#but she was already doing photography as a hobby by then

[diyasgarden]

polaroids

Tashi has a polaroid camera and she loves taking photos on it. It was gift from one her family members when she was a pre-teen. A fun, relaxed hobby she could get into that would not mess with her tennis. She got into it near instantly. She takes polaroids of you all the time, of Art and Patrick too. If you were her childhood friend her bedroom in her childhood house was full of polaroids of you and her. So is the walls in her Stanford dorm. She is quite grateful for the hobby once the injury takes away her career. She knew she wanted to continue taking pictures for fun just as much as she knew wanted to have a professional tennis career. At least the injury can't take this away from her. She continues to take pictures of loved ones with her polaroid camera for the rest of her life. You could make a whole scrapbook out of the ones she made for you alone.

Patrick keeps a polaroid photo of you and him in his wallet. It's a picture Tashi took, and he never tells you about it, but you see it one day when he opens his wallet infront of you to get something out of it. You find it very sweet and you tease him about it, but he just brushes you off. He never takes the photo out though. It always remains in his wallet. He also loves posing for photographs, because well this man loves attention. You're taking a photo? He's already posing.

Tashi gets Art into photography, and he loves taking pictures of the polaroid camera. Although, in comparison to Tashi this is more of an interest he has when he is at Stanford, not necessarily something he carries with him throughout his life. He'll take candid pictures of you, Patrick, and Tashi, but also take random pictures of pretty plants or trees. Tashi finds the latter to be absurd because in her eyes it's a waste of film. He says it looks better on film than it would on a digital or phone camera. Regardless of how you feel about this, you do think it's pretty cute how he stops because he saw a bee on a flower and needed to pull out the polaroid.

[slightlytoastedbagel]

thinks about Kohane Azusawa and photography (explodes)

[karimationkat]

Random urge to make characters and designs based of the history of photography bc idk what I'm going to do with all this knowledge that I have bc of a presentation I have to do tomorrow but I can't draw/design them yet because I have a presentation and 3 different exams this week. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggghhhhhhhh

[sosa2imagines]

You, me and Vegas! Part 16 (Epilogue)

Warnings- None.

After much contemplation, Peach and Bucky had decided to annul their drunk marriage. Both of them had realized that they wanted to start their relationship from a clean slate, without any rushed decisions hanging over their heads.

Bucky had been more than willing to go through with the annulment, as he knew it was the right thing to do. But secretly, as he watched Peach sign the papers, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.

As Peach signed the annulment papers, she couldn't deny the mix of emotions bubbling up within her. On the one hand, she felt a sense of relief, knowing that they were finally doing the right thing. But on the other hand, a pang of regret tugged at her heart as she watched Bucky stand silently beside her.

Both Peach and Bucky were aware that starting their relationship afresh, was the best way forward. They were excited about this new chapter in their lives.

The annulment process had been a necessary step, but it didn't alter the fact that they cared deeply for one another, and this new beginning was an opportunity to explore those feelings further.

After the annulment, Peach decided to continue living with Bucky in his apartment. They had already grown comfortable with each other's company, and besides, moving out seemed like too much effort.

So, they continued living under the same roof, their relationship transitioning from married to something more undefined.

Living together brought them closer, allowing them to learn more about each other's quirks and habits. And deep down, both of them secretly enjoyed the fact that they were still sharing a space.

Several months after the chaotic scene in city hall, Peach and Bucky, were now officially a couple.

Life had settled into a comfortable routine for Bucky and Peach. They had navigated the ups and downs of their relationship, and their love had only grown stronger.

As time passed, Peach's writing career started taking off. Her book gained, popularity and good reviews, and she found herself penning down her thoughts, freely with Bucky being her reviewer.

On the other hand, Bucky discovered a new job that not only paid well but also granted him ample free time. He was able to dedicate time to his hobby of photography, which he had always loved but could never fully pursue due to his previous work commitments and his parents.

Speaking of his parents, as expected, they continued to be a source of frustration for him. They attempted to meddle in his life once again, disapproving of Peach and their living arrangement. But Bucky was unyielding in his determination to live his life on his own terms.

He set clear boundaries with his parents, making it abundantly clear that he wouldn't tolerate any interference in his life, especially when it came to Peach. Bucky firmly asserted that he intended to decide how to live his life, without any outside influence or control from his parents.

His parents, while unhappy with Bucky's defiant stance, eventually had no choice but to respect his boundaries. They begrudgingly accepted that Bucky was an adult and was entitled to make his own choices, even if they didn't approve.

Bucky's unwavering determination to keep his parents at bay, allowed him and Peach to live peacefully and focus on their own lives and budding relationship, free from outside interference. And his parents thinks, they are still married.

Meanwhile Andy, had taken a break from work after the chaos in the city hall. But he made sure to keep a respectful distance from Peach, not wanting a repeat of the incident.

And as for the kid with the cat toy, he had become an unofficial member of their makeshift family, often tagging along on adventures.

Despite the initial chaos caused by their unexpected marriage and the subsequent annulment, Bucky and Peach were developing a strong bond. They continued to live together, enjoying each other’s presence and growing more comfortable around each other.

Bucky's protective nature and Peach's independent spirit clashed at times, causing a few disagreements, but they always managed to find a way to resolve their issues. Their mutual respect for one another's beliefs and values helped them navigate through any bumps in the road, strengthening their connection.

Their love was a slow burn, growing quietly but undeniably with every passing day. They shared moments both big and small, from lazy afternoons spent watching movies to quiet conversations on the roof at night.

They knew each other’s favorite take-out orders, the songs they sang in the shower, and the way they took their coffee. They would catch each other's gaze across a room and know exactly what the other was thinking, without a single word being spoken.

Bucky, who tended to hide his feelings behind a gruff exterior, slowly let his guard down around Peach. He would surprise her with little acts of kindness, like leaving a note on her pillow or making her breakfast in the mornings.

Peach, in turn, made Bucky laugh. She had a sharp wit and a habit of saying exactly what was on her mind. She would tease him for his overprotectiveness and gently nudge him out of his brooding moods.

Their love for each other kept on growing.

Every time Bucky and Peach passed by the chapel where they had gotten married, they would exchange a knowing smile and laugh. They had a running joke about how they had ended up there in the first place, and they never failed to find amusement in the memory.

Bucky, despite the chaos of their beginnings, was enjoying the moment, relishing in their relationship as it continued to grow. Though, in the back of his mind, he harbored a secret, hopeful thought – that one day, they would go back to that chapel sober, with proper vows and rings, to make it official for real.

Bucky would subtly glance Peach's way, watching for any sign that she was thinking the same thing he was. He was eager for the day when they could make good on their secret hope, but he didn't want to pressure her into anything.

Peach, sensing Bucky's hidden desire, occasionally gave him a sly smile. She knew exactly what was on his mind, but she was enjoying this slow burn, savoring the build-up to the future they both secretly longed for.

Bucky and Peach were sitting on a park bench, the setting sun painting the sky in hues of orange and pink.

Bucky's arm was draped over Peach's shoulders, his fingers idly playing with a strand of her hair. Peach was snuggled into his side, a small smile on her face.

As they watched the sun set, Bucky looked down at Peach and gently tucked the strand of hair he was playing with behind her ear.

“You know what I just realized?” he said, a lopsided grin on his face. “I still don't like Andy.”

Peach had a hearty laugh, “Please be civil with him, he only tried to help you.”

“Okay, okay…You know what else I just realized?” he said, again with lopsided grin on his face.

“What?” Peach asked, looking up at him with a curious expression.

Bucky leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before answering. “I can't imagine my life without you,” he said, his voice filled with a rare vulnerability. “You've made my life brighter, more exciting. I don't ever want to let you go.”

Peach's heart fluttered at his words, and she reached up to caress his cheek. “Good, because you're stuck with me,” she said, a hint of humor in her voice. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“I love you Peach.” “I love you Bucky.”

As the last streaks of sunlight faded, Bucky, unable to resist any longer, turned to face Peach. He gently cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin. She smiled up at him, her eyes reflecting the soft light of the setting sun.

Without a word, Bucky leaned in and captured her lips in a tender kiss. The world around them seemed to shrink away, leaving only the sensation of their lips meeting and the sound of their shared breaths.

Part 15 - ✅

Taglist- @imyourbratzdoll @blackhawkfanatic @ordelixx @sapphirebarnes @ilovetaquitosmmmm

@differenttyphoonwerewolf @vicmc624 @thezombieprostitute @nekoannie-chan

@emerald-writes @caplanbuckybarnes

@redbloodedgurl @cjand10 @chemtrails-club @slutforchrisjamalevans @gracescor3

@ghostlythinggoingaround @princezzjasmine @3xclusivemariii @ephemeral-oasis @zuri-767-666

@geeky-politics-46 @dexter99 @calwitch

@caplanreblogsfics @winterslove1917

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@bucks-babe @lolzies123r @kandis-mom @purplecolordeer @avioletkurt

@unaxv @pattiemac1 @lovely-geek @hzdhrtss

[lilghostiequinni]

Not the Only One

Main Masterlist Lestappen Masterlist

Pairing: Norris!female oc (Lea) x Max Verstappen x Charles Leclerc

Warnings: Fluffy,

Summary: She comes to Formula One as a photographer. Well, kind of. She's something else but a photographer nonetheless, but for three teams, she takes photos.

Requested: NO / yes (Saturday Poll)

The better part of all 10 teams was gathered in one of the many conferencing rooms in the F1 headquarters; every team had its own little section.

"Alright, well, we have a new member joining, she is a photographer to all teams, partially and three teams full time," Stefano says to the group of teams in the room as he walks in, a woman following behind.

"She is already assigned to one team of her choice. The other two will be determined via her terms," Stefano says, moving to the side for the woman to come forward.

"This is Lea, Lea Norris. She will also be taking team photos and the grid photo for this year's beginning," Stefano says, pointing to the woman as he does.

"Hello, I'm Lea. The team of my choosing was McLaren. I brought it up to Stefano about how to determine the other two teams I will be working for, and that is a charity race for what ever charity you choose. Any questions?" Lea asks the grid, and a few hands go up.

Lea pointed to Alex Albon, "How are you related to Lando? He never mentions you."

"Well, I'm his twin sister, his more successful little twin sister," Lea walks over to Lando and wraps her arms around his neck, and he holds her arms with his hands.

Carlos raises his hand next, "I would like to point out that I knew of you, just not what you do?"

Lea smiles, and Lando shakes his head, "She co-owns Quadrant with me because she can do the behind-the-scenes better than I can. She also owns her own clothing brand, Leona & Odan, also owning the multi-million dollar company Leletics, the company that makes many parts of the liveries and other things. Let's not forget her athletic ability," Lando says; he does an eye roll at the end but still has a smile.

"That is all true. I own the fashion company Leona & Odan, along with the company Leletics, which is also a design company not just for livery parts and 'stuff.' I also co-own Quadrant with my brother, but I am never on camera because I don't want to. I am also athletic. I do ballet and a few other sports myself. I am terrible at golf, though," Lea says, letting go of her brother to walk back to the front of the room.

She stands at the front of the room, watching the drivers.

"Why are you doing this?" Comes from the Mercedes team.

"Because I need a change of pace. I do what I love every day, but there is only so much I can do about my hobbies, such as photography. Also, I may have punched one of the chairmen to Leletics because he was there for a few years and still thought I was an assistant and not the CEO. He tried to do something that shouldn't be done, and I may have punched him a little too hard," Lea says with a fake smile on her face.

"Someone tried to touch you! Was it that asshole Brason?" Lando demands in big brother mode.

"It's fine, Lando, later, please," Lea begs her brother; Lando clenches his jaw but backs down.

For the next hour, she answers all the questions on what she is to do before she gets a question from one Max Verstappen, "So, what are we to do for this race?"

"The race is to determine what other two teams I'll technically work for, and for charity, the two teams to win will get to give 1 million dollars to a charity of their choosing. McLaren will also be competing because they don't want them left out, but they won't get anything if they win; a charity of their choice will still get a million dollars, and the charities of the rest of the teams will still get half a million dollars, each." Lea says before she continues. "Listen, I know it sounds bad because you don't even know what I can do, but I just want to give back, and I... I don't really know how to explain myself to you. I just want to do what got me started, talking pictures of racing."

It was basically a mock race in Silverstone; liveries were provided to each team, so everyone was on the same playing field as the racers; there was a single level of qualifying and a single free practice to get familiar with the car.

In the last laps of the race, it was pretty clear that the two other teams would be Red Bull and Ferrari, but Mercedes was still in the running for the third team, attempting to over take Ferrari.

But in the end, it was Ferrari that just barely beat Mecades as Carlos passed Hamilton.

Later that day, Formula One announced the addition of a three-team photographer, and the day after, McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari announced themselves as the three teams for the newest photographer

Lea proved herself, too, to all the teams, not just the three that had become her job, that she was capable of taking the necessary photographs in the sport of Formula One.

It was no surprise to her brother, though, when she showed up at Woking with a helmet for her brother, one he sort of forgot about. Just barely remembered a helmet design he told her for the 2024 season, so she designed it but did not tell him she designed it, giving it to him before testing as a surprise.

A/N: So, Lestappen won, but I will check later when the poll ends and post a thing about which two get one shot in a week. There will also be a part two posted in Week 3, it will take place in Maimi, Imola, and Monaco of the current season. This didn't have much Lestappen content, but in the next one it will.

Tags: If you want to be added to the lists or a single list, let me know

[quixotical-lymbo]

Hello there!😁

If u can of not, I would like to request MK, Wukong, &/or Macaque (U choose may choose who if u don't want to write all😊)x female reader headcanon that does photography(& maybe videography). They enjoyed it as a hobby as a child and continues on with age. Like taking videos or pictures with friends and family so she doesn't forget the good times.

Pairing: Wukong, Macaque, MK x fem!Reader Rating: SFW Warnings/Tags: Fluff, just fl u f f, and Macaque being a lil buttwipe. Word Count: 500+ words

WUKONG 

☀️ ️If Wukong had a partner that regularly took photos then be prepared to have your camera roll be 65% full of his beautiful face. 

☀️ He thinks your hobby is nice and would indulge in it to make you happy; you need a close up of a funny looking bug in that tree? Well, up you go! Oh, what's that? You couldn't catch up to the bird that keeps flying away? Have no fear, Wukong is here to help! 

☀️ When you're not looking, he'll take your camera/and or camcorder and take secret photos/videos for you to find later. They'll either be full of sweet praises or silly jokes and close-up shots of him messing around in your room. 

MK 

🍜 MK seems to be the type to appreciate every form of artistic expression, including photography. When he learns that you've had it as a hobby since you were a kid, he'll insist on being your muse or suggesting things for you to take photos of–cuz, y'know he's the type to think everything is an important memory to keep record of. 

🍜 "Oh, oh, take this one! This one!" 

🍜 "What about this one? It has four buttons on it!" 

🍜 "Don't forget to take a pic of that corner of Pigsy's shop-!" 

🍜 All in all, he's very happy when he looks in your album to find a lot of photos of him and you spending time together—MK's heart swells when he found that you even included a few of his suggestions in the album, but his face exploded when he found the photo of you kissing his cheek while he was distracted by something out of the shot.

MACAQUE 

🌙  While he respects your craft, he doesn't understand your insistence on trying to snap pictures of him. Don't get him wrong, he'll allow you to take some photos of him if he accidentally photo bombs the shot, but more…intimate photos are a hard no from him (especially since he knows how much you scrapbook). 

🌙 You could say he's embarrassed at the idea of coming across a lovey-dovey section of your collection of photos featuring the two of you. He can already hear the teasing comments from a certain group. 

