brailsthesmolgurl

[brailsthesmolgurl]

COINCIDENCE

PREVIEW: Fate is a term that suggests predetermined events that are inevitable, a route that is not available to anyone's alteration. Yet, destiny, in all of its glory is defined as a path that opens up possibilities of choices and actions that one can take to change it. So, what if coincidence came under the disguise of a fate or perchance, a destiny?

WARNINGS: non-mc! reader, mixture of the boys' povs, first impression matters, mid-length read, real-life scenario applications, cutesy and cheek reddening and leg-kicking fluff.

NOTES: Maladaptive dreaming is the inspiration behind this piece, I just had the sudden lightbulb moment thinking of what-if scenarios and meeting the LnDs boys in reality would probably come across to what these scenarios depict. I'm sorry the pictures I had used are not of the best quality, but I wanted it to have the fuzzy, low res-kinda feel for first meets, where you do not really remember their faces but more of the feelings that they give you. I love giving you all my delulus and offer solulus to support y'all! Do lemme know if this should take on to another part where we dive deeper into my imaginations hehe <3

All dividers are sourced from @uzmacchiato

RAFAYEL - SUNDAY MARKET

Weekends are probably the only days you get to slot in some well deserved rest. You had initially planned to laze around at home, within the comfort of your bed sheets as you catch up on your favourite tv series. However, with an upcoming exhibition just a week away, the next episode of Love Island can wait. Hence, here you sat, in front of your empty white canvas without a single clue on what you should be drawing for your first debut piece. The pristine white canvas gawked at you, imaginary eyes forming on its plane and squinted at your lack of creativity. '𝒫𝓇𝑜𝒹𝒾𝑔𝒶𝓁 𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒾𝓈𝓉 𝒹𝑒𝒷𝓊𝓉𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓃𝓋𝒶𝓈 𝒶𝓈 𝓁𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝓅𝒾𝑒𝒸𝑒'. Sounds like a good news headline for a weeks' worth of word-of-mouth but in exchange for bad publicity for a new artist like you. Of course, you could not risk your reputation despite it being a tempting offer.

Should you have waited any longer, your walls might start creating its own art with mold stains so you decided to put on your outing clothes to step out into Mother Nature’s embrace. Perhaps, this is what you exactly needed to refresh your mind. Your feet is set to automated navigation, a built-in GPS on its own as it leads you towards the Sunday Market that is held on the outskirts of town. On days when you feel a little adventurous, going to the Sunday Market would be your go-to idea as the market features a lot of handmade bijous, often born from the hands of an artist that loves their own work. And that, is the essence of why you paint, so your artwork too, can be made of love and passion.

The sun hung lazily and brightly amongst the cloudless skies, casting its warm golden rays directly over the open-air market. The market is bustling, stalls neatly set up and decorated, lined up by the side of the road to provide access for curious shoppers to browse. Each of the stalls sold different items, some big some small, some are sold for utility while some held up as only decor. You weaved through the crowds, your notebook that is the size of your palm pressed against your chest, eyes searching for your next big break on your canvas. You walked past a store selling spices, the smell intense and piercing that it made you winced slightly. A couple stood at the front of the stall, the guy had his arm lazily draped over his significant others' shoulder as they both chattered away with the shop owner, hand gestures as loud as their verbal exchanges.

The sight was worth to draw, the genial exchange between a couple and an elderly over how spices are used for cooking and various other factors but somehow, the scene still lacks something and you hate that it gnawed at the deepest corners of your heart. How does it feel to be in a relationship like that? Where a simple outing as such can be done with your other half whom enjoys it just as much as you do? Just the thought of it left an acrid taste in your mouth but it does not suggest that you are allergic towards wanting to be in a relationship, you just happen to have expectations that nobody has managed to achieve. Yet.

