#women's sporty pants

[mekyrdesign]

Step back in time with our Vintage 90s Jogging Pants for Women, designed for comfort and style. These retro joggers feature a classic fit and vibrant colors, perfect for casual outings or lounging at home. Made from soft, breathable fabric, they provide all-day comfort while keeping you on-trend. Whether you're hitting the gym or running errands, our Vintage 90s Jogging Pants for Women will elevate your wardrobe with a nostalgic touch. Embrace the 90s vibe today!

[beatrack92]

[womenofwrestlingfashion]

Sporty B Nylon Oversized Track Pants from Balenciaga (no longer available)

[sharonallen246]

Meet The Sporty Jogger Pants, The Newest Entry Into The Women Clothing Genre 

You might have heard, and even worn the jogger pants for the gym sessions, but it is time to move on with them to something more fashionable and chic.

[johnbrand]

Call to Action

William was getting antsy in the airport, crossing his legs and kicking his feet anxiously as he awaited his flight. It had been nearly two months since he had last seen his long-distance boyfriend and the excitement was riling him up. William had been preparing for this trip for weeks now. Everything was packed, the shuttle from the airport coordinated. As soon as he landed he would quickly change from his plane pajamas to a fancier outfit to surprise his true love.

All of this made William bouncy with a child-like giddiness. The two had been lovers since their first year of college, but William’s boyfriend had made it clear early on that senior year he planned to study abroad. Even though this separation was planned and temporary, the young, romantic William had swooned since the day he left. He practically looked the part too, his average, lean build and mousy brown hair perfectly accompanying the lovelorn persona.

Doing his best to distract himself, William grabbed for his phone, surprised to find an unknown number trying to reach him. With nothing better to do, he decided to accept the call. William did not notice all the other men in the airport simultaneously reaching for their phones and answering the same number through their devices.

“Men!” a rugged, masculine voice exclaimed from the other end. “It is our time to rise up to save our country!”

William was not prepared for this sudden call to action, but curious, he remained on the line. He did not realize his decision was already made for him.

“Men should be with women! Men need to become fathers again!”

William’s eyes glazed over at the strong words as the masculine voice continued to spout even more offensive remarks. It was jarring, aggravating to a point that…aggravating to a…aggravating to his dick.

William let the man’s uproar of commands project on, unaware of the small boner that rose from his soft pants as insults were delivered at his masculinity. Each of the man’s statements were absorbed willingly into William’s innermost self, adjusting the poor boy to the expectations of a complete stranger. William’s height rose dramatically, a soft breeze tickling against his shins as his pants rode higher up. His thighs and calves began to fill the empty space as the pants became a starchy material, khakis functional either indoors or outdoors. His shoes too, once cheap sandals, grew larger into massive athletic sneakers that (thanks to his manly privilege) passed as "business casual."

“Straighten out those backs and puff those chests!” the voice urged, and William obliged. His muscles tightened beneath the worn-out tee, which was quickly thickening into a sporty-yet-still-professional polo echoing a more standardized hue. William’s chest, now supported by hard-earned bulk, began to cover itself with little hairs while his entire being broadened and squared. The changes crawled out from underneath the new shirt down his arms, leaving William with tanned, lightly dusted appendages and thick mitts begging for a game of catch on the front lawn. A single finger was graced with a simple silver band.

William’s manhood continually throbbed with the man’s words, pulsing larger with every new mandate ordered upon him. “Your role is to reproduce a spitting-image, not a spitting savage!” William felt himself agree, tightening the typical leather belt that had secured itself around his stronger base. His evolving cock protested the loss of freedom, now a machine for fertilization built for a purpose other than sheer pleasure. “You are a man, so act like one!”

“I am a man!” William repeated, his vocal chords deepening with maturity and testosterone. His jaw squared out with manly aftershave, years brutishly piling onto his body to make him better prepared for fatherhood. William's hair flattened out into a neatly combed shape, a long-practiced art form that matched his weathered, experienced eyes.

“Families and jobs are the priority.” the man signed off. “Father our children, father our country!”

Bill placed the phone down, noticing his flight had just arrived. The 30-something-father watched as the passengers got off, noticing all the proud men with their families. The thought aroused his massive paternal schlong, quickly forcing him to spread his legs to make some room. Bill had just finished a week-long corporate retreat, talking business, the home life, and politics with the other like-minded men out on the greens. Now though, he was excited to get home to the wife and kids. So excited in fact that he had to hear his voice one last time.

“Hey hun, boarding the plane now. Have dinner ready by the time I get home." Bill's command held the dominance and authority of natural masculinity. "Tell the kiddos I'll see them soon, love ya.”

[gockruler]

Im just thinking about going to a pride parade. Some bitchy TERFs are protesting saying how "Trans women don't belong here!". I'd go up to a particularly cute one. One that looks quite sporty. I'd offer her a challenge. One fight. If she wins, I a trans woman, will leave the parade. If I win, her band of TERFs has to pack up and leave. Of course, they'll refuse because I have a biological advantage over them. So I offer to fight with weights on. Weighing me down and putting us on an equal playing field. She agrees and we find a spot to face off in front of several onlookers. The fight starts. She starts out quite strong actually getting some good hits in. However at one point I hit her hard in the stomach and she curls up in pain. I use the opportunity to take and shred her top off. She blushes, her cute perky tits now exposed to the world. She calls me a pervert. I simply laugh in response. We keep going and it isn't long until I have her pinned under me. I rip a hole in her leggings and take out my sweaty cock, lining it up. She tries to push me off, but agreeing to the weights was a bad idea, as she isn't strong enough. I enter starting to rape her wet cunt as she bursts into tears. Several transfems watching start to masterbait to the sight. The TERFs try to hide the fact that they are subtly rubbing their cunts through their pants. The TERF I'm raping starts to apologize, begging for forgiveness, begging for my cum. Eventually I burst a load inside her, impregnating her. The other TERFs step up to challenge me...

[inndelibles]

Fem OLBA leads have infiltrated my mind. They are too powerful and beautiful I think I would actually perish if they were real. I may have to draw them.

Derek: cropped short-sleeve hoodie over a tank top, joggers, high pony tail, still buff because buff women are everything, no makeup except maybe occasional mascara or natural eyeliner, definitely has freckles (have not been able to get this out of my head since @differenteagletragedy posted about it). Her abs are perfect for smushing your face into when cuddling.

Cove: long wavy hair, loose tank top with sports bra showing underneath OR an unbuttoned shirt over a tank top, denim shorts, would definitely wear a sporty one-piece swimsuit, absolutely no makeup bc she doesn't like the feeling (but if you insisted on practicing on her she would let you bc she loves you). Braids her hair when it's in the way.

Baxter: hair is shoulder length MAX, probably closer to a bob most of the time, also has that Korean style wispy bangs or curtain bangs, would still wear the purple suit but with high-waisted pants, black heels, definitely wears makeup everyday. Also would definitely sit on a beach lounge chair in a black bikini with a loose white button up like from step 3.

[guemarasims]

Elevate your Sim's casual wardrobe with the stylish and comfortable Wide-Leg Cargo Sweatpants for women! These sporty pants feature a wide-leg design, side cargo pockets, and a drawstring waistband for the perfect fit. Ideal for lounging or casual outings, these sweatpants offer both functionality and fashion. Available in 20 colors to match any outfit, your Sims will enjoy the ultimate in comfort and style.

Thank you very much for your support!

Download (Patreon, Early access)

[marimbles]

Forgot to post my piece for Residents of the Wild, a zine focused on NPCs from BotW! This is basically my silly version of the sand boots side quest from BotW. (Shoutout to @botwdialogue for documenting all the dialogue for the entire quest—that was such a helpful reference! X)

Word count: 2k

These Boots Are Made for Jogging (in the Sand)

What’s the best way for a strapping single guy to show off his lady-catching sand boots?

Jog around on the sand. Duh.

So that’s what Bozai did, day after day, circling Gerudo Town like a fashionable, sporty hawk. Sure, it was exhausting. And sweet Hylia, it was hot—even when he downed chilly elixirs around the clock. But eventually, it would all be worth it, when he caught the eye of the perfect woman.

… Right?

Bozai slowed to a stop by the southern entrance of the town, where a pair of gorgeous yet imposing Gerudo guards flanked the doorway.

“Hey,” he panted. “Nice day, isn’t it, ladies?”

The guards glared down at him.

“Move along, voe,” one of them said gruffly. “If you loiter, we’ll assume ill intent.”

Bozai laughed. “Hey, I’m not trying to sneak in—I promise! I just want to chat. Care to join me on a jog?”

“We have no interest in chatting,” the other guard said, voice cold. “We must remain at our post. Besides, we would easily outpace you. Your legs are short and stumpy.”

“Come on, ladies, that’s not very—”

But then two sharp spears were pointed right at his chest, so he had no choice but to drop it.

Bozai sighed and jogged away, trying to ignore how sore he was. He had to keep jogging. His dream girl was waiting for him! (Probably.)

He rounded the corner, and someone nearly ran into him. Someone a full head shorter than him, with long, blonde hair and big, blue eyes, and—

“Oh.” Bozai blinked. “It’s just a guy.”

A Hylian guy, with a weirdly pretty face and a slew of weapons strapped to his back. He gazed silently up at Bozai, expressionless.

“Saw me running around, huh?” Bozai shifted his backpack. “See, I heard Gerudo women liked a guy in sand boots …”

(Of course, it was the shoe salesman who told him that, but that guy had a hot wife, so Bozai would have to be an idiot not to take his advice about women.)

The stranger looked down at Bozai’s feet. “Sand boots?”

“Yeah! They let you walk normally on sand,” Bozai said proudly. “What do you think? Jealous, right?”

Blondie’s face stayed blank, like he wasn’t even impressed with Bozai’s amazing, manly, one-of-a-kind sand boots. Did he somehow miss what Bozai said? Or was he just stupid?

“Gimme those boots,” the stranger demanded.

Bozai took a step back. Okay, apparently he impressed this weirdo too much.

“Not cool!” Bozai said. “Look, these are super rare. Mayyybe I’d consider giving them to you if you were a girl, but a guy? NO.”

Blondie did not look at all deterred by Bozai’s devastating rejection. In fact, he looked kind of determined. Or maybe … amused? It was hard to tell, with that weird, stoic face of his. He was starting to creep Bozai out.

Bozai cleared his throat. “I’m busy here. Get lost!”

He pushed past the guy and resumed his jog. Man, why did he have to run into a weirdo like that? Why was it never a cute girl waiting for him around the corner?

Bozai’s eyes locked on the approaching corner of the city wall. Maybe there would be a cute girl waiting for him. What would he say to her? He should plan it out, just in case.

’Sup, girl? Name’s Bozai. But you can just call me Dream Guy. Heh.

At that point, he would run his fingers through his dark, silky locks (which were not that silky, to be honest, since his bangs were perpetually plastered to his forehead).

Ugh. That wouldn’t work. He couldn’t be suave and sexy when he was all sweaty. But where was a guy supposed to take a bath in the middle of the desert?

Bozai turned the corner and stumbled to a stop. A figure stood in his path.

A female figure.

There was no mistaking it this time. She was Hylian, but she wore the delicate silk of the Gerudo, her stomach and shoulders bare. Even with a veil covering her lower face, Bozai could tell she was beautiful.

“Sa-sa-sa … sa’votta!” he stammered. (Was that the right word? Or should it have been sav’saaba?)

The girl did not reply. She just watched him over her veil, her eyes bright and piercing. Bozai’s heart did a strange little flip.

“The name’s Bozai,” he said quickly. “I’m thirty-five, single, and I love jogging. Especially on sand.”

Not the best intro in the world, but not bad either. It was nothing that couldn’t be saved by the power of The Boots. Bozai shuffled his feet for good measure, so the beautiful stranger would be sure to look down at them.

“Nice sand-jogging!” she said.

Gotcha.

“Ah, you noticed these old things?” Bozai attempted to sweep his bangs back in a cool, carefree way, but they just clumped together awkwardly instead. He launched into a description of The Boots before the girl could decide he was lame and walk away.

“So, anyway, if you want to check them out, we could grab a quiet corner and—”

“Gimme those boots,” the girl ordered.

Bozai blinked. He must have had sand in his ears, because for a moment, she sounded almost like that weirdo from before.

The girl stared him down. She even sort of looked like him now, with those intense blue eyes and that golden-blonde hair. But Bozai was surely coming down with some sort of heat sickness—because surely this desert goddess had nothing in common with that sulky creep! (Not to mention, she was a girl.)

Bozai squinted at her against the sunlight.

“Um … well … here’s the thing …” he began.

Wait. This is a golden chance to woo her!

“I mean—sure!” he said hastily. “I’d love to give them to you, you hungry little boot monster!”

It was a cute nickname, right? Maybe that’s what he’d call her when they were married, holding hands while they jogged across all kinds of surfaces—sand, snow, grass, rock. Maybe they’d even jog over water together. Or lava! That would be extra romantic. Someone had to invent lava boots, right?

