Tag: PPAU

princess project au, shiki takes charlie, slowly becoming abusive

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Princess Coal is everything Charlie could ever want.

They lavish him with attention and affection, begging for his touch. Declaring their love, always wanting him to be there for them. They’re smart, too. Delicate with his feelings. Doting.

And… he’s free to express it as much as he pleases. Or more than he pleases.

It started when he was with Princess Alabaster. He always ate lunch with her, cleaned up after her, fed her a small fraction of his magic, all in exchange for a glance and a nod of thanks. This, to him, is fair; white magic has so many applications, so much power, and she needs to study all specializations in order to even start to grasp her magic. He was happy to help, and it added to his data pool to be there for her. They never spoke, but they had been close, right?

Or… he thought that they were, before Princess Coal took him aside.

“Moss, why are you waiting on Alabaster hand and foot? She’s taking advantage of your kindness.”

“I… well, it’s just what I do. And she could really use the help—”

“She doesn’t need your help, and she doesn’t need you, Moss.”

It hits him dead center. His chest aches and he feels his eyes burning. Charlie brushes a tear away. Coal isn’t wrong, not at all. Alabaster’s acknowledgement is what he lives for,  but realistically, he was just there as a sort of hanger on. Someone who just wanted to be around her, another one of her fans.

“Moss… no. Charlie. Char. I like you. Why not… be with me?”

This startles him. He and Coal had been hanging around each other since they joined the school. They spoke to him. Smiled at him. He seemed to make them happy.

“Why would I want to be with you?” The answer is one of habit. Curt. Short. Bitter.

“You don’t have to be. I love you all the same.”

Love. They love him? No way.

But it builds up. Coal hangs around him, smiling and helping him and… Alabaster barely spares him a glance, while Coal thanks him. Smiles so brilliantly. Then, one day, they brush hair out of his eyes and Charlie feels his heart flutter. It’s possible to enjoy the touch of someone else?

It’s a slippery slope from there. He notices all of the particulars of Coal, starts looking forward to seeing them, even if he’s bristling.

They hang on his arm, being sweet.

“Oh, Char. Don’t you forget our lunch!”

“Char! You look wonderful today.”

“I love you, Char. You’re so cute, how you work so hard.”

It brings him joy, having someone notice and appreciate what he’s been doing. And… he’s been having trouble, lately, but Coal stays by his side. They rub his back, preen him, kiss his fingers… it’s so… romantic.

And one day, he says it back. “Shiki… I love you, too.”

From there, they’re glued together. Side by side. Charlie is beaming. He’s happy.

Shiki kisses him, touches him, preens him. “If you’re uncomfortable, all you need to do is to push past it. I’ll help you, Char.”

They have such high expectations of him. “Char, you sweet little boy. You know that you need to manage our time better!”

“Char, you’re a mess. You’re going to make us look like regular students. You’re better than this.”

“Char, you simpleton! Can’t you even handle this much?”

He’s so tired. Keeping up with Shiki’s affection is difficult. He starts finding it difficult to keep up with his own schedule, let alone theirs. He’s letting them down. They need to hear how much he cares. He’ll do anything to show that he cares.

The fear of being so public with his affections, with the touching, starts catching up with him. He’s in tears when he gets home some days. Shiki pulls him in when they’re out, kissing him passionately, dipping their tongue in his mouth, their hands running all over him, grabbing and squeezing, and when he protests, the look of disappointment on their face… “Char, what’s wrong? Do you not love me?”

He doesn’t want his words to be broadcast to everyone, either. But they tug on his elbow whenever they want and beg him to say how much he loves them. “Do you not love me?”

“Do you not love me?”

He does. He swears. He just can’t keep up. He needs… he needs… what does he need, anymore?

And he crumbles, exhausted, and resistance dies. He caves to everything that Shiki wants.

Everything.

princess project au, teenagers, shiki takes charlie

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The faculty is actually very pleased with the recent development. The two have a unique synergy between their magic: Where green gives energy, stimulates growth and life and healing, black siphons it and pours it into containment, restricting the movement of magic around it. They could feasibly use their power together to bring true life to new creatures, to force a permanent bond between creatures, to store magic in case of emergency.

Not only this, but Princesses dating makes for good press. Look at our esteemed students! Look how free they are to love and manage to balance it with their studies! Imagine what they could create together!

Thandi watches this unfold with an uneasy feeling in her chest. Her one companion had finally fallen away, tugged from her by Coal. Alone…is what she prefers. White magic has too many applications for her to stop her studies just for one boy. Even if it was him keeping her topped up with focus and power and tea. She finds her performance beginning to slack, sleep trailing after her, catching up to her at last.

