Written in honour of Kagamine 10th Anniversary
the ffn side of the fandom is so dead oh my god, where yall at. i am here to bring my CPR lips down onto the rinlen fandom and give it a Mouth to Mouth, come Here babies. but anyways ー if anyone remembers messed switch(2015) this is the half-arsed rewrite with the same plot, same progress, but different setting. i'll get back to editing this in a bit
Warning: most definitely going to contain underaged sex, angst, and all that teenage drama.
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Breathe in, while thick fog blows up in the air and the city goes to sleep. The skies are painted an early vermilion to greet the loss of a dying sun from their horizon. Breathe out, as his heart freezes into a stone that loses even the strength to hold onto whatever reminiscent was left of it's thawing ember.
A full moon stood and in the midst of it stood a single flame.
A flower. Purer than anything else that had ever graced the earth.
Blessings like that must remain untouched ー though the word goes on that anyone who dared to devour such miracles would be granted a wish. In return, they must spill the blood of an innocent, and leave it to take place of the blooming, white lily.
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bǎi hé huā chá
百合花茶
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They never knew how it happened.
At this point, it'd likely be too frightening to ask.
He remembers hating her at one point.
From the beginning, perhaps, even right when they'd first struck gazes across the hall on their elementary entrance ceremony. It was impossible not to, really; Perfect, pretty, petite Kagamine Rin who managed to be obnoxious in every single way ー with her big baby doe eyes and pouty lips. You're such a darling, Rin, and Here's my model student, Rin.
Top of the class Rin.
Teacher's pet Rin.
There was absolutely nothing she did that could be seen as wrong. Fall asleep on his desk, and he'd receive a harsh flick of a ruler to the wrist along with the lecture of a century. If she fell asleep, however, it was an immediate call for praises on how the hard work she'd been doing had finally managed to take a toll, and to get enough rest until she was ready to get back at her own pace.
One time he'd fallen from the stairs during classroom duty to hand over collective papers to the teachers. It was a reckless case, tripping over the very last step and watching as everything soared through the air in a clutter of undried ink and shredded parchment.
Len could only sniff as his knee reddened and bled in an empty corridor.
As a given, being the pathetic nine year old that held everything in high hopes and with a positive light, he'd seen her silhouette that walked towards him like a saviour sent by the lords above. Or at least, that was until she'd ruined all hopes with sour pursed lips and a wrinkle of the noseー hoisting him by the arm while she led them through the hallways for the infirmary.
Yet her attitude completely transformed while in the presence of someone in authority. An immediate smile plastered Rin's mouth when the nurse (a dark-haired woman who seemed fresh out of medical school) showered massive compliments concerning how more children should learn to take after her example and keep watch over their classmates. 'Such a good girl.'
When they were left alone, he gave her the stink eye.
"I don't like you." The boy had whispered, quieter than day ー almost too soft to even be heard.
Rin pretended she hadn't.
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The next year, they hardly saw much of each other.
Both had been placed in different classes, breaking their three-year streak. He found school peaceful with less of her presence, while she barely noticed the lack of his.
Questions were still there; they'd meet gazes every now and then but he'd look away as if the plague caught him ー he'd seen her sweeping the classroom floor once and immediately felt an irk in his throat about it. It wasn't even her classroom, the girl was, without a doubt, one of the most strangest creatures to have ever graced this planet.
Len almost couldn't wait until elementary school ended. At least then, he'd be able to go to a different middle school where he wouldn't have to see her face at least once a day.
Until one autumn's day, late in October, he was caught beneath the roof of a shrine watching as the skies above took a contrasting shade of grey rather than the vivid orange and red it often was. Lightning flashed above and the roaring thunder grumbled, shaking the ground he stood on.
Water trickled down his cheek.
His uniform was drenched, and Len threw his arms around himself to keep whatever warmth was left in tact.
And she came.
Just like a drift of wind. Umbrella outstretched towards him, only half of the shade covering her from rain. He'd peered up through a damp gaze, nose wrinkling at the sight. If she was looking at him as another opportunity for praise he'd much rather jump in front of the next oncoming truck.
"Do you want to stay here?" Her tone is inquisitive, soft. "It will get heavier."
He turned his cheek the other way.
"What will?"
"The rain ー you're already wet ー here, take this." Rin urged the umbrella closer and he took another step back. She seemed to understand his need of distance because her persistence ended and gaze turned down. "Really. It's alright, I can call my parents.."
Right. The only reason she was offering could likely attribute to looking for more praises from her elders. Len won't allow himself to be used as a free token for boosting her overflowing ego.
"No. I'm comfortable with the way I am right now."
Or so he says when his teeth jitter at every word. But pride is a stubborn thing and the blond keeps his chin up, even when she nudges the handle closer towards his palms. There's absolutely no way he's accepting help from the likes of her.
"Take it." She insists.
"I don't want your stupid umbrella!" Len hissed, whacking it away in a smooth motion.
One thing led to another and when the girl flinched, his fingers released her from the strong grasp right as a strong breeze flew past them, tugging the umbrella in the air. It flew to the skies, high, up and away, and both their jaws dropped open.