Focus, Bozai!

He straightened, standing as tall as he could in his sand boots (which, unfortunately, was not very tall. The guards were right about his legs being short and stumpy).

“But first, a favor.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Ever heard of the legend of the eighth heroine?”

Immediately, the girl was captivated.

Gotcha again, Bozai thought.

A few minutes later, he’d handed over his trusty snow boots—which he hated to do, really, but it was all in the name of love. The girl would be back in a few days, anyway, because even in snow boots, the Gerudo Highlands were treacherous. No sane person would actually scale those cliffs and hike through all that snow just to see an old statue no one was sure even existed. Pretty soon, she’d realize that she’d much rather hang out with the handsome guy in the sand boots than freeze to death.

Bozai settled under the shade of the tent at the front of the town to wait.

“See you soon, Goldie,” he whispered to himself, and then he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of blue eyes and lava boots.

Goldie was not back in a few days.

A whole week went by, and there was no sign of her. Bozai fretted and frowned and fussed, and the nerves made him even sweatier than usual. But there was nothing he could do. Had Goldie fallen off a cliff? Or turned into a beautiful, tragic ice sculpture?

Or maybe she’d just taken his boots and run off, laughing at how stupid he was for thinking he ever had a chance with her. (That one made him so depressed that he tried flirting with the guards again, if only to give him a different rejection to brood over for an hour.)

Just when he’d almost lost hope completely, a familiar pair of eyes was blinking up at him.

Bozai gasped. “Oh, thank goodness! You made it back safely!”

He was so relieved that he couldn’t even think about acting cool. Instead, he found himself confessing the lie of the eighth heroine, apologizing, blabbing about his feelings—basically, rambling like an idiot. He was on the verge of getting on his knees and swearing his allegiance as her eternal protector when she held up a hand.

“Found it.”

She was trying to make him feel better. Which was sweet, but Bozai didn’t deserve that. He tried to tell her so, but she shoved a small, rectangular something in his face.

“Look at this!”

Bozai stared. There, on the rectangle, was an impossibly realistic image of what could only be the real eighth heroine.

“That—that’s amazing!” he spluttered. And then he was rambling again, nerding out about archaeology (his secret passion, other than boots). He had almost managed to bring the subject around to the subject of eternal love—in a subtle way, of course—but Goldie had a remarkably one-track mind.

“Sand boots, please!”

Bozai’s heart sank. But he was nothing if not a man of his word, so he dutifully took off the boots and relinquished them into her waiting hands.

“Could you be a lamb and return my snow boots?” he asked. “Otherwise ol’ Bozai’s going to be barefoot!”

She looked equally reluctant to hand them over, but she did, watching wistfully as he slipped them on. Or maybe that sad look was her way of telling him that she didn’t want to say goodbye either. Well, Bozai could take that hint.

“I’m pretty tired from my jogging regimen,” he said casually. “I think I’ll take five under the tent at the front of town. Care to join me?”

She didn’t. Bozai jogged dejectedly back to the shade, feet heavy in the wrong kind of boots.

The rest of the day crawled by. Bozai didn’t feel like jogging anymore. Not when he had to do it in snow boots, which were even clunkier in the sand than regular boots. Instead, he watched for Goldie under his tent. She had to come back, right? They were practically soulmates! (Or sole-mates. Heh.)

But alas, she was nowhere to be seen. The only golden hair he spotted belonged to the blank-faced weirdo—this time, practically shirtless, with a stupid-looking ponytail on top of his head. Bozai scoffed. What kind of outfit was that? Was he trying to invent some kind of Gerudo men’s wear? As if that was gonna get him into town. Idiot.

Blondie jogged toward a stray sand seal. It darted away before he could get close.

He jogged toward another one. He looked strangely light on his feet, like the sand wasn’t slowing him down at all. Almost like …

Bozai’s eyes widened. Blondie was wearing The Boots—the amazing, manly, one-of-a-kind sand boots he had just gifted to his true love.

Bozai jumped to his feet. “Hey! You!”

Blondie froze, panic on his normally stony face. Behind him, another seal dove beneath the sand.

“Those are my boots!” Bozai shouted, trudging clumsily toward him. “Or, I mean, they were! Where did you get them?”

Quickly, Blondie pulled something out of his pocket.

And then he started glowing.

Bozai stopped short, gaping. Blondie was glowing like a blue nightshade at midnight. And soon he was also floating, the toes of his stolen boots dangling above the sand. His body dissolved away in gleaming ribbons of light. And then he was gone.

Bozai stared at the spot where Blondie had disappeared, footprints still fresh in the sand.

“Did you see that too?” he asked a nearby sand seal.

“Arf!” said the seal.

Bozai shook his head. There was only one thing to do when your almost-girlfriend was robbed by a dead-eyed, weapon-loving freak who was apparently some kind of sorcerer.

He marched back to his tent and took a nap.

[itsclydebitches]

Cinder is a lot more sexualized then the male parts of Salem's inner circle

Like tyrian is shirtless sometimes but that does not feel as...drawn attention to, as say, the lingering shots of Cinder's butt or thighs. Or her wearing short shorts and high boots you know what I mean?

I do, anon. RWBY got a lot of attention back in the day for its anti-upskirt technology, but that doesn't give it a free pass for all the other ways you might (and it does) sexualize the cast. I've never been inclined to give RWBY too much shit in this regard because it is pulling from media with a LONG history of such designs and cinematography - it feels unfair of me to act like RWBY is uniquely responsible for such problems when I'm simultaneously willing to overlook, say, the 90's "gag" of Yusuke flipping up Keiko's skirt - but there's nevertheless a voice in the back of my mind constantly asking things like, "Why are so many of the girls fighting in heels?" and "Why are they dressed like they're going to the club and not the literal TUNDRA??" I'd kill for the whole cast, but the girls in particular, to get a re-design that focuses on fashionably compelling practicality, rather than sexy fanservice. (Though Ice Kingdom did a good job overall, particularly for Ruby.) Sure, RWBY didn't give us panty-shots, but one of the first characters we're introduced to is literally designed like a dominatrix.

If we're talking about outfits though... I'd say Emerald gets hit the worst out of Salem's minions. Yeah, Cinder is definitely sexualized in a more general sense as the tall, white (that's not a coincidence), long-legged beauty who sensually conjures fire as she prowls towards the heroes, camera focused on her hips swaying. But Emerald?

She suffers from the same problem Yang has. AKA, if your woman isn't classically beautiful (like Wiess and to a different extent Blake), or cute / child-like (Ruby, Penny), but is instead going for a sporty, comparatively masculine-esque vibe... then they've got to show a LOT of skin. RWBY makes it sexy by just denying them clothes. You're entering dangerous battles on the daily? You want to protect yourself? Too bad. The audience needs a midriff and cleavage and your whole arms to stare at. Shorten the skin-tight pants so we can see some leg too. Oh, Yang has to have long pants because she's heading into the coldest Kingdom in Remnant? Never mind that, cut a strip out to show her thigh.

"But Clyde, the girls don't need to wear armor because of aura--" then why the hell does Jaune bother wearing that heavy-ass suit? Is it weight training? Does he just think it makes him look cool? ...or does it exist in case his aura breaks and he's allowed to wear more protective gear because there are different gender expectations attached to his design? The aura argument is just a modern rehashing of the Supergirl sun argument: using made up lore to "justify" getting your women characters into skimpy outfits, despite the men rarely being held to the same standards.

Tyrian is actually an interesting exception here and if I were less tired I'd think through this argument more, but something something as the "crazy" character he's allowed more leeway in breaking those expectations. Also the open shirt shows off his scars, which likewise help sell how dangerous he is. With the exception of characters like Cinder and Nora - whose injuries are Important Character Moments the audience gets to see play out - scars are surprisingly uncommon in Remanent. Or, again, they're severely downplayed so as not to interfere with that classic beauty design (like Weiss', or even Yang who gets a perfect cut when losing her arm). So when you see a character with giant scars spanning the length of his chest, an open shirt drawing deliberate attention to them... that makes you go, "Oh shit. What's he been through to scar like that in a world where most people make it out of fights with no permanent damage?"

[mekyrdesign]

Step back in time with our Vintage 90s Joggers for Women, the perfect blend of nostalgia and comfort. These joggers feature a relaxed fit and vibrant colors that capture the essence of the 90s era, allowing you to express your unique style. Whether you're lounging at home or out on a casual outing, the Vintage 90s Joggers for Women will keep you stylish and comfortable. Pair them with your favorite crop top or oversized tee for a chic retro look that never goes out of style.

[gabisatidur]

Here is a low budget inspo if you guys want to cosplay Yashiki ♥️♥️♥️

Lacoste stripe-collar UV-protective tennis polo shirt: https://www.farfetch.com/ao/shopping/women/lacoste-stripe-collar-uv-protective-tennis-polo-shirt-item-24130818.aspx

Burberry Long Gabardine Trench Coat:

Ralph Lauren Gregory Hand-Tailored Suit Trouser Purple Label: https://www.ralphlauren.com/men-clothing-pants/gregory-hand-tailored-suit-trouser/100034011.html#pmin=500.00&pmax=99%252C999.00&allRefinementsRemoved=true&start=1&cgid=men-clothing-pants

Dior Oblique Tie: https://www.dior.com/en_us/fashion/products/03C1046A0330_C900

Versace Metropoli Derby Shoes: https://www.versace.com/us/en/metropoli-derby-shoes-black/1016077-1A11084_DSV_480_1B00E__.html

Miu Miu Runway sunglasses:

Have fun cosplaying him ♥️♥️♥️

[womenofwrestlingfashion]

Summerslam 8/5/23

Bianca wore the Sporty Vibes Faux Leather Pant Set in Yellow/Combo. She customized it and added some rhinestone and her EST and lips logos

[jomiddlemarch]

Alina and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 

Alina was fairly certain that kindergarten pickup was actually a level of Hell. One of the deeper ones, though she had to admit that waiting for the divorce to be finalized and the week in February that Mal had been away at a conference in Hawaii when Eli got the stomach bug and she’d run out of orange Pedialyte, Clorox, and episodes of Elmo’s World just as she’d succumbed were both worse. She’d gotten a tee-shirt out of the conference and not herpes, so it was slightly ahead, which was the kind of thing she’d say that would make Gen tell her she really had to stay in the here and now and focus on herself and Eli; the fact that focusing in herself to Gen always meant some form of hot/stone/the feminine Divine yoga plus or minus a green smoothie was something Alina figured she just had to suck up as part of the best friend code. Especially if she wanted (needed) Gen to remain on Eli’s emergency contact list and deal with kindergarten pickup if Alina had a deadline or her car decided to call her bluff on her perpetually overdue oil changes.

She’d actually finished the article on affordable housing while sitting at the oil change place, wondering from time to time how oil change places still existed and why they still had a TV mounted on the wall when everyone was on their phone, earbuds in, podcasts and memes washing over them as digital sedatives. When she’d said anything like that at home, Mal would accuse her of being a Luddite, while continuing to shoot some monster on his gaming PC, and she’d launch into an explanation of why the Luddites got a bad rap and remembering it, she once again rejoiced in the finalization of the divorce, despite everything else it had cost her, starting with her rosy ideals about happily-ever-afters. In the timeless, nameless oil change place, happily-ever-after seemed like something that wouldn’t even appear on the TV as an infomercial. On the flip side, she wasn’t worried her car would die in kindergarten pickup.

Instead, she wished for death. Or something that would free her from her misery, besides the over-priced pistachio latte that she promptly spilled as soon as she got out of her car, half of it landing on her already dingy sneakers. She was surrounded by totally put-together, mani-pedi-ed moms in Lululemon or power suits or hand-knit sweaters and $300 jeans, with younger siblings in the latest paisley slings, Labradoodles with monogrammed collars off-leash and milling about, the same women who’d post their freshly washed and fashionably dressed kid holding a “First Day of X Grade” chalked on adorable chalkboard pics on social media. She’d waffled for a good ten minutes over the latte, since it really wasn’t in her budget and almost certainly was contributing to climate change and her chances of developing Type II diabetes, and all for what? Turning her greyish sneakers a bilious shade she associated with Dickensian misers with gout and getting her hands sticky.

“One of those days,” she heard, a man’s voice drifting down from behind her left shoulder. Before Alina could twist around or even cant her neck upward to see who was talking to her, he’d offered her an unopened pack of travel wet-wipes.

“Uh, thanks,” she said, peeling back the sticker closing the wipes and dabbing at her cuff of her cardigan. 

“Sorry about your coffee,” the man said. He’d moved into view, tall and dark-haired with a neatly trimmed beard, a sporty fleece vest layered over what he had to have worn to work, suit pants and a dress shirt still wrinkle-free. “I could easily spare a juice-box—apple-carrot ended up being a bust.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Alina remarked. “Plus, juice isn’t supposed to be good for kids.”

“No?”

Alina shrugged. “I mean, it’s not like you’re giving them absinthe. Or liquid plutonium. But yeah, whole fruit is better. And they can just drink water.”

