#so into the library he goes
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A Harvest Moon Tale - Ruikasa Week 2023
Day 7: Free Day (Childhood Friends)
"Raaaaaar! Flower Bud village belongs to me!"
"Stop you evil being! I, Pegasus the Shining, will protect the village! Cosmic beam!"
Rui fell down to his knees. "Aah! You got me!" He dropped, tongue out with a loud dramatic 'blegh'.
"Ahahaha! Flower Bud village is saved! Thanks to Pegasus the Shining!" His friend laughed before laying on the ground next to Rui. "That's so fun!"
Rui looked up at his friend, smiling at him. "It is." Then he remembered something. "Oh. I want to show you something." He opened his backpack and took out a handmade book.
"A book?" His friend leaned closer. Rui opened the first book and his friend's eyes widened when he saw Rui's drawing of their character. "Pegasus the Shining! You've been writing it?"
"Mhmm! I want to remember this story forever, so I write it down."
"That's so cool! You're so smart Rui!"
Rui picked up his colored pencils and started to write. His friends watched him through, adding more flare along the way. They doodled on the pages and added various stickers.
"There," Rui said proudly as he closed his book. He stared at his friend. An idea popped in his head. "Here," he offered the book to them.
"Huh?"
"Keep it."
"But it's your book."
"I want you to keep it." Rui put the book on his friend's lap. "Next time I visit, we can write a new book. So, keep it safe, okay?"
His friend picked up the book, looking through the pages in astonishment. His friends grinned at him. "Alright!" They hugged the book close to his chest. "You can count on me!"
——————————————————————————————
The library was the last place Rui visited during his first day back in Flower Bud Village. The door's bell chimed and the young man behind the table looked up from his book. "Hmm? I don't think I recognize you..."
"I just moved here," Rui said. "Just visiting to say 'hi' while I'm going around the village."
"Moved...Oh!" The young man's sunset eyes widened. "Are you the new guy at the old man's farm?"
"That's me. I'm Rui Kamishiro." Rui offered a hand and the young man took it for some excited shakes.
"Tsukasa Tenma! The librarian." Tsukasa brightly smiled and Rui had to admit that it was an infectious smile. "Ah, this is embarrassing! I forgot that Mama said there will be someone new moving in to restore the old man's farm. I should've prepared a welcoming gift."
"There's no need. But I'm assuming you're the mayor's son then?"
"That's right! I'll visit the farm soon. With a proper welcome this time!"
"Well, I'll be waiting for you then."
Tsukasa did fulfill his words, bringing a bouquet of Moondrop Flowers and staying to pull some weed.
——————————————————————————————
Rui entered the library first thing in the morning after going to the Shinonome's shop for their work table.
"Hey there," Tsukasa greeted.
"Hi. Look what I found." Rui dug in his backpack and took out the thing that he just fixed. He put it on the table for Tsukasa to see.
"A music box?"
"I was doing some digging and found this. Had a treasure map as well."
Tsukasa hummed. "I've never thought that you're an adventurous type."
"I surprised myself too. Want to listen to it?"
"Sure!"
Rui winded up the music box. The sound that came out was nostalgic. It reminded him of Grandpa and that one summer visit.
"What a beautiful melody..." Tsukasa muttered. Rui looked at him. Tsukasa was focusing on the music box, elbow on the table and cheek on his palm. His eyes were fluttering, almost as if he was about to fall asleep from the lullaby.
Rui made up his mind. "You can keep it," he said.
Tsukasa looked up in surprise. "Eh? Are you sure? But isn't this your buried treasure?"
"I want you to have it." Rui pushed the music box closer to Tsukasa with a gentle smile. "I can always try to build a new one. So, keep it safe, okay?"
Tsukasa looked at him and the music box back and forth. He grinned widely. "Alright! You can count on me!"
Huh. That sounded very familiar.
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"I think it's kinda ironic that you're a farmer and you don't like vegetables."
"I'm giving it to the people who need them more."
"Then what you've been eating all this time?"
"Did you know the bakery's bread is so good?"
"Are you saying that you've been eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast all this time?"
Rui didn't answer. The judgmental stare from Tsukasa made him sweat. It was easy to put two-on-two together. "Rui!"
"I have eggs too..." Rui whined.
Tsukasa put his hands on his hips like a scolding mother. "Vegetables are important! It's for your nutrition!"
Rui pouted. "That's just a myth. Look at me. I'm doing fine until now."
"You're sure a picky eater." Tsukasa sighed. "If I'm living with you, I'll make sure to make you eat vegetables more."
Rui paused from putting the cake into his mouth. Did Tsukasa even realize what he just said?
"You know what?" He pointed his finger at Rui, a determined glint in his eyes. "Tomorrow, I'll make you a dish that'll make you love vegetables!"
Rui chuckled nervously. "I don't think that'll work."
"There's no harm in trying! So be prepared!"
"Oh, dear..." Rui finally ate the cake. But it was too hard for a cake. And metal-y. Rui spitted the thing onto his fork. "Oh." It was a coin.
"Rui! That's the coin!" Tsukasa gasped. "You're the king!"
Rui chuckled. "I guess I am~"
The mayor noticed this and announced, "The king next year will be Mister Rui Kamishiro!" She approached, shaking Rui's hand after he put down his plate of cake. "Congratulation, young man. You'll be playing an active part in next year's sowing festival and spirit festival."
"Ah, thank you very much." Rui smiled.
"Alright. Let's start the dance!" The mayor clapped. "Everyone, choose your partner!"
Rui looked around as everyone moved to find their partner. Rui turned to Tsukasa. "Tsukasa." He offered a hand at him. "Will you dance with me?"
Tsukasa's eyes widened slightly before smiling gently which made Rui's heart skip. "Of course."
The dance was fun despite none of them being good at it.
——————————————————————————————
It was raining when Rui's knocked at the mayor's door. The door was opened, revealing Tsukasa's little sister. "Oh. Rui!"
"Hi, Saki." Rui smiled, lifting his cooked poached fish that he made this morning. "The library is closed today and I was wondering where Tsukasa is."
"Oh, he's feeling a bit under the weather," Saki said with a sad tone. "Would you like to visit him?"
"Of course." There was no way Rui would pass this. How can he refuse in visiting a sick friend? Saki led him to the loft where Tsukasa was staying.
Saki popped his head from the stairs. "Tsukasa! You have a visitor." She called. Then, she turned to Rui. "I'll leave you two alone, okay?"
Rui smiled at her as a thank you. It was the first time Rui ever came into Tsukasa's loft - or bedroom. It was simply decorated, which was something Rui wasn't expected from a loud and bright young man like him. The owner himself was on the bed, sitting up slowly. "Hi, Rui," he said, voice hoarse and red face.
Rui smiled and sat on the stool beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Not great honestly." Tsukasa smiled sheepishly. "That's very kind of you to visit. Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me. Just focus on getting better soon."
"But you're here. I can't just fall asleep."
"I don't really mind."
Rui guided Tsukasa to lay back down and he didn't even fight back, too sick to even protest which tugged something in Rui's heart.
"You know, I had a silly dream," Tsukasa mumbled.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I was a superhero trying to protect the village from this evil magician." Tsukasa laughed but followed with a cough. "I called myself Pegasus the Shining."
Rui's eyes widened. There was it again. The feeling of recognition, like having to remember something.
