#tears of Themis angst

[va4imp]

IM NOT OKAY IM NOT OKAY IM NOT OKAY

HOYOVERSE SHOULD STOP TORTURING LUKE FANSS🙏😭.

IF LUKE DIES WE SHOULD BURN HOYOVERSE HQ FRRRRR🔥🔥🙏🙏

[thelonelyarchon]

🧶✂️ SEVERED FATES

Pairing: Artem Wing x Rosa, Artem Wing x Fem!Reader (in future chapters)

Summary: (Unofficial summary) Artem Wing is regularly praised for his ability to compose himself in any situation. Despite bombarding himself with paperwork and cases to appeal at court, he never once found himself in a situation where he was totally lost and helpless... that is until his birthday arrives. Plagued by nightmares and sudden illness this time of the year, it's a yearly tradition of the young senior attorney to pray at Cloudbreak Temple since he entered lawschool, the year it all began. It was the same thing every year. Pray and pray for answers. But what if... this year is different? And with the arrival of a mysterious but familiar heiress, he might just get his answers.

"Find what was severed and repair it," said the monk.

But... what must he repair?

Content Warning: Mentions of chest pains, unconscious Artem, overworking, description of fatigue, slightly unnerving imagery of being shot, does not follow Tears of Themis timeline religously, slightly ooc characters, angst (?), not-proof-read

Author's Note: This is an experimental post/prologue! I've had this crazy Gufeng!Artem x Fem!Reader angst fic at the back of my mind since last year and I was too scared to write it. Luckily, I found mysekf writing it earlier today after I finally got the go sign to stop my medicatiom for anxiety. What a better way to celebrate it than writing something that I was scared to bring into life beforehand! Anyway, if this gets positive feedbacks and interested readers, then I'll continue the series!

“AND THAT is why you should take this opportunity to rest, Artem. You’ll exhaust yourself this way,” Celestine pinched the bridge of her nose as she fought back another wave of nausea. The older senior attorney and co-founder of Themis Law Firm was in her first trimester of pregnancy, and her stress was getting to her.

Artem refused to look at Celestine. The pile of paperwork and casefiles sitting on top of his desk prevented him from doing so. He had been stuck in a vicious cycle of ‘work, eat, sleep, repeat’ for the last three weeks as the firm had an influx of cases to be handled at the end of March and early April. Nearly all senior attorneys in the firm were preoccupied with their cases, and Artem had the higher task of overseeing all of them.

“I know how to take care of myself, Celestine. You, on the other hand, should focus on your health and not on mine. You’ll exhaust yourself this way.” Artem lets out a small huff as he smiles to himself. Celestine’s mouth was wide agape.

Did Artem just throw her concerns back at her?

“You’re unbelievable,” she sighs. “I really can’t persuade you, no?”

Artem shakes his head without lifting his gaze from the paper he’s scanning. Using the blue silicone page-turner he has on his index finger and thumb, he smoothly flips through another page or two while scanning its contents.

She figures that she can’t persuade the young attorney no matter what she does. After all, Artem just earned another title in the industry: senior monster attorney.

“But I’m being serious now. Like for real, this time. Artem, I know you want to keep me stress-free… but I can completely manage my nausea in court. I can help you. It’s not like I’m incapacitated mentally, too!” Celestine argues.

In the two years he’s been working with Celestine, they’ve developed a sibling-like relationship. Artem understood where her concern was coming from. To be frank, he doesn’t know when was the last time he had a proper sleep. Usually, he’d go home late in the night only to eat and then do some more reading and compiling of evidence until he fell asleep. He would wake up to his alarm blaring, hastily dressing himself up for work before arriving at the firm to continue where he left off the night before. He would be lying if he didn’t admit he was overworking himself.

“I’m fine, Celestine. Reading more won’t hurt me.”

“Yeah, it won’t but I will hurt you if you don’t rest now while I’m still being kind,” Celestine turned her back to him and crossed her arms. She walks towards the door before turning her head at him again only to emphasize what she said. “That’s an order from your boss, Artem! Rest or you’re fired.”

