Whumptober Day 5: Shivering (Alt. Prompt)

Having a bad day so time to write some very very sad fanfiction and project my feelings onto fictional characters!~

Whumptober Day 10: Passing out from pain

A/N: Brought to you by @yumizurueleonora saying I should be mean to Saki.

If I were to step out of this thin white line I'm tugged by

It isn’t even noon. They’d only had their first few classes, it was an hour and a half before they all took a break for lunch, and then after that Leo/need was going to try recording their first demo album and practice for their live show!

So Saki cannot already be in pain. She cannot be in so much pain before noon she wants to go home and lie down in her plushies and not move.

It’ll get better, of course it’ll get better, it’s early! She can just push through it, Saki just has to make sure that no one notices, because if the others heard she was in pain now, then they’d cancel all their big plans for today even if she went home and felt better later.

Her back’s the worst by the time lunch comes. Each invertebrate disk feels like it’s creaking, and it’s making it hard to stand up straight but Saki Will! Not! Give! Up! She’s had worse at the hospital, and that’s why she’s not there anymore!

She could ask to go to the nurse’s office to get her pain medication but Miyajou’s full of gossips. No way that doesn’t get back to Ichika and the others and then they’ll be like “just to be safe, let’s put it off for today!”

No! Life isn’t about playing it safe! Life isn’t about being cooped up in a small boring hospital room where people constantly check on you and you’ll never get hurt but you’ll feel dead inside!

She can get pain pills after they record the demo.

When the final bell rings, Saki’s head hurts. God a migraine. She grabs an energy drink that’s supposed to have extra Vitamin B2 and hopes that’ll work. Save her, Riboflavin! It won’t matter though because she can play the songs that’ll be on their demo in her sleep.

“Saki-chan?” Honami asks. “Are you ok, you seem pale?”

“I’m great! We’re gonna have a demo!” Saki says. “Have you been working on the album art?”

Honami’s hand goes to her notebook, and Saki smiles, reaching for it. Instead of pictures of lion-like creatures like Honami did for their flyers, there are pictures of the old playground they used to walk by, with doodles of shooting stars and constellations overhead.

“I… I thought maybe it would be bad if I drew our first album cover from scratch, so I’ve just been thinking of what kind of layout we can do with images?” Honami says quickly.

“Oh!” Saki says. “I love it!” 

“Love what?” Shiho asks, walking up with Ichika. 

“Our first album cover!” Saki announces, showing them the sketchbook.

“It’s not exactly an album,” Ichika says, “it’s a demo, it’s only going to be a couple of songs to give to agents.”

“But!” Saki says, wiggling her eyebrows. “Soon we will have an album! Just after we record this. Now what are we waiting for?” Saki spins on her heel and runs off.

The studio they’re recording in looks totally cool, like the kind they have in movies. It’s so professional! So real! This is it, they can–

Saki wakes up in the hospital. Ichika is sitting across from her, and notices as soon as she opens her eyes.

“Saki!” Ichika gasps. “Oh my gosh, are you ok? We were so scared when you passed out we didn’t know what to do, Honami was freaking out and Shiho called the ambulance and I kept trying to wake you up and I wasn’t sure if I should do CPR or something.”

Saki frowns. “We didn’t get to record the demo.”

“The demo?” Ichika gasps. “Saki you fainted, I think that’s more important than the demo!”

Saki coughs. “But it’s not just the demo, you’re going to say we need to practice less because I might get tired.”

“W-well we were talking about it but–”

“That’s the problem! Do you know how much professional performers practice?” Saki asks. “Professional Broadway actors do eight shows a week, I heard Tsukasa-nii talking about it! If we wanna go pro, we have to keep up with that now!”

“If we want to go pro, we need you alive!” Ichika snaps.

Saki stares at her, at a loss.

“I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” Ichika says. “B-but you really scared us, and if going pro means pushing you so hard you could get seriously hurt, then I don’t want to go pro.”

“But then Shi-chan would leave us,” Saki says.

