#and went with perks more like scarlet hollow

[thelonelyshore-if]

"Inspired by...Scarlet Hollow"

My favorite visual novel of all time? Oh say no more, friend. I am all fucking in on this story?

Haha yes Scarlet Hollow like.....rewrote my brain chemistry. It's so good and I've played it over and over again. Mystical/Hot stat combo my beloved <3 There are so many mechanic things that inspire me about Scarlet Hollow, and the characters and plot are also so genuinely amazing?? And it's gorgeous ofc. Plus the vibes are impeccable. Such a great example of ~spooky small town horror~

Anyway idk if you were expecting me to just gush about how much I love SH lmao but I'm glad you're intrigued!!

[iovedai]

🫧 ⠀⠀𓇼 ⠀⠀˖°  𝖮𝖴𝖱 𝖯𝖱𝖮𝖬𝖨𝖲𝖤  ⠀⠀?!

𓆉⠀⠀⋆⠀⠀｡⠀⠀˚⋆⠀⠀ 🐚⠀⠀⠀𓇼⠀⠀ °

⤹ 　🐇   ⠀ ⠀⠀pairings : txt x fem reader, love triangle, fluff, hidden love, best friends to lovers, right place wrong time

⤹ 　🐇   ⠀ ⠀⠀summary : will a happy venture to the spring festival bring them into the fate of such a tragedy ? will kang ha-rin find out which one of her friends likes her ? and being amongst a group of friends built with solid years of happiness and joy be dreadfully torn apart when a sudden murder is involved ? ⋆｡˚

⤹ 　🐇   ⠀ ⠀⠀face claim : jiheon ( fromis _ 9 ) as kang ha - rin ( fem reader )

⠀⠀. . .

  ౨ৎ ⠀⠀⠀⠀DISCLAIMER : TO ADDRESS SOME CONFUSIONS - THIS IS A TOMORROW X TOGETHER OT5 FANFIC ! TO ADD MORE CAUTION THERE WILL BE VIOLENCE AND A BIT OF GORE ! IF YOU ARE NOT PLEASED WITH THAT , KINDLY DO NOT READ ! AND AGAIN THIS STORY IS PURELY FICTIONAL AND A PART OF THE AUTHOR ' S IMAGINATION . DO NOT STEAL OR FABRICATE WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THIS FANFICTION !

౨ৎ ⠀⠀⠀⠀AUTHOR ' S NOTE : THIS FANFICTION IS GOING TO BE WRITTEN IN HA - RIN ' S POV SO EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE IN FIRST PERSON ! HA - RIN IS JUST AN OC OF MY IMAGINATION ! JUST TO ADD THAT THIS FANFICTION IS MADE BY @ YUNAHAH ( ME ) / QUOTEV AND MY MAIN IS @ FLOWERSTRY ! LAYOUT IS MADE BY ME ! ALSO IT WOULD BETTER TO READ THIS FANFICTION IN LIGHT MODE IN CONTRAST TO THE LAYOUT OF THE BOOK ! I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY READING THIS ONE - SHOT I MADE ! I POSTED THIS ON TUMBLR AND WILL SOON POST ON WATTPAD !

⠀⠀⠀⠀PRESENT DAY .

────── ⠀ ⋂⋂⠀ ⠀ ⠀ we all have stories , we won ' t ever tell . ❜

no matter what, we always have each other ~

it was a bad idea. 

we always have each other ~

this was a bad idea.

always ~

police sirens echoed audibly through the hollow walls of the building, leaving everyone casting fearful glances at each other.

and that’s a promise ~

“I-I cannot believe t-this!” I let out an ear-piercing cry. my body gradually slid down the stone wall, slumping to the floor with a bump, terribly trembling with large tear drops prickling hurriedly down my swollen, blood-stained cheeks.

our promise ~

the rest of them stood silently beside me. no one dared to speak or make a sound. their heads held low in the prolonged silence, hanging loosely off their bodies with their gaze fixated on the floor, as we all waited for our untimely fate.

⠀⠀⠀⠀TWO DAYS BEFORE .

“ah... looks like we are all here!” taehyun cheered, his voice growing a pitch higher and his smile widening more with elation laced evidently on his facial features, “together at last!”

I instinctively tilted my head slightly to catch a vivid glimpse of yeonjun striding over to approach us with his luggage strolled by beside him.

“took you long enough,” soobin muttered, yet his voice carried no tone of irritation, “we were waiting so long for you...”

“well I needed to get myself ready for this damn trip,” yeonjun countered defensively, “so the wait was worth it!”

beomgyu, who was standing to my right, snickered hysterically, his arms folding against his chest with an amused smirk tugging on his lips.

“yeonjun, you do realize we are going to be gone for two days?” beomgyu teased, one of his eyebrows raised playfully, pointedly glancing at his luggage, “what is all that luggage for?”

yeonjun’s eyebrows swiftly seemed to knot and furrow at his words whilst beomgyu’s smirk widened, his eyes glinting with amusement. his ears splotching a scarlet red.

“oh beomgyu you-“

huening kai sluggishly sauntered from behind us with his hands shoved in his pockets, thankfully interrupting the fight that would’ve went on.

“guys, the car is ready!” he announced, running a hand through his hair, “we should start the journey about now.”

soobin perked up and promptly began to nod, making his way to the car.

“you two, quit fighting and let’s get a move on,” soobin muttered, tilting his head to cast a sharp glance at both beomgyu and yeonjun before walking off.

both of them pouted and quitened down a bit simultaneously, shooting daggers at each other with growing frowns on their faces.

“beomgyu, this is so not over,” yeonjun grumbled, his voice tinged with feigned aggravation, causing beomgyu to burst into a fit of giggles as they walked off together to the car.

huening kai followed wordlessly behind them, huffing out an exasperated sigh.

“ha-rin, come on let’s go,” taehyun called out to me, gesturing for me to follow after him.

“coming!” I responded, hoisting my bag on my back hurriedly and following after him. brushing off 'dust' from my clothes.

this will be one long trip.

once we all surrounded the car as soobin was helping us to place our luggages in the boot of the car, I turned to face them with my hands on my hips.

“I call shotgun!” I shouted, a cheeky smile surfacing on my face, swiftly sprinting over to the passenger’s seat.

“hey! since when do you get to call shotgun?” beomgyu called out after me with a slightly irritated expression.

“since I can!” I responded, my tone slightly playful, winking at him and blowing him a flying kiss playfully.

beomgyu groaned stridently and feignly threw away my flying kiss with a wave of his hand.

we all eventually get into the car.

“oh god, don’t tell me I have to stay stuck in this whole trip with beomgyu,” yeonjun grunted, his eyes pressed shut after having to listen to beomgyu yap for ten minutes straight, “what a nightmare.”

“womp womp, yes you freaking will,” beomgyu retorted tartly, his lips forming a deep-set scowl, seeming slightly hurt, “I am here, made to make your life a living nightmare, in the flesh!”

“quit it you two,” soobin muttered in a jaded tone, gradually starting the car with a frustrated sigh, “just this once.”

“oh trust me, this is going to be one hell of a ride,” huening kai mumbled, his voice low yet audible, “no doubt.”

“and besides, we all signed up for this,” I stated in a matter-of-factly tone, “so we are all stuck together.”

huening kai softly hummed in agreement, his gaze flitted to the window with a soft smile. my eyes trailed on him for a while.

soobin turned the corner through our neighborhood with the stirring wheel and thus we were the off. 

the start of the journey.

“but hey, when are we reaching the campsite again?” taehyun questioned, his eyebrows knotted in mild bafflement, “how many hours until we actually get there?”

“8 hours-“ soobin responded coolly, his gaze fixated on the road ahead.

“8 hours!?” beomgyu exclaimed, letting out a dramatic sigh, “In this car?!”

yeonjun shot him a glare.

“you guys didn’t know? didn’t we talk about this in the group chat days ago?” I muttered, rubbing my head in frustration.

“beomgyu is way too busy doing other ‘important’ things than responding to texts,” taehyun spoke, using his fingers to gesture the quoted words, “he never replies to anyone’s damn texts-“

“that is not true!” beomgyu muttered oversensitively, with a feigned hurt expression, landing his hand on his chest dramatically, “I do not do that!”

a dry scoff escaped yeonjun’s lips, that curled into a frown, seeming unconvinced.

“yeah right, what was the last text I sent you?” yeonjun asked him, his eyebrow shot up quizzically, “and when?”

“uh.. I know… uh..” beomgyu trailed off.

beomgyu tries to ponder on it but he eventually starts to scratch his neck, cursing under his breathe in defeat.

“I think I have got my answer,” yeonjun muttered frankly, leaning on the car seat with a complacent smirk playing fondly on his lips.

“yeah, yeah, whatever,” beomgyu grunted dully, running a hand through his hair frustratedly.

“you know… the last time I tried to call you, it clearly said the number does not exist,” huening kai spoke brusquely, leaving yeonjun to laugh hysterically after.

“oh really now?-“ beomgyu muttered, his tone sharp, his arms folding aggressively against his chest.

“anyways… we should at least realize that this would be a fun trip for all of us,” taehyun interrupted, his voice growing low and soft, finally changing the subject, “that includes no fighting.”

“well, I am excited about camping and going to the festival as well,” I spoke, shifting fully on my seat to turn and gaze at the rest who were seated at the back.

huening kai’s eyes trailed on me from the window as he begins to nod in agreement to what I had just said.

“yes, it will be a blast!” huening kai openly added in agreement, a small smile on his face, “and we will make it more fun.”

I returned his smile, mirroring it with my own, the smile on my face seemed to grow at his words.

“I am planning to tell the scariest damn stories!” beomgyu spoke, his voice echoing throughout the whole car in sheer delight, “just y’all wait to piss them pants!”

yeonjun lifted his hand to facepalm himself.

he’s so done.

“well yes, we should have scary stories,” taehyun agreed airily, nodding continuously, “you know for when we have a little bonfire.”

“oh, hell yeah!” beomgyu spoke, his smile widening further before he began to cock a brow in interest, “who’s making the fire though?”

“let’s make this clear, I am starting the fire, I don’t trust any one of you,” soobin’s voice boomed from beside me, glowering at everyone from the front view mirror, “we surely don’t want the entire forest to be left in flames-“

yeonjun huffed and let out a snort, “oh, please, you make it sound like we cannot do any thing right-“ yeonjun retorted tentatively.

“when was the last time you all did anything right without constantly bickering?” soobin cut him off, his voice slightly rising.

everyone instantly exchanged looks whilst the car fell into an uncomfortable silence for what seemed to be a long while.

my gaze met huening kai’s gaze involuntarily; he shrugged indifferently the minute our eyes met.

“well, you are right,” taehyun spoke, finally breaking the silence, his voice low, “you can be in control of the fire, happy now?”

soobin let out a sardonic chuckle and hummed in response, “oh, yes, I definitely am,” he responded bluntly, his voice laced with mock sarcasm.

“well… everyone can have a task to do though,” taehyun continued to say, “we are all in this trip together.”

“uh, duh,” yeonjun muttered, dragging his voice a bit, whilst grabbing a bag of potato chips from his bag, “but what else can the rest of us do?”

“we will think about later,” beomgyu said, leaning on his seat with a faint sigh, “my brain cells are not willing to cooperate right now.”

“did they ever?” soobin muttered candidly.

everyone seemed to burst into a fit of laughter, even beomgyu himself.

“oh, shut up,” beomgyu mumbled, having the last laugh.

the guys at the back; huening kai, beomgyu, taehyun and yeonjun eventually fell asleep. leaving the car to be filled with the loudest snores EVER!

the sky seemed to slightly dim outside, leaving an amber hue up ahead in the mellow shapeless clouds roaming the boundless skies, dusk approaching and beginning to fall onto the once clear blue limitless skies.

we spent most of the car ride bickering and laughing as well. the boys ate most of the snacks and argued non-stop as usual.

“it’s more peaceful now,” soobin whispered to me, his voice subtle and barely audible, taking a quick glance at me, “well, slightly.”

a faint chuckle seemed to leave the surface of my lips as I nodded in agreement. my eyes tracing the scenery through the window with my head placed comfortably on the palm of my hand.

“they can be a pain in the neck but they are the friends I could never replace,” soobin spoke after a few minutes of momentary silence, “I would never want to replace you all.”

my lips smoothed out into a soft-hearted smile at his words, feeling considerably touched by the vulnerability of his words.

“I understand and no matter what, we always have each other,” I let out a low sigh, scratching my neck rather sheepishly.

soobin peered at me with a impish smile, his usual expression softening up slightly before he made a slight nod and patted my head gently with a free hand.

we always have each other.