For the first time since the moment Celestine entered his office twenty minutes ago, Artem lifted his head to look at the senior attorney. Maybe it was from the frustration she felt but Celestine wasn’t smiling. He gently dropped his pen on his table and closed the folder with the casefiles he was supposed to finish reading by lunchtime.

He rests his elbows on his desk and uses the back of his entwined fingers as support for his chin. He learned it is best not to provoke a pregnant woman or he might just have to deal with her tears. He is efficient at dealing with court trials, but he’s aware he’s useless when it comes to stopping women’s tears.

“Fine, Celestine. You won,” he leans back on his chair and loosens his necktie. Now that he took the time to relieve himself of his duties, he could feel the fatigue consuming him.

His eyes feel itchy and dry from all that reading, and he knows he may just need a pair of glasses if he continues to abuse his eyesight like this.

When was the last time he slept well again? Yesterday? Two days ago? Maybe.

“Mr. Wing, I have here last month’s pending civil cases! These haven’t been looked at yet so Kiki was hoping if you could-”

“Ah! Rosa, there you are! You’re just in time!” Celestine exclaims as she claps.

Rosa jolts back in surprise as Celestine bombards her with a hug. She laughs nervously and looks at Artem. Her smile drops upon seeing his face. He looked… like a homeless man. He looks horrible!

“I’m on time for what…?”

“I have an important favor to ask of you and it’s more of a personal favor, but I’m willing to give you a bonus for it!” Celestine said.

Rosa’s eyes widened as she stepped back and raised her hand. Just what happened here? A bonus sounded tempting, but Rosa knew that when Celestine asks for personal favors these days, it usually involved three things: pregnancy cravings, dealing with impertinent clients, or Mr. Wing.

And with the sight of Artem casually sprawled over his office chair nearly passed out from fatigue, she knew she should be nervous.

“Ah… hahahaha… uhm. Ahem! C-celestine?”

Celestine grinned and moved behind her. She pushed Rosa inside the room towards Artem and stood by the door. She reaches for the handle.

“Rosa, make sure Artem doesn’t step foot inside the law firm for the next week or so nor have him hold anything related to work! That’s an order. Don’t worry, I'll count both of your absences as a paid one-week leave,” she slyly smiles. Rosa was horrified.

She will… babysit Artem for a week!? She should feel happy that despite chilling around for the next week or so, she was still being paid. But… she’s spending her week with Mr. Wing!? Now, now! That’s uncalled for!

“N-now h-hold on for a second, Celestine–!”

Celestine laughs as she pulls the door close. Before she could close it, she left her with one more instruction, “Oh. One more thing. Artem’s relieved from the cases he has right now except for next month’s trial. And by the way, it’s nearly the 26th. Keep an eye on Artem, will you?”

Rosa’s eyes softened when she saw the genuine concern on Celestine’s face. She knows Celestine and Artem’s mother are close, and she treats him like a brother. It was also Mr. Wing’s birthday week. But for some reason, there was something deeper behind the meaning of her instruction.

Keep an eye on him… for what? Or… from what?

As soon as the door clicked shut, Artem let out a sigh. Rosa turned to his way.

“That Celestine… really,” he sits up from his chair. “I’m sorry you had to do this. You may refuse to do so if you like.”

Rosa shook her head and offered him a smile. “It’s alright, Mr. Wing. At least it’s me you’re with. That way, I can still bend the rules and allow you to sneak a peek at your work from time to time,” she winks and gives him two thumbs up.

Artem chuckles as he smiles warmly. “Right. Well, help me arrange these files. I’ll leave the other cases to Celestine and I’ll bring the ones for next month.”

“Copy that, Mr. Wing!” Rosa said enthusiastically.

As Artem stood to fix his things, he noticed the calendar sitting on top of his desk where the keys to his car were placed in a bowl. The date April 26th was encircled in red marker ink ominously. Artem holds his chest as the familiar sense of foreboding creeps up to him. He sighs and shakes his head.

Rosa notices the sudden change in his demeanor. “Are you alright?”

