Taketori Monogatari
The year was going off to a good start for Hermione, she had won the beginner's calligraphy competition held by her club advisor Professor Uchida who was also the Runes professor, a subject taught from Year 1 onwards. The in-school competition was held for the lower years in order to help them learn Kanji and the calligraphy was 'flower' synonymous with the Spring term that they were in.
Despite the overall good vibes Hermione had, looking around one couldn't help but feel that the energy around the school was a bit lackluster. A number of students of all year groups had eye bags and looked dead on their feet. In fact, the way they walked looked akin to the zombies from the walking dead. It could be due to just the start of the new year but hermione wasn't sure. It seemed to be the case since many kept on complaining about their lack of sleep or would simply be found sleeping just about anywhere.
Luckily, this bed bug hadn't affected the little Mori and her friends so they could spend the day looking out for the sleepless zombies that roamed the hall. It even got to a point where they made a game out of avoiding the sleep deprived students as they pretended they actually were ghouls. Besides a few disgruntled grunts and frowns the game was harmless to the overall student body.
Today, Hermione and Koro were experimenting more with the spirits ice capabilities. So far, the little witch had concluded that she was not like Elsa and could not make living ice golems but she came close in that she could create and move the bodies. Though the movement is still stiff and takes a lot of concentration leaving her very tired by the end of the session. But she was getting better little by little. Snow was fairly easy to make as it didn't need to same toughness as ice but getting the perfect powdery consistency was difficult in the beginning. There was also a finite amount of things she could make/do before either herself or Koro got tired.
In addition, now that she was in Class B she would begin her first lesson in transfiguration. They were currently learning what affected a transfiguration, such as concentration, wand movement and so on. Next week they would finally be trying their hand at changing matches into needles. A strange skill since nowadays most people don't use matches but understandable in the context of both objects having similar weights and designs. Preliminary examinations will be held for students in Class D to prepare them for the Recruitment Origination Order Trials or ROOT for short.
An examination used by the school to better help its pupils solidify their foundation, gauge their abilities and properly guide them to their destined paths. Students who score well in specific tests will be put in accelerated classes for those subjects allowing the students to develop without feeling held back whilst providing students who are not as gifted in those subjects the proper support they require.
These are then followed by the standard OWL and NEWT exams, which are held two years earlier in comparison to the international standard age of 4th and 7th year due to the early standardised education the students of Mahoutokoro receive.
Minor History Lesson
The current education system prescribed is an advance system that has evolved in several ways, which distinguishes Mahoutokoro from its international counterparts. If one must compare, Ilvermorny would like be the closest curriculum wise to the japanese wizarding school. The main reason for this is because of its relatively new incorporation, which embraces muggle philosophies and technologies. In spite of topics in the curriculum changing and evolving much of the older schools such as Hogwart's has yet to change its teaching style from when it was first founded. As such, much of the teaching methods used by many of the school's are archaic.
During the warring era of Japan, wizards were being drafted for the army due to the need for manpower on the battlefields. This lead to the introduction of the ROOT exams which was a method used to distinguish and eventually recruit talented witches and wizards into the army.
Despite, the harsh origin of the exam it still plays a huge role today in helping wizards and witches look for apprentices, government recruitment for jobs and so on. Plus, it was reimagined as a way to allow students to recognise what their strengths and weaknesses were and what they needed to work on. Notwithstanding, the course being seemingly accelerated, the subjects as a whole were evenly spread out and classes were regularly reviewed thanks to the preliminary foundations built when undertaking Classes A to D.
End of Lesson
"Hey Hermione, come on we have to go" Sora voiced out breaking the brunette out of her musings.
"Yeah, okay one minute" Hermione replied as she gathered her belongings to make her way to her next class Herbology where they would have to deal with screaming mandrakes.
As the year went on, more and more students kept being bitten by the 'tired bug'. It seemed as if every student was having a bad night's sleep. Some complaining about nightmares and needing to regularly buy dreamless sleep potions, which wasn't good for their health if taken for long periods of time. The teachers were having enough of this problem and were trying to figure out the problem alongside the mediwitch in school but so far they had not found a cure for the sleepless disease. Hermione was becoming concerned at the unusual circumstance and had asked her father about the situation but even he had no concrete idea as to what could be creating these dreams. One theory he had devised was that rather than a dream the students were actually experiencing legilimency though an albeit crude form where imagery was forwarded to the hosts mind. However, that theory was quickly smashed by fact that even the older students who had a good grasp of occlumency were affected by the epidemic.
