tallulahgs

Written for and crossposted to

40fandoms.

[Title] Secrets Under the Skin
[Fandom] Heroes
[Rating] PG for mention of self-harm
[Notes/Summary] Set shortly before the beginning of the first season. Claire wonders about people's secrets.

Claire finds herself looking at other people's bodies. Looking, and wondering whether they have secrets under the skin like she does. Showering after gym class - the cheerleaders tanned and glossy and smelling of flowers, the nerds pale and spotted with acne in unexpected places, like down the spine, and the goths surprisingly normal under their blackness, except -

Scars and scratches on people's arms. Claire hears Jackie snort and whisper something about attention-seeking depressives. She quickly stares down at her damp feet, at the water beading on her pink-painted toenails. If she did that, the cuts would close up, like footprints in sand when the sea comes in.

She looks at her own arms. She remembers seeing them bent out of shape like sticks. A sharp rush of pain, and then - warmth and clicking as the bones reknit.

Attention-seeking? Smiling for the camera. Well, perhaps. But then, what other choice does she have?

[Title] Death is a Violinist
[Fandom] Detective Academy Q
[Rating] G
[Notes/Summary] Kyuu accompanies Ryu on his way to a case.

Ryu was waiting for Kyuu to say something, but he was a little surprised that they made it almost to the end of the street before the silence was broken.

"You're gonna be careful, right?"

Ryu turned to look at him. "I'm always careful."

"Huh, I know, but... you're on your own this time."

"That couldn't be helped," Ryu said lightly, and wondered why hearing Kyuu spell it out felt like a shard of glass trapped under his skin. "None of the rest of you play instruments well enough to infiltrate this orchestra, do you?"

"I could play an instrument."

"Like what?"

"Like... I dunno." Kyuu scowled at the ground. "Like the triangle or something."

Ryu laughed, remembering again why he liked Kyuu's company. "I think that might look a bit suspicious. Don't worry, all right? I'm just going to sit back, play the violin, and observe. None of the murders have taken place while people have been at the orchestra, and I'm not going to walk into any traps."

"If they ask you to go anywhere with them, come get me. Or Kinta. Or all of us! We can go in a mob!"

"That would look really suspicious."

Kyuu grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, but you always think you can do everything on your own." Before Ryu could feel embarrassed, his friend had continued, "I didn't know you could play the violin."

"My grandfather had me taught."

"It's really hard, right? I mean it's one of the hardest instruments to actually make sound nice."

Ryu didn't need to close his eyes to remember again the screech of the violin, the bow sweaty in his hand and the strings cutting into his fingers. There had been a shaft of white light running across the ground, and the instrument almost writhing under his hand.

"Yes, it is," he said.

Kyuu frowned at him. "Normally you say stuff is easy."

"This..." Ryu made himself smile. "This wasn't as easy."

"Wow. Well, I s'pose it's all worth it now it's going to help us solve the case."

"I... you should get going. We're almost there."

Kyuu folded his arms, glared at Ryu. "Be. Careful. All right?"

"Don't worry. I will." Ryu watched Kyuu hurry away. He didn't smile, because that might have looked suspicious, but for a moment he was able to ignore the weight of the violin case in his hand.