🌙 There have been times when you tried to sneak a few shots of him, but these plans were all thwarted as he disappeared before the shutter went off. He'd reappear behind you, kiss your cheek, then tauntingly say you'll probably get him next time. 

🌙 And get him you did.

🌙 It was a random Tuesday when the two of you were chilling in your home/apt and a movie was playing on the TV. One thing led to another and you two began making out on the couch. Macaque was so into it that he didn't even feel you reach underneath the couch for your camera. 

🌙 The shutter went off and Macaque just..laid there above you frozen, wide-eyed, with his cheeks flushed and hair all in disarray. 

🌙 You had to beg and plea to keep the photo, but he relented after you promised you'll keep it out of the public's eye. No one else deserved to see that photo but you. 

🍜 - I do not give permission for anyone to translate, copy, republish, or plagiarize any of my written works. I provide no permission for any of my literary works to be used in artificial intelligence. sparkle banner(s) by @adornedwithlight !!

[ninjaturtlemaniac]

Part 10 Trolls Headcanons/ Theories/ Thoughts/ Ideas

This may be my last headcanons list, my friends. Will still do art and stuff but I am fresh outta ideas.

Part1 Part2 Part3 Part4 Part5 Part6 Part7 Part8 Part9

Enjoy 💕

Sub Tribes - KPop/Reggaeton/Yodelers/Chaz etc. there's not many of them around because they came from overseas.

King Peppy - Didn't tell Poppy about Viva because he was in the early stages of dementia. (Canon?) For a while he thought Poppy WAS Viva. By the time he realised his 'mistake', Poppy was already grown.

Vacay Island - the brothers sometimes help Bruce at his restaurant. They have name tags with funny 'work names'. Flood, Big Fish, Classy, and Big Brunch. Viva and Poppy have done the odd shift as well, as Pinky and Vista. 😝

Brozone - they became world famous, argued and left BEFORE the cage went around the Pop Troll Tree. (Canon?)

Brozone - there was a rumoured 'unfinished' Brozone song that was supposed to be released after that tour. John finally finishes it and the brothers offer to sing it for Poppy's bridal entrance song. Poppy immediately faints. In my head the song is 'Helpless When She Smiles' by The Backstreet Boys

Brozone - whatever the Trolls equivalent of the Superbowl is, I feel like Bruce and JD would be very into it. Jerseys and face paint and everything.

Bruce - cameras make him self-conscious. If he is in a group he can tolerate it but hates being the only one in the photo.

Bruce - has caught his kids trying to do the Brozone dance routines. He tries to stay out of it best he can and let them have their fun but then they ask him to teach them and doesn't he just melt.

Bruce - has a wedding ring but it is Vacationer sized. He keeps it in his hair mostly but will braid it into his hair like an accessory for special occasions.

Bruce - 100% certain Poppy and Branch's first born would be a boy. "We're a family of five brothers! It took Brandy and I thirteen tries to have a daughter. Trust me, I have no doubt your first egg will absolutely be a boy." *They have a girl* Bruce 😑

Floyd - can only sleep comfortably near an open window. Sometimes can only sleep sitting up.

Floyd - will randomly stare off into space or mutter to himself.

Floyd - *clears throat* I ship Floom! 💕🏳️‍🌈

Floyd - can't stick to new hobbies for very long, he hyperfixates for a week or two then gets bored. Macrame, candle making, soap making, jewelry making, photography are some examples.

Clay - his brothers collectively tried to convince him that he was the adopted brother.

Clay - is quite squeamish. The sight of vomit, open wounds and bodily fluids; Clay will absolutely pass out. Snotty babies make him very uncomfortable.

Clay - gets Viva to braid his hair out of his face only when something really serious is happening *cracks neck* "Viva?" "Yah?" "Braid me" "Yes, Sir." Shwoooop

Clay - Found out the Classical Trolls have a library larger the Pop Village. "Viva, they have a whole wing dedicated to tragedies! Tragedies, Viva!"

Clay - okay, so he and Viva have never been a couple, even if he ever considered it, their work came first and he didn't want to jeopardize what they had. Buuuuuuuttt the thought that another Troll could one day be Viva's person, that she would go to them instead of him for comfort or ideas or laughs or safety or hugs... it makes Clay feel... weird.

Clay - at some point is named some kinda Troll magazines most eligible bachelor. Bro was in a boyband, co-runs a society of survivors, runs a business, is close friends with royalty, has been knighted, has a license to practice accounting and was part of the only known Perfect Family Harmony. He's apparently a hot commodity now.

John Dory - takes night classes to finally get his highschool diploma. Is too embarrassed to tell anyone until he graduates.

John Dory - doesn't get sick often. But when he does, he keeps going to the point of exhaustion.

John Dory - has indeed crossed paths with Delta Dawn before. Both of them have very different versions of the story. "I serenaded her." "The fool was whining something from the inside of a jail cell."

John Dory - has been known to sleep with his eyes open. Freaks people out.

John Dory - will drink milk straight from the carton and put it back in the fridge.

John Dory - teaches Bruce's kids all the swear words and does in fact tell them his rendition of where eggs come from.

Viva - tries to hide sadder feelings from Poppy. Worried that Poppy won't want to hang out with her if she isn't fun.

Poppy - sometimes feels guilty, if things had been different, Viva would have been Queen. Viva tries to reassure Poppy that she is "The right Troll for the role." 👍🏻 Also Viva tries to argue that they both technically get be Queens now anyway.

Guy Diamond - Trolls have eggs when they have powerful feelings of love. Guy Diamond was able to have Tiny because he loves himself so much.

[odyssean-flower]

The Winding Path of Fate Chapter 12 - Summer: Photos

Masterpost

Pairing: Neuvillette x Female Reader Summary: The date has ended successfully, but it also brought about an unexpected turn of events

Warnings: None except for the fact that this story is 50% written based on vibes Note: This chapter isn't beta'd so sorry in advance for any typos or rough edges Note 2: If you want to be on the taglist for this fic, please make a reply to this post, send a message or send a private ask

Have a pic of Neuvillette enjoying some tea

Previous | Next

“My dear Iudex, are my eyes deceiving me, or is that a smile on your face?”  

Neuvillette raised his gaze from the documents spread out before him. Furina was standing on the other side of his desk. Of course, he had heard her enter his office before she even spoke, but he was so used to her unannounced intrusions these days that he treated it as a part of his daily routine now. I only hope that she makes this quick. I have a rather heavy agenda today, and I would like to return home before dark.  

Furina leaned over his desk, her heterochromatic eyes eagerly scanning the desk for some sort of incriminating evidence to grab onto. Of course, she found none. Neuvillette wasn’t so foolish that he would make such a careless mistake.   

“Hmph, I didn’t know that paperwork could inspire such a joyous expression on one’s face. What a contrast you make with the Gestionnaires outside your door! You really must get out more.”  

“My dear Iudex, are my eyes deceiving me, or is that a smile on your face?” 

Neuvillette raised his gaze from the documents spread out before him. Furina was standing on the other side of his desk. Of course, he had heard her enter his office before she even spoke, but he was so used to her unannounced intrusions these days that he treated it as a part of his daily routine now. I only hope that she makes this quick. I have a rather heavy agenda today, and I would like to return home before dark. 

Furina leaned over his desk, her heterochromatic eyes eagerly scanning the desk for some sort of incriminating evidence to grab onto. Of course, she found none. Neuvillette wasn’t so foolish that he would make such a careless mistake.  

“Hmph, I didn’t know that paperwork could inspire such a joyous expression on one’s face. What a contrast you make with the Gestionnaires outside your door! You really must get out more.” 

“Indeed, I have, thanks to your urging. I believe you’ve already read the note I left you.” 

“Ah, yes, that sorry excuse for a note,” Furina sniffed. “‘Will be away for a day due to personal reasons.’ No mention of where you’re going or who you’ll be with.” 

“I see no reason why I should have included either of those things. I followed all the necessary protocol for requesting leave, as I’m sure you’re aware.” 

“Oh, I am. I’m overjoyed to hear that you’ve been picking up new hobbies lately. It must be the influence of your new wife. If only you’d allow me to meet this remarkable woman so I can thank her.” 

“New hobbies? Whatever do you mean?” Neuvillette ignored that last part. 

“Why, your new hobby of photography, of course!” Furina propped her head on her hands, affecting an air of nonchalance, but her eyes gleamed like a cat that had a tantalizing mouse set in its sights. It was a look that Neuvillette was all too familiar with. “I’ve heard whispers that you’ve sent off a large number of photos to be developed, and that you’ve gone on a recent shopping spree for photo albums. Your day-off seems to have been very fulfilling.” 

“It was, indeed,” Neuvillette nodded. His face gave nothing away. This was also not a surprise and was in fact well within his expectations. He had felt the gaze of Furina’s spies more frequently as of late, but it was not a difficulty for him to evade them. The one who developed the photos for him was a trusted agent of the Marechausee Phantom, and the envelope which contained the finished products (which he had fortunately received well before Furina’s intrusion into his office) hadn’t been tampered with.  

“Oh, I know it was. A boat ride on the sea, huh? How romantic! I didn’t know you had it in you, Neuvillette. All those romance novels I’ve supplied you with seem to have paid off. Oh, if only there had been someone there that day to take a commemorative photo of such an astonishing sight, the Iudex taking a human out on a date!” 

Neuvillette went very still. “Get to the point,” he said, his voice cold. 

Furina’s grin widened. The cat was getting ready to pounce. “It just so happens that a subordinate of mine was out at sea on the very same day that you were out and saw that astonishing sight for himself,” she took out a photo from her pocket and slapped it onto his desk. It was a clear picture of him helping his wife off the boat after they returned to the docks at the Court of Fontaine.  

Neuvillette’s blood ran cold. How could this have happened? 

“Not the most fashionable, is she?” Furina peered at the photo. “I don’t recognize her, so she must not come from a very important family, either. But putting that aside, what a charming couple the two of you make! Honestly, Neuvillette, I do wonder how--” 

"Leave my office. Now.” Neuvillette’s palms slammed against his desk as he rose to his full height, causing Furina to back up a few steps despite herself. He felt an absurd urge to cover the photo with his hands, to protect the image of you from the scrutinizing gaze of an outsider. “You've seen her face now. Be satisfied with that and resign yourself to the fact that you will never meet her.” 

A startled expression appeared on Furina’s face before it was quickly replaced with a smug smile. 

“My, my, Neuvillette,” she purred before plopping herself down on the couch next to his desk and crossing her legs. “I would reconsider, if I were you.” 

"Have I not told you to leave—” 

“Now that I know what your wife looks like, it’ll take very little effort on my part to find out who she is soon enough. My network of informants is extensive, as I know you’re aware. But I’m a magnanimous god, so I shall give you a week to think it over. If you won’t allow me to meet your wife by that time, then I’ll have to take matters into my own hands and find her myself.” 

“You wouldn’t dare. I had expected better of you.” 

“Oh, don’t give me that!” Furina suddenly stood up and marched over to his desk. “You’re the one who won’t agree to a simple meeting! I’d expect you to be more grateful, considering how I’m the one who pushed you to get married! If it weren’t for me, you would never have even thought of approaching this woman, who you clearly care for a great deal, and you’d probably spend the next five hundred years continuing to mope about on your own, never knowing what you could have had!” 

There was a long, tense silence after her rant. “Are you finished here?” Neuvillette said, struggling to suppress the violent tempest of emotions swirling inside his heart. 

“I suppose I am,” Furina stood up. “By the way, Neuvillette, you should be thankful that it was a subordinate of mine who took this photo and gave it directly to me, and not someone from those third-rate tabloids you despise so much. I’d love to see you ignore that scandal away.” 

Neuvillette said nothing, simply glaring at her. His hands were curled into fists at his sides. 

“See you in a week, my dear Iudex. Do pass on my regards to your wife.” 

After saying that, Furina spun around and strode towards the door. It was only after the door closed behind her firmly that Neuvillette leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. 

Torrential rain beat against the large window behind him. He wanted to walk into it, to wade into the sea. 

I was too negligent, he cursed himself in his head. I should have been more careful. 

Throughout his long career, he had become adept at evading reporters and paparazzi. And yet, somehow, this happened.  

Anger and fear gripped his heart. He didn’t care what the papers said about him. But the thought of you becoming fodder for them was intolerable. 

The sight of your tear-filled eyes had been like daggers to his heart. He never wanted to see them again. 

He took a sip of water (imported from the frozen rivers of Snezhnaya) to cool his head and gazed at the painting hanging near his desk. By a fortunate twist of fate, you hadn’t signed it. However, its usual calming efficacy was diminished today. 

Neuvillette had wanted to look at the photos again during his break, but now he was too on edge to even think of opening his desk drawer and taking the envelope out. It felt like just the act of it would be exposing its contents to danger, even though he knew that was irrational.  

He could sense the clouds covering the sun outside the window behind him. There would be a downpour on this fine evening, and he silently apologized to the people of Fontaine, and especially to a certain young lady who was doubtless in the garden right about now. 

The sooner I finish my work, the sooner I can return home, he thought, in a vain attempt to calm himself. And give the photos to her. I know she has been waiting for them eagerly. I’m sure she’ll be overjoyed… 

Unconsciously, his feet began tapping against the floor. 

This can still be salvaged, he told himself. Nothing has happened yet. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her peace. 

Switching back into work mode, Neuvillette sat up once more—and let out a pained grunt. His hair had gotten caught in the cracks of his chair. 

“Where is this rain coming from? It was clear just a few minutes ago,” you grumbled as you stared up at the lead-colored sky. It had been a beautiful day like it had been for weeks, but for some reason, the clouds decided to unleash their water just as you had finished taking the daily sunflower measurements. 

I bet Neuvillette is enjoying this, you thought as you went to stand under the eaves. It hasn’t rained in quite a while. 

“Madame, it’s raining,” Marie opened the porch door. “You didn’t get wet, did you?” 

“Just a little bit, but it’s nothing too bad. Marie, could you fetch me my umbrella?” 

“You’re still planning to garden in this weather, Madame?” 

“I just want to take one last look. I’ll be done soon.” 

After Marie gave you your umbrella, you marched back out to the plot of sunflowers again. 

The sunflowers were coming along nicely. They now reached the height of your hip and formed small, tightly closed buds. There were no yellow petals peeking through yet, but you were confident that they would appear in the coming weeks. 

You brushed your fingers against the leaves. They were the size of your palm now. You could see little bug bites dotting them. Perhaps you should ask Marie if there were any pesticides on hand. 

It was the evening hours now, though the sun had been in the sky until a few moments ago. Neuvillette should be back by now. Maybe he had a lot of work today? You couldn’t help but feel a sting of disappointment. You had been looking forward to showing him the buds.  

It had been a week since the date. Neuvillette had sent the photos out to be developed, and you would be getting them today. You were a bit excited to see them.  I don’t think I’ve ever taken so many pictures in my life. 

After you finished taking the last measurements, you returned to the house and went up to your room. Your eyes automatically went to the plump azure flower tucked into a vase on your desk. It brought a vibrant splash of color to your elegant but sparse room, and you liked looking at it. It gave you a sense of pleasure. You wondered where Neuvillette put his flower. 

I wonder if it would deflate like a balloon if I stuck a pin into the middle, you thought as you sniffed the flower’s cool fragrance. That would make it easier to press, wouldn’t it? 