Hermione thought about the situation as she aimlessly walked around the school grounds, accidentally bumping into someone in the process "Oh, sorry about that. My fault."
Hermione looks up to the person she bumped into and she was surprised to see Ayaka looking very sleepy and lifeless, a tired smile gracing her features. "Ah, Hermione. No problem" she says waving her hand nonchalantly with a empty look in her eyes. Hermione frowned at the display, being very much disturbed at the sight of her usually energetic senpai looking so dead.
"Senpai, a-are you okay?" Hermione asked concerned.
"Hmm, what?" Ayaka replied looking into the distance eyes unfocused, hair messy and her skin paler than usual. She looks blankly at Hermione, clearly not having heard the question.
"O-oh, never try and get some sleep senpai" Hermione says getting a dismissive wave back from the older girl. The raven-haired girl walks away, with a little unsteady sway in her step.
A few days later
The trio consisting of Sora, Hermione and Sakura were seen slumped against their lunch table, each of them not touching the food in front of them no matter how appetising it looked. Sakura then let out a loud groan as she twisted her head to the side to look at Hermione who was sat next to her "So, how much sleep did you guys get last night?"
Her question was met with a guttural groan from the other two youngsters.
"If you could call it sleep, then yeah I slept for like 2 hours" Sora whined, his words muffled as he was still lying face down on the wooden table.
"You're so lucky Sora, my dad wouldn't let me take anymore sleeping draught or else I'll become addicted to it" Hermione replies tiredly. "The both of us and Koro stayed up the whole night so I left Koro at home so it could get some rest. I'm pretty sure my dad went to sleep the minute I left for school too." The chestnut eye girl rolled her head to the side "I'm surprised I didn't fall of the storm petrel on my way here."
""Same"" the other two kids reply, before they all banged their heads on the door table, half-hoping that it would make the unconscious just so they can get some rest.
"Hey have you noticed that it's quite empty here" Sakura said.
The other two looked up to look around the almost deserted dining hall.
"I guess everyone just can't get out of bed," Hermione says shrugging.
"Or they've been seeing the shadows as well" Sora said, his tone serious.
The two girls look up at him questioningly "what do you mean Sora" Sakura asked uneasily.
"I'm not sure about you two but i've been seeing some sort of shadow in my dreams" he says voice shaking slightly "some days I don't want to sleep because of it."
"I haven't had any dreams like that, what about you sakura" Hermione asks.
Sakura lets out a shaky breath "w-well now that we're talking about it, the last two or three days there's been some sort of black flash that appears in my dreams."
Sora nod's understandingly, he clenches his head tighter as he recounts "each time i fall asleep it feels like everything is darker but the shadow is there, clearer than last night." His body shakes as he grips his head, clenching his hair "my body feels cold and it's like something is calling for me."
Hermione and Sakura listen attentively, staring worriedly at their male companion as he continues "I see the shadow as it comes closer. I'm scared, I want to leave, all I can feel is sadness."
The brunette witch cuts in, softly whispering her thoughts aloud "a dementor," causing Sakura to gasp in shock.
Sora shakes his head "no it can't be. I've read about them before and according to my parents they suck all happiness out of you. They leave you empty. T-the shadow it was so sad, I felt so lonely."
Both Hermione and Sakura get up and walk over to hug her friend in comfort as a Sora choked out a sob. His quiet crying somehow reverberating off walls of the empty hall.
Later that evening in the teacher's lounge
"Things can't stay this way!" Takahashi exclaims frustrated, slamming his hands on the table.
"Now now Professor Takahashi. This is indeed a problem of grave importance but in such a confusing time we must keep calm for the students" Headmaster Yakumo says, taking a sip of his tea.
"I AM CALM" said professor replies loudly.
Looking at Takahashi with an incredulous look Professor Geranium adds "well as far as treatment goes, the dreamless sleep droughts are still doing their job but we really can't have the children depending on it to get a good night's sleep especially when some of them have to prepare for their ROOTS, OWLS or NEWTS." He turns to look at his fellow teachers around him "On that point, I understand Professor Takahashi's concern."
