Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's a fairly calm morning, well as calm as it could in the suitcase. So not calm really.
It was foggy, yet quite bright. That made for a great day apparently, as you could see multiple arcanists out and about.
Some arcanists were having tea with Sotheby, or playing various sports with Regulus.
Some were also simply taking in the mist and sun.

Oh what's that?
The fog cleared?
Well I'm going to have to rewrite that now aren't I.

*Ahem*

It was a fairly calm morning, well as calm as it could be in the suitcase. So not calm really.
It was quite bright and almost meltingly warm. That made for a fine day apparently, as you could see multiple arcanists out and about.
Some arcanists were having tea with Sotheby, or playing various sports with Regulus.
Some were also simply taking in the warmth and sun.

It was also quite a special day indeed!
Our favourite semi-potent ghost's birthday, though he really quite wasn't one for celebrating it.
I wonder why.

Chapter Text

5:24 AM

Click wandered through the halls, searching for a new muse to photograph.
Which is why it's a bit stupid to go at 5:30 in the morning, but he sees melancholic beauty in everything, even war

"...It's very quiet, but I suppose that's–" he abruptly finishes his sentence midway, though he was whispering so quietly that even if you were right next him you wouldn't be able to hear. So it didn't really make much of a difference.
I've found the perfect subject, this will make an excellent photograph

It was a lilly he'd found in a small courtyard in the middle of everyone's rooms.
It was gorgeous bi-colour lily, with a white base and breathtaking orange edges. The edges were a pale yet bright orange, reminding him of the dangerously gorgeous glow of bombs, the bomb that killed him fireworks. It seemed to be meticulously placed in a dark corner, the overgrowths making a bancha background

The most beautiful flower he had ever seen was a poppy, it was so blindingly, beautifully red. It was a deep red, like that of blood. With a red like that however, was it really only coincidental that it was found on grave, especially that of a fallen soldier? Maybe it was or maybe it wasn't, will he ever know? That soldier....was he on the opposing side? Though that really doesn't matter, he was fallen all the same. Did he regret going to war like Click did...? Maybe he did, or maybe he had too much pride to regret anything. Click was there he saw that soldier take his last breath, but was it the same soldier of which he had found that poppy? They'd all looked the same to him, all wearing that same heavy-eyed look, all as if they never really had the chance to experience true happiness, not after they enlisted that is. But they had their differences, some had faces like an open book, but some were weirdly good at hiding how they truly felt. But bodies never lie, every quick "subtle" glance away, slight tensing of hands, wavering smile, Click noticed it all. Over time however, that talent slowly disintegrated, leaving people to perceive him as aloof and distant-minded.

War does that.

It takes and takes and gives so little

His family

His lover

His friends {well, acquaintances really}

It took everything

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6:48 AM

"....Click?"
Sonetto had decided to take a walk after she'd awoken. She had expected to be alone, to get peace of mind before she gets roped into missions taken up by The Timekee- *ahem* Vertin, but what she wasn't expecting was to encounter a ghost photographer. She noticed how silent he was, taking what seemed to be a photo every minute.

He looked over his shoulder, seeming to gaze at everything but her.
"......"
Of course, silent as ever. He was never expected to answer, it was rare for Click to even realise that you were there sometimes!

"Good morning, Click, are you taking photos? May I see what you're taking photos of?"
of course he was taking photos you idiot, what a stupid question to ask him

Click! Click! Click!
He continued taking photos, is he ignoring her? No he's....deaf! Well hard of hearing really. How could she forget? Of course it is early morning, perhaps she's tired? Or maybe he did hear her, but doesn't feel comfortable at all with her yet....

Sonetto continued watching him, not in a weird way, but she needed something to stare at while thinking to herself.
He has names for everyone, most of them being an object or animal. He calls Зима "The Lily", and Pavia "The Wolf"......what does he call her?

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6:48 AM Someone is here.

Click did lose most of his arcane skill when he was a war correspondent, but the staff and calmer {than what he was used to} environment helped him regain most of his arcane skill. So he was able to tell who it was, not without having to think about it though, the days in which he could tell instantly were gone but....he's learned to make the most of what he can still do.

He could hear them walking, they were shy yet confidant steps. Perhaps it was Miss Timekeeper? No, she likes to sleep in till the latest moment and they had around an hour and a bit till they had to wake up, her steps are much more confidant than ones he heard. The steps he heard, were they shy yet confidant? No, they were shy yet certain.
She's always had a uncommon demeanour to her, shy yet certain, once she'd put something to her mind she rarely ever sways from it.

The Dove is here.

A faint murmur.
Was she speaking? It's quite hard to tell.
Quiet.
He can't hear her, but there's obviously a voice. The Dove is speaking.
Blur.
She's speaking, that much is obvious.
But what is she saying? All the words and sounds just seem to get muddled up together, making some raucous noise

Click continued taking photos of the lily, but he could feel her fierce eyes glaring at him. Did she think he was rude? Of course she did, she knows that he's there and that he noticed her, heard her. He doesn't want to be rude, but he just can't understand her, he never means to be rude.

He's always had this problem, he used to know how to read lips, that was part of his arcane skill, one that eventually wore away.
Sergeant ??? : "....atten.....aim....g- right..."
What is he saying...? What are they all- BOOM
*His ears ring, that's all he can right hear right now*
There are people talking, but what are they saying?
He can't hear them.
Did he go deaf? A bomb went off near him, do they deafen? He's not sure. How could one be? He'd been in war for nearly 3 years, or was it 4? It's....quite hard to keep track of time.
They're still talking, are they talking to me?
Are they even speaking in English? It sound familiar, but not as "familiar" as English. This language....is it Deutsch!? He hasn't heard nor spoken German in ages, only when writing something to his family himself. Of course he stopped writing in German when he became a war correspondent, Americans always did seem to forget there were other nationalities sometimes.
They are talking to him.
He can't let them know that he speaks German, much less that his parents are from Austria.
He doesn't remember anything after that, only that there was lots of shouting.
Blood.
Is he bleeding!?
There's more people now, is he back? Oh, he is.
Bandages.
They're bandaging him up, but why is he still bleeding? Oh. He...he's not bleeding, he's crying.
This isn't the first time, why is he only crying now?