Perhaps it was because you talked about pressing flowers on the date, but it had been on your mind lately. Your fingers itched for your old flower press, sitting in your closet back home. The lily would look striking against a white page. If only you picked some of those wildflowers you had seen on Erinnyes and in Merusea Village... they could serve as accompaniment to the lily, which would obviously be the centerpiece, and a strand of blue leaves from the Weeping Willow could be the finishing touch, forming a wreath that framed everything neatly. It would be a beautiful memento of one of the most magical days in your life. 

We picnicked together and took pictures of each other; he showed me all sorts of sights…he even held me in his arms…and I cried in front of him… Gah… 

You resisted the urge to bury your face in your hands. The memories of what you said and done still mortified you a week later. It had been even worse when you got home and was left alone in your bedroom. How you got to sleep that night, you didn’t know.  

You would rather take a dive into the sea than cry in front of people, especially someone like Neuvillette. But on the other hand, if you had to cry, you would rather it be in front of him. Not your parents, not even your sister, but him. You weren’t sure why. 

Neuvillette hadn’t said anything comforting or encouraging, and his hug was honestly a bit stiff and awkward, like he wasn’t used to doing such things. And yet, you felt as though the weight on your shoulders had been lightened just a bit. It wasn’t until then that you realized how you were barely holding yourself up by sheer force of will, like a sunflower with shallow roots and a too-heavy head, on the verge of falling over without a support.  

Neuvillette never brought up that moment again, for which you were grateful. Although, even now you still couldn’t really look at him without a tingling sensation in your heart. He, on the other hand, seemed unchanged. Well, of course he would be. It would be problematic if he did start treating me differently, you told yourself. 

You knew very well that you were not the type of person who people like Neuvillette would think of as a romantic partner, much less a wife. But still, after what you had observed of him and what you heard from the Melusines, you thought that it’d be nice if he did have someone like that. After the divorce, Furina would no doubt start pestering him even harder to find a spouse. It would be smart for him to start finding someone soon. He would probably have to wait a bit before remarrying, though. 

Neuvillette should definitely find someone who’s more of a romantic than me, you laughed at yourself. 

Unfortunately, you were out of your depth when it came to matters of matchmaking. But still, maybe you could keep an eye out for a potential partner. What was Neuvillette’s type, anyways? That would make for an interesting topic to investigate. 

You decided to put this thought aside for now. Neuvillette told you that he wanted to take you to a restaurant next time. You had no idea where he would take you. His taste in food was so peculiar, after all. But you were sure that it would be a high-class, excellent restaurant, wherever it was. You would have to get some suitable clothes for the occasion. I want to make a better effort next time. 

Neuvillette had given you a quite frankly exorbitant amount of spending money. Maybe it was finally time to use it.  

Perhaps it’s a bit pointless…but I still want to do it. 

You sat in your window seat, daydreaming about how your second “date” with Neuvillette would go as you gazed at the setting sun, now peeking out of the clouds after the sudden spell of rain had passed. 

Neuvillette finally returned home by the time the sky was dark. You had already eaten dinner without him and was reading in the parlor when you heard the front door open.  

“Neuvillette,” you called out to him as you went into the foyer. “You came home so late. Did something happen?” 

As you approached him, you noticed how tired and tense he looked. But the fatigue in his face seemed to vanish as he fixed his eyes on you, replaced by something that was almost like relief. 

“Madame,” he greeted you. “My apologies for worrying you. I had a rather busy day. I hope you’ve already eaten dinner?” 

“I have. But have you eaten? If not, I can warm up the leftovers for you, or I can ask Marie to cook something fresh if that’s what you prefer.” 

“I’ve already eaten, but thank you for the consideration. Have you gone out today?” 

“No,” you shook your head, and Neuvillette visibly relaxed. You definitely didn’t imagine that.  

But before any suspicions could form, he spoke again.  

“Madame, I have a surprise for you,” he took a pause there. It took you a moment to realize that he was doing it for dramatic effect. So even he has that side to him...how cute, you thought, trying to hide your smile. “I received the developed photos today.” 

He took out an envelope from his coat pocket and handed it to you. “They turned out quite well, I must say,” he added. 

The envelope was thick and heavy. You must have taken more than a hundred photos.  

You decided to look through them in the parlor. Neuvillette followed you, and the two of you sat side by side on the couch as you spread the photos out on the coffee table. He was right, they did turn out well. You had been a bit worried that they might come out blurry or at odd angles, but overall, they all looked pretty good, considering the fact that you hadn’t used a Kamera in a long time. 

“You have a very good eye for photography, Madame,” Neuvillette remarked as he picked up a photo of the Weeping Willow. “Have you considered pursuing a career in that field?” 

“Oh, not at all. My old drawing teacher was much better at it than me, enough to make a living out of it, and she taught me a few tricks.” 

“‘Was’? Do you mean...” Neuvillette trailed off.  

“Yes. It was a few years ago.” 

“Ah...I see. I'm sorry to hear that.” 

There was a brief, awkward silence. Neuvillette looked as though he wanted to say something more. You would rather not deal with that, so your eyes roamed around the scattered photos on the table until they landed on something silver. “Oh, my pictures of you!” you said, leaning forward to grab them. “See, what did I tell you, Neuvillette. There’s nothing more picturesque than beautiful scenery and a handsome man.” 

Neuvillette leaned closer towards you to examine the photos for himself. His hair brushed against your shoulder, and you could feel the heat of his body against your arm.  A thought suddenly struck you. If you turned your head right now, your lips would brush against his cheek in the same spot where you had kissed it before. 

Inexplicably, your face turned warm at the thought. The back of your hand tingled. 

Perhaps things didn’t quite remain the same after the date. 

It truly had been a spur of the moment move. Your roiling emotions, aided by the instigation of the Melusines, had pushed you to do it.  

Later that night, as you laid in bed, your mind replaying that scene over and over to an infuriating degree, you had rifled through all the emotions you had felt at that time. Embarrassment, disbelief, a strange sort of elation… 

But the one emotion that had been missing no matter how hard you searched for it, was regret. 

Overt acts of affection had never been your forte, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. 

Well, cheek kisses don’t inherently mean anything significant, you had told yourself. Friends do it with each other all the time. And Neuvillette is my friend. A very dear friend. So it’s perfectly fine. Case closed. 

Indeed, Neuvillette didn’t seem to look at you or treat you any differently after the fact, so why should you? No doubt he was used to receiving such acts of intimacy—most likely even more intimate—from people who were far more glamorous than you. A brief brush of lips against his cheek probably meant nothing to him.  

As for the hand kiss, well, that was something that gentlemen like him did. It also didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t. 

The thought that these kisses were all meaningless did sting a little bit, but considering the circumstances, you had no right to complain.  

“I must confess that I do not see what makes these pictures any better than the ones you took of the scenery,” Neuvillette’s voice interrupted your thoughts. His eyes were fixed on the photo, so thankfully he didn’t notice your reddened cheeks. “Or of the Melusines, for that matter.” 

“Well, even if you don’t appreciate them, I do. I’ll treat them like a family treasure.” 

“A family treasure? That’s a bit excessive, is it not?” 

“I don’t think so. These are pretty rare items, aren’t they?” 

Since Neuvillette didn’t appear in public much, there were not many pictures of him outside of the rare interview and official events. Hmm, I wonder how much they’ll sell for? Not that I would ever do that, of course. …Well, maybe if I’m in dire financial straits. I’ll ask for Neuvillette’s permission beforehand if it ever comes to that. 

You went through the remaining photos. Each one sparked a memory. The Weeping Willow, the sea, Merusea Village underwater—you really had been to all those places. With Neuvillette, no less. The entirety of that day was only known to the two of you.  

The days after your date had been so mundane and normal that you were half-convinced that it had all been a strange dream. Thoughts and memories were such mutable things, after all. Someone like you on a date with the Chief Justice? Not even in your wildest delusions would something like that ever happen. But these pictures were proof that it did.  

You knew that you would probably think back on that day for the rest of your life, holding it close to your chest like a treasured gemstone and taking it out whenever times got tough. A sparkling memory of your youth that you would smile back fondly upon in your autumn years, a lone glimmering star in the dark that would inspire you move forward… 

Wait, why am I getting so sappy and sentimental? Just because of a date? Ugh, come on now. 

You glanced at Neuvillette, who was currently enjoying a glass of water (imported from Inazuma). You doubted that he felt the same way as you about the date. It was probably just like a drop of water in a vast ocean to him. 

That thought pricked at you, but you chose to ignore it.  

You sifted through the pictures until you came across a certain snapshot. Just as you were about to flip it over, a gloved finger pressed down against the photo, stopping you. 

“This one is my favorite,” Neuvillette said. Once again, his face was right next to yours, but you couldn’t read his expression.  

“Because you were the one who took it?” 

“No,” he said, then turned his head towards you. “Because it’s of you.” 

“Neuvillette…” you said after a short silence. You fidgeted with your reddened fingertips. “I don’t understand how you can say things like that with such a straight face.” 

“Is it truly so strange?” Neuvillette looked perplexed. “I was simply saying my true feelings. And it is not as though you have refrained from such comments either.” 

“You do have a point,” you conceded, although that still didn’t mean it didn’t catch you off guard. You turned your attention back to the photo of you. To be honest, it didn’t turn out half bad. Sure, you looked incredibly stiff and awkward and your hair was a mess and you had no idea what you were thinking when you matched that sweater with that skirt, but…it could have turned out worse.  

“May I keep this photo?” Neuvillette asked. 

“Of course, but what will you do with it? Surely you aren’t going to put it on your office desk or anything, right?” 

“No, of course not. I would put it in a drawer, so I may take it out and look at it whenever I like.” 

“Why would you want to do that?” 

“Is it so wrong for a husband to want to look at a picture of his wife every once in a while? Many of the Palais staff also keep pictures of their loved ones on their desks. Why shouldn’t I?” Neuvillette paused for a little bit before adding, “And it would be one way for me to see your face more often, considering how I don’t get many chances of that during the day.” 

“Hmm…very well, then,” you didn’t quite get why he would want to see more of your face, but if it made him happy, then you supposed there was nothing to complain about. Neuvillette is actually quite good at this kind of thing, you thought to yourself. Just imagine what he would be like when he gets married to someone he loves. 

Now you really felt bad about your (hypothetical) future plans about selling Neuvillette’s photos. I’m an insensitive boor compared to him. 

You reached the last of the photos. It was the one of you and Neuvillette standing in front of the sunset. 

“You made two copies for the both of us,” you said as you looked at them. “How thoughtful.” 

As you gazed at the pictures, you couldn’t help but feel a complex mixture of emotions. There was a surrealness to this photo that the others lacked. If this were a novel, this would be the point where you would wake up and return to reality after discovering something out of place in your life. No matter how you looked at it, you and Neuvillette were mismatched. Two people who were only brought together because of a weird quirk of fate.  

But on the other hand…it was a beautiful photo. You had been somewhat worried that the two of you wouldn’t be centered in the frame, but it turned out well. The sunset made for a lovely backdrop. Even though both of you were looking very stiff, and neither of you were smiling.  

You remembered that moment clearly. In those few minutes, you felt as light as a feather, like there was nothing tying you to the ground. 

Would you ever feel that way again?  

“I’m also very fond of this one,” Neuvillette said next to you. When you turned your head, you saw that he was not looking at the photos, but at you. It was then that you realized you were smiling. For some reason, you turned your head away.  

“I just realized something,” you said, to cover up the awkward moment. “I’ve taken so many pictures, but I’ve got nowhere to put them all.” 

“Ah, about that,” there was an excitement, subdued but present, in his voice. He sounded the same as he did when he introduced you to some new exotic variety of water. “I have a surprise for you. Please, come with me to my study.” 

A surprise from Neuvillette? You had an inkling as to what it could be, but that didn’t stop you from putting all the photos back in the envelope and following him upstairs to his study, a domain you had yet to step into. It was a smaller version of his office at the Palais Mermonia, with its large desk, soft rugs, and tall bookshelves that lined the walls. There was also a fireplace here and a cozy-looking couch. 

As Neuvillette went to take something out of a cabinet, you covertly examined the shelves. They were mainly filled with books on law, human psychology, history (most of which you’ve already read, having borrowed them from the library), and other similarly serious topics. Oddly enough, you even spotted a few romance novels. They were the fluffy, self-indulgent kind that your mother and sister liked to read. Should I pretend I never saw them? 

“Madame, here it is,” Neuvillette said, and you walked over to the desk, where there was a large, leather-bound album with metal corners. 

“Oh, Neuvillette, you shouldn’t have!” you exclaimed, flipping through the album. There should be just enough space to put all the pictures from your date in it. You looked up to thank him, but was met with the sight of Neuvillette taking out yet another album from the cabinet. This one was wider, with a ribbon tied into a neat bow on the spine. Perhaps Neuvillette bought a second album, just in case the first one wouldn’t fit all your pictures? 

But, as though to dash all reasonable explanations, Neuvillette took out another album from the cabinet, then another. It seemed never-ending, this deluge of albums. After a while, it became sort of funny, like a comedy sketch. You watched, open-mouthed, as the desk became covered with albums of all shapes and sizes.  

Finally, after the tenth one, the deluge stopped. Neuvillette looked at you expectantly. “Well, Madame, which one do you prefer?” 

“Wait a minute, let me get this right,” you said, backing up a step and surveying the desk. “You bought all these albums just for me to choose one?” 

“Yes, I did,” Neuvillette said, nodding as though this was a perfectly normal thing to do. Was this how the minds of the wealthy worked? It was beyond your comprehension. “I was unsure which one would be most to your liking, so I decided to buy them all.” 

“Oh, Neuvillette, you really shouldn’t have…” you said. “This is too excessive. Why didn’t you ask me to come with you when you went shopping? And you know I’d like anything you picked out for me.” 

“I wanted it to be a surprise…” Neuvillette said. He looked a bit deflated, and you felt bad.  

“Can you return them?” 

“It would be highly inconvenient for the shopkeeper if I did so,” Neuvillette said, then added in an abashed tone, “And I was told that all sales are final.” 

“How unfortunate,” you looked down at the desk again. Was it possible for anyone to fill up all these albums in their lifetime? Maybe if they had a lifespan as long as Neuvillette’s. “Maybe they could make an exception for the Iudex?” 

“I would rather not use my position in such a manner.” 

“Well then, how about we give them away?” 

“Give them away…” Neuvillette considered your words. “I-I suppose that could work… it is a reasonable idea. Yes, quite reasonable indeed.” 

Neuvillette…if only you could see the look on your face right now. He looked like a kicked puppy. However, you decided to hold your tongue. 

“Hmm, on second thought, it would be quite rude of me to give away presents from my generous husband,” you said. “I’ll keep them all. Thank you, Neuvillette.” 

You patted his hand. He looked down at your hand on top of his, his eyes unreadable. He lightly brushed his fingers against your own.  

“You need not force yourself to accept them if you do not want them,” he said quietly.  

“But I do want them. They’re from you, after all. We’ll just have to take plenty more photos to get your money’s worth.” 

“‘We?’” 

“Yes, ‘we.’ Did you expect me to fill up these albums all on my own?” 

“Certainly, it would be more efficient if we worked together,” Neuvillette nodded to himself. “Very well, then, Madame. I will assist you in this endeavour.”  

With that settled, you decided to put the date photos in the first brown leather album. It had a vintage look to it that you liked. 

“It’s getting late, Madame. You should be going to bed soon,” Neuvillette informed you.  

“What about you?” Neuvillette didn’t seem to be making any moves to retire for the night just yet. 

“There are a few more matters that I need to take care of, but do not worry, it won’t take very long.” 