Artem looks at her and smiles. “Yes. Also… would you like to come with me to Cloud Break Temple?”

Rosa’s eyes sparkled at his offer.

Cloud Break Temple… their spot. It’s been a while since they’ve been there.

“Of course… Artem.” She said softly.

_____________________________

“WHAT are you going to pray for, Mr. Wing?” Artem looks at Rosa as she speaks. Currently, they stood at the arch at the entrance of the temple. Many tourists and locals were climbing the long stairs up to the temple. Some were students, some were elderly, and some were even pregnant.

The bustling sound of the temple and the bells and windchimes comforted Artem. He never really admitted it, but for some reason, the temple was a safe refuge for him. Although, during the week before his birthday, he would feel an ominous shadow looming behind him.

“Hmm, nothing. I was just going to pray for well-being.” He said.

“Ah! If I remember correctly, last year you went here for your birthday, too. Is this a yearly tradition?” She asks.

“You could say that. It only started when I pursued law school.”

“Huh?” Rosa asked, confused.

Naturally, Rosa didn’t know everything about Artem despite the blooming affection between the two of them. Artem has yet to pursue her officially. However, in the short time she was able to work with Artem, she could somehow get a gist of who he was and how his mind worked.

It’s only been a year since she met Artem and worked for him at the law firm and NXX so this came as a surprise.

Artem looked at her and smiled. He reached for the top of her head and gently caressed it. Rosa’s cheeks were flushed. Artem could feel his burning too. He clears his throat and retracts his hand away before walking deeper into the temple.

The temple was still the same, although a few areas had been closed off for construction. When they got to the area to get their tickets, he found a familiar face. It was the old monk that had entertained them last year.

“Oh! It’s you two darlings again.” He started. Rosa and Artem laughed at his words. They greeted the monk together.

“How have you been? Are you here to pray for safety? What about the exam? Or, is it marriage again young man?”

Artem blushed as he shook his head and laughed nervously. “How I wished to, but it is not my purpose for coming today. I am here to pray for–” At the corner of his eye, he caught a shadow walking past him, stopping him in his tracks. The words remained at the tip of his tongue as he trailed off.

It was a shadow… no, it’s a silhouette. No… it was a woman who walked past him.

Before Artem could turn around to see who it was, he found himself clutching his chest as a searing pain radiated throughout his body. He falls to his knees.

In his mind, he thought his fatigue was finally catching up to him. Was it a heart attack?

“I can’t… I can’t breathe.” Artem muttered.

“What is wrong with me?”, Artem thought as he felt his consciousness slipping away.

“Artem! Mr. Wing! Are you alright? Can you hear me?” He could hear Rosa’s distant, frantic cries for help as people surrounded them. His eyelids fluttered open as he fought back to keep himself conscious. But it was so… heavy. It was just like the last time last year. It was as if his chest was just shot.

HIs head lolled back and his eyes rolled back as he struggled to fight back. He was sure he would lose consciousness now. His hand clutched his chest even harder. It was even more difficult to breathe. He could see the face of the old monk looming over his figure.

"Am I… on the ground? Why is the sky the only thing I can see?"

The monk's face was void of emotion as if studying the strange thing that he had just seen. But what is it? Why is he staring at him as if he knew this would happen and he knew why it happened? Artem couldn’t bear to look at the disappointment on his face. What did he do wrong?

He turns to his side as the last bits of his consciousness leave him. His eyes landed on the wishing tree, the same one on which he and Rosa had hanged their tablets. Visions began to form as he hallucinated.

Blink.

“Oh… what a lovely tree. It’s more luscious now this time of the year.”, Artem thought as the tree became much more younger-looking. It lacks the wooden tablets that were hung on its branches.

Blink.

“Who… who are they?”

A man and a young noble lady met under a younger-looking wishing tree. This time, the first tablets were hanged by the two. Two entwined fates, one lucky and one unlucky…tightly tied together to make a fortunate one.

“Why… am I seeing this?”

Blink.

