#and makes us doubt about his intentions feelings and honesty

[itachanta]

Vash's glasses going glint

#trigun stampede #vash the stampede #tristamp #vash #the way the opaque reflections on his glasses are used is very smart #for foreshadowing and colors #and to cover his eyes when he's hiding something #it is specially noticeable in the first episode #this reflection happens a lot of times #it adds an air of mystery around his persona #and makes us doubt about his intentions feelings and honesty #also it is exactly the episode where we know less about him #the opaque glint disappears in the next eps #and becomes more transparent #along with him #and knowing studio orange doesnt do anything randomly... #or maybe i smoked cat hair and im high #it just came to my attention how in the first ep theres a lot of this visual device #and then it isnt #*rambling* #my gifs: itachanta

[suashii]

୨♡୧ THE MAN WHO HUNG THE MOON — sakusa kiyoomi x reader. sfw. fluff. dad!sakusa.

the sound of sleepy giggles from down the hall makes a smile tug at the corner of your lips. as you pick up the toys scattered about the living room, you picture the scene; your daughter comfy under her blanket and sakusa squeezed into the toddler bed beside her with a book of her choice in his hands. he’s probably changing his voice with each character just the way she likes, tickling her tummy every time she laughs so that the joyous sound is prolonged. little moments like these, ones that warrant you a glimpse into their daddy-daughter time never fail to make your heart swell.

the noise from the back dies down a few minutes later and the quiet click of a door closing tells you that your husband has finished putting the girl to bed. you’re almost finished cleaning up the toys left behind in the living when sakusa wraps his arms around you from behind, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. he doesn’t give you time to savor the feel of him before he’s gone, leaning down to aid you in tidying up.

you shoot him a petulant look that he can’t see as you reach down to pick up the doll by your feet. you have every intention of tossing it in the bin with the rest of your daughter’s things but before you can, you realize that you don’t recognize it. your eyebrows knit together in confusion as you meet sakusa at the toy bin. “when did you get her this?”

“a few days ago,” he replies upon seeing it. in all honesty, he had meant to put the doll away before you returned home. now that the cat is out of the bag, he might as well be entirely transparent. “and i actually got it for me.”

“like, got it for you so the two of you could play together?” you eye him curiously with your question. you’re sure that’s what he meant but, without context, the statement produces an entertaining image in your head of the man playing with toys even in the absence of your daughter.

“not really,” sakusa admits, and he can see a sparkle of interest swimming in your gaze. the real reasoning behind the purchase is nothing to be embarrassed about but he still hesitates to spit it out. he’d hoped that you would see the result before you could ask about the process.

“sakura told me she likes the way you put her hair in two braids so i bought the doll to practice.” he turns the doll in your hands so that you can see what he’s taken away from the youtube tutorials in the past few days. it’s a lot better than his first attempt but sakusa thinks he could use a few more sessions to hone the skill before surprising sakura with the style.

you survey his work on the synthetic hair. it’s not bad by any means. the braids are a little loose, but you can clearly see all of the effort he’s put in. you glance up to meet his onyx gaze and offer him a smile. “you’re cute. but why didn’t you just ask me? i would have been more than happy to teach you.”

the thought had passed sakusa’s mind when the girl had first told him that she preferred the way you did her hair but he had convinced himself that the task was something he could easily do on his own. it’s not that he feels like he’s above asking for help, though, he does feel like you’re busy enough with work of your own. the last thing he wanted to do was worry you with this—something he should be entirely capable of.

“you already have so much on your plate, i thought i could take care of this on my own.” sakusa takes the doll from your hands and places it with the rest of the toys in the wooden chest before closing it. 

it’s hard to believe that this is the same man that expressed doubts about whether or not he’d be a good dad before your daughter arrived. every day since then, he’s proven that his anxieties about being a parent were misplaced. sakura looks at him with stars in her eyes, like he’s the very person that hung the moon—a lot like you’re looking at him now.

you interlace your fingers with his slim ones, giving his hands a comforting squeeze as you boost yourself up on the tips of your toes to press your lips against his in a soft kiss. his breath is minty, likely from brushing his teeth with sakura not too long ago. you pull away with a smile, bumping the tip of your nose against his before returning to your normal height. “she’s going to love when you do her hair.”

thanks for reading! consider commenting or reblogging if you enjoyed ❤︎

#₊˚ପ⊹ signed: haikyuu #sakusa kiyoomi x reader #sakusa x reader #hq x reader #haikyuu x reader #sakusa fluff #haikyuu fluff #sakusa imagines #haikyuu imagines #sakusa drabble #haikyuu drabbles #sakusa scenarios #haikyuu scenarios

[avenshine]

overall aventurine relationship hcs!

a/n: writing to get a better feel of his personality (also because i miss him!)

warnings: fluff, not proofread, usage of they/them

-> first meeting

aventurine is careful and does not use the word friend ‘loosely’, he genuinely means what he says.

so when you first meet him, it seems almost if he’s deflecting from his true intentions, what did a member of the ipc want with you anyways?

he smiles, almost too fake to seem anyway genuine — but you give him the benefit of the doubt.

you introduce yourself to the man, smiling at him, nodding, everything. it couldn’t hurt to do that, at least. he does the same.

-> becoming friends

after a while, he can’t seem to get you out of his head. why is that?

not because he’s thinking about dating, no! he’s just.. intrigued? that’s what he’s telling himself anyways. but why is he feeling like this? he doesn’t know.

if you were both saying at the reveire then yeah, he would definitely see you again— no need to fret, he thinks.

as if you had the ability to read his mind, you appeared again! and you two talked, and talked and realized hey, this is actually a pretty pleasant conversation we’re having. maybe we should become friends? he suggests, and so you two do.

-> crushes

it’s been a few months now since you two met, and avoidance is the only thing that’s been on aventurine’s mind. that’s all he thinks about. why was his heartbeat slightly faster around you? why did he find himself doing things for you he wouldn’t do for others?

then he thinks, and he thinks, until in the end the word ‘love’ comes up. he’s not in love, is he? god, he is, no, he’s not. he’s basically picking off the flower with ‘they love me, they love me not..’

he had to accept his feelings now, otherwise he would lose his opportunity to date you, just to be yours forever — and he couldn’t let that happen, that’s no good!

so he swallows his pride, placing his final bet, where he’s sure he won’t lose, onto getting your heart!

-> confession

in all honesty, he’s never done this before— so he wants this to be the perfect confession, but how does he do that? he’s not sure.

he spends time scrolling his phone mindlessly on how to do it, watching every tutorial around, and in the end, he just decides he’ll do it in his own style!

he enjoys a full day of activities with you. ending the day off with somewhere quiet with an amazing view, and a small thing of your favorite dessert, asking you if you could turn to him.

“so, i was wondering if,” he bites his lip, trying to find the right words inside his brain. “if you wanted to go out sometime?” and he feels so much better when you say yes.

-> dating

aventurine is the type to spoil you rotten when he finds your love language. when you two first dating, he didn’t ask— just wanted to see how you reacted to the different ones, and shows his love from there.

though in general, he spoils you rotten, he gives you so many kisses, his favorite being your forehead and lips. something about it is so secure, so perfect.

and when i say spoil; i mean expect to get a different gift every day. he has the credits, he loves you, what more of a reason does he need?

overall, he hopes he can make you happy & in love with him for a long time!

#🥣 day’s works. #aventurine headcanons #aventurine x reader

[sepublic]

            Tbh not a fan of how some people are so obsessed with framing Belos as some sympathetic, tragic character on account of his parallels with Luz, that they basically rob him of any and all agency to reduce Philip to some mindless follower of his puritan community, even in their explicit absence while having the support of Caleb, whose opinion he should prioritize if it was truly about what others have told him. This woobified take of some superstitious dingus/helpless child who can’t make any decisions for himself feels infantilizing and at odds with how Belos is actually portrayed in the show.

         Plus, the whole argument of “That’s how it was back then” in order to justify or at least explain Philip’s bigotry feels rather hollow, because like. Not only does Caleb (who was also a child not much older) exist, but this rationale was used to justify a lot of historical people’s pro-slavery attitudes, because “it was just normal” back then, so surely we can’t judge these people by modern standards, right? Especially not to replace a Confederate statue, right?

         (For the record, I highly doubt people who use this logic in regards to Belos are intentional about this comparison, I don’t think they made this connection and still went with it anyway.)

         Except people back in the day DID call this behavior out, there were always people opposing it, hence the existence of a character like Caleb. And this is a point that’s being raised a lot in regards to this subject about judging people of the past with contemporary values. Abolitionists existed just plenty in the past, and it’s their work that led to this social change over time.

         Plus, the framing of Philip as some superstitious Puritan who genuinely believed in his church’s teachings about sin, and is legitimately concerned for people’s souls, indirectly presents him as only needing a good argument and evidence to change his mind. Except we see how Philip is a highly intelligent, calculating individual who can figure people out like it’s nothing, extremely observant and approaching his analysis of the Demon Realm with a professionalism bordering on the scientific method.

         That scene in For the Future, where he’s confronted by alleged ghosts? I think it’s meant to support what the Titan clarifies in the next episode; That Belos KNOWS he’s wrong, that he’s just lying about it. The problem isn’t that he needs to realize this, it’s that he already has, but won’t admit this to himself to change his behavior in response. I doubt Philip truly believes there’s a God expecting something of everyone. And remember Grom, when Luz says “You’re not coming from a place of intellectual honesty, so debating you would be pointless!”

         Jacob Hopkins strays close to the Dudebro image that Luz directs this line at; And we see how he’s not actually driven by reasoning, but by a delusional need to be the hero. And Jacob’s comparisons to Belos need not be stated; A lot of fascists AREN’T approaching from a place of actual logic that can thus be reasoned with, hence why punching them is a necessity.

         It’s not as if they’re just working with faulty evidence that they’ve drawn a misguided conclusion from; They come in with a predisposed ‘conclusion’ they’ve already decided on, and then look only for the evidence to support it. Which is ironic, given what I said about Philip appearing to be someone who would use the scientific method in his studies, but bias is bias. It’s like how other races being inferior was made up to justify slavery as an economic boon; Rather than people naturally assuming other races to be inferior, and THEN making slavery as a result of that conclusion.

         The bigotry is all an intentional excuse made to justify an ulterior, power-hungry motive; Why else does Thanks to Them frame other witch hunters as just making things up about their neighbors to seize their property? And remember when I compared King James I of historical infamy to Philip, speculating that his real-life book on witchcraft may have influenced Philip’s diary from a writing perspective, if not an in-universe one as well? A lot of people speculate James didn’t necessarily believe in witches as a threat to humanity; He just latched onto them as a scapegoat to legitimize his power. Because if the agents of Hell see you as a threat, doesn’t that suggest you as divinely ordained?

         And I think that ties into Philip’s shallow understanding of the Demon Realm; These people are inherently evil, so if they do anything to hate or oppose him, it’s because Philip is actually an agent of Good, a divine hero, and all of these demons are some magical hivemind that uniformly collaborate to prioritize opposing Good. He’s every bully who needles and harasses a minority, and acts vindicated when they DO lash out, as the creator of a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

        And while there’s a lot to be said about not feeding the beast, sometimes you just HAVE to defend yourself, and not care about proving your worth to someone who isn’t approaching from a place of good faith, whose approval is meaningless, especially if it comes at the risk or even cost of your own safety. Hence all this real life discussion of queers and other minorities not having to be palatable to deserve rights.

         In the end, I see Philip Wittebane as akin to Walter White, of Breaking Bad fame; I’m sure he DID legitimately care about his family, to an extent. But if it really was just about them, and not the cheap thrill of some power fantasy, he’d have accepted the help given to him, instead of going on this ridiculous quest to accumulate strength so he can become the Biggest, Baddest person who can crush his enemies.

        And in his constant pursuit of that high, what concern for his family and others he might’ve had withers away into nothing; Until the Titan’s summation of Philip as someone who only believes in his delusional need to be the hero doesn’t just make sense from her in-universe perspective, but as a description with implied authorial backing. Family? That was just an excuse, but at least Walter White had the guts to admit this aloud to someone else.

#the owl house #philip wittebane #emperor belos

[endiness]

i have to say, seeing people being so doubtful about the validity of jaskier and radovid's relationship as if it's some farce on radovid's part and he's really just manipulating jaskier after i’ve seen so much information outside of the show (and nevermind the show itself) just makes me feel very. hmm, but is it though?

like, the language used in radovid’s audition scene alone ("two things of beauty, made to be together")—even if the dialogue didn't make it into the show—feels very much like its intent for the character and their relationship was to at least potentially set them up as being endgame, whatever that might mean within the context of the show. they did a chemistry read between hugh and joey for his audition scene which isn't really something that's done lightly and, if anything, would indicate the importance of their relationship. joey saying that the appeal of radovid for jaskier is trying to figure out who he is behind his mask. hugh saying that the appeal of jaskier for radovid is that jaskier is honest with him and actually sees him for who he is, unlike everyone else in his life. in general, all of the interviews emphasizing the point that their interest in each other is who they are behind their masks and the personas they put on for the outside world and their honesty with each other. jaskier being described as "the love of radovid's life." joey describing them as starcrossed lovers. (also, just: "with you, i have enough. with you, i am enough." those lyrics being for their relationship. like!?)

and, i mean, i do think their relationship isn't exactly going to go well, but if and when it doesn't, i don't think it'd really have anything to do with none of their feelings being genuine or anything that they might do to each other. it's probably going to happen because, to paraphrase joey, the circumstances of their world and their lives are trying to tear them apart.

#jaskier #radovid #radskier #the witcher #!txt: the witcher #the witcher spoilers #i mean anything could happen but like #i don't really think this is heading in the direction of either #'jk it was fake all along' #or even 'i lied but my feelings were real'

[yunarim]

ಇ. broken melodies | chapter 3

⇢ ⁺ GENEALOGY OF RED, WHITE AND BLACK ˖ Neige reveals his true self.

— PREVIEW (read for tags and synopsis) — MASTERLIST (open to read previous chapters) — AO3

⁺ w.c : 19.5k+ this chapter contains major usage of obscene language ! also not proofread and might be edited later with an addition of some major details !

A light reflecting through the windows slid across Yuu’s converging features and prevented her from falling asleep, even taking into account the fact she wasn’t sleepy in the first place, but in all honesty, the slight blue glow was helpful and served as a desk lamp. 

She let out a small sigh followed by an almost transparent cloud of steam. Hm, is it getting colder these nights? She shrugged the feeling off, massaging her shoulders, and continued writing, a tight grip on the fountain pen. Yuu wasn’t sure what time it was, but judging by the way the air felt and how the temperature dropped, it might be right in the middle of the night. 

Neat notes done in a cursive small handwriting were flowing before her sight, indicating nothing by now, and Yuu sighed again, closing her eyes. 

“Why,” she whispered to herself. “Did I last meet Snow White so unacceptably long ago?..” 

A pink butterfly appeared without Yuu asking it to do that, but she didn’t seem to mind, waving her hand so the butterfly landed on her little finger. 

“Little one…” Yuu opened her leaded eyelids and lowered her gaze to the notes. “I can’t remember anything but the bright red apple filled with poison.”

Yuu thought of herself as an imprudent, unheeding person when a scene of Neige making a parallel between red apple and the color of her eyes replayed in her mind. She should have at least made an assumption back then, it was some sort of a loophole, and yet…She was so dumbfounded by the sudden correlation that there was no way of thinking about anything else but his creative mind.

“Snow White lived with seven dwarfs, like Neige does,” Yuu frowned. “And also… She was also poisoned… And that happened because she took a bite of a red apple. But what else? I’m missing something.”

The butterfly flew slowly, demonstrating its confused emotions, to which Yuu nodded. The only one who could remember something else was none other than she herself. And she already spent half of a night trying to fish out at least one more detail.

Yuu, of course, remembered her visits to Snow White’s realm, but her dimension was the very first one she ever entered after being officially appointed as Fairy Godmother’s apprentice. She couldn’t be trusted with major tasks, given she hadn’t even reached fae average children's age—was she 17 or 18 then?—so there was no way she would play a huge role in rescuing Snow White. The only things she did were to help with cleaning or cooking, sometimes Fairy Godmother could give her permission to protect dwarfs, but other than that… 

Was she really helpful? Snow White told her countless times she considered Yuu her dearest friend and put her on one line with the dwarfs, but was she ever genuine in that intention, or was she demonstrating deliberate politeness? 

Yuu shook her head. She has no right to doubt princesses’ decisions and judgements. And if she really was Snow White’s friend, then she also must help Neige and figure out how exactly he is connected with the princess. 

Yuu and Neige weren’t classmates, making it difficult for her to attend lessons diligently and look after Neige at the same time, preventing all potential threats. It was also unknown if she could ask for help from one of his classmates. Asking dwarfs could be useful, but Yuu wasn’t completely sure, maybe they already were playing the roles with which they’re conjoined. Was this all happening according to the original story she once encountered? It couldn’t be trusted, considering Neige isn’t Snow White herself.

The only option remaining was to try accompanying him everywhere. She, indeed, can’t enter his lessons, but there must be teachers, right? If they’re not the ones plotting something, then it should be the safest path to take. 

“Alright…” She exhaled. “Let’s try it this way then.”

She scribbled something on the paper and the pink butterfly followed her way of thinking, flying around gracefully, to which Yuu smiled, feeling slightly better that her idea was supported soundlessly.

“You most probably expected you’ll be introduced to magic studies only during your second year, right?” Emery glanced to the seat where Yuu was, noticing how her movements slowed down and how her eyes looked more glassy and empty than before, and then shifted his gaze to Luan, holding something in his hand under the desk and cheerfully grinning. “Let me assure you, no magic can be performed without thinking beforehand. Even if you first encountered spell casting ability in your childhood, you might have not realized your brain made some extraordinary calculations.”

Luan yawned, his eyes automatically glueling to Yuu’s downcast appearance. 

“Oi,” he whispered, poking her arm and managing to attract her attention. “Take this.”

Yuu tilted her head rather slowly, when Luan took her hand and made it rest laid open the inside of palm up, and put something resembling small jelly candy in her hand.

“Hm?..” She wondered what he gave to her, examining the jelly with lidded eyes.

“It’s a gummy bear, you dummy,” he smiled. “You look so down, cheer up or somethin’!”

“Oh,” Yuu realized his intentions and reciprocated the smile, putting the jelly in her mouth and meeting teacher Emery’s condemning eyes, immediately perceiving that she stopped listening to him. 

“... In any case,” Emery continued after a short pause. “Magic spells require incantations in cases they’re complicated, but if we’re speaking about elemental types, good old physics will help.”

“...Thank you,” Yuu whispered to Luan and earned a soft giggle in return. 

“Combining two or more elemental types together does wonders. We’re not going to discuss the specifics of every combination during your first year, but will dwell on more on the basics. Well then…”

Yuu frowned, thinking how far she could go. Truthfully speaking, she did enjoy the happiness of being able to study magic so freely, sometimes her curiosity overlapping Fairy Godmother’s reprimands for even trying to learn something that could have been considered harmful and ‘useless to such a young fae as her’, but still—was there the end, a not so imaginary edge of all those magic aspects she could internalize? In fact, it was, and the answer to the question was time. 

She still doubted if it was alright for her to devour new information with such eagerness. Yuu couldn’t lie, but she had one defense point in case Fairy Godmother asked her why Yuu crossed the boundary she drew, and that was to help Neige and to fulfill her duty. 

Yuu sighed. She needed to figure out how to cover her butterflies with the way everyone performed magic here. Would her desire to learn eagerly and quickly things that are taught during second and third years be encouraged or raise suspicions instead? Yuu didn’t know, letting another soft sigh escape her throat and causing Luan to tilt his head, questioning her sudden disarray. 

“Right,” Emery said, turning to the class and stopping writing as the bell rang, notifying students of the end of the lesson. “Don’t forget that for the next lesson you need to go to the classroom next to the one we’re currently in! You’ll meet another teacher, who is far stricter than me.”

Yuu gulped, while Luan casually giggled, meeting Emery’s scolding expression. She suddenly startled, realizing she has no time to sit here doing nothing, and after Emery gave hometasks to do, Yuu rushed to the cafeteria to try finding Neige. 

According to her plan, she would follow him everywhere she could during the day and activities happening on campus territory, except for the lessons. Thus, she hurried over, carrying a hope of meeting Neige.

The way her heels cluttered was heard in the whole hall, causing other students to stop and observe Yuu’s small figure almost levitating, due to how fast she ran, and look at her in confusion. Her usual firm and calm composure fell miserably, creating a peculiar sight to witness.

Yuu also mentally apologized to Luan for breaking the promise of eating together during the lunch and quickly opened cafeteria doors, nearly smashing down Lavont, who was about to serve the tea.

“I am extremely sorry!!” Yuu said, performing a 90 degree bow. 

“Be careful next time,” Lavont replied, wondering what was with a sudden change of acting Yuu usually demonstrated with her exceeding politeness. 

She scanned the place for Neige, concentrating her vision as much as possible, but failed to find him on the first floor. 

“Ugh, well then…”

She enhanced her hearing while making her way to the second floor and—finally!!—hearing a soft yet constrained giggle, resembling a nightingale’s song, and recognized its owner instantly. 

This time making her way rather carefully and not touching other students even the slightest, she stood up on toes, trying to peek out of the crowd of tall students and fish out Neige from them. And indeed, she succeeded in the way she didn’t want to.

The bright scarlet blaze in the light of the lamps grabbed all of her attention, as if depriving her of the ground under her feet, and knocked out her sense of control over the situation, forcing Yuu to scream in fear and start acting impulsively. 

An apple. A blindingly dazzling red color shone in Neige’s delicate fingers.

The blood pounded in her ears with booming beats, and she, now ignoring all the boundaries of decency, briskly slipped through the crowd, approaching Neige’s table.

He noticed her hurried coming, smiling to her out of the habit, almost robotically well-trained, and caught the glimpses of genuine worry on her face only the second after, but decided to not follow, continuing smiling, and nodded to her.

“Good morning, Yuu. Is something the matter— Huh?”

“DON’T!!”

She shouted, grabbing the apple he was holding, and almost crumpled it down, losing control of the perfectly balanced way of maintaining the power she possessed, and caused Neige and his, apparently, classmates to stare at her in shock.

“Y-yes?..”

She ignored them, observing an apple she was holding, and before she could scan it for the poison traces, someone randomly grabbed it, and Yuu turned in horror, recognizing Luan cheerfully grinning next to her.

“Woah, is this for me?!” He laughed, sneakily jumping and taking a seat next to Neige, raising his hand in a greeting gesture, and took a bite.

Yuu looked like the end of the world just upfolded before her very eyes, her knees going weak and eyelids leaded. Her fingers twitched, as she was ready to summon the magic wand and cast a spell—she didn’t even know which one exactly, just something that would help to save a dying person from poisoning—but Luan, on the other hand, didn’t look even slightly weakened and, well, dying.

He was quite the opposite of the person who would be suffering and dying, enjoying the freshness of the fruit and chewing it with the brightest expression Yuu ever saw humans demonstrating, Luan’s tail wagging joyfully. 

“I thought there was something strange!” He suddenly said, pointing at her with his tale, causing Yuu to question his action, staring at him blankly. “You hurried to the cafeteria so fast, even tho you said we promised to eat together from now on! I thought like damn, you’re so unfair.”

She continued staring at him with an absolutely blank, absent expression, mind full of void and emptiness, at the same time blinking and slowly parting her lips.

“But look at you, saving such a fresh apple for me! Thanks, Yuu!~”

“B-but…”

Neige was smiling graciously at them, instantly forgetting what was the deal in the first place, and was enjoying the scene looming before him. 

“Oi wait,” Luan said, licking the tips of his fingers as he finished eating, and looked at Neige. “Was it yours?..”