“always,” soobin concluded.

“we are finally here,” beomgyu muttered, stretching his arms and accidentally hitting yeonjun on the head while at it.

yeonjun glared at him heatedly, rubbing his head with a vexed and provoked expression, “hey, watch it!”

“is this the campsite?” huening kai questioned, his voice laced with awe and delight; his face pressed fully against the car window.

“no, it’s the zoo,” yeonjun muttered, his voice filled with sarcasm, “of course it is the damn campsite!”

“let’s get out and check in,” soobin shifted on his seat to face everyone, his gaze stern and stiff, “we have to find a cabin.”

“well… are we sharing a cabin with her?” taehyun inquired, lifting his finger to start pointing at me.

everyone instantly seemed to shift their gaze on me. 

“I am not just ���her’,” I murmured, my nose scrunched in irritation, “I have a name.”

“sorry, let me correct myself, ‘are we sharing a cabin with ha-rin’, happy now?” taehyun muttered crossly, with a huff.

soobin scratched his neck, “we can’t leave you alone…” soobin mumbled, facing me, “considering you are the only girl…”

beomgyu’s brow shoots up, gaping, “so we are?” beomgyu questioned, his eyes widening, outwardly taken aback, “soobin…”

“it’s fine.. I can sleep by myself,” I finally said, raising my hands in the air, my eyes flickering on everyone’s gaze, “don’t worry about me.”

“are you sure?” soobin asked, leaning a bit closer, his expression laced with uncertainty and a hint of concern, “ha-rin, you—“

“bro, she already said she is sure, okay?” yeonjun cut his sentence short impatiently, “now let’s get out of this car, I feel so numb from sitting in here the whole day.”

soobin let’s out a infuriated sigh, his gaze lingering on me for a moment or two before getting out of the car. 

I lower my hands and exchanged glances with the rest of the boys.

we all follow after him.

soobin was stood by the desk, checking us in as we waited, standing by the corner of the room.

the room was bland and dull, no other ounce of furniture seemed to fill up the surface of the unoccupied room except the ebony wooden front desk with a large woman who had a pompous accent stood across from it.

“don’t worry, ha-rin, if any forest monster comes for you just scream—“ beomgyu teased, nudging me with his elbow.

yeonjun smacked him on the arm, “shut it, beomgyu,” he grunted, shooting beomgyu a glare, “you might scare her.”

“oh, come on, I am not scared at all,” I spoke, glancing between the two with an amused look, “I will be just fine.”

huening kai turned to gaze at me, resting a hand on my shoulder, “but if you actually need help, look for us.”

“yeah, you never know,” taehyun agreed adamantly when they all fixed their gaze on me, “we always have each other.”

“always,” huening kai added in emphasis and they all nod.

“I mean, soobin over there wouldn’t let that happen,” yeonjun let out a sigh, leaning on the wall with a smirk playing on his lips, “he will always come to the rescue, just for you.”

everyone’s gaze sped over to yeonjun with different expressions pasted on everyone’s facial structures.

huening kai’s grip on my shoulder seemed to tighten at the sound of yeonjun’s words.

I tilted my head, my eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement, “what do you mean by that?”

“oh nothing… I just think he has a little thing for you,” yeonjun muttered, his smirk growing at the sight of my expression, “you know?”

huening kai’s brows seemed to furrow at this, his gaze fixated on yeonjun. I tilted my head to gaze at him and the rest of the boys with uncertainty.

“thing for me?” I repeated, letting his words sink in, raising a skeptical brow at him.

and before I knew it, soobin walked in on us from behind me, “thing for you?” soobin inquired, his eyes twinkling with interest, “who?”

I spinned my head around to meet his gaze. his gaze tinged with curiosity and slight skepticism. everyone instantaneously fell silent at the sound of his question.

huening kai’s eyes fell to the floor, “no one, we were just joking around,” huening kai muttered, letting go of his grip on my shoulder, “as usual.”

soobin didn’t seem to want to question further, considering the ongoing silence, even though he didn’t seem to be entirely convinced.

“alright, guys, enough ‘joking around’ and let’s go,” soobin sighed, taking his luggage, “I got the keys for our cabins.”

beomgyu clapped his hands enthusiastically, “oh my, I cannot wait!” he cheered, following after him with his own luggage.

my eyes draped between yeonjun and huening kai, not being able to shake off the elusive feeling and unspoken tension between them, before walking off as well.

yeonjun shoved himself off the wall and walked beside me with taehyun and huening kai following soundlessly behind us.

I entered my own cabin and gently shut the door behind me. the silence dwelling on me, quickly loosening the grip on my bag as it fell on the floor with a thump.

my eyes strayed around aimlessly, taking in the wooden furniture that carried the heavy sent of polish and pine wood, being placed neatly in the well-occupied room in a co-ordinated manner.

I took a few steps and slumped onto the smooth surface of the bed, my eyes shut

close for a while.

soobin might like me…

a blush crept on my cheeks at the mere thought of that.

ha-rin! no!

he is just a friend! one of my best friends. I cannot think of such things.

I let my mind drift because I didn’t know if it was true but yeonjun seemed so confident and adamant about it.

as for huening kai, he was behaving rather bit too strange after the passage of information.

odd.

my hands slid up to my head in frustration.  I do not what these boys are on about but I must find out somehow.

I shot up in fear when I heard my phone beep with notifications. my heart beat relaxed when the realization hit me.

these boys.

I slid my hand down over to my pocket and pulled my phone gently out of my pocket and switched it on.

five giants and a dwarf

text messages

gyu  💅

harin

HARINNN !!!

how is ur own cabin 

I change my mind

hear me out man

I want my own cabin 

I cannot live with these ppl

SAVE MEEEE

soob 🥺

oh shut up

ha-rin

💀💀💀

aw too bad

yeonjun 😭

???

and wht is she supposed to do abt it exactly

bffr 

hyuka 🍼

anywayss 

harin how r uuu

how is it there 

how is it having ur own cabin

how r u doing ?

yeonjun 😭

👀👀

you gotta chill man

she ok calm down

gyu 💅

guysssssssss

WHEN IS THE FESTIVALLL

WISHSODKWNQOAN

ANSWER MEEEE 

🔪🔪🔪

yeonjun 😭

bruva you can just ask us

it’s soooo simple man

WE R IN THE SAME CABIN

I AM RIGHT NEXT TO U

taetae 😜

idk i this week I think

gyu 💅

😐😐😐

no next week

OF COURSE IT IS THIS WEEK

and yeonjun IKKK

soob 🥺

two days from now

this friday 

90+  messages 

I set my phone aside, placing it on the wooden side table and slowly got up from the comforts of the bed, to start getting ready for my night’s long sleep.

I eventually changed into some comfortable pajamas. ready to sleep.

finally.

a distant knock echoed throughout the cabin room, stirring me awake.

oh for crying out loud-

I sluggishly got up from the bed, grumbling under my breathe and sauntered to the door, rubbing my eyes with my hand.

I expected to gaze upon at least any of the boys when I twisted the door open, ready to yell at them from the top of my lungs for waking me up at the middle of the night. 

but no.

“sorry, young lady,” loomed a rather high pitched feminine voice of a dark haired woman in her late fourties’, “do you live in this cabin alone?”

I slowly nodded, blinking my eyes into focus, “I do, miss…” my voice trailed off as my eyes dropped to gaze at her name tag, “miss kang.”

“well then, I am in charge of the cabins and I just wanted to make sure,” she addressed, gradually turning to leave, “sorry for the disturbance.”

“oh, it’s alright, you were not a bother,” I responded, yawning slightly, closing the door softly behind myself, “goodnight.”

“goodnight.”

⠀⠀⠀⠀PRESENT DAY .

the police sirens drew nearer. the light splash of the colors red and blue lights illuminated the gloomy walls, causing the tension in the room to rise to it’s limit.

“the police are c-coming…” huening kai murmured in a shaky voice, his tone hushed and quivering horrendously, “beomgyu we cannot do a-anything about it…”

beomgyu bent low, having his head pressed onto his knees, hugging them roughly. his cries echoed uncontrollably throughout the room.

“it was an a-accident,” taehyun’s voice cracked with every word, pacing around the room, with a downcast and glum expression, “it… was… an accident…”

soobin remained stone still on the left corner of the room, staring into space with an unreadable expression. 

he hadn’t said a word since.

“we can run, let’s run!” yeonjun cried out frustratedly at everyone, clutching his head with his blood-stained hands, “let’s just run away from all of this!”

beomgyu’s cries grew louder.

“no! we are not criminals yeonjun!” soobin shouted, his voice hoarse and intensifying, stepping closer from against the corner, “we won’t run like criminals!”

“we are criminals,” I spoke up, my voice not even above a whisper.

everyone falls silent. the police sirens now more audible than before.

we are.

⠀⠀⠀⠀A DAY BEFORE .

“this year's spring festival is going to be so amazing tomorrow!” beomgyu sprang up excitedly, taking another bite of his apple, “I just know it!”

huening kai walked over to everyone with a wide smile spread across his face, “I think I am done fixing the tent!” he called out, casually brushing dust off his hands.

“good, I guess we will do the actual camping today,” soobin began to say, his voice light-hearted, “a bonfire like we said we would have and scary stories from beomgyu.”

beomgyu beamed proudly.

“isn’t there like a waterfall around here somewhere?” yeonjun questioned, tilting his head slightly, “let’s swim or something, I am bored.”

“well, yeah but we don’t have swim suits…” taehyun muttered, scratching his head in confusion, “how are we going to swim?”

“with our clothes, silly,” I responded, before yeonjun could come up with a retort, “let’s just go.”

“yeah,” huening kai agreed sincerely.

I stood up from the bench we were all on and stretched a bit. 

huening kai followed suit.

miss kang from the day before comes striding over to us, her high-pitched voice voicing out to us, “well, hello to you all.”

all of our heads spin to the direction of her voice as she stood before us with an unwavering glance.

“hello ma’am, how may we help you?” soobin abruptly stood up, slicking his hair back with his hand.

miss kang’s eyes seemed in the day’s light, glint at the sight of soobin, her usual pale face splotching faint pink.

“oh, I just came to check if everything is alright with you all and your tent,” miss kang reasoned, clearly flustered.

yeonjun let out what seemed to be snort, attempted to hide it as a sneeze. miss kang however didn’t take this kindly.

“oh, well, everything is fine ma’am,” soobin gave her a soft smile, with his dimples clearly noticeable, “nothing to worry.”

the flushed color on her skin seemed to deepen in color, “oh, that’s good.”

soobin nodded, “we are doing alright, the tent is already set so we are doing all good actually.”

“well, good, then I will be off,” she spoke, turning to leave and walking off speedily.

soobin turned to look at the rest of us with a smug grin visible on his face, “works everytime.”

“quit charming every lady you see,” yeonjun muttered, shaking his head in feigned disappointment, “everyone will be a flustered mess because of you.”

“don’t act like as if ladies don’t react the same way with you, yeonjun,” soobin countered aloofly.

beomgyu rolled his eyes at the both of them, “come on y’all, let’s go find that waterfall,” placing the apple pieces in a nearby bin, walking off.

taehyun nodded, “yeah, let’s just swim already,” silently following after beomgyu with his arms crossed firmly against his chest.

we all followed suit as well.

“woah!” beomgyu yelled out in astonishment, his head tilted up with a huge grin plastered on his features, “this is all so beautiful.”

up ahead, the crystal clear water; tainting color of lavender purple and soft pink and blue splashed on the large area of water-pool below. 

trees seemed to engulf the area around the waterfall as the wind whistled symphonies through the forest green leaves.

huening kai began to dash into the water, “come on, stop gaping ha-rin and come over!”

I ran after him but what took me by surprise was when I drew nearer, he got a hold of me and lifted me up, carrying me in his arms, issuing towards the water.

my eyes widened, meeting his eventually in astonishment.

“kai! put me down! don’t throw me in the water!” I let out a scream, not anticipating any of this at all, “put me down please!”

yeonjun and beomgyu appear from behind huening kai with smirks visible on their faces.

oh no-

“hm… should we put her down?” yeonjun questioned in a mock sarcastic tone, his finger placed on his chin in a feigned thought expression.

“oh, we should, should we?” beomgyu questioned with the exact same mock sarcastic tone, his smirk widening further.

“you guys, this is not funny! put me down!” I continued to plead, my screams rising as we drew closer to the water.

“we should just throw her in,” yeonjun playfully said, a smirk growing on his face as well.