"Well," Rui cleared his throat, "strange dreams can happen when you're sick."
"Kinda feeling nostalgic for some reason," Tsukasa laughed a little. "I've forgotten a lot of things about my childhood. Maybe Pegasus the Shining is one of them."
So, it wasn't just Rui. Perhaps they could bond even more between them. "Perhaps..."
——————————————————————————————
"Hey, Rui!"
Rui had just come out from milking his cow when Tsukasa arrived at his farm.
"Ah, Tsukasa." Rui waved as he approached him. "What can you do for you?"
Tsukasa cleared his throat as if to prepare himself for a speech. Then he struck a post, hand on his chest and the other stretched toward Rui. "Rui Kamishiro," he said, voice booming, "I would like to invite you to the Star Festival tonight! I'll be performing at the church but I want to take you to the mountain as well." This bravado flattered a bit as his eyes shifted and a blush appeared on his face. "But if you don't want to that's fine."
Rui chuckled. He's so adorable. "I'll come."
Tsukasa perked up. "Really?"
"I want to see the stars with you too." Rui smiled at him.
Tsukasa grinned at him; a grin that Rui grew to love, and he could practically see him vibrating in excitement. "Well, I'll see you tonight." Rui nodded and Tsukasa skipped away.
Rui did come to the church, not even thinking of skipping Tsukasa's performance. Tsukasa played the flute with Saki (who played the piano) dan the vineyard son, Touya (who played the violin). It was a wonderful performance, but Rui's eyes were always on Tsukasa, admiring how he looked even brighter in the center.
After that, the two of them headed to the mountain, far from the village. The star was twinkling brightly, something that he couldn't do back in the city. Tsukasa traced many constellations, rambling about the myth behind them. And Rui listened to him. He knew that Tsukasa loves when people listen to him and Rui loves how animated Tsukasa is when talking. Everything about Tsukasa is so adorable and lovable for Rui. Through the days, Rui grew more and more in love with Tsukasa. Tsukasa someone made Rui's days brighter. Or maybe he was hopelessly in love with the blond since the first sight.
Rui noticed Tsukasa blow his palm, rubbing them together. "Are you cold?" he asked.
Tsukasa nodded. "It's a bit chilly tonight."
A cheeky idea popped in his head. Rui put an arm around Tsukasa and pulled him closer. Tsukasa let out a squeak. "Eek! Rui!"
"It won't be that cold if we share body heat~"
"Th-That's true...But still!"
"Are you shy?" "I can see you blushing."
"How can you? It's dark!"
"Aw, Tsukasa is so easy to tease~"
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Before Rui even opened the door, a loud crash. "Whoa!"
Rui ran into the library, seeing Tsukasa on the ground surrounded by fallen books. "Tsukasa!" he shouted, kneeling next to him to look for injuries. "Are you alright? Does it hurt?"
"I'm fine." Tsukasa waved it with a laugh. "Wow, that's embarrassing."
Rui sighed in relief. "What are you even doing?"
"Rearranging some book." Tsukasa gestured around and Rui noticed some stacked books in some places and more empty space. "New year, new looks, after all. Mama also ordered some new collections, so I'm finding space for them."
"I see. I can help around."
"You're not busy with your farm?"
"I've done my chores for the day, so I'm free."
"Well, I don't mind some extra hand." Tsukasa shrugged with a smile. "Okay then. Let's work together."
They spent the entire afternoon rearranging and noting the books. It was less stressful than back when his farm was still a mess. But Tsukasa was there to help, so it was only natural for Rui to help back. Besides, he could spend more time with Tsukasa. So, it was a win for him as well.
It was then he found a very old book, almost like a scrapbook with its cover filled with stickers.
"Hey, Tsukasa," Rui called. Tsukasa answered with a hum. Rui lifted the scrapbook. "What is this?"
Tsukasa looked at it and his eyes widened. "Oh!" He ran toward Rui and took the book gently. "Oh, wow. This is so old. I almost forgot that I have this." There was a gentle nostalgic smile on his face as he flipped the pages with the utmost care. "It has been a long time since I read this. Ah, this brings back so many memories."
The feeling returned. And it was as if blaring in his head. "Tell me more."
"Well, it is kinda blurry," Tsukasa smiled slipped a little. Rui knew that Tsukasa always felt down when he could remember anything. At that moment, Rui understood the feeling. "But I think I used to have this one friend. We played a lot, mostly about superheroes and fairy tales. This book is one of the stories from our play date. They gave it to me before they left."
Oh.
"Here."
"Huh?"
"Keep it."
"But it's your book."
"I want you to keep it. Next time I visit, we can write a new book. So, keep it safe, okay?"
"Alright! You can count on me!"
Oh...
"That book..." Rui started, testing the water. "Is it about... Pegasus the Shinning?"
Tsukasa frowned as he turned to him. "Yeah...How did you know?"
Rui took a deep breath before saying, "Because I think I wrote that book."
"You..." A gasp escaped his lips as his eyes widened in shock. "Wait... No way..." Rui stepped forward, taking Tsukasa's hand before the book could slip. "You... You're the..."
Rui sighed, eyes feeling teary. "I am."
Tsukasa's breath quickened. He leaped into Rui's arms, hugging him tight. Rui hugged back, feeling the young man trembling. "You're the kid...You're back."
Rui nodded. "I'm back."
"I can't believe I forgot! I'm sorry!"
"It's okay. To be honest, I can't remember the detail as well. I'm glad you still keep the book."
"There's no way I can throw it away. You wrote it for us." Tsukasa pulled back, eyes glistening with tears but his gentle smile never flattered. "Hey, can we read it? For old time's sake."
Rui nodded. "Of course."
They spent the rest of the hours reminiscing about the past.
——————————————————————————————
Rui almost wanted to run away, but he knew he had to do it. He couldn't delay it any longer. So, he forced himself to walk into his library with his face so red and swallowing his nervousness.
Tsukasa looked up to Rui from his documentation. "Hi there, Rui."
"Hi." Rui winched when his voice pitched up too slightly high.
Tsukasa frowned as he stood up. "Is there something wrong? You look tense."
Don't run away. Don't run away. Come on, Rui. Where's your confidence? "Tsukasa, I..." he gulped. "I need to tell you something."
"Okay?"
Rui huffed, steeling himself. "Tsukasa...I..." Tsukasa's eyes widened, but Rui was already going loose. "I love you more than anything else." "I love everything about you; your smile, your bright personality, the way your ramble about your interest, everything. I cherish everything and want to see more from you. For the rest of my life, I want to be with you and be there for you. So..."
Taking a few seconds of calm to breathe, Rui knelt down, taking a single glittering blue feather. "Tsukasa Tenma. Will you marry me?"
Tsukasa stood with his mouth fully agape. His cheeks flushed and the corner of his eyes welled up with tears. "Yes!" Tsukasa shouted, jumping into Rui, causing both of them to fall. "Yes! Yes! I will marry you!"
Rui hugged him back, happiness overflowing his heart. Tsukasa pulled back a little and Rui tucked the blue feather behind Tsukasa's ear. Rui cupped Tsukasa's cheek and they shared a gentle kiss.
——————————————————————————————
On one gloomy summer day in Rui's childhood, he went home after spending time at his grandpa's farm, leaving a childhood friend behind.