It was only a split second before the scene changed again. Artem found himself screaming for help when an arrow was shot towards someone. Before he could see who shot the arrow, the searing pain in his chest became unbearable and the last bits of his consciousness finally slipped away as the arrow pierced his heart.

On the other end of the temple's grounds, you, the woman who happened to pass by the area, stopped to look at the commotion behind you. You tilt your head off to the side as you eye the young man who's sprawled unconscious on the floor.

"Who is he?" You asked the man in black beside you.

"A young man has fainted, Madam. It was the one you happened to pass by just now. It's not of your concern. The staff has called for help. We must leave now if we are to catch the plane by tonight." He said.

The urgency in his voice was unmistakable, but you chose to ignore him. You took of your sunglasses to take a better look at the man. Your brows twitched at the familiar face. Who would've thought the one lying on the ground and causing a commotion would be the youngest senior attorney in Stellis City? Artem Wing.

A slight smirk played on your lips as you thought of the Gods giving you a favor. Perfect timing. He's the right man you need for tue job you have in mind.

"Hugo," you gently eyed your bodyguard to signal hik to come closer to you. He quickly moves beside you to hear your request.

"Yea, Madam?"

"Get the car. I would like to personally bring the man to the hospital." You wore your sunglasses and turned around to exit the temple grounds. Younhear your bodyguard choke on air at your order.

"P-pardon, Madam!?"

"You heard me once. No need to make me say it twice."

"U-understood." He jogs back to the scene where a staff was frantically attempting to awaken Artem. You on the other hand, refused to look back. Once your guard was out of sight, you couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing by helping you, Attorney Wing. Don't make me regret this." You mutter.

You though you should have a little more faith in him. After all, you just hit the jackpot. Maybe the gods really did hear your prayers today. With the case you were entangled with, sure enough Stellis's top senior attorney can help you win this and clear your name. 99.9% win rate? Yes, helping him is worth it. You just hoped he would think that way, too.

[chococakelin]

How did we end up like this? How did everything change so fast without me even realizing? How could I be everything to you one moment to being just a fleeting memory?

One moment I was in your arms, my forehead resting on yours—just being lost in each other’s worlds. Suddenly I find myself sitting on the sidelines watching you look at another person with the same gaze that once belonged to me.

I watch as you dance in the rain with another in your embrace, faking a smile just so that no one would know that I am the bitter ex.

I pretend to not be fazed by you moving on when in reality I spend sleepless nights wondering when you would come back to me, when you would come back home.

How did I lose everything when all I remember was loving and being loved by you? When did I suddenly become not enough for you? When did I even lose you?

I am with our friends and I am blocking everyone out, I can’t listen to them fawning over your new lover and how the both of you are the perfect pair. I don’t want to hear them.

I am falling all over again, not into your arms or the arms of another—I am not falling in love.

I am falling, anxiously waiting for the day I finally shatter and break, my pieces all over the ground, wondering if I’ll ever be able to put myself back together again.

What happened to our promises of a lifetime of forevers?

What happened to us?

What happened to you?

What happened to me?

How did I end up losing myself in loving you?

Taylor Swift’s cardigan really brought back my Wattpad angst days wtf 😭

[yaesnovels]

EMERGENCY COMMISSIONS

i really hate to be doing this right now, but i geniunely have no other choice.

i have reached a point where i won't be able to cover some of my basic bills and debt. theres a total of 350€ i need to pay off in the next couple of weeks of which i can cover about 100€ right now. (the remaining is approx. $280 according to google).

i am currently working as an intern in an unpaid internship where i only get a small amount of money to cover basic living expenses such as groceries, etc. and unfortunately, turkiye (where i am currently staying at) had been hit by a massive hyperinflatation, making basic living expenses very expensive.

with this, i want to open emergency commissions for genshin and tears of themis fanfiction, as well as original characters works, selfship works specilized for you alone, and similar stuff.

if you have a bit to spare, i would really appreciate the support. i am not the type to beg for money but i am really in a tough spot right now and i hate to be doing this right now.

as for the pricings, dm me or send me an ask and we can work something out that works for us :)

if you're unable to help out in this way, please share this post by reblogging, telling people you know who you think are able to help, anything. i appreciate all the help.

links:

KO-FI

BUY ME A COFFEE

[rubiedoobiedoo]

TEARS OF THEMIS—

Artem Wing:

IS THIS LOVE?