“who’s we?” huening kai muttered jeeringly, gazing down at me, his voice lowered and melodious before asking himself, “should I really put her down?”

“yes, you should,” soobin stepped in disapprovingly, his voice firm and grim, his arms crossed against his chest with an unyeilding expression.

huening kai put me down and the minute he did, I grabbed both beomgyu and yeonjun and shoved them into to the water.

when I did this, they both grabbed each one of my hands and pulled me into the water with them.

I landed into the water with a loud splash. letting the feeling of the cool fresh water smooth out my skin.

the sound of taehyun’s laugh echoing from behind all us, “oh my, this is too funny to watch!”

“oh, you are both going down,” I muttered, lifting my head from the water and wiping the dripping water from the surface of my face with my hand, “watch your own backs.”

“oh, you wanna play and lose to us?” yeonjun teased, a wide toothy grin pasted on his face, his tone playful, “how cute.”

“how brave of you, ha-rin,” beomgyu muttered, his smirk never seemed to leave his face, “I hope you eat your own words when you actually lose to us.”

a smirk etched my own face as I dragged them both into the water again.

we spent most of the day splashing water and chasing each other. we all eventually felt really exhausted and lay on the grass beside the waterfall, glancing up at the sky.

my once dry hair and clothes, now stuck to my skin like a lifeline; the water dripping moderately from my body to the earthly surface beneath us.

“today is another great day,” beomgyu said casually, seemingly breathless, “isn’t it?”

“yeah, you are right,” yeonjun added in agreement, a warm smile on his face, “another great day with you all.”

a bubbling amount of laughter passed through us like a beach wave.

“no matter what, we always have each other,” taehyun spoke, his voice sentimental and easygoing.

“we always have each other,” huening kai said softly, his hand brushing smoothly against mine. 

“always,” soobin murmured, his eyes gleaming in the reflection of the sunset hues portrayed on the sky.

“and that’s a promise,” I finally spoke, sliding my hand on huening kai’s hand with a joyful smile.

the soothing wind blowing around us, the feeling prickling our moistened skin, whistles and whispers from the trees towering above us. the sky and ceaseless field of wonder hovering from above.

huening kai intertwined our fingers at the mere feeling of my hands on his. his head tilted to meet my gaze, a genuinely warm smile on his face.

 “our promise.”

“oh, now time for scary stories!” beomgyu clapped eagerly, leaning on his seat with a wide toothy grin, “I have been waiting so long for this!”

“alright, alright, go ahead!” taehyun went on to utter, taking a large bite of his s’more.

everyone huddled around to listen to what he had to give to us as the blooming flames in the center of all of us shone light around the darkened scenery around us. 

“alright, get ready!” beomgyu began to say, “and you all better shut up and no commentary needed until the end of the story!”

“just go on with it man,” yeonjun groaned noisily, his voice laced with feigned boredom, “we haven’t got all night-“

“this is what I meant by shut up!-“ beomgyu countered, pointing a finger at yeonjun with a deepened sulk.

“just. go. on. with. the. story,” huening kai grunted, huffing out aggravated sigh.

beomgyu huffed, “fine,” beomgyu grumbled, gesturing for us to keep quiet.

everyone reluctantly fell silent under his gesture and quick demand.

“so the scary story starts like this… there is this group of people, seated in the woods, having-“

“you mean us, right?” yeonjun interrupted, raising a hand.

beomgyu went on, as if not interrupted at all, “having a little bonfire, until there was a sound from within the forest-“

a shrill bang came from within the forest at the exact same minute triggering everyone to erupt into ear-splitting screams.

we all rapidly sprinted into the tent then and there. letting out hushed breathes when we entered.

“I wonder what that was…” taehyun muffled in a muted whisper, taking a glance at each one of us warily.

“I guess that is the end of the night for us guys, we have the festival to go to tomorrow so let’s sleep-“ soobin said.

“but my scary story isn’t-“ beomgyu groused scathingly, beginning to throw hands.

“just about to turn into real life? oh, I think so,” yeonjun retorted in a hushed tone.

I let out a brief exhausted sigh and began to lean back and lay down; so do everyone else.

“you guys are freaking squishing me man!” beomgyu whined, his voice starting to rise, shoving the rest, “I cannot breathe!”

“keep whining so loud and maybe whatever made noises outside would come after us,” huening kai grouched contemptuously from beside me.

“oh, shut up and sleep all of you,” soobin demanded.

FRIDAY 13th, PRESENT DAY .

⠀⠀⠀12 HOURS AGO .

────── ⠀ ⋂⋂⠀ ⠀ ⠀ I will always find you , i promise . ❜

⠀

“today is the day!” beomgyu hailed, jumping up and down in anticipation and enthusiasm, “today is that day!”

“can you please not say that over and over and over again?” yeonjun grunted scornfully, “we get it, it is the day of the damn spring festival."

“oh, quit being grumpy for once,” huening kai muttered, an easy smile on his face, "just let loose."

“that’s easy for you to say because you don’t seem to be affected by his constant yapping,” yeonjun said derisively, his hands resting on his hips.

“his constant yapping is not bad, yeonjun,” taehyun reasoned, chewing on his food, “you constantly yap too, we all do.”

“see I have more people on my side,” beomgyu let out a giggle, sticking his tongue out playfully.

yeonjun rolled his eyes playfully, “yeah, yeah, whatever,” he muttered, a hint of a faint smile playing on his lips.

“alright guys, I think we should all start getting ready,” soobin stood up, lifting his hands up to start stretching.

“the festival is a long time away,” I muttered, my eyebrow cocked ironically, “we can get ready later, right?”

“the earlier the preparations, the better, of course,” beomgyu said wryly, leaning closer on his seat to stare directly into my eyes with a grin, “so we get there earlier.”

“that is not necessary,” taehyun adressed, rolling his eyes fondly, “we have got so much time.”

“oh, come on!” beomgyu snapped, his eyes leaving my interlocked gaze to start shooting taehyun a glare.

“guys…” soobin muttered, catching us off guard after the prolonged silence and caught our attention.

we all turned to take a look at him. his back facing us as he gazed up at the forest.

“I wonder what made that sound last night…” soobin spoke, his words growing into a whisper.

“I wonder,” huening kai added in agreement, his voice lowering as well.

“me too,” I murmured.

⠀⠀⠀5 HOURS AGO .

“I think she is almost done getting ready,” beomgyu muttered, his foot tapping impatiently on the floor, “what’s taking her so long?”

“exactly, man,” yeonjun sighed, his eyes flicking to the watch on his wrist every few minutes, “she better hurry up.”

“chill guys, we still have time till the spring festival,” taehyun said, “calm down.”

“and well, let her take her time,” soobin muttered, leaning on the car with his arms crossed.

“oh well, since we have to just wait-“ huening kai began to utter but trailed off the moment I walked towards them.

“hey guys!” I greeted, waving at them and drawing up closer to all of them with a warm smile, “how do I look? love it or hate it?”

i twirled around for them to get a better view of my outfit for the festival but none of them responded. silence was lengthy and maintained. they all seemed to have lost their words? all their gazes locked on me.

oh great, I bet I look so bad-

“ha-rin... you look so good,” beomgyu speaks up, his eyes lingering all over me, with a growing smirk, “damn-“

“quit checking her out man,” yeonjun muttered, smacking beomgyu on the shoulder.

“like as if you aren’t as well,” huening kai grunted, shooting daggers at them both.

“hypocrites,” taehyun murmured.

soobin pushes himself off the car, unfolding his arms from his chest and walks towards me with an alluring smile, “you look amazing, ha-rin... as always.”

“thank you,” I responded, my expression heartfelt and filled with gratitude, a gentle smile on my face, “I appreciate it.”

from behind soobin, I could catch the sight of huening kai’s brows crease in fury.

“let’s just go,” huening kai grunted irritably, walking into the car, “we don’t have much time.”

⠀⠀⠀2 HOURS AGO .

“should I put music on or something?” soobin suggested, scrolling through the channels, “for us to vibe to before the festival?”

“yeah, duh,” beomgyu nodded, distractedly gazing through his phone.

“of course,” taehyun agreed, his eyes fixated on the view through the window. the sky gloomier with each minute.

“let me find a song instead,” huening kai muttered, leaning closer to the car’s radio, “I know where-“

“no I meant I pick a song,” soobin muttered, cutting him short, “I am the one to pick the song for us to vibe to.”

“why you?” huening kai retorted, his voice growing slightly cold and distant, “why?”

“because I, for one, I am the one closest to the radio!” soobin snapped back, his eyes turning a shade darker.

“but you are meant to drive, not handle the freaking radio!” huening kai countered through gritted teeth.

“guys calm down-“ taehyun began to say, trying to pull huening kai back.

“but I am the one closer to it!” soobin shouted, slapping burning kai's hand away from the radio. his face a fiery red.

“I said I can do it!” huening kai snarled, his face hardening, “move your damn hand!”

and just like that they fought over the radio like little children causing the car to begin swaying side to side.

“guys, stop!” I screamed, my hands clasped closely against my ears.

“stop fighting!-“ beomgyu and yeonjun shouted in unison.

before we knew it we hear a booming thud, banging the car, causing the car to turn uncontrollably and hit a large oak tree.

my world instantly turned into an infinite obscurity as the inexplainable feeling of warm liquid trickling down from my head shut me out.

I deftly open my eyes, taking a watchful glance around. 

everyone else seemed to be awake. my vision was undeniably hazy and blurry.

my head throbbed in discomfort, the lukewarm sensation of the liquid sliding down my face.

I let out heavy breathes, wincing in pain, my heart beat rising with trepidation, “what… was that?” I murmured, my voice slightly croaky.

“something is lying dead on the road…” yeonjun mumbled, his head turned to the side, facing the back window.

everyone fell silent. my vision slightly began to clear through the moments of complete silence.

“i-it must… be an animal, r-right?” huening kai stummeres, his head hang low.

“let’s just… go check it out…” soobin muttered gruffly, stepping out of the car.

we all step out of the car hesitantly and slowly draw nearer to the dead animal that was laying on the floor.

but this time is wasn’t an animal.

beomgyu let out an agonizing scream, “i-it’s not an animal!” shaking his head continuously, backing away.

we all seemed to let out a shriek. it wasn’t an animal but a person.

soobin stepped closer, crouching to meet the distance with the body as the pool of blood swirled down our feet.

“miss… kang?” soobin mumbled, his voice dropped to a silent whisper.

miss kang?

my heart aching at the gruesome sight. beomgyu gasping beside me in fright.

“w-what was she doing out here?” huening kai murmured, his voice muted. 

my lips seemed to quiver in awe and dread, “at this time of the night…”

“is she… is she… dead? check her pulse man!” yeonjun cried out, running a hand through his hair repeatedly.

soobin soundlessly moved his hand down to get a hold of her hand and pressed two fingers on her blood-stained wrists.

his head hang low, “no pulse.”

I felt my heart sink deep in me, my eyes widening in dismay and horror, “no no no no…” I cried out, running to land with brute force beside her body in shaky juddering.

everyone stood there as a shockwave passed through all of us. no one seemed to move right after. my stomach lurched and did several somersaults.

taehyun lifted his arms to his head, “t-this cannot be…”

“it is all because of you and huening kai!” yeonjun lushed out ragingly, pointing a finger at them both, “we wouldn’t be in this damn situation because of your stupid fight!-“

“oh go on then, be my guest, blame us! but if we were to testify in court, we are all accountable-“ huening kai barked, pointing a finger at all of us.

“court?” beomgyu repeated, in a quivery voice. his eyes brimming with tears.

“we killed a person!” huening kai snapped, stomping his feet heatedly, “you think we won’t be sent to-“

“enough!” I screamed, going through the dreadful sensation of my heart shuddering, silencing them all with my hands shot up, “I said enough... I am begging you all!”

i let out a heart-wrenching cry.

“what do… we do now?” taehyun mumbled, his voice cracking. his face put out of sight with the help of his trembling hands, “what can… we… do?”

“let’s bury her body or damp it somewhere,” yeonjun muttered, his voice growing faint.

“no yeonjun! we will not-“ soobin reprimanded, spinning his head to meet his gaze with his stern gaze.

“there is no other way! we could lose our lives behind priso-“ yeonjun yelled out irritably, gritting his teeth.

“alright then let’s do it,” soobin grunted, bearing her body in his grasp, blood dribbling down on himself whilst standing up.

I take a look down at my hands revoltingly, letting the blood blemish my skin, tears running down my cheeks, “are… w-we really doing this?” 