On one bright summer day in Rui's adulthood, he returned to his grandpa's farm, reuniting with his childhood friend-turned-husband.
#ruikasaweek2023#ruikasa#rui kamishiro#tsukasa tenma#i was playing harvest moon 64 the other day#was trying to get the party picture#gonna marry pupori or maria#tried to put some of the event references#it's just really funny imagining tsukasa as a librarian#honestly i don't know what would suit him#so into the library he goes#originally i was gonna write old idea from early prompt#or a kasaverse#but i've been in a harvest moon mood#so harvest moon au wins#this is the last contribution for ruikasaweek2023#i don't know if this or the mdzs au is the longest#very late it's 5 am already because i fell asleep#i had a tiring day yesterday
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The Foster Mother
Now on ao3 and VHS release
There was, supposedly, someone waiting for him in the green sitting room.
“…Why?” Tim asked. Most of the usual suspects had already come by to give their “condolences”—former Drakes Industries investors, curious about the newly orphaned heir; fellow socialites, once again flocking in to give and receive sympathies for their “close friends, the Drakes”; gawkers come to see what they could scavenge off of a dead family’s home, never mind that their child was alive.
“She claims to know you, Master Tim,” Alfred offered, kettle in his hand. He spent a moment deciding between different two canisters of tea; a sign of possibly difficult future conversation. “Her interest in your father's estate seemed quite…minimal.”
…Alright.
Tim was still in his formalwear. Dissolving Drake Industries would take at least another year, and plenty of future hours cementing the future home of certain resources in their dissolution, but the outfit probably was more appropriate for whatever oncoming conversation that was about to ensue than his planned change into Dick’s old hoodie and board shorts.
Okay. Tim steeled himself. The self-determination…mostly worked. Whatever. He trudged up into the green sitting room from the kitchen with his usual introduction ready on his tongue.
And then Tim walked into the room.
And then Jazzy was there.
*
Tim had been three, and Miss Jasmine had been his had been his third nanny. He’d outgrown the wetnurse early on, and his second nanny had been dismissed, so although Miss Jasmine was the third nanny, she was first nanny Tim could consciously remember.
She’d had red hair. She’d been very gentle with him.
She got him up in the morning and put him to bed at night; for the first time, there had been someone who sat with him until he was asleep, reading all sorts of books his parents had left to engage him with as an early genius. Then, when those were over and done as promised to his parents, they got unauthorized books from the library: silly books with made-up words, dinosaur books, books about teddy bears and adventures around the world.
Tim hadn’t been allowed to travel the world. Tim hadn’t been allowed a teddy bear. His parents had thought it would encourage undue attachment.
(It had been the same reason he’d never been given a pacifier.)
Miss Jazz had given him a knitted bunny. She’d said her dad had made it especially for him.
The toy’s name was Bunny and Tim remembered him being very soft.
She didn’t smile all the time, but smiles were rewards that were easy to earn. He finished his meal and she smiled. He finished an educational puzzle and she smiled. He was quiet all through her phone call and she smiled, and answered all his questions once she was done.
Jazzy had been the first person in his life who was there all the time. She’d kissed his forehead after the bath and kissed his scraped knees; she’d carried him in his arms when he was tired and sometimes even when he wasn’t. His parents had wanted him to be independent, proactive, and not clingy, but Jazzy had been someone who he could run to from his bed when he’d had nightmares and someone he could cuddle on her lap with when he’d cried.
She was gone when he was seven. He didn’t remember why. His parents had probably never told him, but still; he'd assumed he'd have found out why eventually.
Jazzy looked the same right now as she looked in Tim’s memories, although she was likely no longer a college student at a nannying gig. Her red hair was pulled into a high bun, her dress modest and conservative from her neck to her ankles. There was a backpack beside her foot. She was sitting, one leg crossed over the other, on the high-backed loveseat in the green sitting room.
She looked up when he came in.
Tim. Stopped in his tracks.
It didn’t matter. Jazzy—Miss Jasmine stood up as soon as she saw him, eyes alight with worry. Foggy memories were swimming to the forefront of Tim’s brain. He couldn’t move.
“Tim?” Ja—Miss Jasmine asked, teal eyes raking over his frame. Tim froze where he was. He didn’t move, wide-eyed and terrified for no reason at all when Miss Jasmine got closer to him, at a distance that was more appropriate for a conversation.
She stood there. Watching him. It felt like his mother had just come home from her trips with Dad, and a ghost of old terror wafted through him as he waited for her to decide he’d done something wrong. Her voice got softer. Her eyes got softer. Why was Tim feeling so wrong-footed?? It was only a former staff person!
“Tim?” her voice was so gentle. “I don’t know if you remember me. I’m—“
“M’s Jazz,” Tim croaked. Which. Wasn’t the level of formality he’d been going for, but better than Jazzy. He wasn’t a toddler anymore.
Miss Jasmine was so tall—honestly, was she taller than Bruce? She’d seemed insurmountable as a child; he hadn’t expected her height to truly be so statuesque as an adult.
(Or. Well. Almost an adult.)
She didn’t quite kneel down, but she did stoop lower, as if Tim was small and he needed to be on equal footing in order to have a serious conversation.
He could see all her freckles. Tim swallowed. It was too familiar. Everything about her was too familiar.
“You’re so big now,” Jazzy whispered, looking at his hair, his suit, his polished shoes. He didn’t feel it. “Oh, you’ve grown up so well.”
Thanks, Tim almost said. Something stopped him—something thick in his throat, to impassable to break through.
“I—“ he tried. He coughed. “Why…you… You’re here?”
Jazzy threw him an incredulous look, and then an incredibly wry one. “Well,” she drawled a little too primly, in the way that Alfred occasionally made obvious statements, “I’d think it obvious that when one’s parents have passed away, that those who care about you might come to check and see if you’re alright.”
Which. That didn’t make sense. Jazzy hadn’t come back for any other reason; she hadn’t come back for his mother’s funeral, nor when his father was injured publicly by a villain. Why start now?
“And,” Jazz added, seeing his visual confusion and distrust, “Your parents can’t exactly threaten me with a kidnapping charge for visiting you when they’re dead.” Pause. “Which I am sorry about. My condolences.”
Which. Whiplash. What a statement.
“Uh,” said Tim, who was rapidly losing control over the situation.
Jazzy stood again, and went back to her seat; she didn’t set herself down, though, as she only stooped to grab her backpack. “I am sorry for being unable to visit, although I really wanted to; you were at a very vulnerable age and had already moved into a class a year above you, and your parents should have been less hasty about replacing your main caretaker. The assassination attempts were unwarranted, but they did drive the point home that attempting contact was perhaps discouraged.”
“What,” said Tim. “Assassin what.”
“They were ninjas,” Jazzy offered, as if that was an answer. “Except the last one, which was a former marine. The point is that I do care about you, and wanted to ask if you had any idea where you’re going now that your parents are no longer…available guardians.”
Tim’s mouth opened. It closed.
Jazzy waited patiently.
“…How have you been?” Tim tried, resorting to a part of the script they hadn’t gone through yet.