“You’re the first mom to talk to me at pickup,” he said. “I’m Alex, by the way. Cosima’s dad.”

“Probably because you’re like the only dad to show up,” Alina replied. She didn’t say “and you look like you’re on the cover of Vogue except for the navy fleece” but she thought it. Loudly.

“Their loss. Cosima always has so much to say as soon as she leaves the building, I get a play-by-play,” he said. “I’m out of town enough I don’t like to ask her nanny to get her if I can do it.”

Alina knew she should not say it. It was clear as day, as a bell, as crystal. Hell, she only had to make a leading remark and he’d probably volunteer the info, if his unprompted remarks about being Cosima’s dad and having a nanny were anything to go by. She had, however, been known to make bad decisions. See: Mal, though Eli was the most silvery of silver linings.

“Her mom can’t pick her up?”

Alex, who had every right to freeze up or withdraw or otherwise let her know she had far overstepped in her latte-stained sneakers, shrugged.

“She left me to go find herself. That doesn’t make her terribly available for kindergarten pickup. Or bath-time, beginning ballet, or urgent care visits for ear infections,” he said, not as bitterly as he could have but not as Zen as he’d likely intended. There was a look in his eyes that only another divorced, custodial parent could recognize, a pain made of equal parts anger and humiliation, the need to conceal it from the child who shouldn’t see their other parent as a villain. The fatigue from being the one who was there, who couldn’t think about a weekend away or a night out without worrying about whether there’d be a call from the sitter, a fever, a crying jag over the fear of abandonment and the finite quantity of chicken nuggets allotted to a meal.

“I really thought you were going to end on bake sales,” Alina said. 

“I always get a pass from the class moms on those,” Alex said. “They don’t expect a dad to bake, so if I do, I’m basically a superhero and if I can’t manage to send in homemade banana chocolate chip muffins and send her in with a box of cupcakes from Kaminsky’s, I’m still in their good graces. It’s completely unfair.”

“It is,” Alina said. She couldn’t be that annoyed because he knew it. “I wish I could get away with banana bread muffins. I sent Eli with red velvet cupcakes once and I didn’t use organic red food coloring or organic, locally sourced cream cheese for the frosting and I got the smoky cat-wing stink-eye for the next month. I should have risen above it, but honestly, it sucked.”

Alex laughed. He had a nice laugh, a nice voice, and seemed like a nice man who was a good dad. With her luck, that meant that he was either secretly an immensely powerful, evil mastermind intent on world domination or that she’d never see him again.

“You’re Eli’s mom? Cosima says he’s very smart and good at sharing and he makes the best dinosaur sounds. Somewhere between a growl and a yodel, I gathered after she gave up trying to describe it and demonstrated her impression,” Alex said. “I hope this isn’t too presumptuous, but would you consider a playdate for them? It’s been rough, these past few months, and I’m trying to make sure she still has a normal childhood, whatever that means these days. My mother thinks I spoil her, but she’s very old-fashioned. My mother, not Cosima.”

“My schedule is a little tricky,” Alina said carefully. She would have been more wary if it had been one of the exquisitely put-together mothers asking, more relaxed if one of the nannies had made the proposal. She wasn’t sure what to make of Alex’s offer, except that she’d wanted to say yes right away and that meant she needed to watch herself. The opportunity to even subtly trash-talk her ex was irresistible, however. “Eli’s father is around, but never when I need to organize anything.” 

“We could meet at the park. I can bring enough snacks to last the afternoon, you could come when you’re free,” Alex suggested. He said when and not if, enough hope in his voice and those dark eyes that it sounded like an appeal and not an attempt to control her.

“I wouldn’t want you to go to too much trouble,” she said. She had thought arranging playdates would be easier than actual adult dating, but thus far, she’d been wrong.

“Oh, I won’t. I’ll go to Kaminsky’s and stock up. I’m friends with the owners,” he said. “I should say, I’m friends with Theo and Ivan doesn’t outright loathe me and allows me to eat his pastry. If you are not Theo, that is about as close to friends as you can get with him.”

“Sounds like my friend Gen’s boyfriend David, except substitute updating all my devices so I don’t get hacked or locked out of my bank account for petit fours and apple turnovers,” Alina said.

“That’s what you’d like, apple turnovers?” Alex asked, looking at her with a degree of focus that started out as unnerving and then suddenly felt warmer than appraisal, too thoughtful to be mere flirtation.

“You don’t have to—” Alina began, cut off when the kids were released, much like a swarm of infuriated bees or the Charge of the Light Brigade, Eli running a credible Olympic qualifying sprint with her latte-splattered knees as the finish line, a dark-haired little girl with neatly braided hair arriving slightly more decorously in Alex’s embrace; he’d instantly dropped into an unfairly elegant crouch to receive his daughter, while Alina planted her feet to take on the onslaught of Hurricane Eli. 

“Papa, you have to tell Baba not to eat snails anymore because Ms. Costas got one and it’s got a name and snails are people too,” Cosima announced, small hands planted on her father’s shoulders.

“Its name is Greg,” Eli said, as if the four of them were having a conversation, which Alina now supposed was the actual truth. 

“So, a boy snail,” Alex said.

“No,” Cosima said. “Just Greg.”

“Can we go to the park, Mommy? You said we could. Can we bring meatballs?” Eli asked.

“Not today, buddy,” Alina said, bracing herself for a tantrum or a closing argument worthy of Clarence Darrow or Judge Judy. 

“You said—”

“Your mom said we could have a playdate on Saturday and that is in two days,” Alex interjected. “Cosima and I are going to bring a blanket and some treats. We could include meatballs too.”

“Don’t,” Alina said. Alex’s expression went blank but Cosima and Eli’s both looked mutinous and on the verge of tears. It was amazing Ms. Costas could stand firm regarding quiet time in the face of such unified disapproval. “I just meant, don’t worry about meatballs. Meatballs is Mr. Lanstov’s cat. He’s our neighbor, we help out a little—”

“Yeah, because Mr. Lantsov is a million years old,” Eli said. “He said to call him Niko, but Mommy says that’s not polite because he’s so old.”

“We could bring apple turnovers then,” Alex said. “And maybe some catnip for Meatballs. It would be nice to make everyone happy.”

For @vesperass-anuna and @aloveforjaneausten who were wanting a modern AU for Darklina where our two unhappy characters meet at school picking up their kiddos.

[yunarim]

ಇ. broken melodies | chapter 2

⇢ ⁺ THE SLIGHTLY CHIPPED FULL MOON ˖ Yuu realizes that Neige has something in common with Snow White and gets alarmed.

— PREVIEW (read for tags and synopsis) — MASTERLIST (open to read previous chapters) — AO3 ⁺ w.c : 12k+ this chapter contains mild usage of obscene language !

A sportswear designed for RSA remained in blue-and-white color scheme with a few additions of golden shades here and there. In contrast to the school uniform with dark blue trousers she wore yesterday, the sports outfit did a flip between top and bottom of the outfit, the pants being white with golden stripes and the t-shirt was dark blue this time, leaving a white jacket remaining optional. Yuu preferred the jacket being pulled on at first, but then, leaving Ambrose’s office and spotting Luan wearing it tied around the waist, she followed his example, tying it around a bit clumsily. She wasn’t really familiar with how it should look, always under the impression all the clothes she wears should look neatly on her, never leaving a room for a leisurely touch Luan seemed to possess.

She was called to the headmaster’s office early in the morning because of two reasons: to get her sports uniform and to get notified that the clock tower’s keeper would come and check it today. Ambrose, though ever so thoughtful and cordial, didn’t mention what the keeper is like. Yuu didn’t even notice herself she was quite attached to creating little scenarios in her head, and, following this habit, she still seemed unaware to imagining their meeting going from normal (meaning she won’t get kicked out of here, that would be normal from her perspective) to extreme (where she not only get kicked out but also get identity revealed and—).

In any case, Yuu spotted Luan and waved to him, corners of her lips rising slightly. A warm aura 

around him made her wash off the worries for some time, and when Luan reciprocated the smile she pulled, Yuu greeted him politely.

“Good morning, Luan,” Yuu caught up with him and they moved towards the sports ground.

“Morning…” Luan yawned and Yuu saw cute little fangs he clicked right after closing his mouth. The hair on his head resembled a bird's nest, he rubbed his eyes with his fists and made an intensified attempt to open his eyelids with his fingers, sighing heavily.

Her smile widened, seeing him being so effortlessly adorable, and returned her gaze to the hall. 

“Not a morning person?”

“Meh,” he shrugged. “Not that early morning, ‘kay? How in the world do you get up so early?”

“Mornings are magnificent,” Yuu started as they walked out of the main building. “The way sun rays feel on the skin resembles taking a bath with liquified gold…”

“Woah chill,” Luan said, astonished in a way with her highfalutin epithets. “It’s literally just morning. A good one though, since we’ve got a PE as a first class today, given I already overslept and missed the training with my personal trainer… Ugh.”

“Trainer?” Yuu repeated, but Luan just hummed mysteriously, nodding to her words. 

“Uh-huh, he’s a toughie. Reasonable tho, you would like him too. Not to mention I highly recommend you to exercise from time to time.”

“That’s why you look so sporty,” Yuu noticed, her gaze sliding down his hands, average for a boy his age and yet quite muscular if tensed. 

“You bet!” Luan’s beaming smile made Yuu giggle. “Even though you look like you might crumble just by a wind blowing. Seriously, are all of the Valley of Thorns girls that thin?”

“Valley of Thorns?..” Yuu repeated weakly when she noticed there were fewer people than in the main building. 

“Not from there? You just have to see Dawnshine Savannah women one day. Hope you won’t get a cultural shock or something.”

Yuu’s head was about to spin with all the new information received. Apparently those were the names of the continents? Countries?.. Yuu wasn’t sure if she should have pushed it further to get to know more without looking suspiciously, so she just chuckled and then suddenly gasped as they entered the sports field.

The sports field was not something as grand as the main building, however, a huge forest looming before her eyes with a carpet of fresh greens lined on it and a forest stretching in the distance fascinated with its beauty.

The air was so hot that Yuu could see it melting into inert, lazy waves, and while Yuu didn't like hot weather, she wondered what PE had in store for her.

She observed the territory, noticing new faces she hadn't seen yesterday, which was a bit strange, given their class was all present (when Luan finally came in the middle of the day), and as for now, Yuu saw unfamiliar individuals, wondering what was the deal. 

“Hm,” Luan said. “Guess we’re having joint classes today.”

“Joint?” She echoed.

“Yea, like, some of these people are second years. I don’t know why we’re having classes today with them, but who actually cares, right? It’s fine as long as it's fun.”

“I believe you’re right,” she agreed, not really following the concept of school as a whole, but accepting nevertheless. Moreover, Luan was definitely right about one thing — she hoped it would be fun.

Yuu talked with Luan for some time before a teacher finally made an appearance. Yuu felt how a gentle breeze came with him, tickling her nostrils and carrying a fresh aroma of green tea leaves, making her mind settle for a moment. Luan caught up with her, following her gaze when she looked somewhere near the gate, and noticed a new arrival.

“Oi, xiaohaizi! Good morning!”

Yuu gasped in amusement when the teacher summoned a broom, jumping on it and rising straight in the air, making a flip around his axis, and flying straight to the group of students gathered in the centre of the field. His long pitch-black hair was tied up with a red ribbon in a high ponytail. Yuu, following her inner beaming inquisitiveness, couldn’t tear her glare off his clothes, which reminded her of hanfu. His eyes of charcoal were slightly laughing at her unconcealed pry, and his child-like, almost pure features created an impression he was quite young.

He didn’t say anything about her curious mind, letting it be, and jumped off the broom he was riding, his hair cascading shoulders beautifully, resembling sea waves gently embracing a shore. 

“First of all, sorry for today’s inconsistency in the curriculum. You might have noticed there’s two classes today,” he said, fixing an unamenable strand of his hair and tacking it behind his ear. “It was overlapping, so we decided it would be best to just let it be. Second years, you’ll have lessons according to the schedule next week, okay?”

Nods of understanding and little ‘okay’s were heard here and there as a response to his words.

“Well then, good,” he nodded, smiling slightly. “Now first years! Let me introduce myself. Come a bit closer, hm?”

Everyone did as he said, and right after Yuu noticed how first years outnumbered second ones, but quickly returned all her attention to the teacher.

“My name’s Xiao Qian. I’m your PE teacher, but we will meet during social sciences classes as well. Let’s get along!”

Yuu bowed politely out of habit, when others just remained silent or at least nodded, and stared back at Qian who found her reaction quite amusing. 

“Where I’m from we appreciate those gestures of politeness,” Qian addressed to her, replying with a little bow as well, releasing Yuu’s nervousness. “Well then, let’s begin the lesson!”

Qian arranged the students in several rows. Yuu ended up in the first one on the left side, separated from Luan, who was standing at the very end on the right side. He winked at her as she hurriedly turned her gaze to him, and she smiled back, returning to stretching exercises.