“we have to,” yeonjun mumbled, walking off to the car in fury, “or else…”

huening kai sauntered over to me and stooped lower to meet my gaze with his red-rimmed eyes, “let’s…go, ha-rin” he whispered, gently placing his bloodstained hand on my left cheek, caressing it, "come on..."

I slowly nod, holding back more tears from flooding in. he helps me up and leads me to the car alongside the rest.

i lean on huening kai for support as he assists my walk to the car. feeling his body tremble against my skin as much as my own in dread.

“I hope the car still works,” soobin mumbled, taking cautious steps to the car with miss kang dangling limply in his arms.

⠀⠀⠀AN HOUR AGO .

“there is a building there!” yeonjun whisper-yelled, pointing at it with his finger, “we can find out if there are any digging materials…”

"to... bury... her...?" huening kai murmured inquirily, his breathes growing more audible and deep.

i nod slowly in response, rubbing huening kai's back in circles as he buried his face on my shoulder; tearing up and sniffing.

my eyes meet soobin's strong gaze. his eyes seemed to bore something i couldn't ponder on.

"I am... so scared..." taehyun mumbled, in between a fit of tears, fear evident in the tone of his voice.

“let’s just go…” soobin muttered, getting out of the car and slamming the door shut.

we all get out of the car as well. no one seemed to utter a single word since.

soobin carried miss kang’s motionless body from the boot of the car and sauntered wordlessly to the building.

we followed after him mutely. the only sound that seemed to fill the air around us were the splitting of wood sticks and twigs as we stepped closer to the building.

the building stood tall, made with stone and stiff brick. standing high in the middle of what seemed to be nowhere.

huening kai proceeded to cry softly beside me, tugging me by the sleeves.

"don't worry, everything will be okay..." I whispered subtly to him, knowing damn well i didn't believe my own words either.

i slipped my hands on his grip and held his hand tightly. he gave a momentary squeeze to my hand in response to my gesture.

"if anything happens... ha-rin-" huening kai murmurs, his voice cracking.

"i am here with you if anything happens..." I whispered to him, "don't worry about that too much."

his eyes glinted slightly at the sound of my words. his face drifting into a light pink.

the clacking of shoes resounded through the blank walls of the building as we strode in through the iron steel doorways.

nothing seemed to carry the room except an unoccupied essence.

“let’s search through this building,” yeonjun muttered, desperation evident in his voice, “there must be something-“

footsteps soared from behind us, a male’s guttural voice echoed vibrations through the void, “hands up!”

we all grudgingly held up our hands over our heads and spun around to meet the gaze of a middle-aged man in a security uniform. his gun raised firmly at us.

“who are you all?” he barked, his voice gruff and his gaze unwavering, “answer me!”

“we are…” taehyun began to murmur but his voice trailed off.

“well…?” the man’s gaze loitered on soobin and the limp body laid in his grasp, “is that a dead body you have there, son?”

huening kai seemed to tear up beside me. soobin, on the other hand, seemed patently detached and laidback.

“yes,” soobin muttered, his gaze fixed on the man, “yes, it is.”

the man’s gaze hardened, studying our disheveled appearances intently, his face twisting with revulsion, “well then, I might have to call the police, hm?”

“oh, go ahead,” soobin muttered, catching everyone off-guard.

“soobin, what are you doing?!” yeonjun whisper-yelled, whacking him on the shoulder, “we will actually land in jail!”

“calm down,” soobin whispered, his voice barely heard.

“calm down!? are you crazy?” yeonjun snapped back, his voice rising.

beomgyu shook his head continuously, overhearing the man on the phone with the police, “we cannot let him do this!”

“beomgyu it’s fine-“ I began to say, my voice cracking when tears slid down my cheeks overwhelmingly.

“NO!” beomgyu yelled, his eyes abruptly darkening under the dim lighting.

and before we all knew it, beomgyu attacked the man, who was obliviously calling the phone and got a hold of the gun from his grasp after fighting over it with him.

“now now, there there son, put the gun down!” the man muttered, his hands raising up behind his head as beomgyu positioned the gun securely at him, a hint of fear in his voice.

“beomgyu-“ taehyun pleaded, his eyebrows contorted with dread and panic.

beomgyu shook his head quickly, his fingers resting on the trigger steadily, aiming it at the man with a dangerous look in his eyes.

“beomgyu put the gun down!” soobin yelled, his voice firm and hoarse, “right this damn instant, man!”

“listen to the boy, son,” uttered the man, in an authoritative tone, gradually kneeling down before beomgyu.

“he’s not going to listen…” yeonjun murmured, unintentionally prompting beomgyu more as his grip tightened on the trigger, “to any of us…”

huening kai stepped closer, laying both of his hands on beomgyu’s shoulder firmly, “beomgyu please don’t do this-“ huening kai coaxed.

several flashy and strident noises aired and with that the same warm liquid splashed on all of us.

the man’s body slumped to the floor face first with a thump, still and unmoving. the liquid progressively pouring out from within him.

I let out an excruciatingly loud screech, the horrendous sensation of the liquid hugging my body. my entire body quaking with shock and horror. my eyes widening in disbelief.

soobin drops the lifeless body he was holding onto; landing with a thud on the cold stone floor. his shaky hands running through his hair.

taehyun burst into fit of tears, slumping to the floor and backing away. yeonjun stood horror-stricken, his face growing ashen.

huening kai abruptly pulls me into an embrace; wrapping his arms around me, burying his face in my hair, inhaling the scent and taking a deep, shaky breath. his whole body trembled involuntarily against my skin.

i held him back, pulling him close. my grip on his shirt tightening. letting my cries echo throughout the room, slightly muffled against him. my dribbling tears running endlessly on his shirt. 

“I didn’t I… didn’t… I…” beomgyu dropped the gun with a clunk, the realization hitting him, his whole body quaking frenziedly, “didn’t… m-mean… to..”

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀PRESENT MOMENT .

"h-harin... i never got to tell you..." huening kai starts to say, his voice dropped to a whisper. taking small movements towards me, "so many things..."

everyone shifts their fearful and pained gazes at me. the sound of footsteps and police sirens echoing through the tension in the air.

"no, ha-rin... i also have something to tell you..." soobin chimes in, sauntering over to me from behind huening kai.

"what is-" I murmured, my teary eyes traveling from between the two as they stood tall before me. gazing down at me with the similar look in their eyes. 

“hands up everyone! put your hands behind your heads where we can see them!" alerted a male officer, pulling out his handcuffs.

several other officers did the same. pointing their guns at us they walked in. my heart sinking at the sight of them.

we all raise our hands up as they pulled the handcuffs on us. the soreness raged throughout my body when my small wrists were wedged together by the force and deliberate pull of the handcuffs.

the officers dragged us out of the building and into different police cars. beomgyu’s cries became more prominent at the reality of the situation.

“and just like that… w-we never went to the spring festival,” beomgyu murmured, attempting to smile but failing miserably, “what… a day i-it… would’ve been…”

“we would’ve been… so happy…” taehyun mumbled, his voice fading away as the police dragged them off, “together…”

eventually I ended up in the same police car as soobin and huening kai. the silence was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.

huening kai leans his head and rests it on my shoulder. from my peripheral vision, soobin's lips pursed into a frown.

“remember when w-we said we will always have… each other?” soobin whispered airily, his voice slightly cracking, tilting his head to fully catch our gazes.

“even when we fight…?” huening kai whispered back, his eyebrow raised up, his expression sulky and dreary.

“yes even when we fight…” soobin whispered, letting out a soft chuckle, his voice low and his expression growing soft and solemn.

“always,” I murmured, my voice etched with a pained tone. tears gradually sliding down my swollen red eyes.

“it was our promise,” huening kai whispered, his gaze falling to the floor.

the policemen at the front entered the car, shutting the doors noisily beside them as the car began to move.

“but maybe that promise is broken.”⠀⠀

AUTHOR ' S NOTE !?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO THINK OF THE STORY ... I JUST WROTE IT DURING MY RANDOM MOMENTS OF EXTREME BOREDOM AND ROTTING ON MY BED LOL . I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THOUGH ! I AM NOT DOING A PART TWO BTW BC I AM VERY LAZY AND I WILL DEFINITELY FORGET ! AND PLUS DON 'T BE A SILENT READER , GIVE YOUR VIEWS ON THE STORY I MADE DOWN ON THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW ! 

[gnnhildr]

nanami couldn’t remember what he was doing here, nor could he figure where he was headed. hollow footsteps echoing against the cold floor, he couldn’t help but contemplate the very reasoning he was walking down these ghostly halls.

he was a high-grade shaman, first in fact. an entire life of following the regulations to the t, never going overboard to exert himself, yet putting in more than the minimum. he was the adult of adults, what more was there? had he been missing something? was he incomplete?

nanami was currently uncertainty at its finest.

eventually, the stairs ran out and he was faced with a mob of curses, all mutated beyond the state of repair, yet to him, all of their faces seemed to mold the same, like a broken record on repeat. something ached on his left side, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.

not that he cared enough to ponder it too long. nanami paused, looking up at the dull ceiling. there was a soft pounding in his head, probably resonating from the muscle in his chest he didn’t think was still there. part of him was hot, part of him was cold. had he always been this indecisive?

“malaysia . . .” nanami would picture it perfectly. a small house on the beach, all quiet and secluded. he’d be able to lounge by the shore, gentle crashing of waves lulling him to relaxation as he went through all the books he never got to read. time was indebted to him and he had every intention of settling.

but most of all, nanami pictured you to be the most beautiful. you’d be wearing a simple romper, short, your hair adorned with its usual clip. you’d definitely insist on the two fo you reading a book together, his lips quirking at an almost smile at the thought of him pretending to be against it (he secretly enjoyed it). the shaman made a mental note to tell you that later.

“yeah, malaysia . . .” he remembered when he first brought up the idea, not particularly serious. you had the brightest look on your face, gorgeous complexion stunning nanami speechless and catching him off-guard. “kuantan would be nice.”

oh what he’d do to see that look just once more.

the wooded handle of his blade especially heavy in his hand, the weight seeming to just now occur to him. the cursed spirits were starting to close in and he let them; he simply did not care. nanami was tired. very tired. it seemed that this would be the end, fruitless and wasted on his part.

i’ve done enough, haven’t i?

yet, in that split second of time he had left before the first cursed spirit closed in, it had occurred to him that he had made a promise to the only one he cherished. as if on reflex, nanami was quick to ready his blade, slicing through the neck of the cursed spirit at blinding speed, the ratio hit perfectly and decapitating in sickening scarlet.

you were expecting him home and he intended to make sure you never at dinner alone ever again.

the pain no longer mattered, the numbness not even a concern. he worked quickly, taking down all of the spirits in his wake before they could land a single hit on him. if nanami had tried to be anything in his life, it was a man of his word.

but perhaps that was his mistake.

suddenly, everything was still, all the other spirits forgotten as the hand came in contact to his chest with a gentle tap. the world stilled for a moment, that rushing heartbeat slowing to a gentle, rhythmic thud, a bittersweet comfort to his racing mind.

everything in his life happened in that one moment. sweet rining bells and the soft chiming of a voice intertwined with the beating. he saw you clad in all white, your hair flowing easy with the breeze. two fingers dancing in the distance, nanami felt a warmth in his heart when he noticed the golden glint of matching bands on their laced fingers.

“itadori.” the shaman perked up slightly at the mention of the student’s name, the sound of running footsteps coming to halt following shortly. he heard his name being called, the voice a bit of a distance away, urgent nevertheless.

perhaps nanami’s schedule was a little more complicated than he thought, but no matter, you would understand. you always did. turning to the first year, his gaze softened, the heartbeat paralleled by the beautiful laughter of your voice. “itadori . . .”

“you’ve got it from here.”

your smile was the only thing on his mind when he heard the flatline.

perhaps now he could rest.

"well-intended rest", ft. nanami kento

[whump-a-la-mode]

Escape: Part 2

This is a bit different from what I usually do. @equestrianwritingsstuff recently posted a one-off piece, and I got a little bit obsessed with it. So, with her permission, this is a continuation! The original post can be found here.

Summary: After being captured and forced into a torturous reform program, Villain attempts escape-- but throws it all away to save the life of his foe.

CW//Attempted conditioning, denial of food, denial of water, intentional self injury, broken glass, blood, mentions of car crashes, collars, chains, firearms, attempted murder

“Okay.” The sigh was sharp, enough so to make Villain bite their own tongue in apprehension. “Let’s try another one.”

Nosey shuffled through the stack of papers piled before them on the desk. Villain glanced down at the pile-- noting its sheer height. He wasn’t expected to go through all those, right? No, that would certainly take all night.