Jazzy’s laugh was tired, but no less real. It was nothing like listening to his parents titter politely; he didn’t think Jazzy would even know how to fake a laugh. “Well, my brother told me that my former bosses had died, which was somewhat stressful. Otherwise, I’m pretty happy: I live with my brother and worked with him for the last few years. I was going to pursue medicine, but…well. The assassination attempts made it hard to interview for scholarships. I suppose that I could return to that now,” Jazzy mused, attention now elsewhere. She pulled the backpack off the floor and up into her grip. She opened it, and flipped through its contents. “How are you doing? I know that Wayne Manor fosters, but your parents were always rather…hands off. I thought the difference in levels of attention might be overwhelming.”
It was. Tim should be surprised how clearly she sees through him—
—But Jazzy used to watch him stim for almost a full hour after school, twisting Bunny’s arms back and forth until he could calm down. Seeing other people all day had been too much for him. Coming home from his parents’ parties had been similarly stressful.
She’d never been mad at him for it. She held him while he talked and stimmed and talked and talked and talked, and brushed his hair sometimes, or if it was very late and he was very young, helped him brush his teeth through all the medieval execution facts he could name.
“It is a lot to get used to,” Tim agreed quietly. He didn’t want to be ungrateful. He didn’t want to let on anyone about his plan to leave.
He had an out. The papers had already been filed; there was an actor waiting to play his uncle for a custody battle, ready for the fight.
Tim was ready to up and go. It was no hardship to leave all the good things here; anything beat making Bruce stick his fingers into Tim any deeper than they already were, compromising the dynamic they’d already established.
It was for the best.
“I can imagine,” Jazzy sympathized easily. “And I wanted to offer—well. I know there’s probably a lot of choices available to you, but my brother and I recently moved back to Gotham proper for the time being. He’s teaching astronomy courses at the university and I’m filing paperwork for Arkham patients. It’s not so privileged a home, but it’s quieter, and more central in town.”
…Tim’s heart skipped.
He. He couldn’t stop staring. Jazzy stared back at him, quiet and sure. Sure of what, Tim had no idea, but…
Why? Why would she want Tim? There was no way she would be able to get to his trust fund without his help, and he for sure knew better than to enable her ability to leech from him. The last time she’d known him, Tim had been a snot-nosed kid who cried all the time and couldn’t be normal for twenty consecutive minutes. His parents couldn’t even stand to be on the same hemisphere as him as a child. What appeal did this have for her?? What could having a teenager with severe baggage living in her house do for her?
And it’s not like there was any chance she knew he was Robin!
“Oh,” Jazzy suddenly interrupted. “I brought these for you, by the way. Your parents had tossed them out at various points; I’ve washed them since, of course.”
She handed him the backpack by the handle.
…Tim peeked inside.
On top was Bunny, still a washed-out faded sort of pink. He looked as fresh as he had the day when Tim’s parents had ”cleaned out” Tim’s nursery—in other words, a faded, a little gray, and slightly discolored from an old spaghetti stain. His button eyes were big and blue.
And beneath him were books that hadn’t passed his father’s muster as appropriately masculine reading material: The Velveteen Rabbit, with the cover a little scarred from a fierce attack of wet wipes. There’s A Monster at the End of This Book, with a goofy-looking Muppet on the cover, gold spine beat up beyond belief. Art Tim’s teacher at the time must have laminated and sent home; Tim’s dorky, crayon cat proved he would never make it as an artist, but attached to it was a photograph of a grinning boy with a bowl cut and a missing tooth.
Tim stared. There’d been purple marker on his hands and face. His grin looked…really bad, actually, like as if he was baring his teeth because he didn’t know how to smile. There was no formal grace there. Nothing to show the neighbors, nothing worth framing to put into the line of sight of the investors in the office.
Jazzy had kept it and brought it home with her. Jazzy had fished it out of the trash, and brought it with her to give back to him in Gotham.
It was crinkled like it’d been folded, over and over again. Further down in the bag was a crumpled certificate dedicated to “Timmy Drake, for: knowing a lot about octopi”, and a baby blanket Tim didn’t even remember. It had rocket ships on it. It looked as if someone had cut into it with scissors, although it had been obviously and brightly mended with red embroidery floss later on.
Jazzy had only been his nanny until Tim was seven. She had simply been gone one night, and Mom and Dad had been home for ten nights after without help before giving in and hiring Mrs. McIlvane and Mrs. Edith. Ms. Edith had never been so…permissive…with Tim as Jazzy had been.
Tim swallowed. He carefully put everything back into the backpack, unsure if he even wanted to keep it or not. It wasn’t like he could leave it here; he’d be gone, ideally, before the week was out. There was no point in taking it with him if he only planned to live with a stranger until he was eighteen.
“J…” Tim tried. He cut himself off before he could get too informal without prompting. “Miss Jasmine—“
“Just Jazz,” Jazzy corrected politely.
“—Why are you here?” Tim asked, ignoring how she’d technically already answered. He didn’t believe her. “What made my parents fire you?”
Jazzy’s expression turned…soft. Tim couldn’t look at her. Something horrible was welling with it, and he didn’t know how to cope.
“I’m here because I care about you,” Jazz repeated, and knelt beside him. She looked up into his face, and took his hand. Tim didn’t know why. He was practically an adult—he didn’t need this!
“And I was fired because your Mother overheard you calling me ‘Mommy’ on accident when you were tired. I suppose she was insulted, although I’d never know why; it’s not like she was ever home to bond with you in the first place.”
Tim’s throat closed. He missed his mom. He missed waiting up for his parents’ flight home, seeing their headlights outside the window, and knowing they’d bring home gifts from overseas. He missed using Mom’s perfume, and knowing he’d used more of the bottle sitting on her dressed than she ever had, but that it still smelled like her. He missed hearing his Dad telling all sorts of adventure stories and promises through the phone to be home for the holidays, even if Tim knew there was every chance he’d find some other way to spend the time back in Gotham.
And there was some small child in him who missed Jazzy, who hugged him and walked him to the library and made him soup from a can instead of fancy dinners and, who’d never needed to be waited for in the first place.
Tim looked at Jazzy’s round, freckled face.
He swallowed.
Tim moved out before the end of the week, as expected.
#dp x dc#Jazz fenton#tim drake#that one time Tim specifically hired a fake uncle so that Bruce couldn't adopt him#free to a good home#Jack Fenton knits btw#I'm not going to continue this but i thought it was a cool premise and needed its time. Have fun with it if you want to!#this is dedicated to all the fulltime nannies at the library who are fully just college girls raising babies#dpxdc#dcxdp#Jazz said is anyone going to raise this baby and was targeted by ninjas for it#I don't have any future plans BUT there is a moment where Dick tries to sneak into her apt to 'check it out' and she fully Gets Him with a#TBI and a Fenton CreepStickTM#also. parents who try to shape their kids by denying them every form of human comfort and access to their interests. You're dead to me#also also also I'm still a Tim Drake Autistic truther#not NOT inspired by the Say Uncle by Megarakles. This one's for you fellow fans#also. if he goes with her. He gets parented for the first time ever and it Sucks Ass lol.#faer fic
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Big Mama must have lost some serious standing in the yokai underworld because it’s gotten apparent that she keeps being beaten by a small group of teenagers and the occasional rat man, and when it’s not them then she’s taking L’s from her own schemes working against her.
And in the ensuing power vacuum, the Hamatos accidentally become the most feared crime family known to all the big bads of the Hidden City.