“Okay then,” you nodded, stepping towards the door. But just as you were about to leave the study, you thought of something. “By the way, Neuvillette, when will we be going on that restaurant date? I know you’re quite busy these days, so I can wait as long it takes. Do you have a restaurant in mind? I’m perfectly happy to go with any one you choose. Oh, and I know I promised to attend a trial, but I’m not fond of the very loud and chaotic ones, so which of the upcoming ones would you recommend?” 

“I’m afraid, Madame, that we have to put a hold on both of those arrangements. A few…unexpected matters have come up, so we will not be able to go anywhere together for a while.” 

“Oh. I see. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped,” a sharp sense of disappointment pierced your heart. It seemed that you had been looking forward to it more than you expected.  

“Madame, are you enjoying your life as it is right now?” Neuvillette asked you out of the blue. 

“Huh? What brought this on all of a sudden?” 

“Please answer my question.” There was an undercurrent of urgency in his voice.  

“I…” you had to think about it for a moment. “I do. Of course I do. I never want for anything, and everyone has treated me with nothing but kindness. I can’t even begin to repay them all, really.” 

“I see. Then, is this the sort of life you’d prefer to live?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“A quiet, peaceful life, where you are never bothered by anyone.” 

“I…suppose so? I think most people would want that.” 

“I see…” Neuvillette stared at his desk, seemingly deep in thought. Then, he looked up at you. “You should go to bed now. It is getting too late.” 

“What…” but he was already ushering you towards the door before you could say anything more. 

You observed him as he stood in the doorway. He was an unreadable cipher, but you sensed a resolve emanating from him, like he had made up his mind about something.  

“Good night, Madame,” he said quietly.  

“Good night, Neuvillette.” 

You felt like you had to say something, but you weren’t sure what.  

He saved you the effort by gently closing the study door on you. The sense of giddiness had all but completely dissipated. You felt like a deflated balloon. 

Your unease wasn’t dispelled the next morning.  

At the breakfast table, Neuvillette was reading the newspapers. This wasn’t unusual in itself. It was part of his morning routine. What was unusual was how intensely he was looking through them.  

You looked at the headlines of the paper he was reading. There was nothing there that would warrant that deep furrow in his brow. At least, not to your knowledge. Perhaps there was some sort of secret investigation going on?  

“Madame, would you like to read the paper?” Neuvillette’s voice broke through your thoughts. It was then that you realized that you had been leaning forward and squinting your eyes to read the newspaper print. “I’m nearly done with it.” 

“Oh, no, I was just wondering if something happened, since you seem to be engrossed in them.” 

“No,��� Neuvillette took a pause before replying. “I was simply looking for something.” 

“I see,” you said, then cut a piece of pancake and popped it into your mouth. After swallowing, you continued, “Is it work related?” 

“I…would not say so,” Neuvillette said. It was strange for him to be so evasive, but maybe it was one of those things he wasn’t at liberty to tell you.  

“By the way, Neuvillette, I’m going to start on the albums today. You’ve given me a great burden to carry, but I’m willing to take it on.” 

You were teasing him a bit, but in truth, you were a bit excited. Your teacher had a whole shelf of albums that were filled with photos from her travels throughout Teyvat, and you had pleasant memories of flipping through them and asking her the stories behind each photo. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to replicate her on that scale, but the Court of Fontaine was as good a start as any. You had even thought up a sort of system as to which area you would cover each day and what you would photograph, which you explained to Neuvillette. 

“You plan on going out into the city today, Madame?” Neuvillette asked after you finished speaking. He put down the papers and stared at you. 

“Er, yes?” you answered hesitantly. He seemed strangely preoccupied with your answer. “Is there something wrong with that?” 

“…No, not at all,” Neuvillette said after another pause. His lips were pressed together in a thin line. “Where do you plan to go?” 

“Just the plaza…” you said, raising your eyebrows at how grave he sounded. “And maybe the Palais.” 

“Do not go to the Palais,” Neuvillette spoke abruptly. His face was all seriousness. “Please, promise me that. If you have any business there, ask me. I will assist you with it.” 

You stared at him, wide-eyed. “What do you mean, I can’t go to the Palais? Did I do something wrong?”  

“No, of course not,” he said quickly.  

“Then why can’t I go there?” 

“I cannot tell you, but I assure you that I only have your safety and happiness in mind when I am asking you to not to go anywhere near the Palais. Please, Madame, promise me this.” 

You stared into his violet eyes, trying to gauge what he was thinking. There was a note of desperate urgency in his voice you had only heard once before, not to mention the weightiness of his words. “I promise,” you found yourself saying. 

“Thank you, Madame,” Neuvillette was visibly relieved. His shoulders relaxed and he closed his eyes for a second before opening them again.  

“Neuvillette, what’s going on?” you demanded. “You’re acting strange. Did something happen?” 

“Do not worry. I will take care of everything,” he said, not answering your questions at all. He stood up, and you did the same, intending on getting to the bottom of this.  

The two of you headed to the door. “You’re hiding something,” you said, glaring up at him. He met your gaze, then looked away. “It has something to do with me, doesn’t it?” 

“I’ll take care of it. Please don’t worry,” he repeated, then attempted a smile. “Focus on your photography project. I cannot to wait to see the finished product. And…Madame, if you see any suspicious persons lingering around you, you must tell one of the Melusines right away.” 

“Huh?” you gape at him, but he simply bid you goodbye and left the house. You watched him get into the carriage and set off.  

For such a stoic man, he’s actually quite terrible at hiding his feelings at times, you thought.  

Your outing at the plaza went mostly as planned. You were able to take many pictures of the fountain, the hulking Meka walking around, and the street performers. The patrolling Melusines, once you told them what you were doing, became quite enthusiastic and asked for you to take their pictures as well. It would have been a great day, if it weren’t for the gray skies and the heaviness of your heart. 

Neuvillette’s behavior at home did nothing to quell it. Though he did his best to hide it, but he was obviously stressed and worn out. He would eagerly ask you about your day but seemed distracted by his thoughts as you talked, and rebuffed your questions, whether they were innocuous or direct, when you tried to probe him for answers. He came home later than usual and worked into the late nights in his study. 

Over the next few days, you continued your urban outings, criss-crossing the city to take more pictures. You ate lunch outside and people-watched as you sat at your table. Often, a Melusine would join you. Being able to spend time in such a carefree, leisurely way would have been an unattainable dream to the past you, but you couldn’t enjoy it fully, not when you were always worried about Neuvillette at the back of your mind. He definitely seems more haggard these days. Is he eating well? I hope he isn’t just drinking water and passing that off as having lunch. 

“Are you not hungry, Madame?” a sleepy-sounding voice broke through your reverie. It belonged to Menthe, who was sitting across from you. “You’re not eating your fish and chips.” 

You looked down. The savory dish, deep-fried to a golden brown, was one of your favorite treats, but not something you ate often, and yet you found yourself with zero appetite.  

“I suppose I’m not,” you sighed. “You can have it if you like.” 

“Oh, really, Madame? Thank you!” 

You watched as Menthe happily dug in. She had accompanied you to this café after you decided to take a lunch break.  

I wonder if the Melusines are in on this too, you thought. It wasn’t unusual for Melusines to come up to you when you were walking around town, but you couldn’t help but notice that there seemed to be an awful lot of them at the places you went to. The places where you told Neuvillette you would be.  

They were as cheerful and talkative as ever, but you also noticed how intently their bright gazes flitted around, even when they chatted with you, almost as though they were on the lookout for something. 

You considered several possibilities and narrowed it down to two: One, there was a serial killer on the loose, or some other crazed criminal, who was after you. Two, your relationship had somehow been exposed to the paparazzi.  

It was doubtful that Neuvillette would let you leave the house if there was a killer after you. And why would someone want to kill you, anyway? For marrying Neuvillette? What a lame reason for murder. Then again, some of his more extreme fans were known for their passion… 

The second option seemed more likely. However, you had scoured all the tabloids for any articles on the matter, and while you did find some claiming that Neuvillette was involved with some woman or another, none of them were you (although you didn’t feel as relieved as you ought to have, for some reason). If you knew anything about these kinds of publications, it was that if they caught wind of something juicy, like the Chief Justice being in a secret relationship, they would waste no time in making that their headline, no matter how flimsy the evidence was. 

Thinking back on it now, you and Neuvillette definitely hadn’t been as discreet as you could have been. The two of you had been in public together enough times that someone could get suspicious. 

It would be easy to deny it though, you mused. In most of those cases, we were just talking or walking together. Just because a man and woman are together, it doesn’t mean they’re a married couple. 

Whatever the case was, you wished Neuvillette would talk to you about it. 

If it has something to do with me, then just tell me, you thought. You were now back home and staring up at the ceiling of your room. Why all the secrecy? It’s clearly stressing him out. 

Sure, there was probably very little you could do to help, but…but… 

Why are you acting so presumptuous? A small voice whispered in your mind. Didn’t Neuvillette say he would take care of everything? When will anyone ever offer to do that for you again? 

Yeah, but… you argued back. I shouldn’t just sit back and do nothing! It’s unfair to him.  

What does fairness mean in a relationship like this? What can you, a baron’s daughter, do for the Chief Justice of Fontaine that he can’t do for himself? If he doesn’t want you to know about something, it’s for your own good, just like last time. He clearly doesn’t expect you to do anything. What you can do to put him at ease is living your own life carefreely and supporting him at home. 

But… you struggled to come up with an argument. Or maybe, you were unwilling to.  

Your bed was nice and comfy, and your room was cozy. The sunlight streamed through the lace curtains of the window. If you wanted to, you could run a bath and soak in it for an hour, or read at your window seat, or ask Marie to make a snack for you. You could do anything you wanted. 

You continued to lie on your bed until dinner time. 

Neuvillette didn’t come home until very late at night. By that time, you were already in bed. 

The next day was grayer than usual. It rained all day. As you were in no mood to undertake the challenge of photographing in the rain, you decided to stay home and brush up on your science. You had neglected your studies for far too long. 

As you rifled through a notebook, you suddenly came upon a nearly blank page. It was titled “List of Neuvillette’s associates.” 

You remembered writing those words all those months ago. It seemed like an eternity had passed since then. You resisted the urge to bury your face in your hands again at the memories of your embarrassing behavior. It was a wonder that Neuvillette hadn’t changed his mind and married someone more well-adjusted after all that.  

You glanced at the Lakelight Lily on your desk. It looked a little less plumper than before, but its refreshing scent was still there. You recalled Neuvillette’s words as he put in your hair. 

He was always so considerate and thoughtful. What’s more, you could tell he genuinely meant it. He never failed to ask after your comfort and health. He even inquired about your family on a regular basis when he didn’t need to. He even accepted your awkward offer of friendship when he could have just ignored you. 

You still had no idea what possessed him to ask you to marry him. He probably would have had an easier time if he had picked anyone else. No, not just anyone. Whoever he married should be just as kind and caring as him. Someone accomplished and beautiful. Someone who he could proudly show off in public as his spouse. Someone who could teach him the “joys of matrimony.” 

But until he finds that mythical someone, he’s stuck with me.  

Resolve formed in your heart. 

Neuvillette came home late again that night, but this time, you stayed up. You listened to his footsteps as he went down the hallway to his study. After you heard the door close, you sat up in bed. 

Okay, let’s do this, you cheered yourself on, then put on your robe and slipped out of your room.  

You padded down the carpeted floor towards the study. You found yourself walking on your tiptoes for some reason.  

The mahogany door seemed to you like an imposing barrier. It wasn’t too late to turn around and crawl back into bed. You were sorely tempted to. 

But I’m here on a mission and I’m going to see it through no matter what, you told yourself firmly. 

You raised your hand and knocked on the door. “Neuvillette,” you called out. “May I come in? I would like to speak with you.” 

A scraping sound came from inside. “Madame?” Neuvillette said as he opened the door. “What are you doing up so late?” 

You opened your mouth to answer, but your jaw remained hanging open as you took in the sight before you. 

Forearms. The words popped into your mind out of nowhere. Neck.  

Neuvillette’s usual long blue robes were nowhere to be found. For that reason, he was only wearing a white dress shirt, and his hair was unbound. That wasn’t what made you speechless. You had seen him in that state plenty of times before. No, what stunned you was the fact that his sleeves were rolled up and that the first two buttons of his shirt were undone. Without his clothing obscuring them, you were able to feast your eyes on the sight of his sinewy arms and the smooth, unblemished skin at the juncture between his neck and collarbones.  

He was usually so covered-up, even at home, that seeing so much of his skin exposed felt akin to seeing him naked. Oh no, don’t think about that, don’t think about that…   

“Madame? Madame, is something the matter?” Neuvillette’s voice broke through your thoughts, which were heading in a rather dangerous direction. To your extreme embarrassment, you realized that your mouth was hanging open slightly. No wonder he looked so concerned. I feel like a giant pervert. No, I am one!  

“Um, er…it’s nothing!” your voice came out in a higher octave. You took a step backwards. This is just wonderful. 

“Are you sure? Your face looks a bit red,” Neuvillette stood up. “You shouldn’t be staying up so late, especially if you might be sick.” 

“Oh, no, no, I assure you, I am definitely not sick, not at all,” you babbled, even as the words “forearms” and “neck” danced through your head. “I really just wanted to talk to you. It’s urgent.” 

“If it’s urgent, then please come in,” Neuvillette gestured for you to enter his study. His shirt shifted slightly with the movement, exposing a sliver more of his chest. You wanted to cover your eyes. 

You entered the study. Neuvillette sat back down in his chair and looked at you. You looked at him. Or rather, you looked at the air above him. 

“Madame, what is this urgent matter you wish to discuss with me?” he asked. He looked terribly concerned, and you didn’t blame him. The way you were acting right now was definitely a cause for worry. 

“I…um…want to…uh…you know…” you gestured with your hands. “I want to…brush your hair! Yes, brush your hair. I’ve noticed how…dishevelled it gets when you come home, so I would like to fix that. Yes, that’s it.” 

“You…wish to brush my hair?” Neuvillette repeated, sounding confused. 

You nodded vigorously. “And talk,” you added. 

“I see,” he still looked confused, but he stood up and went to the door. “I shall go get my hairbrush, then.” 

“Please do so,” you said, and watched him go to his room. Once he was gone, you buried your face in one of the pillows on the couch and screamed. 

What was going on with you? Why were you getting so worked up over skin? It wasn’t as though you were some sheltered maiden who never saw shirtless men before. And Neuvillette wasn’t even shirtless! And just what would he look like without his shirt on, anyways? 

“Stop it,” you told yourself. “Stop it right now. Think about something else.” 

“Pardon me, Madame?” Neuvillette’s voice made you jolt upright. “Did you say something? And why are you lying on the couch?” 

“It’s nothing,” you quickly got up and clasped your hands together, making yourself the picture of composure and self-possession, ignoring the voice in your head that told you it wasn’t too late to excuse yourself and run back to your room. “Please forget what you just saw. I am perfectly fine.” 

You held out your hand for the hairbrush, and Neuvillette gave it to you after some hesitation. The hairbrush was silver, its back carved with a swirling design. It was heavy and cool in your hand. You tried to picture Neuvillette brushing his hair with it every morning, like a princess in a fairytale, and had to suppress a (most likely crazed-looking) smile. 

He sat down in his chair, and you stood behind him. You slowly ran the brush through his silver locks, careful not to touch his horns. You did this in silence for a few moments. It had a strangely calming effect on you—you felt your heartbeat settling down, your mind becoming clearer. The fact that you couldn’t see his face was also helpful. 

“Neuvillette,” you began. “I know that you’ve been hiding something from me. I would like you to reveal it to me.” 

You heard him let out a sigh. He tried to turn his head, but you prevented him from doing so. “Madame, I have already explained to you that it is nothing for you to worry about. Please allow me to take care of it. It was caused by my own oversight in the first place.” 

