Into The Shadow Realm | Rascal x fem reader story 2023

18| Panic and Realisation

You sit on the soft sand. "Yes. Strangely I do." Then more soft movement of the sand indicates the joker taking a seat beside you.

"I take it," he hums after a while, "that this was not about the meeting."

"That is an assumption. It could very well have been." You mutter.

"But I know it's not~"

You whip your head around, too fast in fact, that you need to look away. Something in the way Rascal says this, is so sure that makes you feel like he secretly knows the truth.

But how could he?

You have never told a soul. Well – except for Brooha, but not at all in enough detail and knowing the witch's short attention span, she has probably forgotten already.

"Something is eating away at you isn't it~" he adds with a little hum, "there is no point in denying. Tell me or not, I know there is something strange going on,"

You frown, and before you get an answer out, he continues, this time with an extra pinch of sarcasm.

"But what am I saying? Of course someone like you would be used to keeping quiet, so I understand you not wanting to speak up."

You roll your eyes at the attempted nudge towards the meeting. "Do not pull the manipulation crap right now. You know I only answered the questions I was asked. You also seemed to have it under control."

Rascal's mouth lifts into a smile and giggles. "And you didn't."

"Ugh! Come on Rascal, surely manipulating others is not the only way you communicate?"

You feel you are now over the peek, over the hill as the anxiety has reduced greatly. You are able to breathe, think and now talk properly again.

The sun sets soon after. When this happens, a dark blue begins caving over most of the sky, leaving a strip of yellow to rest along the horizon. Sounds of crickets, frogs and other wildlife that would live around, chirp away behind you, creating a rhythm. Sometimes it becomes background noise for your brain, but every once in and while it comes back into your realisation and you take notice of it.

"Do you think they were...impressed?~" Comes a softer tone.

Everything stops, your thoughts, suddenly the sounds drone out and even your heart skips a beat.

He has never asked you a question before, not one without sarcasm anyway. His voice is different this time, you have not heard it before. Rascal wears a tense look, furrowing behind the mask, and to your surprise, a yellow-y orange glow radiates stronger and stronger as his eyes.

Worry.

You nod in certainty. "I think so. I believe talk of the Miracle Jewel sparked interest."

Watching the jester take this information in, you see the glow in his eyes reduce into their usual deep black. He then hums and turns back to the water.

I wonder what other colours they can turn. Must be linked to strong emotion.

"Twilight," you nudge back to the view, "it is so beautiful."

"You seem oddly fascinated by the Human Realm (y/n) ~ You know it will be all gone soon enough."

"Destroying this planet for negative energy is what I want too Rascal, but it does not mean you cannot enjoy it while it is here." You meet his eye quickly before turning back to the scene, adding in a hushed tone. "Do not tell anyone I said that."

~Third person~

Rascal stares into the side of (y/n)'s face for a while, passing the point of her knowledge. When she doesn't meet his eye in return, he begins noticing the details of her face. Unable to stop himself, he begins staring at the strands of hair that brush against her face in the breeze, her slightly pointed ears – less pointy than his own – down to her eyelashes and placid expression, then further down to her nose and then...