#there’s like a dozen terrible moments of the most ooc nonsense

[burst-of-iridescent]

well since i can already tell that we’re all going to be subjected to the same old tired mai & mai.ko discourse for the foreseeable future, let’s get it clear right now that the atla comics have never been, and will never be acceptable mediums of character development, and here’s why:

1. the comics are given the benefit of hindsight, which impairs organic character growth.

it’s become extremely clear over the last few years that many of the comics are made as, or include, direct responses to criticisms of the original show — especially when it comes to katara, mai, and the canon pairings. aang didn’t ask katara for consent? look, he’s checking if he can kiss her! mai doesn’t care about fire nation imperialism? here, she’s an anti fascist! iroh was a creep to june? don’t worry, here he is apologising!

many of the things the characters do or say in the comics feel unnatural because they are not written as characters, but as mouthpieces for the creators to address fandom complaints from the original show.

“but that’s good, right? they’re trying to make it better!” i mean… sure? it still doesn’t change the fact that it’s damage control, and that no matter what stories span the middle, the arcs of these characters still begin and end with avatar: the last airbender, and the legend of korra, both of which are fixed and immutable. the comics cannot retroactively fix the issues of either show, because they’ve already been defined as the goalposts of the characters’ lives, and there is no way to undo that.

it’s like if you eat a meal that isn’t to your satisfaction, and maybe the chief makes you another dish, which is all well and good — but it doesn’t fix the fact that the original meal still sucked! sometimes, accepting criticism means accepting that there’s no way to go back and fix it but to do better next time, with the next story you wish to tell.

if the legend of korra didn’t exist, and the arcs of the characters were left open after atla, then maybe there would be for the room for the comics to function as character development if not for the fact that…

2. the comics are intended for a very different audience than the show.

it’s obvious that the audience for the original show vastly outnumbers the audience for the comics, likely by thousands, if not millions. this isn’t the mcu, where the installation of any atla property is vital to understanding the next, and so on. you can skip the comics and miss nothing whatsoever (and honestly your life would be far improved by doing so).

those who read the comics are likely only the real diehard fans of the show — and the creators know this, which is why we have the whole issue of point one above. but this difference in audience matters, because it reflects the significance of the story being told, and how important it is for the audience to know it. this is why, if the characters’ development and storylines in the comics truly, genuinely mattered, it would have been in the show already.

i’m not saying that the gaang wouldn’t have continued to grow and change post-atla, but generally stories exist as closed circuits, self-contained within themselves. when you end atla, you’re meant to believe that those arcs are finished. that’s the whole reason the comics deal mostly with fun silly adventures, or with quick, temporary conflicts instead of grand, overarching narratives, because they are not truly meant to function as a continuation of the story of atla, or its characters.

(if you ask me frankly, they’re meant to be nostalgia cash grabs, but that’s neither here nor there.)

creator intention matters with the atla comics (or any atla property, in fact), because creator intention was the subject of criticism for the original show in the first place. why must we rely on the comics or the cookbook or avatar legends to tell us that katara did things with her life outside of aang? why do we need to turn to something released nearly two decades after atla to find any evidence that mai denounced the fire nation’s imperialist indoctrination, when she’s romantically involved with one of the show’s most important characters? why are these stories relegated to a medium with far less reach, far too late?

the answer is that the writers didn’t find those stories to be originally worth telling, and that is the real problem fans have been pointing out since 2008.

so, tldr:

[all-the-cliches-lwa]

A Flustered Valentine’s

So I wanted to do something for Valentine’s Day, but at the same time, I was kinda strapped for time. And honestly, after Passing On (which will be released weekly till it’s done), I wanted to write something silly.

I just might have gone a little too far lol. Thus featuring, what I think, is the most ooc Diana (in which it’s Valentine’s Day and Diana is an absolute useless mess, trying to give something to Akko) I’ve ever done. But it was dumb fun, and I hope you enjoy reading it anyway!

ffnet: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12593389/8/Distractions

Ao3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/13678344

Word Count: 4545~  

Summary: It’s Valentine’s Day and Diana is an absolute mess as she tries to give Akko a gift.

Diana was always baffled. She never quite understood how one could spend days, weeks, even months at a time worrying about how another person felt about them. Whether it be in her youth, overhearing her peers squeal about Andrew, or even recently, having watched her roommates tiptoe around how they so obviously felt for ages, she could never quite comprehend how one could waste so much time fretting about another’s feelings.