“I am allowing you to take care of it. But I would still like to know what it is.” 

“It will only distress you, and I do not wish to do that.” 

“I will be the judge of what distresses me. And besides, seeing you obviously so troubled by this matter already makes me feel wretched, so there is really nothing to lose here.” 

“My apologies. I will work harder to mask my feelings as to not affect your mood.” 

“Neuvillette, that’s not the point I’m making,” you groaned as you worked to loosen a particularly tough tangle in his hair. “Right now, not knowing what’s troubling you is causing me more distress than whatever this mysterious ‘something’ is.” 

“I do not believe you would think the same way once you learned what it is.” 

“How do you know that?” you asked. Realizing that you had raised your voice, you quickly softened it. “Let me put this another way. This is how I’m repaying you.” 

“Repaying me?”  

“Yes. For listening to me, for allowing me to cry into your arms on our date. Do you know, Neuvillette, that it’s been a long time since I was able to vent my feelings to someone like that? I’ve forgotten how nice it feels. It…really saved me. And I want to do the same thing for you. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do anything, but it’s easier to come up with a solution when you’re discussing things with someone else, isn’t it?” 

Neuvillette didn’t say anything. He didn’t move. But you could tell that he was wavering. You picked up the ends of his long hair and brushed them. You needed to give him one last push. 

“If you don’t inform me about matters that are related to me, then I see no reason why I should tell you anything more about myself.” 

“Madame, what are you implying?” there was a note of what almost sounded like panic in Neuvillette’s voice.  

“That’s right. If you do not tell me your secret, I shall not speak to you ever again for the remainder of our marriage. You will lose the privilege of conversing with me.” 

You had expected him to let out a chuckle or something. You hadn’t meant it seriously. Well, maybe a little. You were feeling a bit frustrated. 

What you didn’t expect was that he would wrench himself out of your grip and turn around to face you. His lips were pressed together tightly, but his eyes were wide. His gaze burned through you. 

“I will tell you,” he said, voice almost too calm. “So please reconsider. It will pain me greatly if you go through with it.” 

“I won’t,” you said, caught off guard. 

He turned back around. After taking a pause, he told you about the photo Furina obtained, and the ultimatum she gave him. You listened to him intently as he talked, brushing the bottom half of his hair and occasionally untangling snarls.  

After he finished speaking, you took a few minutes to digest what you’ve just heard. 

“So, no one else except Lady Furina has that photo?” 

“Yes.” 

“You don’t believe that she would lie or go back on her promise?” 

“In this matter, I do not believe she would.” 

“I see,” you put down the brush, then moved yourself to meet Neuvillette’s eyes. “Then, I agree to the meeting. I think that’s the most reasonable thing to do here. In hindsight, we should have done it a long time ago. It would have saved us all this trouble.” 

“You agree to it?” Neuvillette repeated, sounding stunned.  

“Well, it was either this or let Lady Furina dig up my sordid past and do whatever she wants with that information, right? Besides, what’s so scary about a meeting? Plenty of people from all walks of life have made appointments with her, including my own great-grandparents. If they could do it, so can I. And I’ll have you there with me, so there’s really nothing to worry about.” 

“But once she meets you face-to-face, you will become known to her. You will not be able to live the peaceful life that you desire.” 

Oh, so that’s why he asked that question, you thought.  

“Well, we don’t know that, do we? For all we know, once she meets with us, she would judge that we are a perfectly uninteresting couple and leave us alone for the rest of the year.” 

“That is unlikely to happen,” Neuvillette murmured. “And what if she discovers our arrangement?” 

“She won’t if we don’t do anything that would reveal it to her. You know the saying, ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.’ As long as we don’t do anything that would make her want to go through the records in the license office, we should be fine.” A thought suddenly struck you. “She can’t…prevent us from divorcing, can she? Or force us to remarry?” 

“There are no laws that grant her the powers to do those things. But, I expect that she could make life difficult for you, should she choose to do so.” 

“Hmm…” you thought. “Well, I’ll just think about what to do when that time comes.” 

“Madame,” Neuvillette rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Please don’t be so irresponsible about your own future. This is why I did not wish to tell you. I did not want you to push yourself needlessly for my sake.” 

“Push myself needlessly? I see things differently. There’s no guarantee that things will go smoothly, but that’s just life, isn’t it? All I know is that if we don’t do anything, it will most likely turn out badly for us. So I would rather choose the other option.” 

You sounded braver than you felt. In this cozy, quiet study with Neuvillette, where you were the only people who would ever know the words exchanged in this room, it was easy to feel self-assured and optimistic about the unknown. Perhaps this was also its own sort of danger.  

But when you looked at Neuvillette’s worried face, you found it easier to feel brave. 

“Neuvillette, do you remember the promise I made to you on that first night? I promised to make sure that your life is as inconvenienced as possible. This is how I’m trying to fulfill it. Will you allow me to do that?” 

“You need not go that far. You have never inconvenienced me, not even now. In fact, you have been a reassurance. It was due to my folly that we got into this situation in the first place.” 

“If it was your folly, then it was mine as well. I should have also been paying attention,” you let out a sigh. “Look, Neuvillette, we can go around in circles about this all night, but when you get down to it, it is for situations like these that you married me. You didn’t marry me because you liked me in that way. Oh, don’t look at me like that. You know it’s true. If I don’t do my part, then I’m just a freeloader living in your house, right?” 

“I have never thought of you as a ‘freeloader’… I have always considered you as my wife,” Neuvillette said curtly, but then he smiled at you gently. “You’ve made some very good points. You are correct. It was irresponsible of me to hide it from you. I still have much to learn when it comes to how a husband ought to behave, it seems.” 

A warm, tingling feeling spread through your body when you heard his words. He thought of you as his wife. Well, of course he did, since you were officially married and all. But hearing him call you “my wife” was an entirely different thing. 

“That’s my job, as your wife. To discuss problems and come up with solutions with you. And from now on, please tell me whenever you’re feeling troubled over something. I’m inadequate in many things, but I’ve been told that I’m a good listener,” you said, fiddling with your fingers. You felt your mouth stretching into a wide smile for no reason and looked down to hide it. 

“I will. My apologies for all the distress I’ve caused you. I will tell Furina tomorrow about our decision.” 

You and Neuvillette held each other’s gazes for longer than was necessary. In the dim light of the study, his eyes looked darker, obscuring his slitted pupils. You felt weak-kneed all of a sudden. You realized that you had been running on adrenaline until now, but you didn’t feel sleepy. In fact, you were wide awake. 

“Will you go to bed now?” he asked. His voice was lower, huskier than usual. 

You shook your head. “Will you?” 

“I still have some work to do.” 

“Then I’ll stay up with you. Since I’m your wife and all.” 

Neuvillette looked like he was about to argue, but you went over to one of the bookshelves and took out a history book, then went to curl up on the couch. “Feel free to disregard me,” you said, opening the book. 

After a few seconds, you heard an exhale, then the resuming of a pen scratching against paper. 

You didn’t know when you fell asleep, but when you woke up, you were in your bed with the comforter neatly pulled up to your chin. You were quite sure you had a dream, but didn’t recall its contents except for the instinctive knowledge that it was a good one.  

You also had the vague memory of feeling something warm brushing against your forehead, but it was so brief and fleeting that it might have been part of the dream as well.  

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Taglist:@just-simping-over-genshin, @xalphafox, @jqnehr, @favficdump, @thetwinkims, @cielclassy, @the-mxs-of-many, @mxyarylla, @lynettezz, @rosedpetal, @blue-sapphire-ink

[wolfsnooze]

Heya!

we’ve talked about hycalon!hunter, but what about Gus?willow? Amity? More Luz? VEE?

how did they react to their bestie going missing?

also did Hunter just get too close to the animatronics or did BELOS do evil shit.

OOOO. Caleb and Evelyn. What. About. Them.

-🐺🪶 (he/they/it)

oh i have so much thought out for all the characters. im really excited about what i’ve been working on for them! i can’t say a lot of it yet because again i wanna save a lot for the actual project, but —

1) so, a big thing in the au is dealing with grief. a lot of the characters have already lost somebody, and losing hunter is like, their world has just completely crumbled down around them. it’s the unexpected blow to whatever sense of normalcy they’ve achieved. their friend is just gone. they don’t even know if he’s dead or not, there’s no closure. it really, really turns their reality upside down

some of them manage better than others, at least outwardly. willow still has a lot of that “keeping it together for everyone else’s sake” that she has in the show. some throw themselves into their hobbies or coping skills and some, like Luz, dedicate nearly all their time to trying to bring things back to the way they used to be (even if that’s impossible). the group is really strained after what happened

everyone has their “thing” that sorta gets them by. gus is really into supernatural phenomena, willow her photography, etc.

aside from that — they’re all in school together (minus hunter, who was homeschooled). luz writes short stories for the school paper, while gus does journalism and willow photography. amity is in STEM classes and robotics with mattholomule. vee is doing dual enrollment and takes art classes. outside of school, they used to hang out in freddy’s (minus vee. she hates the place. i wonder why?) or at each other’s houses for movies and game nights and all that. they all have a really strong bond <3

2) hunter’s death was definitely someone’s fault🙂

3) caleb and evelyn… :) they’ve got some fun stuff going on lol. they’re hunters parents, but there’s a reason why hunter ends up in belos’s care and a reason why no one wants to associate with the Clawthorne name

[idyllcy]

from one admirer to another : new year's eve?

pairing: leon kennedy x reader || masterpost: from one admirer to another

synopsis: from one admirer to another, an online penpal service, allows for two people with common interests to write to each other without ever revealing their actual address! Luckily for both you and Leon, you get matched up! What do eggs and Christmas even have in common anyway? sure hope it's that modeling business and NOT that Ada Wong addiction.

featuring: reader as scrambled eggs // leon as christmas

Oh, Christmas,

An Ada shrine? Send me a photo of it next time, will you? Or an artist's rendition. You barely doodle on the pages, so it feels a little bland or something. I have fun sending you quick doodles of me kissing Ada on the cheek, so you should do that too. Come on, I know you want to.

I'm sure you do a great job at pretending to be normal. I do too... granted no one decides to ask me about my hobbies. My hobbies include writing and fighting Ada-antis on twitter. Poor woman is already so hot and still has to deal with haters :( god forbid a woman exist.

As for that love advice you're asking for... you're crazy. You're literally crazy (;¬_¬). Like, come on. Just have your manager stalk them down. I'm sure it's not something uncommon in the industry. If anything, find a big event that they'll be walking. Even if they're a model that "doesn't do many shoots" surely you'll find them eventually. I'm kidding on the stalking part, by the way.

I read the added part on the back of the envelope that you had me as well, and honestly, if they like Ada, GO BOND. Unless you want nothing to happen, then keep on going with your day-to-day. Who knows, maybe if you throw that fishing line out you might actually catch that fish you want. But then again, why should you listen to me? I'm just a penpal.

The new glhf <3 chapter reaction was so real LMFAO I read it and sat there for a solid ten minutes just processing what the hell had just happened after reading it. It was not cute! Okra needs to AUGHHHHHH. ugh.

Updates in my life... not much, I don't think. I was helping my friends host the cupsleeve event and when Ada walked in I nearly passed out. I had to take a lap outside. That woman is so hot and the line to get an autograph was unrealistically long so I... just had my friends get my phone signed for me... oopsie. Call that nepotism or smth.

Thanks for the small trinket from the event! I'm sending you a handful of miscellaneous stickers that I dug up from my drawer. Sorry, I gotta go to a convention or something to get more Ada merch. My stash of things to send people can only last me so long.

Happy New Year!! scrambled eggs

You drop the letter off in the morning, stepping into the car with Ada as she rolls her eyes and tells you to behave while accompanying her at a shoot. You linger around, blinking at the clock as you spend most of the day on your phone.

"Come on. We have one last shoot."

"We?" You raise a brow. "I didn't book anything today."

"It's a personal one to post on New Years." She hums. "You know? Like we do each year?"

"Is that why you got extensions two days ago?" You raise a brow, following her as you wave bye to a handful of the people. "It was for this shoot?"

"I had to get them because of another shoot, and I just ended up keeping them on instead of taking them out." She raises a brow at you. "I'm glad you decided to dress up today."

"Is it just us?"

"Every year, sweetheart."

You grab her arm, grinning ear to ear as she rolls her eyes.

"You gotta post it on your main, though."

"Of course. I'll even tag your model account the company made you create with not even a tenth of the followers you have on your fic account." Ada hums. "Your photography needs to be shown."

You pretend to be hurt, stumbling after her in the street as the two of you get ready to meet up.

"I'm putting a short-haired wig on you anyway, though."

"Wow, you hate my long hair that much?"

"No, no." You huff. "I like your short hair better."

prev letter : masterlist : next post

[deeptrashwitch]

Future of the Vargas-Marchant family

Alright! Let's go with this!

Alejandro, when the twins become teens, will retire from Los Vaqueros and leave his direct subordinate in charge. They'll live in Killeen due to Alicia's work, but during summer break they'll go to Mexico and during winter break they'll go to Colombia to see their families. Also, Alicia will continue in special forces, but as she climbed ranks she'll leave Luke in charge of the team. (She'll go to visit anyway 🤣)

During years they'll live near Black Tomb and the twins will see the Specters as their uncles, but also all Los Vaqueros as well. Ironically, Olivia and Leo will grow beside Cassidy Michaelis (Luke's daughter) and will get along with her as the best friends, just like their parents do. And to spoil something of a future One-shot:

Olivia's godparents are Kanoa and Tiala Toa ( @islandtarochips oc's)! And this little not that little girl loves them a lot as well 💖

And Leo's godparents are Jackson Blackwell and Alyssa Martínez later Price ( @alypink oc). He really admires them and especially likes to pass time with Aly, sometimes also helping Jackson sometimes. Also he considers Lily a big sister, and he admires her a lot and followed her when he was a toddler.

Olivia as a teen:

She loves sports, especially football/soccer. Anytime she has the opportunity, she plays a match with all her uncles and with her dad.

Absolute Daddy's Girl 🤣 she's Alejandro's favorite and spoiled one. And she KNOWS it.

Loves to learn languages. She knows her two native languages and insisted to almost everyone she knew to teach her any they knew.

Olivia has a short temper, so if you piss her off, she'll explode easily...although, her anger will pass after an hour or two.

Her favorite subject is history and her least favorite is biology. So, she loves to watch all kind of documentales with her mom. And she loves to pass time with Wraith, just talking, or with her uncle Alexander baking together.

She has Alicia's hair, Alejandro's skin color and looks exactly as Alejandro even with the charming smile as well 😏

And she's Leo's preferred partner for dancing ^^

Leo as a teen:

He looks exactly as Alicia, but with Alejandro's eyes and glasses. Also Leo has Alicia's mannerisms and tics as well.

He's a Momma's Boy since he was a little child. That's the main reason he learned Alicia's mannerisms along the time.

His favorite hobby is swimming just like his godfather, also photography is a good part of his activities, learning from his aunt Camila and uncle Rudy (my headcanon is that Rudy knows about photography and takes pictures of Las Almas in his free time).

If you ever see Leo angry, then RUN for your life. He isn't the one to get angry easily, but when he does, it's like see a cataclysm. Where Alicia and Alejandro are ones to hold a grudge, Leo multiplies that to the max strenght.

Also, he loves to crochet just like Alejandro ☺️ (he has gifted Lily some plushies he has made for her).

He loves maths and chemistry, but despises politic science and english class. Also, he loves to pass time with his uncle Luke inside the vehicle hangar, helping with the cars, or with his uncle Edward, cleaning the planes.

