When Ishigaki first arrived to Aefenglom, Midousuji felt no delight; his stomach, in a way so subtle it was almost imperceptible, had dropped; an empty coldness washed from his head to the tips of his fingers, hollowing his core in a way that made his mouth dry, his mind wiping into a blank static.

Typically, when people from their own worlds arrived to this place, people would express some “too bads” about it, but also palpable relief for a familiar face.

Not Midousuji.

He’d been dreading it—in this place, where his existence holds no purpose. No real way to race, no point to innovate and cultivate that sort of world… It wasn’t the world his mother died on, and it wasn’t the world where he could carry her honor on his saddle across the finish of Tour de France to give himself permission to drop dead. No way to go back, no way to die—no escape, no reason to live.

For months, Midousuji has carried on an empty, complicated existence. His home world, compared to most of the Mirrorbound, is simple—but even outside of its mundane context, its simplicity could not be overstated for the simple fact that it had a born-in formula. And that formula was his purpose. You get up, you eat, you train, you discipline and manipulate, you grow, you fight with all you have—to win. Being forced to exist without what’s kept him moving forward all this time is what indeed makes this place a complex, miserable hell; a complex nexus, but it’s felt like it was designed specifically to destroy Midousuji.

But then, he’d… began to grow; began to change. What else did he have? Without the ability to run away (not that he’d been running away from anything back home; of course not! He is legitimately convinced this is true, even now), and with the need to connect to other people for survival… What choice did he have?

Magic was interesting, in its own way—he did like it, once he wrangled a way not to resent this gift so completely. And to his surprise, once it made sense, it clicked fabulously—his new prodigal project. But his output, his bastardized, rerouted purpose, demanded energy and external symbiosis for balance. Bonds. Which he’d managed to keep business—he’d managed to wall himself away perhaps harder than ever, so afraid of people seeing his vulnerabilities. In a world that’s actually, truly, absolutely dangerous, the stakes are much higher than the asphalt roads he ruled with such domineering ease back in his natal, simple universe.

But somehow…even outside of bonds, he’d become…

Well, he doesn’t know how to describe it, but the truth is he’d become attached. Not to the space, but to his horror, to a person; a girl. A girl strange, and beautiful, carrying an equalizing darkness and wisdom, masqueraded as naive people pleasing. Complex, fascinating, unpredictable, and…shaping. She scared him, initially, because it became clear to him rather abruptly he was a threat to this safety he needed in being invulnerable. But once he gently sank into it, as with Onoda, back home, he began to feel a disturbing, slow-building…relief. Perhaps it was because he had nothing else to do. Maybe it’s obvious a paradigm shift could occur, in those circumstances.

This relief, in part, came with the realization that Ishigaki was right—that relying on other people is what can give people power, in the right contexts. In this world, it’s so literal; his magic flourishes, and so-to-therefor his power and safety, with Bonds. But the way his heart became a little lighter, in a way that nauseated him, made that day to day easier. Perhaps just a distraction. But that was more what Ishigaki meant, right?

The less literal interpretation of relying on someone.

All the same, in sum, Aefenglom is still a unique hell, designed specifically to twist Midousuji in every direction he doesn’t know how to bend in, and absolutely does not wish to. An unforgiving landscape to simple people. Never had Midousuji been forced to feel more simple, nor…completely isolated. Not lonely. But ironically, this place forces him to face his own smallness in that it’s absolutely rooted in his own simple humanity. He is human. He is more human than most people here—and he’d never felt that, back home.

And unlike half of the transplanted Mirrorbound, he’s had the small blessing that he gets to remain as human. A witch.

For months, since Ishigaki’s arrival, Midousuji had been taunting him—ever since he was handed the Coven’s diagnosis that he indeed was to become a Monster. But his anxiety, interestingly, spiked to an all time home. He channeled that into playful, antagonistic mania. When it became clear, based on process of elimination, where Ishigaki’s transformation would lie… Midousuji did not relent.

Until September.

Ishigaki found him, late at night. Midousuji was watching the fireflies, but had come there earlier, far before dusk, letting the sun warm his skin, listening to the thick thrum of cicadas (interesting, that even here, he couldn’t escape their song), staring into nothing; meditating by coincidence, paralyzed by his emptiness.

He didn’t react, when Ishigaki had sat to him. He had nothing cheeky to say, about how it’d be so hard for Ishigaki to feed himself even with the blood bank—how vampires were uniquely discriminated against for how nasty!! the native Aefenglom people found them, in their ignorance—how Ishigaki better get a parasol, or else he’d burn to a crisp, and die. Many times, he’d thought of riding with Ishigaki in the unforgiving heat; how Ishigaki’s complexion took the warmth of the sun in evidence; in proud display, the way Midousuji’s couldn’t; he’d thought of how Ishigaki detests nothing more than doing harm; he’d thought of how Ishigaki is so social, and will surely become isolated himself. Cast to the shadows—seen as a monster.