You continued walking onwards, shaking your head slightly as you turned to the next stall to find more inspiration. And there stood a lengthy slim-built young man, with lilac hair that stood out from most of the crowd, dressed in a button up white shirt paired with a grey wool vest and black slacks. No mistake it screams the aesthetic of an artist and just like that, he managed to grab your attention. "Come on, this is plain fraud old man." He panned, slender digit pointed at the 'artwork' that was on display. The 'oil painting' was a blend of blue, purple and pink depicting the scene of a purplish-hued sunset but it looked more of a photo rather than a painting due to the lack of protruding brush strokes on the canvas' surface. "You can't just go around printing an artwork on a canvas and call it a rare scene of a photograph!"

His feedback got the stall owner, a balding man in his late 40s frowning, his mustache twitching out of annoyance. "Do you even have any proof of me photocopying this, young man?" Index finger pointed right back at the young man who has crossed his arms now, looking equally frustrated. Haggling is a common scene in marketplaces but a haggle for justice is quite rare indeed and it bogged you to stay.

"There is no need for any proof when I know my drawings everywhere and what you are doing now is considered a crime." His voice was calm but austere. It is any artist's nightmare for their artwork to be replicated without their knowing and seeing this plain copycat printed on an A2 sized canvas and sealed off in a mahogany frame, the artist took it as a personal jest towards his efforts. It deserves at least a pure silver frame for its magnificience. A slight glance at the painting invoked a sense of nostalgia for you, as if you had seen it somewhere floating within the depths of your memory that you could not catch onto. "Perhaps I should bring this up to my manager and lawyers then maybe we can settle--"

The seller threw both of his arms up in the air, signaling in defeat. A dour groan ensued and there comes the repining sentence. "Look young man, I was only told to sell this artwork. I do not know of the origin of this painting. I am only trying to make a living afterall." Knowing that the officials would be dousing their hand into this matter, the seller does not dare to challenge the artist in question. The purple-haired young man then stepped forward and picked up the drawing, a grimace settling onto his resplendent features. "If you want it, you can take it, I won't charge anything for it!"

You watched as the scene unfolded in front of you, the man's face had turned pallor, green eyes that held nothing but sycophancy out of fear, much like the kind of fear where he has everything at stake and he could not afford to lose any. Blame your empathy for your actions. Stepping forward, you tugged onto the canvas that the young man was holding onto and your eyes caught his. Silence ensued, but you regretted it immediately. This man is not only artistic like, but he is a work of art by himself. With fair complexion and striking purple-blue eyes, a high nose bridge and curved lips, there is no doubt that he walked straight out of a canvas. "I will pay for this." Your mouth spilled before he could say anything, his eyes widening at your approach. Not because he sees you as a challenge, but he too, had never seen someone with such beauty.

"And who are you? An accomplice of his?" He was quick to judge and you could feel yourself scoffing at his attitude. So much for looking like a carved statue, his precipitous assumption still very much suggested him being as mundane as anyone in the market. He did not let go of the photograph from his grip, his amusement surfacing at your surprised expression. It is only fair for you to be shocked at his assumptions. A daring one in fact. He now leans casually against a pole that holds the tent upright, gaze awaiting silently for you to state your reason.

You retracted your grip and crossed your arms, eyebrows closely knitted while you tried to reason with him. "Just because I wanted to lend a hand to a man who is struggling with monetary issues does not mean I am his accomplice." Stuffing your hands into your bag, you feel for your wallet only for him to beat you to it, already pulling out a fat wad of cash and he handed it to the seller, whom had probably drooled at the stack of hundreds. You were planning to give the man a hundred bill and probably call it a day and try to stop the verbal brulesque from escalating, but the young man had beaten you to it and you had never felt so humbled in your life. "What...why?"

"Who said I was never going to pay for it?" The man pushed himself off of the pole, effortlessly pushing his hair back in the direction of the wind blows. The photograph now placed in between the gap of his feet. "I too am human, I too have feelings." He lays his hand flat out, gesturing towards you and himself to indicate his point. "I can't help but pity him for doing someone else's dirty work." He looked towards the seller, the older man already relishing in his ideas on how to spend the money for the upcoming moments. Fingers running through each piece of the paper as he counts. The same monetary symbol that holds no meaning to the man whom had given it to him. "My name's Rafayel."