Neige closed his eyes for a mere second before raising his gaze and returning it to Yuu, then smiled at her conspiratorially, tilting his head and blinking away all the confusion from before, radiating glimmering shine instead.

“No, please don’t worry.”

Yuu wondered what he could have meant by his reaction but decided not to question, periodically glancing at Luan and subconsciously checking if he was okay, and, to her surprise, he couldn’t have been any better—his health was in the state it always was, perfectly normal and okay. 

Was she… exaggerating? Or did she hurry for nothing, and he wasn’t connected with Snow White at any rate possible? Yuu felt her muscles going tense, and at the moment all the sounds in the cafeteria—people talking and discussing her oddness, Neige having a light ordinary conversation with typically sunny and bright Luan, trays cluttering, humans consuming food—turned to an irritating tinkling sputter. 

Think, Yuu demanded to herself voicelessly, and frowned. Was there a breach in her way of thinking and analysis? But it couldn’t be, even considering all the loopholes and things she couldn’t register yet, Neige still resembled Snow White so much it was absurd to brush aside all the similarities and call it a day. His appearance and the way animals acted almost enchanted around him, and, most importantly, dwarfs — Yuu was sure enough to make assumptions she came up with.

“Oi,” Luan suddenly dragged her out of the marsh of her thoughts and hypotheses. “You ok?”

“Ah,” she shrugged. “I’m sorry. Yes, I am.”

“Alright,” Luan smiled at her, a scent of apple freshness lingered around him. “Relax, Yuu. You looked so tense a second ago. You worry about the teacher Emery mentioned?”

“Oh, right, the teacher…” 

The urge to say it wasn’t what kept her so alarmed arose within, but she barely managed to remain silent. She, indeed, couldn’t lie, and she was miserably bad in deceiving in other ways, like other faes could, according to Fairy Godmother’s words. 

Yuu returned a smile to Luan, knowing that even though she couldn’t lie, she knew the best when it was the time to keep her mouth shut. 

After having a lunch with Luan and Neige, Yuu bowed to the last one, promising to see him soon, to which Neige curved his lips in a soft reassuring smile, impressing Yuu with how easily he could put under a shell what was hidden underneath his own heart, creating a persona of absolutely unbothered individual. 

She then made her way back to the classroom with Luan, chuckling softly at him for almost forgetting that he went the wrong way and caught teacher Emery’s sigh.

“Geez, I forgot the classroom’s changed,” Luan yawned, following Yuu and entering another one auditorium, which looked pretty similar to the previous. “I forgot what we’re going to study rn.”

Yuu blinked at his wording—what does ‘rn’ mean in the first place?—and made her way to the seat.

“An introduction to the cultural foundations of Twisted Wonderland,” she answered, causing Luan to stare at her with a look she couldn’t yet decipher.

“I wonder what’s that even about,” he sighed in return. “Sounds so boring.”

Yuu, on the other hand, would love to dwell further, but with her mind being preoccupied with Neige and his rescue she couldn’t concentrate to the max. Something crawled under her skin, an unpleasant feeling of shame and blame conjoining altogether, caused her to bite her lip. 

Fairy Godmother would be so disappointed in her actions. Yuu could easily imagine the scoldings she would receive, head lowering more and more under the pressure of being reprimanded for such an ungraceful way of following her responsibilities. Fairy Godmother’s work was flawless to the bone—her way of speaking and an excellent, essential and indispensable ability to put one’s mind at ease, not mentioning her vast knowledge and ingenuity, impeccable mindset. 

Moreover, she never was harsh and rude. Her indignation was absolutely justified, and Yuu understood that she was not scolded — she was given instructions clearly and straight to the point, not hiding any empty flattery behind. Still, Yuu was ashamed and embarrassed due to her firstly being not so helpful in Snow White’s realm, then letting Sprites turn into Imps and cause an unimaginable damage to princesses. Even rescuing them after that and returning everything to how it was, she punished herself by taking extra work, by renovating the whole garden and studying (only materials she was allowed to use, naturally).  

And now, after so many years passing, has she changed after all? She was panicking for nothing, making misjudgments here and there, and not even making any progress in magic. She was different here, a foreign, alien variable and—

“Yuu,” Luan whispered, noticing how far her thoughts traveled, making Yuu fall silent to the point it was concerning. “The teacher’s came.”

“O-oh.”

She blinked away her thoughts, standing up with everyone, and finally taking a look at the teacher who just came, carrying a strong, luxurious, though not overly concentrated aroma of an expensive perfume around him. 

Yuu instantly pointed out his graceful stance and even posture. He seemed to have descended from the pages of a romantic saga of royal intrigues and grandiose balls. His hair fell in elegant waves over his right shoulder in a loose ponytail tied with a purple satin bow. A dark purple cardigan with fur inserts was thrown over a luxuriously expensive-looking blouse tucked into high dark trousers, and despite the obvious expensiveness of the image, it did not exude an aura of pomposity and eccentricity.

His chiseled, sharp-featured face wore a thin, unobtrusive layer of make-up, and if it weren't for Yuu's sensitive vision, she wouldn't have noticed the faint lines of wrinkles at the corners of his lips, which betrayed him as a man of advanced age or approaching it. A pair of obsidian eyes peered out from under long lush lashes. Wavy strands of hair, close to gray but still retaining the old wheaten hue of his youth, neatly framed his cheeks. A tired sigh escaped his cherry-colored lips, and he turned to the blackboard on his heels, picking up the chalk with a slight movement and writing his name on the blackboard, then turned back to the class. 

“Good afternoon, dear students,” he bowed slightly. “My name is Amédée Bonsagacité. I will be your teacher of art and ancient history. Very pleased to meet you.”

Yuu found herself spellbound with the purity and depth of his soft voice, flowing with a graceful stream of soulfulness, and suddenly caught someone's light line thrown from the back rows.

“It’s that Amédée?? My grandmother’s his absolute fan!!”

“Yeah same, my grandfather treasures his autograph till today.”

Luan turned to them, completely ignoring Amédée’s lingering stare. 

“What’s that about him?” He asked sneakily.

“He was a famous opera singer.”

Yuu nodded to herself, realizing his voice sounded well-trained and naturally pleasant to hear. 

“Dear students, we haven’t got all day,” he snapped his fingers, taking a pointer, and tapped on the blackboard, where Yuu noticed that the topic of today’s lesson appeared, written in chalk. “Since it’s our very first meeting, and the lesson itself is carrying more introductory purposes, you may think it’s easy to skip. But it doesn’t mean I allowed that in the first place. Now, let me get straight to the point.”

Despite how soft and weightless his voice was, teacher Amédée was indeed strict and quite outrite. In any case, Yuu followed his words, making notes and nodding eagerly, much to Luan’s bright giggles.

“You’re surely familiar with admirable figures in our history, am I being correct? The Venerable Seven, whose principles and personality traits are of great importance here in the RSA, as well as the Great Seven, whose life path is considered highly respected in the NRC.”

Yuu knitted her brows together, making sure she wrote it right. How very interesting, why Seven figures? Moreover, what was NRC? Apparently, another school, if teacher Amédée has compared RSA to another unknown to Yuu facility. 

“We must dwell on the respectable figures our academy follows,” he said, drawing with chalk a table of seven columns on the blackboard. “As for the Great Seven, we’ll start studying their traits after taking a test regarding the Venerable Seven.”

A few annoyed ‘tsk’ were heard among the class after one word ‘test’ escaped the teacher’s lips. 

“First, I believe the dorm leaders of each dorm based on a particular figure already introduced you to the basics. But knowing only one representative is not enough. Not to mention… You, miss.”

Yuu, who was writing after him, raised her gaze and met his, unreadable and showing an emotion Yuu couldn’t understand, but no hate was shown. 

“How very peculiar you have been sorted to Sidhery,” he chuckled. “Due to lack of any information regarding your dormitory, it will be fairly hard to explain, but I’ll try my best. We usually just don’t mention Sidhery when teaching this course.”

“Thank you and I’m sorry for causing trouble,” Yuu stood up and bowed, making Amédée widen his eyes in surprise and wave his hand, suggesting Yuu take her seat. 

“No need. Now, let’s continue. First, Pandora Charm dormitory, how many of you do we have here in the class?” Amédée glanced over the auditorium, nodding to a bunch of students raising their hands. “Quite a lot, I see. Well then, as many of you know, Pandora Charm is founded on Inquisitive Daydreamer’s curiosity.”

Yuu took a note of it, humming to herself with a slight nod. If students were sorted to the dorms, was it done according to the personality traits of the Venerable Seven, and did it mean Pandora Charm’s students possessed extra curiosity? Yuu was eager to know.

“We’ll dwell on the Venerable Seven’s figures further as we briefly discuss the basics. Now, to the Kifurijua dormitory. I see many of you are beastmen, correct?” Luan cheerfully waved his tail, making Yuu smile softly at his playfulness. “I see. Your dormitory’s founded on King of the Pride Lands’ Fearlessness.”

“Yep, I’ve been told that a lot before enrolling,” Luan nodded to himself, grinning proudly. 

“Are you happy being in this dorm?” Yuu whispered to him. 

“Very much! Would be fun if you were here,” his ears twitched. “Not sure tho if you’d be sorted here, it kinda doesn’t fit your vibe.”

“I see… I think,” Yuu tried to comprehend with his peculiar wordings and decided to politely agree.

“Speaking about non-human races,” Amédée took a look over the class. “Merheronelle dormitory’s student contingent mainly consists of merfolk. I see the tendency is as firm as ever.”

Some of the students nodded cheerfully, and Yuu silently gasped. So the boy she saw during the PE class belonged to merfolk as she thought, but the fact they were quite common here in this world was new to her. 

“Great then, your dormitory’s founded on Princess of the Atlantica Kingdom’s Vivacity.”

Yuu took a note, feeling a sudden urge to draw seashells and little sea waves doodles on the margins in her notebook.

“Not much to my surprise, the number of Huriirada dormitory’s students is quite low. Though as long as I remember, it was always like that.”

Before Yuu could wonder about his age and how long does he teach here in RSA, some students already whispered the same question she beared in her mind, gossiping and making assumptions, some of them Yuu found extremely ridiculous—how could such a beautiful young-looking individual work here for 50 years, after all? 

“Anyhow, Huriirada dormitory is based on The Rebellious Princess’ Strong Will.”

What a memorable title, Yuu thought. Previous dorms’ respectable figures created an impression of kind, gentle people—creatures?—while Huriirada’s one possessed such an unexpected name, carrying an image of someone seditious. 

“The next one dorm is quite popular, I presume, contradictory to Huriirada,” Amédée concluded. “Edelwiese dormitory is founded on The Fairest Princess’ Gentleness.”

The pen Yuu held in her fingers suddenly dropped with a slight thud on the desk before almost falling on the floor, which Luan prevented with his tail, grabbing it midair and passing to her. She thanked him absolutely absentmindedly, drowning in her thoughts.

The Fairest Princess. Was it a coincidence? No, it was absurd to deny it by now. She glanced at the color of the chalk the teacher used to depict dormitories’ colors, and the bright red was erasing any doubts and hesitance. Yuu added ‘Dorm leader — Neige’ to the dorm’s name written in pencil, and sighed, knitting her brows together. 

So Neige was connected to Snow White, after all. But still she couldn’t be any sure, considering no names were pronounced. Yuu knew her title, but as far as she remembered, people were referring to the princesses by their names preferably. However, could it be that those figures on which dorms are based weren’t the princesses and princes she knew? Yet still—

“Miss Yuu,” Amédée looked at her with a strict gaze, piercing through her and bringing Yuu’s mind back. “Is something the matter?”

“No, I am really sorry for the disturbance…”

“Hm,” the teacher said, relaxing just a little at her polite apology. “Alright, let’s continue. As for Dýnamieisos dormitory’s students, your dorm’s founded on the Prince of the Gods’ Valor.”

Yuu’s mind was still too preoccupied with the potential connection between Snow White, Neige and his dormitory to the point she was writing down the notes without giving any thought. 

“And last, but not least… Florevel dormitory is founded on Briar Rose’s Gracefulness.”

Yuu took a deep breath before trying to combine all the gathered information together and put it on the right shelves of her mind. Neige, Snow White, other dormitory figures… Oh, and the other school—was it NRC?—have got their own representatives, Yuu should have included them in her research and brainstorming, too. But how could she—

“And, as I’ve promised,” Amédée said, breaking a little silence lingered for a moment. “About Sidhery…”

Yuu raised her head, looking straight into his eyes.

“I believe the headmaster already explained to you that there’s no information regarding this dormitory. Moreover, the building itself isn’t being used for dormitory purposes, with a clock tower operating an only option remaining,” Yuu nodded to his words, confirming it. “Not to mention Sidhery building belongs to the type of non-pocket dimension one.”

Yuu wondered what ‘pocket dimension’ did mean and glanced at Luan, who only parted his lips slightly in surprise, then quickly erased the emotion and changed it into his signature cheeky grin, and wagged his tail.

“Although… During my academic years, when I was a student here myself, there were tittle-tattles emanating around saying that Sidhery was the very reason why RSA became so popular and earned its status as one of the best schools for young magicians,” Amédée said, going deeper into his thoughts. “Ah, I must also say that there were no dorms at first. Moreover, RSA was a co-ed school average to its max when it was established.”

“Co-ed?!” Someone gasped from the class. 

“Maybe that’s why Yuu-chan managed to enroll?” 

Yuu-chan?.. 

Yuu felt her cheeks growing redder, despite an obvious teasing way of saying, and lowered her gaze, feeling strange. Was it so simple for humans to call someone in an endearing manner? 

“But I’m afraid that is all I have to say,” Amédée turned to Yuu. “There might be some additional information in the library, though I am not sure if it’ll be much. Sidhery dormitory is a mystery shrouded in darkness, you may say.” 

“Thank you so much, professor,” Yuu stood up and bowed to Amédée, causing him to curve his lips in a weightless smile and nod to her. 

“Don’t mention it. Now, let us continue…”

Despite carrying a huge interest towards the dorm she was appointed to, Yuu’s very first task was to help Neige. Writing the notes down rather absentmindedly, she was focusing on her further plan regarding Neige, and decided to check him after the lessons.

Apparently, after school ends, Neige is no longer to be seen. 

Yuu made sure of that when she came to his class as fast as she could and stumbled upon his classmates who witnessed the embarrassing scene in the cafeteria earlier in the morning, and told her that he already left. They also mentioned he always leaves early, sometimes even when everyone in their classes, studying, but he’s got permission from the headmaster.

Having no idea where he went, Yuu felt uneasy, worrying probably for too much. Neige was a public figure, very much engaged with the media sphere. In spite of having no idea how it felt to be popular, Yuu still could understand that he was fairly used to all of the attention aimed at him, so she decided to do her own research. Remembering how Fairy Godmother told her to always remain calm and collected, Yuu took a deep breath and opened the doors to the library.

She was rather strong and composed when it came to battles or sudden situations, but as a substitute she turned into a ball of worries when the intuition was telling her that something would happen soon.

“Good evening, sir Aell… Huh?”

Yuu went to the counter where Aell could be found, but she witnessed only an empty place and dust particles flowing around the turned on lamp.

“Miss Yuu?”

She heard a voice coming from above, and raised her head, noticing Aell, standing on a stepladder and holding several books. 

“You’re quick to spot me,” he noticed. “Wait a moment, I shall come down.”

Yuu waited for him to get off the stepladder, and took some of the books he was carrying without asking.

“You don’t have to, miss Yuu,” he said as Yuu noticed a sweat drop rolling down his sharp cheekbone. 

“It is alright,” she declined. “Where should I put it?”

“Row seven, you’ll see empty shelves there.”

Yuu nodded and followed the direction he mentioned, then returned to the counter when she finished. 

“I presume you go here quite often, given how fast you orient yourself in here,” Aell said, snapping his fingers and magically cleaning off the dust on the counter. 

“You can say so,” she nodded. “I enjoy reading.”

“That’s nice to hear,” he replied. “So, how can I help you today?” 

“Professor Amédée mentioned I can find books about RSA dormitories here…”

“Oh, it’s rare for someone to dwell on it,” Aell noticed, nodding to himself. “Very well, you can find some in rows 19 and 20 on the second floor to your left.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Don’t mention it. Enjoy your time.”

Yuu went straight to the spot she grew familiar with, noticing she started occupying it quite often, to which she chuckled, placing books she took. 

Pretty colors of an upfolding evening radiated through the window near her, and after some time of reading and making notes she realized that it always was either Neige or that copper-haired boy, or even Che’nya wandering around here or studying. Or sleeping, in the case of Neige and another boy Yuu saw only once.

Even if Aell and Amédée both confirmed she can find some additional information in the library, nothing out of sorts was found. Amédée was fairly consistent in the way he explained things, hence Yuu could not really grasp something new from books. Although, symbolic features emphasizing Snow White’s aesthetics helped Yuu to make sure she was right in her judgment. Apparently, Edelwiese dormitory used a bright red apple as an unofficial yet incredibly recognizable symbol among students of RSA, distinguishing their dorm among others not only by its color choice. 

Then there were researches made for fun only, but appeared to be great material for Yuu. According to the school survey held several years ago, Edelwiese students attracted animals, were very kind to others, and were always compared to the students of NRC’s Pomefiore… 

“Pomefiore, huh?..” Yuu tilted her head, writing the name down in her notebook, and decided to put it aside for some time. 

After analyzing all the information she gathered before Aell went upstairs to tell her that the library was closing, she gasped, noticing how warm colors turned into dark cold ones, indicating that the night was close. 

She bid goodbye to Aell and summoned a butterfly on her way back to the dormitory.

“Good evening, little one,” she smiled, letting the butterfly land on her nose to tickle it with its wings. “Ha-ha, feeling playful today?”

Something tangled in her stomach at the very thought of falling asleep tonight. A malicious, viscous feeling covered her in its dark shades, but she shook her head when the butterfly danced around, as if asking what happened.

“Sorry for worrying you,” Yuu sighed. “I just… Do you think Fairy Godmother would be satisfied with my way of thinking if she was here? I think… I’m missing something.”

An image of the red apple Neige was holding suddenly appeared before her, making Yuu drown deep in worry.

“Though now I am certain I must help. I must finish my job and finally come back home, right?”

The butterfly made a graceful pirouette, approving Yuu’s words, and she smiled once again, though not very determined and sure if she really wanted to come back.

One day when the queen asked her mirror:

Mirror, mirror, on the wall,

Who in this land is fairest of all?

It answered:

You, my queen, are fair; it is true.

But Snow-White is a thousand times fairer than you.

Yuu shivered. It was excruciatingly cold, her bare legs were turning violet out of the blizzard she felt with her very skin. Fair, dispassionate woman’s gaze was piercing and sharp, to which Yuu jolted, not seeing her own reflection in the mirror. 

The queen took fright and turned yellow and green with envy. From that hour on whenever she looked at Snow-White her heart turned over inside her body, so great was her hatred for the girl. The envy and pride grew ever greater, like a weed in her heart, until she had no peace day and night.

Then she summoned a huntsman and said to him, "Take Snow-White out into the woods. I never want to see her again. Kill her, and as proof that she is dead bring her lungs and her liver back to me."

Yuu felt her heart clenching in her chest, a heartrending feeling gripped her heart, entwining it with tenacious thorny vines, and Yuu collapsed to her knees. Pierced by memories, she felt the events of past years rush through her vessels, causing her blood to freeze in her veins.

The huntsman obeyed and took Snow-White into the woods. He took out his hunting knife and was about to stab it into her innocent heart when she began to cry, saying, "Oh, dear huntsman, let me live. I will run into the wild woods and never come back."

Because she was so beautiful the huntsman took pity on her, and he said, "Run away, you poor child."

Yuu remembered that scene. She was helping dwarfs at the moment, when Fairy Godmother told her to not go anywhere without her asking, and the woeful look on her face indicated nothing good. 

She stared at the young beautiful girl who called Yuu her dearest friend, and wanted to help her get up, to envelop her in a warm comforting embrace, to tell her that everything will be alright, and even knowing it’ll really become fine — Yuu wasn’t fine at all.

"Child," said the old woman, "how you look! Come, let me lace you up properly."

The unsuspecting Snow-White stood before her and let her do up the new lace, but the old woman pulled so quickly and so hard that Snow-White could not breathe.

"You used to be the most beautiful one," said the old woman, and hurried away.

Yuu opened her eyes at once, desperately eagering for air to breathe in. She touched her neck, then embraced her own shoulders and stared at one spot before her, trembling miserably, and swallowed nervously.

“The red apple was just an omen,” Yuu said to herself, feeling how blood pounded in her head. “I must… I must protect Neige no matter what.”

The rest of the night went without any glimpse of sleep. Yuu put the memories she saw in her notebook, trying to make a timeline of events, presuming two more impingements will take place soon. 

In the morning she hurried straight to Neige’s classroom, not carrying any memory of how she changed the clothes. Nor did she possess any idea about how disheveled her hair looked, and how her face was swollen.

“Hm… Oi, Yuu!!”

She caught the voice owner rather quickly, turning around and seeing Luan waving at her. She stopped reluctantly, knowing that everything was probably fine, but she was too deep in her worries and concerns to let go of them so easily.

“G-good morning, Luan.”

“Huh?” He approached her, noticing how out of character she seemed. “You ok?”

A fae can’t lie, and Yuu really couldn’t. She gave him a small soft smile to lessen suspicions arising around her, and waited for Luan to speak.

“I guess it’s a yes?” He looked at her, approaching a little more and looking straight into her eyes. “Damn, never noticed they were so huge before.”

“Yes?..” She asked him in confusion.

“Yours eyes,” he explained. “They’re huge. I think they were brighter tho.”

“You’re very attentive to details, Luan,” she complimented him, seeing his tail wagging slightly. “Didn’t think I could see you so early in the morning, though.”

“Ugh,” he grimaced. “I just had to get up early today… Nevermind. Well, there's not much time left before the classes start. C’mon, don’t wanna hear you nagging at me for being late.”

He grabbed her hand, leading her to the classroom, much to Yuu’s concern. He was right, and it really was the only logical and rational thing to do, but the anxiety enveloping her made her heart twitch in worry.

Yuu tried to regain her composure. Luan’s presence caused a rather calming effect on her, making heart settle and mind put at peace at least slightly. During the lesson she diligently tried focusing on Emery’s words, even if still flowing somewhere in her thoughts about Neige. 

She nervously grabbed a strand of her hair, twisting it around her finger, and decided to braid her hair, realizing how disheveled and uncombed it was. 

I’m such a failure, Yuu thought silently, being exceedingly ashamed of her unkempt appearance, knowing exactly well that Fairy Godmother would be unsatisfied with her approach to herself. 

After the class ended, Yuu stood up at once, attracting Luan’s attention to her, and turned to him, meeting with his concerned gaze.

“You ok buddy?” He asked, confusing her again with that ‘buddy’ nickname, to which Yuu smiled gently.

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you for asking. I just… need to be somewhere right at the moment, please excuse me. I’ll join you for lunch.”

“No probs,” Luan’s bright smile managed to reassure Yuu that he was fine with her strange behavior. 

Despite him possessing a youthful, almost reckless appearance, he was no fool, giving her the space and time she needed, to which she was really grateful and hoped for the day she could repay him for his kindness.

Yuu rushed to Neige’s classroom, nimbly passing through students due to her tiny figure, and enhanced her hearing ability, concentrating on flowing around sounds and current of different voices combining all together. For a second stopping before the bulletin board, to which the curriculum was attached with a magical sticker, Yuu found the auditorium where Neige should be now, and hurried away in that direction.

Despite Neige’s voice being distinguishably sweet from others, she couldn’t grasp at least a glimpse of it, indicating he was silent right at the moment. When Yuu found his class, she jumped on the spot, fishing out Neige’s beret in the crowd of tall students, smiling to herself and rushing to him.