💌How much longer did Artem think Elaine would stay silent and go along with his lack of action for fear of doing something wrong? Even the most voluminous jar has its capacity.💌

[kiyasus]

"I won’t run away this time.”

Scene from the filo socmed au I was reading  (｡•́︿•̀｡)

🔗 https://twitter.com/suiairyink/status/1519273506902478848?s=20

[nagisadelune]

Headcanon: Your Wedding Without Luke

(Definitely not edited)

I promised myself I would never write an angsty headcanon, but here we are... I swear someone's going to riot because of this, but we're going to write it anyways. (I'm so sorry Luke stans...)

Here we go though. For context, someone made an Instagram reel where an "unconventional" practice is to leave a seat open for the deceased... I think you know where I'm going with this, so let's just get to the story. Hope you enjoy this one!

For the timeline, let's skip to a few years ahead of the game (since we all know Luke's timeline). I think we should just assume the year 2040 and you're Rosa just to be safe.

⭐⭐⭐

Staring at yourself in the mirror, your nervous heart pounds against your chest. While your fingers play with the fabric of the skirt, your mind can't help but wander to your current situation: you're getting married. Although you knew that you wanted to get married from a young age, it feels surreal that you finally found someone to spend the rest of your life with, but it isn't the way that you imagined.

The knock at the door pulls you away from your thoughts, and Kiki's head appears behind the door. You give her a small smile before she enters.

"How are you feeling?" she asks quietly as she carefully shuts the door behind her. Trying to compose yourself from your thoughts, you sigh before answering her.

"Nervous, but who isn't nervous on their wedding day, right?" you honestly answer her as she approaches you with an expression that seems to say "fair enough." You notice how the bridesmaid dress suits her well and smile at her. "You look great in your dress by the way," you comment, and she responds with a helpless smile and shaking head.

"Not as great as you," she responds back as she sits on the couch behind you, playing with the hem of her dress. With the silence that overcomes the room, your mind wanders back to those thoughts, and you decide to voice them, knowing that Kiki would reassure you

"Do you," your voice falters for a moment before continuing, "think that it is right for me to do this?" Biting the inside of your lip and glancing behind you, Kiki looks at you with a slightly sad smile, knowing exactly what you meant to ask. With a heavy sigh, she stands up and grabs your hands, gripping them tightly in an attempt to boost your confidence.

"I think this is the right thing," she answers quietly and carefully, trying to respect your thoughts and feelings. Your mind immediately thinks back to your promise to him before everything happened, and you try to bite back your tears, trying not to ruin the meticulous makeup on your face. If I go, I want you to be happy; I want you to find someone else who can make you smile a lot, alright? Those words in your mind repeat as Kiki continues speaking. "I understand that it's hard because you miss him so much, but I think he would want to see your smiles than to see you crying in pain," she continues, trying to keep it together. "As much as you want him, you know that you need to move on."

"I know I have moved on though; I have someone I'm about to marry," you reason mostly to yourself, "but I still love him." Your voice reduces to a whisper, admitting your feelings. The tears slowly well up in your eyes, and Kiki immediately reaches for a tissue to dry them up for you. Silence returns to the room as you feel like you're betraying him.

"You know," Kiki responds as she continues to dry your tears, "it's possible to love more than one guy. You're marrying someone who accepts you even though you're struggling; he knows that you love him even though you feel like you're betraying your first love." Your mind can't process Kiki's words as you're trying to regain your composure. Her hands continue to dry your eyes as she continues to explain, "If it makes you feel better, no one is going to blame you for betraying him; they want you to be happy. You're going to miss him, but there's nothing wrong with missing someone you've known all your life, alright?" Her words finally process in your mind, sniffling as you contain the sadness in your heart.