Qian, who spoke to everyone in an absurdly friendly tone just a couple of minutes ago, turned out to be a rather serious teacher, whose gaze became stronger, if not even more severe. He carefully glided over each student, noticing the slightest movements, and alternately indicated which exercise was not performed accurately enough.

“Now off to the flying part,” Qian said, nodding when everyone finished stretching, ignoring heavy sighs of exhaustion, mostly let out due exaggeration. “Second years, I’m starting with you. First years, watch them closely.”

Yuu watched as a group of nearly 20 students came closer, making a row. She noticed how drastic the difference was between them and the second years, whose bodies looked obviously stronger, their eyes clearly beaming with a huge amount of experience. She was ready to peer into their movements with respect, extract something for herself, becoming a sponge, absorbing knowledge, but suddenly noticed one young man, slightly out of the crowd.

His pale coral hair, reminiscing sweet meringue, shone in light waves of curls under the bright sun, revealing the gradient of his locks, and light pink, weightless, almost transparent tips framed his delicate pale neck.

Yuu felt as if an otherworldly force caused her to peer into his eyes, riveting her gaze to his long eyelashes. His huge eyes, carved from two aquamarine crystals, endowed him with innocence, and his slightly parted plump lips as well as hummingbird-flutter of his eyelashes betrayed him, revealing his frustration. A fresh scent of salty sea waves embraced his only presence, putting Yuu’s mind at ease instantly. 

Yuu felt something wasn’t right with how otherworldly he looked, which was fun and absurd for her to point that out subconsciously. 

As other students demonstrated their skills, this boy nodded to the teacher and took the broom, taking a deep breath. He grabbed the broom, giving Yuu an impression he would break it with how strong his grip was, but he closed his eyes. Two seconds after, he flew the broom a couple of meters into the air, crossing his legs around the base of the broom, and glanced at the teacher, who smiled approvingly at him.

“That was a nice one,” Qian said when the boy came back to the ground, and thanked him. Yuu shivered at how sweet and gentle his voice sounded. 

She followed him with her curious gaze and parted lips slightly when she noticed a little tremble covering his legs.

Serene voice of pureness, huge spellbinding eyes and trembling legs?.. Think harder, Yuu said to herself quietly when it was their turn to practice broom-riding. Her gaze lingered on the boy, a scent of sea foam and salt was radiating stronger now that she noticed, and when he turned, his eyes met her own, wide and full of realization, to which the boy tilted his head curiously. 

“Ah!” She gasped, drawing the attention of those standing at her left and right, and quickly covered her mouth with hands. 

“Something the matter?” Qian asked, but she shook her head from side to side.

Actually, there was. All those features he possessed reminded her of merfolk she met in Ariel’s realm once or twice when she was far younger. Yuu was fairly hesitant to make an assumption based on just those little features, but, unaware of her own current place in the world she happened to enter, it tempted her to find out. 

As much as curious and eager to grasp the information she was, it would be unwise to do as she pleased, especially taking into consideration she didn’t know the boy. Her surroundings, this school, the people here, her own situation—all those appeared to be unanswered questions, and Yuu wasn’t sure if there was a way to figure out if she could receive answers at all. 

The boy did an enormously great job to conceal his trembling limbs, with how everyone seemed to not care at all. Maybe they knew, indeed, and yet they didn’t seem like it was the case, so there was a possibility the boy was trying to hide how hard it was to just stand with those legs on land, mention of flights remaining unnecessary. Yuu admired him for that, but before she could push her thoughts any further, teacher Qian asked her to try riding a broom.

And that was another issue to be solved. Yuu chuckled nervously, taking a broom from the teacher's hands, carefully observing it. 

“Have you ever tried flying before?” Qian asked, withdrawing a fan from his huge loose sleeve, and covered half of his face with it. 

As a matter of flying, yes, Yuu definitely has tried. Not to mention, she was outstandingly skillful with her flying abilities, but riding a broom? Fairy Godmother hadn’t taught her that, and why would she? There was no particular use in brooms in the first place, so she had no idea how it should have been done.

“... No,” she answered in the end.

“That’s okay,” Qian answered, closing his eyes for a moment. “Flying is a difficult matter. One can be an extremely talented magician but can’t ride a broom for life… Not under my watch though.”

He was right. As much as Yuu could fly, she wondered about broadening her horizons and widening knowledge she possessed. Moreover, she couldn’t fly long distances with her own magic, so broom-flying seemed fascinating enough to try.

“Alright then,” Qian looked strictly at Yuu. “No spell needed to ride a broom. Visualization is the key here. Imagine the broom flying, then put some wind magic in there to make it work. And always keep in mind that making a broom fly is not the main task here.”

“What is?” Yuu asked, making sure to remember all the processes he explained.

“Keeping your balance is,” Qian said. “Consider the streamlining of the broom you use, the way aerodynamic properties change depending on how you ride the broom and how strong wind currents are. Shifting your weight forward will bring the handle down and so make it descend, and also leaning forward and putting some weight in it will make you speed up and… Oh, I’m getting carried away. The main task for you for now is to keep your balance midair and to not fall. Try it. I don’t take ‘I can’t’ as an answer. There’s no option other than to do your best on the battlefield anyway.”

Yuu felt how heavy his last sentence was. Teacher Qian was speaking from experience and Yuu wasn’t sure if she was feeling to find out what kind of experience it was.

Yuu stared at the broom, arranging the information on the shelves of her mind. Technically it was the moment she would reveal her magic to everyone, but at the same time it was okay. The only thing remaining was to try finding out how exactly she needed to perform the right magic arrangements.

Qian mentioned wind magic. Even though Yuu’s magic did divide into elemental types, but it didn’t include wind. She took a deep breath, hurriedly trying to remember if there were any analogues of wind magic despite the flying spell itself, but Qian said it was all about visualization, not spells casting magic.

“I understand it’s your first time practicing, but please do hurry up,” Qian said.

“I’m sorry,” she replied.

He was right. If exposing her magic was dangerous to the point she would be handed out to the government, then trying to make a simile of wind magic could be postponed to the later. Yuu sighed and parted her lips slightly, deciding that for now she should just try combining two magic types together and relying on luck. She placed the broom almost in a horizontal position so she could sit on it, still holding the handle with her bare hands.

“Oh faila maira súrë, á ortëa ni ana the orwa fanyarë.” 

Yuu whispered so that no one could hear her, and recurrented wind flow to the broom, realizing she flew up slightly, her legs being on the same level as teacher Qian’s eyes. 

“Not bad for a rookie,” Qian noticed, smiling approvingly at her. “Try rising a bit.”

Yuu nodded, wondering how in the world did it work and how she remained steady. Still holding the handler tightly, she pointed it up, and the broom followed the direction she noted, making her rise almost half higher than before.

“Good, but you moved a bit further. That’s okay for the first try, but next time try adjusting it so you’ll go just vertically up, okay?”

“Yessir,” Yuu answered, pointing the handle down and going down, then jumping off the broom.

“I see you’re not afraid of heights,” Qian noticed. “Good job. You can come here after 4pm to practice if you want.”

“I appreciate your help,” Yuu said. 

The rest of the class went relatively in a calm manner, reminiscent of a lecture rather than a PE lesson. Qian added more details to how flights worked and then dismissed everyone. Yuu couldn’t manage to notice where Luan went, so she decided it would be okay for her to head out to the next class alone.

First she needed to change her clothes. Even though Ambrose said that it’s all arranged and she can be late for 5-10 minutes for the lessons because there were no places where she could change comfortably within school facilities, leaving the clock tower the only option remaining. Yuu appreciated the thoughtfulness, but decided she would never be late nevertheless, so she hurried back to the ‘dormitory’.

She quickly passed the forest she happened to enter yesterday where she met Neige. Memories flashed in her mind at once, bringing Yuu to recall the sad smile he wore that evening, wondering what could be the reason. Would he be okay with seeing her again?

Yuu never was a person to easily initiate a dialogue, let alone with a person who was apparently quite popular. Neige seemed like he didn’t want other people to know about that scene she appeared to become a part of. Yuu had no intention of telling anyone else—there was no person she could have anyway. And even so, Neige reminded her of a gentle light, leading a moth, that would be Yuu, to it, alluringly bewitching her and making her follow him. That was a fun, if not absurd comparison, given she was the one who possessed a ‘Butterflies’ friend’ title. 

Speaking of which, Yuu made sure no one was around and summoned a pink butterfly that eagerly greeted her, dancing around her face, and fluttered its wings in a joyful way.

“It’s nice to see you too, little one.”

Butterfly followed her to the clock tower, where Yuu summoned her magic wand and quickly changed her clothes with a magic touch, then made the wand disappear, and hurried back to the main building.

A tantalizing aroma of something sweet and baked tickled Yuu’s nose when the class ended and she went out of the auditorium, making her way to the cafeteria. 

Entering a familiar place, she allowed herself to stop for a second and enjoy the pleasant aroma of a pie filled with honey—it’s been a while since she last tried honey cake!—and hurried to gargoyles. 

“Good afternoon, Vittorio,” she greeted the gargoyle, smiling at him slightly. 

“Afternoon,” he confirmed. “Anything you’d like to try?”

“Ah, hmm…” Yuu observed today’s assortment and decided she’d go for avocado salad with cottage cheese as a main dish. “That one salad, please. And one slice of honey pie.”

“Coming right up,” Vittorio said, placing everything she ordered on the tray. “You should try the chamomile tea we’re serving today.”

“If it won’t be hard to serve for me, then I’d be glad to.”

“You sweet child,” Vittorio chuckled and poured hot water into the cup. “Drop the honorifics, kids here don’t use them nowadays. Here you go, enjoy your lunch!”

“Thank you very much!” Yuu ignored the ‘honorifics’ part and still bowed nevertheless, deciding where she should sit today.

She noticed the table she was occupying yesterday during lunch was already taken by someone else, as well as the majority of tables on the second floor. She frowned, trying to find another table for at least two with no one around, and succeeded — a table for three right next to the window. 

Yuu took a seat, enjoying the tea aroma floating in the air, and started consuming food, being quite impatient to try honey cake. She couldn’t be referred to as a sweet tooth, but sugary and honey flavors were still fairly tasty and could be enjoyed once in a while. 

Once Yuu finished the salad, she finally took a bite of honey pie, watching honey slowly flowing out of the cake, soaking the layer even more. She seemed to be out of the process for a moment, staring at the golden liquid absentmindedly, and immediately thought of Neige’s eyes. Would they remind her of honey under the sun rays, shining brightly? Or would his eyes, two precious agates, remain still with an elusive presence of loneliness? 

Yuu knitted the brows, sighing. He was so mysteriously enchanting, that Neige. Yuu hoped everything was alright, but a bitter feeling of something dubious was following her even now. How strange, indeed.

“Man, who would have thought that Neige would do another ad so soon.”

Yuu winced. For a second she thought that her thoughts had materialized out of nowhere and everyone could hear what she was thinking about so hard. She turned to her left, noticing a group of students taking the seats and discussing Neige, and as much as she valued privacy, it couldn’t be helped with how good and accurate her hearing was.

“You don’t say,” another student replied. “Dude’s amazing. No matter how hard we try, there’s no way we can reach his level.”

“To be able to study in the same academy as Neige…” Another boy added. “Sometimes I think I got too lucky.”

“Same here. I kinda think he’s unreachable.”

“Right?” The first to speak student nodded. “But imagine making so much money.”

“Must be funny in a rich man’s world,” a student answered, sighing dreamily. 

As far as Yuu remembered, it never was. People tended to be greedy in princesses’ worlds, but since she couldn’t grasp the main idea of money itself, she was as much from relating to these students talking. She has learnt it’s important to appreciate those who worked and earned money, other people’s effort and mentality for being that strong, but she also never worked for money herself. The word itself was vague and abstract to her, and when her Godmother told she should always pay back, it wasn’t necessarily money. Valuable things were far from just gold and banknotes, but what exactly?..

“Don’t you kinda think his play was overrated in the last movie though?”

Yuu’s ears twitched.

“Huh? Now that you said it… maybe it kinda was, yeah…”

“Doesn’t he like, always smiling and giggling here and there?”

“Hey, it’s not to that extent�� Bet if they’d put you into it, you would resemble a robot.”

“Yeah, your acting is extremely lame dude, no offense.”

“Hey!!”

“Hey,”

Why… would they talk about him behind his back? Yuu frowned, drowning deeper in her thoughts. Neige was someone she saw once in her life, and even if he pulled an act during their first meeting, was he really such a hypocrite, yearning for money? Or was his play really that bad as they just said? No, she shouldn’t judge his character just by that and—

“Hey~”

“Oh?”

Yuu raised her gaze and saw Che’nya holding a tray with food with one hand, another one resting on his hip, his tail wiggling cheerfully. Yuu smiled a bit subconsciously, unaware of genuineness beaming from her. 

“Che’nya-san, good afternoon.”

“Good nyafternoon,” he grinned, taking a seat in front of her without asking, but Yuu didn’t seem to mind at all. “Whatcha doin’?”

