!” Lucy cried, jumping away and toward the crime reconstruction machine. “Let’s ‘urry, then!” She beamed as she turned the machine on. Alfendi sighed, his hair shifting into a soft lavender color as he ran a hand through his wavy hair. He made his way over to her side, and leaned over to help her find the murder weapon. Before he could comment, however, she quickly pushed herself to her toes and gave him a peck on his chin. “I love ya, Prof.”

    “I love you too, Lucy.” Alfendi shot her a calm smile. “But now we have to get to work.” Lucy nodded, and together, they spent the rest of the day working through the case, but once they were finished, they spent the night in each other’s arms under a canopy of christmas lights and mistletoe.

[tidbitsandthoughts]

Dance Through the Flames

Hello there! This is Mina, again. This story is retelling the events of the video “Mystery Skulls Animated- Ghost” in paragraph format. It’s in chronological order, as well as following the incredibly long theory in the video. I hope you enjoy it!

-Mina(ret) (COUGH)

It started with a beat.     Lewis drove down the long, winding road. Beside him was Ben and Vivi, a dog and his sweetheart. Vivi was a very bubbly and kind girl with a blue scarf and purple glasses- did I mention blue hair? Anyways, behind Lewis, in the car, was Arthur, a rather depressive individual who had a particular affinity for the color orangish yellow. Lewis was driving a purple van the three called “the Mystery Skulls,” and they were on a road that sliced through a rather foreboding, dark, dead forest. It was winter, and the group was trying to get home, lest they have to stay overnight in this unsettling forest. The bass in the song blasting from the radio rattled the windows as the moon crept up the night sky, higher and higher. “Wait!” Vivi cried suddenly, and Lewis stopped the car with a screech. “What’s that?!” she shouted, pointing to the left. Lewis’ violet eyes followed her gaze and his eyebrows furrowed, intrigued. He was looking at a cave with ominous green smoke billowing from it like fog. “Let’s explore it!” Vivi cried again, which resulted in Arthur shouting “I DO NOT THINK THAT THAT IS A GOOD IDEA” and Lewis climbing out of the van with Ben and Vivi. Arthur sighed and followed, and being the little wimp he was, he was shaking in his boots- well, sneakers. The cave was infested with bats hiding among the green fog. “This is really interesting! I’ve never seen fog like this!” Vivi commented. “I am actually kind of scared right now can we go back to the well-lit van right now please” Arthur cried, hiding behind the tall chubby/muscle that is Lewis. Said Lewis was carrying a torch to see where he was going. The four walked through the fog until they came to a fork in the road. “Vivi, can you go down?” Lewis asked her, kissing her lightly on the forehead. “I need to talk to Arthur about something.” “Okay, Lew-Lew.” Vivi giggled. The pair were oblivious to Arthur looking at them with a lonely look on his face. Arthur, Lewis, and Ben took the high road, while Vivi took the low road (literally). “Arthur, I need to talk to you about something.” “..Yeah?” “After we get home, I want to propose to Vivi.” “..What?!” Arthur cried. They were at a cliff overlooking sharp stalagmites. Bats sharp cries pierced the looming silence that hung between the two friends. Ben let out a bark suddenly, causing the bats to flurry around in a (literally) blind panic. “But.. why?” “Why?” Lewis asked, genuinely confused. “Why did you ask that? Because I love her!” "But this is worse!" “What?!” “Ever since you two lovebirds started dating, you’ve been treating me like I don’t even exist!” Arthur screamed. “This time, I could just disappear and you two wouldn’t even notice!” Then he shook his head. “This time I might just disappear.” “Arthur, I’m sorry, but-” “It’s too late to be sorry! I’m feeling like a goddamn ghost, Lewis!”  Arthur shrieked. Ben noticed something. Arthur arm was slowly turning green, starting at the fingertips and climbing up his arm to the side of his face. “Ar..thur..?” Lewis asked, backing up until he was near the very edge of the cliff. What none of them knew was that Vivi’s path had taken her to the stalagmites down below. She heard everything. “I’m not going to let you ignore me anymore,” Arthur shrieked. Lewis’ breathing became more rapid and frightened. “Arthur, snap out of it…!” Lewis shouted desperately as Arthur stepped forward. “You’re acting crazy!” “NO!” Arthur screamed, using his left arm, the one gone completely green, to push Lewis off of the cliff. “LEWIS!” Vivi let out an ear-splitting, heart-wrenching scream as Lewis fell to his death below.     