This was significantly heightened on the days approaching Valentine’s Day. She could see it in the eyes of those all around her, from quick, subtle looks to longing gazes. She would hear of her peers debate for hours about purchasing a gift for their “crush”, as it was called, while simultaneously longing for a similar sentiment from the objects of their affection.

It was utterly ridiculous in her eyes.

While, yes, she understood the purpose of the holiday - after all, love was a wondrous thing and a day to celebrate all sorts of love was truly something worth having - she could not wrap her head around the rationale of others. Why would one wait until such a day to find out if another felt the same way? Was it not more logical to find out before the day, so that they could celebrate their love on Valentine’s day?

And what she found even more ridiculous, if not absolutely infuriating, was how some of her peers, after wasting all of that time worrying, would back off on the last minute. It was just so… so impractical! Truly a waste of time!

So… when she found herself pacing about the local chocolaterie, making what was likely her fifth lap around every square inch of the store, on the 13th of February, she silently apologized to all of the people she had so harshly judged over the years.

She had to wonder though. Was this really what all these people were going through?! It was maddening!

For months, her thoughts had been filled with nothing but Akko. It never mattered what it was she was doing… or should have been doing, her mind would always find a way to drift towards the girl. From her bright smile, to the wonderful excitement in her eyes, to her beautifully cheery voice, to…

It was truly a miracle she had managed to get anything done over these past few months.

And contrary to what others may think, Diana was not so oblivious as to not understand what this meant for her. She could recognize what was so obviously an intense, if not crippling, infatuation for the girl.

It had only taken her a few weeks to liken it to her experience with the cupid bee… Only now it was far more real… And much more confusing.

While, after she had been stung, Diana had been filled with an overwhelming need to tell Akko about her ��undying" love, now, her feelings were far more complicated.

Yes, she still longed to tell Akko how she felt. It nagged her very being, and the prospect of Akko reciprocating those feeling constantly caused her heart to stutter. Not to mention, if her time spent with Akko was any indication, the thought was likely more than just a simple possibility.

However, as much as she wanted to confess her feelings, confirm what she suspected, she had never been able to.

Not that she didn't want to, of course. She'd thought of confessing her feelings numerous times. In fact, on several occasions, she had thought she might've actually been able to do so.

But that's all they ever really amounted to. Thoughts. Thoughts that, when she and Akko we're together, were quickly scrambled by a storm of conflicting, contradictory emotions.

And that was truly the most frustrating part about her ever-growing feelings for the adorable witch. All of the contradicting ways being with Akko made her feel.

It was utterly dumbfounding how the slightest touch could both cause her thoughts to go haywire, and yet fill her being with peace. Never before had she felt so utterly lost, yet completely at home than when she was around Akko. And truly, never had she so longed to be by someone’s side, and yet had to fight not to flee the moment that someone smiled at and walk towards her.

It was insane. It was nonsensical. It was absolutely ineffable. It left her at a loss for words.

Just like Akko. And, true enough to the contradiction, Diana loved every second of it.

As absolutely aggravating as the feelings that sprouted when she was around Akko were, she could not deny that they only made her long to be together with Akko even more. After all, underneath all of these feelings, Diana knew, was happiness.

Just simply thinking about being with Akko was enough to place a dreamy smile on Diana’s face, and actually spending time with Akko left her heart feeling so airy, so light, that she might as well have been walking on air.

She only hoped she could make Akko even a fraction as happy as Akko made her.

Which was why Diana found herself making her tenth lap around the chocolaterie, trying to find the perfect confection to give Akko the next day.

Would she perhaps like a simple white chocolate bar?

Or perhaps she would appreciate a green tea-dusted truffle.

Though, Diana did know Akko had quite the sweet tooth… perhaps she should go with their sweetest milk chocolate bar. After all, there was a beauty in simplicity… but then again, perhaps years of sweets has given Akko a complex, discerning palate for confections. Maybe she should go for a more sophisticated flavor…

Diana wanted to pull her hair out, already about to complete her eleventh lap around the store. She could practically feel the cashier watching her, no doubt questioning her sanity.

And really, Diana couldn’t blame him.

Then Diana saw it out of the corner of her eye. The solutions to all of her problems. An assortment of truffles, all neatly packed up in a box shaped like a heart.