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6:58 AM

Clap!
"Well I suppose I should head off now, it was nice seeing you"
Seeing you, not talking to you

"Good morning as well, it was nice seeing you too"
He walked away, his eyes strangely distant.

That was strange, usually if he'd heard the other person he would at least acknowledge them, or ask what they were saying. But this time he did...nothing, though he did eventually say "good morning" back. Did she say something to annoy him?! Of course! He's busy so why would he answer if he got disturbed?

The amount of films he used was a bit odd too though, he was always saying to save them for sensational moments. Surely the lily wasn't that pretty? Though he did seem to see beauty in everything

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CHAPTER 2, FIN

Chapter Text

7:34 AM

She walks into the courtyard, should she go back to sleep?
Ah but there's less than an hour left so what would the point of that be...
Well...that also means that there's less than an hour till Vertin wakes up. Perhaps she could invite her out for coffee, provided that the place also serves breakfast of course
I think I'll just freshen up instead. I would be more inclined to say yes if the person asking looked tidy so so must Vertin!

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8:30 AM

Rollers in hair, dried up mask just waiting to be washed off.
Blonney is awake, and getting ready for the day, though she can't say the same for a certain horror-film addict
How does someone snore that much!? Does that !$"%* have sleep apnea or something!? Ugh, that's it I'm waking him up!
And to his room she goes. Not without making sure that she finishes getting ready of course. Horropedia's room is right next to hers, even if she did request for it not to be.

*knock* *knock* *knock*
"Wake upppp, come on you're already like half an hour late. I'll literally call Madame. Z if you don't wake the fxck up right now."
An exasperated sigh leaves the blonde's mouth, she wouldn't be surprised if this man somehow managed to die from stupidity.
"Ughhhh, I'm coming in"
She stares in horror, how can ones room be so incredibly messy. There are clothes scattered in places where you're supposed to be able to walk, half full mugs of coffee that surprisingly haven't spilled yet; it's all so messy that you can't even see the furniture.
Now of course Blonney was exaggerating a bit, but it really was incredibly messy.

".....Joshua, what the fuck"
The blonde was.... well shocked is an understatement. And it was more "disappointed acceptance" rather than actual shock.
"Huh, wha"
Joshua is barely awake, no thanks to the fact that "Scream 5 just came out on Hellflix, and it's only right that I watch the other four to catch up"
"You know what!? I'm leaving you to deal with breakfast by yourself"
"Okay fine, traitor. Not like I need you....any....ways"

Are you kidding me. He fell back asleep. Oh my fucking gods he fell back asleep.
"I am so telling Madame. Z that you stayed up all night watching shitty horror movies"
That seemed to magically wake him up?
"Hey- ugrh..." Joshua stretched out a yawn. He was still in uniform, his hair still gelled (though he was wearing various purple and green hairclips), glasses on still face and....did he not brush his teeth at all in the past week!?

"Dude. I know you're messy and all, but what fuck Joshua!? This", she pauses this rare lecture by waving her hands as if she was some disappointed parent "Is way too much. And.... I can't fucking believe I'm asking this", she mutters a dawning realisation just loud enough for him to hear, yet quiet enough to make it sound like she's at least putting in effort to make it seem like it simply escaped her mouth
"But... are you okay?"
As soon as Blonney began to quiet her voice, it seemed to snap Horropedia out of whatever sleep-like trance he was in. And once she finished asking the question that most no-one in the suitcase knew how to answer, he simply just ignored her.

....

"The Scream franchise is good!! Opposite of shitty!! Yeah sure it has like....5 flaws that I can I remember; uh it- it's good okay!? And um... I'm fine."
That last sentence was unusually quiet, so unsure too.
Almost as if he was more trying to convince himself rather than Blonney.

"Right... Well there's no way I'm leaving you like... that. So go brush your teeth or whatever, and then we're getting breakfast got it?"
"Okay okay, Blondie"
Joshua leaves the room, entering his bathroom, it was like him to ignore whenever any actually difficult question was asked. But what wasn't like him, was the sudden mood change. He always has this weird tendency to always keep the athmosphere light, or heavy in a childlike terror way, never would he let it be down. Even when it needed to be.

Huh... This isn't a Joshua-centric fic, why should I give him real-life struggles and situations? This chapter was simply just to read and enjoy the comedic value that a good sibling-like relationship can give! So why make him all sad and depressed? Oh well, let's just forget allll about that little mishap hm? I'll deal with his problems a different time....

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8:45 AM

No way Blondie thinks that she has better taste than I do. Nuh-uh, noooo way. She's just jealous, yeah, jealous.
But uh... I should probably clean my teeth...

After a while he finally gets out, in a spare uniform that's.... a bit outdated, slightly cleaner teeth, and in a significantly better mood?
"Alright, food time!"
"Uh-huh. Now come on, Jessica's probably waiting for me"
"So.... Jessica huh? Damn I thought you would've went for some rich-ass guy"
"What are you jealous that I get bitches?"
"I could if I wanted to heh"
"Uh.....huh"

Sounds like Blonney isn't exactly convinced of Horropedia's uh..... must I say this?
I mean it's in the script...
Ugh... fine
*ahem*
Sounds like Blonney isn't convinced of Horropedia's.... mega rizz.
Gods I deserve such a raise.