Chapter Text
That night, Yoimiya laid down in bed and sighed.
She felt really bad- Thoma loved his broom. A lot. She’d seen the way he cradled it like it was his baby. How he’d shined it and brushed the bristles at the end. He probably even slept with it.
She was also really, really, REALLY nervous he would find out that she had been the one to set the broom on fire. After all, there weren’t many people in Inazuma with pyro visions and what normal person would dare set THOMA’s broom on fire?
There was also the decoy they’d used to drive him away so that she could finish the job. Between the fireworks and her vision, really, who else could have set the broom on fire but her?
She rolled over, groaning. Now wasn’t the time to think about that. Try to sleep, she told herself. Close your eyes, relax…
“Yoimiya~”
Yoimiya jolted up, looking around. What WAS that? It almost sounded like…
She swallowed.
The Kamisato Housekeeper.
She stood, creeping to the window and peering outside. Sweat was already pouring down her back as she glanced around at the empty streets outside her home. No one was out at this hour. Surely she’d imagined Thoma’s voice because she was feeling guilty?
With a small, nervous giggle, she turned back to bed.
“Yoimiya~”
Oh god that was definitely him.
She went back to the window, REALLY looking this time. Still, she couldn’t see anything aside from the other stores around.
“Thoma?” she called nervously. “What are you doing here?”
No reply.
Sighing, she left her room and home, stepping into the night. The air was cool and the wind silent. The moon overhead glowed beautifully, the stars sparkling like small chips of jewels scattered across the midnight sea. And yet, even under the glow of the ivory moon, Yoimiya could not find Thoma.
Was she going insane? She’d have to go back to the estate tomorrow and formally apologize. The guilt was eating her from the inside out apparently!
“Where are you going?” Thoma hissed in her ear as she turned back around.
She startled and he yanked her into the street with one rough hand.
“Thoma!” she cried, glaring up at the other blonde. “What the heck? What are you doing here?”
“You know what I’m here for,” he growled. Grr.
“Oh, is this about the broom?” she asked, exasperated. “Listen, Ayaka practically begged me-”
“That broom was my best friend, my lover, and my pride,” Thoma said. The upper half of his face seemed to be shadowed by the night, but she could see that his lips were twisted into an uncharacteristic sneer, revealing gleaming white teeth. “That broom was worth more than your life.”
“I-I’m sorry?” she squeaked, trying to get away. “Thoma, what’s gotten into you?”
“I’m here to avenge my beloved,” he said darkly.
Yoimiya watched in horror as a broom made of swirling shadows materialized in the housekeeper’s hand. It seemed to crackle with lightning and she swore teeth gleamed within the wooden handle. Gods, what was going on? What had she stumbled into? Was THIS what Ayaka had meant earlier?
“You will be inlaid upon this broom,” Thoma snarled before twirling the broom.
Yoimiya screamed. “POPS!!!!”
She struggled, slamming her foot into Thoma’s gut. With a grunt, he released her and she darted backwards, reaching for a vision that wasn’t there. It was probably still on her nightstand- oh, why hadn’t she grabbed it???
“Thoma, what is wrong with you?” she cried. “This is crazy! It was a broom! You can always get another?”
“Oh, and will you burn that one too?” he asked before charging towards her.
Yoimiya ducked, feeling the shadow broom brush against her messy bun. She shivered, a wave of cold rushing over her. That broom… What had she done?
“Thoma, if you hurt me, Ayaka will never forgive you!” she cried.
“Forgiveness is a moral concept,” Thoma said flatly. “I am one with the broom.”
He swung again and, again, she dodged. She glanced back at her house, where the front door was still hanging ajar. If she could get to her vision….
She glanced back at Thoma, willing him to slow his advances. Why was he so good at using the broom????
She rolled towards the door, narrowly avoiding the blow that cratered her front lawn. Oh, Ayaka was totally paying for that AND all the therapy she was going to need after this.
She sprung to her feet, plunging through the threshold of her home. Thoma was at her heels, his hell broom, too. She swallowed, leaping onto the stairs-
Only for a warm hand to seize her ankle and yank her back down.
She landed on the floor, choking on air as Thoma loomed over her.
“Goodnight, Yoimiya,” he said.
The broom came down.
“A shadow broom?” Ayaka demanded, leaning forward. “Shit…that means it didn’t work.”
“Thoma beats you with his broom in your dreams?” she asked dryly, sipping her tea religiously.
“Well, he never caught me,” Ayaka said, lifting her own cup to her pursed lips. “But he certainly tried. He also mentioned Ayato flinched when he saw him, too, but I haven’t been able to bring it up. It seems this is quite the phenomenon. I wonder who else is experiencing these dreams.”
“And Thoma doesn’t know anything about it?”
“I haven’t asked,” Ayaka said, looking away, “but I don’t think so. He seems perfectly fine and the Thoma in our dreams acts entirely different. If I started crying, Thoma would cry because he was sad I was sad. Does that sound anything like the…the thing we saw?”
Yoimiya shook her head and Ayaka sighed.
“I’ll ask around,” Ayaka decided. “We can’t be the only ones this has happened to. I, personally, think it might be some kind of ghost or demon.”
Yoimiya nodded wearily. “I’m… a little afraid to sleep tonight.”
Ayaka gave her a small, sympathetic smile. “I only had one dream. I slept fine last night, so you should be okay, too.”
“Well, then I’m going to take a nap,” she said, laughing. “Be careful!”
Ayka nodded a farewell and Yoimiya watched her go. No way in hell was she going to sleep now or ever again!!
Five minutes later, she passed out.