The introduction began and you looked at the drawing wedged in between his feet and back at his face. And you slapped your hand over your mouth, your skepticism ceded and in comes admiration. No wonder the painting seemed too familiar, you recalled that you had leafed through those uncanny brush strokes in multiple conventions. The painting that is not on sale but is always the main showpiece. It resonated with the artist, the one who stood in front of you, elegant, bold and transcendent. "You are him."

A quick look over both of his shoulders, Rafayel careened over to you in a few strides and took hold of your arm, already tugging you through the crowd like water that flows between the gaps of stones in a river. You obediently followed him, footsteps pattered across the stoned flooring to match his long strides. He snapped towards a right turn and brought you to an empty alleyway. The sunshine barely shines through, only through a small slit above where concrete roofs failed to meet, the light slanting inwards, peeking through the dark environment and forming a straight line against the brick wall. "Why are we here?"

Rafayel's head tossed left and right again, and he lets go of your arm. The subtle touch had already emblazoned against your skin. "So that I won't have to get security escorts." Of course, a famous guy like this at a casual Sunday market is a call for disaster and you mentally palmed yourself for being so careless. The painting that was held in his arms was once again put onto the floor so he has free hands to rummage through his black leather messenger bag for his sunglasses. Pulling it out, he blew the lens to rid it of any dust particles and slotted the sunglasses into his tousled hair, not in a rush to wear it in the aphotic alleyway.

You stood opposite him, feet digging into the small cracks of the stone tiles, studying its irregular patterns till he cleared his throat and you looked up at him. One of his eyebrows was raised, bluish-pink orbs darted from the notebook in your hand to your lips and then settled onto your eyes. The small interaction of his got your heart skipping a beat and you nervously nodded, rubbing the nape of your neck out of habit. "My...name is y/n." You introduced yourself, still not getting over the idea that the renowned artist stood in person in front of you. "I am a huge fan of your works and I will be making my debut at the Flux Arts Gallery next week..." Your mind blanked for a moment. Were you just about to ask him, a famous artist ---who barely knows you--- to come and see your first debut piece?

Asking a renowned artist to come forth to your debut is a suicide mission. He would have thought that you are taking up this opportunity to seek for validation from him or to simply impress him ---though you had zero confidence in your artwork despite being crowned a prodigy. But Rafayel had no such thoughts. For he saw a young woman who was crafted with such care by unspoken deities, that her delicate features are akin to her personality. The way she had shown her judiciousness today had granted herself a rite of passage straight into his soft spot. This is an artist that cares about the time and passion and effort one has to pour into making a masterpiece. This girl, in his eyes, is nothing short of a perfectionist just like him.

"I'll be there." Your heart skipped a beat when he agreed, this time a smile accompanying his handsome features. He leans closer and you could catch a whiff of his perfume. It smelled of a scent that you could only describe like a scene; a touch of sea-salt breeze with hints of citrus notes. It reminds you exactly of the painting he had done, where the sunset meets the horizon, where the skies blended along with the sea with the usage of his brush strokes and tones, the painting which he has held up in front of you now, with a messy scribble across the top right corner. When did he managed to write his number for you? "I have to go now. But text me and I'll be there."

He leans down, close enough for you to feel his breath fanned across your cheek and your face flared a sudden erubescence only visible to Rafayel's eyes. Rafayel already knew he has this effect on female counterparts, but by far, not only did you made a bang on your first impression, but knowing that you are an artist in seek of inspiration the same way he usually does, intrigues him to anticipate your debut piece. He pulls his sunglasses down to shield his dual-tone orbs and he held his hand up to brush away a stray fringe of yours to secure it behind your ear, the charming smile still on display. "I will see you soon, cutie." And without another lingering beat, he walked past you, leaving you in a daze of sea salt breeze and a cursive phone number.