"You really think so?" your shaky voice whispers, the words barely able to come out of your throat. Kiki's confident nod eases some of the conflicting feelings in your heart, and you're finally feel the air moving in and out of your chest as if you weren't breathing in the first place. With shaky breaths, Kiki gives you a soft smile, cleaning up the last of your tears before squeezing your hands again.

"It's time," a voice at the door calls, and Kiki acknowledges them before looking back at you.

"Ready?" she asks with a barely audible tone. You only have enough courage to muster a nod before Kiki walks with you to the aisle.

The first part of the ceremony blurs by your mind before you finally come back to your senses. Your eyes nervously look at the aisle in front of you as your father looks his arm with yours.

"Don't worry," he whispers. "You're doing great sweetie." Hearing the aisle music you planned previously, you manage to look up, swallowing the nervousness in your throat. However, your eyes catch something in the corner. You initially blink, thinking your vision is starting to fail you at a young age, but he's still there. At the empty seat you left in the front room, a suited male stands in front of it, and your eyes immediately tear up when you recognize the figure. Everything's the same from your memories of him: his warm smile, the sturdiness of his shoulders, and even his eye smile. The warmness of his aura brings tears to your eyes as you realize that you're learning to let him go; even though he's gone, he'll always support you if that means you putting him aside in your mind.

Walking down the aisle, you can feel your future husband's gaze on you, knowing that the pain you feel can only fade and that he'll support you anyways. However, you also feel your first love watching you like a guardian angel, taking in how you finally found another person to make you happy like he did. Although the music plays around you, you hear his voice telling you that it's okay that this is happening and how happy he is that you found someone else that loves you.

Reaching the altar, you somehow find the raging feelings in your heart calming down, the nervousness slowly dissipating from your body. You know that you'll miss him no matter what. You know that your heart will always long for him, but your heart eases knowing that he loves and supports you. As you take your future husband's hand and squeeze his, you know that this is what he would've wanted. You can only be honest with yourself in your thoughts before the officiant starts talking.

"I love you, Luke. I always will."

⭐⭐⭐

Oh man. I was tearing up writing this to be honest, but we'll find out who really started bawling. (Hue hue.) Either way, I hope you liked this one, and I'll see you in the next one!

[seven-tastic]

has anyone else gone through this character pipeline i feel like i'm going insane

[actualbird]

// tot cn server spoilers, anniv 4 pv

ANGST AND KISSING IS ON THE MENU, LUKE ENJOYERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! //SCREAMS INTO MY FIST

[khickuwa]

paying my monthly luke tax

[thelost-in-time]

Angst/comfort, especially comfort for anyone who lost a loved one.

[06:00 p.m] (18:00)

"Now you're in the stars and six feet's never felt so far, I don't wanna say goodbye because this one is forever."

He heard you mumble as you sat on your knees, looking up at the starry sky tearfully.

As he walked towards you and held you in his arms, you couldn't help but let out all the sobs you held trapped, clutching him close as if afraid he too, would leave you.

As you sobbed in his embrace and he comforted you, it seemed the stars had gotten a bit brighter, as if happy that you at least had his support.

[cupcakesmoothie]

When you realise you haven't done your daily tasks:

2:50 am, Marius' art studio:

MC: Slams open the door*

Marius: Almost ruins painting* "E-eh? Jiejie, what-?"

MC: Aggressively ruffles his hair, leaves*

Marius: ???

Also Marius: Affection +1000

[emjiajia]

"We rip apart our newspapers and turn them into guns."

Something I wanted to draw after re-reading Day and Night;; Everytime I think about that video of young Artem some part of my heart breaks a little😭😭😭

[grapenamjams]

Luke angst hits me in the heart😭

I think as a community we moved passed this little scene.The fact that he is slowly losing himself to his illness to the point he is hallucinating making him not be able to recognize MC and mistake us for a criminal even just for a moment is breaking my heart. Then Marius coming in pushing him off of MC making luke snap out of it and refuse to look at MC as he comes to himself. He feels so guilty, ashamed not only for how he was close to hurting MC but revealing just how bad his condition has gotten since before this moment he’s been trying so hard to hide it.

