brief mentions of execution, cannibalism; supernatural beings it's still as suitable for children as, well, any grimm brothers story; hc pronouns because if mizuki doesnt know rumpelsyuuke's name why would he gender a goblin. Mizuki Hajime and (unnamed for plot reasons but i swear it's) Fuji Shuusuke Word count: 495
"You're in some trouble here, aren't you."
"How did you get in here!" Mizuki shouted, jumping up a little bit. No one had come in the door. It was locked from the outside. He'd been facing it, too.
"Oh, through the window, on a swallow's wing. Don't trouble yourself over it."
Mizuki felt his mouth go dry. The window here was 10 yards above the base of the tower. There wasn't a window above to jump down into this room from, either. This creature explained absolutely nothing.
"And- and what are you doing here, anyway," Mizuki added. "And what are you."
"I am," the visitor said, smiling sweetly, "your savior, and I am here to save you from your own prideful tongue."
That stung, and he hated it. It was true though. This mess was definitely his own fault.
"Picking a fight with the king's own alchemist, huh? A potion that turns straw into gold?"
Mizuki gritted his teeth. "I'll figure it out, I'm sure-"
"You will not," said the strange humanoid, "because it is impossible for you. It is impossible for anyone who isn't me." They smiled more deeply and folded their legs up, and Mizuki could see now that they were sitting unsupported in the air. It was alarming. "However, I will do it for you," they added. "For a price."
Mizuki debated the merits of being indebted to the weird goblin before him. It was certainly a precarious situation. Any number of things could go wrong. He could still be found out, and exposed; executed, perhaps in a more gruesome manner, to compound his punishments for failure and lying; and even if things turned out fine for the meantime, it would always be an axe blade hovering above Mizuki's neck - the knowledge that he could be undone by the reappearance of a magical spirit at any time. But it was always smarter to live on another day.
"I don't even know your name, why should I trust you?" said Mizuki, stealing glances at the window and door to make sure they were not overheard. Of course, by this point he had already made up his mind to agree to the short magical... thing. He didn't trust them at all, but really couldn't afford to be picky tonight.
"My price," they pressed on, ignoring Mizuki's question, "is, hmmm, let's see... how about your apprentice?"
"Yuuta?" Mizuki blinked. He expected the cost to be more like... money... though he supposed his visitor was capable of manufacturing all the gold they wanted, if what they said was true. "Well I.. sure, you can have him. You won't eat him or anything, will you?"
The goblin's smile reached wider yet, crinkling up their thin eyes further, managing still to look mechanical and cruel. "What do you care, Mizuki Hajime?" they asked. "Would it stop you from handing the boy over?"
Mizuki looked at the hovering guest warily. "No," he answered. "I suppose it would not."
FILL: Team Kanzaki Miki/Tachibana Aya, T
Mizuki Hajime and (unnamed for plot reasons but i swear it's) Fuji Shuusuke
Word count: 495
"You're in some trouble here, aren't you."
"How did you get in here!" Mizuki shouted, jumping up a little bit. No one had come in the door. It was locked from the outside. He'd been facing it, too.
"Oh, through the window, on a swallow's wing. Don't trouble yourself over it."
Mizuki felt his mouth go dry. The window here was 10 yards above the base of the tower. There wasn't a window above to jump down into this room from, either. This creature explained absolutely nothing.
"And- and what are you doing here, anyway," Mizuki added. "And what are you."
"I am," the visitor said, smiling sweetly, "your savior, and I am here to save you from your own prideful tongue."
That stung, and he hated it. It was true though. This mess was definitely his own fault.
"Picking a fight with the king's own alchemist, huh? A potion that turns straw into gold?"
Mizuki gritted his teeth. "I'll figure it out, I'm sure-"
"You will not," said the strange humanoid, "because it is impossible for you. It is impossible for anyone who isn't me." They smiled more deeply and folded their legs up, and Mizuki could see now that they were sitting unsupported in the air. It was alarming. "However, I will do it for you," they added. "For a price."
Mizuki debated the merits of being indebted to the weird goblin before him. It was certainly a precarious situation. Any number of things could go wrong. He could still be found out, and exposed; executed, perhaps in a more gruesome manner, to compound his punishments for failure and lying; and even if things turned out fine for the meantime, it would always be an axe blade hovering above Mizuki's neck - the knowledge that he could be undone by the reappearance of a magical spirit at any time. But it was always smarter to live on another day.
"I don't even know your name, why should I trust you?" said Mizuki, stealing glances at the window and door to make sure they were not overheard. Of course, by this point he had already made up his mind to agree to the short magical... thing. He didn't trust them at all, but really couldn't afford to be picky tonight.
"My price," they pressed on, ignoring Mizuki's question, "is, hmmm, let's see... how about your apprentice?"
"Yuuta?" Mizuki blinked. He expected the cost to be more like... money... though he supposed his visitor was capable of manufacturing all the gold they wanted, if what they said was true. "Well I.. sure, you can have him. You won't eat him or anything, will you?"
The goblin's smile reached wider yet, crinkling up their thin eyes further, managing still to look mechanical and cruel. "What do you care, Mizuki Hajime?" they asked. "Would it stop you from handing the boy over?"
Mizuki looked at the hovering guest warily. "No," he answered. "I suppose it would not."