“You seriously think that?” Shiho says, entering the room with Honami and hospital donuts.

“It’s your dream,” Saki points out.

“Well maybe it used to be,” Shiho says. “But right now, my dream is going pro with you guys.”

“It wouldn’t be the same without all of us,” Honami says. “So please, Saki, let us know when you need a break.”

Saki thinks she’s going to cry if she hasn’t started already. “Fine. Yeah. Let’s just get out of here. I hate the hospital.”

reblog if you’re okay with people writing fanfics of your fanfics and/or fanfics inspired by your fanfics

…P5/TMSFE crossover fic where Ellie and Ann are cousins and Touma and Ann are fire buddies and they all work together to surprise Tsubasa on her birthday? Yes.

1, 19, 40 for the writing ask!

1. Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

Oh boy… If we’re talking ProSeka, then Vivid Snow, Dulling Leaves. It was my first fic in the ProSeka fandom and I was just getting on my feet after being in a small fandom where I wrote a lot of short ideas because people were hungry for content. It’s just… not the best imo and the way I wrote Harumichi was my knee-jerk reaction after reading Nocturne Interlude.

If we’re talking other fandoms, then definitely Chariot Arcana, Rank Up! It was such a good idea, but I wrote it three entire years ago and my writing skill wasn’t good enough to do justice to the idea.

19. Share a no-context snippet from a WIP

(Okay this is cheating a little because I can’t find a non-spoilery snippet from my current WIP so this is a short thing I wrote for inspiration)

That day is so… vivid in An’s memory.

She can remember it like it was yesterday.

It’s burning hot out. It’s the end of June, and she’s ready to get home.

She’s holding her dad’s hand as they’re walking back from the store, holding some ingredients for dinner and a fruit smoothie that An had bought to cool off.

And then Arata and Souma are running down the street together, and An’s about to run to join them and say hi. Maybe offer them a sip of her smoothie.

But before she can take off, everything changes.

And suddenly, everything’s a blur.

The crunch of metal and the sound of Souma hitting the pavement are still so loud in her head.

And she’s running.

Her dad’s barely a step ahead of her, and he pushes through the crowd to kneel next to Souma.

Souma, who’s covered in blood. She can’t tell if he’s breathing.

She tries to push through the crowd, tries to get closer, but suddenly someone’s pulling her away.

She can’t get any closer, no matter how hard she tries, and then she sees an ambulance approaching and her dad is dragging Arata away and she finally manages to break free from whoever’s holding her back and running over to her dad and Arata.

Arata’s screaming, barely coherent, but his struggles are in vain. He can’t keep going much longer.

And after a few more seconds, he’s completely silent.

It’s so quiet. So… dark.

But the screams keep echoing in her head, and then she can feel something.

Someone’s hand is grabbing her.

She tries to pull away, but their grip is too strong.

And then she turns around, and it’s…

It’s Souma?

He’s covered in blood, lying on the ground, and he’s gripping onto An’s arm.

His eyes are so wide, but they’re lifeless.

He’s… he’s…

Then An turns around, and suddenly she sees the same scene with her dad and Arata.

She turns away from them, and it’s Aunt Nagi and Uncle Taiga.

Away from them, and it’s EVER.

Away from them, and Kotaro and Ms. Kawasaki.

Away from them, and it’s Akito and Toya.

And then she finally shuts her eyes, but even that doesn’t stop it.

Because she hears it.

“An-chan… It hurts…” Kohane pleads, and she cracks an eye open slightly…

And she wakes up with a jolt.

She can’t breathe.

She reaches for her phone, and the next thing she knows, she’s dialing a number.

There’s a groan, and…

“This better be fucking important…”

An sighs with relief.

“…Up for some Wii Tennis?” She asks, and there’s the sound of someone scrambling from the other side.

“An-chan? You okay?”

“I had a really bad nightmare. I guess I just went scrambling for my phone on instinct and called whoever came up.”

Arata sighs.

