#heartfeltwarmth

[heartfeltwarmth]

𝑶𝒏 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑺𝒊𝒅𝒆 - 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆

After surviving the battle with the last Supreme Guardian, Cocolia Rand, most people would have expected the crew of the Astral Express to be in high spirits. While some amount of joy and relief were evident on their faces, Dan Heng could not help but notice the way Stelle’s usual small smile would falter at times when she thought no one was looking.

“This is a lot to ask of you but you and the Astral Express Crew are the only ones I can trust with this.” Stomach dropping, Dan Heng barely had time to brace himself for Stelle’s request.

Read the rest on AO3 or continue down below :3 (3,372 words)

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written for alteanroyals. Fun Fact: When Stelle got impaled by Cocolia’s lance, Dan Heng was the first to gasp and rush closest to where she might have fallen. Bf behavior.

“Thank you! Thank you so much! Our children can now finally see the sky!”

“We owe you so much for reuniting our families…!”

More people crowded in the streets of Belobog with loud and happy chatter. In the center of it all, the young and newly coronated Madam Guardian smiled at the now warmly welcomed outsiders. As a young child, she had always dreamed of such an occasion, not the coronation, but rather being able to see the people of Belobog together as one.

With regal steps, Bronya stepped down from the makeshift platform standing in the middle of the Administrative District and made her way to March 7th, Dan Heng, and Stelle. She put a gentle hand on March’s shoulder and nodded at everyone. “You must all be exhausted. The festivities can continue tomorrow but for now, let us all rest.”

That’s when March gave a nervous chuckle. “Is it possible that we can– uh– change hotels or…” She tried to smile harder to make up for any wordless complaint Dan Heng made as he sighed exasperatedly.

“We’re no longer wanted criminals, thankfully, but…” He glanced at Bronya who began to press her lips into a sheepish grin as well, most likely remembering the morning she was ordered to arrest the trio. “I understand March’s concern. I hate to inconvenience you at such a busy time right after your coronation, but is there a different place we can stay for the night?”

Bronya closed her eyes in thought, placing a hand under her chin. “I’m sure arrangements can be swiftly made if we decide upon something… Ah!” The young lady gestured for the three to follow her and soon the crowd behind them dissipated with their last words of heartfelt gratitude.

To the Astral Express Crew’s surprise, they found themselves walking up the stairs that led to Qlipoth Fort. Stelle was the first one to pipe up about this. “Are you sure it’s alright to stay in such an important place?”

At this, Bronya let out a small but comforting laugh. “I am simply inviting distinguished guests to my humble home. Also you three now know all of the Supreme Guardian's deepest secrets, not to mention you are the ones who helped prevent the great calamity the past Guardians worked tirelessly to get rid of. I am sure there is nothing you will find in there that I would want to prevent you from knowing.”

March’s eyes lit up. “So this is going to be even more luxurious than the VIP rooms in Goethe Hotel?! Yes!!!” She pumped her fists up in the air excitedly, earning herself a chuckle or two from just her contagious excitement. “Time to sleep away these eye bags! Dan Heng, you should try doing that too.”

Eyebrows furrowing, Dan Heng gave March a side-eye. “I do not have eye bags.”

“Dark circles, my bad. I could hardly tell the differences between the two when I look at your face.”

“Hey–!”

“Alright now…!” Stelle put both hands behind March and started to lightly nudge her in the direction Bronya was going as she smiled at Dan Heng seemingly in effort to cut between the two before another squabble broke out. “I think this is where we will be parting ways?”

Bronya nodded. “I will have someone take you to your room Dan Heng. I’m sorry ladies. You’ll have to share a room. As grand as Qlipoth Fort is, we are still limited in guest rooms.”

“It’s fine! We’re grateful either way, Bronya. Thank you.” Stelle thanked her, ignoring March’s pout for now, before Bronya waved goodbye at them to retire to her own bedroom for the evening.