This whole scene made my heart ache. I wanna hold him 🤧

[rubiedoobiedoo]

"IS THIS LOVE?"

Pairing: Artem Wing x oc

Genre: angst 💞

Word count: 1410

💌How much longer did Artem think Elaine would stay silent and go along with his lack of action for fear of doing something wrong? Even the most voluminous jar has its capacity.💌

Setting: Artem's office

She had hated how he kept putting her down. What made it worse was that he always did it unknowingly.

They had known each other since their university years. And that hurt her even more. Almost 10 years together and yet, she always faltered when he opened his mouth to placate her with his sweet words.

"It is your problem, Elaine. Why should I keep bothering with your 'insecurity issues' when my words clearly don't console you? You can't expect me to neglect Rosa for you." Artem spoke, not even looking up from the paper he was highlighting.

She felt neglected, 'Does he not even care enough to look up at me when he is speaking?' She wanted to cry, laugh, yell and scream, thrash around his room like a mad woman. But she held it in.

"You know I don't mean that. But can't you just try and see it from my-" She tried to press on, wishing he would look up... at least once.

"No, no I can't. I have been hearing about this ever since she came to the office. So what? I had to cancel some dates. I had to cancel  a few plans. You have done it too, it isn't any different. But you just want to create a big deal out of it, don't you?" He cut her off, his voice as calm as ever. He too, was troubled with her.

They both knew a conversation on this topic was important. He knew that he wasn't doing right by not looking at her while they were arguing. But he couldn't bring himself to look at her. If he did, he would break down. Her face was twisted, the kind that made him worry about their relationship. But he knew, he very much did, that she wasn't in the right in this argument. And he was tired of their constant arguments. 

"I have, yes." She admitted, "I have, in the past, cancelled dates as much as you. But I do inform you beforehand, do I not?" She questioned him, walking forward. "And you know the problem isn't about cancelling dates. Such things are unavoidable in our lines of work. I would never hold it against you."

"Then, what is it?" His voice was stern as he stared at the papers in his hand The words weren't making sense to him anymore, he sighed.

"You did not inform me beforehand that you would cancel, Artem! You can't just throw that sort of information to my face after I am already at your doorstep, or when the waiters are feeling too sorry for me to even move around my table." She was tired, frustrated and most of all, embarrassed.

"But I did tell you, didn't I? So your argument that I cancelled the date without telling you beforehand is incorrect."

She tried to stop the twitching in her fingers, she wanted to let her frustrations lose. 'I can't punch him here, I would be risking a lawsuit.'  "Are we court, Mr. Attorney?" she saw him frown and weirdly enough, this time she didn't feel anything. 

"You know I didn't mean it like that  Elaine." He trailed off, but still refused to look at her.

"But I did. I meant everything I said and implied and I think we should-" She was cut off by him grabbing her hands and staring straight at her eyes.

"We are not breaking up." His voice was filled with hurt and her eyes immediately softened.

"I wasn't about to say that." She freed her hands from his grasp. "I was about to ask you for a break."

"It's the same thing, Elaine." He was desperate now. He was aware that if they took a break, it could quite truly be the catalyst to a break-up.

"You are treating me like I am your opposition in court again." She responded "With that condescending tone... and you know what? Maybe I am wrong and they are the same, but would that be so bad?"

"Elaine." He walked to her now, she was seated in front of him. "I do not treat you-"

"You do!" She cut him off, "And news flash dude, I am the same age as you." She put on an expression of faux surprise, "Mind blowing, isn't it?"

"You are acting like a child."

"Am I? I wasn't aware." She replied sarcastically, "But I  think we are done here, wouldn't you say the same, Mr.?"

"Elaine." His voice was stern, "We are not done here, we have not even reached a conclusion. And I do not agree with your proposal."

"You do not agree? Who would've thought." She walked towards his table now and picked up a book, 'Fading Love'. "Why do you have this on your table anyway?'