He was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the class, not noticing Yuu at all at first. Corners of his soft, bright red lips were curved upward, yet didn’t radiate a feeling of comfort and genuine warmth he usually seemed to possess, reminding Yuu more of a feigned consolation.

She approached him slowly, glimpses of voices reaching her ears, to which she turned her head to the classroom, where the origin of strange statements was found.

“He’s pissing me off.”

“Such a brat.”

“Have you heard rumors?”

“Which exactly? There's a lot floating around him.”

“That he’s probably sells his bod—”

“Good morning, Yuu.”

She turned, recognizing familiar sweetness, and noticed Neige waving at her. 

“It is quite unusual seeing you here. I thought first years don’t have practical magic lessons to be near these auditoriums…” He gave her a smile and then gasped suddenly. “Ah, forgive me if I sound as if I don’t want to see you! It is quite the opposite, I’m very happy I was able to see you early in the morning.”

“You are?..” Yuu asked in bewilderment. Why would he though?

“Of course,” his answer seemed lifeless, yet still genuine enough to believe he was saying the truth. 

“Thank you. I’m glad to see you too…”

“I’m flattered, but… Is everything alright, Yuu? You look a bit confused, if I dare to say. Can I help you?”

How funny is that I am the one who should be helping you, Yuu thought and realized she couldn’t really express why she rushed here. It was unwise to tell Neige about her dreams, her relation to princesses and such — she simply was no one to him. 

“I am fine, please don’t worry. I am just… observing the school.”

Which actually was a truth of sorts, and even if it may appear suspicious, she couldn’t come up with something more witty at the moment. And Neige, being either considerate of her or having no eagerness to interrogate her regarding this matter, only smiled, staring at her.

She looked at him with an uncovered concern splashing in her eyes, and felt something strange growing in her body.

Neige’s eyes were aimed right at her own, huge and filled with confusion. A weightless feeling blossomed in every cell of her body, filling it with unprecedented lightness. Warmth surrounded her heart, exuding gentle thrill, yet calmness prevailed. A mixture of different, but surely positive emotions combined into a holistic picture of serenity.

“H-huh?..”

“Yuu?”

She looked at Neige with more clearance in her gaze, blinking away all the confusion, and subconsciously drew a hand to where her heart was, not realizing what happened. 

“Ah,” she gasped when Neige approached her just ever so slightly, gazing straight at her, and noticed a shadow of something heavy and mournful in his eyes. “Neige?”

“Yes?”

He quickly regained composure, smiling at her in the way he always did, much to Yuu’s concern. Just what in the world happened?

“Are you perhaps feeling unwell?” She asked him, noticing how his delicate thin fingers trembled when he raised his hand to fix a strand of her hair. 

“Hm…” His eyes averted, and he blinked, spotting out the dwarfs, who came closer to him. “Probably. I’ll go visit a nurse. Thank you for expressing your genuine concern, yet also I’m deeply sorry for making you worry. See you later, Yuu.”

Absentmindedly greeting the dwarfs and bidding goodbye to the company, she watched Neige’s figure distancing from where she was, still not quite thinking straight, but a sudden malicious laugh reached her ears.

“HAHAH, it was SOOO pathetic. He really has no idea how to woo a girl.”

Yuu turned to Neige’s classmate, a peaceful and delightful feeling in her chest slowly disappearing, leaving a place for annoyance. 

“They say they’ll include more romance scenes in the movie,” someone said. “It’ll be so painful to watch.”

“For real, he’s so lame. Smiling here ‘n there won’t help. Can’t believe he’s starring in an R-rated movie.”

“Now now, don’t be so harsh,” someone added. “He’s just a child. He plays just fine in stuff for kids commercials!”

“Yeah, pathetic shit.”

“And you are?”

No one noticed when Yuu entered an unfamiliar auditorium, materializing before other students’ very eyes, making them stare at her in confusion. 

“Oho, isn’t it a lovely Yuu-chan?”

“Lovely?” She asked, a vague smile blossoming on her face, making it completely unreadable. 

“You must be dead tired after seeing that pathetic piece of shit.”

Yuu knew she had no authority in this school, being a small girl surrounded by tall and lean men wasn’t helpful at all, too, but she was pissed off enough to act harshly.

“Yuu-chan, if you’re hanging out with him because of his fame, forget it. With your looks you might as well seduce that Schoenheit guy. By the way, I know the guy who knows the guy who…”

“Ha…” She sighed, pressing her palm to her forehead and closing her eyes. 

“Come on, you’re scaring her,” another student said, standing up and getting closer to Yuu, placing his hand on her shoulder. “He’s right tho. Unless you prefer young innocent-looking boys over someone more manly?”

“You.”

She looked at the hand resting on top of her shoulder, and then shifted her gaze straight into the guy’s eyes, her heart possessing no warmth anymore. 

“I’m rather tired. Tired of hearing you spreading all this nonsense.”

“Huh?”

“Hanging out because of Neige’s fame?” She smiled slightly. “Seducing someone I don’t even know? You’re making me laugh! All of you… I despise people like you.”

“What did you just say?”

“Oh please, cute little girl playing protective? What are you, Neige’s mommy?”

The air turned cold and difficult to breathe when Yuu’s smile widened. 

“Dude,” someone whispered to the student who was arrogantly smiling at Yuu. “Don’t jinx it, she’s a fuckin’ fae!..”

But neither Yuu nor the student really cared.

“What can you possibly do?” The student came closer to her. “Tell the headmaster about us? Go on, it’s you, not us being in a predicament.”

“That is the only cover you could come up with? The headmaster? Dear little child,” she remained even, her back straight and the gaze certain and strict. “Next time you see Neige, thank him for not telling the headmaster about your behavior. Thanks to him, your dirty souls are being safe and not expelled. Have you ever thought about it?”

“Sweetie, we just genuinely don’t care whether he tells the headmaster about us or not.”

“Great then,” Yuu clapped her hands, and a little electricity spark flashed in front of everyone, making them flinch slightly. “Then if you don’t mind Neige, you won’t mind me as well, am I being correct? Wait a moment, I’ll go inform the headmaster about this issue real quick.”

“You little shit,” the student grabbed her hand, but Yuu glanced at him with malice spreading in her eyes. “Drop your act. Yeah, you’re a greater actor than him, we got it. Now stop pissing us off ‘till we get serious.”

“So you’re not being serious right now? How disappointing. I thought your act could serve as a comedy for me to keep myself entertained for some time, but now knowing that such people like you even dared to say something about Neige… A~ah, truly unfortunate.”

“Neige’s sure got some crazy bitches among his fans.”

Yuu was feeling strange. Unknown rage was filling her to the bone, making it difficult to remain calm and collected. It never happened before, not even once, she was strictly prohibited from performing acts like that. Fairy Godmother taught her that all the problems could be resolved with little verbal tricks and light magic if needed. 

But what was that malicious, dark and dirty sensation vibrating in her vessels?

She once more felt how her body trembled for a moment, and with a gentle feeling all the emotions disappeared, being replaced with happiness and joy that was quite out of blue.

“Ah, dear little children,” she murmured. “It seems the lesson starts soon. I have no time to continue playing kindergarten here.”

“Kinder— YOU!!—”

“Shh,” Yuu smiled, pressing her finger to the guy's cheek, feeling absolutely disgusted. “I’m genuinely warning you that you’re getting expelled if you don’t apologize to Neige. Well then, farewell. Hope we’ll never meet again.”

She went out of the auditorium, turning around at the exit for a moment, and casually dropped another smile.

“Ah, one more thing. Neige is the most kind, hard-working and genuine person that I’ve ever known in my whole life. It is quite disappointing to see that you’re not following none of your Venerable Seven’s behest.”

After that she ran away, clenching the shirt in her hand, breathing heavily and trying to realize what came into her, causing to say such cruel, unpleasant and absolutely not graceful things. 

It was as if another person shifted into her, changing her personality at once.

And what was that sudden feeling of happiness and joy filling her already twice this morning?

The classes ended, and Yuu realized it would be unwise to try finding Neige in the classroom, given how unpleasant the meeting with his classmates went. 

The day was bright and flourishing in all its glory, bestowing a gentle serenity with hot yet soft sun rays. Yuu closed her eyes for a mere moment, letting herself stop to appreciate the cordial tender feeling spreading in her chest. 

“Haah…”

With a snap of fingers she summoned a pink butterfly that greeted her in a playful dance around her head.

“I’m so immature,” Yuu mumbled to herself. “Mother… will be disappointed.”

The butterfly landed on her closed eyelid, fluttering its wing, to which Yuu chuckled.

“Thank you for your reassurance, little one. I—”

“Whatchnya doin’?”

“Ah!”

Yuu gasped, opening her eyes abruptly, and saw Che’nya’s face levitating in the air.

“Che’nya-san!”

“That’s mya,” The boy materialized with all his body, casually crossing his legs midair, and landed successfully, jumping on his foot and looking like he weighed nothing at all, demonstrating his graceful and flexible moves. “How’s your day?”

“Uhm, I am… a bit confused, so to say,” Yuu forced a smile, watching the butterfly fly around Che’nya, who seemed to be enjoying the moment and chuckling softly. 

“Little confusion won’t hurt one,” Che’nya replied vaguely. “On the contrary, wouldn’t our lives be fairly borin’ without any confusion put in them?”

“Yes?.. I believe you’re right…” Yuu tilted her head, questioning what exactly was that he meant by that, but shrugged it off, clapping her hands. “Ah, right! Have you seen Neige?”

“I may have,” Che’nya jumped on the spot, his body disappearing in the air, and only his upside-down head turned to Yuu, much to her growing bewilderment. “Or I may have not.”

“It seems I’m free to allegorize your words as I please?”

“Nya-uh,” he smiled at her, his face looking silly yet cute being turned upside-down. “I know a road which can take you to someone who definitely knows where Neige is~”

“You do?!” Yuu’s face glowed in joy. 

“Nyap,” Che’nya nodded… Or so it seemed? “The one who also helps Neige. You might find him somewhere or nowhere in that direction~”

“Somewhere or… I’m afraid I don’t follow?”

“You do~ Follow my directions. I’m the best at giving them.”

Che’nya’s arm appeared in the air, his index finger pointing on the road which led to the clocktower, and glanced back at the cat-looking boy, but he’s probably long gone by now.

“And remember,” his voice was heard. “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road can take you there.”

And with that Che’nya’s voice died out, leaving Yuu all alone with her grown confusion.

“Well…” She sighed, letting the butterfly, that also seemed flummoxed at Che’nya’s behavior, rest on her shoulder. “Let’s try following the direction he pointed.”

The one who also helps Neige, huh. 

Yuu swam deeper in her thoughts, trying to recollect the memories and rearrange the succession of events. Today’s not so pleasant meeting with Neige’s classmates almost overshadowed previous encounters of other people Yuu thought were at least neutral.

By the way, why would the road correlate with the clocktower? Was someone who could help her find Neige in the building right at the moment? Other than her, she could meet Prospero there. 

Ah, wait! Did Che’nya mean Emery who was following— Wait.

Yuu felt another presence nearby. Hiding behind the tree, she listened closely, hearing two people talking.

“Another shenanigans of yours…”

The peaceful, melodious voice bewitched Yuu. The words formed rather not into speech, but into a series of musical notes, charming with their tenderness.

“C’mon, no one will know!”

Another voice, the one that Yuu was able to recognize almost instantly due to the youthful, joyful sound vibrating in the air. 

That was him. The copper-haired boy she met on her first day here, and also the one who seemed to be genuinely worried about Neige.

Yuu peeked out from behind the tree, spotting two students standing with their backs to her, so she wasn’t able to see their faces. The boy she saw appeared to be smaller in height than his friend. Come to think of it, his blonde-haired friend was so tall and magnificent that Yuu gasped, parting her lips, realizing she has never seen people of such height. An extraterrestrial aura flew around him, radiating light and calming feeling.

He was the one sleeping in the library!

“Emery knows though, doesn’t he?” Taller boy replied, to which his friend jolted on the spot. 

“N-nah, what are you saying!~”

“You said that he followed you when you tried to flee miserably.”

“Ugh.”

“And that he lectured you for three hours straight.”

“Ouch.”

“And that you are also prohibited from entering the clocktower for a time being.”

“Argh, enough!! Besides, we’re not entering the building itself, okay?! Let’s hurry up! It’s not like you’re not going anyway, right?”

“Right,” the blond-haired boy answered. “It’s always you who gets scolded anyway.”

“That’s what friends are for. To always remind you that you’re saving their asses and they’re watching you getting scolded for lulz.”

“It’s me saving your restless ass though.”

“Ah shut up~”

“Cast your magic already.”

“Alright, two premium tickets coming right up!”

Yuu came out from behind the tree before the boy started whispering, and listened closely, focusing on the words he was pronouncing in an enchanting way.

“No matter which way I’m going, it gets curiouser and curiouser. Down the Rabbit Hole!”

The familiar hole appeared before two boys, and they, exchanging another joke or two, both jumped down there. 

Yuu, immediately running towards the hole, watched it closing with a rapid speed, and realized that it was now or never — there was no time to try guessing what could happen down there, she’ll definitely figure it out once she jumps. So she did, stepping into an unknown space, and letting the wind current take her somewhere.

She opened her eyes, which had been closed before the jump, and a blindingly bright light shone in front of her. A space that looked more like the Milky Way with glittering stars of cold colors unfolded in front of her. A scattering of sparkling stars decorated the walls of this “hole,” but Yuu’s gaze was riveted by something else.

Objects of various purposes danced freely in the air, as if they lived their own lives. A chair with gold-plated armrests flew past Yuu and moved behind her, forcing her to take a seat. She levitated in the air, sitting on a luxurious velvet chair!!

“W-what is happening?!”

Ignoring her question, the table with a patterned tablecloth joined the company, appearing in front of Yuu. The treats did not take long to arrive — a plate with buoyantly dancing cookies was jumping over the table. A teapot rushed past, drawing strange patterns with flowing tea in the air, and as soon as a cup with a fancy handle joined the feast, the teapot splashed hot tea into the cup.

“T-thank you?..” Yuu mumbled, when the cup drew closer to her, suggesting to grab it.

The aroma of melted chocolate and tea with bergamot filled the space. The tartness of the drink seemed quite interesting to Yuu, but the next sweets that arrived at the table overwhelmed the persistent smell of infused tea leaves, giving way to the aroma of cinnamon and powdered sugar.

“Thank you for the cordial welcome… whoever you are?”

The kitchen utensils danced approvingly around her, and only Yuu had time to finish her tea, when space turned everything upside down (if what was happening could even be interpreted in this way, given all its absurdity). Yuu screamed in surprise, mentally thanking herself for braiding her hair earlier in the morning, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to see anything.

She spotted a bright light at the end of the hole, and turned around to witness no utensils dancing here and there. She was left all alone, heading towards the light and worrying about the closing exit. 

“No no no, wait for me!!” She cried, trying to make a move similar to one when people swim in the water, but to no avail.

She managed to get closer to the exit in the last second, before the space basically spat her out of itself.

She landed successfully, rising from her knees, and turned around to take a look. 

And realized she had no idea where she was.

An unfamiliar infrastructure appeared before Yuu. The coldness of the stone walls around her made her feel slightly uncomfortable, and she hurried to get out of her current situation. Proceeding to the side where the passage stood out, she found herself in the middle of a narrow street where people were scurrying about.

She looked around in fascination, marveling at the local infrastructure and how different it was from RSA. Small houses with small courtyards, the stonework of this alley, fancy street lamps…

She was brought out of her thoughts by familiar voices heard somewhere very far away, and Yuu turned to the source of the sound. She found those same two students at the end of the alley, hurried after them, but at the turn she discovered that there was already no trace of them.

Meanwhile, she herself found herself on a wider and busier street, which completely confused her.

“W-woah…”

The number of people walking here and there scared her out. She never considered herself a person who could easily interact with people, and now, being left completely all alone in the—apparently—town of unfamiliar faces has helped her worries to grow.

“Uhm…”

She decided to start walking where there weren’t so many people, glancing at the store windows, at people taking a stroll, at a stray cat jumping on the rooftop, at the way gilded foliage indicated summer lost its rights, giving way to autumn, and the leaves slowly falling down. 

Get yourself together, Yuu commanded herself. 

First, the copper-haired boy probably took her here (even if he didn’t know it himself), hence Neige could be possibly found somewhere near this place. Second, was this ‘hole’ he created something that Emery explained as a unique magic? And was it not the hole, but the portal? Alright, then if anything, Yuu could possibly find a spot where no one would see her, and just fly into the sky to see where RSA is located.

And now, how could she possibly fish out Neige out of ALL those people?

Yuu possessed greater abilities than humans did. Enhanced hearing, vision, smelling and other perception options, she could have tried remembering Neige’s voice, or smell, or his appearance to detect his location. However, Fairy Godmother never told her how far she could go with her abilities, explaining only the simplest ways of their work. Due to that reason, Yuu is most likely to fail. 

She decided to give it a go even still, leaning on the tree in the park she went to look less suspicious, and looked around, concentrating her vision on certain spots, but all in vain. Trying to hear Neige’s voice also didn’t work, giving her a slight migraine instead.

“Should I just observe as far as I can now…”

With the confusion on her heart, Yuu slowly started walking around, deciding to at least observe the place she arrived at, so she wouldn’t get lost in the town in case there will be another chance to visit it. 

She was walking around the city in a casual manner, fascinated by absolutely everything around her. The flow of people amazed her with how harmoniously it moved, as if it were one integral organism. People were going in all directions: some were in a hurry somewhere, quickly avoiding obstacles, pressing a box to their ear, which Yuu could now identify as a mobile phone; someone, on the contrary, was walking very leisurely, just like her, enjoying the moment.

Small buildings were replaced by some much larger in height. Such buildings reflected light with their glass walls, forcing Yuu to stop in front of them, looking at her reflection in bewilderment.

The variety on the store windows was amazing in its assortment, and Yuu smiled sadly, examining a winter scarf with the predominant red yarn in it and running her fingers over the embroidered birds. For the second time during her stay here in this world made her heart sink with regret for not earning money or at least trying to find a job. First of all, she wanted to repay Ambrose for being so kind to her and providing accommodation. And the second time was right now.

“It would look so nice on him…”

“What a thoughtful girlfriend you are!”

Yuu raised her head, looking at the shopkeeper with incomprehension in her eyes.

“Girlfriend?”

“You’re choosing a gift for your boyfriend, no?”

“Oh, no, nothing of sorts! I just thought this would look good on someone I know.”

“Your friend then?”

“My friend…”

Was Neige really her friend?

None of their encounters resembled something that friends would do or discuss, and every meeting ended with Yuu blaming herself for being not so helpful, while Neige only tried to distance her off himself with a reassuring smile.

They weren’t friends, she was sure of it, and they most probably would not be ones ever. After she finds a way to finally release him from his worries, she’ll get back home, with all the students forgetting her very existence in a short period of time.

Yet, something tangled in her stomach at this thought, and she decided to shrug it off before she got too emotional and unstable of thinking straight.

“Oh, maybe I’m overstepping, but did you sew these clothes yourself?”

“My clothes?” Yuu echoed and gasped right when she realized.

She was still wearing her RSA uniform, while not even trying to cover the fact that she was a female.

Yuu laughed rather awkwardly, realizing she needs to rush over somewhere to cast a set of casual clothes to walk here without any worries, and waited for the shopkeeper to start making assumptions so to Yuu could confirm any guess and not to lie.

“No, it wasn’t me…”

“Aah, then have you perhaps taken it from your brother? My daughter likes to wear an RSA uniform, too. What’s so pretty about it, though? NRC’s dark colors are more stylish to me. Ah, forgive my nagging.”

“This is alright!” Yuu smiled. “I like light colors more… Come to think of it, you’re right. It’s about time I return them to their owner, ha-ha…”

“Okay, see you then!”

“Have a nice day!”

Yuu casually walked out of the shop and, before rushing to the corner where no one was found, took a look at girls outfits, choosing a combination of elements of the garments they were wearing, so as to be not so different from other people. Summoning her magic wand, she decided to go with a simple choice due to the lack of time.

“I hope this will do…”

A wave of sparkles surrounded her, and with a little flash her clothes changed into a black long straight dress and a gray top, the boots with satin ribbons she used to wear as a part of her RSA uniform being replaced with patent leather lace-up boots. 

She went out to the streets, noticing that the day was cooling from the midday heat, and grew colder, giving way to pinkish evening colors.

Yuu reached a large building right in the centre of the city, raising her head up and regretting she couldn’t fly over the top right at the moment to see the name of the, apparently, company that was located here. 

She wasn’t really familiar with modern concepts and settings, transmigrating to the worlds of medieval times. Being completely oblivious to the way strange-looking carriages were rushing on the streets, Yuu felt her head turning dizzy, and decided to take a moment to rest in the park and continue her observation.

Right when she sat, a sweet scent lingered in the air, making her shudder and focus on its origin. 

“Neige!” She exclaimed to herself, concentrating her ears and feeling them twitch slightly. 

She heard his voice somewhere far away, and not wasting any more time, rushed over there. Almost reaching his location, the sweet and gentle fragrance growing easier to feel, Yuu suddenly stopped, her heart piercing with a strange uncomfortable sensation.

A malicious aura was spreading nearby, and right when she noticed Neige in the distance with a dark hat and a mask on him, she was hit by someone. Yuu turned and saw a little figure of a girl watching Neige. 

“Excuse me!..” Yuu exclaimed, but the girl couldn’t care less, her eyes strongly fixated on Neige’s silhouette. 

That was her. The girl radiated that spiteful, ill-disposed manner around her, and Yuu decided to follow. The girl was basically running towards Neige, her eyes glowing with an obsessive, possessive light in them, scaring Yuu and making her realize that she needed to act fast.

A sudden appearance of a modern-looking carriage right before Yuu’s very eyes was an unplanned and rather disappointing event, the girl being long gone by now. 

“Little one,” Yuu said, standing near the road where a column of many carriages was, and summoned a pink butterfly. “Go after Neige.”

Right now she needed to act as a young normal woman possessing no magic powers. There was no way she could do something reckless such as to fly towards Neige or the girl. People were crowding around a pillar with three windows, one of them glowing with red light. They weren’t surprised at how the carriages were moving, and decided to join them. Right when she got closer, the light changed from red to yellow, then green, and people started crossing the road with Yuu following their example.

Fantastic system, she thought to herself, deciding to investigate it more when—or rather if—she’ll have the time to do so. 

Finally escaping the obstacle, she followed the butterfly’s direction, and almost stumbled upon Neige talking to the girl.

The last one being fairly noisy and annoying, so to say. Neige, who looked even more tired and exhausted than he did in the morning, much to Yuu’s concern, lowered the mask, so his lips could be seen, and forced an apologetic smile to the girl.

Yuu was approaching them with a rapid speed, trying to control her moves, so she won’t come off as an extraordinary creature with inhuman powers, and concentrated on their conversation, catching more and more glimpses of it.

“I’m sorry I’m not—”

“But I love you!!”

“As I’ve mentioned, I—”

“I’ll kill myself if you!—”

“Please calm down—”

Kill herself?! Yuu’s blood froze in her vessels, as she rushed without any thinking, but then a bright flash of something metallic cold flew before Neige. 

Yuu accumulated magic in her legs, ready to just jump into them, but then another flash of light sparkled before Neige, covering the space with fire spurts of flame. 

What just happened?..

“And what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Yuu recognized the voice, despite it losing its cheerful notes. The copper-haired boy’s eyes glew with an intense, almost malevolent blue fire of rage. 

Stationery knife the girl was about to use fell on the ground, ashes melting in the air. 

“You okay?” The boy asked Neige, who appeared to be in oppressive stupor. 

“Ah, yes, thank you…” Neige finally replied, clenching the shirt in his hand, and swallowed.