Ben’s appearance changed suddenly. His white and red fur split into black, and his tail multiplied into eight as he grew significantly larger. The kitsune leaped forward and grabbed hold of Arthur’s left arm, where the possession began, and ripped it clean off. Blood splattered across the rocky ground as the green and envy drained from Arthur’s face, and he fell to his knees. “Lewis… I’m so sorry..” he cried as fat, hot tears fell from his eyes to the ground, mixing with his blood and Lewis’. A violent sob of anguish burst like a weakened dam down below. “Vivi-!” Then, a flash of light engulfed everything and Arthur fainted from the pain that took over his body.     Arthur remembered being half-asleep and laying in the back of the van. A spare blanket was used to stop the bleeding from his arm, but the backseat was still covered in it. “Lew…is…?” he said groggily. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he saw Ben, now normal again, in the front seat beside a tired-looking Vivi, who was driving. He fell back asleep, if only to stop the pain, internal and external. Days, months, years. Who knew how long it had been since then?     He remembered crying to Vivi a bit later saying “I’m so sorry, sorry,” and Vivi replied with a “Sorry for what?” as if nothing had happened. “Sorry… about… Lewis.” he said slowly, almost afraid of something. And then Vivi had replied with the words that made him die a little on the inside. “Who’s Lewis?”     The logical conclusion was that Vivi’s mind had forced all memories of Lewis to prevent any mental damage, but Arthur knew that it wasn’t the case. He knew that somehow Lewis… or rather, Lewis’ ghost had interfered… somehow, somehow. Was she fine? Yes, she was fine. And that’s what bothered Arthur. Normally, she should have been mourning, mourning for days, months, years even. But no. She continued her life as normal while Arthur was holed up in the van, fashioning himself a mechanical arm.     One particularly dreary night, Arthur was driving in the van beside Vivi and Ben, going anywhere, as they did now (the whole ‘home’ thing had declined over the years, Arthur stopped going to his job (also who would hire a murderer with a robot arm), Vivi was a ‘free spirit’ apparently, and Ben was a dog), when Arthur noticed that the woods that he was driving in looked… eerily… familiar. It’s probably nothing, he assured himself, but the anxious feeling didn’t fade.     Arthur leaned forward and turned the radio on. The music rattled the windows with the beat, like on that fateful night. ‘Cause the night might do me in It’s alright ‘cause I’m with friends Vivi and Arthur grinned at each other. ‘Cause I’m giving up again It doesn’t matter Ooh ooh~     Suddenly, a little flash of purple lightning came from the dashboard, and the gas level, speed, and everything else dropped to nothing. “Arthur, did you do somethi-?” Vivi asked before a large, broken-down mansion came into view. “I didn’t do anything!” Arthur said tautly. Something was bothering him, and he hoped his  suspicions weren’t right. “We can ask for help here.” “Arthur. Broken down car plus creepy old mansion in the woods equal two dead people and also a dead dog.” Ben chimed in with a little ‘woof.’ “We can leave if the going gets tough.” “Okay, but I’m leaving you if there’s a cannibal in there!” Vivi shouted indignantly. “It’s not like we even have a choice,” Arthur muttered, stopping in front of the mansion and climbing out of the car. Vivi and Ben followed (Ben somewhat more reluctantly) as the three walked into the mansion. The doors suddenly shut behind them, and everything went black.     A purple flame suddenly burned in the veil of the darkness and lit a candle. It floated over and lit the other candles until, finally, it reached the chandelier in front of the grand staircase, revealing the interior of the elegant mansion. Unlike Arthur’s and Ben’s horrified reactions, Vivi gasped in delight and squealed. “It’s so pretty!” she cried. ‘cause I’m feeling like a ghost and that’s what I hate the most ‘cause I’m giving up again and this time (this time, this time)     Then, purple cylindrical ghosts fizzled into existence right before them. A small yellow heart was plastered on them right below their mouth, and they were singing. This time I might just disappear.     Those words almost knocked Arthur right over. One of the last words he’d ever said to Lewis, so hatefully, and he could still see the hurt in Lewis’ violet eyes. Is this my punishment? he thought. For killing Lewis? “Aren’t they cute?!” Vivi giggled, still glossed over in wonder and amazement.     Then the ghost’s cute faces took on a more monstrous look as they shouted what sounded like “Oh yeah!” in a singsong at the three. And then they ran.     