After all, they’ve publicly outplayed Big Mama multiple times, a couple of them have taken out the heads of two of the most well known criminal organizations, one took out Heinous Green, two are responsible for the destruction of Witch Town, they have ties to both the infamous Baron Draxum and Captain Piel, they won the Doom Dome death race, they’re Battle Nexus Champions, they’ve displayed insane feats of power and defeated impossibly strong enemies, most of them have been to jail, and they regularly mingle with humans.
You can just imagine the notoriety they’d accumulate from word of mouth alone.
#rottmnt#rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles#rottmnt headcanons#rise of the tmnt#I didn’t even list everything the Hamatos are MENACES#it’s so funny#bonus if none of the Hamatos realize how terrifying their presence in the Hidden City has become#every time Leo goes to bother Hueso the guy just has his head in his hands like Pepino…I JUST got my brother out of crime…and now you???’#Leo’s just like ‘lmao what crime’#meanwhile a trail of destruction follows them wherever they go#just look at the library smh#the small time yokai villains hearing about how scary the fam is and having two different reactions#one being no way are we talking about the same babies tripping over themselves and barely beating anyone#the other is oh god I barely escaped with my LIFE huh#sunita listening to all the worry her parents have about this new ‘Hamato Family’ and laughing inside#she tells April and April keeps it a secret to see how long it takes the others to realize it#when accused of crime Donnie accidentally and largely unprompted starts denying his digital asset thefts and then has to deny he denied it#when he learns of what is thought of them Raph has a crisis the poor boy#Mikey’s happy they’re ‘known for being a family!:)’#he - kinda terrifyingly - kinda likes the thought of that lol#Leo: 🤔 think I could go back to that hair spa then? (no)#in their defense while they are MENACES society is ALSO a menace to THEM
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god i know i said i was tired of making eveerything sad but just imagine timber those first few months of reconnecting and they're both drunk on tim's boat, laying on the deck staring up at the stars and bear turns over to look at tim, his eyes are sad and wet, and he reaches out to touch tim's face as if to make sure tim is really there and not an illusion and tim whispers, "bear?" and bernard smiles a little brokenly and goes, "so how long do i have you for this time?"
#tim fully sober now: what do you mean? i'm right here bear#bear still drunk: i got you for almost a whole year last time. how long before you leave this time?#bear: 2 years? 6 months?#tim sadly: you can have me forever bear#bear laughing: i don't even get you that long in my dreams#bear smiles reaching out to poke tim's face: don't worry tim! anytime you want to come back‚ i'll be right here.#god tim who's constantly leaving and bear who knows but cant help letting him comeback into his life again and again#you cannot tell me that bear went to that first date in urban legends expecting tim to stay#he went to that date expecting to get his heart broken again but he loves this boy so he goes anyway#tim who always leaves and bear who waits patiently everytime#sorry im like sobbing in the library#bear is so 'right where you left me' coded#bear who loves tim so much he'll let tim break his heart again and again#head in hands head in hands#dc#tim drake#bernard dowd#timbern#timber
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im so crazy over the tragedy of everything q!bbh does being under a demon pretense even though he's a fallen angel.
do u think he just accepts the demon label because it's easier. do u think he believes it too, and catches himself in his thoughts with "oh, right. im not exactly that". and maybe he believes that he did this to himself? do u think what he did was to protect himself or someone? no matter the fall, he still has so much kindness to give and his brain just isn't wired the way a natural-born demon would be, he can't hold back instincts when time demands it, maybe that's why he fell in the first place.
and when he's finally bad, not good, it's treated like the end of the world, without empathy on why he would act out. do you think this keeps happening? the same scenario, multiple times, every timeline? he has to be used to it. so he has to take it in stride. he's good until he lashes out under extreme pressure, and suddenly he's called demon. and once again he's what heaven made him out to be. what he made himself to be, his brain would ruthlessly provide...
i don't think he wants to be that, though he hides secrets behind secrets of which neither identity is a home... but i don't think he wants to have to change, either. and i don't think that's wrong of him.
...you collapse atlantis ONE TIME and all of a sudden YOU'RE the bad guy and SURE it was FUN but REALLY now,--
#lots of expansion on this in tags beware#this is a draft from 2:40AM the day before i just felt something within me and i needed to write about fallen angel q!bbh angst NOW#this post is brought to you by q!bbh in purgatory and post-purgatory i will never forgive you purgatory 1#no one can bear to have a healthy conversation about q!bbh's behaviors let alone TO q!bbh. BUT IF Q!BAGHERA WASN'T STUCK ON THE ISLAND...#i miss u bbh + baghera interactions let me see u soon pls#he isn't impossible to communicate with ur just not jiving with his autism right u can get through to him i swear BUT TOO LATE he DIED#now he doesn't remember!!! (unless that part of the library is recovered) u lost ur shot!!! (ur issues with him will rise again)#now every time bagi goes “'cause he's a demon” with bbh i go OH MAN SHE DOESN'T KNOW IT'S MORE... it hurts how flippant it is sometimes#because WE KNOW OH MAN WE KNOW IT'S MORE and this concept of him being fallen adds SO MUCH CONNOTATION to EVERYTHING he does#it isn't just DEMON THINGS it's GOD MADE ME THIS THINGS and i just can't wait to know WHY what did you DO!!!#your instincts are to be nice though cautiously detached when your life restarts so WHAT DID YOU DO IF YOU ARE NOT INHERENTLY BAD???#goopert talks qsmp#qsmp#qsmp badboyhalo
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER | PROPHECY GIRL (1997)
"you face the master and you'll die." "maybe. maybe i'll take him with me."
#my edit.#btvsedit#slayerdaily#buffysource#buffysummersedit#tuserjana#userveronika#HELLO!!!! I HAVE FEELINGS ABOUT THE INSTABILITY OF PROPHECY!!!!!!!#also feelings about all the announcements of what prophecy Is happening in a library. surrounded by Books and knowledge. YOURE SO USEFUL#SITTING HERE WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! READ ME THE SIGNS! TELL ME MY FORTUNE!#all of the announcements of prophecy coming from giles#buffy punching giles before she goes to meet her fate.#buffy punching giles as a cap but also a return point to the whole thing#it's an ouroboros#the prophecy is true and the prophecy isnt#buffy can defy it no she cant#giles can defy it no he cant#the codex is immutable no it isnt#buffy is destined to die yes she is no she isnt#theyre all just wrestling with fate!!! with its fundamental instability!!!!!!!!#BTVS SAID WHAT IF WE WERE ABOUT HOW BOTH NOTHING IS IMMUTABLE BUT ALSO EVERYTHING IS#WHAT IF WE WERE ABOUT HOW TWO THIGNS CAN BE TRUE AT ONCE#two particles can exist in one place and the cat is both alive and dead#and buffy is the cat and the particles are prophecy=true#and prophecy=false#... it occurs to me this entire set is just an extension of my and keks' texts lmao BON APPETIT#the lighting in this is inconsistent but so is prophecy so
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Okay but why haven't we had a time travel/fix it fic where after some shenanigans everyone decides to take down shinra, they split up to take out the important figures, sephiroth obviously takes hojo for any and all of a dozen good reasons.
And then hojo pulls a winter soldier sleeper code on him.
And then everyone is suddenly dealing with a brainwashed sephiroth.
