Here be prompts! Leave a prompt in the comments! Fill a prompt! Leave as many as you like, fill as many as you like, even if someone’s already filled one.
You can prompt original, any fandom, or a specific fandom I know. Format examples are:
- any, any, alone again
- Bungou Stray Dogs, Kyouka+/Atsushi, falling asleep on each other
- original, any/any, we were happy, right?
You can also throw in image, lyric, other format type prompts. Whatever works.
Post stays open until it slows down. If I don’t fill any right away, I’m working on an exchange fic due, but I’ll be in and out I promise.
You can also prompt poetry.
K, any, dinner disasters
***********
It was agreed, with the man who had been a cook in his previous life now gone on a family visit, that they’d all have to take turns in the kitchen.
It was also agreed that Awashima should not have a turn, given her fascination with anko. While her name was on the schedule, officially, Captain Munakata always found her a duty that would keep her far from the kitchen for the entire evening, and the collective forces of Scepter Four breathed a sigh of relief each time it happened.
What they should have been worried about, however, was the turn of the captain himself.
As he was their ranking officer, everyone (with the exception of Fushimi, who had been avoiding the mess hall since the departure of the cook) felt obligated to eat the entirety of the meal he prepared.
Nothing, it seemed, was more effective at taking down the trained members of Scepter 4 than their own captain’s cooking.
This is the best in every particular. I LOVE saving them from anko and Munakata being a very terrible cook. Everyone’s like humor him, except picky eater Fushimi, who’s like not on your life.
********
Kuroh had always believed that were a disaster to happen in his kitchen, it would involve Neko.
He had also believed that it would involve Neko stealing all the food he’d just cooked, but he had just been proved wrong.
“Kuroh,” Neko whined, pulling at his arm. “Why did you burn the rice? You never burn the rice. It’s always so perfect and yummy. And white. Today it is… black.”
It was, indeed, black, and Kuroh could offer no explanation for its state. He was always so careful and precise with the recipes taught to him by his former king. He would repeat them in his head as he cooked. How could he possibly have allowed this to happen?
“Kuroh?”
“My apologies,” he said. “I seem to have been… distracted.”
“It’s okay, Kuroh,” Kukuri said with a gentle smile. “We can always make more.”
This is incredibly adorable. I think Kuroh has a crush and got distracted. 😀
Twist and turn my aching soul
I leave myself behind in pieces
I know you’ll need them when I’m gone.”
~Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Feel It Now
(incidentally, this is a very K song, but…)
I’m down to get bruised
Who’s gonna let go hardest?
We fight and we lose
I got another round, another round in me, yeah
Knock me out, knock me down, I don’t care
Who’s gonna love you hardest?
I’ll do ’til I’m blue.”
~Lykke Li, Neon
That, and my apparent need to see Munakata and Anna interact. And eventually I will get myself organized and settle on a way to post K stuff that isn’t here, but I’m not quite there yet. So… For now, until that’s fixed… I guess… hopefully this is okay.
************
Anna sensed it first, though the tension was high in all the remaining members of HOMRA still in the bar. Less had come today than yesterday. She already saw them all scattering, and it hurt almost as much as losing Mikoto and Tatara.
She looked past the others to the door. A shadow stood across the street, and she frowned, slowly drawn to the door. She got down from her stool and walked past the others, most of them not paying any attention to her movement.
She pushed open the door and stepped outside. Though her senses had told her already, she could now see him for herself. He did not wear his uniform, but he was still unmistakable.
“Reisi.”
“I will not encroach upon your territory.” He didn’t move forward, so she crossed to where he stood. This was not the stubborn Blue King who had fought against Mikoto in what Tatara called a dance or the arrogant one who assumed that taking care of all Strains and all order was his responsibility alone, not even the confident one that had seemed so sure of his place from the very beginning.
“Why are you here?”
The Blue King bowed his head to her. “If you did not hear his last words to you, I wanted you to know them. I felt I had a duty… They are yours. Not mine.”
She had heard them. She had not realized that he had heard them as well. She’d believed Mikoto’s dying thoughts had come to her, but he had spoken them right before all color faded from her eyes.
“He apologized for no longer being able to show me the red.”
Munakata nodded. “Yes. Were it within my power… I cannot show it to you either, but it was his dying wish, his dying request, as it were. I cannot do anything to fulfill it, and for that I apologize.”
She studied him. Would he not apologize for killing Mikoto?
“There are some things for which there is no forgiveness.”