“Here.” The hero before him settled on one of the pages, picking it up. “This one should be easy.”

Villain muttered something under his breath, laden with swears and insults.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“Mhm.” A haughty exhale. “Here. If you get this one on the first try, you can go back to your cell and... I don’t know, do whatever it is you do. I’m tired of looking at your face.”

Back to his cell. That made Villain perk up, nearly straining against the cuffs holding him firmly to the table.

“Okay, let’s just get this over with. Here’s the scenario. You’re walking along the street, and you see someone hit by a car. The car does not stop, and the victim is thrown onto the sidewalk in front of you. They are clearly alive, but severely injured. Do you:

A: Use your healing powers to treat their injuries.

B: Search the surrounding area for a civilian with medical training

C: Contact the Heroic Civilian Treatment Team to take the victim to hospital.”

“Um...”

Villain felt the hairs on the back of his neck stick up, despite being half wetted down with sweat.

If someone had been struck by a vehicle, the obvious answer would be to help them as quickly as possible. As soon as injuries like that were inflicted, the clock was already ticking.

The heroes were terribly resistant to him using his powers in any situation-- that was somewhat the whole point of the Villain Containment Practices. But in this case, it would certainly be an exception, right? Their whole job was supposed to be protecting life.

“Uh- I- I think A.” He at last croaked out. “Use my healing powers to stabilize them, then find a civilian doctor to get them to the hospital.”

Nosey sighed.

“A situation like this should always be deferred to us. Using your powers is never the answer.”

They placed down the paper, hastily rearranging the messy stack of them.

“Let’s go back to the gym. I’ll let you off with ten laps, this time.”

Villain gulped, phlegm sliding down a dry throat, as a pair of guards advanced to untie him from the table.

“C- Can I have some water? Please?”

“You’ve already lost your food privileges for the day. Do you really want to lose your water, too? You get water once you’ve earned it. For now, we’re going to the gym.

At this rate, maybe you should just become a permanent resident in our program.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━   

The glass was mocking them.

Villain was certain of that, even as he kneeled on his cot of a bed, half delirious, half exhausted.

The glass of water sat on a small table at the bed’s end. Just a glass, hardly even filled halfway. Haphazardly placed under a faucet for a few moments without thought.

He knew he had to drink it. He didn’t have much of a choice. Tomorrow would only bring more questions, more laps, more push-ups, more lectures. It would be terrible, certainly, but the small amount of liquid would make it at least the tiniest bit more bearable. Give him the tiniest bit more strength.

It was all he had. He’d spent the day watching his classmates-- that’s what the heroes called them, they were fellow prisoners, at best-- eating their meals, while he sat at an empty table.

Just because he had started a fight didn’t mean he should have to starve. Besides, they had it coming. Stuck up ass.

Villain frowned, cracked and dry lips sticking together, and reached forth to pick up the glass.

He needed to drink it, but as soon as he did, it would be gone. He would have to earn the next few drops through countless tears and buckets of sweat. At the very least, right now, he had control. He had a choice.

Not a very good one, but...

When had he gotten to this point? Having a crisis in a barren room over a half-glass of water? He was supposed to be a villain. Others were supposed to fear him.

Besides...

Villain’s hand shook, water sloshing, even as he was careful not to lose a single, precious drop.

He didn’t know how much longer he could survive like this. Endless exercise, endless questions. Maybe they would never let him out. Maybe they wanted him to die here. Hell, they probably wanted him to die here. One less problem, drained of strength until they no longer had enough to breathe.

This was one long, drawn out execution. Even if it wasn’t, he could hardly imagine a situation in which they allowed his parting. In which they considered him at long last “reformed.”

Villain had to leave. He had to. He was leaving here either in a glorious escape, or in a body bag. Or, worse: In a hero’s uniform.

He downed the water, feeling the heavenly moisture fill his throat. It was the best thing he had ever tasted, despite the fact that water had no taste to it.

It was far less pleasant than what would come next. He knew from unfortunate experience that there were only two things that could get him out of this cell: Going to ‘class,’ or having an emergency.

The first wouldn’t work.

There was no camera in the room, he had searched long and hard to confirm that fact. At the very least, he didn’t have to do much in the way of acting. Not yet.

He swung his unsteady legs over the edge of the bed, standing, stumbling halfway to the end table.

Before throwing the glass to the floor.

It was a miracle, that the heroes allowed him glass dishware. The cup exploded, a thousand shining pieces scattering about the floor.

Now, for the unpleasant part.

Villain gritted his teeth, throwing himself onto the broken glass, ensuring that it dug into his flesh, his legs and his palms. At the very least, his screams were genuine.

“Help! Help!” He wailed. “I’m hurt! Help, please help! Oh god, that’s my blood, oh god oh god...”

There was no camera in the room, but the door was plenty thin, and in this facility, screams carried far. To ensure this, he let out a few more cries, carrying them on until the door lock was frantically turned, the door thrown open on its hinges.

Hero’s inhale was quick enough that she nearly started choking on her own breath.

“V-Villain, oh god, that’s- That’s your blood?”

Of course it was, dimwit. It was flooding from his skin, wasn’t it?

“Y- Yes. I tripped, um, oh god, oh...”

The swaying and slurring of his words were not pretend, either. Dehydration and hunger made sure of that.

“Can you walk?” How was there so much concern in her tone?

“Don’t know.”

“We need to try. I can carry you, but- We need to get to the infirmary.”

The hero hurried to their foe’s side, arms under his shoulders helping him to his feet. He could walk on his own, not well, but he could-- though Hero had no need to know that.

“Okay.”

“It’s a pretty long walk. We can take it slow, okay?”

“Yeah.”

That was exactly what they did. Their movements were so painfully slow that at times Villain wondered whether or not they were moving at all, but, after some time, they did cover some distance. The few people awake at such an hour steered clear, seeing a villain covered in blood and wanting nothing to do with it in the slightest.

The infirmary was on the bottom floor, Villain had seen it on his way in, making note of its placement. Of course, Hero wasn’t about to make him struggle down all those stairs. No. She went straight for the elevator, stepping into the isolated box with her foe and letting the doors closed.

This was it. The elevator ride would only last a few moments-- it was now or never.

As subtly as he possibly could, Villain placed his hand upon his injured leg, the minty thrum of healing powers knitting together the slices. Though, it did nothing to dry the blood that had already seeped out.

He was healed, and Hero was alone. Trapped.

By all accounts, it was a fight that Villain should have lost. He was exhausted, stomach left empty for far too long, and veins severely lacking in blood. Hero had the benefit of being well-fed, well-rested, all of it.

But that explanation left out one thing.

Villain was desperate.

He watched the small, digital screen count down the floors.

4...

3...

2...

Now!

The strike may not have been powerful, but it was aided by the sheer speed at what it was launched. Villain’s fist collided with Hero’s temple, knocking her sideways, stumbling. He wasted not a millisecond in preparing his next strike, hearing the crack of a cheekbone beneath his knuckles.

Hero let out a cry, holding her face where a bruise would certainly bloom in the hour. Limbs still soaked in scarlet, Villain swung out with his leg, catching Hero in the knee, sending her to the elevator floor with a hollow crash.

1.

The elevator doors opened.

It was the fastest Villain had ever run in his life, he was certain of that. His legs were little more than blurs of red as he sprinted forth, tearing through a lobby that was nearly barren. An infinitesimal distance between him and freedom.

“Oh no you don’t!”

His legs came out from under him, his face striking the tile floor, almost certainly giving him an identical blessure to Hero.

The voice-- it was Nosey’s stupid, avian squawk. And, too, their polished boot struck Villain’s back.

“You really thought it’d be that easy?”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━   

The metal chafed horribly against Villain’s neck, somehow making his throat’s desiccation more acute. He laid his head against the thin carpet, spine aching terribly. The movement shifted the chain latched onto his collar, the slight clinking noise making his heartbeat stutter.

Tied up like a dog.

“Is this really necessary?” He grumbled, shifting himself to a sitting position, gazing upwards.

To Hero’s bed. Her legs dangled off the side of the mattress, hands gripped into fists around gathered bedsheets.

“We’ve been over this. That cell was a privilege, and you’ve lost it.”

“And so you chain me to the wall like a dog.”

“Exactly. You need to be under my direct supervision.”

“Yeah, whatever. Did you really have to stick this stupid collar on me?”

“I’m no happier about this than you are. But I’m not giving you free reign of my bedroom. You already tried to kill me once tonight.”

“I wasn’t trying to kill you.”

“Whatever. Unlike you, I actually have things to do in the morning. So, if you would please let me sleep?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“If you do something for me first.”

“You are in the worst possible position to make demands, right now.”

Villain’s sigh tore at his throat.

“I just want some water.”

“Just that? Wait. You’re not going to smash the glass again, are you? I’m way too tired for that nonsense a second time tonight.”

“Just don’t put the water in a glass, then.”

“You actually just want water?”

“Yes.” He added rather pathetically. “Please?”

“I... Fine. Then you’ll let me sleep?”

“Mhm.”

“Fine.”

Hero stood, glancing suspiciously at her captive as she made her way across the room. As if he could do anything-- the chain was maybe three feet in length. He could barely lay his head down.

She maneuvered to her kitchenette, returning with a plastic cup-- filled to the brim with that precious liquid. She placed it before him. He was already drooling.

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Goodnight, Villain.”

“Goodnight.”

Was that really all it took to domesticate him? A glass of water? It hardly mattered. As soon as Hero turned off the light, bathing the room in shadow, Villain downed the liquid as though his life depended on it.

Perhaps, it did.

It wasn’t long before Hero’s steady breathing had turned to soft snoring. Villain shifted himself into the most comfortable position he could manage. Even that, however, was far from being pleasant, with the chain threatening to strangle him at any moment.

That wasn’t what kept him from sleeping, however. He needed to sleep. He knew that, he wasn’t stupid. He would need his energy for the next day of lessons, of shouted orders and lectures.

That was all his life would be from now on, wouldn’t it? Orders and exhaustion and being forced to earn the most basic of needs by answering moral quandaries incorrectly.

Villain wanted, longed, to cry. To let out all the horrible emotions that had stuck in his chest cavity, threatening to drown his lungs in sorrow. But that would break the conditions of the deal.

He had to be quiet, or else he might never again be allowed water.

It was that dread in his chest, that hopelessness, that forced him awake.

So, he laid, still, listening to Hero’s snores as his own body refused to allow him unconsciousness.

Snores, and...

Footsteps.

Footsteps? Villain tensed, holding stock still, pricking his ears for the noise. They drew louder, louder, before stopping. Stopping outside the dorm room door.

He held his breath.

The door opened gently enough that the hinges made only the slightest noise. Then, the footsteps were inside.

Villain shrunk down in the corner, making himself far smaller and quieter than anyone of his status should ever have had to be.

Two sets of footsteps. Growing louder, coming towards the bedroom. The bed.

Hero.

“Are you sure we need to do this?” An unknown voice, whispering.

“If you want this plan to work, we don’t have a choice.”

That voice, that voice was not unknown. It was loud, terribly high pitched, terribly-

Nosey.

“We really have to kill them?”

“We won’t get the chance if you keep talking. Just do it, don’t chicken out on me, now.”

“Okay, okay.”

Villain’s heartbeat shivered.

The cocking of a gun. That horrible sound, that precursor of bloodshed.

Then, the shot. Two pairs of footsteps, fleeing, slamming the door behind themselves.

Villain gulped.

It was no doubt what had happened-- if he had had any doubts, they were quickly drowned out as Hero’s breathing hitched, then quieted to an almost imperceptible level. Growing slower, weaker by the second.

They are clearly alive, but severely injured.

In the scenario, he had had three choices. But this wasn’t a training scenario.

Now, he only had two.

A: Praise his lucky stars and use the opportunity to escape. There was a fire escape, just outside the window. He would be gone into the night before anyone knew any different.

Or...

B: Do the right thing.

Villain threw himself against the chain about his neck, collar threatening to cut off his airways. He spun about, gripping the chain in clammy fingers, pulling and tugging and-

Her breathing was getting quieter, weaker.

He pulled harder, muscles straining with the effort. The chain was anchored to the wall with a spike, drilled in. There was no way he could break the chain, no way he could break the spike, but-

Villain’s heel slammed through the plaster and drywall, chain flying backwards at his face. He hardly made note of it. Spike and chain and all dragging behind him, he tore to Hero’s bedside.

It was almost fortunate, that the lights were off. He couldn’t see the extent of the wounds.

He placed his hands upon her head, that minty feeling rushing to his fingers, his palms, her skin.