-
Hojo has to have some way to control sephiroth as he grew into his monstrous strength and power, yes? And learned helplessness isn't enough of a reassurance your prized military leader powerhouse isn't going to wake up one day and realise just how easily he could paint the labs walls red with chunks of you. And because hojo is obsessed with total power and control, dealing with a murder machine with huge mental issues, it'd only be fitting he create his own emergency shutdown.
In the most needlessly traumatic and mentally violating way, of course. Would sephiroth even know, if he couldn't remember? Would he have long stretches of emptiness in his memories that never get explained to him, or would he wake up where he'd blacked out, just another day in the labs?
Imagine, his allies watching on the cameras, as sephiroth stalks into the labs, a predator sighting its prey, exchanging a few cold words with hojo, raising masamune... And then hojos mouth opening, sephiroth going stiff like an animatronic, rearranging himself on the floor where he stood, face hidden behind his hair. Hojo leaves the room and he doesn't move, doesn't respond to any comms or passing scientists accidentally rolling a cart over his coat and hair.
Hojo ordering sephiroth to reveal their plans, their allies, their resources. Sephiroth doing it. Hojo deciding to punish sephiroth for the rebellion with lab procedures, or hojo ordering him to hunt down his co conspirators and end the takeover. Sephiroth doing so, heavy in his steps, crashing through walls and doors, heedless now of morals or civilians, silent, unresponsive. So completely unlike the jenova malice they'd been prepared to fight, that sephiroth had been bracing against. No arrogance, no mocking, no dramatic battlefield or hungry glowing eyes.
The puppeteer becomes the puppet, and with it, every trace of holding back. The perfect soldier.
I imagine the first trigger word would be lucrecia.
#Hojo: *making his reunion theory* if you can't mind control naturally store bought is fine#Anyway there's no way hojo didn't have some backup plan for if his greatest experiment went rogue#Unfortunately sephiroth never went against his will even when he went jenova crazy. Because that WAS the plan all along#But fix its always have hojo unable to do anything against sephiroth and idk hojo is a Threat of the highest order#BECAUSE he's so staggeringly unethical but clever and has a tendency to shatter his victims minds#Like look at the falsified nibelheim library. The 'jenova' photo in EC. He knows precisely how to break sephiroths psyche open like an egg#And the winter soldier is a perfect example of what he could and would do#I imagine he made good use of it too. Whenever sephiroth acted out or if they couldn't restrain him for whatever reason#Or if hojo was too tired to do the injections himself#I doubt sephiroth would really know what was going on until it got caught on camera by people who'd show him the footage#sephiroth#final fantasy 7#ffvii#final fantasy vii#ff7#Also I just really like hojo/jenova parallels to go with the lucrecia/Vincent parallels#Hojo is basically the human version of jenova anyway. In terms of raising sephiroth.#ff7 remake#ff7 rebirth#ff7 crisis core#ever crisis#ff7 ever crisis#ff7 ec#sephiroth ff7#sephiroth crescent#ff7 au#fix it au#In this case: everyone thinks it's a fix it au until it abruptly goes horribly wrong
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in the showing up to the library with an overnight bag part of exam season
#haven’t done any revision for the past two days bc I’ve been too sick but im at least half human today so it’stime to LOCK IN#been here since 5:30pm and my study room isn’t booked until 10pm lol. lmao even#also in the entire four floors of the library i sat down looked up and saw a guy i know sat directly opposite me#we’ve hung out enough that id call him a friend but we’re not close and also I came here alone on PURPOSE to make sure i acc worked#so i was just like oh 😃 hi 😃#and im not flattering myself either i bet he was the exact same 😭 kms of ALL SEATS WHY DID I SIT HEREEEEE#hella goes to uni#will keep u posted on my library lockdown
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fashion icon inui seishu <3
#library.#not a day goes by when i don't miss him#inui seishu#tokyo revengers#seishu inui#tokyo revengers inui#tr inui#loml#breaks my heart to clear my gallery like this#he isnt even aware that he is so handsome and perfect lol
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Over the weekend me and my sister did this game where she’d name a bug/fruit/whatever and then we’d create characters for them along with little stories.
Oh! And bottom two characters are Celeste (Lunar moth) and Maude (stink bug) and they are in love :)
#my art#character concept#concept art#the story we came up with was the landtern bug lady works at a library#when she finds mr mosquito sneaking around#so she goes to Maude who knows everything about everyone (she’s kind of a toxic gossip but god we stan)#and finds out he works in the mod /)0o0(\ oh shit#but he donates a ton of library books and then she realizes he actually is there to see his estranged daughter#since he can’t come visit since her mom hates him#and also it would be really dangerous#and Celeste and Maude are gay the end#bug people#bugs
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do people who keep drawing sokka as spirits know that he doesnt have any respect for the spirits in the show
#except for like. yue. and maybe aang#its lowkey his most obnoxious arrogant cis male atheist trait#altho he gets a lot better about it throughout the show#its just funny that ppl praise how he disrespected wan shi tong and then draw that kinda stuff#which btw idk if he ever really learned from that experience and realized how he was wrong#the invasion day plan was doomed from the start bc of how they got that information#the disrespect he showed in that episode was abysmal. from entering the library till he left. just had no veneration whatsoever. ugh.#characters like sokka are hilarious bro how r u making fun of spirituality when u literally see that shit in front of you#hes still kinda dismissive of that stuff in s3 “well scientifically speaking there's no way to prove that-” in s3ep6#but def less so as it goes on#like in s3ep13 when toph is talking about original benders hes much less of an ahole then i think he wouldve been in earlier seasons#but he still was v disrespectful in the finale wrt aangs ozai dilemma#but to be fair so was the rest of the gaang bc even they didnt understand the spiritual repercussions of what they were asking of him#anyway just a gripe i have w fandom#like how r u gonna be a sokka dickrider and praise his very basic cismale qualities n then do stuff like this#atla#fandom wank
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Fyodor/Nikolai/Sigma, domestic au, but they are painfully slavic and living their best lives, is something that can be so personal.
(this post took forever cause I essentially had to make it twice. I didn't look at what blog I originally posted this to the first time round. shoot me)
#the mixture of Russian. Ukrainian. and Polish would be so beautiful and so messy dear lord#they go to church at least every sunday if not more. Fyodor tunes into a radio midnight mass. Sigma veils when he goes to church#they all help cook so every night is fusion night. they scrounged up an *old* cookbook somewhere cause none of them had any family they-#close enough to to get an authentic grandma's cook book. so they make do with what they've got#they all speak all three languages#they believe in *every* slavic superstituion and piece of folklore. its actually like. hard to exist. they're bordering being annoying with#i say lovingly#breakfast is their favorite time of day. they make fancy teas and kiss and read the paper with the radio going#fyodor has a library of old slavic literature#fyodor and nikolai almost only go by fedya and kolya#nikolai lives up to the smoking/alcohol addiction stereotype and he's proud of it#this post is made by a polish slav that is only just starting to reconnect with the culture my family tried to bury so bare with-#the sparsity please. any suggestions would be lovely!#slavic is a blanket term#slavic#sigma#sigma bsd#sigma bungou stray dogs#bsd sigma#(implied) fem sigma#fyodor dostoevsky#bsd fyodor#fyodor dostoyevsky bsd#nikolai gogol#bsd nikolai#sigfoylai#siglai#fyolai#fyosig#bsd
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what if even tho sy is just an assistant sometimes disciples ask him questions bc he's weirdly well read for some dude who just spawned in one day and he'll just Answer shit if it's innocent enough. how does x demon fight? where would you find y monster? and his little hyper fixation brain just rears its head. just a weirdly helpful little scrunkly
RIIIIIGHT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT. to the disciples hes just this guy that their shizun keeps around that knows weird obscure facts. disciples go to him like hes their personal xianxia google. i think it would be REALLLLYY funny if when sy realized his position in the sect hed be like "oh god im failing these kids. they need moral support they need 3 meals a day they need to know what kind of plant they can use to ward off Six Legged Snow Panthers" or smth like that. im not sure hes in a good headspace to really figure out how to take care of kids actually
#ask#sy attendant au#i PERSONALLY. PERSONALLY. think he was fairly good at being sqq#on account of his weirdly pinpoint memory of pidw facts??#and a few other things like muscle memory from sqq's body#but aside from that i just think the moral quandary of him actually being a good replacement sqq is reaally interesting#bc it brings up a lot of stuff like how well people knew sqq and what sy would have to do#to accurately imitate sqq#that and also just i find the whole 'sy IS sqq (or a version of him)' take sooooo interesting. but i digress#ANYWAYYY i got off topic#for this au sy has neither the free time nor the mental strength to be a teacher#so hes just the guy that gives a disciple a weird plant and goes#'propogate those. no i dont know how to do it. you can figure it out theres a huge library right there. use it on burns. ok bye'#AH. i forgot to tag these as svsss#svsss
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hmm.