She could feel the hurt coming off of him. He had not wanted to kill Mikoto. He would carry that with him for the rest of his life. She could hate him for what he’d done. She missed Mikoto and his beautiful, warm red.
She was not the only one in the cold now.
“Thank you for telling me of his words.”
“It seems it was unnecessary.”
She shook her head. “If I had not heard them for myself, I would have been grateful to know. And you are… kind to come and tell me, even knowing what it might mean.”
“There has been enough fighting,” he said. “I do not want for more. I think, sometimes, were I not so stubborn… I thought I had offered him… I did not do enough to prevent it. That I understand now. I… If you will excuse me, I believe I have already overstayed my welcome.”
She made no move to stop him as he left, holding her hands against her chest.
It would be good of him to come and say as much. I’m not sure I could see him even thinking of apologizing for killing Mikoto when it clearly had to be done and he was definitely the one stuck doing it, after spending every moment and conversation and opportunity in his power trying to prevent Mikoto’s death. :sigh:
But if there was anyone he almost apologized to and I love that scene in Missing Kings tbh, it would be Anna.
I loved that scene in Missing Kings. That and her words to him in the bar when he’s facing a Damocles down of his own made me crave so much more interaction between the two of them. I can see the level of respect they have for each other even as she cannot forgive him for killing Mikoto and he expects her hatred. There’s so much in that scene with him presenting her the sword… very powerful.
any, any, I’ll be the realest one alive, you don’t want no problems
Take you down and it gon’ be no problem, yeah — No Problem, Pusha T
any, any, We came with the mission
To corner the market
To take you gotta be…one of the hardest — No Problem, Pusha T
*************
He walked up to the figure standing in the dirt, long dark coat billowing in the breeze. The other man didn’t lift his eyes from the grave marker before him, didn’t so much as blink in acknowledgment of his presence.
His own eyes went to the same placard, reading over the letters. He put his hands in his pockets, aware of the wind tugging on his jacket now. To an outside observer, they might appear twins, both similar in height, sharing an affection for the same kind of coat and weakness of the eyes.
They’d never met before, though he wasn’t surprised at their similarities.
“You’re not here to mourn him, are you?”
The other man shook his head. “Had to see for myself if he was truly dead.”
He nodded, having come for the same reason. “Do you believe it?”
“Not for a second.”
He had the same sense, unable to shake the feeling that the man responsible for so much pain and death had not gone so quietly, could not possibly be in this grave. After all he’d done, all he’d twisted in the name of science, for that man to go, supposedly in peace in his sleep, was absolutely galling.
“If I find him first…”
“Are you offering to leave some part of him for me?”
“No.” Turning, the other man walked away, his intention clear.
any, any, Comin’ out the gate I’m swinging
And if you’re in my way you’ll feel it
I hear you think you’re tough
So put your hands up
We never back down from a fight
— Uncontainable, Set It Off
any, any, Hey, we’re takin’ our crown, we’re takin’ it now, yeah
Hey, we never look back
— Uncontainable, Set It Off
any, any, Here to stay
And you’re gonna remember my name
No nothing can stand in my way
— One to Survive, Hidden Citizens
any, any, Even if the sky is falling
Even if the waters rise
Even if the world is ending
I will make it out alive
I will be the one to survive
— The One to Survive, Hidden Citizens
If you call my name I will come
If you ask for my love
I will give you some.”
~Lori Mckenna, If You Ask
any, any, Sometimes I’m afraid of the thoughts inside
Nowhere to hide inside my mind
— Hope of Morning, Icon for Hire
any, any, My mind’s a kaleidoscope, it thinks too fast
Blurs all the colors ’til I can’t see past
The last mistake, the choice I made
— Hope of Morning, Icon for Hire
*******
All of HOMRA called her the “Heartless Woman.”
It stopped being a joke the moment she stepped in for her captain and performed the duty he didn’t want, that he’d tried to prevent. Fushimi did not believe that Munakata was a compassionate man, or at least he claimed that compassion was false, just a means of using him, but Awashima had been with Munakata since the day he first became a king, and even though at times he seemed cold and calculating, even justifying things that no one should justify, she knew he’d meant it when he said he did not want Mikoto Suoh to die.
He had taken on the burden anyway, choosing to take that man’s life to save others, and she knew he had not expected anyone to intervene in that battle. Still, she’d been unable to sit idle with the others after the Silver King left without promising them he’d be able to help either of the other kings.
