wow this one didn't take me long to write at all! the words flowed super naturally, so i was able to write very quickly!

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he runs off on a hot, summer day, after an argument about— something. neku doesn't even know what started their argument, and that makes him feel even worse about upsetting joshua. he keeps telling himself that joshua is the child here—disappearing when he has his responsibilities as composer, leaving mr. h to cover for him—but it doesn't shake the terrible pit at the bottom of his stomach when he thinks about him.

damned, runaway composers; whenever neku urgently needs to talk to him, he's suddenly nowhere to be found. every time neku says something, he's already anticipating joshua's teasing response, but he's met with disappointment. he can't even scream at joshua in his head. the asshole is apparently in another dimension or— some weird shit like that. ( he forgot what hanekoma had exactly said, mostly latching on to the fact that joshua wasn't just ignoring him— he fucking ran away. )

he wants to kick something or someone ( a specific "someone" ), frustrated at joshua and himself. joshua, for being an irresponsible brat, and himself for hanging up abruptly after a heated conversation and thinking joshua would brush his words off. like he doesn't have feelings of his own, but neku completely disregarded that, and— fucking hell, now look where he is: pathetically brooding over joshua and seriously wishing he could take back what he said.

his friends notice— of course, they do, they're his friends— and do their best to distract him. they visit wildkat and ramen don more often since they know neku likes these places— but it doesn't do much to help. mr. h is a constant reminder of the games and subsequently, joshua; and every time he steps into ramen don, he thinks of how this place almost closed, how he and joshua saved it— and he's right back thinking about how much he misses that prissy foodist.

three weeks. three. fucking. weeks. it takes three goddamn weeks before joshua returns. neku is moping in his room— door locked, his concerned mom knocking on his door every three minutes, and him yelling at her to go away, he's fine okay!?

when she shoots back, "i haven't seen that boy you hang out with around these past weeks. is this about him? did you two have a fight?" he vehemently denies it. even though his mom is not aware they're dating ( she probably suspects it, though ) she hits the mark. he can't believe their relationship has become that obvious. no wonder he's a mess without joshua.

and then, out of fucking nowhere, joshua suddenly poofs in front of him, holding little shopping mall bags and an all too familiar smug look on his face.

"hello, neku. i got some souvenirs. want one?"

neku: moping around thinking that joshua will never return and its all HIS fault[break]
joshua: Hey nekyyyy, want a present from my vacation?[break]
neku: ...[break]
deleted line: he punches joshua and suddenly feels so much fucking better.

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same story as my previous fic. i wrote this instead of sleeping, didn't have the energy to post, and pushed it to tomorrow.

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he stares down at the rocks tumbling into a steep, jagged valley. he can barely make out the heads of other hikers over the tall grass. it looks like a long, rough drop.

he lifts his head up to the moody redhead marching in front of him, feeling the urge to comment on it.

"it would be awfully easy to push you off the side of this cliff, huh?" he says, not fighting back the smile. he doesn't necessarily relish neku's death, but there's a simple pleasure in riling him up that he cannot deny himself.

neku doesn't miss a beat when he says, "kill me and i'll purposefully get myself erased."

he's noticed neku has developed a thicker skin to his taunts. he'll have to dig deeper if he wants a reaction.

"aww, neku, i wouldn't let you get erased!"

predictably, he sees neku tense. he doesn't like it when joshua compromises his choices, and it never fails to make that temper of his flare.

"and yet you're fine with pushing me off a cliff," neku grumbles.

for a moment, he thought neku would turn around snap at him, but boringly, he just complains under his breath and walks faster. wow, neku. way to sell yourself as a fun, interesting, and exciting person.

still, he can see neku's patience rip at the seams. he just has to tug a little more at the string, and neku will fall apart.