The girl fell on her knees, and Neige, enveloped in pure guilt, outstretched his hand to the girl, so she could stand up, but the boy quickly brushed it off.

“Dude, I understand, Edelwiese is founded on kindness and things, but you could have been, like… Killed. Or… I don’t know!!”

“He’s right,” a now familiar Yuu blonde boy also appeared, still standing with his back turned to Yuu. “We should report to the police.”

“Thank you for your concern,” Neige smiled at the boys. “But everything is okay.”

“Okay?! OKAY?!” The blue-eyed boy cried, grabbing Neige’s hands and looking at him with a genuine worry in his eyes, while the blonde one monitored the girl who was still sitting on the ground. 

“Yes,” Neige nodded, distancing himself from the boy and loosening the grip on his hands. “Everything’s alright, there’s nothing to worry about…”

He then whispered something with his lips only, and the boy who appeared to be extremely tense now became absolutely relaxed and slightly perplexed with his own feelings. 

“I…” Yuu whispered to the butterfly that returned to her. “Sense magic.”

“Alright…” The boy replied. “I believe you if you say so. But we should still report to the police!”

“We will,” Neige reassured, taking out a phone out of his pocket. “I’ll let my manager know about it. I also won’t tell anyone that you used magic in the town.”

“But—”

“Young lady,” Neige turned to the girl who was still looking at him adoringly, joyful due to him paying her attention she wanted. “Please promise me you… won’t ever… do something like that. Ever. This is my last warning.”

“If you desire so!!”

Neige blinked, forcing a smile so artificial it hurt. The police finally arrived, taking the girl with them and, after asking Neige some questions, let him be with the two students.

Yuu decided to follow them and make sure they’ll get home safe and sound.

“Dude, it’s not even funny. How are you so nice to her after THAT happened?!”

“I agree,” the blonde one said, shaking his head. “This is absolutely abnormal.”

“She was trying to KILL you, hello?!”

“Or herself,” the blonde added. “Both possibilities are NOT okay.”

“What he said,” the copper-haired boy sighed. “Neige, really, you need a guard or somethin’..”

“It’s not like I can afford—” Neige’s voice suddenly rose up, but then he cleared his throat and shook his head. “There’s no need. I can handle it.”

After twenty minutes of small arguing about Neige’s safety, the conversation changed into a more casual flow.

“By the way, what were you doing here in the first place? I always thought you’re getting a ride to the company.”

“It’s just… It was an unplanned meeting, so I was basically dragged out of the lesson today. We were discussing an upcoming project. Apparently… Now I have much more lines to play than expected.”

“Even more?! Hello, your eyebags will soon reach the point of that energy drink addict.”

“Oi,” the blonde answered with a clear annoyance in his voice. 

“Ha-ha,” Neige laughed gently. “I’m already considered a coffee addict though.”

“You two are complete fools… I can’t believe it.”

“I’m very sorry to disappoint you…” Neige mumbled.

“Oh please,” the blue-eyed boy sighed. “Don’t apologize. And disappoint? What again? Why would you disappoint me out of all people?”

“You’re right…” Neige nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Dude…”

Yuu followed them, noticing that the rest of the conversation was held by the two students, while Neige remained silent until they made it to the RSA entrance, much to Yuu’s surprise. 

After they bid goodbye to each other, Neige went to the main building, while the two boys followed an opposite direction, heading to somewhere unbeknown to Yuu. She waited for a moment until their silhouettes were gone, and headed to the clocktower. 

The pink butterfly that followed her till the end started flying in a strange way, its activity raising to the max, with the butterfly's wings fluttering very fast. 

“Is something the matter, little one?”

In spite of asking, she already knew that something was exceedingly wrong. The butterfly landed on her head, as if trying to grab her hair, then went to her clavicles, arching her waist, then flying off to the clocktower’s highest spot, finally making a comeback to Yuu after that.

“Little one, I’m afraid I don’t understand…”

The butterfly went to her ear, its wings tickling Yuu’s skin. She nodded to its movements, furrowing her brows and sighing heavily.

“I know he’s in danger!” Yuu cried, feeling totally exhausted and drenched out. “I know I must help!”

This is my duty, after all, she thought, falling on her knees before the entrance to the clocktower, expressing no desire to enter. 

“Fine,” she said, when the butterfly started acting slightly annoyingly, but Yuu didn’t want to blame it for the worries it possessed. Her own mental state reminded of a vase, starting to crumble with little cracks. 

“Give me some time. I’ll gather the information I have and try to arrange everything. We will rescue him.”

The butterfly seemed to calm down a little, and Yuu, still sitting on the grass, summoned her magic wand and changed the clothes back to the school uniform. 

“Á lelya,” the dilapidated notebook appeared in a wave of sparkles, landing right in her hands. 

Her fingers flipped the pages at a fast speed, and when Yuu found what she needed the most right now, she nodded to herself, opening a new page and writing down her thoughts.

Her thoughts and magic combinations, which she hoped she wouldn’t have an opportunity to use. She never tried those incantations she came up with just now, and was very afraid of it going the wrong way to the point of no return. 

An hour has passed since Yuu started practicing magic spells on her own. The deep evening had fallen on the streets, warm pinkish and orange colors changing into cold dark ones, and Yuu was ready to head back to the building, feeling absolutely exhausted.

“Let’s go, little one,” Yuu said, making the notebook disappear in the air, and grabbed her magic wand. “I hope I’ll settle everything tomorrow and—”

“Yuu.”

Yuu recognized Che’nya’s voice, but couldn’t really manage to find his mischievous figure. Looking around, she noticed him slowly appearing in the woods, and came closer to him, at the same time realizing she was still holding her magic wand. 

Withdrawing it now would only raise Che’nya’s suspicions, so she carefully tucked it in her sleeve and greeted him.

“Good evening, Che’nya-san.”

“Good evenyan~” How strange. Yuu thought he sounded quite concerned a little ago. 

“May I help you?”

“Not me,” Che’nya smiled at her, but something mysterious and unreadable slid down his iris. 

“Ah!” Yuu gasped. “Did perhaps something happen to Neige?!”

“Hmm,” Che’nya’s brows slightly twitched, an unfamiliar look appeared on his face. “Not at the moment.”

“I, uhm,” Yuu hesitated. She was fairly obvious with all those questions about Neige’s location and the cafeteria event. But if something could happen, she would like to prevent it as fast as possible. “I actually followed your advice and went after that boy you’ve mentioned. Even if I couldn’t help Neige in the town, he looked very… How should I put it…”

“Like the world is about to end, nya?”

“Oh,” Yuu cleared her throat. “In a way, yes…”

“Right, right, he’s a very hard-working boy, nya. Maybe too much…”

“Che’nya-san,” Yuu’s voice sounded strict and concerned. “I know it might be too much to ask, but you also came not just for a small talk like that, am I being correct?”

“Uh-nya,” he nodded.

“Do you by any chance know where Neige is right now?”

“Drama club building,” Che’nya answered immediately, showing a slight glimpse of relief that Yuu caught his way of thinking. 

“Show me the way.”

Che’nya, without further ado, went straight into the woods, and Yuu had nothing to do but follow him. 

Their path passed in absolute oppressive silence, due to the fact that everyone understood that something wrong could happen in the coming minutes. The butterfly next to Yuu was spinning in a frantic dance, as if reflecting a gloomy omen.

A small dome-shaped building appeared in front of them, resembling an indoor amphitheater.

“Normally the building is open at this hour for Neige only,” Che’nya commented. 

“What are we going to do then?..”

Neige smirked, making his body disappear, and reappeared on the opposite side of the wall, right in the building.

“Che’nya-san, is it okay for us to—”

“Don’t worry, nya. We’ve got other things to do.”

He was right. Yuu should have prioritize Neige’s safety first, so she nodded to Che’nya when he opened the window and gave his hand to Yuu to help her get inside.

The building seemed smaller inside than outside. Several rooms along the long corridor served as utility rooms and small auditoriums with technical equipment, the purpose of which Yuu could not determine at the moment.

When they reached the last door, Che’nya pressed a finger to his lips, followed by Yuu’s nod and confirmation to remain silent. Neige’s voice was heard ever so slightly.

He opened the door, and Yuu immediately bent down, glancing at Che’nya who followed her example and nodded to the side, silently whispering ‘this way’ with his lips only.

Indeed, the building turned out to be an amphitheater. An unsettling moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, illuminating the main stage at the very bottom. Yuu and Che’nya found themselves in the upper rows, hiding behind the raised seats, and walked closer to the middle.

Yuu's heart was pounding wildly in his chest. Everything that was happening seemed like some kind of feverish dream, a fictional delirium, moreover, absolutely unsightly and wrong. But all her regrets and fears disappeared once she heard Neige’s loud voice.

“Me? Oh I’m… Not scared of death.”

Neige was probably following the script, and Yuu peeped out to make sure she understood it right. 

He held a paper sheet with a text on it, a strong trembling ran through his tender, weakened hands. Yuu knitted her brows together, when Che’nya tagged her on the sleeve, reminding that they still needed some time to observe. 

“Argh!” Neige groaned. “That’s not it. Ahem… Me?! Oh I am!.. No, should I put more pressure? More sneer?”

He was pacing back and forth on the stage, loud thuds of his heels echoing in the building. 

“Me… Hahaha! I’m not scared of death,” Neige exclaimed after a long pause. “Urgh, no… This is all wrong.”

Yuu wasn’t sure how much more they should wait, and was about to peep out once more, but a sudden vibrating in the air caused her muscles to tense. Che’nya couldn’t resist his interest any longer, too, and looked where Yuu was staring at, noticing a giant hole opening in the floor.

“That is!..” Yuu whispered, feeling Che’nya nodding beside her.

“But why?..”

A familiar figure of the copper-haired boy appeared in the auditorium, and right when he was about to open his mouth to say something, he noticed Neige on the stage, looking mournful and gloomy.

“I am… I am not… scared of death.”

The blue-eyed boy gasped, drawing his hand to his mouth to cover it. 

“How exactly must I say that, given the character IS scared of death!?”

Neige tore the paper in his hands, collapsing on the stage, and right when Yuu and others were ready to act on their instincts, Neige laughed hysterically, standing up, tears running down his sunken cheeks.

“Haaa… I should have given this role to Vi-kun instead.”

Yuu felt a cold wave run through her body. Her heart felt like it was encased in icy, rusty chains, and she hugged herself tightly, trying to prevent herself from trembling. Che’nya turned to look at her, but Yuu only stared in fear in response. Neige went backstage. 

“Yuu?! Calm down, hey, look, Neige’s back—”

Yuu shook her head, afraid of looking at the stage. 

“It would be highly unwise of you.”

The voice, usually gentle and smooth, giving peace and tranquility, sounded sharp and blatantly insolent. Yuu sharply raised her head and felt something inside her break with a crash.

Neige stood on the stage, dressed in luxurious robes. A satin white blouse with wide sleeves and a wavy collar was neatly tucked into black leather trousers that hugged his thin legs. The knee-high boots were entwined with apple flowers. Behind him flowed a long cloak with gilded patterns, attached to the blouse with aiguillettes with bright scarlet stones, reflecting the moonlight so brightly that the blood-red hue hurt the eyes, light radiating through a porcelain mask on his face. On his slender, gloved fingers, were many massive rings.

However, the strangest detail was his hair. Half was the usual jet black, and the other was painted lifeless white.

“Neige?..” The copper-haired boy whispered.

“No…” Yuu mumbled, biting her lip. “It’s not him…”

“What do you mean?” Che’nya asked concerningly. 

“Look at his eyes.”

Che’nya did as she told, and gasped when he saw strange swirls in his eyes glowing bright crimson, pupils dissolving in the depth of its scarlet hue.

Time seemed to slow down, allowing everyone to clearly hear the creaking of floorboards and nervous chuckles.

“Huh?”

Neige’s voice was heard, and he turned around to witness someone looking exactly like him, but also different. Intimidating… creature stood in front of real Neige, smiling with his lips, but his eyes carried a horrendous consternation in them.

“Who are you?!” Neige screamed, summoning his magic pen immediately. 

“Now now,” the other Neige laughed, taking a step closer. “Do you really want to fight with me? With yourself?”

“... The fuck is happening,” the blue-eyed boy said, raising up. 

“With myself?.. What do you…”

The scarlet-Neige burst into laughter, grabbing a piece of the paper the original Neige tore, and snapped his fingers. Ashes accumulated in the air, making it hard to breathe, and the paper was restored.

“My script…” Neige mumbled, furrowing his brows. “What are you going to—”

“ME?...”

Yuu bit her lip to the point a few drops of blood were shed.

“Hahaha… I… To think that you would assume!! That I…” The counterpart bent down to Neige, grabbing his chin and staring at his eyes, smiling.

Until his body suddenly shuddered, and a loud cry was heard.

“Would be scared of death?!”

Neige gulped, falling down on his knees.

“... or this is how you should act.”

Everyone went silent when the scarlet-Neige took a chair and sat down gracefully, his whole figure radiating royal, expensive and elegant attitude. 

Unlike Neige, who was trembling, his huge eyes with dark eyebags staring in disbelief. 

“I can help you,” the counterpart whispered enchantingly. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“W-what do you mean?..”

“You got used to the main roles,” the counterpart cupped Neige’s face, his thin fingers with protruding sharp nails slid down Neige’s cheeks, wiping away his tears. “Playing sweet, naive heroes. Always gifting everyone with those smiles of yours. I know you’re deadly tired of wearing them.”

“But I!”

“You thought you could reach Vil Schoenheit’s level,” the other Neige said, as if sentencing his origin to death. “You know yourself you’re not capable of playing villains.”

“I… that is…”

“Admit it yourself.”

“I… agree…”

Yuu stood up at once, releasing her magic wand and wanting to cast a spell, but she was abruptly interrupted.

“Great then!” The counterpart laughed hysterically, grabbing Neige’s hand and leading him into a waltz. “Let the rehearsal continue!”

“As if I’m allowing it!!”

Yuu ran through the rows, startling Neige and his replica on stage, the blue-eyed boy turning his head to the sound of Yuu’s heels echoing in the amphitheater, and Che’nya quickly reappearing near the stage to prevent Yuu from performing something reckless.

“Yuu?” Neige’s eyes followed her precipitous moves. “And everyone… Were you watching me all this time?”

Admitting such a nefarious act was fairly painful to Yuu, and she lowered her gaze, ashamed of her actions. Least she wanted him to feel as if he’s being offered unwanted help by someone he barely knew. 

She averted her eyes, glancing at Neige’s replica, studying his nature. Blood was running down in his vessels, indicating he was a living being—she wasn’t sure of his humanic entity though—which meant that he needed to be observed more for further actions.

“I presume some audience won’t hurt,” the counterpart concluded, performing hover corte while waltzing, and let Neige turn to the ‘public’. 

“What are they doing…” The copper-haired boy mumbled, trying to analyze their actions.

“I don’t knyaw as for Neige, but that one is preparing for somethin’.” Che’nya said, the usual mischievous sparkles in his eyes disappearing as he went to Yuu, covering her with his body. “This is dangerous.”

“With all my respect to you, Che’nya-san,” Yuu tapped on his shoulder, making him turn to her and look at the vermilion of her eyes with pupils trembling in a rising anxiety underneath. “I know! This is precisely why I’m going to fix this unfortunate state.”

“Girlie, I don’t believe this is the right time for your sophisticated speech patterns!” The blue-eyed boy blurted out, withdrawing his magic pen and fixing a stance, ready to fight.

“Wait!! Don’t fight him yet!”

“Huh?”

“This is the happiness you dream of?”

The replica made Neige enterwine in outside swivel, exposing him to everyone. 

Yuu didn’t know what to do. Blood was boiling in her vessels, fright accumulating within her heart. 

The counterpart wasn’t attacking them, much to Yuu’s surprise, but she was feeling with her whole body how a cold wind of worry chained Neige up, making him lose his calm. The replica was basically draining him out, hurting not physically, but verbally.

“What are you in the first place?” Che’nya asked, his magic pen appearing in the air. 

“I am Neige,” he answered with a grin on his face. “And Neige is me.”

“I’m tired of this shit,” the blue-eyed boy spitted. 

“As I’ve mentioned, don’t fight him yet—”

“And what? Are we going to simply watch Neige getting hurt mentally? He’s my friend, I can’t just let it be like that!”

“Friend?..” Neige’s eyes glowed in a soft light hue. 

“That’s right, you dummy, and I’m rescuing your ass right now, please bear with it!” He pointed the tip of his magic pen at the replica, ignoring his suspicious grin and Yuu’s scream.

The boy accumulated burning flames, and Yuu started panicking rather obviously.

Fairy Godmother, what do I do?! She questioned herself, knowing she was lacking the knowledge of performing battles. She didn’t need it in the first place, her main occupation was intelligence work of mind and brains, not attacking spells or whatsoever!!

Che’nya jumped in front of her, his moves resembling those of a cat, and grabbed the boy’s hand, but it was too late—a fire spell flew out of the tip of his magic pen, heading straight to the counterpart.

“STOP!!”

Yuu was ready to throw herself at the spell to prevent the scarlet-Neige from burning to ashes, but Neige himself interfered, casting a water shot, which led to flames die out and burst in a steam cloud.

“Don’t fight,” Neige said, realizing how weak his body turned, hands shuddering and head spinning. “Ugh… I hate to see people being so unhappy…”

“Dude, are you out of your mind?!” The boy threw out his pen, getting closer to Neige and grabbing his shoulders. “I could have burnt you!.. I!..”

“This is why,” Neige forced a smile. “I told you to not fight.”

“But that thing…”

“He’s not causing any harm, is he?”

Everyone remained silent, when Neige felt the boy’s grip on his shoulder loose, and raised up, turning to his replica.

“You too… Please calm down. I don’t want my friends to get hurt.”

“Friends?” The replica chuckled. “You know yourself you have no friends at all.”

Neige hissed at a pain blossoming in his chest due to the words he said so easily.

The words which appeared to be the bitter truth.

“You bastard! Neige is our friend!” The boy threw himself straight to the counterpart, grabbing his collar.

“Do you know his pain?” 

“Huh?” 

“Do you know his struggles? What he truly feels? What lies on the depths of his heart when he—”

“Enough!”

Neige gathered his last powers, drawing his magic pen right to where his heart was, and lowered his gaze. 

“I hate seeing you all screaming, shouting, assuming things about me!!” He blurted out, shutting his eyes closed. “Why would all of you know when I’m the one who doesn’t know a thing about myself!!”

“NEIGE!”

Yuu has had enough. The blood in her head was pounding with a force she wished to begone. Neige’s tears dropping on the wooden floor of the stage were startling, she couldn’t think straight, not knowing what to do.

The counterpart wasn’t fighting at all, watching all this exciting drama unfolding before him, yet something concerning flashed in his eyes whenever Neige was talking on the wedge of bursting into cries and screams. 

So he did care about his… origin vessel? 

But why would he tantalize him verbally, throwing right at the edge of his mental stability, and then drag him out of it just ever so slightly? 

“A-ah…” Neige looked up at everyone, staring at the pure fear and confusion on their faces, and a shadow of insanity covered his eyes. “I-I’m scaring you out… No… Please don’t be upset with me.”

“We won’t!!” The boy screamed. “Why would you even think like that?!”

“STOP SCREAMING!!” 

Everything turned into a mess. 

“Right…” Neige smiled. “If you’re unhappy, then I shall just bestow happiness for you.”

“You— What?”

“Don’t you dare!”

Neige laughed and parted his lips.

“Your sorrow is a crime, pay for it in the form I call salvation. With a smile and a song.”

The world has gone blank white. Yuu’s heart was bursting with strange sensations she had never experienced before, and when she finally dared to open her eyes, an indescribable picture upfolded before her.

The blue-eyed boy was giggling and crying out of joy, or so it seemed, and Che’nya was grinning cheerfully, while Neige’s counterpart stood with his mouth shut, but the mask on his face crumbled, revealing a soft gaze of his still swirled and pupils depraved eyes.

“W-what is that feeling?!”

“Neige, you…” Che’nya mumbled. 

“What happened?!”

“Ah,” Neige sighed. “Now you are all happy. I’m so glad no one is suffering… No one is upset…”

“Che’nya-san…” Yuu whispered, touching her chest and feeling unwell. “What is that?”

“His unique magic,” Che’nya explained. “Though I’m not entirely sure of how exactly it works.”

“What have you done? What for? Did you want to exhaust yourself to death? Do you want to die out of fear and misery they all have been carrying?!”

They all have been carrying?..

Yuu stood up, closing her eyes for a moment. Wait.

“Neige…” Yuu mumbled, getting slightly closer to Neige and his counterpart. “Don’t tell me you deprived us of our negative emotions and took them to yourself.”

A forced artificial smile served as his answer before he collapsed on the floor.

“You…”

“Are you disappointed too, Yuu?” He asked her, chuckling. “I knew it. It’s not enough to make you happy, I don’t know you enough… But my acting was flawless, yet you always looked at me with such a strong remorse in your eyes. I’m not good enough, I—”

“Ah really, in the name of Snow White, shut up!”

Yuu felt her emotions mixing altogether, happiness and woe submerging into one holistic entity, and couldn’t stand this drama any longer.

The slap that landed on Neige’s cheek rang like a tinkling whip throughout the entire amphitheater, forcing everyone into a frantic silence.

“Did you just…”

“Happy this, happy that!” Yuu exclaimed, rage burning in her eyes. “Can you please be a little more honest with yourself?!”

“You little…” His counterpart rose up, clapping his hands, and threads of fishing lines appeared behind Yuu's back.

“Yuu!!”

“Want me to be happy?” Yuu chuckled. “Great, then become happy yourself first! I don’t need your feigned trickery!”

The threads twitched behind her back, stretching and becoming noticeably sharper, glinting with a metallic sheen in the moonlight, and rushed straight to Yuu’s back.

“Yuu!” Che’nya shouted, throwing himself straight to her, but she outstretched her hand, signaling him to stop that instant. “You idiot, if you think first years magic is strong enough to stop him, then you’re—”

“I don’t know a thing about your magic. Á ettula, wilwarin.”

It was as if a storm had reigned in the amphitheater. A golden whirlwind swallowed Yuu, emitting a dazzlingly bright, somewhat painful light for the eyes. The voices were drowned in the flutter of the wings, and a moment later the whirlwind dissipated, revealing an unharmed Yuu.

“What the hell…” The blue-eyed boy muttered. 

“I don’t know either,” Che’nya added. “But it’s indeed not our magic at all.”

“What did you…”

“How peculiar,” Yuu said, the tip of her magic wand glowing in gold, butterflies glueling to her body. “Why all this one-man theatre when you had no intention of harming me in the first place?”

“What do you mean?!” Che’nya ran toward her, but she looked at him strictly, condescending with her look. 

“That.”

Yuu pointed to the stage decorations being cut in half, floating around with the butterflies’ help, preventing the stage from destroying completely.

“I wasn’t his target,” she concluded. “Neither of us were. He did it to scare us.”

“... Hahaha,” the counterpart laughed. “You little woman. How very interesting.”

“I don’t care if you won’t hurt us anymore. Doesn’t matter if you care about Neige or not, when you’re clearly not letting him go for some reason. And for that you’ll perish.”

“Perish?! Yuu, are you out of your mind?!”

“I might be with all that mess I’ve had enough witnessing for quite a time by now.”

“... She’s right,” the blue-eyed boy agreed, standing up and getting closer to her. “Let’s beat the shit out of this bastard!”

“You guys…” Che’nya sighed. “Alright, but I’m not covering your asses in case we’re doomed when the headmaster knows about this~”

“We’ll discuss it later,” Yuu said. “Please be careful. I don’t your spells, and you don’t mine. I’ll cover you in case you can’t dodge the attack.”

“Hmmm, is that so? Great then, amuse me.”