Needless to say, she was left with no other choice than to stand beneath the roof beside him.
It was his own mistake, Len must admit, but that doesn't mean he still can't fume about it.
The store was closed before he got there, courtesy of the cold season ー and the phone booth beside them was discovered to be out of service. The only thing left working was the vending machine on his left that flickered with a dying light. Cars whizzed past them every now and then. It wasn't a famous road, just leading to one of the springs hidden amongst mountains, and finding someone who'd offer them a ride home would be impossible.
Not to mention the lecture he'd receive if his mother caught word of him getting into a stranger's car.
The blond sneezed beneath his breath. Staying out any later here would only worsen his health ー the air was cold enough as it was and he'd never had any particular immunity against common colds.
It seemed the girl beside him had gotten tired of waiting pointlessly as well; instead of wandering around like the past hour and playing with the telephone booth, as if hoping, somehow, a miracle would get it fixedー the blonde instead stood in front of the vending machine (on her tiptoes, as her height was barely enough to see) and rummaged through the pocket of her skirt.
Something seemed to have disappointed her as she bent down into a squat and began looking beneath the gap.
Len felt a blush rise to his cheeks. Lord, he didn't want to be seen in public with someone like thisー she was emitting his embarrassment.
"Stop that ー someone's going to see! What are you doing?"
"Looking for spare change.."
Right. As if that were the most casual thing to do in the world.
He let out a breath to huff a stray lock of blond away from it's place on his cheek, walking over to the girl and peering behind tresses of the lightest sunflower gold. "Don't do that while I'm here. Haven't you got any money at all?"
She turned around her pockets and brought out a hundred coin.
That should be enough for most plain water bottles. He's got no idea why she's making a fuss about it, if she wanted an expensive drink she could wait for another time. The only thing of concern was to quench your thirst ー until he'd looked at the prices on the tips of his own feet and paled at the price.
Ah.. whatever. Len still feels a bit guilty over her umbrella.
So, taking out the last coin he had left (another hundred, but it had to be combined as minimum for the smallest bottle), and the other piece from her grasps, he jammed them both into the slot and slammed a palm onto the button until it rolled down the chute.
"There. Happy now?" It was thrusted into her arms.
Rin blinked in confusion. Once, twice, before her lips spread into a wide smile.
It took everything he had not to grin back.
Len clenched his hands into small fists by the sides while doing his best not to give her more than another mere glance. Everything was failing horribly, like a flooded moat that only broke at the castle walls.
"Yes! Thank you." Her throat was parched and she felt that delaying any intake of water would do more harm than good. Popping open the cap, the young girl held it out towards him, and Len was left fumbling again. "You can have first sip.."
"Why? I don't want it.."
"It's half yours."
So he did. Albeit reluctantly, and watching her as if she was an unwanted fly from the way she stared at him. He'd immediately spat it out across the wet asphalt after a taste, sleeve wiping the residue off his mouth.
Disgusting.
Bitter. Like metal and grime and all bad things in the world mixed into one.
She immediately rescued the bottle from his grasps and sent it a wary look before taking a cautious sip ー not being rewarded with the same reaction. Instead, her chin tilted up and the blonde drank it up almost heartily. Len couldn't help but notice there was an odd feather-like slip of white floating near the bottom.
"Water Lily tea."
"Sorry?"
"Water Lily tea. It's brewed from one of the nearby springs, I think."
Ah. Right. Still attempting to fit in with knowledge and things that would highly boost her self esteem. Not that he cared that something like that existed. It's too bad he's not amongst one of those who would easily fall into her traps ー she seemed disappointed in his lack of interest as well.
When the rain lightened and Rin stepped out from the shelter, the bottle of water was thrust back into his palms even through protests that he would rather not consume anymore of that foul tasteー the girl took the words through a deaf ear and bid a quiet adieu..
Yet even then, sitting on his futon after a fresh bath before bedtime, he twirled the plastic between his fingers and took a drink.
Just a small sip at first, and then gulp, all of it down.
For a moment it was oddly addicting, sweet, and there was nothing stopping him from taking each and every last drop.
Even as he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, Len thought, Ah, I really don't like Kagamine Rin.
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The piercing sunlight woke him up the very next morning. Len hadn't held any high hopes: It would carry on as another normal day.
He'd take a toast to his mouth before taking a shower and dress in uniform. Then, his father would drop him off by the school, and he wouldn't see another sight of that girl.
Len still had the bottle by his desk.
Shaking the thoughts from his head, the blond forced himself awakeー rolling to the side until he'd fallen off the bed.
Hold on ー a bed?
Last he knew, he slept on the floor.
His palms pushed forward against the ground and Len searched around the room sleepily, only to pale at the sight of completely foreign surroundings. In the place of ocean blue walls stood a gentle cream, and his usual bare wood of a flooring was replaced with a woollen carpet.
"What's thisー" Len stopped speaking. His voice sounded different.
Too different.
In a burst of shock, the boy jumped to his feet and felt every single light hair on his skin rise at the look of his face in the mirror.
Or rather, Kagamine Rin's face.
Whatever might be going on ー it likely wasn't good.
