#in which ur experiments gonna hopefully finish up lil 5 days before ur papers due andlike 3 people want to read pieces of unfinished paper

[soldiergirlinacruelworld]

A Royal Mess┆Anastasia AU ┆Bloodlusteren

“You could wait,” A sandy haired boy glances up at the raven-haired girl with a sort of pseudo-thoughtfulness. “Until he’s old enough to be king, but too dumb to lead so you’re really doing everything behind him. If you’re unlucky though, he’ll be smart. Better to just kill him.”

The girl’s nose wrinkles, screwing up her entire face as she slides off of the creature with a practiced sort of grace, giving its neck a couple pats. “Don’t be morbid, Jean. I welcome the idea of having a younger sibling, finally someone else to play with!” 

“Tch. That’s what my brother said, and he hates me,” Jean flashes his signature cocky grin and sets the brush down, wiping his hands on his pants. Mikasa had never paid much attention to the grown-ups that teased about his little crush on her, mostly because she didn’t think it was true. However, as they got older, it was starting to show-- or maybe, she had just started his expression change from confident to hopeful. “Anyway, shouldn’t you be getting ready for a ball tonight?” 

“...Yeah, I’m not staying for long though. I just want to see my uncle since he’s been gone for a year.” 

__ 

“We could run,” Sasha recognizes a flash of confidence like fire in the grey eyes of her friend as she speaks, wondering how a girl in her situation could be so bold. Between them, she lacked any memories of who she was before the state handed her over to the orphanage at the not-quite-so-young-age of twelve. 

“Yeah...but I like having a bed. And food. And friends, Kana, you’d really just leave us?” The brunette rested her head on her arms, nearly cow eyed at her friend. There was no changing Kana’s mind when she set her mind to something, reckless as her ideas were sometimes. 

“...I’m going to leave in a couple months anyway, Sasha. It’ll be the same, just ‘Happy birthday, you’re homeless now.’ I’m going to leave the way I want, and go where I want.”

__ 

“...Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...”  For once, she just wished it would stop snowing; that would have been an apt enough birthday gift for her this winter, not having to trudge through a foot and a half of snow to the dimly lit office basement she called home every night, or at least, home until she was discovered. 

Though no one ever went down there, if she were to be suddenly evicted, you could bet it would be today. 

If she were being completely honest, she kind of missed her friends. Not that it would have made much of a difference when she left, but the memory still existed, which was also more than the universe seemed to think she deserved. 

Maybe if I ask nicely, one of the bakeries will give me their leftover cupcakes when they close? She thought hopefully, stopping to admire the beautifully decorated, albeit fake cakes on display. 

But probably not. 

Kana paid a lot of attention to strangers, mostly because people watching was her only form of entertainment. There were more...unscrupulous uses for it, but she’d always found it morally repellent, for the most part. She never stole candy without leaving at least a couple coins behind, more if she had them to make up for her less so inclined friends, never really considered joining a gang or any other offers she’d gotten since leaving. Life was simple, unsteady paycheck to paycheck, most of it under the table, but there was always the thought that tomorrow might be better, like the universe was building up to some grand finale, some great stroke of luck coming her way. 

I guess winning the lottery would be nice. But then I’d have to buy a ticket.

Opportunity is difficult to find here, isn’t it?

....Or maybe not. 

Turning away from the cake in the window, she had the fortune to lay eyes on a crisp, hundred dollar bill just hanging out of the pocket of a passerby, millimeters away from falling out. He didn't seem to notice, seeing as he was caught in a loud, animated conversation with a friend, arms waving as the smaller blonde laughed. 

Well, well. Maybe I’ll buy a ticket, she thought to herself, walking hurriedly toward the man, just close enough to bump his shoulder as she slides the note into her pocket instead. “Oops, sorry,” She murmurs without looking up. So many cupcakes! A whole box!! “Have a good night, sir.”