“Forest strike!” Che’nya shouted, a tangle of thorny vines formed at the tip of his magic pen, and he then shot it at the replica. 

The copper-haired boy nodded, accumulating flames and sending it straight to the tangle.

“Flame blast!” He exclaimed, and after the flames were released, he added a wind to accelerate the spell. “Wind shot!”

Yuu watched their work, and threw a quick glance at the scarlet-Neige, gasping at once. He was dragging Neige out of the spell range, and spread out his arms towards the spell, smiling maliciously. 

“WAIT, CANCEL IT!!”

“WE CAN’T?!”

Yuu shuddered, using her inhuman speed, and materialized before the spell, golden butterflies breaking in bright sparkling fragments.

“YUU?!”

“HAHAHA!”

She fell straight on the counterpart, jumping on her foot and witnessing blood on his chest and her shoulders. 

“Yuu?!” Che’nya shouted. “Why did you?!..”

“Are you freaking nuts?!” The boy blurted. “And what’s with those butterflies anyway?!”

“He wasn’t even protecting himself!!” Yuu screamed, twirling the magic wand between her fingers. “He’s only protecting Neige!”

“I don’t care about you all, pathetic humans,” he laughed. “You, on the other hand, are not even slightly concerned about your so-called friend.”

“What do you mean by that?!”

“S-stop… fighting…” Neige, who regained consciousness, coughed into his fist. 

“Neige!” Yuu exclaimed, raising her wand, but the counterpart casted a spell she never knew about before.

Myriads of puppets materialized in the air, and Neige, gasping, outstretched his hand to protect everyone, but the counterpart enveloped him in a tight embrace.

“I am thou,” he whispered, but Yuu managed to hear him. “Thou art I. I won’t allow anyone to hurt you.”

“By hurting us you’re hurting Neige himself!” 

After saying that, Yuu dodged some of the puppets' attacks and waved her magic wand, summoning swarms of ice blue butterflies surrounding her, and four walls of ice appeared, countering the attack and making puppets break.

“Ugh!..”

“Don’t. You even dare.” Yuu reappeared right before Neige and his counterpart, grabbing the last one’s collar and gazing straight in his eyes. “To ruin my rescue of Neige.”

“Rescuing?..”

“You said you’re Neige, and Neige is you.” Ice blue butterflies disappeared, leaving a blizzard after them. “Then how in the world didn’t you manage to reach consensus?” 

“She’s right, you little shit,” The blue-eyed boy went to them, welcoming Neige in his comforting embrace, to which the exhausted boy only released a sigh. “We don’t want to harm Neige, you don’t want to harm Neige. We consider us his friends, you consider yourself his friend. Now what the hell is happening now?”

“Do we really need to fight in the first place?” Che’nya added. “From what I see, emotions are what actually messed all this up.”

“I am…” The replica took a deep breath before speaking. “His other side. The side he desired the most, but what was actually sleeping underneath.”

“What…” Neige furrowed his brows. “But it can’t be… I’m Edelwiese’s dorm leader, following  The Fairest Princess’ Gentleness. No way you are being a part of me.”

“Think about the times where you were pissed off to the point you wouldn’t even remember the gentleness you’re so fond of. That crazy girl was following you for what, a year or two by now? You really think I wouldn’t form from those wicked feelings in your heart?”

“I…”

“Oh, and the times people always compare you to Vil Schoenheit.”

“But Vi-kun—”

“He’s amazing, cool, dignified, and blah-blah-blah, do you really think you can conceal all those from me?”

“Neige,” Yuu interfered. “You… should accept that all of those things he’s saying are a part of you. All of those—this replica, your feelings, your hidden thoughts and sorrows—are all you.”

“She’s right,” the counterpart nodded. “I took a physical form only because you went to the very edge.”

Yuu felt how her magic flow tingled, but decided to remain silent at the moment. 

“So you are really him,” the blue-eyed boy smiled.

“No,” Neige giggled softly. “He is really me.”

“Indeed,” the scarlet-Neige nodded. “Don’t forget about it ever again.”

A cluster of bright stars began to surround his silhouette, emitting a gentle, calm light. And right before Neige outstretched his hand to bid a farewell, Yuu’s scream cut through the idyll.

A whirlwind of pink butterflies glued to the replica’s body, consuming it, as if devouring a supper, and the next second Yuu widened her eyes, all trembling in Che’nya’s embrace.

“M-my butterflies,” she shuddered. “T-they are… T-they are scarlet!!”

The counterpart smiled at Neige, finally finding peace, and both Neige and Yuu fell unconscious, the screams of the boy and Che’nya distancing further and further with every second.

“I expect nothing else than perfect the next time. You have disappointed me.”

Yuu opened her eyes slowly, witnessing a boy with golden eyes sitting under a tree in the woods and crying.

“I’m scared.”

Yuu approached the boy, recognizing young Neige in him, and tried touching his shoulder, but her hand went through him.

“I don’t want to do anything.”

“I don’t want to act anymore.”

“Will people acknowledge me if I smile?”

“Or should I win an award?”

“But there are so many…”

“I don’t want to—...”

“I’m scared of death.”

“Why is there an aching hole in my chest? Why do I feel so lonely? I wanted nothing but everyone's happiness… Now why… Why do all the people demand impossible things from me?”

“And with everyone neglecting me… Did I not make them happy enough?”

“Tell me, please.”

“At least someone.”

“Is there a way to make

Everyone

Happy?”

Yuu closed her eyes, feeling how the brightness hurt, and slowly opened them to see Neige standing near the entrance to an auditorium, and almost rushed over to him, but then his classmates' words were heard.

“He’s pathetic.”

“Yeah, good for nothing.”

“Honestly, how are there so many girls stanning him?”

“For real, Vil’s more sexy and mature, he knows how fuckable he is.”

“Can’t believe there are people who like innocent naive guys lmao.”

“Right, did you hear that he got the exam answer sheets because he paid for them?!”

“NO WAY…”

“Actually I thought about it long ago, I know the guy who saw him bribing Aell.”

“THAT’S CRAZY”

“I know right??”

“He’s a total shit.”

Yuu approached Neige who apparently couldn’t see her, and a tear ran down his cheek.

“They’re unhappy,” he whispered to himself before pronouncing an incantation.

“Wait, I suddenly feel so light…”

“Me too… Damn I feel like I can do anything right now!!”

“Good morning, everyone.”

Neige entered the classroom, people quick to pull on smiles on their faces and greet him cheerfully.

“Good morning, buddy! How’s the movie? I heard you won another award!”

“Ha-ha, yes, but…”

“Dude you’re AMAZING!! Be proud of yourself!”

“T-thank you…”

His reply was a bitter smile.

…But I never wanted to win it in the first place.

I want to cry.

I want to run away.

I don’t want anything.

The world’s crumbling.

Then why am I… Myself not being happy at all?

“Ah, my little Sprites!!”

Neige slowly opened his eyes, finding himself on a… flower bed?

Many beautiful flowers he has never seen surrounded him, a bright and melodic voice was heard nearby.

He stood up, noticing a lady in a beautiful dress and a dark cape.

Anthracite dark starry sky upfolded above his head, and Neige gasped at the extraterrestrial beauty of the place.

“Yuu?!” 

He shouted her name, and the girl turned to where he was, but appeared to be completely confused.

“I think I heard someone,” she said, funny creatures following her. “Mother is back?! Mother!..”

Mother?..

Neige wondered what Yuu’s mother would look like, but the girl frowned.

“Fairy Godmother?..”

Fairy… Godmother? 

Neige noticed Yuu wasn’t a human in the first place, but he surely knew nothing about her in general, other than the fact that her eyes were insanely enchanting, and the shade of red glowed beautifully. 

“Well… It appears it’s not the right time!” She smiled to herself, grabbing her magic wand and casting a whirl of sapphire butterflies.

“Now, little ones, please help me water the flowers. Hm-hm-hmmm~ What a nice evening it is! Or is it morning? I do wonder…”

Nothing was happening after that. 

Yuu was watering the flowers, then gracefully dancing around, singing a little in her tender voice, or just staring at the night sky, which never really changed, even the way stars were glowing remained absolutely static.

“I wonder… I really do wonder when you will come back, Mother.”

Neige parted his lips to pronounce an incantation and let her be free out of her worries at least for a moment, but she suddenly outstretched her hand, a pink butterfly landing on it, and Yuu smiled so bright that Neige went aghast.

“And until then I promise to become a better version of myself. No… I’ll become perfect, Fairy Godmother.

I’ll be waiting for you.”

And then the world went dark.

The distant sound of familiar voices, the hasty clicking of heels and the blatant smell of alcohol forced Yuu to wince and slowly close her eyes.

“Ugh…”

“YOU’RE AWAKE!!”

Yuu blinked a few times before she saw Che’nya’s face bending over her, a familiar playful grin blossoming on it. 

“Huh?..”

“You idiot,” the copper-haired boy’s voice was heard on her left. “No, you’re insane. Absolutely crazy.” 

“Excuse me?..”

“Now now, don’t push it,” Che’nya giggled softly. 

“What happened? Where’s Neige?”

“In my arms.”

“Uh?”

Yuu turned her head, finding Neige cradled in the boy’s arms, though seeing something dark on his chest, while being held by Che’nya herself.

“U-uhm!!” She exclaimed. “I can walk!—”

“Hmm… Nyah,” he smiled. “Enjoy the moment. By the way, we’ve arrived.”

The boy knocked thrice before hearing an almost weightless ‘Come in’, and opened the door, letting Che’nya with Yuu in his hands enter first.

“Who even thought it would be a good idea to injure themselves at this hour— Oh.”

Yuu stood up slightly and gasped when she saw a man who appeared to be a nurse.

His frosty white hair was neatly tied up, and despite the short length, Yuu noticed how several strands of blue were woven into a braid that went behind his ear.

He calmly observed the company with his deep blue eyes, reminiscent of two ice floes, and the gaze from under his snow-white long eyelashes turned into a frosty, piercing, condemning and dissatisfied one.

“What happened? Those are not common injuries.” He put on a medical gown over his turquoise shirt and stood up from his chair.

“You are…” The nurse looked at Yuu, nodding to himself. “Yuu-san, right?”

“Y-yes,” she answered awkwardly, her throat aching as if after crying for some time. Why would it though? 

“Put her down here,” he commanded to Che’nya. “Oh, and you. Be extra careful with LeBlanche, his injuries look much worse.”

Yuu’s mind was covered with haze and incomprehension, so his words reached her ears with a slight delay.

“Injuries?!” She rose up on her elbows after Che’nya gently put her down. “But I made sure he—”

“Silence in the infirmary.”

“Yes sir.”

“Name’s Wyn,” the nurse replied before turning to Neige first. “Tell me what happened.”

Wyn started examining Neige’s body with torn pieces of his school jacket on it, putting it off and making Yuu turn away from the sight, even if the boy still was clothed enough to not reveal anything. 

The boys hesitated, making a summary of the events rather reluctantly, anticipating Wyn to scold them or even punish them for their reckless behavior—no one suggested calling for a teacher, after all. But to their surprise he was just nodding to all the things they said, and after completing the examination, he pulled the chair he was sitting on to Yuu’s side.

“Turn away, you two,” he demanded of Che’nya and the other boy. “Pull your shirt up to chest level.”

Yuu bit her lip in embarrassment, but followed his instructions. Wyn’s touches wasn’t uncomfortable, if Yuu could trust her own body, given she hadn’t an experience like this before.

“How are you feeling?” Wyn asked Yuu, starting to palpate her stomach after she lowered her shirt. The cold of his fingers sent shivers down her spine. “They say you’ve fainted.”

“I am alright,” Yuu said. “How’s Neige?”

“How should I put it…” He lowered his voice. “I haven’t seen it happening since…”

“Huh?”

“Nevermind, we’ll have a talk about this tomorrow,” he shook his head. “You said he was never injured in the first place, but…You see, his chest is burnt slightly. Could have been worse if Yuu-san didn’t throw herself under the attack.”

“Does it mean,” Che’nya assumed. “That he was connected with his counterpart in a physical way, too?”

“Correct,” Wyn nodded. “Any harm caused to the replica is transferred to LeBlanche himself, though only after the counterpart is gone.”

“S-so,” Yuu exhaled sharply. “When we threw a fire spell right into the replica…”

“Yes, Neige fainted because of the pain being delivered abruptly and at once. I’m not sure about mental damage, given he was mentally unstable before,” Wyn sighed. “I wonder if he visited Prospero at least once…”

“Will he be okay?” Yuu asked.

“Physically, yes, he’s under my watch now, after all. As for his mental state, it will be a long long process of making him at least more stable. But he will get better.”

“I’m so glad…”

“Listen, Yuu-san,” Wyn turned to her, placing pills in her hands and providing her with a cup of warm water. “Drink it. You will recover in no time, but as for Neige, I need to take some ingredients from storage in the alchemy room. I’ll go get the pills I need and come back shortly, understood?”

“Yes sir,” she nodded.

“You two,” he said to the copper-haired boy and Che’nya. “Stay here until I come back.”

“Okay, nya.”

Wyn went out of the infirmary, leaving the company. 

Yuu looked down, not knowing what to say. Her job was done, Neige was saved, and despite a ton of unresolved issues, she did feel some relief, and yet something pricked her heart.

“Uhm, so…” The blue-eyed boy cleared his throat and looked straight at Yuu.

She was finally able to get a closer look at him after only seeing him in the distance. A scattering of cinnamon freckles adorned his cheeks and his smooth, straight nose. Plump lips were bitten from worry and covered with cracks. His huge blue eyes looked into hers without any embarrassment, as if trying to absorb every detail of her face, and burned with undisguised interest.

“R-right!” She encouraged him to continue. “I’m really sorry I don’t know your name…”

“It’s Elias!” He announced cheerfully. “Second year student.”

“I’m Yuu,” she smiled at him. “Very pleased to meet you.”

“What a rhyme,” he giggled. “Thank you for rescuing Neige, Yuu!”

“You helped me a lot… Che’nya-san, too!”

“You’re my dear underclassmen, nya~ I did only what I should have.”

“Right,” Yuu said. “Che’nya-san showed me the way, but Elias, what were you doing there?”

“Ah, ahaha, well…” He smiled sheepishly. “I was busy rescuing myself from Emery~”

“H-how come?..”

“Y’know, I don’t like sitting around doing nothing,” he chirped. “I’m pretty restless, hence constant exploring. I thought that I’ve never really transported to the amphitheater before, so the thought randomly popped up in my mind, and I decided to give it a go. And you know what happened after.”

Yuu and the guys talked for a total of half an hour until Vin arrived and began preparing medicine for Neige. After all the treatment procedures were completed, he sent Che’nya and Elias to their dormitories, giving them official leave for the next day.

Yuu was asked to stay at the first aid station until the morning.

For a couple of hours she stared at the ceiling, listening to Neige’s steady breathing on the next bed, and tried to reconstruct the chain of events.

She was almost tuned in to the higher train of thought, but sudden rustles forced her to turn her head to the left, noticing how Neige sleepily rubbed his eyes.

“Good morning,” she greeted him.

“Uh?.. Uhm… Yuu?”

“Yes, this is me. Hello, Neige.”

“Yes, hello… Where are we?”

“In the infirmary,” Yuu tucked the blanket closer to her face. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” He concluded, chuckling. “Deadly tired. But also better than before.”

“Neige, I… I am very sorry I haven’t noticed anything before. I could have prevented all this…”

“Ha-ha,” he laughed and coughed out ashes, much to his surprise, but shrugged it off, despite Yuu’s concerned noise. “We’re quite alike.”

“Yes?..”

“Just as I’ve mentioned it before… You’re very kind, Yuu.”

“No, I was just doing my—”

“Yuu… thank you.”

Yuu went silent, waiting for Neige to continue.

“I don’t really like to talk about myself, but…”

“You don’t have to. It is okay.”

“No,I really want to do it now,” he smiled. “I should let people know how I feel at least once. I want to be egoistic at least for one minute.”

“Alright then,” Yuu turned to him slowly, feeling her damaged shoulder aching, which she ignored. “I’ll gladly listen.”

“I’m very grateful… Well… I’m not really fond of expressing my emotions in real life due to acting. I must maintain the theatrical character, the role of someone who’s never bothered, never angry. I must be perfect.”

Perfect.

Yuu was familiar with his words, knowing exactly how it felt when you wanted to be perfect, but was experiencing reversed emotions in your heart.

“But it all started way before I became an actor. In my childhood, people always craved for more. I was quite… convenient as a child.” 

“You’re saying that as if you weren’t a human being…”

He only smiled coldly at her statement.

“First it all started with little tasks in the village I grew up in. I was quite handy, always helping here and there. But then small tasks slowly grew into bigger ones, and in the end I was afraid of disappointing people with my immaturity. I thought, what if I don’t accomplish the task right in time? But I had ten other tasks like that. It was accumulating somewhere in my heart, but I still thought that maybe… It was my destiny — to make people happy with my achievements.”

“But Neige,” Yuu interrupted. “Why did you decide that they were happy with your deeds?”

“You know how my unique magic works by now, right? I can transfer joyful feelings in return for their sorrows. It awakened back then, when I realized that when people smile at me, they’re happy with me. And if they’re happy with me, then I’m valid. If they don’t smile, then I’m disappointing them.”

“I understand your point, but… How is that your fault? Moreover, you do realize people can’t always smile and be happy every second of their lives, right?”

Yuu found herself at awe about her own words. How funny it must be—for her to say that.

She never knew the feeling of realizing the purpose of her own life. Other than saving princesses—and now Neige, too—she had no other aim.

“Yuu…” Neige whispered after a short pause. “Do you think I can be a little more egoistic from now on?”

She looked at him straight into his eyes, a gentle smile forming on her face.

“Ah, what am I saying!!” He gasped suddenly. “I must follow The Fairest Princess’ Gentleness and—”

“Of course you can,” she interrupted. “You’re a human. And well, I’m not the one who can decide that anyway, right?”

“Ha-ha, I guess that is true… Thank you.”

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Mhm… Also, your magic is so cool!!” He tried leaning on his elbows and rising up a little, but the pain pierced him through, making him fall on the bed and Yuu gasp in fear. “I’m ok! But really, how did you do that?”

“That?..”

“Those butterflies were amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it! I mean, magic is all about visualization, but this is the first time I’m seeing someone operating their thoughts in such a creative way.”

“I think…” Yuu exhaled. “Since you’ve been honest to me, I must reciprocate. It’s because my magic isn’t like yours. In fact, I don’t know a thing about it.”

Neige remained silent for a moment before chuckling softly.

“Could you please summon a butterfly for me?”

“Oh, sure. Á ettula, wilwarin.”

A pink butterfly formed from sparkling light, and flew straight to Neige, fluttering its wings on his nose.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “Does it have a name?”

“Name?.. Not really…” Yuu replied, staring at the butterfly dancing around. “There are many of them. It was hundreds last time I checked, maybe there are thousands or so. To be honest… I don’t even know why I am summoning butterflies.”

���Summoning,” he echoed. “Not creating.”

“They are living beings. They’re my friends.”

“Friends…” Neige repeated with a slight sadness in his voice before gazing at Yuu. “Yuu. Please answer me.”

“Hm?”

“Are we… friends?”

Friends was a strange concept to Yuu, who heard this word not once, yet it felt so incredibly far away from where her mind could reach. 

Snow White also called Yuu her friend, but there was something natural, genuine and warm in the way that Neige asked.

“Yes, we’re friends.”

“Then I’m glad.”

His eyes gradually closed, and soon a soft sniffling sound was heard, signaling that he had fallen back into a restful sleep.

Friends…

Yuu watched the dawn penetrate through the windows with its caring, enveloping rays, healing wounds both physical and mental.

She rescued the ‘Princess’, made a friend…

And now it was time for her to turn back home.

★﹒﹒NOTES

✧˖ The Venerable Seven — an allusion to the Great Seven.

✧˖ Á ettula, wilwarin — 'Come forth, butterfly' in quenya language.

© yunarim 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst x reader #rsa #rsa x reader #chenya #artemiy artemiyevich pinker #twst neige #neige leblanche #twst x yuu #royal sword academy

[imaginativeavengers]

The Missing Piece: Part Eleven

Description: Living on your own in Brooklyn isn’t an easy  thing. Your work life is awful and your ex-boyfriend is a complete mess.  When you get caught in the sights of two of the most dangerous men in  New York life doesn’t get any easier, but it certainly does get more  interesting.

Summary: It’s time to hear the whole truth. It’s time to make some decisions.

Word Count: 6.7K

Warnings: Smut,  talk of toxic work environment, talk of a toxic previous relationship,  talk poly relationship, talk of disappearance, work anxiety and pressure, slow build, slow burn, mafia AU, mob boss Bucky, mob boss Steve, under 18s dni

Masterlist

<< Part Ten || Part Twelve >>

“Okay, I’m ready. Ask me whatever you want…” The question hung between you both in the dark expanse of the luxurious car. There were so many questions bouncing around your mind that finding a place to begin was difficult. “I mean it, bunny. I don’t want to hide anything from you. Ask me whatever is on your mind, whether it’s about Bucky or me. I won’t hold back, not from you.” There was honesty in his words; if you had any doubt, the quick glance that Steve threw at you conveyed everything you needed to know.

A question that was so meek and simply slipped from your lips before having the chance to stop it. “Why me?” It was burning in your mind, wondering why they had chosen you to pursue out of all the women in New York City. “It wasn’t ever planned. It wasn’t even our intention to have anyone join our relationship. It was supposed to just be a quick fling in the bedroom.” A frown caught your lips. “Buck and I thought that you were two different people at first. It was just our luck that we both happened to find the same chick in the whole city.” Steve chortled lowly. “We both found ourselves wanting to spend more and more time with you. Sure, at first, we both just wanted to fuck your brains out and move on, but then it became something different for us.” His words made your body completely still, your mind tumbling in many different directions, wondering if you should be offended or complimented by the notion.

“How long have you both been together?” It was a quick segue to change the subject away from the more intimate talk, knowing that Steve would likely rather talk about the lewd things than be grilled. “Uh… it’s been a long time now…” You could see that Steve was attempting to delve back into his memories. “I think that James has always been the first love of my life. Ever since we were teenagers, I didn’t understand why but I just loved him with every inch of my heart.” Steve explained like loving Bucky was as easy as breathing air to him. “Bucky and I had grown up together on the same block, but by the time we got to High School, our lives were being pulled in different directions. Bucky was on the football team, set to be the Captain, making all these new friends, girls hanging off him and going to parties with people like Sam.” So, they had known him for a while too. “I was still being beaten up behind the trash cans.”

It was that final comment which surprised you. There was nothing about Steve that would have made you think he was bullied. “Sometimes I started the fights; I just don’t like bullies.” He explained, and it did feel like a true statement, as he said it with such intensity. “Bucky got them to lay off giving me so many black eyes, but it didn’t change them seeing me as this weak loser,” Steve explained. His words were enough to make you frown, hating that he viewed himself like that. “He’d try and get all his friends to like me, taking me to parties too, trying to set me up with his date’s friend, but nothing changed…” Then he shrugged. “I was convinced that Bucky would just leave too. He’d get fed up with trying to convince people to like me, but he never did. He always stayed.” It was almost like Steve was admirable that Bucky hadn’t ditched him. Maybe that was something to admire, Bucky's utter and unfathomable loyalty.

“I’ll always remember the day he first kissed me.” The dreamy look set across Steve’s face as if falling into the memory all over again. “We were alone in his bedroom; I was doing his geometry homework.” Then rolling his eyes as if it was a regular occurrence for him. “From nowhere, he’d asked if I’d kissed anyone before. I lied and said I had; it was embarrassing to admit I hadn’t. Bucky saw right through that lie. He asked again, and I admitted that I’d never kissed anyone, never asked, never been asked.” You could see the smile creeping across his lips like poison spreading. “So, he did… he kissed me, told me it was good practice.” Then he laughed again and shook his head. “I remember him being good.” You smiled warmly at that. Bucky was good at kissing; you’d had some experience with it. “I remember blushing ‘cause he told me I was good.”