"It must be that shadow the children have been speaking about. It is extremely concerning that even our best occlumency students aren't able to keep those images at bay" Professor Kaguya jumps in a serious tone.
"Perhaps they saw some sort of Muggle horror film that instigated these nightmares, rather than legilimency it could just be their brains showing them something they have already seen" Mr Mann stated. Mann was a German fellow who had worked together with a Japanese research company trying identify whether magic could be used in the same way as electricity. He was a muggleborn wizard with a electrical engineering degree from Imperial University, a muggle university known for its academic excellence in science. So it wasn't too strange for him to suggest that it might simply be a psychological reaction that is commonly known within muggle society.
"All of them?! Watching the same thing. Your hypothesis is viable but it is simply unlikely that every single one of them had watched some sort of strange muggle entertainment."
Professor Kaguya sighs as she leans back into her seat "then were back to square 1, what exactly is causing these shadows."
"Hmm, I do wonder though, it seems that only the children are being targeted by this mysterious shadow," Professor Geranium says in a curious tone as he lifts some papers that covered the table in front of him "if you look through the statements of the students, you see corresponding statement about a shadow. However, they are not the same."
"What are you getting at Geranium" Professor Takashi replies sharply, his temper well past its limits.
"Well Takahashi, let's look here" he says presenting the potions professor with two different papers, one was a statement from a student in is Class D and the other from Year 6. "Look at the way the year 6 student described the shadow."
Takashi rereads the account out loud "I'm not sure what I saw. But it kept appearing in my peripheral like a shadow. It was blurry and hard to see."
"Now read the account of the younger student" Geranium says pushing the other paper towards the raven haired professor.
"It was dark, it looked taller than me. Sort of like a shadow but not really. It wasn't like those monsters my mum and dad told me about when I was a little kid." The professor furrows his eyebrows in confusion as he looks up towards the other professor "what am I supposed to be finding here. They are pretty much the same aren't they."
Geranium nods his head before pointing to a sentence in the younger student's statement "Yes, you're right however did you notice the younger student saying that the shadow was taller than him."
"Professor Geranium, I don't want to come off as rude but could you please get to the point. I think I can speak for everyone that were at our wits end," Professor Uchida says clearly frustrated whilst Professor Kaguya simply turns to look at the herbology professor.
Nodding in understanding Professor Geranium explains "the child is describing the shadow, is he not. He doesn't describe the shadow as if he had only caught a glimpse like the older student. Instead, he says that it doesn't look like fictitious character, it was taller than him."
Professor Geranium then places a large pile of papers on the table "these are all the accounts of the students Class D and younger, who have been affected by these so called shadows" he declares in a serious tone. "It seems to be that the younger the student's are the more detailed the explanation. Of course, this hypothesis isn't perfect and certainly i've seen some students in Class C giving more detailed accounts than those in Class A but that also may be due to a simple lack of vocabulary."
"So in other words, the younger the child the more they are likely to be affected by these shadows" Mr Mann questions.
"Or, it might just be that the older students have a stronger mental capacity to keep the shadows at bay" Professor Kaguya adds.
The headmaster who had been silent during the whole interaction stood up from his seat "It seems you all have a good lead on the matter, I suggest you trying to talk to the younger students to see what else might have occured in their dreams" he says in a light tone.
The professors all nod in agreement as they filed out of the lounge, murmuring to each other what classes they had tomorrow and who would do what in the investigation. The headmaster watches them leave one by one before turning to look out the window at the clear, silent night. The moon glowing dimly amongst the stars in the sky as the old man takes another sip of his tea watching the steam disappear.
Hermione's pov
"Papa, will I be taking the sleeping draught tonight" she asked rubbing her eyes sleepily as she tried to keep her rice bowl from falling out of her hand. Her head was swaying back and forth illustrating the half awake state the young girl was in. The girl's spirit partner was floating around her master worriedly, trying its best to keep the bowl from falling out of the young witches hand.
Hideyoshi frowns deeply as he sees how exhausted the 8 year old looked. The poor girl had so dark circles under her eyes and the usual energy she carried with her was nowhere to be found. She desperately needed sleep and so Hideyoshi relented "Yes 'mione, i'll give you a sleeping draught after dinner. I'll leave my room door open so if you need anything call out to me okay."
"Yes papa, I understand" Hermione says as she catches herself from almost falling over.