"exactly. you mortals' deaths are meaningless to me. i can just resurrect you whenever, after all," joshua expresses his apathy, knowing how much neku hates his flippant attitude toward their lives.

he waits for neku to balloon— spin and point an angry finger at him. he expects a passionate display about how he shouldn't play god with their lives ( as though he can play with their lives any way else ); respect and don't meddle. neither happen, and neku carries on as though joshua didn't say a thing.

he frowns. he knows neku heard him— there's not any other sounds except their footsteps and the occasional bird; and the distance between them isn't so chasmal that neku simply didn't catch what he said. ignoring him is now neku's strategy? it makes joshua pout for a few minutes before he resolves to stir a reaction from neku yet.

he grins.

neku is going to regret ignoring him.

not rlly in the way of context tbh. I guess joshua just decided to drag neku out of his house and suggested hiking for some god awful reason? (that's why neku is moody rn)

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HEAVES SO i actually wrote this two days ago but i wrote it at like 1:00AM or something (and i still haven't edited b/c naw) so i didn't get it published? and i meant to do it yesterday, but honestly i'm such a mess so yeah here we go

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these picnics are quaint to tenebria; that's what they are— picnics, even though ravi insists otherwise. they're dull and too peaceful, but they keep ravi obedient, so she's willing to put up with them. still, she doesn't like how ravi clings to these childish pastimes. once a farm girl, always a farm girl, perhaps, but they make ravi unreliable. she wouldn't be able to bring it up to her though— ravi would vehemently insist otherwise and nothing would change.

"do you want the rest?"

ravi pushes the bowl of scones toward her. it's almost empty. without realizing, tenebria had munched on most of the scones, leaving only a few left for ravi. it's almost touching how dedicated ravi is to her "queen," but tenebria isn't a pig, so she turns her offer down.

"i'll pour you some more juice, then."

tenebria doesn't really care either way, so she just silently watches ravi take the pitcher and pour some juice into her cup. ravi glances up, as though looking for approval, but she will not find any from tenebria. why ravi even keeps bothering is beyond tenebria, but whatever.

"my queen, what do you want me to do next?"

there's a hint of hunger in ravi's voice. there is always that hint— a desire for something beyond her reach. ravi seems to naturally fall into tenebria's arms as a result— actually, she's always trying to fall through, but tenebria won't let her. the little wraith girl is hers. she won't let her escape from her grip; not because she finds ravi's company welcoming—quite the opposite—but out of the principle of being the phantom queen. what acolyte of nightmares is she if one of her victims break free from her so easily? ( damned are the heir of the covenant and his friends. )

"nothing. we have to wait for nilgal," she mutters, the name like poison on her tongue.

ravi suddenly stands up.

"my queen, i would take care of that fool if you would let me," she says with earnest.

it's not the first time ravi has offered to get rid of nilgal. nor is it the first time that tenebria will turn her down. "no, i can't let you do that."

"but—"

"i care about you, don't you understand? i don't want you to get hurt," she lies.

ravi's cheeks turn a deep shade of red. "o-oh. i see," she mumbles.

it's amazing how easily ravi falls for it every time. ravi's only purpose is to die for her queen, so why would tenebria actually care? except, it wouldn't please kayron if her wraith were to attack nilgal. she would likely get in trouble for not controlling ravi, and quite frankly, she has enough lectures from kayron to last a lifetime. she doesn't need more, and certainly not over ravi.

"so does that mean there's nothing to do?"

ah, there's that hunger again.

"that's right," she says. it's a flat statement that doesn't give anything.

"then, my queen…" ravi's voice trails off.

there's something obsessive in her eyes that do nothing to scare tenebria. it's a lovely gaze that promises madness befitting of the nightmare queen— and it's all hers to control. nilgal and kayron will never experience the feeling of ravi's sincerity that seeps into the cracks of her wishes and desires— and slowly breaking and twisting them into unfettered insanity. ravi is reserved for her only.

"do you want a dream?" she asks. it's not what ravi wants, but it's what she was going ask for.

"yes, i do."

"then dream," she says, smiling in amusement at the all too trusting wraith child.

dream of the nothingness and the void— dream of only yourself and your empty wishes. fall into her illusions, and never escape.

uvu. every day i feel like i cannot write tenebria for the life of me :sob:[break]
regardless, my thoughts are as follows:[break][break]

if tenebria is with others, she ignores ravi. but if they're just alone, she sometimes pays attention but only because ravi is the only thing she can really entertain herself with.

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