Using your powers is never the answer.

No. No, that wasn’t true.

Rules didn’t matter. Training didn’t matter. All that mattered was doing the right thing.

[thelionshoarde]

heading for a small disaster; part 1

I have no excuse! I started writing a magical au for obiyukiweek17 day 2 and lo! The first chapter is done and I have NOT YET touched the day 2 prompt. Regardless, here is this thing.

Mosquitoes swarmed the area, incessant and hungry. Tucked into a hollow above an ancient, gnarled tree limb, Obi re-applied his anti-bug charm for the third time. The moist, warm air sat heavy against his skin, slicking him with sweat, his clothing damp and stifling; but the marsh was made mysterious and interesting in the dark.

Nothing lit the gloom where he hid save the swollen moon, yellow and cragged and half-hidden by the trees. What light filtered through mostly caught on the duckweed, leaving the spaces between black as pitch. The splash of water somewhere in the distance - a fish, perhaps, or an alligator; one of those big, man-eating snakes he’d heard about coming closer, if Obi was lucky - kept him alert, curious. A whole world was thriving here, secreted away in the dark, and Obi found it both familiar and comforting.

Except for the frogs. It might have been mating season, Obi guessed. They were especially loud.

The raven came through just as Obi was trying to decide if that pale flash a few yards out was duckweed drifting by, or something more disconcerting. He snatched it from the air, mid-flight, its brittle parchment bones snapping in his grip. The spell broke. With a rustle of crisp paper its wings unfolded, and Obi tilted it toward a faint stream of moonlight.

Shirayuki, read the spider scrawl of blue ink, the letters dark gashes on the ghostly parchment.

Where had he heard that name before? Frowning, Obi caught a small herb sachet as it slid down into his waiting palm. He brought it to his nose, sniffing - but none of the scents were familiar to him, save that together they gave him the distinct impression of being medicinal. Only the lightest touch of magic was imbued into them; something crisp and competent, that pinched against Obi’s skin as he studied it.

He couldn’t place it - the magic or the name.

No matter. It wasn’t as though he needed a back story. If there was anything he needed to know to do his job, Obi was certain he’d learn it once he’d spotted the mark.

Pocketing the sachet, he let the kill order drift down. When the edge of the parchment nearly grazed the heads of a patch of milkweed below his perch, he jerked his finger at it, twisting a bit of magic along the arc of it. A shard of fire struck it on the fluttering edge. The heavy parchment caught, and a moment later ash drifted onto the murky waters of the marsh.

By the time the pale specks settled Obi was already gone, a specter in the dark leaving no trace. The night sounds never once ceased.

His tracking spell brought him through rugged lowlands and along a curiously curling trail over rolling hills, dotted with well-kept villages and towns. Obi stopped in one - Aeesghi, which was rumored to have the best beer on tap in the entire county, as well as a truly fine underground gambling ring - for just a night. By morning’s light he was richer by nearly seventy goia, a laugh caught in his chest and lip rouge smeared across his neck. Miles away from the town while a truly sour gentleman no doubt rampaged through whore houses trying to find that bastard Nanaki.

All in all, not bad for a solitary night’s mischief.

Fifteen goia went to buying a horse from a carter two towns over, and another week of hard travel found him boarding passage at a busy shipping channel, the waters rough and choppy and the seagulls mean, to bring him from Postilia to Rechiv. From Rechiv it was just a short stroll down the coast to the unmanned border of Tanbarun.

Obi squinted up the sheer cliffs, noting the roaring wind and narrow, rocky ledges. There was no way up but to spend an exorbitant fee for a mule that turned out to be far more malicious than the horse he had left at port.

In his pocket the herb sachet tugged homeward.

That was the trouble with tracking spells, he thought. They took you in as straight a line as possible, ease of passage be damned.

But the only other ways into the country were a full day’s journey in either direction, where he’d run the risk of checkpoints and soldiers. Might as well go the hard way. The easiest paths weren’t always the safest, in the end, and Obi had the scars to prove it.

At the top, the cliffs transformed into jagged mountains. Obi and the mule glowered out across the only available path. “There’s just the one,” the mule seller had told him, “And it’s treacherous at the best of times. Lead you right into trouble, too, if you’re not careful. Up there’s the Lion’s domain.”

Treacherous seemed too kind a description.

Obi wove hastily drawn spells to help the mule keep his footing, grasping at shadows before the noon sun chased them away, and tried to keep his breathing easy and light. So high, the air was thin and sharp; the fall no doubt long and hard. There was no room for a misstep.

Despite the danger, they came through with little trouble. Obi let the mule loose close to the village and made a path for himself, scrabbling down rocky inclines and using stubborn, stunted trees to ease his way back up, until the mountain he’d been climbing down began to settle into terraces that rolled more than they jutted, little valleys and coves opening up. Grass carpeted the ground and trees began to grow straight and strong.

A day later and Obi breathed a sigh of relief. The sachet tugged him straight to a moderate sized town half-way to sea-level before his tracking spell dispersed, job done.

Finally.

Time to pinpoint which of these townsfolk were his mark and be done with it. Climbing mountains was not his preferred method of travel, and he was tired of shaking pebbles out of his boots. He was actually starting to miss the frogs. The marsh may not have been his best choice for laying low between jobs, but it had its perks, and not being a mountain was apparently one of them.

Obi shook off dust and debris, pulled illusion and charm around him, enough to make him normal, to blur his scars and hide the cold glitter of his eyes, before heading into town.

Oh, he thought. Her.

Shirayuki stood in the center of a cobbled yard surrounded by kids. Tucked up high on a steepled roof, one arm hooked around a dented weather vane, Obi counted seven - no, nine - of the hairy little beasts romping around her full blue skirts. The goat herder was an aging man, but long of limb and agile, ducking down to nudge aside one of the kids before it nibbled a hole into the woman’s hemline.

Obi wanted to bring a breeze to carry their words to him, but after seeing the flutter of her hair, thought better of it.

The name Shirayuki had led him to the south-eastern outskirts of town, to the lone cottage of a Mage that Obi knew vaguely by reputation. The Mage of the Mountains, some called her. Obi had also heard Scarlet Witch hissed nervously from the mouths of more simple-minded folk. But that moniker was far out numbered by the reverent Red Lady that dropped from the lips of her more awestruck neighbors.

There were few enough who ever called his mark by name. No wonder he hadn’t realized who she was.

Obi pursed his mouth, considering the woman. She was small of stature, hands clasped politely at her waist. Even from this distance Obi could easily read the sharp angles of her body language: polite, but stern.

The goat herder bowed at the waist and led his charges down the road, ushering them out of the Mage’s yard with a line of frayed rope. Squinting, Obi managed a peek at the spell laid onto it - a nice bit of small magic, neat and tidy. No goat would manage to chew through the lead anymore, not even where it had been worn down to barely a few lingering threads.

And this was the woman who had lifted an entire village from its bedrock amidst a spring flood?

It hardly seemed likely; what Mage with that type of prestige would stoop to this level of paltry magic? There was strength in the spell she’d laid for the goat herder, but it was in the skill of it, how she’d interwoven each piece carefully into an interlocking whole. It lacked the raw power he had been expecting.

But the wind once again lifted the long tail of her hair over her shoulder, a banner of vibrant red.

There was no mistaking it. Only one Mage had hair that color in all of Tanbarun. Shirayuki and the Mage of the Mountains were one in the same.

Obi narrowed his eyes, unease prickling along the back of his spine. By all accounts the Red Lady wasn’t a trouble-maker. Obi hadn’t been aware of any conflicts. No whispers of enemies bent on revenge. Until this point it had seemed her strangest power was the ability to make friends with everyone she met. And while it was a skill Obi didn’t take lightly, he would hardly count himself as the norm.

What was a name like her’s doing on a kill order?

But - Obi forcefully pushed the question from his mind. It was not his place to wonder at the motivations of his employers, only to see the deed done. He tilted his head back, squinting at the passage of the sun.

Hours yet til evening, and though the daylight ate at the smoke and shadow of his magic, his illusions would hold for a while yet. Beneath the mellow autumn sun the red shingles were warm, and with a gentle breeze blowing in from the north Obi was content to loiter for a while. Maybe he could catch a nap, wait until the stars came out, washing the world in glitter and shine, to give him shadows to wrap round his body. The sleepy bustle of a mountain town was near enough to a lullaby, really; even if his illusion slipped with sleep none of these soft, milk-fed creatures would notice him, even out in the light as he was, a black blot against the day.

He propped himself on his elbow, craning his head for one last look toward the Mage’s quaint little cottage, a half-mile out from where he lay. She had a piece of scry-glass held before her eye, trained right on him. Obi could just see it glinting a cloudy blue.

“The fuck,” he yelped, leaping to the balls of his feet in a hunched crouch, tensed to run.

A frantic check told him his illusion was still in place - she shouldn’t have been able to see him. Shouldn’t have even noticed him. Even weakened with the sun full on him Obi was still a master at his craft, and some country Mage shouldn’t have been able to mark him. Not even one with her reputation.

And yet -

I was warned about you, whispered the wind. Zen said something like this might happen. Well. We’ve both seen each other, now. No point in pretending otherwise. Why don’t you come down and have some tea with me?

Zen? Obi thought, bewildered. She couldn’t mean that Zen - could she?

After only a second’s hesitation he pitched his voice back at her, swatting the breeze with his palm to swing it round: What an interesting offer. Don’t mind if I do! But you wouldn’t begrudge me taking a nap first, would you, Miss Mage? I’ve traveled quite a way.

Battered by the wind, her voice still came through dryly amused: I wouldn’t dream of it. You know where to find me when you’re ready.

Obi waited, watching as she dropped her arm, the distance too great for him to make out the expression on her face. Her shoulders, though, were still stiff, polite and stern. Probably she had been aware of him all through her exchange with the goat herder, waiting until the man had safely left before deciding to confront him.

Huh. Interesting.

Turning on her heel, blue skirts flying up as though in exclamation, Shirayuki strode in through the open door of her cottage. To Obi’s surprise, she didn’t bother to close it; he had gathered she left it open during working hours, to invite any of the townspeople to come inside, for poultice or charm, a warm welcome waiting for all. But that was before she knew an assassin had been sent to kill her.

What was she going to do if Obi took it as invitation as well?

With night came clouds; a storm rolling in from the south, causing the easy breeze of earlier to buffet and whip about. A hot cup of tea in doors sounded delicious. Obi swung down from his perch with a faint, predatory grin. Unlikely as it was that she had meant the offer, there was no reason he couldn’t imbibe after the job was done. He imagined a Mage known for her potions and tonics and healing touch would have many a special blend.

All he had to do was kill her.

His grin faded. Tension coiled in his shoulders, hands flexing with uncertainty. Knowing she could find him had chased all ease and carelessness from him; he spent the intervening hours between their first contact and now honing his blades, readying his spells, checking and double-checking the strength of the wards stitched into his clothes.

As much as he would have enjoyed that nap, Obi found it difficult to treat anyone perceptive enough to pinpoint his illusion with anything less than wariness and respect. Though she had yet to show the depth of power she was rumored to have at beck and call, it was more than enough to set his teeth on edge.

He should have known. Most of the more challenging, obstinate marks went to him, after all. Why would this Shirayuki be any different?

Just before her wards Obi paused, examining them. They were set up precisely across the entirety of the Mage’s grounds in a method almost elegant in its exactness. Obi took the space of a breath to admire the handiwork, unease once more scratching at his spine. But Obi was good at picking locks, at coaxing spells to budge over and give room, and it was only a matter of time before he’d found a corner he could pluck and pull at, tucking it in to make space between two rows of herbs in the back garden.

He crept in, wary of any silent alarms he might trigger.

But it seemed the Red Lady hadn’t thought to set anything further than base perimeter wards. The path to her little stone cottage was clear. Gaily painted shutters were latched shut, her door closed with the fall of night, but spools of golden light eked out between the slats. The ivy crawling along her stone cottage swayed madly, and the winds scattered the smoke from her chimney.

A circuit of the house gave him all he needed: the Mage sat in her front room, body relaxed, mind distracted. Perfect. Obi allowed himself to think that, despite the earlier surprises, everything really would be all right. No matter her skill set, she was no match for him in the dark. There was only one way for this to end. In and out, with barely a scream - his thoughts turned slow, hazardous, imagining blood down her throat, a stream of red to match her hair. The tension in his body eased.

Yes, he thought. Like that. No fuss, no drawn out game.