His frown deepening Hideyoshi takes the bowl from his daughter's hand "come, let papa feed you."
"Noooo ~ i'm not a baby" she girl whines, trying to take back her bowl from the man.
"Come now, no one will know. Look you're even making Koro worry about you" Hideyoshi says gesturing towards the little minutian "You can rely on your dad once in a while, okay" he says warmly.
Puffing out her cheeks the young girl gives in and quickly the duo finish up their dinner and prepare for bed.
After taking the sleeping draught, Hermione was quickly lulled to sleep with how fatigued she was, her breathing slowed and her body relaxed as she began her journey to dreamland.
A falling sensation fills her body and Hermione quickly opens her eyes. She looks around but everything is dark and misty. 'Where am I' she wonders as she began moving forward.
The next thing she knows, she is on a mountain top overlooking an empty field. She thinks she sees a village in the distance but she can't be sure, everything is hard to see even the rock and gravel underneath her feet. At least she thinks that's the case. She doesn't move, her body can't really move.
She feels something, like a presence behind her. Slowly her body turns and there she sees it, the shadow. Standing still underneath the giant moon that envelops the sky. She doesn't know what to do, she can't speak, she opens her mouth to try but all that comes out is air.
The shadow seems to lift its arm. It makes a come hither motion but Hermione stands still, shaking her head. The shadow wails and begins to slowly walk towards Hermione, the witch takes a step back. One step forward, one step back. They continue this until Hermione reaches the edge of the cliff. Suddenly, the shadow stops just a little more than an arm's length away, it it reaches out for her and just like that she's falling once more. She screams as she descends back into darkness, the moon looking down on her.
"AAAAHHHHH" Hermione screams as she jolts up in her bed.
"What, what, who's there" Hideyoshi shouts as he runs in bearing his wand to be met with only a shivering Hermione. Koro who had been awakened by the sudden scream landed on her master's head trying to comfort the girl the best it could.
"Mione" he whispers out, worry evident in his voice as he sits on the edge of her bed. "What happened, what's wrong."
All he got was a shake of the girls head and murmurs of something that sounded like shadow and moon.
The Mori duo spent the rest of their evening lying next to each other in comfort, as the evening made way for the sun's rays that slid through the curtains, casting the room into brightness.
At the school
"I have the results from the investigation" Professor Uchida stated as he sat on the wooden chair of the teacher's lounge.
"Well don't keep us waiting, what did you find" Professor Kaguya said anxiously.
Nodding rune's professor replied "it seems Professor Geranium's hypothesis was indeed correct, more or less." He takes out some of the reports and passes a copy to the other professors "there are new statements alleging a sort of solemn like feeling whenever a student meets the shadow in their dreams."
Putting on some glasses Uchida continues "further, it seems like the shadow is particularly concentrating on younger students. I believe this could be in part due to the fact that the occlumency classes have been somewhat effective at keeping the shadow at bay. However, that simply leads to the older students having a blurrier image of the shadow, which unfortunately causes more anxiety due to its shapeless form."
"So what exactly should we do for our students" one of the professors voiced out from the back of the room.
"Hmmm, if I may" Professor Sato raising her hand politely "why not have the students who have a much starker encounter with the shadow stay at the school for the evening. We can observe them and see what we can do to help with their distress."
"I think that's a good idea, what do you think Takahashi" Uchida asked.
"I agree, at the very least we'll be able get a first hand account of what happens to the kids whilst they are asleep" the potions professor replies.
"Well in that case, Headmaster may we make a informal notice to have this occur tonight."
The old man, sips his tea slowly letting out a sigh of relief "two weeks."
"P-pardon" Professor Geranium replies, eyes wide in shock.
"Hold the gathering two weeks from now" Headmaster Yakumo replies calmly.
"Headmaster please, the children could be in danger. We have no time to waste" Professor Takahashi urged.
The Headmaster looks at the staff before him silently, he opens his eyes slightly causing a shiver to run through the professor's in the room as his steely gaze seemed to pick apart their beings "two weeks" he repeats before closing his eyes again as he enjoyed his hot green tea.
Two weeks later
"Do you have everything with you?" Hideyoshi asks for the fifth time that day.
"Yeees dad, I've got everything. Don't worry i'll be fine. I have the professors to keep me safe" Hermione replies.
"Are you sure you don't want to take Koro with you" Hideyoshi asks worriedly.