He got his scar because of an accident when he was with Elías, an animal scratched him. And of course Alicia and Alejandro almost had a heart attack when they saw the scar.

He's Olivia's preferred partner for dancing :D

Also, the twins already have something crystal clear. They'll be soldiers like their parents! Olivia will go to the Mexican Army with the goal of becoming part of Los Vaqueros and follows her father steps, while Leo will go to the Marine Corps to follow his mother and uncles steps.

[vendetta-if]

Out of curiosity, what kind of hobbies and/or special interests do the various characters have?

Ooh, some I’ve touched on in other asks, but I’ll reiterate them again here in one post 😁

Ash

Clearly, for Ash, it’s trying to learn various different kinds of martial arts that can help them get the edge in battle, like Sambo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Krav Maga, etc.

Recently, they’ve been a bit interested in tinkering with their motorcycles too (although, they will never tinker with their mom’s bike). Just trying to learn more about these machines that they love. They’re not a mechanic yet, but they are learning.

But outside of combat and motorcycle related stuff, they love listening to music and they listen to a wide genre of songs, depending on their mood. They’ve tried learning guitar when they were younger, but just stopped after getting frustrated, deciding to fully dedicate themself to their training instead 😆

Maybe if they live in a more mundane life, they would be a pretty good guitarist and they would be a band kid or something 🤣

Rin

Their mom is a classically trained musician and she taught them a bit on how to read musical notes and playing piano. But eventually, they just got too busy with their studies and their increasing responsibilities that they just stopped. They’re far from good in playing piano, but they’re at least decent.

Also, it was their mother who often played classical music for them, especially whenever they had a headache after using their ability too much. To this day, they still love to listen to classical music and listen to it whenever they need to chill.

But their secret special interest is actually in cooking 😌 Whenever they can, they will try to cook their own meal, but most of the time, they can’t, so they go eat outside. They also can do a bit of baking, mostly simple stuff. Maybe one day, they’ll take a more advanced baking class (private, of course, except if MC or Ash wants to join too).

Santana

Honestly, they don’t really know. They’ve always been really busy with their job, or trying to get enough sleep. They do enjoy cooking simple but hearty home-cooked meals occasionally, mostly recipes from their mom. But they’re not as passionate in cooking compared to Rin.

Their hobby is reading novels, even if they don’t really have much time to do that ever since they started their career. They mostly read whatever that intrigues them, but mostly, those end up being fantasy or sci-fi or historical fiction.

You’d think they love to read mystery or thriller, but honestly, they are already dealing with unsolved cases almost everyday—a lot of them leaving them lie awake at night. They don’t really need to read more fictional cases.

Skylar

Their special interests are in arts stuff, especially drawing/sketching and poetry and a bit of amateur photography.

They’re pretty good in drawing and sketching, and decent in photography (mostly done on their phone for Facegram anyway), but the poetry… It’s a work in progress, alright 😂

They have a little journal book they usually bring around to do lil sketches, or write ideas, or try to write poetry. They hide it in a secure and secret place somewhere 🤭

[lexirosewrites]

Hi Lexi! I can’t count how many times I’ve told you how amazing you are, you’re probably tired of hearing it.

Have you ever considered writing professionally or just having your writing published by someone other than yourself? Not to brag(kinda but not really) but my older sister is very close friends with an omega verse writer who writes omega verse books and they sell very well.

I know you already have a job as a nurse (I know it’s something in the medical field, if I’m wrong I sincerely apologize) you work really hard at. I find myself enjoying your fics more than regular romance novels, and I know that other people feel that way too.

My sister’s author friend goes by a stage name which a lot of authors do to keep their privacy. She used to write fanfics in Highschool and she’s been writing for almost a decade now. She’s got a great selection of books and her husband along with her friends and some of her family are relatively supportive.

I know that’s not the case for a lot of people because the stigma around omegaverse and and even eroticas is that it’s “weird” and “perverted”. She done very well for herself as an author, which a lot of writers strive to do. Her novels have become her main source of income.

Again she does not share her real name or any personal information about her with her fans. I feel like I’m giving you a sales pitch 💀.

ANYWAYS just some food for thought, The authors name is Giovanna reaves, if you wanna check her out. Her books are amazinggg and I think you two have a similar writing style. Her most popular book “My One Night Stand: My Forever”, is really good but my personal favorite is “The Pirate and His Omega Thief”. It’s incredibly well written and soooo Steddie coded, I instantly thought of you when I read it.

Jesus, this got long but just throwing that out their. Do whatever you’d like obviously, its your life and you already have dozens of loyal readers on Tumblr and AO3.

Sending love ❤️❤️❤️ Toodles 😋

this is very sweet, thank you! i’ve dabbled with the idea before and it’s definitely something i’ve considered for the future. at the moment, it isn’t anything i’m pursing, however that doesn’t mean i won’t change my mind! nursing pays the bills but idk if i’ll be able to do it forever

i think the tricky bit about it is that my brain does not like monetizing fun things. i have a couple of side hobbies that i occasionally make money from (photography, singing at weddings/funerals), but i never wanted to pursue those things professionally because i know it would make me not enjoy them as much

i will for sure check out Giovanna’s novels because i have read some original omegaverse ones before and quite enjoyed them too!💕

[forever-rogue]

for the winter reqs: reader LOVES snow, to the point of pointedly going outside to take walks when it is actively snowing!! maybe she likes to take pictures of it? but one night eddie could run into her on one of her walks… he could find it endearing or worry about the cold, up to you! but he’d tag along regardless and have fun in the winter wonderland. also up to you whether they’re in an established relationship or just pining, but either way a kiss in the snow would be beautiful wonderful showstopping. love your writing thank you sm!! 🌨❄️☃️

AN | Okay but stop, this is so cute! A first kiss in the snow! 🥺🥰

Warnings | Language

Pairing | Eddie x Fem!Reader

Word Count | 2k

Masterlist | Main, Eddie 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You were trying to finish up homework, but the lightly falling snow from outside your bedroom window had caught your eye. You tossed your pen down onto your textbook and walked over to the window, opening it to allow in the cool, fresh air. It was getting later into the evening, but the scene outside was almost too beautiful to pass up. The sun was slowly starting to set, but there was enough light remaining for it to be safe. 

Running to your dresser, you searched through the top drawer for our camera, making a small sound of triumph when you reached it. Pulling it out of the case, you quickly inspected it to make sure there was film before putting the strap around your neck. You knew that your parents wouldn’t allow you out this late so you decided that the only thing to do was to sneak out of your bedroom window. 

After pulling out your jacket from the closet and slipping it on, you toed on your scuffed up old converse. Ensuring that your window was unlocked, you secured your camera and slowly made your way onto the roof, and then down the trellis before landing on the ground with a soft oof. 

There was already a soft blanket of white on the ground, which just made your heart grow even fuller. There was a path that you liked to walk behind the neighborhood, and you decided to walk along it until you could get the perfect pictures. Photography might have been a hobby, but it was one you enjoyed as much as you loved the snow and winter weather. 

The pretty, fat snowflakes that were falling from the sky kept your attention occupied and your head in the metaphorical clouds. So much so that you didn’t even notice the fact you were about to walk into a wall of flesh and muscle. Not until you were almost to the ground, about to land on your bum, stopped only by a pair of strong hands. 

You looked up and found the prettiest pair of bambi brown eyes looking back at you. He helped you back to your feet before offering you a soft smile. It was then that you realized your rescuer was none other than Eddie Munson. Also known as your crush - but he didn’t need to know that. 

“Are you alright?” he asked softly, looking you over to make sure there was no harm done, “you seemed pretty into your thoughts, sweetheart.”

“I-I’m alright,” you promised, feeling tongue-tied and breathless already, “I’m sorry. I should have been paying more attention.”

“No worries,” he insisted with a small nod, “I could have been paying better attention too. Are you warm enough? Your jacket looks thin, you shouldn’t be out too long or late…”

“I’m okay,” your tummy was already filled with butterflies at the genuine display of concern. You never did understand why people felt so afraid or threatened by him; he really was just one of the nicest people you’d met, “I was just taking some pictures.”

“That’s really cool,” his cheeks were a pretty, bright shade of pink and you weren’t sure if it was just the wind chill or if he was blushing, but fuck he was precious, “I’m Eddie, by the way. I think we have a few classes together, but I wasn’t sure if you knew. Although I’m the-”

“Eddie,” you grinned shyly while nodding, “I know. We have physics, English, and math together. I’m-”

“I know,” and he repeated your name. He knew your name. While it didn’t necessarily mean he reciprocated your feelings, it did mean that he knew of your existence. The thought alone made you want to squeal in delight. His beautiful smile made it even worse, “what were you taking pictures of?”

“The snow,” you professed quietly, vaguely gesturing to the white powder all around you, “well, the scenery. I just think snow makes everything look more beautiful. It’s almost like a winter wonderland!”

“I like the snow too,” he confessed, almost as if the two were sharing some sort of little inside secret. He seemed to muse over what he had for a few moments, tapping his chin before quickly shrugging off his outer jacket. He held it out to you, which caused your eyes to widen in surprise, “take it. It’s really cold out here and I wouldn’t want you to get cold.”

“But what about you?” you disliked the idea of him being cold even more than the idea of you being cold, “Eddie. You’re going to-”

“I’ll be fine,” he wasn’t even going to allow you to say no. You gave him one last little look to make sure he was positive, and when he was, you took the jacket from him and put it on. The smell of him, a mixture of cologne, detergent and smoke was all consuming and intoxicating. It suited him perfectly, and damn, you never wanted to take it off, “better?”

“Better,” you agreed quietly, “thank you, Eddie.”

“Don’t mention it,” he gently nudged your arm with his, “hey…I don’t want to intrude or anything, but ugh…would you like some company?”

“Really?” and oh. The way your whole face lit up made Eddie want to melt into a puddle then and there. 

“Really.”

“That would be awesome,” you worried your bottom lip between your teeth trying to contain your sheer excitement, “yeah…that would be cool.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You and Eddie made your way around the wooded path that connected the trailer park with your neighborhood. It was quiet for a while, the silence comfortably filled only with the crunching of the leaves under your combined footfalls. At one point you stopped suddenly when you saw the perfect photo opportunity. Eddie almost walked into you, an arm wrapping around your waist to keep you from falling and to steady yourself. 

“Sorry,” you grinned sheepishly as you looked at him, his hand still on your waist, “should have said something. I’m usually by myself when I go out like this.”

“‘s okay,” he promised, “probably should have been paying more attention too. Got distracted.”

“What’s got you so distracted?” you asked quietly, messing around with the settings on your camera. If you’d have been looking at him you’d have seen the way his cheeks and ears turned everyone pinker. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but you failed to notice, “look! It’s perfect.”

He followed your finger and looked at the scenery, a smile growing on his face as he held up the camera to your face and started to click away. He loved your enthusiasm and how you were able to pick out the perfect framing for your pictures.

“Yeah,” he agreed after a few moments, “perfect.”

But he wasn’t looking at the scenery; he was looking at you.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

After that first evening, Eddie became a constant on your late night walks. Sometimes you’d call him beforehand to let him know you’d be sneaking out, other times he was already waiting for you as though he had read your mind.

You loved spending time with him, just the two of you. You were learning more and more about him, getting privileged glimpses into his life. During school he’d become more friendly but also didn’t want to push any boundaries considering he was a social pariah. But outside, during your walks when it was just the two of you, nothing else seemed to matter, it was like nothing else existed. 

Eddie had quickly and effortlessly become one of the closest people in your life. It was both scary and wonderful how quickly you found yourself falling for him. You had no clue if he felt the same, but there were moments when you were sure he did. But you didn’t want to falter yourself like that and think so highly about yourself. 

This particular evening however, seemed to answer any lingering questions you had remaining. 

It had gotten later and darker than you were normally out, but you’d been having such a good time with Eddie that you’d hardly noticed. You’d made your way to Lover’s Lake, which was completely frozen by this weather, and were sitting together on one of the benches, ignoring the fact that your butts were becoming numb. 

“Look,” you grinned eagerly, head tilted up towards the sky as you studied the glittering stars, “the sky is so clear, so you can see so many stars tonight.”

“Wow,” he looked up, trying to pick out some of the constellations he knew. He took your hand and pointed out a couple of the small ones he knew. You were trying not to get lost in the fact that his hand was on yours and just listen to the sound of his voice, “they’re cool, huh?”

“Yeah,” you agreed looking over at him, biting your lip to keep from saying anything stupid. Eventually he caught up and met your eye, a smile spreading across his pretty face, “Eddie?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” oh. He’d called you sweetheart a few times before but it had never quite felt like this before, like it suddenly held so much weight. You opened your mouth to try and say something, but you were quickly interrupted by the sudden snowfall. 

A smile crossed your features as you held out your hands to catch a few of the thick flakes on your fingertips, “it’s snowing!”

Unable to contain your excitement, you jumped to your feet and held out your arms to let the snow fall gently on you. Eddie couldn’t help but laugh and join, opening his mouth wide to catch some of the flakes on his tongue. You laughed at the boy as he twirled in the snow, the white powder catching on his rogue curls. 

The two of you played with the snow for a little bit until you stopped, studying him and his handsome features. He must have felt whatever you did because he paused and simply smiled at you. He took the few remaining steps to you, standing in front of you and leaving a miniscule gap between your bodies. 

He reached up a tentative hand  to your face, touching your cheek softly when you didn’t recoil from his touch. You preened into the feel of his fingertips on your skin, wishing he never had to take his hand away. Eddie looked into your eyes, and you’d never understood what it meant for someone to see you so fully and completely. His pretty eyes were dark and honeyed, searching yours. You leaned in, a silent answer to his question as he did the same.

You weren’t sure who exactly initiated the kiss, but his lips were quickly on yours, soft and saccharine. It was a sweet kiss and when you pulled away, he was grinning back at you with rosy cheeks and starry eyes. 

“Eddie?”

“Sweetheart?”

“Can you please kiss me again?” he tenderly pulled you in by the waist until you were flush against him, already soaking up his body heat. 

He nodded before brushing his nose against yours, his lips barely touching yours, but ghosting over them with a promise of more, “I can do that.”