“Just having a meal. What are you going to have, Che’nya-san?”

“Mmm~ Can’t you tell?”

Yuu threw a quick glance at his meal, recognizing fish in breadcrumbs and sour cream sauce in a small gravy boat. He resembled a real cat so much it was starting to be funny. 

“Fish,” she said. “I was expecting that at some point.”

���Right~” Che’nya consumed a small bite, chewing the food in a cute way as Yuu smiled at him adoringly. “How’s your day going?”

“Pretty much okay,” Yuu nodded, realizing she wasn’t uncomfortable sharing some information with him about herself. It felt good that he asked. “PE was fun.”

“Hmm~” Che’nya hummed mysteriously. 

He stopped talking for some time while eating as Yuu was watching people walking here and there, but when she returned her full attention to Che’nya and turned to him, she found him scrolling something with his finger on a strange device Yuu had no memory of. 

Asking Che’nya wasn’t the best decision. Was it something everyone had in the property? A small little box-shaped thing with purple stripes on its edges, plastic cat ears… Yuu was extremely curious. Is that… machinery?! Yuu felt her fingers trembling slightly in excitement. The box radiated slightly blue light and something Che’nya was looking at was running somewhere far away so fast that even Yuu’s vision couldn’t catch at least something. There was… text? Yes, it was some kind of text. But what exactly? And where did it go as Che’nya scrolled down?? 

Yuu watched closely, thinking the text Che’nya scrolled was coming out of the box, dissolving in the air while she didn’t see. But how? What kind of magic was it?

“O’nya~” Che’nya said, amused by her reaction and widened eyes. 

“C-che’nya-san,” Yuu stumbled, realizing she became too curious, and coughed. “Please don’t mind me.”

“Hm-hm~” He hummed, returning his glance to the thing Yuu thought was a box. “As you say.”

Yuu couldn’t follow Che’nya’s eyes fixing on her own, their roles switching, and now Yuu reminding him of a cat following a trembling sunbeam. And Che’nya didn’t seem to mind at all, quite enjoying her amusing reaction. 

“Oh,” Che’nya suddenly said, stopping his finger scrolling the pages (or what it was) as his smile dropped. 

“Is something the matter?” Yuu asked.

“Hm,” his eyes lost their sparkles for a moment. “I don’t like it…”

“Yes?..”

“Oi, Yuu! Hey!”

Yuu turned at a source of someone calling her name and spotted Luan at the entrance. She smiled at him when he approached their table, the aroma of freshly cooked meat and some herbs—she instantly recognized basil, green onion and a small hint of cilantro being mixed—lingered in the air as he bent down to look right into Yuu’s eyes. 

“Let’s eat together next time!” 

Yuu never realized his smile was that contagious until the corners of her own lips went up. It was the smile that couldn’t be concealed at all costs, Luan revealed his teeth and giggled softly, bright lapis of his eyes shining joyfully. 

“I don’t mind,” she said before thinking. “Even though you were the one to leave early today.”

“Damn, you’re right,” he gasped. Yuu wondered about the very first word he said, the ‘damn’ one. What was that?.. “Sorry ‘bout that. Oh.”

Luan finally spotted Che’nya glancing his way all this time and put his tray on the table before stretching out his hand. 

“I’m Luan!” He greeted his upperclassman. “And you?”

“Nya-ce to meet you, Luan. I’m Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker. Che’nya for short~” He shook Luan’s hand, and Yuu noticed just now how strong his grip actually seemed. “Come sit.”

Luan followed his words and took a seat at Yuu’s right, still staring at the upperclassman. Apparently he wasn’t agast to his name.

“Which class are you?” As expected, Luan dropped any honorifics from the very beginning, his tail waving slightly as his ears twitched. 

“3-A, nya.”

“THIRD— Yooo bro you don’t even look like my upperclassman.”

“Luan, I don’t think it’s polite to—”

“Who cares?~” Che’nya reassured you it was okay. “As long as you’re having fun, everything’s nya-kay.”

Yuu blinked twice, awestruck by their similarity in enjoying fun things, but preferred to refrain from saying anything at this point. 

“You seem like a cool guy,” Luan nodded to himself. “Add me on MagiCam.”

“Sure, gimme your phone.”

Luan casually fumbled in his pockets and fished out another box-like device, larger in size than Che’nya’s. It was now decorated with a black-colored shining case with a pattern resembling claw marks and Luan’s name was written in giant impressive letters, and Yuu spotted how fancy and shining his box was, unlike cracked and dented Che’nya’s one.

But at least she could catch the name of the device! That was a phone. Yuu wondered what that little thing could do despite dissolving text in the air after letting it out of the device. She also had yet to find out what ‘MagiCam’ could be… 

“Oi Yuu,” Luan turned to her. “Gimme your MagiCam acc ID too.”

“Uhm…” She frowned. Now it was obvious that the phone was a thing that at least two of them possessed, and according to his words, Yuu obviously should have had it too. 

Even if she hadn’t.

“What’s the matter?”

“I, um,” she smiled sheepishly. “I don’t have a phone.”

Luan blinked at her, showing no emotion for a second before giggling.

“Lmao I almost thought you’re for real,” he laughed. “Ok now gimme your ID.”

Yuu threw a quick glance at Che’nya, thinking he would help her escape this peak of embarrassment, but he only leaned up to them, resting chin on his hands and grinning slyly. 

“No way,” Luan grabbed her by the shoulders. “You can’t be real!”

“I’m afraid I can…”

“Damn…” Luan mumbled and pulled quite a theatrically dramatical facial expression, covering his mouth with hands. “Valley of Thorns is wilder than I thought.”

Again that Valley of Thorns. Yuu started to await geography lessons the next day with quite an eagerness. 

Luan scrolled down the pages on the box—ugh, phone—and suddenly stopped just like Che’nya did not so long ago. Was there something frightening? 

“I guess some people just have a lot of free time,” he said, clicking his tongue. “So lame.”

“Right you are,” Che’nya said, drawing Yuu’s attention.

“Did something happen?” She asked as Che’nya gave her his phone and pointed to a message. An article?.. 

She needed some time to get used to the way text was written and how drastic the difference with a book was, but then checked the content closely and gasped.

↳✉ Neige is so annoying

↳✉ How tf did he win again

↳✉ Pathetic

↳✉ He’s just all about his youthful looks, he’s got no skills

↳✉ He should never play again lol

↳✉ This brat

↳✉ Wasn’t it revealed that his fanbase just bought 20k votes?

↳✉ I fucking hate him

Yuu covered her mouth with a hand, fixing her worried gaze on Che’nya who wasn’t smiling at all and seemed rather annoyed at what he read. Even though she didn’t understand half of the words—brat? Votes? What kind of votes? Also what is fucking?..—she could grasp the gist. The hate was spreading, and the words were surely venomous. 

“Some of Vil’s fans are sure crazy,” Luan exclaimed indignantly. 

Vil? Yuu didn’t know this name but decided not to interfere yet.

“There’s no denying,” Che’nya confirmed. 

Yuu bit her lip. Weren’t people… letting themselves too much to say? As she understood, Neige seemed to be quite popular, someone who was recognized at least within this school quite well. Well enough for people gossiping and saying terrible things. 

“He’s only a burden in the theatre club…” Luan quotted someone, as Yuu presumed. “Huh, there’s also people from this school hating him, too? Gonna give a good old punching.”

“Now now,” Che’nya calmed him down. “Creating more problems for him would be unwise. There’s another road to take…”

“Road?” Yuu echoed, meeting her his deep eyes glimmering with an emotion she couldn’t read. 

Yuu watched Luan’s fingers fly over the phone, a red button appearing on it saying ‘Report and block’, and even if Yuu didn’t fully understand how phones worked, she believed Luan did the right thing to do.

“Come to think of it, were you two introduced to the club system in the academy, hmm?”

“Clubs?” Yuu asked, wondering what was that.

“Yeah, I kinda heard of them. They say club presidents will hold somethin’ like an open day two weeks later to get new members, right?”

“Correct,” Yuu saw his striped purple tail waving cutely. “Is there any club you want to join?”

“I definitely want to, idk which one though. We’ll see,” Luan said, taking a huge bite of the dish he brought, and turned to Yuu. “Oi Yuu, what do you think? Have you found something suited for yourself?”

According to what Luan said, there was a theatre club. And that was the only information she received so far, making it difficult to say anything yet. Then again, what if everyone already knew which clubs existed within the school facilities, and she would look uninformed and even ignorant to the point of stupidity? 

“I’m not sure as well…” She decided to go with the safest option for now, catching Che’nya’s cheeky smile.

“Anything you’re interested in?” He asked her.

Yuu immediately frowned, knitting her brows together. Interests? It’s not like it was a matter of interests and her own preferences when it came to rescuing. Fairy Godmother taught her it was important to be a perfectionist, good in everything and especially in reacting fast when the situation could go under her own control. 

She tried going further to the shelves of her mind, observing them carefully and trying to pick at least something that could be interpreted as an interest or an activity she would genuinely enjoy and be good at. A block, the same as on the mirror she tried to cast, covered her memory. There was no clue. Nothing that could be attached to her, creating a certain characterization and attribute about her own personality. Her as a person.

“Yuu?” Luan looked straight into her eyes, slightly putting a hand over her shoulder. “You ok, buddy?”

“Buddy?..” She floated out of the ocean of her thoughts, taking a deep breath of fresh air when her classmate’s reassuring tone comforted her. “Oh, please pardon me.”

“Damn it sure hit you hard, didn’t it? Come on, you still have two weeks and even more time to think it over. We’ve got to see all the clubs nevertheless. You never know what you could find, right, Che’nya?”

“Indeed,” his tail wiggled, reassuringly reaching for Yuu’s hand and tickling it slightly, and Yuu noticed only now how closely they’ve been sitting. “There’s a way of applying for your own club if you feel like there’s no clubs fitting you.”

Yuu smiled weakly, but appreciated their help. 

Was it even right for her to think about such matters as clubs and interests? Certainly there was a princess, or maybe a prince to be rescued, and it was urgent. Once she rescues them, there will definitely be a way for her to return back home, so Yuu closed her eyes, letting her mind sponge the atmosphere of sweet happy school days and making friends. She must appreciate it while it is available, and once it is not…

She must do her best in order to not get attached.

Something ticklish was echoing within her head, causing Yuu to remember Neige again. Apparently he was a part of the theatre club and an actor himself, from what she heard. Yuu knew almost nothing about acting, but she encountered the consequences of being popular. Being watched. 

Princesses and Neige somehow seemed to have many things in common, and the major one was their popularity. Princesses were seen, there was no room for resting as someone was always watching them. Neige seemed to have minor differences compared to them that Yuu couldn’t confirm for now, such as was he a part of royalty or not, but nevertheless—he was being seen, and to the point of a viscous menacing trace following him. 

Figures of authority, princesses and popular people—indeed, if Yuu would pick the word to characterize all them, it would be ‘limits’. They may pretend well enough it was alright, to pull the masks of genuineness and happiness, as if nothing really happened when it actually did. Harvest of the popularity couldn’t be seen from the very beginning, it all started with seeds, which were growing within society not rapidly, but step by step, leaving the hints of their presence in people’s hearts and minds. Then they would grow, lingering in conversations and rumors, the leaves of rottenness falling everywhere, pollinating minds with already unconcealed hate and desire to see more. 

People tend to crave for more, they always have been, and they surely won’t stop. Yuu swallowed with disgust as someone walked behind her, saying something about Neige again.

And maybe… maybe it was Neige who she needed to rescue all along?

A pink butterfly was flowing around, following Yuu’s unhurried walk to the clock tower. Yuu breathed in a vespertine coldness and freshness, enjoying it after surviving under the hot sun in the morning, and hummed to herself as sea waves enveloped the shore, blowing around salty yet gentle marine fragrance. 

The clock tower was located on a separate from the other land cliff, making it a small island, which was connected to the main one with a stone bridge. Yuu came closer to the main door and stopped for a moment, a butterfly following her stumbling into her back. 

🗒 ➛ The building is currently being on maintaining checking. 

“Ah, so the person came,” Yuu nodded to herself, feeling her heartbeat going a bit more rapidly than before. 

Even if the person was the one who was checking this building for an unknown to Yuu amount of time, she thought of them not as the keeper, but as her guest she needed to welcome cordially. 

She went straight to the small kitchen, not even thinking about changing clothes, and pulled two cups out of the cabinet, then brewed jasmine tea. Gasping at the lack of appetizers, Yuu panicked for a moment. 

“It’s not right to serve tea without anything…” She mumbled, coming up with an idea.

She snapped her fingers, and a virid butterfly appeared. It gently tapped on Yuu’s nose and flew around with a pink butterfly, which was still there.

“Hello to you,” she greeted a butterfly, pointing at a small flower pot on the windowsill. “Would it be okay for you to grow a small rose? I need some petals.”

The butterfly danced around approvingly, and a cloud of green sparkles surrounded the pot. After making its job, the butterfly disappeared with similar sparkles, leaving a big bright red rose. 