SYLUS - BUSINESS TRIP

An urgent call from your boss is all it takes for you to be booking a flight ticket at the very last minute. Now, you were running though the airport, with your messenger bag in one hand and your laptop in the other. Your phone vibrated in your back pocket but because of how occupied your hands are, you could not afford the luxury of picking it up amidst the rush. "Excuse me!" The two words like a mantra falling off of your lips as you dashed through and past individuals that are clearly taking your time. Reaching the escalator, you dashed down each step, eyes training hard on the metal steps so that you would not trip but you ended up bumping face first against a hard surface and you winced.

Looking up clumsily, you watched the towering figure in front of you dressed up in a prim navy suit turned around, glasses perched on his high nose bridge, shielding a pair of carmine orbs that are sharp and obsequious. Still blocking your step forward, you muttered a quick apology and pointed at the steps below to silently ask for a way to pass through. His eyes, bereft of any judgement, simply stepped aside for you to pass him and you did, dashing past him but you slipped onto the step below him and you felt a strong grip around your waist, noticing that you had made a fool out of yourself for a second time. "I'm so sorry!" You blurted out and stabilising yourself before you are already rushing down the steps again, this time watching both the steps and any upcoming obstacles.

If you were in not so much of a hurry you would have apologise and invited the dashing young man to a cup of coffee to make up for your clumsiness but obviously time is not on your side now so you could only swallow down your guilt and clomped forward, dragging the awkwardness in your steps. When you arrived at your gate, you were relieved to see that there are still a few more people boarding the plane. Your hands templing together for a quiet gratitude to any available higher power that has heard your prayers to board your flight on time. The TV screen at the front of the boarding gate has 'LAST CALL' bolded in red. You pulled your phone out of your back pocket, seeing several missed calls and messages from your colleagues wishing you all the best on your upcoming interview.

Given that you work as a team leader in one of the biggest news reporting outlet, most of the time you will be sent out on last minute outstation interview trips as such. It does make you wonder why you would be alone in this when you had such a supportive team but your higher ups had always gave you cogent reasons, stating that you are a one person team and you are good at what you do when deep down, everyone in your team knows that this is a method for them to cut down costs. "Hi, may I get your boarding pass and passport please?" The attending steward reached out his palm and you gave him your passport and showed him your e-boarding pass on your phone.

Upon confirmation, he pulled a wide smile on you and welcomed you onto the flight. You nodded and boarded the flight, grateful that you are the last one to make it on board. Or so you thought. One good thing about a solo outstation trip is that your company is willing to sacrifice a team for your comfort, which means you get to sit in business class even for a short flight and you get to stay in presidential suites. That is the least they can do to make it up to your loneliness.

You navigated through the straight passage till you got to an open seat. Sighing in relief, you heaved your bag onto the overhead storage space and plopped down into your seat. After all of that running, you did not realised how sore your legs were till you were seated comfortably into your seat. A tall figure loomed over you and you felt an intense stare boring through your soul. "Not only did you hit my back, you made me saved you from falling and now you're in my seat. How uncanny." A deep voice rumbled and your vision snapped up and you caught sight of the same man that you had met a while ago at the escalator. The same man that you hit, who had also saved you from tumbling down the escalator like a tumbleweed and now is witnessing you sat so comfortably in HIS seat.

"I'm sorry!" You straightened up in the seat, your loudness gathered a few heads turning and you apologetically offered a smile as you stood up and looked around, spotting the seat next to him is the other one that is seemingly still empty. And you assumed it to be yours given that this is a full flight. "I...I didn't saw my boarding pass as I got on. I didn't mean to sit onto your seat, my apologies." You kept your head down as you scooched out of your seat and switched to the seat next to his. His gaze followed you, the same gaze that are impassive but held such intensity due to its vibrant hue. "You sure that is your seat?"

You rustled for your boarding pass and stared at your seat number, holding it next to the seat indicator situated above your seat and you sighed in relief when it is your seat. "Yeah." Your eyes still not meeting his. "I'm sorry for taking your seat again." You peeked at his shoes, those leather dress shoes of his shiny, refracting the sunlight coming in through the windows of the plane. He settled into his seat, not another word spoken. It was a given since you had been inconveniencing the whole time. So, with the press of a button, you called a stewardess over.