[avkizi]

doing this ask game bc i feel like YAPPIN

link for the og questions 🔗

answering this as aki (bnha drself), but lmk if you want me to answer as any of my other drs (ex: pjo, hoo, cod, h2o, marauders, etc.) !!

in what reality do you live? bnha/mha !!

what is your name? akitsu takami

what are your nicknames, if you have any? i go by aki usually, i have been called birdbrain by some people (aka kei)

how old are you? i'm fifteen in two days !!

how tall are you? 152cm (5'0)

what is your skin color? kinda tan, but i have a picture of myself in my dr intro !!

you body type? hourglass, a little on the curvier side, kei makes me go to the gym with him and miruko so i have some muscle tone lmao

your sign/birthday? gemini, june 4

how do you describe yourself and your personality? i'm definitley on the extroverted side, pretty friendly, i'd like to say i'm funny, and i really like stuff like vlogging & social media and photography.

do you have living parents/siblings? both my parents and my older brother are alive, but my parents aren't in the picture (ones in prison and the other one fucking basically sold us lmaoooo)

your gender/pronouns? girl, she/her

what is the color of your eyes? gold

how do your hair looks like, is it long or short? kind of mid length (a little longer than my collarbone) and wavy at the bottom (anything longer gets in the way of my wings/flying)

do you have any scars/unique visual traits? aside from quirk related stuff, i have burn scarring on my left shoulder/upper arm and on the back/side of my left thigh, and a smaller scar on my nose bridge

do you have tattoos or piercings? i have your basic lobe and upper lobe piercings, but no tattoos yet

signature scent? anything fruit or tropical related tbh, but you will never catch me w/o perfume i refuse to smell like shit

do you have any powers/species abilities? i have a mutation based owl quirk, so i have cool shit like functional wings, enhanced senses and vocal cords, and talons

where do you live, how does it looks like? i live in the UA dorms right now, but when i'm not in school i live in my brother's apartment/penthouse/condo/whatever it's called (visuals here)!!

is there other people living with you right now? yes, when i'm in school it's my whole class, but outside of school i just live with my brother (we dont have to share rooms or bathrooms in either situation tho thank the lord)

what do you do for a living? i'm a student in UA's hero course, in class A, but i don't work or anything like that

is there magic in your reality? there are quirks with magic themed elements, but quirks themselves are pretty scientifically based

how much money do you have? a lot (pro hero sibling has it's benefits fr) so i'm lowkey set

who are your friends/best friends i'm pretty good at socializing so i get along/am friends with most people, but my closest friends are def uraraka, ashido, tsu, hagakure, jirou, kirishima, shouji, todoroki, and midoriya

are you older or younger than them? i'm the second youngest person in my class, but we're all around the same age range (two years age gap maximum)

Do you have a crush on someone? ive kinda been eyeing todoroki but we'll see when we get there yk

How did you meet everyone for the first time? i'm going to meet everyone through either the entrance exams or on the first day of school

What are your hobbies? already mentioned a lil, but i like fashion/shopping, crocheting, social media, roller skaing, photography, and marine bio

What do you like to talk about with friends? girl EVERYTHING

What is your favorite food and drink? i love love love boba (mango passionfruit tea or iced strawberry matcha latte ON TOP), and my fav food is probably mango or lychee or a really good pork gyoza

Your favorite color? pink 100%

Your clothing style? my aesthetic switches up sm but i tend to gravitate towards trendier stuff like clothes from brandy melville or stuff like cargo pants, lace or cropped camis, etc.

Your favorite place to spend time? my room or the mall

Favorite sport, if you have one? volleyball 100% love that shit

Favorite weather? ooooooh ok for going out or flying etc i like clear sky, 60-70 farenheight, but for staying inside i love thunderstorms so so much aughhh

Favorite time of the day? dusk/nighttime

Favorite season? summer bc it's warm but winter is rlly nice too

Your biggest fear? everyone leaving me and i start back at square one in my old house with nothing left

What makes you very angry? unempathetic or selfish people/people who use their privlege to harm others knowingly

What makes you very happy? my friends

Do you have any pet? technically no, but i'm friends with the pigeons etc around the city and feed them. (i want a cat one day tho)

Do you consider yourself a good fighter? yes, unless theres water involved (hate that shit it makes my wings heavy)

Is there any people you dont like? off the top of my head, mineta, stain, and endeavor piss me off quite a bit

Do you have a favorite song that describes yourself, or just a favorite song in general? i love mitski, laufey, and chapell roan, but olivia rodrigo, conan gray, and taylor swift (i don't agree w some of her actions but she makes bangers). renee rapp's stuff is pretty good too ngl (my music taste is just basic asf unfortunatley)

Can you play any instrument or dance? i'm pretty good at dancing and i can pick up most stuff pretty fast, i'm a good singer and i'm learning electric guitar from jirou rn

Do you like to take risks and make new friends, or you are more reserved? i'm generally good at socializing so i make friends fairly easily, but i sometimes takes me a bit to open up fully to people

What do you do when you get very bored? crochet or cook something random while blasting music and doing karaoke in the kitchen

Are you a great leader? i work really well on teams but i tend not to gravitate towards leadership roles tbh

How is your daily routine? wake up, skincare/hygeine, breakfast, morning fly/go to school, school, go home, do hw/chill until dinner unless kei gets home early, either make dinner for myself or get food somehow, more chill/hw time, shower, skincare, chill, sleep/bed

Your favorite smell? this feather wax/moisturizer that i use its like shea butter and it smells so so nice i would eat it if i could

A big secret you have/know? my and kei's life before he became a hero, etc.

[jeskoholic]

A Little Piece of You Chapter 16: A Coffee Date

This is a chapter from an on-going series. If you missed out on the previous entries, you can check my masterlist.

Previous chapter: Boy Talk

Word count: 5,811

Tags: Male OC, College Friends, Jisoo and Nayeon, Coffee Shop Date

Enjoy

---

---LATER THAT EVENING---

Before the thought of Dawn’s so-called master plan could even flush naturally itself out of my system, I immediately moved to bring Ningning on top of my head the moment I parted ways with both of my friends. I haven’t solidly thought of a good enough reason to approach her, especially now that things have gone differently ever since we last conversed. It certainly felt weird that I would just message her out of nowhere not soon after the whole Soyeon-situation… or maybe it was just me being really awkward towards her and absolutely thinking too much out of a normal situation. After all, Ningning and I began to be friends because of United Kwangya, and now that most of the chat has been in shambles since then, I figured there was some sort of barrier that I had to jump to get to her.

It could probably be just me.

However, the thought of that conversation when we were at Yeouido was the debating point, as well as what happened in Valentine’s Day. Somehow that provided me enough leverage to talk to her not merely as someone I shared on the chat with. Ningning and I shared something that connected us away from just United Kwangya.

I don’t even know why I’m making this much of a big deal. I just need to talk to her for the sake of Hyojong, right?

After what felt like minutes of staring at her chat tab, right at the comfort of my own room, I finally managed to input the first couple of characters that ought to take her attention.

Yoon Jae-in: Hey, Ning?

I paused for a bit, hesitating for a bit whether I should continue on or not. It was definitely awkward seeing our last exchange of messages to be inclined with Soyeon. At this time, I really do not want to be involved in any sort towards her; not until I’m comfortable enough to be around her again at least. Also, Ningning always had her chat tab offline so I really don’t know if she’s here or not.

Ningning: Yeah, I’m here. You need something?

Oh, she’s online. I guess that’s convenient.

Jae-in: Actually yeah… I want to talk to you about something.

Ningning: Is this about Soyeon?

Jae-in: No… please don’t get the wrong idea. It’s completely unrelated to that. Well, maybe not entirely but hey. This actually is just between both of us and what we’ve talked about back at Yeouido. I remember having a conversation with you about photography right? I was just wondering if you’re interested on doing it this time around.

Ningning: What the fuck, Jae-in… Are you telling me that you want to do the photography thing now because you’ve finally separated ties with Soyeon? Is that what you mean? >:)

Shit, I forgot how that conversation went… she’s already getting the wrong idea.

Jae-in: No! It’s totally not like that. This is actually for Dawn. He’s told me that he want his picture to get taken and asked if I knew someone who had at least a good experience with that. Of course, having that talk back then, I figured you’re the first person who popped up in my head. What do you think about that?

Ningning:  Really now? Why not Kino? He’s clearly into these types of things a lot more than I am and I’d say he has far better experience than I do. It’s just a hobby for me, unlike him who literally had a wedding shoot entirely on his own.

Jae-in: He’s quite unreliable though and Hyojong kind of agrees with that. At least I have an assurance that you’d do it once you agree. You’re less likely to back out from that once you’re in, as well. Are you interested on doing it? Dawn’s really looking forward to it.

Ningning: It’s for a girl, isn’t it?

Jae-in: Maybe; you can ask him yourself if say, you agreed to it.

Ningning: Well, that’s a good tactic to bait me into it, I’ll give you that. LOL

Ningning: I suppose I won’t mind. It’s amazing how that convo back at Yeouido stuck with you. Normally most people would just forget.

Ningning: Just don’t expect something extravagant with the outcome. I told you that I’m more into sceneries more than anything, okay? Don’t keep your standards up because I’m really just a novice.

Jae-in: Don’t worry; I’ll ask him to find a place with a good scenery as well, in that way you can make the most out of the trip. Yes, it’s for a girl by the way. Also, I think Dawn’s willing to cash in, otherwise he would not be asking me to look for people.

Ningning: That won’t be necessary but damn… I never expected that of all the people in United Kwangya, it was Hyojong who’d be simping this early on; what in the actual fuck?

Ningning: I’ll just message Dawn how things would go. We’ll settle the schedule for good.

Jae-in: Thanks Ning, I owe you one.

Ningning: Hey, if this works out for him, don’t y’all single bitches go looking for me for you pictures, okay? LMAO

Jae-in: Don’t worry; the favour you gave me is already for Dawn. I have no interest of trying it now. I’m too busy.

Ningning: Maybe you should.

Ningning: On second thought, maybe not. I prefer it when you’re single Jae-in. LOL.

I stared at her message.

Huh?

What the fuck is that even supposed to mean?

Ningning: Well, I got to go. TTYL

---SOME TIME LATER---

It never occurred to me that the university’s following week was busy as it could have gotten, at least for the subjects that I was taking up, anyway. Major subjects were still schedule for the following semester and yet I could already feel the dump of school works coming my way. It’s a good thing that I still have that one little summer semester break to serve as a breathing room before the great responsibilities came.

To make it short, Dawn’s small favour literally flew off of my head as soon as I arranged him with Ningning. I guess I had it coming to me; I figured that muting United Kwangya could lessen things up for a bit and let the less-awkward members interact within that chat. Soyeon showed no signs of her presence, so I figured I should match her for the time-being.

Once all was said and done, the next level of Dawn’s master plan finally unveiled itself. I didn’t even notice the overhaul of his entire profile; that the arrangement I did for him actually worked and that he’s progressing already behind the scenes. It’s more impressive that he and Ningning, along with some help from Shinwon and probably even Hongseok, managed to fit all of that in one single week. All it took was one busy NLIU day and somehow the date for Jisoo and Dawn was already up in the air. It’s crazy.

It’s like I blink for five minutes and now everything’s set.

It was one Friday afternoon perfectly aligning with the university’s sports events, effectively leaving Shinwon and the rest of United Kwangya free from classes. At least Hongseok’s ‘playboy’ tendencies worked out well for Dawn here. Anyway, that day I received a private message from Dawn directing me towards the mall placed beside a known city cathedral. Port Skyview was this large commercial complex situated beside the busy streets of the city, leading straight towards its rival, Metro Station mall. The hilly and sloped topography of its lot allowed the topmost floor of Port Skyview to be situated right beside the foot of the church, while in turn justifying its name as it gave a breath taking skyline view of the entire city night life at sundown.

A couple of minutes after 2 PM and I found myself perched on the rail of Sky View’s own terrific sky terrace, with the unexpected company of Hongseok leaning on the rail beside as well. At this rate, the pharaonic view of the City’s proud hills as well as the virgin skies were testament to how beautiful the city was whether you’re in Metro Station or here.

I initially thought that this would be awkward with Hongseok considering the last meeting, but thankfully he’s a very social person. All my doubts were lost with a curt nod as soon as we met in front of the café. It’s like nothing really happened.

Dawn’s message led both me and Hongseok into a coffee shop situated right above the beautiful landscape; it’s cubic glass architecture enabling natural amounts of light to illuminate the beautiful and modernized interior. On its façade, a huge sign written mostly in neon red and violet minimalist letters: Neverland Coffee. The majorly white aesthetic inside reminded me so much of Joohyun-noona’s overly-tidy taste.

I wonder if she’d been to this café before. I really should consider inviting her here one day.

“Should we get in and get our orders ahead of them?” I asked Hongseok after sensing the void of words between our conversations.

“That’s a good idea. We’re not even the heart of the party anyway.”

Thankfully, the said coffee date was once again held on an unconventional time. Ordering would not be such of a huge chore considering we have the shop pretty much to ourselves, which was very much what Hongseok and I would have wanted. As much as the really simple design of the café was already captivating from the outside, the simplistic approach of its modernized interior was a perfect touch. Given the breath-taking view it had on its second floor (which awkwardly reminded me of the mezzanine back at NLIU Library), Hongseok and I agreed to select the best seats in the house; eventually settling on the far end of the second floor.

This was just the beginning of an interesting day. I do hope this would turn out in favour of Dawn more than anything else.

---

Hongseok was the one who volunteered to fetch their orders once it was already available. To Jae-in’s surprise, he returned back up the small, terrace-like second floor of the place accompanied with five new figures three of which Jae-in immediately recognized. Ko Shinwon’s tall stature walked beside a smaller girl, dressed in an all-white med-school uniform giving off a wide smile; marking the first time since Skylight’s first drinking session that he would see the girl named Yeri. Then, right behind the couple was Kim Hyojong wearing a knitted vest over his shirt coupled with a small hat to compliment his blond hair. He immediately supplied the seated figure of Jae-in with a smile the moment that their eyes met.

Then, right behind him were two girls that Jae-in recognized to be Im Nayeon and Kim Jisoo from the photos not that long ago. Jisoo wore a simple black dress with a matching bag, yet it did more than enough to emphasize her beautiful presence. Her friend, Nayeon, stood near her wearing a beige coat over a white blouse as well as high-waist pants. She supplied each of them with a wide, bunny-like smile the moment she set her eyes on Yoon Jae-in.

“Look who I found ordering below,” Hongseok said as he moved to take the seat beside Jae-in. He then placed the tray having both of their orders while gesturing towards the other table. “We ordered ahead, so sorry about that. Jae-in and I reserved you the best seats in the house, so anyone can seat with us if you’re interested.”

“Well, before all of that, let me just introduce you to them,” Dawn said giving a short nod. “Guys, let me introduce you to Nayeon and Jisoo. Girls, these are my friends, Jae-in and Hongseok. You’ve already met Shinwon and Yeri a while back, so there we go.”

The four new comers exchanged nods and smiles, with Hongseok offering to give them a hand to shake. Fortunately, the newcomers Nayeon and Jisoo were fond of the gesture and returned the action. Pressured to do the same, Jae-in awkwardly stretched his hand and shook after his friend, with his eventual contact with Nayeon taking longer than usual, much to the interest of Jisoo’s friend.

“I think it would be better if you and Jisoo would sit there,” suggested Yeri as she pointed towards the other table bearing a reasonable distance from their own. “That way, we won’t hear you if you’d talk. You’ll get some privacy that way. You can sit with us, Nayeon-ssi, if you like.”

“Oh I’d love to,” Nayeon replied, pointing a finger towards the chair. Her question was met with a mutual gesture from both Hongseok and Jae-in almost at the same time. “You guys don’t mind me sitting with you, right?”

Given that mutual agreement between them, Jisoo and Dawn politely excused themselves from the rest of the members as they went on off ahead on a separate table. Nayeon, on the other hand, took the chair opposite Yoon Jae-in without hesitation, with Yeri following suit beside her and Shinwon sitting next to them.

“So, Nayeon-ssi,” Hongseok said, clearly taking charge of the conversation immediately to loosen off the awkward barrier. Jae-in always knew him to be the type who’d do that. “Welcome to our friend group. It’s nice to have someone new to talk to. Please don’t be awkward with us, but I don’t think you have that aura with you, right?”

Nayeon nodded with a wide smile. “I’m happy to be here. If you guys want to ask me some questions, feel free to do so. I do have an aura that you all have something to ask to me in some form, am I right?”

“Well, you’re not just pretty, you’re really smart too,” Hongseok said after taking a sip from his drink. He leaned in closer to the group and dialled down his voice. “I’ll cut it with the chase then, Nayeon. I’m quite interested how this entire thing happened with our boy Dawn over there. I heard that things were quite unusual, no? Is it true that he first talked to you?”

Hongseok does as he does best; skipping the formalities and hitting everything straight to the core. I’m glad that he’s invited here.