That night, he looked at Ishigaki, having not absorbed anything the fledgling vampire had said; he just stared, mouth agape, and thought about the time.

The time.

One more month, and it’d all be real. Even before his research mania, Midousuji had been here long enough to know that the average full turn-time for a monster Mirrorbound was approximately three months. October would be it, likely. And Midousuji had learned, the second he determined Ishigaki would likely become a vampire, what the grand finale was for vampiric transformation. Ishigaki knew too, but Midousuji didn’t want it to leave Ishigaki’s head—he didn’t want to give Ishigaki room for escapism, no matter how cruel that may have seemed. Reality was crucial for Ishigaki’s survival in this process. Midousuji’s jeering was a warning; a bracing. Ishigaki doesn’t know about all the research Midousuji has done about these changes; about the creature clan he was to be pulled unwillingly into the fold of; about the history of humans versus vampires.

Cutting him off, having heard nothing, Midousuji then plainly asserted they Bond. It wasn’t a request. Ishigaki was stunned, and Midousuji stared, unblinking. Ishigaki stammered some useless, polite refutes—but Midousuji, being from the same culture, and ostracized for it because of his forwardness, Ishigaki finally accepted his gift. Ishigaki had his own bonds, but Midousuji didn’t care about that.

His would be the one that mattered. In fact, Midousuji knew their connection was the only one that was really important, here in this horrible place, to Ishigaki. Midousuji had become aware of how big his presence was.

And more importantly, he knew what was coming for Ishigaki. They both did.

So too, for Ishigaki, the sun would soon be setting.

They went to the Coven the next day, and Midousuji said no vows—nor did Ishigaki (at Midousuji’s screeching follow-up order, the previous night, after giving Ishigaki a rough face-shake).

Going forward from there, Midousuji has just been waiting.

Weight’s been melting from Ishigaki’s frame, subtly, but it’s too obvious to dispute now. Blood doesn’t yet have its gourmet aromatics, and there is no craving—but food makes him sick. Ishigaki’s done his best to hide it, but he has no idea how sensitive Midousuji is to this kind of thing, even if he credits, and is aware of, Midousuji’s genius and powers of observation.

He’s become slower, weaker; his eye bags, while always distinct, and in their own strange way, handsome—a natural result of his skeletal structure and fat distribution, have become sickly in a more universally telling way. Then, Ishigaki’s visits became fewer; the last time Midousuji had forced himself entry to Ishigaki’s home, he’d spotted a cane. Ishigaki made some stupid little comment with some lame, apologetic laugh about it, but Midousuji could tell that Ishigaki knew, by Midousuji’s wide, stuck eyes, that Midousuji understood its true implication.

“You don’t have to hide that from me,” was all Midousuji said. “And you better not, going forward.”

Tonight, they’re at Ishigaki’s—usually, Ishigaki would come see Midousuji, affording him the option to be nonchalant. Midousuji doesn’t let himself examine his feelings, as they’re Bonded, unless he knows Ishigaki is asleep—but even then, he does his best to stay away from expounding or expanding them. He knows them, so there’s no reason to agitate them, or give them life. Ishigaki can’t read his mind, and that’s what’s important. All the same, now, Midousuji visits Ishigaki. And the change if scenario isn’t the only change there is; the frequency has ticked up. Ishigaki is probably aware Midousuji is being controlling, because Ishigaki isn’t being truthful. They both know why.

When Midousuji had come through the door, he’d noticed something off. It’s been bugging him, through their time together—the talk has been infrequent, as Midousuji remains untalkative as usual, burying his head in a book or practicing magics. But when Ishigaki gets up to get the hot water from the stove, as he’d offered tea earlier, he suddenly swoons, nearly collapsing—his elbow bolsters him against the wall, head heavy and neck loose. Midousuji springs from his spot on the floor, using his long leg span in huge strides to roughly grasp Ishigaki’s wrist, yanking him straight.

Ishigaki apologizes and laughs, saying he got up too fast, and Midousuji’s eyes widen as he stares into Ishigaki’s face.

Tonight, Midousuji realizes. It’s going to be tonight.

He recognizes this scent; he remembers how subtly—so subtly, he hadn’t noticed, that his mother’s scent began to change as she came closer to her death. In fact, Midousuji doesn’t realize that change of scent as a memory until this moment.

His vision almost shifts, like he’s going faint himself, though he feels none of those physical comorbid reactions. His brain feels suddenly slapped with realization, and his body goes rigid with tension; his teeth clench hard behind his closed lips, and his heart beats hard, slowly ramping its cadence.

Midousuji’s nails dent his skin, his jaw clenching, cords popping from his neck.

“Sit down,” he orders slow, firm, and low. “I said I would make it when it’s ready.”

Midousuji’s palms become clammy.

“I’m understood, aren’t I? Ishigaki-kuuuun.”