Yes, yes so I'm sure many are groaning in your seats saying "Geez another drabble collection?" It seems I've jumped a bandwagon but my real intention here was to either write down my multitude of story ideas that I really love and want to put into multi-chapter but can't work out the kinks or to otherwise cure my itch to write something. The opposite thing serves as something different than "write a story based on a word" but they're still prompts. I didn't want to use word generator or whatever because there are too many damn words in the world and oftentimes I steel myself to write about a word unconditionally but end up not liking the word so whatever I write comes out crap. I need something narrower and thus this.
I've originally planned the collection of stories so that they, so to speak, "melt" into one topic to another but after a while it just didn't seem to work out. It was one, too difficult, and two, I've actually already written a lot of shorts and some are sequels to earlier works so that means I can't just shift them around so easily so after the first few chapters you'll find a sudden shift from smooth to rough. Those of you who read my wall of text will now be aware but of course, there's always gonna be people who'll skip it. Eh.
1. Warm and cool
Shinichi jolted awake when he felt sudden cool air invade his previously warm cocoon. He heard rustling before someone slipped into his bed beside him, hugging him tightly from behind.
Though sleep-addled, he was far too familiar with this situation for him to be alarmed.
"Kaito, get out of my bed," he grumbled half-heartedly.
Kaito simply continued to cling onto Shinichi as though he were his own personal, huggable radiator.
2. Hot and cold
It was a summer night and yet it was still so hot that if he didn't know any better, Shinichi would have sworn the heat came from the moon. It was a summer night to end all summer nights and yet here he was, laying uncomfortably in wait for KID to arrive, the scorching heat hot enough that he felt a bit ill just from laying in the same place for too long. Actually, now that he thought about it, this scenario felt kind of familiar… It was almost like that dream…
He shivered despite the superheated air and shook his head. No… That was just a dream. Nothing's going to happen. He's going to lay here and melt under all this heat until KID decided to arrive to trade wits while he cornered the thief wherein he would either escape or get captured and then escape after which the gem would be returned and he would announce he would be stealing something else after several weeks. Rinse, wash, repeat because yes, there will be a next time. There won't be an assassin lying in wait and there definitely won't be a bullet through the heart.
Still, in the pit of his stomach, he had a sinking feeling, a sense of foreboding so cloying that it outstripped the summer air. Despite all his rationality, he felt immensely scared for some reason and the feeling was so stifling and so intense he couldn't ignore it. It was as unbearable as the heat.
He stood from his place just as KID arrived, making his presence known.
"Oya if it isn't tantei-kun. Good evening," the thief greeted, turning towards him with a polite grin which slid off when he noticed the uneasy look on the detective's face.
"KID, I think you should leave as fast as you can tonight," he managed nervously.
"But…" Kaito frowned in concern when he saw how pale Shinichi was despite the weather. He looked frightened for some reason, frightened for him and it was worrying. "Alright. I'll leave then."
A brief look of relief flickered across the detective's face before he nodded.
KID was preparing to take off… And Shinichi watched in horror from side where the thief had pushed him into as an incomplete metal scaffold behind them collapsed and several poles pierced him through. The sounds of his screams were something that he swore will haunt him even after death.
He felt sick. He couldn't believe this. He wanted to vomit. He wanted to look away but it felt as though some force was compelling him to keep watching. His vision flickered and blurred and vaguely, he thought he heard someone laughing cruelly at him in the background of his mind, the sound simmering like a heat wave.
He was starting to lose consciousness but wait a minute… Was KID… smil—
He woke with a start in his bed as before and he immediately bolted upright, his whole body trembling and his breath coming out in short, frightened pants as though he had been running for miles.
Later, he watched in terror as the ceiling collapsed on KID.
He watched in panic as his torn glider plummeted towards the streets a few hundred feet below.
He watched hopelessly as KID crashed headfirst through a window and cracked his skull on the wall beyond.
Even though it was a summer night to end all summers, somehow, Shinichi always felt cold.
3. Burning and freezing
Shinichi sat outside under the cover of night.
The moon was full and white and the stars invisible under the blanket of city lights from beneath.
He sat out and gazed at the round figure, wishing with all his might that he could sprout wings and fly far, far away, somewhere he could escape.
How could this have happened? How could everything have gone so wrong so fast when it hadn't even been remotely anywhere near so at the beginning? Everything was… Everything was…
His mind blanked and he could feel himself shut down.
He had had enough.
A blanket of warmth surrounded him and the grim white phantom thief appeared beside him, shielding his sight but more importantly, shielding him. Only then did he allow the tears to slip.