Then he laughed. “After that, we practised kissing all the time. Then we moved on to other things; Bucky would teach me things about my body that I didn’t even know.” A warm smile found his lips. “He stopped going on dates after that too. I really felt like I had my Bucky back. These moments that we were sharing were our perfect little secret. That was until one of his friends caught us in the locker room and called us…” Steve huffed a low noise, not even wanting to repeat the word. “He called us vile names. That was enough for Bucky to just beat him bloody. He broke his jaw and nose; he was virtually unrecognisable by the time Bucky was finished with him. After that, Bucky got himself kicked out of school, away from his college scholarship and any hope of a normal future.”

“Sounds like the guy deserved Bucky beating on him.” You decided, unsure if that was the right thing to say aloud. “I thought that too…” Steve replied evenly. “Just wish that Bucky would have chosen a quieter time to do it.” Then shaking his head. “It would have been easy for him to pull away after that, but he didn’t. He stayed. He always stays.” Steve commented, reminiscing about those times that Bucky had chosen him over anyone else, all those times that Bucky had put Steve first.

Before he had a chance to go further into all those times you spoke. “If you two are so in love, why were you looking to have someone else join your relationship?” “Like, I said, it wasn’t planned, bunny. You just fell into our laps.” He shared a longing gaze with you. “The moment that we saw you in the park.” Steve shook his head. “I knew from there that everything was going to change, I recognised that look in Bucky’s eyes, and clearly, he saw something in mine.” Then he smiled, peeking in your direction before looking back towards the empty road. “I had never imagined wanting to bring someone else into the relationship. I love Bucky; the thought of him moony-eyed over someone else or having to share him used to drive me crazy with jealousy but doing that with you just feels so much different.”

“I can’t say it’s anything I’d ever thought about either.” You reasoned. “Becoming the third piece of a couple or being with my boyfriend and wanting to invite someone else into it.” Then looking over at him. “What changed your mind? Or made you start thinking about wanting something like that?”

Steve then laughed. A whole kind of laughter filled the car, then looked over at you. “It was you, bunny.” He said as if it was as clear as glass. “You were what changed everything. The more time we spent with you, the more we fell for you. It was like we were both falling for you, separate from each other. It made sense to us like we had found something missing from our lives. It wasn’t this grand plan to fool you into our bed, bunny – at least, that wasn’t what it became. We wanted you, the same as we wanted each other, more than we wanted anyone else.”

“But…” You seemed frustrated for a moment, struggling to find the correct words. “You told me just how much you loved Bucky. Do you really think that you could give someone that same love? Or… or you wouldn’t feel jealousy when you’d see him loving someone else that way?” These questions seemed to stun Steve, but he quickly recovered and retorted. “Not if it was you.” The answer seemed to give you a great sense of peace. “Hell, Bucky told me about you two sleeping together; I think I’ve been tested and came out the other side wanting more.”

When Steve mentioned your tryst in the sheets with Bucky, you covered your eyes a little and replied. “I can’t believe he told you about that…” “Oh, we don’t keep secrets from each other; he told me everything and left very little to the imagination.”

The final statement made you huff, crossing your arms over your chest. “Well, that’s good to know that you don’t keep secrets from each other but just from me.” Then looking over at him, a little tempered that Bucky had been so open about your night, but they had held back from telling you the truth for such a long time. “Firstly, we kept it secret for a good reason; if we had both just approached you as a couple, it would have freaked you out, and you would have run a mile. No, doing it that way meant we could build our relationships separately and determine if we had chemistry before fully introducing you to the relationship. It was for a good reason.”

“It blindsided me, Steve.” Your voice shook for a moment with emotion. “What the hell was I supposed to think when I saw you both there? Jesus, I thought you’d both been playing me, or it was some big prank. I already thought you guys were too good to be true. I never thought I would find out that you were a couple. I just didn’t see it coming.” “I’m sorry.” He replied honestly, reaching over to place his hand on your knee. “It was never our intention to make you feel like that. As it became real, we knew we needed to come clean.” You frowned. “If I could have made things right… or done things differently, maybe I would have, but if it had meant that I wouldn’t be here right now, driving you back to the city, I wouldn’t change a damn thing.”

Reaching across, he squeezed your knees again, leading you to rest your hand over his own, appreciating his sentiment. “I wish things could have been less complicated.” He reasoned, shaking his head for a moment. A beat of silence enveloped the car. The word complicated spun around your mind, over and over, until finally, you blurted it out. “It wasn’t the most complicated thing you guys lied about, was it?” It was like his skin turned icy under your palm. “A detective looking into my ex-boyfriend’s disappearance told me that James isn’t the type of man I should associate with and told me he was dangerous; when I asked him, he told me that he is dangerous. What am I supposed to think about that, Steve?”

As Steve attempted to answer, you continued, clearly unfinished with your little rant. “Then he approaches my best friend and tells her he has some security company and can help her with her recent break-in. I thought you guys were in finance or investments, so where has this security company been hiding?” He slipped his hand back from your grip, resting it on the wheel before muttering. “Fucking Bucky…” Clearly frustrated, then looking over in your direction. “Jesus, the guy has the subtlety of a house brick.” Then shaking his head, peaking back at you. “I was hoping we might find a more delicate way to talk about all this shit with you.”

“I don’t know how to…” Steve huffed. “We’re in the mob. Fuck it. We are the mob. Our territory spans over Brooklyn and part of Manhattan.” He said it so plainly that it made a laugh suddenly bark from your throat, looking over as if he’d grown a second head and then feeling that smile fade as you witnessed Steve’s face convey no signs of teasing or banter. “That is what Danvers had meant by us not being the type of people you should associate with. She knows because she’s been trying to send us down for a long time.” You could only blink at him; you’d be lying in those thoughts hadn’t crossed your mind, but you always pushed yourself to remember that this was reality and things like this didn’t happen to people like you. “Bunny, I’m going to need you to say something.”

You didn’t know what would be best to say; you gulped and asked lowly. “Pull over.” “What?” “Pull over. The car. Pull it over now. Please…” You pressed, and in a second, Steve indicated off and pulled his car towards the grassy verge. When it stopped, you clambered clumsily from the car and took in a few deep breaths, wheezing as you pressed a hand to your chest. “Bunny…” His voice came from behind you, pressing a hand to your shoulder. “It doesn’t change anything. It’s just our job.” “It changes a lot, actually.” You replied tightly, looking to the side and watching as Ari – still driving your car home – climbed from the car too, ultimately too large to be crammed into that little junker. “Are you too… are in… do you work with them?” You asked.

A tender chuckle came from Ari, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the bonnet, making the entire front end sink as he responded. “So, he told you…” “You can keep driving back, Levinson. I got this.” He urged, a rough edge to his tone. You wanted to demand your keys back, drive yourself home and never talk to any of them again, but Steve caught your eye line and requested tenderly. “Please, will you let me explain?” Crossing your arms over your chest, stepping back to keep a distance between you two, then nodding.

“Okay, good.” Steve let out a soft breath, glad he had the chance to try and resolve this issue. “Do you wanna get back in the car? I can keep driving us back home whilst I explain.” By now, Ari had wandered to clamber into your car again, turning over the engine and tearing down the street away from you two. “No.” “No, okay. Okay, that’s fine.” Then nodded, moving backwards to lean against the car. He hated that you seemed so visibly closed off from him, standing there with your arms crossed, hands clenched, jaw tight. “I know it must be a lot to have to hear. You can ask me anything; I’ll tell you the truth.”

The silence that drifted across you two was palpable, Steve wanted to rush over and wrap you in his arms, assure you that nothing would be different, promise that nothing from their nefarious world would ever reach you or your family, but he had been in the business long enough to know that wasn’t true. “Listen…” He huffed out. “I know, I know it is a lot to take in and believe me when I say that my job makes up such a small part of me, such a small part of Bucky. Yeah, we hurt people, but those are the type of people that need to be hurt.”

You let out a stuttered breath before hissing. “Did you consider Oliver to be one of those people?” For a moment, Steve remained quiet. You gasped, thinking that was the only answer that you needed, turning away from him. “Did you kill him?” “What? No, no!” Steve blurted out. “No, we just taught him a lesson about respect. It was one that little prick needed to learn.” It was hard to argue with Steve on that point. “I have no fuckin’ idea where that kid had run to, but I promise you that last time I saw him, he was alive and breathing.” Looking back at Steve, you said firmly. “It wasn’t like it was some rash decision we made. The guy was threatening to talk to the cops. We scared him a little. That was all we ever wanted to do.”

“Jesus…” You muttered lowly, tugging your hands over your face. “Please… Please tell me that Bucky had nothing to do with Wanda’s break-in.” For a moment, Steve creased his brow before replying. “Like, I said, Bucky isn’t subtle, but his intentions always mean well. I’m sure… I’m sure he was trying to put your friend's mind at ease, right? That must’ve been scary for her to go through something like that. No one wants to feel vulnerable in their own home.” Steve reasoned with such compassion. “Buck just chose the wrong time to approach the matter. It wasn’t some calculated move on his part for more business. Your friends become our friends, bunny, and we look out for our own.”

Again, it was deathly quiet whilst you attempted to compose your thoughts. “How am I supposed to believe you?” The question slipped from your lips with little thought. The feel of his warm hands was suddenly encompassing your shoulders, drawing you backwards gently, so you were pressed to his chest. “I’ve made mistakes, bunny. I’ve done bad and stupid things, but I have always prided myself on being honest and open, especially with the people I care about.” You could feel his shallow breathing pressing into your back over and over. It lulled your eyes shut for a moment, focusing on his voice. “I’m telling you this, knowing it could drive you away from us forever, but I’d rather you know the truth and hate me than continue to lie and scheme.”

His lips brushed against your crown, letting out a soft breath before whispering. “I know I’m being selfish, but I want you to give us a chance; let us prove that we’re not monsters.” “I don’t think you’re monsters.” You whimpered, turning gently in his strong arms, gazing up into those dazzling blue eyes. “I’m just scared.” He went to talk, but you continued before he had the chance. “Not scared of you but scared of the people that don’t like you. I’m scared for my family. I’m scared of my friends. How do I justify putting them in danger because of my selfish feelings?”

“You need to let me worry about that, okay?” Steve pulled you a little harder against him, you attempted to squabble again, but he brushed you off. “I won’t let anything happen to them.” Your eyes didn’t convey any sense of belief. “I’ll post people in Elba to look over your parents. I’ll have people watch over your friends too. If there is a whisper that something will happen, we’ll hit hard and fast first and make them regret even thinking about it.” There was such guttural honesty to his tone. “It’s my promise to you, bunny. Nothing from our business will ever come back to hurt anyone you love.” His warm hands cupped your face, edging you a little higher so you could feel his breath fanning your features. “We can make you happy.”

Your voice got caught in your throat. “Steve.” “Let yourself be happy, bunny.” He urged; voice so soft that your whole body trembled as those tender lips ghosted over your own. “Be selfish.” You weren’t sure if he was speaking to you or him anymore, but in the next moment, his lips crashed into yours in a feverish passion, searing against your skin, one hand cupping your cheeks whistle the other caressing the back of your head.

In a quick second, Steve spun you and pressed you against the side of his sleek car, deepening the kiss and slipping his tongue into your mouth the moment you gave him passage. These little groans and grunts were conjuring in his throat, swirling around your mind, making your brain a little cloudy with passion. Just as he tugged back, allowing you to get a couple breaths of air, your eyes fluttered closed, tilting your head back as his lips found your exposed throat. “I want you to be selfish, bunny.” Those dangerous teeth nipped at your jawline, pecking your lips a few times before coaxing you upright again. “Let us love you.” He whispered, connecting you both into another kiss, your mind wholly consumed by Steve and Bucky, wondering if this was something you could consider.

You had always considered yourself just unlucky in love; it never seemed to work out with dates, the guys that would hit on you would never be looking for something more serious than a night between the sheets, and then there was your entire relationship with Oliver that was marred with bad memories. When meeting Steve and Bucky, you thought it was all too good to be true, but you could have never imagined the problems being this life-changing. “You deserve whatever you want in this world,” Steve whispered as he tugged himself away from his lips again, burying his face in your throat. “I want you.” Those three little words slipped out before the rational side of your brain attempted to reason.

Steve made a breathy noise, arms tightly around your frame, moulding you against his body, unwilling to let you slip away at this moment. You hadn’t realised how much you were clinging to him too, arms linked around him, fingers buried into his blonde tresses, just enjoying the weight of him pressing you into the car. You stayed like that for a while, just holding each other. “I’m just scared.” “I know.” He replied, tugging back just a little to gaze into your eyes. “I get it.” Pressing a quaint kiss to your forehead. “Bucky and I won’t let anything happen. Okay?” You nod, wordlessly pressing your head into his chest. “Okay.” He muttered.

A few more moments passed before Steve rubbed your back soothingly and said. “It’s always your choice. We just want to give you all the information. We want all your questions to be answered. If we aren’t what you want, then… then we can understand that because we just want you to be happy, bunny.” Then he gifted you a sad little smile. “You tell me what you want. I can drive you back to your parents, I’ll deal with Bucky, send Ari to watch over you for a couple days just to make sure things are safe, or… or you can keep coming home with me now, you can talk with Bucky, ask him anything and… and maybe decide about if you want to be with us.”

It felt like your mind was being torn in two different ways; you decided to allow your heart to take the lead for a change pushing aside those worried little voices in the back of your mind and replying. “I wanna go home with you, Steve.” That smile on his face grew, relieved that you were still willing to listen to them both at this first hurdle. “You’ve been open with me, but I need to speak with Bucky too.” He understood completely. He popped the door and allowed her to sink back inside before climbing back into the driver’s side.

As they rolled back onto the road, Steve glanced over, watching as you just set your gaze out the window, clearly weighing up all the options, thinking about all the information he had given you. It felt good to get it all off his chest, to be open and honest with you and just allow you to make the decision having all the information.

Every ten minutes or so Steve would glance back in your direction before smiling as he saw your eyes had fluttered closed, sunk entirely into the seat. He understood it was a lot of information to have to take in. Happily, he continued to drive whilst you were snoozing peacefully beside him,

The drive back from Elba was gruelling; it was the early morning hours by the time that Steve parked outside the townhouse. Glancing towards where you were sleeping peacefully in the seat beside him, a loving smile tugged at his lips. A part of him didn’t want to wake you, wondering if you had managed to get any good nights of sleep recently – it had undoubtedly evaded him.

“Bunny…” Then reaching across to place his hand on your knee, gently coaxing you from your slumber as he jostled your knee a few times. “I’m sorry, honey.” He kept his voice calm and low, seeing how your eyes fluttered open and filled with a confused concern before setting on him. “Do you want me to carry you inside?”

The sentiment made you giggle before muttering. “No.” Rubbing your hands over your face to force yourself further away. As you came around a little more, you climbed from the comfort of the vehicle, glancing around the quiet street as most people happily snoozed away in their warm beds. Steve rounded the car from the driver’s side and gestured for you to follow him, guiding you up the stoop and unlocking the entrance door. “Come in…”

In your sleepy haze, you attempted to take in all the little details about their home, noting the elegant coat stand, which had a few different outer clothes hanging from it. Then there was a fresh vase of flowers that decorated a cute centre table in the room. You were sure the furniture in this room alone was worth more than the second-hand pieces that adorned your entire apartment. “C’mon, bunny, let’s get some rest.” He offered, shuffling you inside, all whilst keeping his voice low, thinking that Bucky might have already gone to bed.

Following the blonde through towards the staircase, a click of a light switch made you both stop, suddenly alerted to the presence of Bucky as he lingered in the doorway to what looked like the kitchen. The buttons of his pristine dress shirt were plucked apart to reveal his bronzed chest, and long fingers firmly clasped around a short glass of whiskey; you weren’t sure if you’d ever seen him look more casual. “It’s good to see you, doll.” The sound of his voice made you shudder. Bucky was unsure whether he could approach. More than anything, he wanted to wrap his arms around you, hold you again and make you promise to never disappear again, but the look on your face caused him to remain unmoved. “Steve told me everything…” From behind, Steve chuckled and muttered. “You ratted me out pretty quick, bunny.”

“I don’t like lying.” Your eyes remained trained on Bucky and finally broke to glance over your shoulder at Steve. “I guess that’s something you feel pretty comfortable doing with me.” Crossing your arms over your chest, Steve moved to be standing behind you, resting his hands on your shoulder and sharing a meaningful look with Bucky. “Jeez, you’re a ball buster, doll.” He muttered, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck and then taking a small step forward to gradually close the distance. “Did he mention how much we hated lying to you?” He quirked his brows, placing down his whiskey glass. “Did he say how we were trying to find the best way to tell you the truth?” The gaze you held with him dropped to the wooden floorboards. “Did he tell you that we didn’t want to scare you away?” Bucky’s nimble fingers pinched your chin, tilting your head up and muttering so gently. “We lied, and we’re so sorry.” The words slipped from his lips so genuinely.

You attempted to find some resolve, just trying not to fall for his charm. “H-he told me about your job.” Bucky simply nodded; it was something he knew he’d need to discuss with you eventually. If he was being honest, Steve probably did a better job explaining. Bucky certainly knew that he lacked nuance sometimes when it came to these more sensitive subjects. “Steve has been open and honest with me. So, I need you to do that too, James. I need to feel like I can move forward knowing everything.”

Bucky was quiet, lips pursed and eyes flickering towards you and Steve. “We can do this tomorrow-” Steve attempted to save him, but Bucky blurted out. “I spoke to Timothy Lewinski about hiring you.” You could feel Steve’s hands tightening on your shoulders as if trying to ground you at that moment. “Doll, that fuckwit boss you had treated you like garbage. I just wanted better for you-” “I asked you not to get involved in my career, James.” The use of his given name made Steve fight a smirk, sensing that this fiery side could perhaps rival that similar side that Bucky had. “If I was going to get hired by a company, then I wanted it to be on my own merit and ability.”

“I just put a good word in,” Bucky announced before his brain could chastise himself for fibbing. He wondered if you had reacted better if he might have told you about the bribe, but perhaps it was better to just let that stay his secret – not even Steve knew about the money he had slipped to Timothy. “That was all I did…” Then shaking his head. “Timmy was likely to contact you anyway; I helped move the process along.”

A heavy frown found your lips; the only thing comforting was the feel of Steve’s fingers pressing into your shoulders. “I think we should get some rest.” The blonde reasoned. “It has been a long day, right?” He urged, glancing at Bucky too and nodding his head. “Did you get the room all set up?” They both took steps back from you, allowing you a moment to breathe some fresh air affected by their whiskey-soaked breath or warm cologne. “Oh yeah, even got the finest Egyptian cotton sheets.” Winking at you before turning on his heel and beginning to ascend the stairs, Steve’s hand slipped down your frame, resting on her lower back and edging you to follow.

It was late. Perhaps after a good night of sleep, you might be able to come to some rational conclusion about all this madness. As they led you through their home, you attempted to take in as many little details as possible. The walls were decorated with the finest art; you wondered if they were pieces that Steve had collected through the years of living here. Passing by each room, the doors were elegantly carved and had fantastic shiny golden knobs. You wondered what secrets were hiding behind each door. They both stopped; Bucky pushed the door open and allowed you to take a few steps inside.

It was the most fantastic guest bedroom you had ever seen. Offering a space to stay in your apartment meant your guest sleeping on your bed whilst you took up space on the couch, but Bucky and Steve had a whole other bedroom double the size of your own that they could offer. “Are you going to be comfortable sleeping in that?” Bucky quizzed, gesturing to your loose-fitting shirt and bottoms. You simply nodded, wandering over to a bookshelf and running your fingers across the leatherbound spine. They were all beautiful first editions, and your mind boggled as you speculated if they read these books or if they were there for decoration only. “Did you need anything else, bunny?”

“No.” You responded evenly, finally turning to look at them both. “I’d like some time alone so I can think, please.” They both seemed to nod in understanding. “Try not to think too hard, doll. Get some rest.” He requested, settling his tattooed hand on the doorknob. “If you need us for anything, our room is just down the hall. Just follow the sound of Steve’s snoring.” He jested, causing Steve to bark out a sudden laugh. “Yeah, like I’m the only one who snores.” He bit back and then turned his attention back towards you. “See you in the morning.” Steve winked then, tugging Bucky from the room in the next second, the door clicking shut to signify that you were finally alone.

You didn't move for a few seconds, just keeping your eyes focused on the door they had left through. This all felt so surreal; you wondered how your life had managed to change so much in such a short period. There were still so many questions and worries buzzing around in your mind, from the thought of being in a polyamorous relationship to thinking about the more dangerous aspect of their jobs and how your entire life could be impacted by a tiny mistake.

You sunk into an armchair in the corner of the room, slipping your phone from your pocket and beginning to write down all your thoughts and feelings; writing was where you felt most at home. It was the only sane way they were able to express and process your emotions in a way that you could reflect on and in a way that you could understand. You wrote paragraphs and paragraphs of text, explaining your feelings about Steve and then your feelings about Bucky, the way you felt so scared about their jobs and betrayed by their lies. Then you wrote of the hope for the future, that you could find a way to trust them again, that you could find a way to love two people and how you could genuinely accept both of their love.

Love. You wondered if you could bring yourself to say those little words to Steve and Bucky. Before discovering their lies, you could have seen yourself falling in love with one of them. There was no denying that they treated you very well; each of their dates was so unique, and you showed both of their personalities so perfectly. Clearly, Bucky enjoyed treating you to more extravagant things, whereas Steve liked to share the quieter moments with you.

There was never a point that you felt scared of them, even after what Detective Carol had said about them being dangerous, or when Bucky had confirmed it, or even when Steve had told you the truth. Your rational mind said to you that you should be scared, but the emotional part reminded you that you knew these guys, you’d spent time with them and been alone with them, even shared sincerely intimate moments with them, and they had never pushed you to do anything, they’d never expected too much and always moved at your pace. Yes, they’d lied, but if they had told you the truth about their relationship from the beginning, you probably would have denied them both. Now you were in deep with both, wondering how you were supposed to return to a normal life without them. Maybe you didn’t have to return to a normal life.

You had been unaware of when you had fallen asleep. The armchair beneath you had been too comfortable; resting your eyes for a couple minutes had led to you completely falling into a deep slumber. When you awoke, it was with a hard snort, trying to shield your tired eyes from the blinding sun that poured through the windows. It took you a few moments to adjust to your surroundings, standing on wobbly feet and approaching a mirror, glancing into it at yourself and groaning at your appearance, trying your best to make yourself look presentable.

From the rooms below, you could hear a soft chatter. It was welcoming to be around people. Usually, when you woke up, your attention would instantly drawn to your phone, but instead, you are happy to be around the company. You took a little time to straighten the guest bedroom they had gifted you, slipping your phone into your pocket and then exiting to find the stairs they had guided you up the night before.

As you wandered down the stairs, the voice only grew louder. “… I heard that Nat and Bruce are in the Maldives.” Bucky was speaking, his voice lower and husky with morning gravel. “Do you know anything about this?” “Yeah, I had some idea about it,” Steve answered quickly, sounding a little more awake than the brunette. “We’re dealing with that Rollins situation. I’m doing some searching, but so far, it’s quiet.” In response, Bucky simply hummed.

Following their voices leads you to the kitchen, a beautifully decorated room. You got the feeling that it was really the heart of the home. Bucky was stood there in some comfortable-looking jogging bottoms, sitting at a steaming cup of coffee. Steve looked like he had just returned from a morning run, headphones hanging loosely around his phone and shirt drenched with a deep ‘v’ of sweat down the middle. “Morning bunny, did you sleep well?” Steve asked, realising your presence.