It had everything. The decadence of truffles. Dozens of varieties and flavors. And no doubt enough sugar for even the most hungry of sweet tooths. And, perhaps, Akko might even find a favorite among the group, giving Diana even more direction for future treats. It was perfect!

Diana quickly walked up to the box and placed it in her basket. With a self-satisfied smile, Diana then sped to the queue.

Finally, Diana could stop thinking and just relax. She had been stressing over this for hours. There was no telling how many times she had looked through each and every aisle. At this point, she’d likely memorized the layout of the entire establishment and could probably pinpoint the exact location of any item the store had to offer. Honestly, if she hadn’t made up her mind soon, she would have bought one of each item in fit of impatience.

She was glad it never got to that point. After all, buying an entire year’s worth of chocolate for one person was absolutely going too far. It most definitely would have been faced with much disapproval from the object of her affection. She cringed at the thought of the awkwardness that might ensue if she had gone that far, gotten far too extravagant a gift for Akko. After all, doing such a thing might as well have been synonymous with confessing one’s feeli-

Diana froze. The deafening sound of her heart drummed in her ears, and her palms began to sweat.

How… how had she not considere-

No. No. It wasn’t worth considering. This was… this was just a simple gift! It wasn’t meant to confess her feelings for Akko. Not yet. Akko wouldn’t misconstrue such a simple gesture as a confession... would she?

… Even so, would that be so bad?

After all, it would be a great way to get these feelings off of her chest. While the thought of confessing to Akko on Valentine’s Day of all times seemed terribly cliche and still fairly illogical, she couldn’t deny that it also… somehow felt appropriate.

Besides, Diana knew there were signs Akko might have also reciprocated her feelings. While Diana wouldn’t deny that she was, perhaps, biased in this assessment, she had always believed Akko’s eyes to brighten just the tiniest bit whenever their eyes met. And the infuriatingly comforting hugs Akko always wrapped around her did always seem to linger just slightly longer than it did with anyone else. Not to mention all of the times Akko had gone out of her way, even spent hours searching the entire school, just to spend time together. There was, at least, something to be said for all of that.

… Unless Diana was just misreading the signs.

This was Akko after all… and the girl never ceased to be unpredictable. And try as she might… Diana had never once been able to read Akko perfectly…

This was a mistake. This was far too grand a gesture.

… The box was even shaped like a heart! What had she been thinking?! She should just put it back and make a twelfth lap around the store to look for something less… conspicuou-

“Next!”

Diana heart jumped in her throat, snapping herself out of thoughts. She was shocked to see herself already at the front of the queue, face to face with the cashier who had been there since she entered the store. The boy, likely just a bit older than she was, looked at her expectantly.

Think Diana. Think.

She could just walk out of the queue to put the box away… but that would be humiliating. She had spent hours looking for what was in her hands, and she knew the cashier had seen her walk up to the queue with such confidence. To back out now… was just unthinkable.

But at the same time, she wasn’t going to eat this chocolate herself. While she enjoyed sweets on occasion, this was far too much for herself.

Then again, giving these to Akko was also not an option. After all, it was common knowledge that chocolates given to another during Valentine’s Day was, at the very least mistaken for, a gesture of love and affection.

… But what if it didn’t have to be?

Diana remembered something. Something she had read as she researched Japanese culture - purely for academic reasons and her own curiosity, of course. Something about, how on Valentine’s Day, girls would give chocolates to a vast number of people. It could be out of obligation, for the sake of expressing their romantic feelings for another, or even to express their friendship for another.

The perfect explanation.

Diana could offer Akko these truffles as friendship chocolate. It held far more meaning than simple obligation chocolate, yet was not quite as intense as the kind that expressed true romantic love. After all, these truffles weren’t homemade… perhaps she could try that next year, assuming they were together of course.

For now, she would be satisfied with these, simply chocolates that expressed the friendship the both of them shared.

The shape of the box might be a hindrance to the plan, but she could explain it away by claiming it was on sale.

With that thought, Diana walked up to cashier and gave him the box.

“That’ll be £80.”

… Yes, on sale.

Diana collected her box and left the chocolaterie. She smiled, satisfied with her purchase.

Cost aside, the gift was perfect. She could already imagine the bright smile on Akko’s face. It warmed her heart just thinking about it. And the chocolate was just casual enough that she could act as if it was simply a gift between close friends.