The man whom had sat in his seat is now holding a book in his large hands, eyes trailing from left to right as he takes in sentence by sentence of the bibliography of a man he cares enough to read up about. "Sir, excuse me." A gentle voice beckoned to him and naturally he raised his chin, eyes catching sight of the stewardess who is flushed at the way he stared at her. He is gorgeous no doubt, owner of an aura that is unbeatable. "Here is a champagne, courtesy from the miss next to your seat." A champagne flute finds its way onto the small eating station in front of him and he nodded graciously as a sign of acknowledgement. Then, he turned his head and caught your gaze right on this time. Your face turning beet red once he looked at you.

"I...I wanted to say sorry and thank you." You stuttered, tongue too tied to form fluent sentences. "My name is y/n." Hearing your name, the side of his lip formed a meagre smirk, adding a touch of impishness to his placid front.

"For what?" There comes the low, masculine voice of his. The plane's captain introduced himself through the sound system, informing the passengers about the flight's course but it has been reduced to white noise as the nascent conversation takes place between the both of you.

"Well," you nervously put your hands together, thumb pads pressed against one another to squeeze ideas out of your head. "I wanted to apologise for bumping into you earlier. I also wanted to say thank you when you steadied me to stop me from dying at the escalator. And lastly, I wanted to apologise about taking up your seat." You slowly raised your chin to study his reaction, but he has got his attention on the glassware in front of him.

Being an alcohol enthusiast, he deftly picked up the champagne flute and brought it to his nose to take a waft of it. Candied orange zest with the undernotes of ripe peach fruit while carrying a hint of nougat that hits the back of his throat. Taking a small sip, he savored the taste of the golden liquid swishing in his mouth and came to acknowledge your taste in champagne. "Jacques Selosse Millesime. It is a good choice to catch my interest." The way the name of the champagne rolled off of his lips sounded so smooth. If you did not know about the drink's history like the pedant you are, you may just think that he was the one who came up with that name.

The plane is landing after an hour of being amongst the skies. Sadly, he did not return the favor of disclosing his name to you and his commentary on your liquor pick was the last sentence that held up since your mind had blanked. However, you are not denying that it made you felt proud of all the times you had been preaching to your colleagues that champagne holds the status of being a bourgeoisie amongst the social status of all alcoholic drinks. Only a person with class would admire it and the man whom had given you that appraisal is a proof of it.

Once the plane had touched down, everyone had begun to rise from their seats to disembark from the flight and head off to their own destinations. Everyone seemed to be in a rush other than you and the man who sat next to you. You looked over and tried to strike another conversation amidst the wait. "So, are you here for business?"

"Yes." His reply was brief, fingers thrumming against the wooden cup holder unconsciously. He was not even supposed to be on a commercial flight. His private jet just happened to be under maintenance so he had no other options. Yet, meeting y/n in such an impressionable fashion got him wondering if this was staged by his lackeys to 'coincidentally' introduce him to a possible partner to his love life. Given how they always complained about work being his first priority and that he needs to seek a female counterpart to waste his time on so he could get off of their back and get some well deserved rest.

Standing up at his full 190cm height, his vision easily scans the overhead storage compartment and a camel brown duffel bag with your name embroidered on it got him smirking, once again. He took it out of the compartment and held it out to you. Noticing it, you quickly stood up and thanked him as you took the bag from him. This was when the crowd had started to shed themselves off of the flight. Those carmine eyes caught yours again as he draped his blazer over his broad shoulder. His slender finger reached into the front pocket of his white button up shirt and he pulled out a card.

"My name's Sylus." He tucked the piece of card into the front pocket of your jeans, noticing that your hands were occupied by the duffel bag that looked too huge for your small stature. A gesture so bold that it sent your mind into a frenzy. "Drop me a call. Perhaps we can meet up next time so you can pay up for your apology with more than just a flute of Jacques Selosse Millesime."