“Hmph.” March crossed her arms and frowned at Stelle as they stood in front of the door of the hallway where their room would be located. “You always take Dan Heng’s side and defend him!” She complained before Stelle could even open the door.

Unfortunately instead of feeling guilty as March would have liked her new friend to feel a prick of, Stelle just giggled at how adorable the pink-haired girl was all worked up. It was a bit hard not to spoil her. “I do not. You’re mistaken.”

“Am not! You even tried to offer to keep watch last time when he was the one who suggested it in the first place Stelle! Tell me how that’s not always siding with him!” Try as she might, Stelle’s gentle pats on the girl’s back did nothing much to quell her accusations which Stelle predicted March would forget as soon as she laid her eyes on a comfortable bed.

From a short distance, Dan Heng could hear Stelle make a promise to March to make it up to her somehow which made him sigh. Seriously, that girl was always biting off more things than she can chew. Though…..somehow she still does. Still, too much of anything can be a bad thing. Dan Heng just wished that everyone could keep that in mind, especially Stelle after what he had observed of her so far.

Then Dan Heng picked up the sound of March hollering in success, happy that she was going to receive some special treatment from Stelle tomorrow which she thought she greatly deserved. It made the young man want to roll his eyes. But as he was about to turn and leave to follow a guard that just walked up to him, the look on Stelle’s face made his steps falter.

She looked… upset?

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It had been ten minutes since Dan Heng laid himself down on his bed after taking a long-awaited bath. But even the serenity of Qlipoth Fort did little to quiet down the tumultuous thoughts in his mind, the image of Stelle’s void expression replaying over and over.

Granted, Stelle on many occasions had a more or less neutral look on her face but it never meant she was devoid of emotion either.

Everyone around her had easily accepted that it was just her natural resting face, an expression that often hid another layer of emotion. There were just enough times where Dan Heng caught a slight twinkle of amusement in her eyes whenever Pom-Pom spoke animatedly with her. He was so, so sure that Stelle wasn’t the type to suppress her emotions given that she would make her little funny quips here and there, some humorous enough that even he at times found himself needing to fight the feeling of the corners of his mouth threatening to lift.

Could he be wrong?

Unable to find sleep, Dan Heng reluctantly got up and put on his coat without all his usual important ornaments.

He was just going to go on a quick stroll to clear his head and come straight back to his room afterwards.

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Whether or not the Eternal Freeze had taken over Jarilo-VI, it was still a beautiful planet. From beyond the frosted glass panes that lined the corridor Stelle was treading through, a beautiful moon lit the white snow, the outdoor heaters glowing like festival lanterns in the streets. After the Stellaron had been contained, it seemed that the cold let up even if just a little. The usual storm-covered skies of the night was clear that night for the first time in a long while.

All was quiet and ethereal, nothing like Stelle had ever seen, which made her chest tighten even more at the question of why Cocolia would ever want to trade this world for another. Stelle let her mind wander further as she stopped at the window, wondering what it would have been like to grow up in Belobog. She wondered…whether or not she had a childhood she could even remember.

Remembering Cocolia’s final moments, a hand found its way onto her chest, over where the Stellaron was placed inside her.

The voices that had plagued Cocolia’s mind… Stelle could no longer hear them, nor did she dream of them. Even so, the ashen-haired girl had found herself waking up with a trembling gasp next to a sound asleep March 7th. There were no other voices that woke her so Stelle concluded that it must have been a dream she had forgotten the moment she woke up.

“What if it was something I should remember?” Her own voice echoed in her head with hesitant inquiry. Then her mind alerted her to an incoming presence from behind her. The sensation was soon followed by the sound of a very quiet inhale. “Dan Heng?” For some reason– It looked as if he was more surprised to see her than she was to see him. Her surprise was quickly overcome with familiarity. She offered him a slight grin. “Taking a midnight stroll?”