“I’ll be right over.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I was just joking about the Wii Tennis.” An responds.

“Yeah, yeah…”

40. Write a 9-word fic.

(This was the hardest one to do by FAR)

Toya’s breath catches. There’s… so much blood. It’s terrifying.

hey, did you know that the world is a better place because of your creations and art and writing, no matter how niche or how many people see it

I love seeing other people's ocs and getting snippets of their stories like oh my gosh there's a whole world and narrative in your head that I'm getting a small glimpse into isn't that so cool????

like rats fleeing a sinking ship, pt. 7

intermission iii

<-Previous Next->

AO3

~

After parting ways with the others at the train station, Ann and Shiho ride up to Ryuji’s house. Despite everything, it’s almost nostalgic. They haven’t taken the train to Ryuji’s together since middle school, and Ann can’t help but smile at the memory of them getting set up to play games in Ryuji’s room or the way she’d always trail behind Shiho and Ryuji when they decided to race to the front door.

They just walk up to the door this time, and Shiho keeps glancing around them as they approach Ryuji’s apartment. No one stops to take note of them, however, and eventually they can hear footsteps approaching the door.

“Look, I already told you I haven’t- Oh!” Ms. Sakamoto’s eyes widen when she sees the two of them. “Ann, Shiho. Come in, quickly.”

She ushers them inside and sits them down at the kitchen table. “Can I get you girls something to drink?”

“No we’re fine. We’re not going to stay long,” Ann says.

“Ah, alright.” Ms. Sakamoto takes her own mug and sits down across from them, tapping her fingers against the mug. “So, how is Ryuji?”

Ann and Shiho share a quick look. 

“That’s what we came to ask you, actually,” Shiho says. “He didn’t tell you where he was going?”

Ms. Sakamoto’s shoulders slump. “No. He thought it would be safer if I didn’t know.”

“Did he tell you anything, anything at all?”

“I mean, you know Ryuji. He got an idea of a place he could go and practically ran out the front door, before I told him to at least sneak out the fire escape. All he said was that you’d meet up with him. I assumed that meant you had a safe house or something.”

Ann shakes her head. “No, we don’t.”

“But don’t worry,” Shiho adds quickly, “we know he hasn’t been arrested. And Ryuji’s always been tough, he’s fine.”

Ms. Sakamoto takes a deep breath. “Yes, you’re right.”

After that, Ms. Sakamoto insists that Ann and Shiho take a bag of cookies with them and they say their goodbyes. They slip into a nearby alleyway and Shiho groans as she slumps against a building.

“Well this is just great. We’re back to square one.” 

Ann hums. “I mean, not completely. We know it’s somewhere Ryuji thinks we’ll know he’ll be so he probably decided to hide in a place that was very… Ryuji.”

Shiho bites her lip and tries to think. “I mean, I can think of a ton of places that are very ‘Ryuji’ but not exactly ‘hide out from the cops appropriate’.”

“Well, i mean our first couple of meeting places were the school rooftop and the accessway tunnel in Shibuya.”

“Wait, like, in public?” Shiho asks.

“Yeah. I think at some point Yusuke or Makoto called it a ‘refuge in audacity,’ like it’s so insane a place to hold secret meetings that no one would bother to look there.”

“Huh.” Shiho crosses her arms. “Was that your intention when you picked it out?”

“No,” Ann says, pouting, “and don’t give me that look. We didn’t exactly get caught because we were meeting in the accessway.”

“Isn’t that how Niijima-senpai found out about you?”

“No, she found out about us because we were talking at school and didn’t know she was eavesdropping. And Akechi found out about us because he saw us in the Metaverse so that doesn’t even count. The accessway was a super convenient meeting spot and it worked, so shut up.” Ann gives Shiho a playful shove, and Shiho laughs.

“Alright, so we can’t rule out Ryuji’s hiding spot just because it seems too obvious. So should we just check around every place he’d hang out?”

Ann nods. “So the beef bowl shop, the sports store, the gym…

“The arcade?”