Diana sighed happily. This little excursion was now over and done with. She could return back to her dorm, rest, and prepare herself to give this gift to Akko the next day.

She looked around to give the shoppes one last look, a triumphant look back really.

Suddenly, another item caught her eye, quickly filling her thoughts with images of Akko’s red irises and the joy that filled them. Mesmerized, nearly entranced, Diana walked into the store beside her, mind set on purchasing, just, one more item.

“C’moooon pleeeease Professor Ursula!” Akko begged.

“No Akko, you know I can’t.” Chariot denied with a quick cross of her arms. “I can’t let my tutee skip class tomorrow.”

“But I haaaave to! I need time!”

“Akko…” Chariot faltered, the sight of Akko’s wide puppy dog eyes nearly breaking her resolve. “Professor Finneran would never allow it.”

“But what if I’m able to make up my work tomorrow?” Akko asked.

Chariot raised a brow. “Are you serious?”

“Yes! I’m sure I’ll be able to get all the work I need to get done tomorrow night!”

“Akko,” Chariot sighed, “as much as you’ve proven yourself time and time again and as much as you’ve improved over the year, I don’t think you’ll be able to do that much work all by yourself.”

Akko only pouted more, tears beginning to fill her eyes. And try as she might to resist, Chariot’s resolve quickly crumbled.

“Fine! Fine,I’ll go tell Professor Finneran,” Chariot groaned, defeated.

“Yay! You’re the best!” Akko cheered, giving Chariot a big hug.

“Yes, but make sure you ask Diana to help you after you’re done.”

“... Professor!” Akko whined. “But!”

“No buts, I’m already letting you skip class. I can’t let you get behind.”

“Fiiiine,” Akko whined.

Chariot just chuckled before letting her pupil go.

“Now you better head off to the kitchen before the staff leaves.”

“Oh shoot! You’re right.” Akko gasped before letting go as well. “I gotta go, thanks Professor! I’ll make one for you too! I’m sure Professor Croix would love chocolate from you~”

“A-Akko!” Chariot stuttered, her cheeks coloring, as she watched her student run away down the halls.

What had she been thinking?

Diana couldn’t help but ponder this question as she stared at the dark red rose sitting in the vase on her desk.

No, she knew the answer to that.

Clearly she hadn’t been thinking. Once she had caught sight of the flower, she instantly thought of Akko’s eyes, and, on impulse, she had gone and purchased it.

Yes, the flower was beautiful. There were no qualms about the quality of her purchase.

The issue, however, was the fact that she had actually purchased it. A red rose, one of the most well-known, most obvious symbols of love.

How could she claim this was just a friendly gift now?

Diana groaned and turned away from her desk, hiding herself in her blanket to hopefully quiet her thoughts and get some sleep.

This was a mistake. She knew it was. Every rational part of her very being was screaming at her to just go back to her dorm and let it go.

But Diana had had enough.

Instead of sleep, she had spent the entire night thinking of whether or not to give the rose, which was currently hidden behind her back, to Akko.

Instead of prepare herself before class, she had spent every moment watching the door, waiting for any sign of Akko’s undoubtedly adorable entrance.

After the initial worry learning Akko would not be attending class, which was followed by a wave of relief when she learned Akko had simply overslept, Diana couldn’t help but pay attention to the depressingly empty spot at the red team’s table instead of focusing on the lecture.

This crippling crush had gone on for far too long.

That’s what Diana decided during lunch, when she found herself unable to eat, her entire being so painfully aware of Akko’s absence.

Which was why Diana now stood outside of the red team’s dorm, chocolates and rose behind her back.

She was finally, finally, going to confess her feelings for Akko and put this entire mess of pining and longing behind her.

… Plus she really missed Akko today.

Diana raised her hand up and placed three gentle knocks on Akko’s door.

This was it. There was no turning back anymore.

“Comiiing!”

Diana’s heart jumped, the sleepy, yet still wonderfully cheery voice sounding through the door.

Perhaps, if she was quick enough, she still could lea-

The doorknob turned with a click, bringing Diana’s thoughts to a halt. Diana’s free hand tensed into a fist as the door slowly creaked opened.

And when Diana finally saw the girl standing behind the door, her heart swelled.

There Akko was. Wearing a white t-shirt and red shorts. Hair sticking out in all directions. Face unfocused, hands rubbing at her eyes. The girl clearly had just gotten out of bed.