“Uh, yeah.” You replied softly, moving further into the room and hovering awkwardly by the island. “Um, did you?” They both smiled and nodded at you. “Are you hungry? I can make you something. I make killer pancakes, right, Buck? They’re low fat, but they taste just as good…” Your eyes found Bucky; he shook his head, earning a glare from Steve in return. “Or how about an omelette…? Or we have cereal somewhere, I think…” Glancing over his shoulder back in your direction.

Sensing that you were a little overwhelmed, Bucky muttered. “Give her a minute to wake up, Steve. Not everyone is a morning person.” He then used his food to scoot a barstool in your direction. You took a seat and placed your hands on the dark marbled counters. “Do you have any orange juice?” You asked softly, cluttering around the fridge. Steve found a carton, poured you a glass and slid it in your direction. “Sorry bunny, I’m just happy to have you around.”

After taking a sip, you smiled. “It’s actually… nice to be here.” You decided. “This place is beautiful. Did you have any hand in designing it?” They both nodded, which amazed you, but somehow you could understand that this was their home; they wanted every little detail to be perfectly how they wanted it. “It’s amazing.”

“Thanks, doll.” The brunette gifted you a tiny smile, and you took another couple of sips of your orange juice. “I’ve been thinking all night.” You finally decided to say as you placed the glass down. Both looked in your direction, their faces a mixture of worry and optimism. “I’ve been thinking about you… about what you want… about what you hid from me… and about being truthful about it.” You began. It seemed Bucky had wanted to say something but pursed his lips to stop himself from making matters worse. “This is so difficult because there are so many moving parts.” You explained, eyes darting down to the counter before up to both. “I just can’t seem to shake how much I like you both, and that scares me because I… I don’t want to be the reason I put the people I love in danger.”

“Doll…” Bucky let out a soft sigh. “Doll, I promise we won’t let anything bad happen to anyone you love. We look out for our own. Always.” He said, pressing his hands to the counter. Steve had promised that same thing. It really resonated deep within you, nodding your head. “We don’t know what this will be like, and all we’re asking is that you try…”

A few quiet moments took over the kitchen. “I want to try.” They swore that both of their hearts stopped at that moment, raising your gaze and looking at them both. “I want to try.” They rounded the counter, Steve standing on one side and Bucky on the other. “I wanna…” Bucky cupped your face, tilting your head back so that he could capture your lips in a heated kiss. In the next second, Steve’s lips were crushing your own as Bucky’s mouth nipped and suckled at your throat. “Say it again, doll.” He urged breathlessly. You pulled away from Steve, looking at them both and whispering. “I want to try.”

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#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #Bucky Barnes #mafia!bucky #mafia!bucky barnes #mafia!bucky barnes x reader #Steve Rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers imagine #mafia!steve rogers #mafia!steve x reader #mafia!stucky #stucky #stucky imagine #stucky x you #stucky x reader #marvel imagine #marvel x reader #Marvel x Y/N #marvel x you #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans x reader #chris evans imagine #chris evans characters #sebastian stan fic #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan x reader

[blueepink07]

While I'm quite happy that for once after Haruka's voting, Kazui's voting changed from forgiven to guilty, which makes things interesting, I honesty think that a guilty vote will not be beneficial at all.

Before actually telling why I personally vote him innocent I want to state that I don't really have an intention to force other people to vote him innocent. This project was done to make everyone vote however they want and I wish to keep it that way. I'm writing this mostly for myself and simply because I want to share my opinion.

I understand why people vote him guilty as his lies made Hinako to realize that she waisted many years of her life, which is truly unfair for her. Not to say how Japan views divorce and treats divorced women.

Also Japan pressures many people to marry as early as possible.

Women especially are a victim of this system. So Hinako's situation is overall very sad.

Men are also pressured into marrying though, so Kazui probably seen an opportunity to settle and have a good life with Hinako, thinking that maybe he'll eventually fall in love with her.

Does it excuse his actions?

No, it doesn't.

I just want to point out that mostly I'm neutral about his case. If I had to vote strictly based on his murder alone, I would simply not vote. I consider them both victims of this system.

The reasons why I vote him innocent though is because he might be helpful in trial 3 and I think that he'll have a character growth.

1.While in his first trial we forgiven his lie, his "fictional" situation and feelings, now, Kazui had showed us more about himself, not really his 100% true self, but still it's more than in trial 1. Basically, by voting guilty, we tell him that he should have continued lying and to live miserable.

I dislike lies and I want him to be more honest with others and himself. I can't see how a guilty verdict might help him on this case. I feel like people don't understand that a guilty verdict doesn't necessarily mean that they will have a massive character growth?? Every prisoner is different and just because for one character a guilty verdict might have helped him doesn't mean that it will apply to everyone. Shidou is a good example, because by voting him innocent I think it was one of the best decisions in trial 1. And again: it's an innocent verdict that helped him, not a guilty one.

2. While we are at Shidou, I want to bring up my second point. The new timeline conversation made me realize how much Kazui is actually needed. Shidou is too worried about the injured prisoners, especially Mahiru, so he doesn't really have time for anything else...

Shidou was voted innocent. Depending on the future votes and the actual votes his job will still be needed, that's for sure. Haruka and Muu were already voted guilty. While I'm not so worried about Muu when it comes to injures (her mental health will be deteriorated for sure...), Haruka is already thinking of how to hurt himself. Even if he'll be restrained, it's not like he would not find a solution to decrease his health. (starvation could be possible). And here I'm talking just for already guilty voted prisoners in this trial. Mahiru and Fuuta will still need some medical treatment, it's not like the damage already done will magically disappear. So Shidou will still be pretty much busy.

But where do I want to go with this? There has to be someone who can keep an eye on the situation and act if it's necessarily. Shidou can't do it, so who else could if not Kazui?

Haruka and Muu, as I stated before, will be the ones that will probably need the most help at the moment.

Fuuta and Mahiru, maybe they could help somehow, at least to lift the mood, but I doubt that considering their injuries and deteriorated mental health(as I said before a forgiven verdict will not completely erase the damage already done). Not sure if they can do very much.

Yuno, as smart and calm she is, would pretty much not want to bother with the situation in prison. However I think she will continue to be a good friend to Mahiru, and help if it's truly necessarily.

Amane is already in a bad mental state, I don't think I have to explain myself.

Mikoto, for him I'm not sure, maybe with an innocent verdict he might actually lift the mood, help Shidou or Kazui(if voted innocent)? But that's pretty much speculation, so it's nothing sure. Mikoto, in his door art looks scared, and has his own worries. (kind of the same situation with Mahiru and Fuuta)

Kotoko it's already isolated in Milgram prison. We haven't heard from her in Milgram timeline post for so long... Also, many people want to vote her guilty this trial. I honestly don't think it would change, even if Milgram reveals something that will put her in a more sympathetic light.

So overall, the only option that we have is Kazui. Milgram trial 3 will sure be awful, I'm 100% sure that they will somehow add more problems and will make everything much worse. If not for Kazui possible character growth, I want to vote him innocent in hopes that the situation in prison will be a little better.

Of course these are just my thoughts , which I wanted to share, so if anyone disagrees it's fine, I would really like to hear the reasons!!

Credits

#at least i feel motivated again to vote daily since Haruka's trial #milgram #milgram kazui #kazui mukuhara

[fugamsemidei]

He shuffles nervously. The little group waits for him to elaborate. He isn't sure if he should. He isn't sure if he can.

Victoria flicks an ear, speaking evenly. "Listen to me Paleo. I give all who come here the benefit of the doubt....but this is suspiciously timed of you. Sunset has just accused you of something dire, and the moment she's gone, you tell me you want to leave? Being vague about why? It comes across as you running from a true accusation, though I'd like to believe its not."

He swallows. He'd been planning to say this before Sunset's accusation, but since he'd waited, it now did look bad of him.

"I know, and I thank you for the trust you've had in me thus far." He begins. "It's not something I take lightly." He gave a light bow of his head.

Victoria narrowed her eyes a little. "I know I cannot prevent you from doing anything, but from what you've said, you and your kids had a very strenuous time out there before finding this place. What could be so important to justify taking this safety from them?"

The genuine anger in his tone startles the group into silence. His words spill forth with little pause. "From the moment I got them out of there it has been unbearably tense between us in all but a select few moments! Ark does not want me as a father, and Alburune refuses to even talk to me! The past few weeks have made only one thing abundantly clear: I am not suited to parent anyone!" He groans hoarsely, dragging his claws across his face. "I have no idea what I'm doing. You all do. It is simple as that."

Victoria seems puzzled, but she's still the one who breaks the silence. "....is that what you were lying about? Your intention to stay here with y...these children?"

He goes quiet. It wasn't. But it was a convenient cover story, so he nods. "I...in all honesty, this was approximately my plan since we left the facility. I...wanted to find them someplace where they'd be safe, and cared for, and then...go my own way....or...." He trails off. He had no plan, really, beyond securing safety for his charges. But he knew he could not stay with them, for them to be safe.

Unfortunately for him, the others do not react with understanding. They react with disappointment.

Nobone speaks first. "There's something I don't think you understand, Paleo. The three of you share something horrific and traumatic in a very specific and unique sense. That is something that only the three of you can relate to and understand. If you leave them, it will leave them with no outlet for that pain."

"They would grow up here, feeling isolated and alone in their grief." Says Knalla next. "You'd be abandoning them to that fate out of...what? Guilt?" Her eyes narrow, judgmental.

He swallows. "I...I am not fit for this role, it was forced upon me-"

"Then learn." She cuts him off, gaze hard. "Learn to be there for them. Learn how to make them feel comfortable. It is your responsibility as their guardian. You've got plenty of role models here, and all the time in the world."

"But nothing. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain." Knalla cut him off, voice going gentle at the end. "Please. For your kids."

"They're not-"

"Did you not see how they clung to you when you arrived here?" Victoria spoke up. "Like it or not, they see you as safety in some sense. You swore fealty to me, and I am exercising that authority just this once: it would be nothing short of neglect to abandon them right now."

He was trapped by what he was hiding. But what if he told them, and they decided it wasn't safe to keep the kids either?

He sighed, the nerves fluttering beneath his skin not letting his feathers smooth. "F...fine. I will stay and learn. For them." He relented.

He was met with grateful smiles. But the only thing he felt was dread.

#fugamsemidei #Long post #Pokemon ask blog #Pokeaskblog #Paleo Silvally #Silvally #Knalla Smeargle #Smeargle #Acacia Phantump #Phantump #Nobone Marowak #Marowak #Victoria Vigoroth #Vigoroth #Mirian Houndoom #Houndoom #My art #Story

[fetish4juggalos]

Gotham villans with their s/o pt.2

Ive decided that since im tryna post more frequently that Id do a part 2 to my 'Gotham villans' post since after alot of procrastination i finally finished the show around 2 months ago

Id also like to apologize for the quality since my last post was on oct 3rd so this is a little rushed

I apologize in advance for both grammatical errors and spelling errors:)

Jervis Tetch

Hes absolutely obsessed with you no doubt about it

Because of the loss of his sister he automatically is gonna have a near ridiculous attachment to you

Constantly keeping tabs on you, KEEPING YOU FAR AWAY FROM JIM GORDON, and following you around from time to time

Constant reassurance is necessary to make sure he knows you love him

Your past relationships are trivial to him because you're his now and there's no changing that but if an ex comes into a picture he's pissed

Goes from rhymes and dilly dallying to an absolute psycho in a matter of seconds

Kissing is something he uses to calm himself or take control of a situation especially when hes overwhelmed. Its also something you can do to him to reassure him and keep him calm

If you're up to the challenge he might even let you cut his hair seeing as his hair and facial hair change lengths throughout the show:)

Gifts from him are always extravagant and meaningful. Things like teaparties, watches, antiques, jewlery, and various items that he's selected just for you

I feel as if he'd be a great cook since he has such well put together teaparties with cakes, sandwiches, sweets, ect.

Has crazy personality switchs. One second he's overly excited the next hes seething and on the break of insanity

I feel like he too just like jerome commits crimes as a declaration of love. Things like making your ex jump off of the clock tower or hurting people to show how far he'll go for you ect.

Edward Nygma

Pre-riddler

Ed would be an absolute sweetheart

A little strange and a bit creepy but with good intentions

He'd be a little overprotective/territorial but that would only be the case if people around the GCPD started making moves on you/flirted with you

He wouldn't have any inherent issues with you dating others previously since you're your own person and he respects your past but if an ex came around we might have another officer dorty situation

Gifts normally consist of wordplay or riddles. Like cards with riddles in them or gifts that go along with a riddle. All the things he gives you always have an Ed touch to them

He also like oswald follows you around but in less of a needy way and more of a wanting to get to know everything about you way. Like learning your interests, telling you riddles, listen to you go on and on about different topics, ect.

Post-riddler

Edward is alot more confident and alot more unhinged than Ed

Very foward and very jealous

Unlike Ed the idea that you've been with others irks him. And as much as you reassure him that your exs are out of sight and out of mind he'll always have this itching feeling that they're still in love with you

His gifts I imagine consist of about the same things. Riddles and wordplay. The only difference is instead of them being more nerdy sweet gifts they're more complex, intricate, possibly stolen gifts (Bigger budget when you're a criminal I guess)

Hes not as clingy as pre-riddler Ed if anything he'd be a bit more reserved, only realizing the true impact that his feeling for you have on him later on

Would he be super affectionate? I cant imagine him being incredibly affectionate but he enjoys it as much as pre-riddler Ed just not as open about it

Jeremiah Valeska

If you want utter honesty I cant image him being very clingy or incredibly lovey-dovey

I just cant imagine him following you around or keeping a incredibly close eye on you

The thing about Jeremiah that makes him so different from Jerome is how cold he is. Very well composed, takes control of any situation, doesn't go with the flow, always has a plan. If he wants to have tabs on you he'll just ask echo to follow you around

That being said it doesn't mean he isnt territorial of you. It doesn't have to be said for everyone to know that you're Jeremiah's

In the case that an ex was to come into the picture they would be dealt with privately and by someone other than Jeremiah but if he sees fit I doubt he'd be opposed to allowing you to watch as your ex is tourtured

Physical affection is something that can also be used to calm him when stressed out about a plan going wrong or just in the case that he feels like showing you off

He doesn't have a very wide range of emotion

He's either cold and composed or pissed and stressed out on the break of a mental breakdown

Gifts from him are almost always luxury items like jewelry, timepieces, clothing, and shoes.

Even though he is very public about his relationship with you he keeps you out of his crimes for the purpose of the bigger picture. Turning you from a possible accomplice to the poor girl who suffered from Stockholm syndrome all comes together in his big plan and also gives you a out of he ever is taken in

I cant imagine the two of you would go on dates very often. He spent most of his life as a recluse in a maze so I doubt he got out much. Most of the time hes hunched over a desk or blackboard planning his next attack on gotham but if you were to ask to go out me may have something private arranged for the two of you

#jervis tetch #jervis tetch x reader #jeremiah valeska x reader #jeremiah valeska #edward nygma #edward nygma x reader #the riddler #gotham

[chirpsythismorning]

Even though Byler is endgame, there's still gonna be a lot of ups and downs in this fandom for the next two years.

So please, let's not dwell over things said at Cons, only to overreact and decide that we've lost. Otherwise, you're better off just going on a hiatus for the next two years, since this back and forth is not going to stop anytime soon. This is because doubt is extremely necessary for both sides to stay engaged!

They're either queer-baiting or straight-bating. Regardless, both of those scenarios involve basically feeding both sides, until one side has too much confidence and so they have to give the other side some hope to keep everyone going, until the very end. If things around here seem too good to be true, strap in, because doubts are just around the corner to even the score.

The most obvious reason they have to do this is because we're dealing with a mlm ship, with 2 main characters who started out young on the show. Like, it's so shitty, obviously, but this is the most watched show in the world, running on 80's nostalgia, which means most definitely a majority of their overall audience is homophobic (intentional or not), which is why the only way they could go the Byler route in the first place was is if it wasn't official until the last season. Luckily, slow-burn is an awesome trope, so it's not like they're even wrong for going about it this way. I think it's actually going to be pretty epic.

But bylers seriously need to be more realistic with their expectations. We also need to realize that, even though promotion for season 5 will probably involve heavy Byler placement/coding in regards to Mike and Will's characters, similar to season 4, I think there will still be some doubts up until we're actually watching s5 on our screens.

Better to just accept it now, Byler will NOT be getting together in the first episode of season 5, with established relationship fluff for the rest of the season. It's not happening. I know that's what everyone wants, but that's what fan-fiction is for!! Television just doesn't work that way though. The 'will they-won't they' is the whole appeal of most endgame ships, and that means drawing it out for as long as they can.

Absolute best case scenario, I could see us getting Mike and El breaking up once and for all after confronting each other about his monologue, along with Mike fully realizing the extent of Will's feelings, all by the end of 5x02. I could especially see this happening in combination with Mike discovering everything in regards to Will that he has overlooked this last year, because he was too busy trying to suppress his own feelings for Will, ie.:

The painting actually being from Will. I know a lot of bylers are convinced Mike knows for sure that El didn't commission the painting. But I think ya'll are grossly underestimating this whole concept of Will lying to Mike here. It wouldn't make sense to put all this emphasis on Will lying to Mike, for the first time, if Mike didn't fall for it. The reality is, he fell for it because Will never lies to him. Whenever he doubts Will, for example, when Will tried to tell him El was lying to him at Rink-o-mania, Mike said, "bullshit!", only to be proven wrong literal milliseconds later. He's learned his lesson this season not to doubt Will's honesty. So, it makes sense for him to sort of dismiss what El said about the painting in the letter, because his and El's relationship is built on lies, whereas his and Will's isn't. TBH I think Mike was just mesmerized hearing the exact words he wanted to hear from Will and all from Will himself, so there's these moments during Will's monologue where Mike's reaction is just so genuinely shocked and happy, because these words?? are coming from Will??? But I think his feelings in the moment, overshadow his ability to pick up on it in a way that allows him to fully realize Will loves him.

Will loves him. This will instantly explain Will's behavior to Mike as of recent, which was coming from insecurity of rejection, and even more importantly, Will losing him all-together (just like Mike was scared of).

That Will put his feelings aside at every turn to encourage Mike to work through his relationship with El, even though it meant Will putting himself last.

That Mike said, the day Will went missing was the day his life started, in front of Will. (Because if you honestly think Mike knows Will is in love with him and Mike returns those feelings, but still said THAT right in front of him... why do yall still ship them exactly, bc that's fucked up... Like that alone proves to me Mike is still pretty clueless when it comes to the extent of Will’s true feelings. I firmly believe when Mike realizes, his whole world is gonna shift and we’re gonna see it happen. And we haven’t yet… so…)

That the entire confession Mike gave to El was based on Will's feelings, and that the comfort it brought him, with Will's constant encouragement, is what allowed Mike to follow through in the end.

This feels so inevitable, in combination with everything else piling up, but it's likely we'll get an awkward moment where Will finds out about the party playing dnd a lot since he left. I could see it come up when they talk about Eddie's death and Mike finally finding out and mourning. I doubt Will is gonna be mad, he'll probably be bittersweet, like, "I'm used to it by now, it's no big deal, I promise guys," sort of vibes, because he has said he thinks he deserves to be mistreated (Mike: No no no no no! You didn't deserve anything!). So it makes sense that Will would just take this as another blow like it's nothing. Which is why I think this is going to affect Mike a lot, because he's discovering all of these things that reinforce in Will's mind that he's a mistake and no one cares for him. Also because I think the final straw that'll crack Mike completely, is that....

He and everyone forgot Will's birthday!!! And Mike will circle back to that day, re-living it and everything he said/did. And it's gonna hurt. Because he’ll know now that whole time, Will was in love with him!!??? Yes. I am a 'Duffers are lying their asses off about forgetting Will's birthday' truther because, them going out of their way to joke about not remembering the last time they rewatched s2, when there were countless parallels to s2 in s4, is all the proof I need. And I also think all this angst built up against Will is going to make his (and everyone's) happy ending that much more satisfying.

There's just so much potential for angst when it comes to Mike realizing Will's feelings, along with all these other details. And I could honestly see all of this coming to a head in early s5, because they have said the first two episodes of s5 take place directly after s4, so it makes sense that we’ll get the payoff of Mike finding out during that time, since that storyline wasn’t really resolved in s4. But when it comes to actual canon Byler, that will take some time...

At best, I could see an interaction that heavily implies endgame Byler in 5x05 at the earliest (I know that's a popular theory because it follows a pattern of big moments between them in past seasons, and so I could genuinely see them being able to build it up from there, going into the end). This would also allow at least 2-3 episodes of the audience getting to see Mike be fully aware of Will's feelings, without Will knowing that Mike knows and returns those feelings. I think it's necessary for us to get that pining from Mike's POV, with Will being oblivious and so it makes sense for them to put endgame off, at least for that.

This would also allow promotion for season 5 to keep the revelation of Byler endgame in the dark for the most part, until season 5 premieres.

Tbh, the whole appeal of Byler is that their story has been developing romantically this whole time, but that most of the audience missed it bc of heteronormativity. And that's what's going to make the big climax of that storyline be more worthwhile in the end.

When it finally happens, and it's officially confirmed, it will be the end. And people will inevitably go back and rewatch the show from the very beginning, all the way up until the end and go "Oh.?!" That's what’ll make the build-up worth it for everyone that’s willing to see it for what it is.

Of course you can torture yourself for the next two years. And I know many of you will (myself included). But I just had to rant about these doubts realistically at least once, even if only 20 or 100 or a thousand of you see it, I hope it'll give at least a few of you some more confidence about what's to come, even despite some understandable disappointment.

But to be clear, I do still believe in Byler endgame. It's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows the whole way, though. But after all, isn't that what the end is for?

Rhymes that keep their secrets Will unfold behind the clouds And there upon a rainbow Is the answer to a never-ending story

#byler #stranger things #stranger things 5

[maehemthemisfit]

lyney is .. not one to trust easily.

you found it ironic.

or, perhaps, it fit perfectly — because why else would someone without trust become a magician if not to fuel their cynicism?

you were aware of this since first meeting him. he had a suave demeanor, sure, an air of swoon-worthy confidence — but that was just the type of person you were always weary of.

you didn’t believe in magic. he didn’t, either.

he had piercing eyes. a gaze that looked as if it could bore into your very soul and sear it while still hiding his intentions. yet, the look in his eyes was the one thing that he was unable to mask; and you, ever-observant as you are, picked up on the sorrow and hesitation within them without a second glance. though, in your opinion, it didn’t take someone as astute as you to notice that he was not all flowery words and romantic gestures.

it was a facade. that, to you, was clear to see — even with how desperately, and how adept he was, at trying to hide it.

the moment someone asked him about his troubles and he simply diverted their attention was the one that solidified your suspicions. while you never really had a solid foundation to build doubt upon, it seems you were correct — as usual. you relied more on intuition, you supposed, though that was just as unreliable as the look in someone’s eyes.

you, of course, did not inquire about this instance. after all, you figured prying would be a step forward and three back.

instead, you kept a close eye on him whenever you met. harboring a sly tongue, showcasing an air of confidence, and working in a field based around sugarcoated lies — why wouldn’t you?

it was only an attempt at learning more about someone born out of skepticism. so, imagine your surprise when this very same skepticism turns into more of a curiosity, then an infatuation, and then love.

you never really thought you could fall for someone like him. he was just too guarded, too dishonest — a far cry from yourself, who valued truth above all else.

even so, you two grew close. slowly but surely, he’d opened himself up to you, even as it scared him greatly to do so.

first, it was a small truth, here and there, in a sea of lies; until the honesty began soaking up the deception like a sponge, and instead what poured out of the sink next time you turned the faucet on was all verity.

soon after, your birthday came. it had already been a year since you’d met..? it didn’t feel like that long.

lyney was the first to approach you. that wasn’t unusual, of course; you two practically saw each other every day, now. he waved you down, sauntered up to you, and presented you with ..