the afton kids having complicated methods of hiding information or contraband from william.
#especially true for family business au but he def goes thru their stuff in canon as well#he has all those cameras for fuck's sake#forget a journal with a lock. elizabeth in particular probably goes to the library and finds ways to encode information#so that it looks entirely innocent. like in drawings even#mike and evan def hide stuff too but my take on libby is that she's a kid genius so she's prob the most sophisticated#evan probably has the best hiding places for himself and mike hides objects more#i can also see him being a visual learner who has to draw and write to figure out ideas#but if he didn't want william to see he'd do it by scratching in the dirt or with soap on a window or smth he could easily wash away later#fnaf#cw abuse#afton siblings#afton kids#michael afton#evan afton#cc afton#elizabeth afton#william afton
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the thought of cracking the spine of a book makes kevin nauseous. he like opens it just enough to see the words and holds the book at such uncomfortable angles to read— anything to keep the book pristine and intact. he does not let people borrow his books because he is a control freak (as a term of endearment) and does not trust them to take care of them the way he does.
and andrew is the complete opposite, cracking the spine as soon as he opens it. he annotates in pen. he dog ears the pages because who the fuck has time to find a bookmark. he throws books out of anger. he throws them at aaron for fun. he lets them get smashed and torn in his bag. he always keeps them, he just prefers them to look like they’ve been read.
#someone asks kevin what he’s reading and he doesn’t say the name he just explains the ENTIRE plot of whatever historical thing it is#then is like oh….it’s [book] by [author]….#someone asks to borrow a book from him and he’s like “i’m sure the library has it”#andrew probably reads horror and sci fi#he probably fucks with stephen king heavy#i refuse to believe andrew “eidetic memory” minyard is “aLLeRgiC tO boOkS”#have you heard him speak… so poetic for what#i fucking know he’s read shakespeare. he hated it but he read it#imagining andrew as a child in foster care escaping in fantasy worlds to get away from his real life is doing something. bad. to me#kevin reads historical fiction and nonfiction#my baby has a special interest and i will do nothing but respect that#“kevin how often do you think about the roman empire”#“…every time i turn on the faucet… why…?”#and when they stare blankly at him he goes on a RANT about roman acqueducts and how they were#“—LITERALLY REVOLUTIONARY WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT??? we would not have running water THINK ABOUT THAT for ONE SECOND”#neil josten doesn’t read. he can’t sit still long enough to#aftg#kevin day#andrew minyard#all for the game#the foxhole court#tfc
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOBIAS! (24.05)
@effigist asked: / Tobias bday festivities ! this got long . my bad bestie
ash lingers in dark shadows cast down from the buildings surrounding the big celebration’s location , vigilantly observing from outside rather than daring to step in . he heard about tobias’ birthday a few days prior from some of his blabbermouth men who had timidly asked their leader if they could attend the big party dedicated to no other than the sharpest thorn in ash’s side . he responded with a dismissive scowl , grumbling something like do whatever the hell you want , while doing his best to seem as disinterested as possible . last thing he wanted was for the men to think he would be attending that hellish celebration - god , no , he’d rather get himself thrown in the slammer just to avoid it . in great contrast to his apparent dislike for the celebration , he nonetheless loitered outside for a good hour after showing up towards the end of the celebration , remaining out of sight until groups of people filed out from the doors &. ash concluded it was finally coming to its rightful end . about time . only when the detested birthday boy enters his line of sight , does the lurking predator step out from the shadows . though , instead of attacking or otherwise antagonizing tobias , he merely walks with an air of leisure &. casualty a teenaged gang leader had absolutely no business maintaining , before stopping at the dark haired teen’s side .
❝ you tired of gettin’ pampered like a snobby princess , yet ? ❞ a playful smirk tugs at the blonde’s lips , implying he must be in a decent mood . gingerly , his arm lifts &. stretches over tobias’ shoulder , although no contact is made . he merely keeps his limb hovering just above the point of contact , but close enough to where any bystander from a distance would be fooled . swiftly , ash’s nimble fingers drop a little plastic card into the other’s chest pocket . It’s a library card . ash is more than aware that the man could easily access any book of his choosing with his status , connections , money , &. influence , but he paid it no mind . once the sneaky exchange is completed , his arm lowers , but not before giving a slightly - too - hard - to - be - considered - a - pat smack into the back of tobias’ shoulder . ❝ better be careful around my guys until the clock strikes midnight , cinderella . they’ll give a loser like you a beatin’ for every year you’ve been alive . ❞ they won’t .
The birthday boy is one of the last to exit the building, animatedly chatting up the few who have chosen to continue their conversations with him even after the party has ended, and it's only when they're stepping down the outer stairs and the teen can feel a distant gaze intently focused on him that he steadily shepherds the guests towards the end of the conversation, shaking their hands and waving them goodbye before glancing in the direction of the gaze. Whatever he may have expected it to be caused by --- an ambush on his birthday or an informant returning to report their findings; the sight of Ash Lynx willingly approaching him had certainly not been it.
Tobias' expression doesn't change much, yet the surprise is apparent enough if one knows where to look for it. It hides in the sudden blink and the lingering stare as the blond threads closer, it crawls in the unspoken but palpable question of what's going on and in the quick yet subdued glance behind Ash as if to check whether the blond has either been coerced into it or sought him out with an urgent purpose in mind. Grey eyes return to look into the jade pair and yet none of these possibilities seem to have quite hit the mark. Ash's smirk isn't gloomily sarcastic nor does his body language speak of anxieties or woes, and there is nothing whatsoever to indicate that he's come here in a hurry. If anything, he appears to have either been on a stroll to this location, or been hiding nearby for a while.