It took Dan Heng an extra moment before he could find the words to speak. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw a few seconds as he walked down the carpeted hall. Stelle, standing before him bathed under the light of the moon. His breath caught in his throat. They were both much more simply dressed than usual, both in sleepwear and a jacket to wrap around them. But for the first time, he had to dwell in confusion on why having his guard thrown off like this didn’t alarm him as much as it usually did. It was just Stelle. Why was he being so affected right now? Right! Words– Uh–

“Just a short one.” Was his equally short reply. There was a mutual understanding that sleep had escaped them tonight.

Stelle nodded in understanding. “Me too. I thought looking at the scenery might help.” Her head turned from him and back to the scenery. As Dan Heng walked over to where he was, Stelle slightly turned her body to the side to make room for him to share the picturesque night. “Maybe you could take a picture of this for the data bank.” She smiled at him. “Belobog at different times of the day. What do you think?”

It wasn’t a bad idea in the slightest so Dan Heng gave her a slow nod. “I don’t see why not. But I didn’t bring my phone with me.”

“Oh– Ah. I didn’t think to bring mine either.”

Dan Heng shrugged with his shoulders crossed. “March is better at this sort of thing. You can pester her about it some other time.”

To his surprise, Stelle let out a small laugh. “Wow, don’t you two get along great.”

The harmless comment made the young man narrow his eyes. “If by get along you mean to annoy each other to death, then by that definition you are 100% correct.” This earned him another laugh, one that Stelle tried to stifle but could not do so entirely.

“A friendship that transcends even death, huh? How sweet.”

Then for a second, Dan Heng recalled a gray sky, the feeling of mind-blanking horror as he watched a lance plunge deep into their comrade's body. Everyone’s blood went cold at that moment even without all the ice and snow. It was a near-death experience that almost took away the latest addition to the Astral Express before anyone could get a chance to really get to know her, including Stelle herself.

Feeling obliged to ask, even more so after seeing the face she made before they went to their seperate rooms earlier, Dan Heng cleared his throat after a moment of silence. He had to force the words lodged in his throat when Stelle gave him a slightly concerned look. Seriously, wasn’t he supposed to be the one who was concerned here? “Did you really come out here to just admire the scenery?”

As Stelle went quiet, Dan Heng bit the inside of his cheek. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked, after all they’ve only had known each other for a short while. It was one thing to trust your life to someone on the battlefield, Stelle being a person anyone with a good head on their shoulders would give that trust to.

It was another thing entirely to trust someone with the life that you’re living, the experiences encompassing all the fragments and knots of one's thoughts and emotions. Even Dan Heng knew that he had never entrusted anyone with his life in that way before, leading him to think he was most likely being invasive right now. But in his case, Dan Heng had come to an understanding, a long, long time ago, that his past was a burden that he alone should shoulder. He didn't know what Stelle wanted to do with her burden but he certainly wasn't going to pry for an answer.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” He added, murmuring the last few words as he craned his neck away with regret. “I can leave you alone–”

“It’s alright! You don’t have to go…”

Dan Heng’s eyes widened.

Stelle fought to keep a stammer from overtaking her speech. “I really don’t mind the company, in fact I appreciate you asking.” Dan Heng’s body relaxed but in his mind– He couldn’t quite understand why he was feeling slightly light-headed after Stelle stopped him from leaving. “I just wasn’t sure how to tell you in a way that wouldn’t burden you too much. A lot has happened in a short amount of time and I’m sure you’re just as exhausted as the rest of us.”

Dan Heng frowned. “Burden me how?” He was determined to hear how Stelle came to such a conclusion. If anyone had implanted this useless idea into her head…

It was Stelle’s turn to look away, every small movement she made cast a glow from reflecting the moon’s beams. “I have so many questions and well– Since you’re in charge of the data bank…”

Nodding, Dan Heng motioned her to continue.

“I wanted to ask you more about Stellarons but from what I heard from Himeko and Mr. Yang….”

The Stellarons remained to be enigmas. Any information that one could get their hands on about these seeds of destruction, the data bank had already indexed them including the events which transpired after Stelle appeared out of nowhere. The IPC also called them the Cancer of All Worlds, a title that certainly brought about worry to all those who heard it. The gears in Dan Heng’s mind began to click. “Are you afraid… of the Stellaron?”