“i have a feather here, just an ordinary feather... go ahead, you can hold it and see for yourself.”

you did as he said. you took the feather from his deft grasp, careful not to brush against him even if his hands were gloved.

“ready? and... boom!”

you didn’t flinch when it ‘miraculously’ changed shape in your grasp, turning into a flurry of colors before your very eyes. after all, you were used to his tricks by now.

“it was a party popper all along. happy birthday!”

he reached into the air, grasping a scattered piece of it between his thumb and forefinger.

“see this? i caught one of the paper streamers floating down. now, make a wish and picture a birthday gift in your mind's eye as i light it.”

and, you do. you don’t believe in magic, and you definitely don’t believe he can read your mind — but, perhaps .. you’d humor him. just this once.

“three... two... one... great! verrry good, i know exactly what you were thinking now. the last step, put your hand inside my hat...”

and perhaps he wasn’t all lies, because the moment he turned and pressed a soft kiss to your lips was the moment you did begin believing in magic — and, maybe, he did, too, because this time, it wasn’t a trick or meticulous setup. it was a true miracle.

“well? it it the gift you wanted?”

— the mutual who asked about sending a fic earlier!! happy (maybe belated, now?) birthday!

UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

YES. YES THIS IS THE GIFT I WANTED !!!!!!!!!!!!! UYERHYJUEKSURUDSKDEDMURNMFJRH

#mhssjahsjasajhs anon... when i find you anon...ANON WHEN I FIND YOU ANON #*aggressively foams at the mouth and devours fic* #WHO. ARE. YOU!!! #HASHEAHG #the way this has me acting so feral #AND YOU USED HIS VOICELINES NJHDRFHRJEJYRNTU #the way this has me levitating #i wish i could analyze your writing and detect who you are #GGGRGEHEJHS #but i dont wanna guess incorrectlyyy #ahhhhg #THANK YOU SO MUCH AHSAJHS #moots 💖 #answered 💌 #[🍩] mae . • . ° inbox ♡⁠˖ #lyney

[atolua]

𖥻  CHEER UP ˒ 𝐞𝐭𝐚.  spring  of  2019   

EDITION .. yes he actually would do a cover of cheer up just to lift her spirits

FEATURING .. choi san

CW(S) .. sannie says lua supremacy  &  mild self-doubt

MONA SAYS ..  haven’t posted about the teezers in a while so ta-da!

the intense beats of hala hala ebbs through the practice room. rather than getting up, yuehua remains on the ground. she can't help it—feeling the polished floor against her sweaty body is like eating ice cream on a sweltering summer day. 

she hears the rustle of clothes before seeing the towel held out to her. shifting her head to the right, she takes it and seeks her friend's opinion. “how was that?” 

“looks like you're ready to conquer the stage.” san responds, honesty slathered upon his words. 

she tiredly laughs and tries to get up, but ends up back in her original position with a huff. the younger watches her with an amused glint in his eyes. knowing it'll be a while before she gets up, he decides to lie down next to her. 

together, they let the silence of the practice room fall over them like a blanket. there isn't anything interesting about the ceiling, yet one of them stares so intently at it. san knows that she's thinking, the clouds in her syrup-tinted eyes indicates so.

“what's up?” he asks, then gently pokes her cheek.

(seriously, ever since he found out how soft they were, he hasn't stopped poking the mochi lookalikes.)

she mirrors his action then says, “i'm still a little worried. what if i'm unable to keep up with you guys? what if the fans dislike the idea of a girl in a boy group? what if-” 

“-you will, and they won't. given the fact that you put so much effort in our practices, there's no way you'll fall behind. and once you're officially performing with us, it'll be hard to not notice the atinys cheering for all nine of us.”

yuehua scrunches up her nose and mumbles, “i really hope you're right, or else i'll hide shiber from you.”

“that really hurts, bambi.” he groans in faux pain, hand clutching onto his shirt. “i give you encouragement and get threatened in return.”

“woo, is that you?” she jokes, a few peals of giggles following suit.

san huffs at that and starts to wiggle away from her. she lets him have his moment before pulling herself up and announcing, “since there's no one else here, i'm gonna leave now and buy myself a treat.”

just like that, he's wiggling back. this time, he wears a familiar expression on his face—the pleading eyes. you know the one that puss in boots uses to beat his enemies? that one. 

and like the latter, yuehua's not immune to it. 

“come on then,” she helps him get back on his feet before they gather their stuff. since they're the last ones, they make sure to clean up the practice room. satisfied with their work, they head down to the convenience store. 

“hey sannie?” she begins while they shuffle down one of the aisles.

“yeah bambi?” 

“pick whatever you want, it's my treat.”

it might not be equivalent to the amount of support he's shown her these past weeks, but it's a start.

❑ TAGLIST  ..     @stealanity @ateezivy

#୫ ⋄ … yuesan ˖ better an oops than a what if #oc-ommunity #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez blurbs #san imagines #san scenarios #san blurbs #ateez #ateez 9th member #ateez additional member #ateez addition #ateez female member #ateez x oc #san x oc #kpop addition #kpop additional member #kpop female member

[slasherparty]

Josef with a smol shy/self-conscious reader, who totally accepts and supports him, and just loves him so much?? srry if that's too specific, feel free to ignore if it's too much!! love your blog, you're an amazing writer and your hcs give me life 💖💖💖❤❤💕💕💕

not too specific at all! i think josef would get along well with someone timid. he’s very soft-spoken when he needs to be (though i’d say he has the ability to be anything he needs to be to gain someone’s trust). also thank u for the compliment <3

josef 🐺 / shy reader:

you’re attracted to josef before you consciously realize it. even in the midst of his terrorizing, peachfuzz donned on his skull like the sentient persona it has become, all you can do is reach up to pet him like you would a pet you were fond of.

being accepted in earnest admittedly feels a little unnerving to josef. it’s unexplored territory for him, who’s usually on the other side of the psychological torment. to be so openly welcomed by someone is a terrifyingly foreign experience, but he is not one to scare easily. he’s the one who does the scaring around here. not you.

despite his vehemence, you spoil his games before they even have a chance to begin. this should annoy him. he wants to be frustrated so badly. the more he sees of your patience, your kindness, your infinite capacity for open-minded approval, the more his resolve wavers. the routine isn’t working like it should.

very well, then. this only means he has to find another way of getting to you. he needed a change of pace, anyway. time and time again he’s treated himself to the same flavor of prey. to hunt another type of animal would be refreshing.

it’s safe to say you won’t be going anywhere at this point. you know what you’re in for, but you don’t feel crushed by the weight of your fate. you only feel the magnifying pull of the person (the very terrifying person) you’re slowly getting to know.

josef notices the silent submission you’re giving him and takes his time observing you. it’s longer than he’s had for most of the others. it’s time he needs if he plans to approach this game in a new way.

he starts by being honest, as all good relationships do. he shows genuine interest in you and, with consent, asks as many personal questions as you’ll allow. now you’re under the microscope of intended affection.

this challenges your self-conscious nature, admittedly. you try not to be self deprecating when he asks things about your dreams, passions, interests, wishes for the future. you try not to reveal the surprisingly weak foundation surrounding your self-image when he asks if you were bullied growing up, what your home life is like, whether you think you’re smart or not, attractive or not.

flipping these questions back at josef does nothing, unremarkably. he’s pledged honesty, but even his truthful (and sometimes very embarrassing) answers don’t seem to waver him. he’s a masterclass in composure and you’re no match for him.

he notices, of course. the flush on your neck and cheeks when he scrutinizes you so closely, revealing your self-doubt, making you vulnerable in front of him. though the two of your are alone in these woods, in this giant cabin, his eyes are like spotlights. you adore him, hopelessly so, and that's why this vulnerability feels so scary. would he think less of you for your lack of confidence, when he can share his failures and inner demons so freely and without shame?

but like always, he surprises you. he uses the things you tell him against you, but in a very... doting way? he comments on your hair, how nice it looks today; he acknowledges your accomplishments, compliments you when you succeed in something; he brings you handmade gifts, some in your favorite color, some shaped like your favorite animal... it's clear he is intent on winning this game of Who Can Love Who the Best and Most Aggressively.

this is fine with you, of course. it's a game the two of you might be playing for all eternity.

sorry i kinda wrote a whole drabble? but i have so much to say about josef/aaron... he is such a fun lil guy <3

#josef creep #creep #creep movie #creep movies #creep 2 #mark duplass #slasher x reader #slasher imagines #slashers #horror #horror movies #slasher headcanons #slasher writer #horror writer #josef #aaron creep #creep 2017 #creep 2014

[charmedreincarnation]

Hi Maya,

I came across your blog when looking for shifting accounts and I’m so glad I did because your posts on shifting are invaluable!

I was wondering if you had any advice about shifting again after the first time.

I shifted about a month ago, with pretty much intention only. I was tired and whilst I knew I believed in shifting, I just wanted to experience it first hand for confirmation that I could do it. So I was really lazy and just affirmed over and over that I would shift and that I would wake up in ‘a bed’, and that I was shifting.

I woke up in my bed, but without my boyfriend or my pet beside me, everything was pretty much the same in my room except I didn’t have my pet’s cage and after a minute I realised I shifted. I kept just looking around, and I could feel the bed beneath me, i was truly awake there with my lucid thoughts and everything. I always sleep with my door shut but it was open and I checked my phone and everything was the same except I didn’t recognise any of the names in my contacts. I thought about going outside my room but I knew I wasn’t in my desired reality and in all honesty I was slightly scared to leave my room. So I just laid back down, said my safe word repeatedly and went back to sleep.

Anyway it was such an incredible experience, but I haven’t done it since and not for lack of trying. I know 100% that it’s real and that I can do it and I know that it’s me that controls if I do it or not and that I’m completely capable, but every morning when I wake up and haven’t shifted I just feel a bit confused because I literally know that it’s possible and that I can do it.

I’ve tried to address any doubts I might have, but I honestly do know I can shift and at any time I want so I’m just not sure what’s holding me back.

Do you by any chance have any advice on shifting after the first time and anything you did to shift again after your first time.

Thank you so much!

Congrats bae! The same thing happened to me when I was doing lucid dreaming and it all comes down to this principle. It sounds like you have a strong belief and know that you can make the shift. To further help you with your intention, you could take a few minutes to meditate and really focus on what it is that you want to accomplish. By utilizing the power of visualization, try to focus on the outcome that you desire and use affirmations or mantras to remind yourself repeatedly that your goal will be achieved. Additionally, journaling can also be a great tool to track your progress and celebrate any small victories along the way. Don't forget - every shift is unique, so keep experimenting until you find something that works for you!

Additionally, it could be helpful to experiment with different shifting techniques, such as visualizing a dream scene before falling asleep or taking more time to relax and focus on the moment. There unfortunately is no one-size-fits-all approach - so I can’t tell you exactly what the problem is, but I know you got this so just go for it and don’t give up 💗

#manifesting #law of assumption #manifesation #reality shifting #shiftblr

[honestlywtfisgoingon]

Holding On To A Memory — Cassian Andor

A CASSIAN ANDOR x READER ONE-SHOT

description: was it so wrong? were you betraying him simply by wanting someone else?

warnings: some angst, loss, n a lil tad of fluff to make up for it :,)

a/n: hahharwhshjdjsjd this is my first fic for cassian bc my 2016 thirst has been reawakened ahh and idk why but i needed some angst lol

words: 2962

It felt wrong. You loved your fiancé. You were here because of him. all the loyalty you had for him was now given to the rebellion so that the empire might be brought to justice for his death; a bullet in every imperial head for the one that blew through his. You didn't need this new guilt; you already had enough knowing that maybe if you took the shift at the garage that day like you were supposed to, he might still be here. He was stubborn, and so were you, but he won that time, insisting that you should stay home after the careless injury you gave yourself the day before. You didn't know that his stubbornness, his refusal to shove all his other work aside and service a rather drunk imperial who had crashed his speeder right in front of the shop, demanding he fix it all up for free despite his carelessness, would cost him his life. It was petty. That's what they all were. Petty bastards in a uniform, the worst ones wearing a medal for every atrocity they've committed.

So here you were, doing something about it, hiding at a rebel base, helping those with stories like yours of love and loss dealt by black leather gloves wrapped around a blaster. Until now, your story, your fiancé's memory, emphasized by the ring you still wore, is what drove you. But now you felt his memory was tainted as another man's face had started to fill your dreams in his stead—dark, messy hair, deep brown eyes, thin lips that parted for his Kenarian accent.

Cassian Andor had been with the rebellion long before you joined and captained one of your first missions. You had many together after that, and then the two of you began to seek each other out apart from missions. It didn't matter if you hung out in a group or by yourselves as long as you were in each other's orbit. It wasn't intentional; you were just drawn to each other. There was a balance of playful sarcasm, genuine care, and honesty between the two of you that you had only ever had with one person before. At first, you counted yourself lucky to have found a friend with whom you could have that connection until you realized that it was the sort of connection that led beyond friendship.

It led to hands grazing each other when you were working and pretending every area was smaller than it was so that you had no choice but to stand where you could feel his soft breath fanning on your neck.

Eventually, you imagined that breath in between your legs and those hands grazing every part of your body. Those thoughts became increasingly frequent until you finally decided to take care of them. As soon as your hand slipped past the band of your shorts, your heart stopped.

This is wrong.

You rolled over, squeezing your eyes shut in an attempt to internalize the tears that were hitting your pillow in a now incessant pour that could almost be compared to heavy rain. Your erratic sniffles persisted even when your body was too spent to cry anymore, falling into a deep sleep. You didn't know precisely when you drifted off in the night and woke up with a feeling akin to waking up from a blackout. Your head hurt, no doubt, from the continuous use of the muscles that pulled your brows together in your sorrow. Stretching your face to loosen up the tension, you opened your eyes widely to see the wrong numbers on the clock on your bedside table. Well, you wished they were wrong because if they were right, you were late for a briefing on your next mission.

Success wouldn't just ensure that you were able to actually come back from your mission, but it would also ensure that there was something left to come back to. A list of weapons, food, and other resource suppliers to the rebellion was being built up in one of the imperial intel centers. It was frighteningly close to being finished and sent through the entire imperial system. If that happened, there would be no way to rectify it or salvage safety for any rebel. Galaxy-wide. From then on, it would simply be a waiting game, waiting for stormtroopers to rush for a slaughter knowing all of you were either starving or unarmed. You knew you and a few others—

Cassian

—would have to get your hands on and destroy that list, but right now, you were missing how to actually do that. You yanked on some pants and pulled your hair back before running to where you could hear Mon Mothma's voice, followed by Cassian's. You barreled into the room, cutting him off as everyone swiveled to look at you. It was silent, apart from the heavy breathing you were trying to cover up.

"Y/n. Go ahead and take your place around the table." Mon Mothma said, not fazed or annoyed by your late arrival in the slightest, or at least she didn't show it. She was impressively good at concealing reactions; she was a politician, after all.

The logical space for you to stand in was the gap between Cassian and Hera straight in front of you, but you took the long way around and found a spot on the opposite end of the table. What didn't make much of a difference to anyone else made all the difference to you, and to Cassian. You tried not to meet the stare you knew he was giving you, but your eyes flicked up practically on their own accord. His usually warm eyes were now riddled with confusion…and concern.

"Is something wrong?" he mouthed to you. You shook your head just barely, not wanting anyone to take notice of your side conversation. You took a deep breath and looked down again, ignoring him and refocusing on the holo-map in the middle of the table you surrounded.

You stayed back just a little after the briefing to get caught up on what you missed. When you exited the room, you nearly crashed into a waiting Cassian leaning back against the wall, presumably for you.

"y/n. You've been crying," he told you, voice laced with the same concern you saw in his eyes before. It was a statement, not a question. The puffy lids that circled your bloodshot eyes chronicled last night's sobbing clearly enough. You sniffled, holding back the new set of tears that threatened to form with every second you spent in his presence. He continued when the little noise was your only response, saying, "did I do something wrong? the other end of the table, I—" he sighed, "There's something you're not telling me."

"Cassian, there's just…" you replaced the end of your sentence with a sigh.

"I need you to tell me you're alright," He stepped closer, his hands twitching by his side, wanting so badly to reach up and place them on your flushed cheeks.

"I'm alright," you tried to play it off with the best casual laugh and roll of your eyes you could manage.

"You can do better than that," he folded his arms, one of his brows raising, telling you to give it up already. He wasn't going to be fooled. "I need you to say you're alright and mean it."

"I am alright," you said a little harshly, your defenses rising.

"If you say so," he shrugged and threw his hands up in defeat, but his face turned sincere only a moment after. "But when you're ready to talk about it, Pequena, I'm here," he said softly before nodding and walking past you and down the other end of the hallway.

It's not like the base was that big, and you and Cassian always frequented the same parts. That's why you got to spending more time with him in the first place. But you didn't run into him for the rest of the day, which you knew was on purpose. He was giving you space, but you didn't realize how much space until days passed and conversations got shorter, and he no longer stood by you. It was by no means rude, you were still close friends on the outside, but on the inside, you two had been separated by a wall you had built. It wasn't that you didn't want to talk about it; Almost everyone in the rebellion had their own secrets and stories that they'd rather keep to themselves; no, it was that he thought it was because of him. Something he had done had caused you not just to cry, but to fall apart. The fact that you didn't want to tell him either felt like a blaster shot, and he had had a few. He cared about you, which was rare. He couldn't count the women he had slept with, but the few he had ever actually cared about, he could count on only one hand. Maarva, Bix, his sister…you. He had made himself vulnerable on accident and told himself that now he was paying the price for it.

His absence pained you. Each night you couldn't help but wonder if he was in his room trying to glean something out of the few words you gave him, or maybe he wasn't thinking of you at all. You didn't know which was worse: the idea that you left him tormented or the reality that you might have truly pushed him away. Your head hurt from your conscience being rapidly eaten up. Tonight you couldn't take it. Lying in bed would only provide a playground for those intrusive thoughts, so you tried to tune them out with a toolbox and the company of your astromech. At least your relationship with him wasn't complicated.

GG-58 chirped at you happily, enjoying their little spa day as you cleaned and fixed one of the legs that had gotten a little wobbly.

"I'm glad one of us is having a good time, GG," you sighed out into the empty hangar you decided to haunt at this hour of the night. GG let out a few beeps voicing her concern. "Don't worry. I'm alright. I guess I just miss him,"

"I hope you're talking about me," the very same smooth voice you craved came from behind, "…because I miss you too," Cassian sat down next to you.

"Cass…" you started, but you had no idea what you were planning to say. At first, a small part of you was excited to talk to him alone again, but your gut turned a little when you realized you didn't know if you were ready to have this conversation. You didn't expect him to be here. In fact, you were here for the sole purpose of trying to escape him.

"Y/n, I've thought about it, and… and you don't have to tell me everything, but I need to know what's been going on so that I can fix it," he leaned in, his brows knit with care as he pleaded. He was being gentle and deliberate with his words, afraid that he would commit another offense towards you and push you away once more. If only he knew that he hadn't done anything wrong in the first place. It would end his agony. You always thought that you would take on his pain for him in a heartbeat if you could, yet here you were, the only one who could do anything about it, remaining silent. With each second of prolonged pause, his anxieties grew until he couldn't bear it. "Please, y/n, it's… it's killing me. I can't stand the thought of you hating me,"

"I don't hate you," you were quick to stop him from that thought, at least.

"But you're not happy with me." He pursed his lips. "Anyone else could be pissed off at me, and I wouldn't give a damn, but you're not anyone else. You mean something to me,"

"You mean something to me too, Cass," you couldn't help but let some of your feelings slip out just so that you could reassure him instinctually. "But that's the problem. I mean it when I said you haven't done anything wrong,"

"Then why have you been avoiding me?"

"You've been avoiding me,"

"No, I haven't. But I have to admit it's a little hard to go up to someone who won't even look at you," you didn't realize what it looked like from his end. You had been just as cold as you had perceived his actions to be.

"I'm sorry, so sorry that I've been letting my own guilt come between us," he stayed silent, allowing you the time to find your words, lest his interruption scare you away from even searching for them. "The thing is—“ you let out a shuddering breath, forcing yourself to be open if it meant having him back. It had to happen eventually. “—I want you."

His heart began to beat harder. He had always wanted to hear you say that, but when he imagined that admission falling from your lips, it was followed by him taking you in his arms, not a sense of dread over what you were going to say next.

"I want you like I've never wanted anything before, and that's what's wrong. I can't want anyone else. The one person I ever wanted is gone, and I can't do that again. I can't lose you," Your confession and the tear that ran along your cheek were unexpected. Then, it suddenly and painfully clicked.

What you initially thought was guilt over betraying your past relationship was only something you had provided for your fears to impersonate. You had convinced yourself that it was in the name of your fiancé, that you owed it to him. The truth is, the part of you that shut down after his death, that blocked out any development of a close relationship, would rather hold onto a memory. You couldn't lose a memory.

"You're not going to lose me,"

"You know you can't promise that," You answered him immediately. "Even I can't promise that,"

"You're right. I can't promise that, but I can promise that you deserve to be happy. Don't lose your chance at that. You know he would want that for you," he had never met your fiancé, and he had only heard about him once from you, but from your description of him as kind, thoughtful, and willing to do anything for you, he had gleaned enough to be right about what he had just said.

"I'd always imagine an imperial gun pointing at the back of your head."

"But we'd always imagine what could've been. Let's just—" Cassian wrapped his hands around yours, which had been clasped so tightly that your knuckles were white. "Let's just try. Hold on to each other as long as we can, just as long as we get to hold onto each other at all. I'd rather go out there every day with something to lose rather than wondering if there's even something left for me after this war to fight for," He let one hand go from holding yours to cupping your cheek, "You say that there's no way to guarantee I'll come back, but I can't imagine a better reason to come back alive than you,"

His face was now only a breadth away, your eyes flicking between his blown out pupils and his lips that were offering such sweet words. He caught the quick shifting of your gaze and took it as a sign you wouldn't pull away when he pressed his lips to yours…and you didn't. Just as he had hoped, your lips had slotted perfectly between his. The kiss only lasted what Cassian felt was all too short when you pulled away, his lips still leaning after yours just after. You took a little breath, pressing your forehead against his. He wrapped his hands around your waist, pulling you closer so that you were almost in his lap.

A small smile that you couldn't help but leave stamped on your face as you warned him playfully, "You better come back, or I'll kill you myself," He chuckled, his laugh filling your heart with warmth.

"I believe you," he kissed the tip of your nose.

You jolted as you felt a small poke in your back from a metal arm. You didn't even realize that GG had gone off to wander around during the middle of Cassian's and your talk.

Thoughtful little droid.

You and Cassian laughed at the rapid beeping.

"Yes, G, I'm feeling better. Cassian did help me," you smiled at him.

"Do you want to go to my room?" He looked at you tenderly. "Just to sleep, of course," he corrected himself quickly, in case you weren't ready for that yet. You nodded and rose with him, walking to his room with his arm slung around you in such a way that you knew he was only going to let go in order to hold you close to him in bed.

You no longer felt robbed by the empire, fueled by revenge. In fact, the love that had now taken over you was the best revenge. To continue living your life, to be happy despite their bullets, bombs, and best efforts to crush you, meant they could never get to you because if you don't keep going, they've taken your life away with your fiancé's as well. No, it was time to take off the ring that had shackled you. Cassian was now your life, your hope, and rebellions are built on hope, not on pain as you had operated until this moment; wrapped up in blankets, your head buried in his neck, hands running through the hair on his chest as you meditated on the rythm of his heartbeat. As you were lulled to sleep, you were comforted by the thought that, as long as you were with him, you'd already won.

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