“Ooh yeah, we should check the one in Akihabara too since we need to go there anyway.”

“Alright then, let’s go. We’re burning daylight.”

-_-_-_-

Haru gets off the train in Kanda and gawks at the church. She’s heard Yusuke and Akira describe it, but she hasn’t been able to go herself before. It’s a gorgeous building.

She spots a girl in a Kosei uniform staring at a shogi board. 

“Um, excuse me, are you Hifumi Togo?” Haru asks after quietly approaching her. There are only a few elderly patrons there as well as the priest at the front of the building.

Hifumi looks up at her. “Yes, is there something I can help you with?”

“Well, my friend Akira said you’re a good Shogi teacher and I’ve been meaning to learn.”

Hifumi’s eyes widen. “Yes, I am. Would you like to join me for a game?”

Haru nods and takes the seat next to her.

Hifumi arranges the pieces. “So, is there anything i can do to help?”

“I don’t suppose you’ve heard about Yusuke Kitagawa?”

Hifumi furrows her brow and moves one of her pieces. “Well, the rumor goes, he disappeared into thin air.”

“What does that mean?”

“He tends to stay after school in the art room very late so when the notice went out, a bunch of officers showed up at the school building proper and his dorm. He was in the art room, and the police shooed everyone else still in the school away from the building before going to collect him. But apparently someone heard from their brother who overheard the janitor talking about how Kitagawa was nowhere to be seen when the police opened the door to the art room. They tore the building apart, apparently, but he’d disappeared into thin air.”

“And no one’s heard anything since?” 

“No.”

Haru closes her eyes and counts her breaths. When she opens them again, Hifumi is watching her with concern.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m just concerned,” Haru says. Tears are starting to well up in her eyes. “It’s just, I don’t know where half of my friends are, and they’ve done so much for me when I was practically a stranger, and what did that get them? They were led into a complete trap by going after my father, and now Shido wants to finish the job.” Haru’s nails bite into her palms. “I keep trying to stay calm and telling myself it’ll be fine, but then I think of all the reasons it isn’t and-”

Hifumi slams a piece down on the board. “Enough of that. You have to stay strong. If you accept defeat, then you’re sure to lose. You have to keep your chin up, no matter what. You can still win this. I know it’s not obvious but I’ve heard people in school talking. They may not be numerous, but there are people who still believe in the Phantom Thieves, including myself. You can’t wallow in despair while there’s still something you can do.”

Haru blinks. “Oh.” She wipes her eyes. “Yes, of course. You’re right. I’m sorry to unload that on you, I was just-”

“You’re fine. I know we’ve just met under less than ideal circumstances, but like I said I believe in your cause. If you need someone to talk to, I’ll be here.”

“Thank you, Togo-san.”

“Well you can call me Hifumi for one thing. And for another, I want to help in any way that I can. Any friend of Akira’s is my friend.”

“Thank you, Hifumi.” Haru stretches out her hand. “By the way, I’m Haru Okumura.”

They finish up their games and Hifumi writes down her number for Haru for when Haru can safely use a phone again, and they part ways.

Haru feels better on the train ride back, so much so that she doesn’t notice the boy in a Shujin uniform staring at her, at first.

But, when she gets off the train in Shibuya, she catches the boy following her. Instead of making the connection back to Yogen-Jaya, she walks around the Underground Mall to try and lose him. Eventually she does, but it’s only a moment of respite before she sees a police officer heading towards her.

Haru moves quickly, sprinting up the stairs into Station Square, and tries to get lost in the crowd. She slips down another set of stairs and tries to calm down, in case someone passes by.

She hears some commotion and pokes her head out to see more officers walking by and coming closer.

“Listen to me! I saw who you’re looking for. The Phantom Thief-”

Haru holds her breath and starts looking for a way out.

“-just went towards Central Street.”

Haru stops and turns towards the man who was talking. He’s clearly a politician who was campaigning in front of her hiding spot. The cops nod to him and run off, followed by a crowd of onlookers.