When she falls asleep for the third time, the professor taps her awake at the end.

“Princess Alabaster. Are you all right? You haven’t been doing okay lately. Are you… sick?”

“Oh. Professor, no. I’m just a little worn out. I’m fine, don’t worry! Rather, I’m so sorry to have fallen asleep in the middle of the lecture.”

The professor sighs and cocks their hips, resting their hand on their chin. “I’m sorry your companion got taken. He was helping you study, wasn’t he?”

“Oh, no! That was just a coincidence. I’m under the impression that he was gathering data?”

“Well, Princess… if that is what you say. I do recommend you revise your schedule, though, if you’re not relying on him anymore.”

“I’ll take it into consideration!”

For once, her notes and books remain closed with lunch. She watches everyone around her, and though she wouldn’t normally notice, it sticks out today. Everyone looks exhausted, most of all, the Princess Moss.

His head is on the table, Coal rubbing his back with a smile. She can see Moss blushing and accepting food from Coal. It’s. Insufferably doting. Thandi wonders if perhaps he had gotten  sick himself.

She narrows her eyes. There’s something off here. What color does she need to see both of their auras? Blue. Redirection, absorption. She plucks it out from the tangle of her magic and turns her gaze to the pair.

Moss’ aura clings close to his body, and there is a small trail bridging between himself and Coal. It’s as if Coal is spooling it, gathering it all up, storing it. Why? Not only that, but his isn’t the only bridge. It’s like Coal is a tangle of knots. Everyone is being leeched.

Everyone but her. It seems her exhaustion… is just hers. Should… should she step in? Thandi holds her head. She needs to know more. It’s not just her Princess Moss—

It’s not just the Princess Moss.

The Princess Moss, who used to keep her company and quietly admired her with a sweet smile and gentle eyes and made not a single demand of her. Who did… somehow make her life easier.

He’s arm in arm with the Princess Coal. They kiss when they think no one is looking.

Somehow… that hurts.

princess project AU, teenagers, charlie gets stolen by shiki

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Charlie stares at Thandi as she studies. The focus on her face, the expressions she makes as something clicks, the slight nod to herself as she jots down a note.

He knows her, but she doesn’t know him. Not well, anyway. He takes pains to remain… distanced. Just so he could watch as she did this. They sit next to each other in their Magical Theory class. It’s a level five course, and she specializes in white magic. So, properly, her title is the Princess Alabaster. She’s one of the few white magic users in the country, and she’s so… Charlie sighs. Gorgeous.

And definitely not needing a distraction from him. Princess Moss was his title, and he scarcely needed the distraction himself. It couldn’t really be helped anymore, though.

Is it even possible to distract her?

She’s been influenced by his magic, and if she’s noticed, she hasn’t said anything. Granted, he was projecting around him, working on his own projects, trying to deduce the effects of green magic on exhaustion and healing and familiar intelligence. It’s a multi-pronged project and it keeps him busy.

But not so busy where he can’t spare a moment to silently give her tea in class from his thermos, or where he can’t spare a moment to watch her perk up just from being near him. They give nods to each other.

He’s… content. He thinks.

There he goes again. This awkward boy next to her, staring at her while writing notes. He’s so openly admiring her that she had been worried at first that he would disrupt her routine. Just because he’s a fellow Princess doesn’t mean anything.

He didn’t try to bother her. He pours her some tea during the classes they shared. She can feel the tendrils of his magic mesh with hers, the nature of his aura giving her a boost as good as a few hours rest.

Princess Moss, she’s certain, is some sort of fan of hers. She’s had many by this time, but when they see that she doesn’t have the time to spare for idleness, they disappear to admire from afar. Or. Ridicule.

But Moss not only balances his studies and his watching of her, he stays. They have never exchanged words. He seems content in his fascination.

The both of them sit side by side every day. They study, they work, they eat together. There’s a companionable silence that they’ve grown used to. At least, until the new Princess Coal arrives, dropping next to Moss.

Thandi tries not to notice as Coal scoots close. Breaks the silence. And gives her a sly, catlike grin as they lay the compliments thickly on Moss.

Every.

Single.

Day.

Until he’s not sitting with her anymore. He’s smiling and laughing with Coal. But, Thandi’s been paying more attention than she thought. She sees Moss flinch when Coal touches him. The moments where Coal says something and the happiness ebbs from his face, despite the mask of a smile.

The day where she overhears them speaking.

“Oh, Char. I love you so much.”

“I…” She sees Coal’s grip on his arm. “…love you, too.”