Unflinchingly, Stelle looked into his eyes and in them, Dan Heng found desperation.

“I don’t…”

She began to slightly tremble.

“I don’t want to end up like her…”

Dan Heng moved closer, cautiously. “Like Cocolia?”

Stelle nodded, her head dipping down seemingly in shame. Her fingers twitched as if they wanted to move across her body and clutch herself, to hold herself from spilling any more than she already had but it was too late. Even in this moment, Dan Heng could see with clear evidence that Stelle was still trying to be brave… yet she was failing. “If… If the Stellaron…” Stelle took a deep breath and tried again.

“This is a lot to ask of you but you and the Astral Express Crew are the only ones I can trust with this.”

Stomach dropping, Dan Heng barely had time to brace himself for Stelle’s request.

“If one day I can’t resist the call of the Stellaron, you have to stop me by any means necessary.”

“A–” The nauseating expression on Dan Heng’s face made Stelle retreat a little. “Any… means…. Necessa- No. Stelle.” His usual reserved nature was nowhere to be found as he frantically caught Stelle by the shoulder. “That will never happen. You are different from Cocolia. You even now walk on the path of Preservation that she failed to as a leader of Belobog, you two can not be any more different.”

As Dan Heng’s words reverberated in Stelle’s mind, she failed to notice the way how both of his hands now held her firmly by the sides of her upper arms as he tried to do everything he could to turn her away from making a final decision once and for all. “But the most important thing is for everyone to be safe.” She tried to explain her reasoning.

Sighing heavily, Dan Heng turned his head away before looking back at Stelle. “I’m the guardian of the Express. It should be me keeping everyone safe, including you. You've already tried sacrificing yourself once.” He then felt a gentle press on the back of his hand where he found Stelle’s fingers lightly touching the hand he had around her arm.

Shoot– When did he start grabbing her like this?? He was ready to admit his wrongdoings and pull away to apologize before Stelle clasped his hand tighter in her own.

Dan Heng’s heart stopped.

“....Stelle?”

“Thank you.” The ashen-haired girl smiled and it was so warm, akin to the golden sun like the ones in her eyes, radiant beams of light to bask under if you ever fell under her gaze. “Thank you so much, Dan Heng. I honestly can’t put into words how grateful I am to you and the crew.” Like her smile, her hand felt warm too but in the way Dan Heng could feel it in his chest even though there was still space between them.

The Eternal Freeze could have gone on for another 700 years and Dan Heng would still have never felt as warm as he did in this moment than he had in his whole entire life.

“You say all of this as if you’ve not done anything for us either.” He found his voice growing more gentle as did his facial features. What was she being so grateful for? Maybe she's just this type of person. “If we continue to keep records of who owes whom what, we’d have an archive larger than the Express itself so forget about it Stelle.”

Her soft giggle in response tickled in his ears like a dancing summer breeze and he felt his hand under hers grow hot. It didn’t seem like she wanted to let go just yet so he didn't move away. In all seriousness, Dan Heng had meant every word he had said but even as she laughed, he had to admit to himself that he didn’t feel the need to correct her. Laughter suited her. “I’ll do more research and share with you any findings we come across. And you win…” Dan Heng sighed as if to prepare himself. He couldn't believe he was deliberately choosing the next words that were going to come out of his mouth. “As cheesy as it is to say this, I need you to understand that we’re a team.”

“Roger that, Master Dan Heng.” Came the witty reply but Dan Heng could tell from Stelle’s smile that the intent behind her reply was just as every bit genuine as his statement to her.

Dan Heng sighed again, but this time with exasperation mixed with a bit of relief as he finally let her go. “At least you didn’t call me–”

“Cold Dragon Young? I put that as your contact name on my phone!”

“You what?”

“You’re really garnering up a solid fan base here, y’know?” A glimmer of amusement appeared in her eyes and Dan Heng instinctively facepalmed.

“Please stop.”