"You gave it to me to read." he walked towards her again and took a closer look at the book.

"What's the book about?" She quizzed him, hiding the book behind her.

"Elaine." He tried to grab the book from her but she moved behind his desk in time.

"What, Elaine? I am pretty sure when I read it, it wasn't about me." She felt safe behind the desk.

"Fading love is about a love that has faded..."

"Sure-"

"And it is about a married couple. They start to see each other less and less... and their marriage is not safe anymore." He sighed, he knew she would be using this against him now.

"Doesn't this remind you of someone? Or specifically, a couple we both know very well?" She asked him.

"No. No it doesn't." He knew her point but he did not want to agree with her.

"I know you do, Artem. You are not dumb. You know what I'm implying. This book is about future us!"

"It's not about future us. We are better than them." He argued.

"Better? How are we better? The only difference between us and the couple in the book is that their separation will be more difficult with all the legal stuff. But for us? There won't be any such thing. We can both just say 'bye', walk away and never look back." She was huffing after she poured out all her anger and annoyance.

"Don't say that, Els.. We are great together." He pleaded with her.

"Great? Yes.. Maybe in the past we were great but I don't see how that is possible anymore, Artem. Clearly you don't care for my feelings."

"I do care. There is no one else I care for more than you." He grabbed her hands and held on to them, tracing light circles atop.

"No.. no, you are wrong, Artem. I don't know if its Rosa you care more for or your reputation but I can assure you that am not at the top of your priority list. stop-I already know what you want to ask me. You want to know now I am so sure of this right? Well, Mr. Attorney, I guess you have trained me well because I can list out multiple counts of neglect. If you need, I can submit the report to the judge."

"Just because I forgot to inform you of a few dates?" Artem sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Just a few dates?! I know that you know me well enough to know that I would not have this reaction had it been just your usual lack of planning skills. But NO! It is not just that. This is for the humiliation, embarrassment and pain you've caused me just for some rendezvous with her!"

She started to make her move towards the door of his office again when he grabbed her and spun her around again to face him. " You can't just fault the poor innocent girl for a relationship already on a rocky tract..."

She winced in pain and shock as she processed his words, " A relationship already on a rocky tract... Was that how you saw us, Artem? I hope you are glad then, you won't have to trudge along this path anymore. Go to whatever smooth sailing path you compared our relationship with." She removed his hands from her shoulder, before closing the door she turned around to look at his downcast gaze,"You claim that I am faulting a 'poor innocent girl', but my love, I am not. I place the blame only on the 'guilty man I thought I was in a steady relationship with.' "

[shuchu]

Imagine if we had an illness much worse than Luke and it kills us faster. Then the game ends in our funeral with all characters standing in our grave.

omg nooooooo uhuhuhu ;w; i feel like that'll wreck everyone...

luke will probably regret not confessing to you earlier but will also be happy that he got to spend as much time with you as possible before you passed. he'd look out into the night sky with a sad smile, he knows you're watching over him but he breaks down, sobbing uncontrollably. he misses you. so goddamn much

vyn would find himself reminiscing on the memories the both of you made. every part of the house holds a special memory and he while he seems all collected on the outside, as he's reminiscing, a tear falls down his cheek and he sobs. he misses you so much

artem would bury himself in work but just being in the office reminds him of times where you'd bring him lunch and sit by his side while the both of you enjoy your meals. he'd remember how your eyes sparkled when you started piecing information together to solve the case. he buries his head in his hands as he sobs silently

marius would also bury himself in work as a coping mechanism but when he goes on his phone, he sees the last message he sent you. him being his usual cheeky self, teasing you and you being flustered, he smiles fondly at your conversation and starts to read the chat log. he gets to a point where you said, "i love you marius, i'll always be by your side." he feels his eyes sting and blur from the tears welling up, his heart hurts, realising that he'd never hear those words from you again. he wishes you were still here

i'm sorry if this drabble isn't in character for the men but gods the angst ueueue ;w; what a way to start the new year huh? thank you for the prompt lovely, i love me some angst even though it hurts T^T