ZAYNE - TRAIN

The fingerprint machine whirred and clicked, the small screen indicated your name and a ‘clocked out of shift’ status. You readjusted your grip on your patient’s file, shifting it into your dominant arm before you turned on your heel and walked down the hallway that leads towards the exit. Your flats squeaked slightly as you dragged your tired feet haphazardly across the waxed flooring. Today is one of those lucky days where you got the morning shift and clocking out at night means you would be able to settle into a normal circadian rhythm just like a normal person. However, your patient file is suggesting otherwise.

Your recent published article had gained traction amongst your peers, having to be the first one to get an approval for the drug you had created to treat protocore syndrome is a big deal for Akso Hospital. It also marks the start of the drug trial phase for shortlisted candidates and this is no time for you to kick back and relax as this crucial phase will be the determining factor on whether your drug would be revolutionary or not. You were not going to settle for anything below 80% effectivity rate. “Doctor y/n. Having an early night?” One of the nurses situated at the nurse station asked, his eyes being the only thing visible behind the marble counter.

“Yeah, gotta work on this file once I’m back.” You replied, waving the teal file in hand high enough for him to catch a glimpse. A small smile graced your features as you bid him goodnight and headed out of the main entrance. The walk towards the subway station was peaceful, the wind being your only company, announcing its arrival by tousling your hair behind your back.

The subway station looked nearly empty, a few limn figures spaced out around like leaves on the ground during the winter. The train arrived shortly, the once empty tunnel now filled with the tube-like transport, the quiet engines hummed to a halt. The doors creaked open and you stood in line, entering the train according to order. The interior walls of the train are painted a pale blue now, making the dark red seats awfully garish. Passengers piled up against the seats, occupying it one by one and you took up one of the seats next to the vacant spot that is reserved for wheelchair users.

A figure past your peripheral vision and you sidelined your right, noticing a pair of black dress shoes that were well polished. “Doctor y/n.” The voice was low, surprised even and you looked up, noticing that the owner of the sparkly dress shoes belonged to the head cardiologist of Akso Hospital, Dr. Zayne. You were equally surprised, your jaw slackened at the idea that he remembered you despite you had only met one another for less than five times. Twice in lecture halls held by esteemed panels, twice at an annual dinner held by the directors of the hospitals and once was during the debrief of your research thesis in the conference room.

“Dr. Zayne.” You nodded in his direction, straightening your ankle-length skirt to stand up as a show of politesse but he stopped you abruptly. “Why are you taking the train?” You winced slightly at how condescending your tone may have come off to the head of cardiologist but he took no mind of it. Tone is the least of his worries when he had only ended an 18 hour shift. You asked the question because you remembered after one of the annual dinner events, you were conversing with your colleagues at the entrance of the function hall till a sleek black Audi got pulled up by a valet and with Dr. Zayne getting into the ride, it earned him to be the topic of the week. The doctor with the continental sedan.

“I just ended an 18 hour shift, I don’t think driving while I am in a state of lethargy would be safe for me nor anyone on the streets.” His answer was straightforward, as expected from a man of few words---purely based off of your last few interactions with him. The conversation dimmed, not because you had no topics in mind, but you took note of him just ending a long shift. He must have been half awake by now but he beat you to the extension of the conversation. “Congratulations on your approval for the third phase of the drug trial. It was an impressively written thesis.”

His bold comment got you biting your lip out of nervousness. Hearing him giving off compliments is like hearing a cat bark like a dog. It is that rare of an occurrence. “You…you actually read it?” A silly question to ask, but his thin lips pulled up into a thin smile, coiffed hair drooped slightly as he put his weight against the clear window panes, shifting onto a stance that would make any orthopedists frown.

“It is a research paper afterall and it directly relates to an opportunity of treatment for my patients.” He nodded towards you, hazel-green eyes held such sincerity that it made your heart bloomed with a sense of self-achievement. “Do you have any shortlisted candidates that are from the cardiology wards?”

You sat up, back ramrod straight and you leafed through the file in your hand, vicariously scanning through all of the patients names and identifying their assigned wards. “I don’t see any yet.” You suggested, head still buried in your file. “But recently I heard from the nurses that your department has been experiencing a huge influx of patients with protocore syndrome, is that right?”