“I’m curious as well,” added Yeri. “I’ve only heard things from all of you through Shinwonnie here, and I’m more than surprised to even know that you and Dawn actually knew each other, Nayeon-ah.”

“Yeah, I found things really interesting as well. I certainly was not expecting a familiar face to see in a date like this; especially a former Middle school classmate such as Yeri here. But then again, the world is such a small place and things like this are bound to happen. It’s exciting that way, don’t you think?”

“So, I heard that you’re the one that made everything possible,” said Hongseok to Nayeon. “From what I’ve been hearing from Dawn there, you were the one who introduced them to each other, is that right Nayeon? I’m surprised that you and Dawn did not end up being the ones in the same table on this date; how come that was not the case?”

Nayeon smirked.

“Well, as much as Hyojong there is a pretty nice person to talk to, I guess we both mutually did not feel that sort of spark towards each other. Beside I’m just interested on…”

She shifted her gaze towards Jae-in, who was busy mixing the pearls of his bubble tea lodged on the bottom of the cup using the straw provided.

“…I’m interested on different kind of guys, so I guess we just didn’t click on that aspect. He’s not just for me, per se.”

“I see, so that’s the case. Well, it’s good that somehow this worked out towards Hyojong in the end. At least now that he has someone to talk to, he would no longer have to wait and…”

Whatever happened after Hongseok took charge of the conversation was quite thrown out of the window. Jae-in spaced out the moment that Nayeon joined their table, viewing it to be really awkward considering the last time he shared a table with a girl did not really end well. Unintentionally, he had that isolated feeling as Shinwon, Yeri, Hongseok and even the newcomer Nayeon shared their conversations as if he was the one who was new. There was no real particular reason for it; it’s just that he felt really left out all of a sudden.

It was certainly not because he was sad or anything; he’s sure that he’s not by any means. Jae-in had that sense of losing enthusiasm being around the friends he felt so far off at that time. Even during his spacing out, his eyes danced towards the figures of Jisoo and Dawn talking at the other table. He could not help but admire how picture-perfect they were framed along the glass-panels of the said café, with their figures etched in an amazing painting amidst the soft skies beyond. Their conversation was inaudible from where he was seated and yet he could see the genuine smiles that emanated from them both. The fact that all of this was a result of a collective effort of a good amount of people from United Kwangya… the results were just beautiful.

Of course, given that state he could not help but wonder how he and Soyeon would have turned out had things worked for both of them.

Would they be having the same kind of date as Hyojong and Jisoo are having now?

There was also another, completely unrelated question with that…

If Ningning made all of these possible, she’s supposed to be the first person to show up. Where is on earth she?

“Hey, Yoon Jae-in…!”

The sound of Shinwon’s voice immediately brought him back to the coffee shop with the rest of them. Jae-in didn’t even realize how long he was staying in silence, merely staring at the blank space of the cup’s dews formed on the outside surface. He didn’t even realize that the rest of the orders were already served and that everyone had their orders with them.

“Y-yeah…?” he remarked with a stutter, returning the obnoxious gaze that the rest of the table gave him. “Sorry, what was that?”

“You’re spacing out. You seem to be lost in so much thought,” Hongseok replied, tapping his back here. “We’re just about to tell you how rude you are for leaving Miss Nayeon there and not engaging on a conversation.”

“Yeah,” The girl, Nayeon, said with a smirk. “Your friends are talking about selling you to me in exchange for more drinks. You’re cute when you’re spacing out, though, I’ll give you that.”

What?

“Excuse him please. He just actually came from a break-up that’s why he’s like that,” blurted Shinwon, with Yeri beside him slapping his arm in retort. “Woops, it slipped out. Sorry man.”

“Oh, I’m sorry… I was just joking, by the way,” Nayeon said. “I didn’t know… but at least we know that you’re single.”

“You know what, now that we’re all here… well most of us, but anyway… can you just shine the light up on us on how you and Soyeon broke up anyway?” Hongseok said once again, taking command of the conversation like he did before.

“Why… why are you bringing this up right now?” asked Jae-in.

“Hey, if you all are going to talk about his past, I don’t think I should be here. I can just wedge in between Dawn and Jisoo’s conversation and make the guy a third wheel,” said Nayeon.

Jae-in shook his head and raised his hand to stop Nayeon on her tracks.

“No, no, it’s fine… you don’t need to leave. It’s… I really don’t mind.”

I doubt that she knows me or Soyeon that much to the point that it would matter that she knows anyway.

Plus, I really don’t mind. She seemed cool, so…

“Well, not only good looking but also really polite,” Nayeon remarked once again. “Alright, I’ll just pretend that I’m one of you. That doesn’t seem too hard to do.”

“Great then, so, what happened, Jae-in? Could you please enlighten us on what happened between you and Soyeon?”

“I’m curious as well,” Yeri said in agreement. “You two were so sweet from what I’ve heard, so this really came as a huge shock, especially since Soyeon’s been telling and updating me on what’s progressing between both of you. I certainly did not see this coming.”

She did that?

“I-Umm, well it’s complicated, but to cut the story short we never really worked out so we just decided… well, I decided that it’d be better if we went our separate ways… She didn’t entirely take that positively so, she’s mad at me I guess.”

“It turns out that Jae didn’t like Soyeon since the beginning,” Shinwon informed, causing Jae-in to eye him in shock as he clearly not expected him to blurt it out blatantly like that. It did not make it less of being true, however.

“Yeah well, that too. I’m kind of just struck with the alcohol when she confessed so I guess my reactions weren’t exactly… me, so to speak. Hongseok knows about this and I’ve talked about Shinwon pretty much has a good idea what I had in mind, because we already talked about it back then…”

“I got that right… I certainly won’t forget that,” Hongseok said with a teasing tone. “Well, that’s in the past. I already learned my lessons from that even in Sizzlers so we’re good. Let me ask: is it really over for the two of you? Is there zero chance of you ever talking to her again?”

“On terms of a romantic thing… I would say yes... maybe. However, I would definitely not close doors on her if the opportunity would give us a chance to be friends again. I kept on thinking that we started off on the wrong foot anyway, so we are bound to start talking again at some point, I hope.”

“I guess it makes sense now why you were so hesitant towards her, man… You know if you just told us that you didn’t like her in the first place, Ningning and I could’ve just told Soyeon and all the fuss didn’t happen. Maybe not tell her of everything but at least give her some hints that the impact would not be this troublesome. You are, I think, the first ever guy that rejected Soyeon’s advances, an act of which owes a huge respect on my regard. It’s hard to do that.”

“It might be my pride that’s not letting me do that before, but trust me: that’s what I’ve been planning to do all these times even before we had that talk. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it until I just did it out of pure desire to tell her the truth. I didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to be, but things could’ve been worse. You know, it is what it is. I’ll just have to deal with the outcome.”

Hongseok smiled. “Do you miss her though?”

Their table went awfully silent with the rest of them anticipating for Jae-in’s answer.

“I’d lie if I say I didn’t miss her. I think that’s a pretty normal thing to say.”

Yeri nodded, and due to the ensuing silence, Jae-in continued.

“Soyeon’s really very caring and is really relentless on showing her feelings, but sometimes it’s just too much. Maybe that’s what caused me to feel a bit strangled and obliged to do the things she does; pressured to return the same level and grade of affection towards her to be even. Not to mention, we have a lot of uncommon interests. Shinwon already had a hint that we’d not work out for that long.”

“If given a chance though,” Yeri asked. “Would you still date now? It doesn’t have to be Soyeon, let’s say a new person comes up at a much unexpected time, are you even up for it? I’m sure those things are not really that impossible right?”

Shinwon nodded. “That’s a good question. Things like that really do happen especially when you’re not looking for it.”

Nayeon, on the other hand, shifted on her seat as she waited eagerly for Jae-in’s reply. The young man was about to reply when he shook his head, effectively breaking free of the invisible spell the group unintentionally cast on him.

“Wait a minute, why are you all ganging up on me now, hmmm? I answered things because I thought that it would be just a one-time thing, how come we’re bringing my life onto the table all of a sudden? I thought we’re supposed to be here for Dawn?”

“I mean, given that, but you really can’t deny that it’s an interesting question,” said Hongseok from his side. “You have a tendency to go missing from the chat, especially after you and Soyeon broke up.”

“I don’t do that, man.”

“Actually you do, Jae-in.”

“I want to know as well…” Nayeon seconded, her face showing a hint of shyness this time around.

I really don’t get why Nayeon is so into this. We literally just met. I do hope she’s just kidding because it feels… suspicious.

Gearing up for an answer is so stupid for this. I never thought that I’d be brought upon the hot seat.

“I… I never really closed my heart for things. It would feel like a crime against nature to go against it. If a destined person comes, I’m sure that I’m going to feel it so… I’m not closing doors. If she comes, she comes.”

“Say Jae-in,” Hongseok asked after taking a sip from his tea. “If there’s someone out there who’s like Soyeon, but not Soyeon, would you go for it?”

“What the fuck is that question? I don’t really have standards on people anyway and you know of that. I have preferences, but I’m not pigeonholed into just those things. We’ll work out if we do, right?”

Silence erupted between them after a unison of ‘oohs’, with only the soft exchange of voices heard from Dawn’s table, followed by the soft laughs coming from Jisoo. Surprisingly, the very first person to break the silence barrier was Nayeon. She began her query by clearing her throat.

“Since I’m into this anyway, can I ask you a question as well?”

“Uhh… sure, go ahead.”

“Are you currently looking for someone or even eyeing a person right now?”

“Ehh… not really…”

“Is that true…?” Shinwon interfered. “Even though you never really developed legitimate feelings for Soyeon, you never thought of liking anyone else? Come on, North Line has a lot of pretty girls, I’m sure at least you’ve met someone that caught your eye.”

“That’s not the case. I’m… I guess I was just too busy enjoying life with you guys.”

“Why don’t you try looking for people if that’s the case?” Yeri asked.

“As much as having someone is really nice, I’m… I’m not into it. Not now, at least. I just want to focus on myself, clear things first. I’ll have to stand by what I told Soyeon; otherwise I just broke us up on the premise of a lie.”

“You’ll never really know that, Jae-in… I’m pretty sure at the time you’re going to meet your ‘one’; you’ll eat up every single word and promise you wrote in the air. Feelings do affect that much and it’s crazy when you think about it.”

“Well, if that does happen, then at least there’s one less sad person in the world. Cheers to that.”

It may have been a weird action to offer a toast with bubble teas, yet it was the one thing that Jae-in could think off to bring himself out of the situation. The conversation had reached a point that it was starting to be uncomfortable to everything that he was hearing. That seemed to be the safest, most polite way of getting out of the conversation and he merely grabbed it the first chance he saw. It worked out perfectly in the end.

---

I do not exactly know what helped ease the transition there, but I trust that maybe Hongseok caught up with the spell and immediately understood what was going on. If I did not know better, maybe he got flashbacks from what happened to Sizzlers that he got careful in his words; which I do appreciate. It was not the intention, but I’m glad that it worked out in the end.

We stayed on the café for about an hour or so, shifting the topic from my personal love life to other things that Shinwon could bring into the table. Things slowly started to fade away into the distance as Hongseok began to be the centre of the conversation. Time has passed and we didn’t even notice Dawn and Jisoo’s request to join tables into one huge, conversation for the new comers. Thankfully, the atmosphere started to be a bit friendly to me that I was able to join into the conversation further, but not with the occasional teasing coming from Nayeon. Even Jisoo seem to support on whatever her friend was doing.

But like all dates, at some point it had to end.

Among all of the members that joined the little get-together, it was me who ended up joining Dawn as we walked with Jisoo and Nayeon. Shinwon and Yeri seemed to have another date of their own, while Hongseok insisted of heading off home earlier because of prior commitments. The skies have begun to darken, with the soft patches of purple appearing on the once-blue sky, signalling the entrance of twilight onto the impending evening.

Dawn, Nayeon, Jisoo and I were all walking side-by-side, crossing the pedestrian lane towards the busy street where we would eventually part ways. Jisoo and Nayeon already agreed to head on off to Metro Station, on what I would imagine to talk about Dawn and what follows next. Hyojong, on the other hand, asked me to come walking down with him perhaps thinking of the same exact thing for Jisoo.

“So… I guess this is where we finally split paths,” I heard Jisoo say as she and Nayeon turned in place to face us. “We had fun. It was nice to meet all of you, and your friends are really fun to be with as well.”

“You forgot that they’re good looking as well,” added Nayeon, followed by an awkward eye-contact towards me.

I really don’t know what else to do so I just smiled.

“I’m happy that you had that impression. I had fun, so… it’s good-bye for now?” Dawn asked with a wide smile. Jisoo replied by nodding and eventually giving the two guys short bows. Nayeon immediately followed her gesture.

“Well, please take care heading home. I’ll see you around, and maybe out on another one like this… I hope that this won’t be the last, Hyojong-ah.”

“I’ll see you around school, Jisoo, Nayeon… thank you.”

“I have a reason to thank you too, so we’re even,” she replied.

I smiled and bowed, copying what Dawn had done to maintain consistency as well as courtesy. We gave our farewell waves to them both and proceeded to head down the long road. However, before we could even reach a good amount of distance, I heard Nayeon say my name.

“Good bye, Jae-in…!”

I turned my head towards her, about in perfect time to see her run a finger behind her ear and then proceeding to give me a teasing smile. I could only do so much but nod and smile as I resumed walking beside Dawn on a rather awkward and unexpected situation, probably made worse with a teasing chuckle from my friend.

“Would you look at that; Nayeon seemed to be interested in you, you know.”

“I think otherwise, man. I feel like she’s just teasing me, so I never made it a big deal even though she’s like that throughout the date.”

Dawn chuckled, which I really did expect to come from him.

“She’s always like that. I don’t even know if she’s sure half the time.”

“Yeah, but enough about me; congratulations, man; you really pulled this off and managed to bring her out on a date. Next time, it would just be the two of you and that’s going to be the start.”

“Man yeah I’m really looking forward for what’s ahead of me. I won’t waste everyone’s effort and I’ll truly pursue her.”

“I’ll just be supporting you. I’m sorry that I got really busy last week; I didn’t even know that you already finished the overhaul and managed to get a good impression. Shinwon told me about everything. It seemed that you never stopped working even after we had that convo. I’m proud of your achievements Dawnie boy.”

“Things got a bit fast, but at least it all went well. All I have to do now was to not fuck this up.”

“Yeah sure… like that’s going to happen…”

“Of course, I do hope that things like this would not only happen to me. I want all of you to be happy as well, especially you, Jae-in. I know that you just broke up with Soyeon, but I’m positive that you’re going to get your girl soon. On that note, why don’t you try my method out?”

I grinned.

“Ah, I know that it might be really effective but I’m not interested in looking for people just yet; not until Soyeon’s still fresh inside my memory. It would be a while ‘til I get comfortable going out with someone.”

“I guess I can respect that, man… I guess you really did not like her, huh?”

“Well, among a lot of things, yeah… it is what it is. Can’t force myself unto someone I’m not entirely into, right?”

Dawn and I paused for a moment as we continued walking down the path. The skies have now completely darkened as stars finally shone in the distance. In turn, the first batches of street lights as well as establishment illuminations were a discrete sign that evening was fast approaching.

“Have you… Have you told Soyeon of the real reason why you broke up with her, though?” I heard Dawn ask after we passed by a well-occupied cake shop.

“I did. I told her of everything. I even got slapped for it, remember?”

“Did you tell her, like EVERYTHING?”

“Hmmm…? What are you going at?”

“Did you tell Soyeon that you broke up with her because you already have a girlfriend?”

---

Next Chapter: The Ideal Girlfriend