He could give her this, at least, the Red Lady, the Scarlet Witch, the slip of a woman who had pinned him with her scry glass and offered him tea. A kinder death than he’d given some. Thinking of the clever way she’d worked her wards, the intricate texture of the spell on the goats’ lead, he thought - I can be kind, just this once.

Obi drew the night down around him with a wrenching twist, until he was made of smoke and storm, the owl’s steady gaze and the bat’s silent wing. He became the dark heart of the sky between the stars; the waiting shadow of a shallow grave.

He ran into trouble immediately.

The only way forward was through the back door, the barest gap left open for him to pour himself through. On the other side Obi found himself in a homey sort of kitchen. Glazed tiles and checker-print curtains, an old, nicked table buffed to a honey-gold glow with a basket of bread set in the center. Dishes were drying to the side of a sink, towel still dripping next to them. Embers smoldered in the stove, an empty kettle set to the side.

The domesticity of the scene made Obi’s skin itch.

Treading carefully he headed toward the only available door. The kitchen led straight into the front room, a bare expanse of hall between. Obi could feel the clever folds that hid the rest of the Mage’s house from view, and he thought that, with time, he could wedge his way inside, unrolling Shirayuki’s careful system.

But he hadn’t the time - a fracture, hair-line but dangerous, had already begun to snake its way through his spell.

Obi hadn’t noticed the start. By the time he was aware of it the damage was already done. Stunned, Obi pressed his hand to the wall, papered in bright yellow with white vertical stripes, vivid against the black leather of his gloved hand. For a moment he stood there, staring wildly at the contrast. Somehow his illusion was unraveling. Obi had once laid on the side of a busy market street, bleeding copiously and half out of his mind, and still his illusion hadn’t dropped, not once.

What had this Scarlet Witch done to him?

Stubborn, he pulled the edges of himself together and held them tightly through sheer force of will. But the damage was done already; his easy confidence in the Mage’s yard was shaken, unease once more worming its way through him. Get a grip, he raged at himself. He flexed his hand against the wall, jaw tight. You’ve dealt with worse circumstances.

Just a few more steps and he would be in the room with her. Perhaps he was making more of this than he should. After all, she might be clever, but so was Obi, and it was for times like this that he trained with steel, with wire and arrow and the strength of his bare hands. He had nothing to fear when his magic was only one part of him, and not even the part that made him lethal.

He let his breath out in a slow, controlled exhale.

There was still a chance to do this right. From the front room the only noise came from a crackling fire, and the slow turn of pages as Shirayuki read. Obi could just see her bowed head, the fall of her bangs hiding her face, her bare feet tucked up beneath her. As he eased forward his feet made no noise, and his breath did not disturb the air. Obi was made of the waiting dark, the shadows out of view. But still a voice murmured: “Just a moment, please. I’ll freshen up the tea when I’m done with this page,” as he crossed the threshold into the front room.

Obi went still.

It was one thing for her to have found him that afternoon, scry glass in hand and sun high in the sky. Another, entirely, to have done - this.

The splintering in his spell widened, yawning wide. Thinking furiously, Obi let the spell grab hold of his own, prying at him with clever, meticulous fingers, and followed it out to see the scope of it. His breath left him in a startled rush as understanding set in.

Shirayuki had not wasted time with alarms. Instead, she had laid a trap so strange that Obi hadn’t registered it until he was well and truly caught within. It was as though the very nature of this place was pulling him into relief, setting him on display. The very warmth and hominess of her little cottage turned against him, calling into contrast Obi’s own magic, an obvious spill of nastiness, like soot tracked across her well-swept floor. He could practically feel it crowding him, very gently but sternly pushing him into compact form, giving presence to his very lack thereof. The spellwork had been so subtle, laid out with such a light hand, that Obi hadn’t even noticed until after it had taken hold.

He flickered where he stood, there then not.

Stars and stones, he thought, that is impressive.

Obi’s face crumpled in thought, curiosity plucking at him. The spell she’d laid was almost gentle, nothing to harm him, nothing to actually trap him. It merely took away his ability to hide, running on the same principle that the stronger the light source the deeper the shadows. She could have tried traps to bind his magic, to strip him of his ability to harm her, spells to maim or murder him - all things that Obi would have seen and dismantled with ease.

She had chosen, instead, to simply see him.

Sliding a dagger - etched with an anti-magic sigil directly into the steel - from his belt, Obi spun it on his finger. He had a clear line of view. The room was not large. Shirayuki sat in front of the fireplace, nearly in the center of the room. From where he stood nothing blocked the path his dagger could take to reach the tender line of her throat. He could risk it; take the chance that Shirayuki really hadn’t laid any more traps out of sight, that the one spell she’d cast was the extent of her cleverness.

One well-aimed throw, and she might be dead.

But - he eased the blade back into place, fingers lingering for just a moment. It had been a long time since he felt both off-kilter and delighted by it, and Obi wasn’t one to turn fun away when it presented itself to him. Shirayuki was - more than he had expected. As soon as he’d crossed her wards his plan had fallen to ruins.

Crossing his arms he leaned back against the wall. She was still his mark; Obi still had a job to do. But this was no simple in and out. Obi had a feeling that it would take more than one well-thrown dagger to end this woman’s life. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, he found himself almost eager to discover what would.

Obi felt a grin stretch at his mouth and let it curl there, crooked.

Time to change the game, then.

The Mage of the Mountains finished her page, placed a ribbon to mark her place, and turned to him with solemn green eyes. “You may join me, if you like.”

She gestured at the paisley-print chair beside hers, angled so that they faced each other. A full tea tray sat at a jaunty angle on the round table between them. Obi watched as Shirayuki placed her book on the clear space before it, and then rapped her knuckles on the teapot. It was ceramic, painted with red and yellow flowers nestled into curling, whimsical green leaves. Steam rose abruptly from the spout, eager to please. Apparently, Shiryauki had actually meant it when she offered him tea.

Obi let his spell go with a snap loud enough to sound like a thunderclap.

“Oh,” Shirayuki breathed, blinking. “You’ll give the townsfolk a fright if you keep that up.”

“Storm’s almost here,” Obi said easily, crooked grin firmly in place. “Surely a little thunder and lightning in the distance isn’t anything to be afraid of. They’ll never realize the danger.”

Those green eyes of hers narrowed, just slightly, before flicking away. She bent to pour water into two matching teacups, little sachets of tea leaves already waiting at the bottom. “I suppose not,” she mused, voice pensive. “I’d appreciate it if it stayed that way, please. And -” her eyes darted back toward him, gaze sharp, before returning to her task, “I really do wish you’d come and sit.”

“Why?”

“I don’t like sitting when other people are standing,” Shirayuki muttered. “I’m short enough as is, I don’t need to feel shorter.”

A faint flush crept up the back of her neck beneath where she’d coiled her hair. Now that he was closer, Obi could see that she was no great beauty, though she was pretty enough. A wide mouth, a pert nose, a stubborn chin. And those eyes, like still summer ponds, green and deep. The high neck of her dress only highlighted the graceful column of her throat, the elbow-length sleeves calling attention to the subtle strength of her forearms.

Hey now, Obi thought, lazily amused, am I here to ogle her or to kill her? Finding his gaze latched onto the curve of her waist, he figured it was both. He always had been attracted by competence.

“I would never wish to make a Miss as lovely as you feel inferior,” Obi sniped, finally pushing off the wall to amble casually across the room.

She set the teapot down onto the tray with a strident clink. “I never said anything about feeling inferior, especially toward you. Would you like honey or sugar?”

Obi laughed. “Neither, thank you.”

If he weren’t so curious - so mind-bogglingly stumped - about how to proceed, he would never have been caught dead in the chair Shirayuki directed him toward. It was a plump, stiff affair that Obi had to settle into cautiously. Usually he did his utmost to avoid chairs like these, which somehow managed to make all of his cultivated casualness awkward. The padding of the high back pushed him forward, so that he felt hunched over his own lap, uncertain what to do with his arms or legs.

If the kitchen had been enough to make him itch, the Mage’s front room nearly had him clawing his skin off.

Glow-globes floated gently near the ceiling, spinning slowly in an unknown orbit, so that the whole room was lit with soft light, cheery and bright. Her work room must have been tucked away in the hall, because the front room was nothing more than a parlor, a room to welcome visitors within. Book cases filled the wall from floor to ceiling in between wide, arched windows. Little ornate tables sat below with elaborate potted plants set atop them.

Every other spare inch of wall was taken up by beautiful beech-wood frames, dried flowers and herbs pressed between the glass. Behind them the fire was merry, crackling and warm, with a cauldron hung from an iron hook. A lid kept its contents hidden, but Obi smelt magic like spring rain bubbling inside. Across from them was a couch with a low table between, this one cluttered haphazardly with books and journals, pens and half-finished cups of tea.

Obi peered into one, dismayed to find something growing inside.

“That is disgusting,” he said, finally leaning his forearms onto his thighs. He tilted his head to watch her. Guilt flared across her face just as she dropped one cube of sugar into her tea with a loud plop. Obi grinned. “You’ll ruin this whole charade you have going on here if you leave these out and about, you know.”

“I don’t - I don’t know what you mean.”

Her hand hovered over the sugar bowl, tongs tight between her fingers. Obi snorted, drew power through his arm and sent all four dirtied teacups dancing through the air, into the kitchen. They landed gently in the sink.

“Oh,” Shirayuki said, looking down the dim hallway. “Thank you.”

Humming, Obi lifted his arm up in front of his face, examining the crooked knobs of his knuckles, his blunt fingertips. His thumbnail had a crack down it where he’d banged it too hard scaling a stone wall; there was a scrape circling half of his wrist, disappearing beneath the leather of his glove. Holding it there, he let his magic reach out and brush against hers.

She felt like a babbling creek, quick and strong, but not too deep at first glance - she slapped his magic aside, and Obi was surprised to find the cheerful force of her raw magic turned cool and nearly clinical with use.

Obi dropped his arm and admitted, “I didn’t expect you to notice me.”

“No? Not even as you killed me? I’d like to think most people are capable of seeing death when it’s right before their face.” The honest surprise in her voice had Obi looking at her again, just as she tried to sneakily add a few extra cubes of sugar to her tea. Obi’s throat tightened at the thought of how disgustingly sweet it likely was; he snatched up his cup before she could decide to give it the same treatment.

Obi was amused to note that the matching teacups did not match the teapot. “You think so? Hm, that seems very kind of you. Please, do keep on thinking such nice and innocent thoughts, regardless of reality.” When she sent a stern, unimpressed stare his way, Obi merely grinned brightly, asking, “Hey, what kind of tea is this?”

“The healthy kind,” she said smartly. “You look like you could use a whole pot of it. I didn’t expect my assassin to look so - scruffy.”

“Scruffy!” Obi yelped, a laugh caught in his throat.

Shirayuki squinted at him from over the rim of her teacup. “Malnourished?” she tried. “Er - no, that sounds worse, doesn’t it? Ah. Travel-worn, perhaps?”

The laugh spilled over, enough to send his shoulders shaking. Tea splashed over the rim of the teacup, touching his skin. He checked it quickly: not poisoned, or brewed to make him sleepy. No magic at all, in fact. The tea was simply tea. Still chortling, Obi brought it up to his mouth to try a sip, pleased to find it fruity and mellow.

“How about rugged?” he suggested, arching his eyebrow in a way he knew made him look rakish and charming. “Rogue-like?”

Both the Mage’s eyebrows shot up, lost beneath the messy fall of her fringe. “Ragged, maybe.” Her tone was perfectly dry, that sense of humor Obi had heard through the wind even more fetching when it wasn’t distorted. “Though you do look a rogue, I’ll admit. Fitting, I suppose. Were you really sent to kill me?”

Obi sipped his tea, thinking hard.

“I wonder. Tell me, Miss Mage, is there someone who wants to kill you?”

It was like watching a door slam. Shirayuki’s face closed down, and that was the moment Obi realized how cautiously open she had been in the first place. Her body drew in tighter on itself, fingers curling around the warm ceramic of her teacup. “I had hoped there wasn’t,” she murmured. Then, louder, “I don’t see how that’s any of your concern. Unless you are my would-be assassin?”

“For someone who hoped for a misunderstanding, you certainly didn’t leave much to chance,” Obi teased, flicking a finger toward her dress. “That is quite the slew of sigils, Miss Mage. How long did that take you to whip up?”

Self-conscious, now, Shirayuki smoothed one free hand over her knee. Wards and charms and protection spells were embroidered into the blue fabric with matching blue thread. Only close up was Obi able to make out the gleam of the spell-work. She was armed to the teeth with defensive spells. Even if she hadn’t noticed him, Obi wouldn’t have been able to lay a hand on her, not with her dressed like that. He’d made the right move in not throwing that blade.