The trio ran down a hallway, where at one end there were suits of armour and at the other end were paintings. Suddenly, one of the suits of armor swung a sword at the three. They slid down the hallway and sat up. “What… the… HELL was that?!” Vivi shrieked. “I don’t know!” Arthur shouted. But he thought he might. “We’re going to d-” Then the painted portraits started singing at them. Oh no no no no, no no no no no.     “Oh yeah!”  the portraits leaned out of the frames with a melodic shout. The trio huddled close next to each other in fear, and then the ground gave way. Arthur, Vivi and Ben fell down in a Alice in Wonderland-esque way, with furniture flying around them. Then mirrors. Vivi, while falling, looked in a mirror. Her eyes were missing in the reflection. Arthur didn’t see his, but his arm was missing. His left arm. And Ben’s? The mirror just flat out broke.     Arthur fell beyond Vivi and Ben, screaming. He fell into a dank cellar. Arthur was rubbing his head when his gaze fell upon a decorated black casket. It slid open to reveal a man in an elegant black suit and a purple tie. Near his heart (or where his heart would be) was a golden heart-shaped ornament, floating in midair. And he was a skeleton. Literally.     His skull floated above his neck (or lack thereof) and his face (again, or lack thereof) looked almost sad. Try to hear me when I’m done. ‘Cause I might just say this once. See, this played out in my dreams… ..It doesn’t matter! Time for giving up this ghost…     When his eyes lifted and his gaze fell on Arthur, his face twisted into a scowl (as best as he could, considering he had no mouth) and he shouted at him: “Fuck, it’s YOU I hate the most! You ruined my life!” “M-me?!” Arthur said with a small but cracking voice, pointing at himself like an idiot. And there is no guarantee It doesn’t matter “I’m going to return the favour.”     The silence was deafening, the tension could be cut with a knife, there were countless metaphors and analogies to used in this singular moment between the two. And in a mocking voice, the skeleton shouted:     “‘This time I might just disappear?!’ God knows that you were just jealous! Death’s too good for you, I’m going to make you suffer like you made me!”     And then there was no true way to describe this other than “the skeleton’s eyes flashed in anger, and his hair, a purple pompadour, formed on his head,” and we all know that that’s kind of weird. CONTINUING. Arthur’s heart stopped. “Lewis!” he said. “I’m sorr-” “What was that?! ‘I’m sorry?!’ Do you know how much it hurt to do that to Vivi?!”     Do that to Vivi? Arthur thought. But then Lewis lunged at him and he took off running. Arthur’s heart pounded in his ears as he ran for his life in this game of cat-and-mouse.     Vivi and Ben were in the kitchen, about to consume far-too-big sandwiches in a single bite (pointless endeavor, but this is a fanfiction about an animated cartoon music video, so what can you do) when Arthur came running past. They looked to what he was running from (Lewis, screaming bloody murder) and ran too. The normally empty and oblong hallways were alive with the shrieking undead and the thumping footsteps of mortals. Suddenly, Ben slid to a stop in front of a screen surrounded by a picture frame. The van stopping in front of the cave. The four splitting up. Arthur, pushing Lewis off of the cliff.     And the heart ornament, rising up from Lewis’ corpse, becoming a ghost, Vivi staring at her hands in anguish as her memories of seeing Lewis, hearing Lewis, anything about Lewis was ripped away from her like a Band Aid. It told everything.     Ben suddenly swerved into the kitsune, the fox demon, as Lewis lunged at Arthur, ready to strangle him to death. But Vivi jumped in front of Arthur in the nick of time and Lewis slid to a stop in front of her. “What are you doing!?” she shouted. Lewis looked sad, so depressive, but at the same time hopeful. “What did Arthur ever do to you?!” “He ripped me away from y- I mean, uh. I.. wanted to give you this..” Lewis stammered as the heart ornament floated to her. But it wasn’t just an ornament. It was something mo-     Arthur grabbed Vivi’s hand and pulled her away, running for dear life as the heart fell to the floor and cracked, turning blue and causing purple flame to erupt around Lewis. “No!” Vivi screamed as the flames engulfed everything around him. “Don’t!” Just as the hot air from the explosion billowed out Vivi, Arthur, and Ben, they leapt into the van and drove away as the flames died down. He just wanted to pass on peacefully. He just wanted to give her the broken ornament. Lewis held the small heart in his hand and pressed it, causing it to pop open, revealing a small photo of Lewis before he was dead and Vivi, the two in a loving embrace, their love immortalized in that photo. And he had to pass on, albeit bitterly. But not yet.