Tentatively testing the waters, Tobias' lips curl into a matching grin, carefully watching each of the gang leader's movements. ❛ Ash? You could've told me you were dropping by, you know. I'd have ditched the others way earlier if I'd known you're around. ❜ The subsequent close proximity is as shocking as the other's presence near the celebration's location and Tobias almost opts to jokingly remark on it when the corners of his eyes catch a glimpse of a thin card delicately sliding into his chest pocket. Hm...? ❛ What, you got me a gift, too? ❜ This may have counted as a teasing comment had the exchange taken place on another day and for the first few seconds Tobias even means it as such, but with Ash's jesting and the deliberate secrecy surrounding the gift-giving, as if this display of cordiality has the potential to be ruinous to the blond's image, Tobias can't help but reach into his pocket and bring the alleged present into his field of vision. A gift? Really?
He doesn't bother inquiring from where Ash has learned of his birthday, he'd expected as much with anyone worth their damn being able to find out about it one way or the other, but the sequence of events following that has barely been considered a priori, imagined as unlikely from the get go and thus unworthy of being thought about; yet it appears his calculations have, shockingly enough, been slightly off the mark. He'd figured Ash would accept hanging out with him if he approached the blond after the fussy festivities were wrapped up (if begrudgingly so), but had he misjudged how challenging it would be for them to reach this point of vague friendship, back during their first few meetings? Or had Ash just coincidentally felt generous on this occasion?
The library card that graces his eyes once he fishes the present out of his pocket might seem as nothing much to most in his position, but Tobias grows troublingly quiet at the sight, the grin on his face slowly dissipating into a thin line; neither annoyed, nor upset --- but rather, cognizant. Under normal circumstances it would take nothing more than a name and an address for such a plastic card to be issued, and it could very well pass as a friendly insult, jokingly implying the receiver should open a book for once, but in their situation it's a calculated effort, and quite an effort he's sure it has been. False identities such as his own come bearing little documentation, or if there is any available it certainly wouldn't be at everyone's discretion, so the existence of a library card with Tobias' name on it hints at a far grander and more complicated process than the regular person would give it credit for, and it seems the blond has deemed him worth the trouble, despite the older teen having indirectly offered Ash a way out of the mandatory gift-giving by not inviting him to the celebration.
Yet perhaps even more baffling still is another minor detail, something so subtle that it would have passed entirely unnoticed had it been anyone but Tobias attempting to grasp its meaning, or had he not been as attentive to Ash's lifestyle and habits as he chose to be. A detail he is more than certain represents a major step in their relationship, and one which signifies a degree of trust (whether conscious or subconscious) that he hasn't been expecting to receive for at least another year of incessantly bothering the blond. Being offered access to Ash's last safe haven, by the gang leader himself.
The silence continues while Tobias stares at the gift in muted incredulity, unsure of how exactly to react to any of the rapid fire surprises this simple choice of presents has flooded him with. Is it a code for something? No, Ash seems to be having a good day, there is probably no reason for him to ask Tobias to meet him at the library for a secret conversation. If so, is he going to request or demand something? No, also unlikely given the ease with which Tobias already offers him everything. There'd be no point in going the extra mile for something he could receive for free while doing nothing.
Is Ash really just reaching out to him of his own volition? That almost seems more doubtful than the previous possibilities, but unless the younger teen is a greater actor than all of the ones Tobias has met... he doesn't seem to be the sort to harbor ulterior motives or take advantage of others without first being given a reason to; and the orphan would like to think he hasn't done anything egregious enough to the gang leader or his men to warrant that. Ash's honesty is one of the traits he values about the other, after all (quite the rarity in their field of work, for better or worse) and what a shame it would be for him to senselessly lose the privilege of knowing for a fact that Ash's words and behaviors are always connected to the definitive truth.
Although there is an ongoing dispute in his mind, Ash's remark doesn't pass by unnoticed; bringing a familiar tint of amusement in the otherwise uncertain state of affairs. Paired with the quizzical gift in hand, it brings the smirk back onto Tobias' face, if a tad more hesitant than it had been before, and it prompts him to turn to look at the other again. How should he react now? Where do they stand, if not where he'd thought they did? Should he wait and see, or should he outright ask? ❛ ......Then, prince charming, how about you act as my bodyguard 'til I'm safe from harm and ready to depart? Midnight is still a long way off, but surely your macho men won't think to lift a finger on someone as frail as me with you around to keep them at bay, ❜ Perhaps slowly prodding is the way to go, if he's learned anything from Ash's lethal allergies to appearing vulnerable. He'll always have the time to ask later, if the moment is ever opportune enough, and maybe there won't even be a need for that after observing Ash's behavior for a while longer.
Lifting his free arm, Tobias leisurely brings it 'round the lynx's shoulders as the other had done to him prior, except he lets his arm come into contact with Ash's shoulders while slowly poking him with the library card present in the other hand. It's a blithe touch, one blatantly meant for gauging where he stands with the other rather than an attempt at rudely breaking into his personal space, and one he had been very careful not to engage in prior to this day despite physical contact being the brunette's go-to when interacting with practically everyone else.
However... with all of the surprises already sent his way, and particularly so with the confounding (albeit indirect) openness Ash has showed him today, it might as well be the best moment to check what boundaries he's currently kept at, and figure things out from there. Will he be shrugged or pushed off as he'd previously figured it'd happen, or will Ash allow him this sort of friendly touch, and surprise him for a fourth time? ❛ And while you're at it, how about you show me to the library, too? I could use some new book recommendations. Who knows, maybe you'll even find that I'm a pretty good reading buddy to have. ❜ The request can easily pass as a debonair way of bringing Ash along for the ride, but with the lengths Tobias has gone to not encroach into the library for as long as it had been Ash's turf, the assistance with maneuvering inside the humongous building might actually be helpful.
#◜✧ . ❪ muse. tobias. ❫#◜✧ . ❪ tobias ; ic. ❫#effigist#I'm gonna jump and do a flip atp HOWWWWWWWWWWWW DID THIS GET SO LONG. HOW.#CRYING at Tobias being ?? tho. Ash truly deserves an award for making him feel this confused. Honored too but moreso confounded as HELL!#It's actually even MORE comical if he later goes and tells Elijah about this bc to Elijah all this would be like a madman's ramblings.#Like what do you mean you're exe needs to reboot about having received a LIBRARY CARD are you finally starting to lose it dude#Tobias; having learned from various sources (Ash's men) that Ash dislikes people bothering him in the library: No you don't understand#Elijah: Yeah no I really don't#AJDIUASDHSAUIDHSAHDSAJHFHSFSDJFDHD#Tobias has such a careful approach when it comes to Ash man... he interacts w him in a similar way to how he'd interact w a feral animal#NO to brusque movements. NO to encroaching in his space. NO to touching. YES to bothering him from a distance til he eventually warms up#But also Ash is SOSO sweet for this I adore him... Tobias genuinely would've never thought Ash would go out of his way to gift him smth#LET ALONE hand him an indirect invitation to frequent the library which is the only place Ash can ever get some safe alone time#^ the fact that Ash waited for an HOUR loitering around to give Tobias this gift is sending me too. KING JUST SEND A MESSAGEADSHADJSADJ#These two have such a complex dynamic AUGHHHHHH I'm living for it!!!!!!!!!!#TYSMMMMMM FOR SENDING A BDAY ASK BTW I'VE BEEN GIGGLING AND KICKING MY FEET FOR THE PAST 4 DAYS ABOUT IT#I meant to reply to it on the day of but then irl decided it was time to improvise a way to distract me real quick (<-thru random uni work)
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