“A friend of mine had it made for me.”

Obi sipped more of his tea, wishing he dared lean back in his chair. But he hadn’t the slightest clue how Shirayuki managed to curl up in it so comfortably. Magic, maybe. A secret spell known only to a few. He shifted in his chair, teacup held easily between his knees as he studied her.

“That’s some friend,” he said, soft. The dress must have cost a fortune.

Shirayuki’s face tightened.

Obi winked, and let his voice drawl out, knowing he sounded mean, wanting to see what she would do if he pushed, if he threatened: “I guess any would-be assassin would need to find a way past that dress to get to you, Miss Mage.”

The lid atop the cauldron behind them rattled, the potion bubbling ferociously for a moment. Shirayuki’s knuckles tightened against the handle of her teacup before she forcibly relaxed them. The scent of fresh rain and young, spring growth intensified.

“I suppose you may be correct,” Shirayuki said. “But as that seems very unlikely to happen, I think I’m quite safe, thank you. The dress is quite well-made, and I have more like it. Even nightgowns, if you would believe it!”

“Yes,” Obi agreed, voice grave. “I see a few sigils there - just below your left armpit - that make quite certain you are the only one who could take off that dress. But,” his voice lifted, became a curling, crackling tease, sharp and sly, “all your would-be assassin might need do is, ah, charm you out of it.”

“Charm me - oh!”

“That really is a fetching blush, Miss Mage,” Obi grinned from behind his teacup.

Shirayuki was flushed, her face nearly a red to match her hair. Every inch of her was turned prim and proper with embarrassment, her eyes snapping with outrage. Taking a bracing sip of tea, she cleared her throat before speaking. “As I said: that seems very unlikely to happen. I am not a fool.”

“No,” Obi agreed. “But I can be very persuasive.”

Between them, the very air seemed palpable, nearly crackling with sudden tension. Obi felt it throb through him, his hands very delicate against the warm ceramic, ready to drop it in an instant. Power crackled through him like the storm nearly upon them; the wind shook the shutters, as if called to brutality by Obi’s bold declaration.

Then Shirayuki’s feet slid out from beneath her, the long fall of her blue skirt rippling. Standing, Obi wagered that she’d barely come up to his collarbone. He watched her from beneath his lashes, not moving, yet, but every muscle poised for action. Shirayuki clutched her teacup in both hands, held awkwardly at her waist, and said, “I think you’ve had enough tea for one evening. Please leave.”

“Aw, come now, Miss Mage. Things were just getting good.”

Frustration tightened her mouth. Her chin jerked upward, obstinate, and Obi felt the shift as her magic crowded beneath her skin, clear and clean, like sunlight on waves. All at once his chair bucked him off, and he gave a mangled curse as he stumbled three feet before he slid into an easy stance, facing her, teacup held aloft by one hand.

“Didn’t spill a drop,” Obi taunted.

“Impressive,” she said, voice flat. “Now, if you would.”

Before he could react, the teacup was out of his hands, spinning swiftly through the air to return to its place on the tea tray. The front door swung open behind him. Obi hesitated, gaze heavy as he studied the Mage of the Mountains, still with a flush bright on her cheeks. Outside, a clap of thunder announced the arrival of the storm.

“All right,” Obi finally said, forcing his body into an easy posture. He let a smile take hold on his face, and wondered, meeting her hard gaze, what she saw without his illusions to soften the blow. “If you’re going to be like that about it, I guess I’ll go.”

Obi backed up slowly toward the door, hands outstretched at his sides as if that could possibly make him any less dangerous. He felt the press of the night at his back, the howling storm and the darkness, and let it comfort him. Shirayuki might be a tough nut to crack, but Obi would find a way. All he needed was patience.

“I’ll be seeing you,” he promised.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Please, don’t.”

Then his feet edged past the threshold and the door slammed shut, a bare inch from his face. Obi laughed, relieved and somehow not. Tension was jangled up inside him, impatience and curiosity. It felt as though the storm lighting up the sky overhead was somehow trapped within his skin, a seething tumult. In an instant he flickered, the night drawn down around him. He was shadow once more, flitting from the Mage’s yard as the rain began to pour.

He let the storm move him; ran along lightning and chased the wind, howling, letting the rain wash him clean, until he was nothing but flesh and bone again, breath rasping through his lungs, hair plastered to his scalp. He stumbled through the door to the town’s inn, surprising the night clerk.

“A room, if you please! And a hot meal and even hotter bath, if you have one. I’m afraid I rather got caught in a sudden storm, you see.”

“Ah - yes. Of course,” the night clerk stammered, reaching blindly behind him for a key while Obi dripped charmingly onto a rug. “Just for the night?”

In his mind he imagined her, red hair tangled down her back, a nightgown sewn with protective sigils fluttering about her thighs, the thin material brushing against her nipples with each breath; he remembered the stubborn set of her jaw and the snapping fire in her eyes, the steady cleverness of her mind. Obi smiled, a bare curl of his mouth.

“No,” he murmured, “I think I’ll be here for quite some time.”

[roses-amet]

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Cassius spoke up, taking my attention away from preparing dinner. I looked down at his hand, where little Nersillia had her teeth clamped on. I let out a brief chuckle as I tried to grab her to pull her away from him, but she held on pretty tightly.

“Sillia, let go of Cassius!” I said, trying to be gentle, but rough.

She only growled in response, as her wings fluttered in my face, forcing me to let go of her. I was on the verge of sneezing with all her feathers tickling my nose, but at least she let Cassius free... at the cost of his hand, which she was still gnawing.

“Sorry, Cassius...” I spoke up, once the sneeze subsided.

“It’s all right ma’am... it’s only expected of a growing child to act... rebellious...”

I grinned at him, then looked down at the seasoned chicken all covered in dark red feathers. I huffed out a sigh as I wondered about what I should do with it now.

“Let me get dinner ready, ma’am,” Cassius insisted.

I looked up at the hollow knight with a smile, and shook my head. “No, it’s all right... I should handle this myself. It’s only right! Being a mother and all... Besides, you’re missing a hand!”

“Maybe so, ma’am, but I can do it better than you can, even with just one hand.”

I narrowed my eye at him, but I can’t deny he was right. I never can get the hang of cooking food properly myself. And besides, tonight was a special night. It was decided that today would be Nersillia’s birthday after all!

“I will leave it to you... I need to go to the store to buy something anyway.”

“Will you be going with Smiley?”

Nersillia perked up and stared at Cassius with his metal hand still in her grip. “Papa?”

Cassius’ metal helmet that is his head jerked downward with a click to look at her. “Your... ‘papa’ is indeed awake.”

She grinned widely, and with the hand still in her arms, she hurried off to find Smiley. Honestly, I am glad he is awake as well, considering the fact he tends to sleep a lot. But, it seems that he is waking up more often now, which could be a good thing.

But I am quite worried about him. Being human must take a lot out of him, since it’s so different than being... whatever he was before.

“Xio?” Cassius spoke up.

I stared at him for a moment, trying to think of something to say. “Ah, um... okay, I will leave the cooking to you. Remember, Sillia can’t handle vegetables, so give her a special plate. I don’t believe cake is good... but... well...”

“Don’t rush it, Xio. Parenthood is still rather new to you, no?”

“I suppose...? Living a peaceful life like this is... different... but... I just need to get used to it.”

“You will figure it out, ma’am. Now then, if you will excuse me, I need to get another hand before I start cooking.”

“I thought you can handle it with just one arm, Cassie?”

“I can, but it’s much more sanitary to use two hands...”

“What does that even mean?”

Cassius didn’t respond to my question as he just walked out of the kitchen. As much as it bothered me by what he just said, I decided to just forget about it, and do what it is I need to do for later. Actually, was that a joke?

After doing some shopping, for cooking something special for Sillia, and getting her a gift, I returned home to see Scarlet taking a sip of tea, as she rests on a couch.

“Hello, darling,” she cooed.

“Good afternoon, Scarlet. You’re here for the celebration?”

“Of course! I decided to bring the little one a gift!”

I heard a heavy thud from upstairs, and a shrill of joy from Nersillia. I put down my things in a hurry to go to her, only to see her play around in a gym set built inside her room. A swing set hung from the ceiling, with climbing rocks nailed against the walls. Trampolines were set in selected spots, with cushions all around. “This is... your gift?” I asked Scarlet.

She nodded her head as she took a sip of her tea.

It was kind of her to give Nersillia a gift... but to build a gym set, in my home, without my permission? While I wasn’t entirely happy about it, seeing Nersillia giggle with glee as she hops from one trampoline to another, fluttering her wings as if she was soaring, did make me smile. But, I didn’t want to see her hurt herself.

“I will keep a first aid kit nearby if she gets hurt... but... thanks...” I said. “Where is Smiley? I thought he was playing with Nersillia.”

“He is currently outside, taking in the nature, he told me. He needed a moment to himself, after spending time with her.”

“I see... I will go see how he is doing.”

“Very well.”

I left Nersillia with Scarlet watching over her, and picked up the bags I dropped, into the kitchen. Cassius was still preparing dinner, and seemingly baking a cake, which I had to bring myself to question, “What’s with the cake?”

“For Nersillia, ma’am... have you really forgotten?”

“I mean, what sort of cake is it?”

“A special kind... meatloaf, just for Nersillia.”

“Ah... do you think she can handle it?”

“I believe she could, considering her diet lately. She is willing to explore different kinds, but she has yet to get accustomed to anything aside from certain selections.”

I let out a low hum as I stared at the loaf that is the “cake”. I noticed that there was another one however, which I suppose is a genuine cake. Looked like it at least. “I don’t want her to get ill... but I trust you can make something decent.”

I then turned to Smiley, as he stood outside.

“I will be right back,” I told Cassius, as I left the bags to him.

Smiley turned to me as soon as I opened the back door of the house, and forced a weary smile. In all honesty, I don’t think I will ever get over of how much he looks like Renny, but I know that Smiley is not Renny. He never was, and never will be. But, he resembles him a lot. I am not sure how to feel about him looking more and more like my late husband.

But, I greeted him with a smile, because much like Renny, I also loved Smiley. Maybe in a more platonic way, considering our past, but I cared about him.

“How are you today, Smiles?”

He nodded his head as he scratched his dark red hair. “Well, I suppose... and you?”

“Good... yet tired. I am trying to get everything together for Sillia later.”

He let out a brief chuckle as he nodded in understanding. “You’re definitely trying hard, Xio... but don’t push yourself too much.”

“I will try not to... Do you want anything to eat or drink?”

“I am waiting for dinner to finish, and I just recently took a jug of water.”

I frowned slightly. I suppose it’s because of his long hours of sleep that he is dehydrated, but that is what worries me. He hasn’t been eating well for a while, but then, a normal human diet is different from what he is used to.

I sighed as I gave him a gentle pat on the arm. “Well, it’s good to see you awake. When you feel better, come inside. We have to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to your daughter!”

“And your’s as well, Xio.”

I giggled. “Of course, she is our adopted child... but, she hasn’t seen much of you, Smiley. You sleepy bum.”

He chuckled briefly and nodded. “I believe my body is slowly getting used to being human... There is nothing insane about me... well, not very much, I suppose.”

“You still carry it, don’t you?” I sighed, then shook my head. “Then we both have something in common, sort of.”

“What I have is different from yours, Xio. You are what they called ‘perfect’. I... I am far from ‘perfect’ myself.”

“I suppose... eh, whatever. Let’s not think about it too much! We have a birthday to focus on!”

Smiley’s smile turned into a genuine one, but I was the one who went back inside first. It took him some time to come into the house, which I decided to not question, and called out Nersillia down to the kitchen.

The gift I gave her was a small black and red dragon plush toy. She stared at it in silence for a moment, which I wasn’t sure was out of awe, or disgust, but she held onto it, much like she did with Cassius’ hand earlier.

Then we all sang her the birthday melody as we brought out her “cake”, and once the candles were blown out, we cut out a piece of it for her. She ate it steadily, as she gazed at us with wide eyes. She then grinned, with her mouth stuffed with food, which made us laugh, but I had to gently scold her that she must chew and not smile with her mouth full.

The night carried on as peacefully as ever, even with Alice’s rough personality, as she stomped down the stairs, chasing after Violet, who ate her weaponry it seems.

Nersillia was glad to see her father awake again, seemingly enjoyed her gifts, and loved to be around us, her family.

And I was happy to be a mother, even if I adopted her. Blood related or not, this was my family, and this sense of peace was much needed, after many years of chaos.

Man, I never felt so happy.