[tidbitsandthoughts]

My Head's in the Clouds (Desuremi)

Edit: A fic written by Ms. Mina! It's about Descole when he has a few too many drinks and how Emmy has to take care of him! Enjoy because I sure did!

Emmy Altava woke suddenly to the sound of a glass breaking. Sitting up, she looked around the main room of the Bostonius, having previously been laid out on the couch. "Jean?" she called, and she could’ve sworn she heard violent bawling coming from Descole’s office. Standing, she pushed her chestnut-colored hair out of her eyes and looked around. She’d been living with Jean Descole for about a year now (give or take a couple months) in the Bostonius. She’d always imagined her life being almost exactly like this (traveling; , but she never expected to start dating the guy who’d been her boss/best friend/teacher’s arch-rival for so long. But it had been perfectly amazing, being able to travel from Canada to Haiti within a day. She sighed, standing and looked around again. God, she wanted wine. Emmy walked over to the hutch under the map of the world on the wall and opened it and started to grab a glass and a bottle when she stopped. Two bottles of strawberry-flavoured Shnapps were missing. "Jean?" she shouted. "Did you take the-" Oh. Oh. OH. She walked up to Descole’s office and knocked on the door. ”Go awayyahahhhh…” Emmy raised her eyebrows and opened the door to see Descole in full mask-boa-cape attire, slumped over the desk. Beside him was a full and quarter-empty bottle of strawberry-flavoured Shnapps. "Jean?" she asked, half-amused and half-oh-my-god-is-he-drunk. "Emmy, get out of my officcee…" Descole said, his words becoming more rounded by the second. He groaned and Emmy’s face turned into a more you-can’t-be-serious-oh-my-god-I-am-so-done-with-this-flips-a-table-bye look. "Jean, what the hell-?” "Emmy, I’m just, m’just like Iloveyousomuch. Kiss me. Kiss m’noww…" he said, sitting up (Well, A for effort in the "Sitting up for intoxicated people" part.) and staring at her, a dopey look on his face. Emmy let out a exasperated sigh and walked over to him. “Jean, why did you dri-“ Descole suddenly let out a sob and fell into Emmy’s chest like a five year old. “I just gotta, you know, put up with so much shit, so much shit, like, of course it reminds him of a puzzle! Everything reminds him of a god damn puzzle!” Emmy sighed and hugged the big owl/poodle man. "Jean, you should know that by now that everything does remind him of a puzzle," she said, humoring him. "And my dad, my god damned dad, he’s a mafia boss! A friggin’ mafia boss, Emmy!” Descole cried. “And you’re the only one that understands! I just, I just loveyoushooomush…” Emmy looked down at Descole, who was now staring at her. She could clearly see his face was flushed from the alcohol, and he was very- I repeat, very- intoxicated. “Jean, you’re drunk.” “I swear to drunk, I’m not god!” he shouted, sitting up (barely). “I’m just… buzzed…” And then he burst into a fit of giggles like a high school girl. Emmy raised her eyebrows at him and stood up to go get Descole some water. “WHERE ARE YOU GOI- ahahahaaahaa…haa..” Descole guffawed, then slumped over on his desk again, giggling. When Emmy returned with a glass of water, he appeared to be asleep. She set it next to him and sat down. Suddenly, Descole sat up quickly and kissed Emmy full on the lips. “Jean, what the hel- mmphf!” oh no I can TASTE it “Thankyouforthewaterr” he said, his words barely intelligible as he pulled away. Emmy stared at him with a taut look on her face. Then he completely fell asleep. Emmy sat there for a few minutes, to make sure he wasn’t faking, before walking out of Descole’s office and returning with some blankets. She draped them over him and left to go to sleep again, on the couch. The next morning, Descole walked out of his office, having taken off the extra clothing (i.e. hat, mask, boa, cape), to find Emmy reading a book. He was rubbing his head. “What… what happened last night?” he groaned. “Why do I have a hangover?” Emmy glanced over at him. “Oh, you were taking a few too many shots.” Descole stared at her with a horrified look on his face. “How many?” “About… I dunno, 6? ‘Ya know, you have a terrible alcohol tolerancy.” “Never let me drink again.” Descole almost shouted. “Please tell me that I didn’t do anything… questionable last night.” Emmy considered telling him about the drunken-kiss, but pushed that thought away. She’s gotta tell him what he wants to hear, after all. “You just blabbed on about some stuff, and fell asleep,” she assured him. “Oh, good,” he sighed. “Now, I’m going to go get some water and go back to bed.” “I can get the water for you.” “Thank you.” Emmy laughed and walked over to peck him on the cheek.