"It's ok papa, you said you wanted to do some research on spirits anyway so what better way to do some research then with your daughter's personal spirit partner."
Hideyoshi sighs loudly "even if that's true you safety is my number one priority."
"It's ok papa, i'll make sure not to do anything dangerous" Hermione says smiling "look i see the storm petrel on its way here" she says pointing to a grey dot in the distance."
Nodding, Hideyoshi then takes out something from behind pocket " well then at the very least take this" Hideyoshi says placing a small cube with a tiny mirror embedded into its sides into Hermione's hand.
"What is this funny looking object papa" Hermione says as she fidgets around with the cube.
"This is called the Cube of Thesan. I got it off an old wizard that deals with antiques when I visited Tuscany a few years ago. He swears on his soul that this is an original and will be able to cleanse whatever evil spirit comes into contact with it," Hideyoshi explains.
"I haven't really figured much about it I believe the little mirror you see in it is based of the mirror of Thesan. Either way, even if it's not completely true, I do sense some sort of magic coming off from it and it would make me feel better if you at least had something protecting you at all times."
Nodding her head Hermione tucks the cube safely into her pocket as she goes to hug her father goodbye. Their tender moment was soon broken by the screech of the storm petrel as it landed "well, looks like i've got to go. Have a good night papa."
"You too 'mione, take care. I love you,"
"Love you too" Hermione replies, and soon the giant bird takes off.
Once she arrived at the school she was quickly ushered into the dining hall that had been transfigured into a lounge like area. The floor was carpeted and there were bean bags, a hot drinks dispenser and tons of comfortable blankets, pillows and futons lying around.
"Hermione ! Over here !" a voice cries out. Looking up she sees Arashi wearing some blue pyjamas as he sat next to Sora and Sakura who were also looking rather comfortable.
"Hey senpai, I haven't seen you around lately. How's everything" Hermione's asks the older student.
"Oh you know, not really sleeping and mostly living off coffee" the older boy comments whilst drinking said beverage.
"Maybe with whatever it is the professor's have held i'll actually get some decent rest" Sora exclaims, flopping down onto the futon.
The other three nod in agreement. They then spent some time talking to each other and drinking hot chocolate before the teachers finally called for lights out. Students then began ticking themselves into the warm futon, breathing in the soft lavender smell that floated in the air probably due to Professor Geranium.
Soon, the hall quieted down as one by one students were falling asleep. Minutes and hours ticked by and the students were all sleeping peacefully minus the odd snore, shuffle, and sleep talk. Everything seemed normal.
Hermione then suddenly jerked awake, not knowing why she woke up the young girl was alarmed to find the shadow overlooking Sora. She bolted straight up and shouted unfortunately it seemed as if all the student's and professor's were sleeping like the dead.
The shadow seemingly shocked by the sudden wakefulness of the young witch, bolted out the doors of the dining hall. Looking around unsurely Hermione saw her friend Sora tossing and turning anxiously, and she knew what she had to do. Gripping tightly onto her wand, the brunette ran after the shadow.
Through the halls they went, Hermione doing her best to keep up with the elusive shadow. They soon reached the school's garden and much like in her dream, Hermione found the shadow standing still under the night of the full moon.
Just as it looked like it was about to bolt off somewhere else Hermione loudly exclaimed "hold it right there, I don't know what you want with me or why you're doing this but I won't let you continue this," and with that Hermione throws the cube of thesan towards the shadow hitting it square in the chest. A light shines from the cube and suddenly the shadow is enveloped in light, blinding Hermione.
When the light dies down, there stood a beautiful woman wearing an old-fashion kimono, her hair was pure black, flowing straight down like in an endless waterfall. Her skin seemed to reflect the light from the moon. "W-what" Hermione said looking around confused.
Out of nowhere, the headmaster appears smiling at the two in front of him "Oh ho ho, so it seems the illustrious spirit has been found," Headmaster Yakumo states in a light manner.
"Headmaster, w-who is she, what's going on" Hermione asks hurriedly, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"My name is Kaguya, and I am the spirit that lives on the moon."
"Why would a moon spirit come to earth ?" Hermione questioned, very much confused with the situation before her.
"There are many reasons but mostly I suppose you could say it gets lonely being up on the moon." Kaguya says wistfully. "Tell me little witch, do you know the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" Kaguya asks.