And it was, perhaps, the most beautiful sight Diana had ever laid her eyes upon.

“Who is i- Oh Diana!” Akko cheered, her eyes brightening as they finally opened to meet Diana’s.

No, she had been mistaken. This was the most beautiful sight Diana had ever had the privilege of witnessing.

“What’re you doing here?” Akko asked, “Classes just ended, I was sure you’d have some sort of after-class thingie you had to do.”

Diana stared, wide-eyed, at Akko, her heart beating far more quickly than it ever had before. That familiar fuzzy haze breached her thoughts, making it difficult to pick out words… but she had to find something to say. Anything to say.

“Y-yes well, I suppose I could take a day off just this once,” Diana answered back, genuinely surprised she had managed out an appropriate answer.

“Ooooh, so… uh… what brings you here already?” Akko asked as she, oddly enough, nervously looked into her room.

“Well, I heard you were feeling slightly tired, so I wished to see how you were doing,” Diana said, still pleasantly surprised at what words were coming out of her mouth.

“Oh, I’m doing just fine! Thanks Diana!” Akko said with an adorable little bounce, and Diana could feel the heat slowly beginning to invade her cheeks.

“I-it’s no problem, Akko.” Diana stammered.

And then the two stood there, for seconds.

For minutes.

Just the two of them standing by the door in the middle of the hall. Not another word shared between the two. With nothing but the distant sound of footsteps and a slight draft of wind filling the air around them.

Diana knew it was awkward, painfully so, and she implored her thoughts to give her something, anything to say. Unfortunately, such efforts were in vain, and words failed her.

“Soooo, is that it?” Akko asked, breaking the silence, in a slightly curious voice. “Cause uhm…”

“Wait!” Diana blurted out, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest in protest at the mere idea of letting Akko leave empty handed. She had gotten this far. She was not going to allow herself to miss this opportunity. “Wait Akko, I… I had something I would like to give you.”

“For me?” Akko asked, pointing towards herself. “Oh! Is it what’s behind your back?”

Diana bit her lip and nodded, her face growing ever warmer.

“Awesome! Show me! Show me!”

Diana took a deep breath and shut her eyes tightly as she brought the hand behind her back forward.

Her heart rang in her ears, and she stood still, waiting for something, anything, to ease or, even, relieve the uneasy tension building in her gut.  

It was utter torture, waiting for any kind of response from the girl in front of her.

“And this… is for me?”

Diana nodded.

“Really? Reeeeally? Is… is that what I think it is?”

Diana nodded again, more quickly this time.

There it was. Another tense silence, making Diana even more aware of the ever-loudening beating of her heart. Had her joints not locked up, she was sure she would probably have run off by now.

“Wait! Wait just right there. I need to get something! … but keep your eyes closed please.”

Diana furrowed her brow, but listened to Akko’s request. She heard Akko’s footsteps scramble around the red team’s dorm, along with what seemed to be the shuffling of blankets, chairs, and… a crystal ball? Or perhaps something else of that nature. Above all, however, she could hear Akko’s adorable voice grunting around, clearly trying to do… something.

“Aha! Found it!”

Diana heard Akko cheer before footsteps once again sounded towards her.

“Okay… now open your eyes!”

Diana did just that and was shocked to see Akko in front of her, those adorably puffy cheeks dusted pink, and a small chocolate tart, delicately decorated with dozens of raspberries, held out for her.

It looked absolutely divin-

Wait.

For her?

“Is… is this…?”

“Yeah! It’s for you,” Akko said with a bright smile. “It’s kinda why I was up so late last night. I didn’t know how to make tarts actually, so it was a looot of trial and error. But I wanted it to come out perfect!”

Diana stared in wondrous disbelief, her heart continuing to skyrocket. She nearly forgot how to even breathe.

Did.

That.

Diana’s brain short-circuited. It failed to comprehend what Akko had just said.

That was for her.

Akko had made that for her. Those words… they made logical sense and clearly meant something, but her brain failed to understand any of it.

“... You made that for me?” Diana parroted the words that had been echoing around in her thoughts.

“Yep! Just for you!” Akko said, and Diana nearly melted hearing those words. “... Do you like it?”

Diana stared at the tart, the chocolate no doubt lusciously and decadently perfect, and could scarcely believe her eyes.

“... It… it's magnificent Akko… thank you.” Diana whispered, still trying to process what was right in front of her

All this time, Diana had never even considered Akko would get her something.