His soul was frozen but the spirit beside him was still burning.
4. Fire and ice
Shinichi dove onto the ground as the ice spell arched overhead, instantly freezing the surrounding grass into silvery needles and showering him with frozen water droplets. He was unaffected, however despite the biting winter cold air, the remnant of the spell.
He rolled onto his back and unleashed a torrent of searing flames at his opponent so as to ward him off as he leapt towards him.
This mage was skilled, more skilled than any other he'd ever encountered, and powerful. However, skilled and powerful or not, he can't be defeated.
He got back to his feet and was startled to find blades of wind rushing towards him. He managed to shield himself from four but two managed to cut him in the arms and legs.
He gritted his teeth against the pain and glared at his opponent. So he was a dual mage. Two could play at that game.
Straightening up, he aimed his staff towards him as if he were about to shoot another tongue of flame and the other quickly prepared another spell before unleashing it.
A howling whirlwind suddenly surrounded Shinichi, tearing up the ground around it while dangerously sharp icicles condensed within, flying around at alarmingly high speeds. The cutting wind sliced at him but the fire mage remained calm. It was actually a rather good thing the ice mage had casted this spell.
He changed the position of his staff so that the head pointed upward and he raised his other arm, palm facing inward. A spark sprung to life in the air between his hand and the orb on his staff and seconds later, full-fledged white electricity crackled to life.
He pointed his palm towards one of the bigger icicles circling him and the lightning leapt from his hand to the floating shard of ice, his skin tingling as it did so.
Just as the lightning landed on its target, a dozen icicles closed in on him.
He created a barrier of fire magic before quickly directing the lightning to spread to the other ice shards. A second later, a hail of icicles bombarded him and he could do no more but to defend.
As they came, he shielded himself with his fire which doubled as protection and as a strengthener for his lightning but he was quickly weakening from the continuous onslaught and he knew he couldn't keep it up much longer. He needed an opening to attack however, with the constant barrage it was unlikely he would get it. Either his spell would kill his opponent or he would die.
Grimly, he pursed his lips and braced for the pain that would inevitably follow before he finally stopped defending and directed his lightning, now much more intense than it had been initially, towards his enemy at the same time that five icicles plunged into his body in rapid succession while wind sliced his flesh into deep gashes.
He uttered a small sound of agony and crumpled to the ground just as the screaming winds lessoned around him before finally ceasing completely, the icicles it held within tinkling as they struck against each other on their way to the ground.
The pain was blinding and the chill from the frozen daggers made him feel hypothermic. His vision was going black and he was losing consciousness.
Before he did however, he spotted a shadow moving towards him and his heart sank in utter dismay when he realized he hadn't killed his opponent.
He had failed.
It was with that wretched thought that he succumbed to the icy darkness.
5. Snowflakes and embers
Drops of snowflakes like small white candies drifted down from the sky around him, their beauty and serenity as soft as a mother's gaze as they grazed gently around the burning inferno that was his home bellowing at him furiously. The fierce orange glow reflected off wide twin violet orbs of a young boy no older than eight. Although the sight was devastating, he dared not tear his gaze away until, at last, there were but a few embers left nestled within the charred black remains like a sated beast.
He stood shakily from where he had been kneeling on the ground for the past two hours, shivering violently.
There was a breath of cold air from behind him and he felt cool arms enfold him in a hug yet he felt no chill.
"Rest, young one. I will protect you," a sorrowed voice like the wind murmured into his ears and Kaito complied, shutting his eyes to the world and to the wrench in his heart.
1. No comment.
2. Based on the song Heat Haze Days except motified. I originally had it follow the song more closely so that they were sitting in a park during a summer's day and so on but I later decided that the night scene would fit better since I'm writing a DC fic and obviously it would suit the scene better if Kaito died of more malicious means. If you're interested in the original piece though, feel free to tell me and I'll send it over. There's gonna be a two-part sequel to this later on.
3. I guess this is an AU but really, it's just an author's random muse. Not much there.
4. This one was interesting to write. In case you were wondering why Shinichi said it was good that Kaito cast his spell, it was because the ice shards banging against one another would create friction for lightning. I tried to read up on how thunderstorms work and tried to incorporate that knowledge. I think that I hadn't gotten it entirely but oh I tried. Unfortunately despite the ending, I can't think of anything to follow up on it so it's unlikely this one will have a sequel. Maybe though if sudden inspiration strikes but if you have any ideas feel free to tell me!
5. This one will also have a sequel so stay tuned!
Since this is a collection, this may remain in-progress for all eternity haha.