"Taketori Monogatari, my dad reads the story to me sometimes in the evening" Hermione replies brunettes eyes then widened as the pieces begin connecting in her head "Oh my god. Y-you're princess kaguya."
"I am hardly a princess, the story you hear nowadays is one that has taken many liberties in its reimagination."
"B-but you said you live on the moon. So are they really people who live there?" Hermione asks one parts curious and one part's frightened.
At that, kaguya's form seemed to flicker in sadness as she whispers out "not anymore."
Hermione's forehead creases in question as she softly asks "what happened."
"You know some spirits are created from hopes and dreams of humans, others like myself were borne from belief" she explains as she floated closer to the ground, looking up at the sky. "In the past, there were many who believed in the moon but now we are nothing but mere myths even to those with magic."
Kaguya smiled sadly at the little girl "what then is my place on this earth." She held her hands to her heart "I've loved this place for so long. It was where I met him."
"The emperor?" Hermione asks referencing the story.
Laughing softly in a way that Hermione thought unfathomable when she first came into contact with Kaguya "he was far from being an emperor." Her smile radiates as she recalls her memories from long ago "he was simple woodcutter, we didn't have much when we were together but we had each other that was all that mattered."
"But," Kaguya smiled sorrowfully "I couldn't stay and he couldn't come with me. He was just a simple man, a foolish man." She pauses as if she was being transported back to that time "he said he would wait for me, he would wait for me so that when I came back we could finally have the family we always wanted."
A tear slips down Kaguya's face "but I knew it wouldn't be possible. He was mortal and I was a being simply floating along with the currents of time. By the time I could finally return…...he had long past." She laughs a bit choking out a sob remembering the grave she found at the edge of the cliff, the same cliff they frequented when the two were still together. "That foolish foolish man, he didn't have to wait. He should have met someone else, build a family, he should have he should have…" her words are lost as she falls to her knees crying.
Hermione who had been silently crying as she listened to the spirits story turns towards the elderly man "Headmaster can't we do something to help her."
"I'm sorry my dear, I've tried all I can to held bind her more to this world but without a stronger belief and with her only being being strong enough to appear during the full moon there's not much I can do."
Hermione tears began to flow out uncontrollably at this point as she saw kaguya's form flicker a bit more violently than last time and looking more transparent. She began thinking about all the things they had talked about like history, magic, muggle mythology…. Wait. Hermione's mind grinded to a halt. Mythology.
Quickly Hermione dried her eyes and asked "Headmaster, what about creating a belief."
"I'm not quite sure that will be possible little one, belief systems are like muggle religion, it takes time to foster."
"Yes! But what about if Kaguya could stay here and maybe help by teaching mythology. That way when enough students know more about her, she could stay for here much longer. W-we could even write stories that she told us about her time on earth so we could get muggles to help as well."
Yakumo's eyebrows raised in shock at the suggestion, he had never thought about it in that way. Surely if they wrote down her tales, the muggles would simply think of it as a story but it would certainly help bind her to earth. "Hmmm, it will still be difficult to get it all sorted properly but we can certainly try" the old man said smiling softly at the young student and spirit who both smiled in happiness.
4 months later
A group of students could be found sitting in a semi circle as the beautiful spirit floated to and fro telling them a story about a rabbit on the moon and how it made delicious mochi, which caused much joy for both student and spirit alike. Although some of the professors were sceptical at first they were all drawn to the humble kindness that the spirit exuded and couldn't help but give her a chance to prove that her intentions were genuine.
It seemed that the reason the spirit Kaguya had reached out to children was because of the longing she had to have a child of her own. Therefore, giving her a position as a sort of professor of mythology, the spirit would be able to interact with the student's without any problem.
Further, it seemed like their short stories of the original japanese folklore was a success amongst the muggle population both old and young alike. Many felt like it was a more realistic story and held a sense of nostalgia when reading, little would they know that the stories have come from the origin itself.
From that night on students were able to sleep a lot easier and there were no more talks of shadows or lifeless beings. The energy in the school had returned and the second year of Hermione's time at Mahoutokoro came to a close.
Hey guys, just want to let you know that I will be prioritising uploading on ao3 under the handle ALKimC, so if you wanna read this story with less typos etc you'll want to head there. Any oneshots that I make in the future will solely be uploaded there as well. Anyway enjoy ~