Haru waits for a few minutes, when the man says, much softer, “Are you alright dear?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you. I take it you’re Mr. Yoshida?” Haru asks. “A friend of Akira’s

The man gives a sheepish smile. “Well, yes. How is Kurusu doing?”

“We’re all holding it together the best we can,” Haru replies.

“I’m so sorry all of this is happening to you, to think people would actually believe the Phantom Thieves would kill someone, and be so quick to turn against a group of children. It’s shameful.”

“Well, not everyone’s turned against us. Thanks, you really saved me there.”

“Happy, to help. Now hurry along, before you get caught again.” 

Haru waves to Yoshida and walks back to the train station, where she bumps into Ann and Shiho.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Haru asks.

“We’re still looking for Ryuji,” Shiho says. “We’re about to check Akihabara.”

“I’ll go with you, but we’ve gotta be quick. I was just recognized.”

Ann and Shiho nod, and they head onto the train. On the ride over they fill Haru in on what happened with Ryuji’s mother.

In the arcade, a boy with a red hat and blue letterman jacket spots them, his eyes widening instantly.

“Crap, I think we just got recognized,” Ann mutters.

Before they can leave, the boy sprints over to them. “Hey. You’re the Phantom Thieves, right?”

“No,” Shiho says, blocking his view of Ann, “I think you’ve gotten us mistaken for someone else.”

“Nah, I’m pretty sure you’re them. Listen, I think I saw your friend walk by here a little while ago.”

“Are you sure?” Haru asks.

“Almost positive.”

“Can you show us where?” The boy nods, and leads them out of the arcade. “I just saw them pass by a little while ago.” 

“Let’s split up,” Ann says, and they split down the middle, checking the nearby alleyways. 

“Ryuji, are you here?” Ann whisper-shouts. Ryuji doesn’t poke his head out, but someone else does.

“Makoto?” Ann, gasps.

“Shh, there were cops prowling around here earlier.” Makoto pulls her into the alleyway, then a giant hug. “I’ve been so worried about you guys.”

“Us too, but hold on.” Ann goes back to the mouth of the alleyway and waves Haru, Shiho, and the kid over.

“Ann what is it- Makoto?” Haru doesn’t waste a second wrapping Makoto in a hug.

“Suzui?” Mishima steps out from behind Makoto.

Shiho grins. “Helping out too, huh Mishima?”

“Yeah.”

“How are the others?” Makoto asks.

“Well we’ve met up with Akira, Akechi, and Morgana, and they’re getting help. Luckily Akira has a lot of friends in different places,” Haru says.

“We’re planning on securing the route to Shido’s Treasure tomorrow,” Ann says.

“Cutting it close on Sae and Sojiro’s trial date, but when haven’t we?” Makoto says with a smile. “Alright, we meeting the others?”

Shiho nods. “We should be getting back to Yogen-Jaya soon, actually.”

“So, the Phantom Thieves are gonna go after Shido next?” Mishima asks.

“Awesome,” the kid says.

“Oh, I’m sorry, we never got your name,” Ann realizes.

“Shinya Oda. I’m a friend of Akira’s. He totally you guys were the Phantom Thieves before anyone else.”

“I’m pretty sure I knew first,” Mishima says. “I mean I am the Admin of the PhanSite.”

“Really? That’s cool so you’re like Mission Control?”

“Yeah, sorta.”

“We have to go,” Ann says. “Mishima, Shinya. Are you going to be ok?”

“Yeah, totally,” Shinya says.

Mishima nods, “Don’t worry, we won’t say anything to anyone.”

“Thank you,” Haru says, “we seriously couldn’t have gotten by without you guys.”

“If you wanna thank us, then kick Shido’s butt for us.” Shinya says.

“Yeah, what he said.”

They say goodbye to Shinya and Mishima, then rendezvous with the others back at Takemi’s office, the sun having set. 