“Great,” Yuu smiled. “Now to the fun part.”

She took a handful of petals and summoned a magic wand. All she needed now required a little visualization and creativity, so Yuu hummed joyfully, holding petals when with a dim light sparkles petals became caramelized and sugary.

“That would do,” she nodded to herself, the magic wand disappearing in the air. “Now I wonder where the keeper would be.”

She put two cups of tea and a small plate of caramelized rose petals on the tray, carrying it with one hand, and decided to go up to the top of the tower, right where the clock was located. 

Yuu saw a figure of a man bent over papers with astrological drawings and notes, and hesitated to approach him, who looked so unbelievably ethereal and unreachable. 

And before she could take at least one step towards him, a strange aura conveying his silhouette leaning over papers refrained Yuu from coming any further. It felt as if chains shackled her body, holding her in one place.

“Good evening.”

Yuu winced slightly. A low, velvety timbre, devoid of emotion, but nonetheless attractive and endearing, vibrated in the air, ricocheting off the walls and echoing around the room.

“Now that you’re here, I can go back,” he said, gathering his things before he straightened his back. “I’ll notify you next time I come. Stay safe.”

“W-wait!”

Yuu outstretched one available hand and tried to stop him with a gesture, and the keeper actually stayed.

“I brought some tea,” she said, pointing at the tray she was holding. “Would you like to share it with me?”

“... Alright. Would you like to have a chat then? Tea is the best when shared with someone,” he fell silent for a moment before chuckling slightly. 

Yuu smiled and finally came closer, still having a strong presence of… lack of the presence itself.

She came closer, putting a tray on a small table when the keeper offered her a chair she took right after him. 

“Is there anything you’re worrying about? Your pupils have been trembling since you stepped into the room.”

Yuu jolted slightly and looked straight into his eyes.

The keeper of the clock tower turned out to be a handsome-looking young man, despite the fact that in Yuu's imagination, he should have been respectably older. Porcelain skin on a pale face was adorned with a scattering of freckles, and yet despite such a childish perky detail, his light blue eyes betrayed an absolute emptiness in him. There was no patch of reflected light shining in them, and Yuu could not see the pupils, as if his eyes were made of void, revealing the fact that the artist had forgotten to finish this detail for him.

The unruly, light curls of his raven-colored hair cascaded over his chiseled cheekbones, and his thin lips were closed in a single line.

However, the most prominent feature was undoubtedly his left arm. The steel mechanism with painted floral patterns and perfectly machined hinges that replaced the original limb looked unequivocally impressive, but not intimidating.

And yet Yuu was frowning, trying to get deeper into his soul, to feel if it was warm or cold, was he radiating gnawing sadness or piercing happiness—he was empty, a bottle with nothing in it. 

As if he was dead.

“You look like you have a question.”

“Yes, that is correct, though I’m not sure if it would be okay to ask…”

“Let me guess… You wonder what I am,” he said so calmly it was startling. 

“I’m sorry for being rude—”

“You aren’t,” he noticed, his voice balancing between steady and emotionless but also cheeky?.. Was it even alright for her to describe his voice that way? “I’m sorry for confusing you.”

“Oh, no, that is alright… Please, enjoy the tea and the appetizer I prepared.”

“Appetizer?” He asked, taking a petal and observing it, a ghosty hint of curiosity appearing in his eyes for a mere moment. “This petal?”

“Yes, I’ve made it myself. It’s caramelized rose petals, they’re sweet but not too much. I hope you’ll enjoy it…”

“Thank you for your cordial welcome,” he bowed to her politely, receiving the same gesture from her. “Well then, my name is Prospero.”

“My pleasure to meet you,” Yuu replied. “I’m Yuu.”

“The pleasure’s mine. Ah,” he said after taking a bite of the rose petal and shifting his gaze to Yuu, his eyes softening slightly. “This is very much enjoyable, you did a good job. Not to mention you’re quite a creative little lady.”

“Thank you!” Yuu answered cheerfully, happy that her work was acknowledged. 

“To answer your curiosity from before,” he continued after sipping tea. “I’m this clock tower’s keeper, the shop keeper as well as an appointed school psychologist and a teacher. Remember well the psychologist part. If anything happens and you’ll feel like anything is too much, please come to me. I’m here to help with any problems you might encounter while studying. School life can be rather harsh sometimes. Especially given you’re the only female here… Seriously, what was Ambrose thinking.”

“N-no, that is alright!! The headmaster gave me a place to live, considering my situation. How could I ask for more…” Yuu mumbled.

Prospero drew a mechanical hand to his chin, humming to himself in a nagging way but not really saying anything, to which Yuu wondered what that could mean, and stared at his hand. Floral patterns shone beautifully in the dim lights of the clock tower, but now that she took a closer look, the steel part appeared to be fairly scratched?.. 

“Apparently you wonder what happened to my arm, right?” He asked, noticing how she winced and shook her head awkwardly. “No, that’s okay, it’s natural. Don’t worry, I just had… rather difficult past.”

“I hope it’s better now…” Yuu said quietly, catching sight of little emotion she couldn’t read at the moment. He was pretty hard to analyze in general. “If I can be of help, then—”

“Children must stay children as long as they can,” he said, spotting how her ears twitched. “No need to age so early. Even though I don’t really know how you faes age.”

“H-huh? You’re aware?”

“As everyone here among the school staff is aware of your situation. Don’t worry, no one will use it against you. Speaking of which, I don’t hide my own being, but would be much appreciated if you don’t blabber about it everywhere. I don’t really want to deal with an extra headache. By the way, I feel like you’ve been wanting to ask me about that all this time, correct?”

How do you even ask if you’re alive or not, Yuu thought, slightly annoyed, and took a deep breath.

“I won’t tell anyone,” Yuu said. “But you’re right about that, I want to know who… or what you are. Oh, forgive me for being rude—”

“Worry not,” he reassured her. “As to your question, I’m a puppet. Bonus points for you if you’ll manage to guess correctly from what material I was made. Don’t forget to visit my shop later on.”

“Puppet…” Yuu echoed.

No wonder his presence wasn’t felt at all. He’s no human, he has no soul or anything that could be counted as one.

Yuu dared to look at him, seeing he didn’t really mind her closer observation, and lost in thoughts and concentration. She had some experience in guessing people’s true beings—she was exceptionally good at finding merfolk—but neither human nor a magical being? Presuming objects’ properties wasn’t her best part, but Prospero wasn’t an object in the first place, though how he should be called if so remained unknown. 

His steel arm was out of place, but Yuu somehow was sure it’s not it. He didn’t smell like steel, there was almost nothing metallic in him, but a slight hint of something sylvan, carrying fragrant herbs aroma alongside with oak bark tickled Yuu’s nose.

“You’re,” Yuu raised her head and looked straight into his eyes, sure of her guess. “Made from wood.”

And with that being said, Yuu winced at her own assumption. Wait a moment, if was a wooden puppet, or rather a doll, then could he be?.. 

Pinocchio. He had a strange, absolutely absurd and unbelievable relation to Pinocchio.

Prospero chuckled and started clapping quietly. 

“Correct,” he grinned, and she wasn’t sure how this emotion felt. He was smiling, but what was the feeling within his chest? Was there anything at all? “I must say, I’m pretty much impressed. People think I’m a porcelain puppet.”

“You look like one,” Yuu admitted. “I was confused at first.”

“My master had outstanding skills. Anyway, as I’ve mentioned, I’ll guarantee a discount for you next time you visit. And please do remember my psychological services require no payment.”

“Oh,” Yuu muttered. “Right, you’ve mentioned that… kind of job?”

“I see you haven’t yet happened to visit a psychologist,” Prospero said. “Which is neither bad nor good. Even when we think we’re okay, it might be that we don’t. If you feel confused or anxious, or maybe even too giddy to the point it’s alarming, let me know. I’m here to help, alright?”

“Thank you very much,” she said, even knowing that there won’t be any need for that. Appreciating his good intentions, yet realizing she will leave soon, Yuu smiled at him and bowed. 

“Don’t mention it.”

The rest of the conversation went quite well as they discussed Yuu’s adjusting to the school and Prospero’s shop. He suggested she visit him tomorrow, at least to take a look at where he works and where to find him if something happens within the clock tower’s walls.  She nodded, thinking that she will definitely need to observe his relation to Pinocchio later on in the library.

And so she decided to do it the next morning before going to the lessons. 

RSA was an enormously large school. Yuu knew schools exist but no to the extent of knowing their average sizes, thus RSA felt grand and majestic in its own way. Every time Yuu walked within the facilities, she was being under an impression that the world is huge, blossoming in its glory and magnificence. 

Princesses' worlds had never been that large. 

What was strange to Yuu is that this world seemed to know no boundaries, whilst whenever she would try traveling in a Princess’s world, she would definitely meet a dead-end. A black wall full of nothing but void, symbolizing its end. At first Yuu was terrified, thinking it was some sort of an obstacle, but somehow Princesses couldn’t even see it, asking Yuu where she would go and for what reason. 

Fairy Godmother told her that their realms had limits and barriers that Princesses weren’t aware of. Which was quite puzzling to Yuu—didn’t it mean she needed to erase them, make Princesses free and enjoy the world they live in? And yet… 

They would giggle straight at her face, calling her cute and silly. Why would they leave when they met the Prince of their dreams? Why travel and broaden horizons? Indeed, they achieved what they needed and wanted, justice was settled, and Yuu’s work finished. 

Their worlds might have resembled big bubbles, very well imitating a real world with its spacious sceneries, but in the end it was nothing but a cage. And Yuu was fascinated with how lively and real this world seemed, given she only has been here, in the Academy, and didn’t know if there is anything else beside it, but the landscape opening out of the window in her room shown an endless sea shimmering with bright sparkles under the moonlight, giving her a ray of light ghosty hope.

She didn’t notice how she made it up to the Prospero’s shop. A small, quaint hut, nonetheless in keeping with the local architecture, appeared before her. Yuu made sure that it was open, and knocked thrice before she heard distant ‘Come in!’ somewhere from the shop, said in Prospero’s deep voice.

As soon as Yuu took a step inside, the wooden floorboard creaked. Had she been taller, she would probably have run into the hat hanging on the rack at the entrance. Fanciful paintings hung on the wall near the hanger, as well as framed dried rare flowers. Directly ahead of them was a cylindrical vendor's counter, behind which Yuu spotted Prospero rummaging through the merchandise. 

Behind him was a spiral staircase. To the right of the vendor's counter, there were many shelves and racks filled with various gear, flasks, boxes, containers, and other amusing crafts. Behind the stairs were racks filled with ordinary food, as well as flower pots randomly placed on the shelves. The crystal elongated hexagon chandeliers shimmered in pale pinks and dull yellows, giving the shop an air of mystery, as if Yuu had walked into a witch's stall.

“Good morning, Prospe— Oh?”

Yuu went further, curious and absolutely spellbound about every little thing in here, but before she could greet the clock tower’s keeper, she almost stumbled upon something… or rather someone?

“Hmph, watch where you’re going!!”

Yuu lowered her gaze and spotted… a dwarf?! It’s been a while since she last saw them!! Yuu stared at him, who was sweeping the floor, and then knelt down, looking straight into his steel gray eyes, fixing the unruly lock of his crimson hair and causing him to shrug her hand. 

“Oh, I’m deeply sorry… Are you alright?”

“What do you think you’re doing?! I’m not a child!!”

“Yes, I know,” Yuu smiled at him, wondering why his eyes would widen so suddenly. “You’re around 17 or 18 years old. Am I correct?”

“Hmph, you fool.”

“Grum, it’s impolite to answer like that.”

Yuu turned around to see another dwarf walking down the stairs and carrying some books. Unlike Grum who appeared to be the dwarf Yuu was talking to, he had ash-colored hair, brown eyes and was wearing glasses, a gentle apologetic smile plastered on his face. 

“Good morning!” He greeted Yuu before standing on tiptoes, and barely reached the shelf, but Yuu quickly ran up to him, helping to place the books at the right height. “Thank you, young lady! Please don’t mind Grum for his rudeness, he’s actually flustered you guessed his age right.”

“Oh!” Yuu gasped. “So is it 17 or 18?”

“We’re 17,” he said, outstretching his hand for Yuu to shake, so she did. “I’m Dominic. And you would be?..”

“I’m Yuu.”

“Here to buy something, Yuu? I can help! What do you need?”

“Oh, no, I was just curious…” She smiled sheepishly. Grum went upstairs, still sulking, as Dominic chuckled. 

“Which is also great!” He exclaimed. “You can pick anything eye-catching, and I’ll tell a story about the item. Or I can also pour some tea.”

“There’s no need, but thank you for your cordial welcome,” Yuu couldn’t help but pat his head, seeing Dominic’s tender smile. They weren’t children, but a child-like appearance made it impossible not to pat them and spoil a little.

“Dominic, look! Maybe this thing could help Neige?!”