She could not say he hadn’t sacrificed as well, but he would still have left her captain bearing the burden of Suoh’s death if she had not been there, if she had not taken advantage of the chaos he created to end the life of the red king before his Damocles down.
I never wanted this for you, Munakata told her, and she wanted to say the same to him, but somehow the words did not come.
At night, her dreams filled with red and blue and silver, and she couldn’t stand the brilliance of them until she woke, panting and cold, always so cold, to see the blood on her sword once again. She rose and cleaned it, her thoughts wandering to the blade as a single damning thought came to her mind.
“I won’t forgive you if you commit seppuku.”
She lowered her head. “Captain, I—”
“I never wanted it for you,” he repeated, coming into the room and closing the door behind him. “You are an excellent right hand, one no king should be without. Efficient, practical, an excellent fighter, and slightly callous, at least on the outside. Perhaps if I had listened to that suggestion that violated his civil rights, you would not have this burden to bear.”
“I chose it.”
“Yes, but you should not have had to.”
She shook her head. “I wanted to do my part to protect you. The Silver King had a plan, but he didn’t promise it would keep either of you safe. And I realized… that wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to be with you if the worst should happen.”
“Instead, you stole my duty as your own and can’t forgive yourself for it.”
“Could you?” She countered, watching him for the smallest of tells in his usually impassive face. “I don’t believe you could any more than I can. And if that is true, if I spared you that much and you can continue being our king for that much longer… Then it has to be the right choice.”
“At what cost?”
She thought of the things she had lost but managed to face him with resolution. “Knowing what HOMRA now faces, how scattered and lost they are, I can’t say it was too high a price. You are everything to so many, myself included. I regret that it came to the point of Suoh’s death. I do not regret taking on this role.”
“And I, for my part, regret allowing you to take it,” Munakata said. He sighed and pushed up his glasses. “It does seem we are at a bit of an impasse, then.”
“You are a compassionate king. Let the heartless woman bear this burden for you.”
“I would,” Munakata said, “if such a person did exist.”
any, any, When the hope of morning starts to fade in me
I don’t dare let darkness have its way with me
And the hope of morning makes me worth the fight
I will not be giving in tonight
— Hope of Morning, Icon for Hire
any, any, Try as I might to keep it together
Why is recovery taking forever
Fool the whole world, just until I get better
I’m terrified I’ll be faking forever
— Hope of Morning, Icon for Hire
any, any, holding hands
*shrugs*
**********
Anna liked the days Reisi came himself to get her from school, though she did not tell him so. She knew he could send any of a thousand people to come and get her, he had many employees in Scepter Four to pick from, and several of them would even volunteer, but she would rather it was Reisi.
She liked most of the members of Scepter Four well enough, Himori, Yujiro, Ryuho, Andy, Tatsuya, Daiki, Ren, and Akira, all the squad leaders. Anna liked Seri with her obsession with anko, and even the ogre in records, Goki. Even the grumpy Fushimi was funny sometimes.
Reisi said she was free to consider them all family, even if some of them only thought of Scepter Four as a job.
Still, none of them were her guardian on paper. Only Reisi was. He was responsible for her, and that made it different, but more than that—Reisi was a king, and she knew she would not hurt him. He was safe, not like her aunt.
Her aunt that didn’t remember her anymore.
She shook her head and looked up at the man in the uniform before her. He had that smile on his face, looking rather pleased with himself for some reason.
“Lazy King,” she said, and he laughed as he held his hand out to her. She took it, burying her smile and her relief as she did. “You’re late.”
“So I am,” he agreed as if it were nothing, though it wasn’t. It never was when he was late. “How was school today?”
“The same.”
“Hmm.” Reisi could make that one sound seem like many different things. She knew he didn’t believe her, though school wasn’t the problem this time, not the lessons, her teacher, the other kids, or not having any friends.
“Why were you late?”
“I wasn’t done with my puzzle.”
“Liar,” she said, and he looked back at her, raising a brow. She knew because of her abilities, and he knew that. He only thought he was a good liar. He wasn’t. Still, she wouldn’t even have needed what she could do. “I saw the sword.”
He stopped, looking down at her. “I admit I had to be more involved than usual. Does it disappoint you I wasn’t a lazy king today?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“You approve? Good.”
“You came yourself. Why?”
He smiled at her, kneeling down to her level and taking both her hands in his. “You know why. I knew you could have seen the sword and you would be worried. I am fine. The only one who was injured was Hidaka, but fortunately, he has a hard head.”