Akira and Akechi introduce them to Kasumi properly, and the two groups fill each other in on what everyone else found.

“He just said ‘we’d know where he is’?” Morgana asks once Shiho and Ann finish explaining what happened with Ryuji’s mom.

“Apparently,” Shiho says.

Ann twists one of her pigtails around her finger. “We’ve been trying to figure out what’s a Ryuji place to go but we haven’t had any luck.”

“Maybe it’s less a matter of us trying to think of where Ryuji would go,” Makoto suggests, “and more Ryuji going someplace he thinks we would go.”

“And where would that be?” Akechi asks.

Akira closes his eyes and thinks for a moment. Then it hits him. 

“I think I know where he is,” Akira says. “If I’m right, then we can all meet at the Diet Building tomorrow,” he shouts as he’s running off.

“Akira, where are we going?” Morgana asks from the bag. 

The train isn’t going nearly fast enough, and Akira sprints down Central Street to the familiar sign of Untouchable. When he gets inside, Iwai is the only person there.

“Iwai, has my friend been here at all?” Akira asks, slamming his hands on the counter.

Iwai frowns. “Geez kid, calm down, you’ll draw way too much attention.” He tilts his head behind him. “Back room.”

Akira practically leaps over the counter, causing Morgana to yelp, and rushes towards the back room. 

In the hallway, he practically runs face first into Ryuji.

“Akira!”

“Ryuji!” Akira gives him a massive hug.

Ryuji laughs. “Took you long enough dude.”

Morgana pokes his head out of Akira’s bag. “You’ve just been at Untouchable this whole time?”

“Yeah. Figured we’d be going after Shido at some point, and that meant getting weapons, plus I knew Iwai hates cops so it seemed like the perfect place.”

“This kids been eating all of my ration bars,” Iwai calls from the front.

“Heh, sorry,” Ryuji calls back. “But seriously, Iwai’s been super cool. Especially since I kinda showed up like a crazy person. Kaoru’s cool too, he’s been playing cards with me to help me not go insane coped up back here. Oh, also I’ve been learning about guns and shit while I’m here.”

“Glad to hear you’re doing well, then.” Morgana says. “We were all starting to get worried about you.”

“Aww, miss me Mona?”

“Not more than anyone else.” Morgana snaps.

Ryuji laughs again and Akira feels so much better hearing it. Ryuji’s confidence has always been infectious.

“So, wanna fill us in on what happened to you?” Morgana asks.

“Sure.”

Ok 30 for IchiSaki

30. “Shut up and kiss me.”

“Icchan…” Saki whines, leaning back in her chair.

“Saki, what’s wrong?” Ichika asks, and Saki puts her head in her hands.

The worst-case scenarios keep running through her head. She’s feeling sick, she ran into someone who was sniffling—

“I’m cold…” She mutters, and Ichika immediately pulls her jacket off and throws it on her.

“I’ll get you a blanket, one seco—!” She starts, and Saki tosses her an amused glance.

“Not blanket cold, Icchan! You’ve gotta realize when a girl wants to cuddle!”

Ichika can feel herself turning red.

“Saki… I thought you were getting sick.”

“Oh, come on, Icchan. I know diseases like to kill me specifically, but I’m not coming down with something every time I say I’m cold! Come here!”

Ichika sighs and moves her chair closer to Saki’s, reaching over to hold her.

“Please don’t scare me like that, Saki…” Ichika groans, and Saki laughs as she curls up into Ichika.

“Oh, Icchan, shut up and kiss me.”

Ichika laughs gently and leans over to plant a kiss on Saki’s lips, and Saki smiles at her.

…And then she sneezes.

“…Allergies?” Saki tries, and Ichika leaps to her feet and grabs a blanket, throwing it around her.

“Come on, bed.”

“Ughhhh, Icchan!”

What they don't tell you about writing is that as you write, you discover scenes and entire plots that you hadn't accounted for that need to be written. So you can spend two hours writing and editing only to realise you're further away from the finish line than you thought you were when you started