Another dwarf came from upstairs, causing both Yuu and Dominic to switch their attention to him, blond strands of his hair were pulled out from under clips in the shape of musical notes.

“Don't run up the stairs,” Dominic nagged softly, but it appeared the dwarf didn’t really care as much. 

Yuu tilted her head curiously. Did he just mention Neige?..

“And before anything, greet the customer.”

“Oh, sorry!~” The sunny cheerful-looking dwarf finally noticed Yuu standing here all along. “Good morning!”

“Good morning indeed,” Yuu smiled. “What is your name?”

“Hop,” he smiled proudly. 

“I’m Yuu, nice to meet you, Hop.”

“So what did you want to show me?” Dominic came closer to Hop, taking a bottle with a soft lilac liquid in it and examining it before frowning. “Hop…”

“It says ‘sleeping pill’!! If Neige can’t sleep, then we must make him!” 

“Hop, no.”

“Why no…”

“I can’t give you that without a prescription,” Prospero said, materializing out of nowhere behind Dominic. “There’s only one person on the campus who can anyway...”

So Yuu wasn’t mistaken, they really have been talking about Neige. Somehow Neige and dwarfs in one sentence sounded extremely familiar to her, but she decided to not rush it yet, and then another dwarf with short jade green hair and hazel eyes wearing an eye sleep mask on his head came from upstairs.

“Dominic…I think… I found something…Useful…”

Dominic chuckled, tilting his head and asking what exactly he found.

“This,” another dwarf said. “Neige plays such a… terrifying loud music at night… Can’t sleep.”

Terrifying loud music?.. Somehow Yuu wondered if that could be true, given his image seemed rather tender and warm, but she shrugged those thoughts, knowing prejudice wouldn’t help. 

Another dwarf gave Dominic two cylindrical things that look like pills?.. Yuu bent over to take a closer look, but this device was unknown to her.

“Earplugs,” Dominic sighed. “Well, if it could help you, Shelpie… How much for earplugs, teacher Prospero?”

Prospero, starting walking upstairs, sighed, closing his eyes, and the next second his voice became dim and slightly annoyed. 

“For you? Nothing. It’s just plugs.”

“But we can’t—”

“Yes, you can,” Prospero already went up, and a loud thud of the boxes he carried was heard. “Timmy, help me out there.”

Timmy? Apparently there were more dwarfs than Yuu saw in the span of last five minutes. 

“I can’t just let him spoil us with so many things already…” Dominic mumbled, returning Yuu’s attention to him as Grum returned to the place where he was sweeping the floor and throwing a glance at her. 

“Do you perhaps work here?”

“We’re part-timing, you’re correct,” Dominic said, fishing out of his pockets a small amount of coins and placing them on Prospero’s desk while he didn’t see. “We sweep the floors, help arrange the goods, wipe the dust... You can see for yourself, although the shop is small, there is always a lot of stuff.”

Yuu looked at the bright red brooch on his jacket—come to think of it, other dwarfs had them. too—she also saw it on Neige that evening, wasn’t it symbolizing they belong to the same dormitory… As far as she remembered, Che’nya said it was called Edelwiese.

“You must be working hard,” Yuu said when Dominic took another broom and joined Grum, who  was still sweeping the floor. “Please remember to take some breaks from time to time.”

“You’re very kind, Yuu,” Dominic smiled at her. “Please don’t worry.”

She observed the shop for a while, carefully taking stuff in her hands, examining it and wondering how in the world did Prospero manage to find all those. Yuu also appeared to be lost in thoughts while observing things and noticing they were fairly… old, so to say, if not ramshackle. Useful even still, but old in any case. Which was strange, Yuu thought, switching her gaze to the shelf with snacks on it, which looked quite modern and unfamiliar to Yuu. What a strange shop it was, indeed.

There were even curious artifacts, enchanted jewelry, rare herbs, and gems that Yuu would love to acquire, but for lack of local currency, there was no point in doing so. Besides, after rescuing the princess or the prince, she must return home anyway, so, overcoming her curiosity, she shook her head and said goodbye to Prospero and the dwarves as she left the shop.

“Good afternoon, everyone.”

Emery ascended the tribunal, checking out if there was anyone absent, and starting the lesson right after.

“Today we’re going to discuss magic properties and to which types it divides,” Emery said, grabbing a chalk. “But before that, tell me which magic type you think you’re pretty much confident in. It’s alright if you’re not sure, just remain silent then.”

Yuu placed her chin on hands, watching Luan start fidgeting slightly in excitement. 

“Is there magic you’re confident in?” She asked him quietly.

“You betcha,” he giggled before raising his hand.

“Yes, Luan?”

“Wind magic!”

The way Luan smiled, raising his chin up, and giggled, reminded her of someone… Was it because of his youthful appearance and cheeky yet playful attitude?—

“Great,” Emery nodded. “Yuu? Maybe you have something?”

Yuu bent her brows, thinking hard. She was, indeed, quite a talented sorceress, but in terms of this world’s magic? It was risky to reveal, not even knowing the types the magic divided. Hearing Luan’s one helped her a bit, meaning it still divided at least on elemental types, but to what extent? Yuu first threw a quick glance on Luan, whose tail was wagging in anticipation, and decided to go with the safest assumption.

“Flora,” she said almost weightlessly. 

“... As expected,” Emery grinned in a mysterious way, which Yuu couldn’t really decipher. As expected?..

“You definitely look like a flora mainer,” Luan chuckled, explaining. “I’m afraid we’re not compatible in our types.”

“And you’re wrong,” Emery sighed, causing Luan to sulk a bit. “I said ‘which magic type you think you’re pretty much confident in’, not ‘you sure are confident’. We’ll see if it’s your best one, moreover, there’s not only one type. Not to mention you most definitely can combine wind and flora together, the one thing remaining is learning how to do it in a correct way. Now, let us continue.”

“Woah chill, you killjoy,” Luan giggled, knowing exactly well that Emery did hear him, but decided to let it slide for this one, continuing the lesson, while Luan earned a reassuring smile from Yuu.

“First of all, I see there are a lot of wind magic users,” Emery said, nodding to himself before turning around. “Or you think so. Next we’ve got fire users.”

Yuu heard a strange noise from Luan, seeing him knitting his brows together, wondering what this reaction could mean. 

As Emery started making simple diagrams and patterns on the blackboard, Yuu was following him, writing down the notes while Luan started swinging his leg under the desk casually, though still listening, quite interested in the subject.

“All in all magic divides into two groups, the first one falling into four elemental types, which are: fire, water, flora, and wind. The other one is the void element, which can be divided into dark and light types of cosmic magic.”

Yuu listened carefully, making colorful well-structured notes. 

“Woah, girl,” Luan bent over to peep into her notebook. “Your notes are so neat.”

“Thank you, it’s nothing,” she shrugged sheepishly. 

“Mine are a mess,” he chuckled, showing her a notebook full of his scribbles done in not so neat handwriting, but surely unique. 

“Does it really matter as long as you understand everything you wrote?”

“Right?? Thanks for saying that, Yuu.”

“Don’t mention it?..”

Yuu continued to listen to Emery from then on. 

According to him, magic could be performed in forms of combining elemental types altogether, or mixing both elemental and void elements. Every magic type had its own properties and features, for instance, water magic had major healing properties, whilst fire was supposed to be mostly damaging. 

Magic studies could be compared to any science — it was developing with time passing. Properties weren't too one-sided anymore, and even if main features remained, it didn’t mean there was no place for creativity and experiments. 

As Emery has mentioned, it didn’t mean that flora and wind couldn’t work together. Depending on the magic spell casted and incantations said, they could perform wonders, just like a fire-water pair and others. 

Yuu noticed that her magic didn’t really differ much. The only problem was, undoubtedly, the way she casted it. With Emery’s demonstration of a very simple wind spell, it appeared to be rough, quite raw and very concentrated. And most importantly, it was a wind swirl itself.

Even if she didn’t possess wind magic, she had other elemental type ones, but in any case her way of casting spells could create great problems, given she didn’t produce magic in its raw, bare form, but in butterflies. 

Moreover, she lacked a void element. Her butterflies could do much more, but she also didn’t really have an idea of what a void element could do in the first place. Not to mention it was yet to be seen if her butterflies and the local magic were equal in power, or did something overpowered one another. 

And the question was, how to convert her butterflies into raw magic forms. 

“Beside elemental and void magic, there is also another type called Unique Magic.”

“Unique?..” Yuu mumbled to herself.

“Some of you might have already discovered your own, but others are yet to do that, if at all. If you haven’t, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad magician. Not to mention some of those can be terrifying to the point you’d rather not use it at all.”

Emery sighed, putting a chalk piece on the desk and wiping his hands with a towel before twisting a strand of hair around his finger.

“Unique magics aren’t based on elemental or void types. They can, but it’s not necessarily. The most difficult and terrifying ones have something to do with a human's condition or mind. Please be especially careful when dealing with those or possessing your own.”

Yuu shivered. Their magic could do something like that?

“They can’t be unambiguously assigned according to a certain system or properties. Unique magics can deal with mind, can deal high damage or, on the contrary, have healing properties, can serve as a conductor, and many many more…” Emery seemed to be deep in his thoughts. “For example, mine is…”

“Excuse me, teacher der Licht,” Yuu suddenly said, raising her hand.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Is it alright for you to reveal one's unique magic?”

“Good question,” he nodded. “You might keep your own magic secret to your classmates, but it is obligatory to let the school staff know. In case something happens, we can take appropriate action and help if needed. As for school staff, our unique magics are open for you to check. Go visit the teacher's room if you’re interested. We also reveal our magics during the lesson, like I was about to do a minute ago. Now, if I answered your question properly, I shall continue.”

“Thank you.”

“So, as I was saying, my unique magic is called ‘I See the Light’. It allows me to declassify one’s own unique magic, so I’ll know how it works and what the conditions are, and cancel it after pronouncing an incantation.” 

Yuu gasped and shivered, eyes widening in shock. Unique magic could do even THAT? But did that mean—

“If you haven't discovered your unique magic yet, I won’t be able to see it.”

Alright, maybe there still was a way for Yuu to create an undercover for her own abilities. 

“And now let’s get back to the magic properties. Oh and please, those who know their unique magic, come to me right after the lesson ends, I’ll register them.” 

“Tch, pain in the ass,” Luan mumbled, scribbling something in his notebook, to which Yuu chuckled softly.

“It appears you already have one,” she whispered to him when he turned to her, smiling proudly.

“Yep,” he pressed a finger to his lips and winked at her. “But it’s a secret~”

“O-okay!” Yuu nodded.

She had her own secrets after all.

“Ugh… I’m… sorry… Are you alright?”

Yuu coughed, holding onto her magic wand and tightening a grip on it, watching a giant swirl of butterflies of different colors dissipating and covering her body, fluttering their wings with a genuine worry.

“Ha-ha, I’m okay, don’t worry about me.”

Yuu stood up slowly, her eyes meeting a majestic starry sky upon her, only glassy cover of the tower separating her and that magnificent scenery. 

Almost fifty butterflies were flying around, their wings reflecting in a dim light of the clock tower, and Yuu sighed heavily. How many hours have passed since she returned here, practicing and trying to adjust her own magic to the local one? She tried converting butterflies into spells, but all in vain — butterflies would just dissolve or scatter, frightened away. 

“Oh, little one, there was no need…” She said when an iridescent butterfly tapped on her hands, causing her to put the magic wand away and heal her fingers, lacking strength and grip. 

“Ouch,” Yuu giggled when a pink butterfly sat on the tip of her nose. “Alright, alright, I’ll take a break! Stop lecturing me~”

Yuu snapped her fingers, and all of the butterflies dissolved midair with a wave of sparkles, and took a deep breath.

All her efforts went in vain, but to her fortune, practical magic lessons will start only next year, so she had time. Which was also a trivial aspect due to her leaving soon right after a princess or a prince will be rescued. 

And there will be no more fascinating magic study. Again.

“It’s late but I wonder if the library is open…”

She took the jacket and threw it over her shoulders, then went out, meeting an exceptionally fresh and even slightly cold evening air, enjoying the way stars shone brightly in the anthracite night sky. 

Entering the main building, Yuu questioned if it was okay in the first place — an insinuating darkness covered school halls, clatter of her heels echoing and ricochetting of the walls. Everyone seemed to be sleeping as they should. Yuu couldn’t really feel the flow of time, orienting on the way sun rays flickered in the morning and how cold the air became at night. The clock she saw on her way to the library announced that it was already one past midnight and hummed, wondering if she should try adjusting to a human's sleeping schedule. 

Yuu opened the door to the library and peeked into it to make sure no one was there. Good, Aell seemed to be absent. She apologized to herself for intruding and went straight to the informational desk, checking out the section she needed. 

She then went upstairs, passing by the shelves with many intriguing books on them, but Yuu, mentally fighting with her own curiosity, swallowed it and came right to the section she needed to study magic adjustment. 

“That could be of help…” She mumbled to herself, choosing books. “And also that. And that also may… Hm?”