Even with all the evidence right there for her to see, she couldn’t believe this was real. That Akko had actually taken the time and effort to make her something for today. For Valentine’s Day.

Akko even stayed up all night and skipped class - which Diana felt like she’d have to scold Akko for… but that could come later - to make it. For her.

Had she not been standing right in front of Akko, Diana surely would have let her knees buckle… truthfully she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop them if she was forced to keep standing here for much longer.

“To be honest, I was aaaactually going to stop by your room later tonight and bring you here,”  Akko giggled, “but I guess you beat me to it?”

“You… intended to bring me here?”

“Yup!” Akko said, opening her door wider to reveal what the source of the earlier commotion was. Atop Akko’s bunk was a little curtain made out of blankets, and on top of Akko’s bed was a crystal ball. “I was going to ask if you wanted to watch a movie with me? Sucy and Lotte are out for the night on a little date, kind of like I assumed Hannah and Barbara would be? And I just thought… maaaybe we could have our own… you know… movie date?”

Diana only nodded, gears turning in her head at the implication.

Akko wanted to watch a movie with her. Together, sitting beside each other on the bed. That was just.

And Akko had just called it a date too. Or, well, asked for it to be a date.

If Diana hadn’t been questioning reality before, she was certainly questioning it now.

This was all too good to be true.

But it had to be real, because if there was certainly one thing she knew on this world to be real, it was Akko. Even if there were times she found it hard to believe someone like Akko could exist, she knew there was no one more real than Akko, and that the Akko in front of her was certainly the real Akko.

Akko, who had basically just asked her on a date.

Speaking of, she should probably respond.

Favourably.

Give Akko a favourable response… and not just keep standing in this hallway gaping at the poor girl.

“So uh… do you want to-”

“Yes!” Diana answered immediately, almost desperately, before giving her mind any more chance to think. The moment her mind caught up, the color on her face darkened considerably. She swiftly straightened her back and cleared her throat. “I mean, I believe I would be open to the idea.”

Akko just giggled, grabbed Diana’s hands, scrambling the poor heiress’s thoughts further, and guided her into the room.

“Yay! This is gonna be so great! We can even share the chocolates,” Akko said with a skip in her voice. “Oh also, hey Diana, do you think you could help me catch up with what I missed today?”

“O-oh, of course Akko.”

“Yay! You’re the best,” Akko cheered, giving Diana a wide hug, which finally caused the heiress’s legs to buckle. Thankfully, she had already been besides Akko’s bed. “Oh but uhm, don’t think I did all of this because I wanted your help. Pleeease don’t think that, it honestly didn’t cross my mind! Professor Ursula just told me to ask you to help me because… well you know her, always watching out fo-”

“Akko… It’s fine.” Diana said, “I believe you.”

Akko smiled, and that was it. Proof that Diana had somehow died and gone into paradise. Not even in her wildest dreams did she ever dare to hope that something like this would be happening.

A smile, more dazzling than any show she had ever seen, just for her, making her heart skip and flip and dance all at once. Such a vision simply could not exist in this world.

“Yay! Now c’mon! Let’s go watch a movie~” Akko said, jumping onto her bed to join Diana, and snuggling into her arm. “Oh, also thanks for the rose, it’s suuuper pretty.”

“I-it’s no problem,” Diana squeaked, the soft feel of Akko's cheek on her arm sending jolts through her. This was real. This was all real. … And frankly, it was far too distracting to even attempt to focus on conversation. Instead Diana decided to let her thoughts speak freely. After all, it had worked well so far. “It reminded me of your eyes.”

Ah, she thought too soon.

Diana’s ears burned red. Did… Had she really just said that?

“O-oh.” Akko stammered.

Yes. Yes she did.

That was certainly unfortunate.

...

Diana really wanted to curl up in her bed and never see the light of day ever again.

But… perhaps she could still salvage the situation?

“Wait, Akko I-”

“Well, then I think you should have gotten me a blue rose then!” Akko continued.

“Wha-What?” Diana stuttered in shock, gaping at the girl beside her. “A blue… why a blue rose?”

Akko bit her lip, and looked up at Diana bashfully, the dusting of pink on her face growing more and more prominent.

“Well… because... then I’d have something to remind me of your eyes instead.”

Diana gaped at Akko, speechless, as the movie played in the background, beginning the first of, what would be, many dates to follow.