She fought a smile, and Reisi’s grin grew wider.
“Ah, one day I will get a true smile from you. Perhaps even today.”
She shook her head, but he just went on smiling. He let go of her hands and stood.
“Come, I found a restaurant famous for its red velvet cake, and I want to see what you think of it. You should even enjoy the décor. They’ve done it up entirely in red velvet, or so they say. It’ll either be quite stunning or a horrible atrocity, and I look forward to your reaction.”
She wanted to see his, too, so she took his hand again and walked away with him.
any, any, warm memories
***********
Reisi’s hand was warm in hers. Despite how calm he was, the cool sense of his aura, or those who said he was completely cold, with no sense of feeling at all, he felt warm to Anna as she held onto him. Though she still had no friends at school, she felt a certain sense of understanding in the presence of her guardian, who was on the outside and as lonely without friends as she was.
“Where are we going today?”
“I have a surprise for you,” Reisi told her, and she frowned at him. He put a finger to his lips. “Not a word now to Lieutenant Awashima. She will be quite upset I took you here without her. Indeed, all the staff of Scepter Four might be.”
“Why would they be mad?” Anna asked. “You are the only one who is my guardian on paper.”
“You know why. They all care about you a great deal, and they would like to share this with you as well. And I admit, I do not intend to rob them of the pleasure forever, but this once, I’d like it to be just the two of us.”
Now more curious than before, Anna tightened her hold on Reisi’s hand as he lead her inside a building marked ‘planetarium.’ Seeing that sign, she almost pulled away, but he kept her hand. She sighed. Everyone had seen such beautiful things at the planetarium, but she could not see any except the few pictures they showed of the red planet. Mars. She liked Mars. She could see it.
“Is everything ready?”
“Yes, Captain. The special filter has been applied, and the show will start as soon as you are ready.”
“Excellent. Come, Anna.”
She did, letting him lead her to what he called the ideal spot in the empty auditorium. He sat down and left the seat next to him for her. She considered taking it, but she climbed into his lap instead, settling against him with a sigh.
“Is it Mars? I can only see Mars.”
“Just watch,” Reisi said, and she looked up to see the screen was all red. It shifted to a picture of the Earth from space, but this time she could see the blue of the oceans, the green of the land, the white of the ice and clouds. “They put a special red filter on the lens. Do you like it?”
She nodded, looking up in awe as the scene changed to Saturn and she could see the beauty of its rings in full color. “Thank you, Reisi. I love it.”
“The show is only getting started,” he said, and she heard the music start playing, though it was not from the show her school had seen. “I asked them if they would create one for a special friend of mine, and they agreed. With the red lens, you should be able to see everything you couldn’t before and a lot more, though they didn’t actually agree to remake that rather famous planetarium show from America. Shame about that. I rather wonder what you’d think of Pink Floyd.”
“What?”
“Never mind that now. This is your show, after all. Wouldn’t want you to miss any of it.”
She didn’t want to, either. She didn’t want to close her eyes even to blink. Reisi had found a way to give her all the colors in the solar system, and she was grateful. No, more than grateful. She stole a glance at her guardian’s face, finding him watching her, and so she turned back to the show, a faint flush on her cheeks as she wondered if maybe he wasn’t just her guardian ‘on paper.’
Awwwwwwwwwwww! Just awwww!
I like the idea of him the two of them developing more of a family relationship than “her guardian on paper.”
any, any, wishes
any, any, love is knowing you’ll always be there, no matter how much you hate me
any, any, When i push you away, that’s when i need you the most. — unknown
Well, I may need to look at it, since I’m doing all this weird theory crafting/world building with my crossover. I should do more research… I just wasn’t interested in it before because I don’t seek out Christmas fic, and I didn’t expect them to put useful stuff in a story titled “Christmas 1944” because Christmas fic is usually something about the holiday and rarely has anything to do with plot.
“Not justice?”
“No, not justice. Right. Easy to do justice. Very hard to do right.”
~Sir Robert Morton and Catherine Winslow, The Winslow Boy
I’ll put on a show
It is a performance
I do it all so
You won’t see my hurting
When my heart it breaks
I’ll put on a performance
I’ll put on a brave face.”
~The xx, Performance
You could always find me
Now you’ve stopped looking for me
But I’m still playing hide and seek
I want you to notice
But you just don’t see
The show is wasted on you
So I perform for me.”
~The xx, Performance