[tidbitsandthoughts]

Ne Regardez pas pour Lui

hello! it’s mina. i just wanna say that i’m excited! collabs are fun, because we’re motivating each other! (i think? i dunno eheh) but anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter!

-mina

We’ll find you, Professor.

Emmy repeated that phrase of encouragement to herself, as if trying to telepathically contact the professor as she walked up the small staircase to the Bostonius. Luke followed, then Aurora. Walking into the Bostonius, she sighed and flopped on one of the two couches, exhausted. Aurora took a seat on one of the armchairs and fell asleep again. Luke stood there, staring off into space guiltily.

"Luke, you need some sleep," Emmy said, rolling over on the couch and looking at him.

Luke shuffled over to the other couch and sat on it.

"Luke?" Emmy asked. He looked up. "Are you okay?"

Luke didn’t reply, only buried his face in his hands. To Emmy, he looked strangely small and unprotected and… raw, raw like he was rounded down to what a twelve-year-old constitutes for survival skills.

As for Luke himself, during the entirety of the car ride back to the Bostonius, he was trying to fully understand what had happened to no avail. He remembered being in the Azran ruins, yes yes, with Emmy and Aurora and the professor- but then there was something with feather darts knocking out Aurora and Emmy, and the professor shouting his name and leaping beside him-

As if something- or someone burst a dam in his mind, the memories came flooding back.

"Professor.." he mumbled, shielding himself from an invisible assailant. "Professor, where are you-?"

What I wouldn’t give to answer that question, Luke thought, trembling.

Just then, Professor Desmond Sycamore came barreling into the main room of the Bostonius. He grabbed a paper quickly and started to run back to his office on the blimp when he noticed Luke. He pointed at Aurora and Emmy and mouthed “Are they asleep?” at him. Luke nodded. Professor Sycamore, an exceptionally kind and clever, but at times odd man (with an odd, bread-like haircut) smiled warmly at Luke, but his face turned into a frown as he noticed someone missing from the group. ”Where’s Hershel?” he whispered. Luke’s face fell. Desmond’s eyes widened and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Is he okay?”

Luke looked up at him. “He’s- he’s missing, Professor Sycamore.” he said, starting in a normal voice then gradually trailing off into a whisper. Desmond whispered back “I’m sorry. We going to find him, Luke, but it’s three o’clock in the morning. Get some sleep.” Luke nodded dejectedly as Desmond ran back into his office.

But Luke couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about the professor. The rain pounded against the window as he dropped in and out of a fitful sleep. And he had a nightmare. A horrible nightmare. The professor falling to his feet, unconscious. Luke shouted his name until… until a monster appeared, a monster with a mask and gleaming eyes and a wicked grin looming over him like a dark figure. And with such utter malice and hate but at the same time… at the same time he spoke in a tone that knows that he’d already won, and Luke knew that he was going to get what he wanted, the professor, his mentor- no, his friend, his best and dearest friend, ripped away from him. And the monster said four simple words burned into Luke’s memory like a branding iron:

"Don’t look for him."

[tidbitsandthoughts]

Il était une Fois...

Here's Chapter 2! Here we start to get an idea of where the professor is! This part was written by me!

Hershel awoke with a start. His heart pounded in his chest as he glanced around the dark room, trying to get his bearings. The room was dark, and he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, but he was on something soft- a bed... if the blankets and wide, cushioned surface were any hints.