“I also wired you the money I got from selling your picture. Keep up the good work, Dan Heng!”

A blush crept up from his neck, also slightly dusting the edges of his ears. “You really didn’t have to. I’d rather you keep it so I can forget that ever happened. It’s beyond embarrassing.”

Stelle hummed as she tapped her chin to think. “Well, perhaps I should just use the credits to treat you and March to something? Let’s do that tomorrow, how about that?”

Even if Stelle had offered to take only him along, Dan Heng felt like he would have still agreed and somehow that revelation... bothered him quite a bit. Not that he’d ever reveal this thought to anyone. He had to first make sure he didn't catch a fever from being in the Belobog cold for so long.

“That sounds fine.”

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“Yaaawn… Where were you last nigh– Hey, why’re you turning so red??”

[endearmentology-studies]

welcome to my studyblr !

⸝⸝ ✦﹒about me

rimeiku﹒psych undergrad﹒u.s.

⸝⸝ ✦﹒study interests

psychology﹒music theory

wellness﹒art﹒homemaking

⸝⸝ ✦﹒favorite tools

notion﹒uni alpha-gel kuru toga

brown noise﹒scribbr﹒youtube

⸝⸝ ✦ ﹒hyperfixations

original characters﹒synth vbs

music production﹒artsncrafts

⸝⸝ ✦ ﹒thx 4 reading <3

main﹒@heartfeltwarmth

creative﹒@endearmentology

[heartfeltwarmth]

Yes this idea hasn't left me since last year, I've clung to it like Huohuo with her box cutter ( T∀T)

[heartfeltwarmth]

They're going together to buy a dagger, a cute first date idea right?

[heartfeltwarmth]

It makes sense if you think about it–

[heartfeltwarmth]

BEETHOVEN X HASTUNE COLLAB

Crying because I genuinely didn't think anyone would react to the last post but thank you so much I am so moved ;u;

[heartfeltwarmth]

date in the snow plains ft. #lynka (hsr #lynx x #luka)

[heartfeltwarmth]

hsr sushang rkgk ft. #luoshang confession 💌

[heartfeltwarmth]

𝑩𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒗𝒂𝒔 - 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒕 (𝒂𝒖)

Himeko, a well-respected engineer, is horribly single and March won't have it. During Himeko's stay in town, her young friend sends a painter over to do Himeko's portrait commission to launch her search for a suitor.

Her heels stopped as Himeko's reminiscing stopped short as realization dawned on her. She has given no thought to her courting life whatsoever. Thinking back.... yes.... most of the people she knew have married, maybe had one or two children already... The last doctor she visited; she was talking about her upcoming marriage with her childhood friend as well. Maybe it was just her–Maybe it was just her who neglected love.

Read the rest on AO3 or continue down below :3 (1,701 words)

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The birds whistling in the trees, their melodies carried through the wind, was the only solace Himeko could find as she paced back and forth in the room.

The engineer sighed which did nothing to alleviate her nerves. Why was she here again??

"What?? An elegant and wonderful woman like you is still single??? Unacceptable!" Himeko grimaced at the memory, of a conversation she had with Miss March 7th a few days ago. Working from a young age, Himeko was quickly recognized as a talent in her field. Being high in demand meant she traveled to many regions, only staying up to a few months at a time before she was called to somewhere else.

Just a few days prior, Himeko had the pleasantry of having a long-awaited tea time with March, a long-time friend she met from one of her travels. The pink-haired maiden was quite chatty but Himeko didn't mind. It was always nice to collect more intel. One topic led to another, and soon March was going off about the various love lives of the people in town, lamenting the lack of her own. "If I were as beautiful as you, I'm absolutely sure I still won't be single today..."

Himeko took a sip of her team and casually hummed in response. "But I've always been single."

"W H A T ? ? ?"

As birds fled the scene and tea split across the tablecloth, Himeko smiled, painfully, full of regret. Wasting no time at all, March packed her things, yelling. "STAY IN TOWN FOR ANOTHER WEEK!! I'LL SEND A PAINTER OVER AND GIVE YOU THE DETAILS LATER. DON'T WORRY I'LL PAAAAAAAAY!!"