She felt a familiar presence somewhere at her left and turned, noticing none other than Neige sleeping at the desk, surrounded by piles of books scattered around his angelic features. Yuu parted her lips, not sure if it was right to come to him, but decided to take a moment to observe the situation.

But before she actually could do anything, she spotted another fairly familiar person approaching the table Neige was sleeping at. 

“Sleeping in the library again, hm?” 

The boy who she encountered at the clock tower on her first night here, the one she also saw here in the library the other day when Che’nya interrupted her! 

Come to think of it, she couldn’t comprehend that during their first, uh, ‘meeting’, but the boy appeared to be really tall. His hair reflected in a moonlight, the blue glow of his eyes looking majestically enchanting. 

He came closer to Neige, who still was sleeping, and bent over him, placing a bottle with something Yuu didn’t know what since the bottle was quite opaque, and smiled rather bitterly as he left. 

Yuu found herself lost in thoughts again, pondering if it would be alright for her to approach Neige and observe him, or maybe to at least check what was in the bottle. She turned around, making certain Che’nya wasn’t here like last time he prevented her from coming closer to the boys she saw, and chuckled to herself.

“Just what am I thinking,” she smirked and shook her head. 

No, it wasn’t right. He was sleeping, and despite him looking absolutely extraterrestrial and lovely, he was obviously tired. Yuu quietly made her way to a separate desk, placing the books on it and opening one of them, deciding to wait. She, unlike humans, had a lot of time.

Silence. There was nothing but silence. 

Yuu broke the silence that hung in the air by flipping pages, and even the muffled sounds of nature outside the window fell silent humbly, giving her a feeling of complete concentration and attentiveness.

Luckily to her, there was a way to modify one’s magic properties so they would take on a different form and shape, but that also meant the powers of the wielderer would change. It doesn’t necessarily mean they would go weak—history has known cases where it would increase greatly—but to make it work required a lot of experience from a magician. 

Yuu sighed, pressing fingers to her chin and tilting her head. Fairy Godmother has always been saying there’s no need for her to dwell on magic study that hard. Yuu knew some attacking and defensive spells to deal with evil powers in Princesses worlds, but nothing much further than that. The mere fact she discovered her magic was casted in a form of butterflies was rather terrifying at first since she thought it was forbidden and she’ll be punished for experimenting. Turned out it was alright but only if she didn’t push it, letting things remain as they were. 

Yuu took another book and was about to dwell on it harder, but heard sweet little mutterings, raising her head and meeting Neige’s sleepy eyes.

“Ugh… Huh? Yuu?..”

She smiled at him, waiting for him to awake fully, and took the books, coming closer to him.

“Is it alright if I sit here?” She asked, receiving a nod in return. “Thank you!”

“Good evening. I must apologize, you saw me in such a pathetic state…”

“That is absolutely okay,” Yuu shook her head. “I’m rather worried you’re having a bad time sleeping… Are you alright?”

Neige saw a bottle placed on the table and opened it. Sweet and gentle black tea aroma lingered in the air, and Yuu caught the notes of chamomile in there. 

Neige ripped off the small sticker Yuu didn’t notice that was stuck to the bottle. He giggled softly, sticking a sticker on one of the pages of his notebook, a ‘Cheer up! 🤗’ in a small handwriting was written down there. Yuu wondered if Neige knew the boy who brought the bottle.

“Please do not worry much,” Neige replied, taking a sip when Yuu looked at the books around him, all about math, history, alchemy, magic… What a vague choice. “Moreover, is it alright for you to be here that late? You should sleep well…”

“Thanks for your advice, but I’m alright.”

A brief silence hung between them. Neige opened one of the books, math one if Yuu wasn’t mistaken, and rubbed his eyes. 

“Um…” She broke the silence, meeting Neige’s lovely but exceptionally drained gaze. “How's the rabbit, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Ah,” he smiled gently. “It’s doing quite well. Dwarfs have been looking after… Ah, you might not know them yet…”

“Dwarfs!” Yuu smiled at him brightly. “I’ve met Dominic, Grum, Hop and, hmmm, Shelpie, was it?” 

“Oh, so you know them!” Neige giggled, his eyes filled with bright sparkles of genuine care and happiness all at once, his cheeks dusting with soft pink, and Yuu caught herself on a thought that the sound of him laughing warmly suited him like nothing else. “Actually, there are seven of them, ha-ha… They took care of the rabbit quite well while I, um, was busy.”

Yuu winced at the word ‘seven’. Seven dwarfs and sweet and kind Neige, possessing a lovely voice and a beauty she has never seen before… Huh. Somehow it didn’t sit right in her.

“Yuu?” He asked her worryingly.

“Sorry,” she shrugged. “I’m glad that the rabbit is okay. The dwarfs are surely thoughtful!”

“They definitely are,” he smiled.

Yuu frowned, still lost in her extremely ridiculous and absurd theory, but decided to try proving it in the most vague way possible.

“Do you perhaps live together? I’ve noticed you all have bright red brooches,” the way Neige didn’t lose his composure but was obviously not so comfortable with answering right away made Yuu to clench a piece of her clothes under the desk. She didn’t want to push him, but could he… could he really be a prince in distress she needed to rescue? If so… “I’m just living all alone in the clock tower since well… You see that my case is rather odd. That’s why I don’t really know about the dorms’ arrangement.”

“Oh!” Neige exclaimed, smiling away all the worry from before, which put Yuu on guard. He surely was genuine and cheerful, but now it was more suspicious and alarming than just carrying an image of an always happy person. “Right, you must be confused. Yes… We live together in one room. Though I must mention our case is rather odd, just like yours. It just… happened to be like that.”

“Is that so…”

The theory of Neige resembling Snow White herself started to sound not so preposterous as it was. Yuu decided she needed solid confirmation. She quietly snapped her fingers, and a pink butterfly appeared. Yuu pointed with her finger at the window, sending a butterfly there. A tingling feeling in her stomach made her frown with worry, but she proceeded to distract Neige.

“Are you perhaps a second-year student? Dwarfs said they’re all seventeen years old,” Yuu grinned.

“I am 17, too,” he answered gently. “What about you?”

“Oh, I am a first-year. As for my age…”

Yuu swallowed her worry when a butterfly flew over to their table. Neige gasped and stretched out a finger, welcoming the butterfly which danced around him. Yuu was sure she didn’t tell the butterfly that it must fly straight to Neige. It’s as if he was spellbinding every nature creature around himself… 

Just like Snow White did.

“What a curious color,” Neige whispered. “I’ve never seen a butterfly like that.”

“Curious indeed…”

A fae couldn’t lie. Yuu couldn’t too, deciding it would be for the best to not comment on that. Moreover, she confirmed her theory, looking straight at Neige and observing his features. Pitch-black hair, eyes shimmering like gold, lips red as blood… 

There was no denying.

“It’s already late,” Yuu said suddenly, gathering the books. “I should get going. I also suggest you go to sleep, Neige. Staying so late is bad for your health.”

“You’re right,” he nodded, seeing the butterfly flying away to the window and watching it with a glimpse of sadness in his eyes. “But I must stay a little longer. Don’t worry, I’ll go back soon.”

“As you say… Well then, see you later.”

“Good night, Yuu.”

She hurried away out of the main building and met the butterfly she sent near the garden. 

“He’s related to Snow White,” she dropped, a genuine worry plastered on her face. “I don’t know in which terms, but he definitely is.” 

The butterfly fluttered its wings rapidly, agreeing with Yuu. 

And if he resembled Snow White, then it meant he was the Prince she needed to rescue in order to return back home and do her duty as a Princesses rescuer. 

It will be a long sleepless night full of connecting the facts she had and making a plan to help him.

★﹒﹒NOTES ✧˖ 小孩子 (xiaohaizi) — little children. ✧˖ Oh faila maira súrë, á ortëa ni ana the orwa fanyarë — “Oh generous splendid wind, rise me to the high sky”. I genuinely hope I understand Quenya grammar right— ✧˖ As I've promised, here's some explanations about word formation used in RSA dorm names! — Pandora Charm (actually we just came up with that and called it a day lmao) — Kifurijua : Royal — kifalme (Swahili) Pride — Kiburi (Swahili) Sun — Jua (Swahili) — Merheronelle : Sea — Mer (French) Hero — Hero (English) Nelle — Just an addition — Huriirada : Freedom — Huriya (Arabic) Will — ‘Iirada (Arabic) — Edelwiese : Gems — Edelsteine (German) Meadow — Wiese (German) — Dýnamieisos : Power — Dýnami (Greek) Heaven — Parádeisos (Greek) — Florevel : To Bloom — Florere (Latin) Vel — Just an addition. — Sidhery : Elf — Sid (Irish)  Ery — An ending from the word ‘Fairy’ in English.

© yunarim 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.

[neofaa-clothing]

Ladies’ Polo Neck T-Shirt Outfit Ideas

The Classic Polo: A Wardrobe Essential

Women’s polo neck T-shirts: a perfect synchrony of comfort and elegance. The formed neck gives the touch of formality but is done with a softly breathable fabric ensuring comfort throughout. One of the nice things about a polo T-shirt is its versatility — it can be dressed up or down for the occasion. This will make it a great choice for the women to have a trendy yet practical wardrobe.

Casual Chic: How to Wear Polo Neck T-Shirts with Jeans

The most casual but all-time-classic combination is a woman wearing her polo T-shirt with jeans. Be it skinny, straight-leg, or even boyfriend jeans, and the look will never fall short of grace if rounded up with a polo t-shirt on top. Lazy weekends work well with a classic white polo T-shirt simply tucked into high-waisted jeans. Complement it with some sneakers or ankle boots and finish your vibe with a crossbody bag for that extra flair. This is a comfortable and chic outfit — right in between — so it works for errands or getting coffee with the girls.

Add a denim jacket over your T-shirt for a bit of an edge. There’s something with this contrast between the structured collar of the polo and the relaxed vibes of the denim that appears really cool. A statement belt and sunglasses will do even more to elevate the look.

To make your clothes a little smarter and more polished and wear the polo neck T-shirts now within a business-casual environment, try them with tailored pants. This is perfect for when you need to look smart but also feel easy and comfortable at the same time. Choose neutral trousers in tones of black, navy, or beige to lead you to a very classy outcome. Pop your look with a polo T-shirt in a nearby color; this will create a little interest unto your outfit without overwhelming it.

Tuck in the polo T-shirt inside the trousers, and the look can be rounded off with loafers or pointed toe flats. Throw on a fitted blazer to add that element of smartness. The blazer can be either color coordinated or color block. And it makes a great look for office meetings, business lunches, and almost all occasions where you want to look professional yet approachable.

Feminine Touch: Polo T-Shirts with Skirts

Polo neck T-shirts are not just for trousers; they look lovely with skirts too. A polo T-shirt that is tucked into a high-waisted A-line skirt creates an easy yet flattering silhouette that is comfortable and stylish at the same time. Go for a floral or patterned skirt with a solid top to result in a playful daytime look. Finish off the look with ballet flats or sandals and, of course, a statement necklace that would tie it all together.

A polo T-shirt is matched with a pencil skirt for a sleek evening look. Go monochromatic with the colors for further sophistication, but if you’re in a bold and daring mood, bring on color. End the look with heels and a clutch, and you will be set for any dinner date or just a fun night out.

Layering Mastery: Polo T-Shirts with Outerwear

Feel like playing with the textures? Wear your polo t-shirt under a chunky knit sweater and let the collar stick out for that preppy feel. In fact, this goes really well with jeans and skirts alike, so you have plenty of options to mix and match with your different style inclinations.

As athleisure continues to rage in the world of fashion, polo T-shirts are an excellent addition to this style. Match your days having polo t-shirts for women with a pair of tailored joggers, which are designed impeccably for comfort. The outfit is definitely sufficient for casual outings or even traveling, or on days you prefer to laze around at home. Choose joggers in a base hue — gray, black, or olive are some safe bets — and team them with a polo T-shirt in a matching or complementary shade. Finish the look with clean sneakers and a sporty backpack for an outfit that is both utilitarian and styling.

For the Guys: Polos with Menswear Inspiration

Finally, feel free to take a cue from the men’s trends when pulling your guys-inspired polo-neck tee for women. The style is completely in — that is, androgynous. You can mix a man’s wear with yours easily by pairing it with wide-legged pants or tailored shorts. This look will be a total effort and works with ease for casual settings or creative workplaces.

Accessorize further with a structured bag and loafers or brogues to finish. A fedora or a minimalist watch can also be added to the same effect. This look is all about confidence so embrace the masculine feminine balance and make it your own.

Conclusion

Ladies, Polo neck t-shirts are all-time classic pieces in your wardrobes with endless possibilities of mixing and matching. Be it casual, smart-casual, or athleisure, women’s polo T-shirts will certainly give you the style. With all the mix and match plus layering and accessorizing, you will surely come up with a lot of looks that will make you look good and feel great. Embrace the versatility of the polo T-shirt and experience fun in creating looks that bring out your style.