Rain drizzled outside, as the professor groaned, bringing his hand to his head. His temple throbbed as he tried to remember the last thing that happened before waking up. He recalled a shape... a figure heading toward Luke... He had jumped in front of the boy and then... nothing. That was it. He had been with the others by the lake when they were all knocked out. He remembered the terror in Luke's eyes... Well... he could only hope that the others were fairing alright-

A sound of a creaking door caused Hershel to startle. He glanced over at the direction of the noise as light drizzled into the room. The outline of a tall, brooding figure stood with its back to the light.

“Who are you?” Hershel asked, pushing himself to his feet steadily. A dark chuckle escaped the figure's lips, and immediately, Hershel had his answer. The professor shifted his weight slightly, ready to protect himself if need be. “Descole.”

“Congratulations, Layton.” Descole clapped, walking forward and flicking on the lights. Hershel blinked quickly, his vision blurring as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change. Once Hershel could see again, he found himself in a small, tidy bedroom standing next to a bed with royal purple sheets.

The rest of the room was elegant, but clean. The furnishings were made from a rich, polished wood, and the carpet was a dark purple. There was a desk with gold etchings, and office supplies neatly organized on it, and the curtains hanging over a small window were purple with gold accents. It was a lovely room and, in it's own right, comforting, but the intimidating man leaning against the door did anything but inspire tranquility.

“Is the room to your liking, Hershel?” The man smirked with a warm, deep voice. Hershel turned toward the man, wishing he could see past Descole's white mask and into his eyes.

“What do you want with me?” Hershel asked levelly. “Are the others safe?”

“You mean your friends?” Descole chuckled, bringing his hand to his lips, his puffy sleeves fluttering gently with each of his movements. “They're safe, for now.”

“What are you planing, Descole?” Hershel asked steadily. Descole smirked, and slowly made his way to Hershel's side.

“I'm trying to do what's best for you, Layton.” Descole said gently. “But, also what's best for me.” He was inches from Hershel, staring him down from behind his mask.

“Where's Luke?” Hershel growled. “And Emmy? Aurora and Professor Sycamore, what did you do to them?”

“Nothing.” Descole said quietly, his voice menacing and cold. “I didn't do a thing to any of them, but I will if you don't do exactly as I say.” He swiftly whirled on his heels and started for the door. “Follow me, Hershel, we have a lot to do.” The professor hesitated, trying to process what was happening and how he could get himself out of it, but when Descole looked over his shoulder and shoot the man a glare, Hershel hurried to catch up. He supposed he would just have to wait for the right time to act.

Luke, Emmy, He thought as he followed Descole down the hall. Please be safe...

[tidbitsandthoughts]

Un, Deux, Trois

Edit: Hello everyone, this is a fun project that I've had the honor of planning with Ms. Mina! It's an Azran Legacy AU where Hershel is kidnapped by Descole and the events that follow. We'll take turns writing the chapters, and this one was written by Mina, we hope you enjoy!

The rain just wouldn’t stop.

It pounded incessantly on the car windows in the veil of the inky black night. Normally, Luke Triton loved this kind of weather. He’d open the window with the screen in his room and let the sound of the raindrops lull him into sleep. But not now. Now it only seemed to make the air heavier in the small yellow car. The silence was deafening. The driver was Emmy Altava, and beside her was Aurora, leaning against the window, fast asleep. Emmy’s brown eyes, normally energetic and bright, radiated fatigue as she drove.

As for Emmy herself, she didn’t quite know what was happening. Luke, Aurora, Professor Hershel Layton and her were examining the Azran ruins in the lake when something… when something happened and Emmy and Aurora went out cold. They woke, a few minutes later only to see Luke unconscious near them and the professor… gone. When Luke woke, he didn’t say anything. His eyes were glossed over, but you could see fear and… and guilt for some reason reflecting in them. Luke answered none of Emmy’s questions (for that matter none of Aurora’s either) and was just frozen up. He’d seen something, but it seemed to Emmy that whatever it is, it was terrifying.

But she needed to know, for the professor’s sake.

Maybe Desmond will know what to do, Emmy thought as she parked in front of the Bostonius. She shook Aurora’s shoulder gently. Her blue eyes flitted open and she sat up.

"Sorry… I fell asleep.." she said groggily.

"It’s fine, Aurora, it is late." Emmy said, stepping out of the car. Cold, cruel raindrops hit her face like icicles.

We’ll find you, Professor.