Click click.

Her heels stopped as Himeko's reminiscing stopped short as realization dawned on her. She has given no thought to her courting life whatsoever. Thinking back.... yes.... most of the people she knew have married, maybe had one or two children already... The last doctor she visited, she was talking about her upcoming marriage with her childhood friend as well.

Maybe it was just her–

Maybe it was just her who neglected love.

Himeko sighed into her hands. Dropping back into a lounge chair, she pondered whether if this was the right decision. Any moment now, the person who would come paint her portrait would be here. That portrait will then have copies made of it to be distributed to potential suitors. There would be no more backing out of this... Was this what she really wante–

Knock knock knock.

Himeko dashed to the door.

Right before getting the door handle, Himeko brushed a stray hair from her face, hoping she fixed it properly. When she finally swung the door open, she smiled. "Greetings!"

"......."

Himeko blinked. The man in front of her, carrying all sorts of equipment by himself, had his vision blocked by a large empty canvas. "Greetings, miss." Came a somewhat muffled but gentle voice. "I-I must sincerely apologize for keeping you waiting. I'll begin setting up immediately."

"Oh– You are quite alright–" Himeko's smile began to morph into an amused grin. "In fact, here." She reached out and grabbed the canvas from the man so it would no longer obstruct his view and cause an accident. Catching her faint reflection all of a sudden in a pair of glasses, her heart skipped a beat.

Hidden behind the canvas was the warmest smile Himeko had ever seen.

"You're too kind, miss. I'll take the canvas from your hands shortly."

Himeko nodded, afraid that if she spoke her words would stumble.

The brown-haired painter introduced himself as Welt Yang, an acquaintance of March's. Anyone could tell that his gestures and wording were all carefully chosen to make people comfortable around him, a fact that Himeko noticed when she started to feel strangely relaxed around this complete stranger.

As Himeko observed Welt's kit, she felt compelled to ask what each tool did to satiate this newfound curiosity. Ten minutes had passed since she was asked to sit down in a relaxed pose to start the initial sketch. Silence passed between them but Himeko could only concentrate on sitting as still as possible.

"Is there something you'd like to ask, Miss Himeko?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to interrupt your work!"

Welt chuckled as he put another stroke on the canvas then poked his head out from the side to face her. "Nonsense. Getting to interact with you will help me better capture your essence. You can still move slightly."

Fighting back a blush rising to her cheeks, Himeko quietly cleared her throat. "I was just curious about the tools you brought. The ones in the corner of the box. They look like knives?"

"Ah, yes! Those are scrapers, also known as knives." Himeko slightly tilted her head. Welt had suddenly become... much more animated. "There are a variety of uses for them. I mainly use the paint knives to mix or apply a large amount of paint."

Himeko nodded. "I see...! I was wondering if you were also a part-time chef perhaps."

Another series of chuckles came from behind the canvas. "We mustn't waste an ounce of utility. Are you a cook, Miss Himeko?"

"I'm an engineer, mostly,,,"

"Mostly?"

Himeko cleared her throat once more. Why was she getting all shy for? "I say mostly because... I like to dabble in inventing here and there."

The scratching on the canvas stopped and Welt turned to fully face the red-haired woman. Himeko could have sworn his eyes were sparkling. "Inventing, you say? How wonderful! Please, do tell me more. Talk my ear off."

The giggle she had tried to suppress before escaped. Himeko had a few minutes to explain one of her latest experiments before they had to close the session due to the decreasing sunlight. Promising that she would divulge more details tomorrow, Welt said his goodbyes.

The next day was about the same. Coming in a bit earlier to take advantage of the natural daylight, or so Himeko believed to be Welt's reasoning, the friendly banter they had every day to pass the time put a genuine joy in Himeko's heart. Even people who had worked with her had never been as attentive a listener as the painter. As many questions she asked him, he would ask just as many in return. There were even times Himeko had talked will her mouth went dry, something that didn't go unnoticed by Welt who would pour them both a cup of tea.

"I'm much more of a coffee person, I just never said anything."

"Wh– I– Miss Himeko! You should have told me..."

She giggled but placed the empty tea cup on the table next to her. It was the last day and the painting was almost finished. All they had to do was finish up some of the last details before the painting would be sent out to be copied. It was too bad... She was just starting to get used to this but it wasn't like she was going to be staying for long anyway.

"Ah. If you could please stay still for this. The light is hitting your eyes just right and I want to adjust the painting a bit." Welt had a look of serious concentration on his face as he matched the colors as best as he could to the real-life beauty. Doing as the painter requested, Himeko relaxed her shoulders and stayed in place.

Just then, a piece of hair fell in front of her face.

"Oh– I'm sorry–"

With a reassuring smile, Welt waved at her. "It's not a problem. If you'll allow me, I'll move it for you."

Himeko really froze this time. "O-Of course."

As his steps neared, the pounding inside her chest grew louder. Ducking down to carefully adjust the stray lock, Welt lightly used his pinky and ring finger to lift it away from Himeko's face, making sure it would not fall again and hide her eyes from the light of the midday sun streaming through the glass window panes. "......."

"Um– Mister Welt?"

"Hm? Ah! Yes! I-It's all fine now. Is it comfortable?"

"......." Himeko pondered for a moment, looking at the painter from below. His amber gaze was as warm as ever. "I think... it needs to be brushed back a little more."

"Understood."

He runs the same two fingers atop her ear on the side of her head, making sure to rid Himeko of any discomfort, before straightening up again. "I hope that's better."

"Yes, thank you." Himeko smiled. For some reason, Welt's steps back to his seat were a bit stiffer than before. A few more minutes passed and the painter put down his brush. Yet, he stayed still.

Himeko, who was sure he was done, got up from her chair with a look of concern. "Is everything alright?" There was a mumble, but she couldn't pick up much more than that so she walked over to his side. "I didn't quite catch that– My apologies, what were you saying?"

There was a pained look on his face that would have been hard to detect if she had not walked over. "Miss Himeko, you'd find me ridiculous for saying this but..." He looked up to peer into her eyes. "A part of me does not want to send the painting."

Just like on the first day, Himeko's heart skipped a beat.

"A-Actually, I don't want to at all. But please forgive me for being so presumptuous, Miss Himeko– I know you must have this painting sent out to–"

Himeko shook her head, making Welt's eyes widen in surprise. "You don't... have to..."

The woman's heart was no longer racing alone now.

"In fact, you can keep it..." What was she saying??? But Himeko could not regret any of her words. Not when he was smiling like that again.

"Say, Miss Himeko. Where were you going next?"

"Hmm? Me? I was planning to go to Xianzhou."

Welt stood up and looking a bit bashful, cleared his throat before he made a request. "Let's do another painting there."

So... he wanted to come along with her.

Himeko grinned as she went in for a hug, giggling when she heard him gasp in surprise.

"Let's order you a ticket then."

[heartfeltwarmth]

reciting poetry for your beloved who is akin to a flower 🌸 rkgk ft. #luoshang

[heartfeltwarmth]

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rizzlord of shoujo scenarios / endearmentologist

𝖼𝗁𝗋𝗈���𝗂𝖼 𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗉𝖾𝗋 ᵎᵎ˖ ‎ ‎ ♡ ‎ ‎ ‎𝗉𝗋𝗈𝖿𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗆𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗎𝗋 ⋆ 𝖼𝗁𝖾𝖾𝗌𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗌𝗅𝗂𝖼𝖾

lace divider: benkeibear ៸ blog header: anniversary countdown art by rafa ៸ blog post art: hoyofair jazznight event art by 栗樺茶

[enchantedchocolatebars]

AAA, IT DOES!!! 💙 🩵 😍 😭 🔥 🔥 🎶 👌

It makes sense if you think about it–