“That is right.” His tone dipped, taking on a solemn note. He looked almost helpless for a mere second. “That is why when I heard about your research, I wanted to lend a hand.” This time, Zayne eyed you, hazel-green orbs shaded by shadows of his fringe when he leaned down slightly to look at your list of patients. But, during those board panel meetings that are usually held on the end of every month, all heads of a department are required to sit together in a huge conference to report on the cases of the month and to occassionally throw in some gossips here and there.

Zayne has heard your name one too many times from the Emergency Department. Words like 'diligent', 'smart', 'on-time' are amongst the few words tied personally to you. And now, seeing you in the train, right next to him, Zayne relishes with the words that he had often heard associated with you. Add on resplendent, decorous and refined into the personality-o-book for you. He could tell the ardent passion you have towards treating your patients just by the way you are staring so intensely through the list.

You, on the other hand, was panicking slightly at the way he had asked for your research to be applied to his department's patients. You had always known Dr. Zayne to be very capable and because of it, you knew the risk of getting panned would be far greater and diffidence inched its way at the back of your mind. Not to mention having a slight crush on Dr. Zayne makes you even more nervous than ever. You stammered. "I...I don't want to cause any trouble for you, Dr. Zayne."

The train eases to a slow stop, metal creaked and groaned against the cold metal tracks, the impassive mechanical voice of the announcer echoed in the background, announcing the station name and precautionary measures as part of the protocol. You are already here at your stop. How long did the conversation took? You hastily stood up, again smoothening your skirt to avoid any crumpling of the fabric. You gave the doctor next to you a small, polite smile and walked past him towards the train doors, but he called out for your name, making you halted in your tracks and you looked over your shoulder to catch his lingering gaze.

"Come meet me at my office tomorrow," He stood at the opening of the train doors now, still positioned within the belly of the train, his smile mimicked yours, a small tug at the end of his lips. His tone makes his decision absolute. "You do not have to do this alone, y/n."

CALEB - BISTRO

You glanced at your phone as you walked under the awnings of shop lots to shield yourself from the sudden downpour. Not only were you late for your blind date, karma had caught on by casting a heavy rain at the moment you stepped out of your humble abode. With the lack of time on your end, you ended up with the ends of your ankle length dress soaked. A low hum could be heard even amidst the loud pitter and patter and you fished your phone out of your handbag to see that your date of the night is ringing you.

"Hey...are you still coming?" This is the first time you heard his voice, it sounded gentle, hesitant and concerned. All this while, you had only conversed with him via texts and his voice did not seemed to match the clipped texts he would usually send you. You were expecting a deeper voice, one that carries more aura of an older gentleman, not like an older brother kind of vibe.

The introduction of this blind date was a courtesy from your colleague at work, after hearing your failed blind dates for time and time again, she had decided to introduce you to an eligible candidate, a guy whom her best friend knows. All she did was shove a number into your face and asked for you to be in touch with him. It took you two days to muster up the courage to be the first one to text the unknown number. A short and simple introductory message.

𝘏𝘪, 𝘐 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘺/𝘯. 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 :).

The message was sent and it took around two hours for your blind date to respond to you. But as aforementioned, it was a clipped response.

𝘏𝘦𝘺, 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘩, 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘣, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 8𝘱𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥?

No emojis, no love bombing flirtatiousness, just straight to the point. It was almost as if he had done this way too much, wanting to zoom over this date out of fulfilling a favour from a friend who was just trying to help. Your assumptions of him a reflection of how you felt of this meeting too. Without much thought, you glanced at the calendar that sat on your desk and you took up your pen, blue ink scrawling, filling in the empty space on your schedule for this Friday.

Back to present, your phone held onto your ear, your eyes darting left and right, trying to find the next awning you can shield under as you proceeded further down the street to the bistro that he had made a reservation at. The bistro that is safely tucked away at the end of a dead street, where no shadows are seen lingering on a usually busy Friday night. Makes you wonder why did he bother making a reservation at an obscure location but at least it shows his effort.

"Yeah, I am just caught up in the rain." You replied hastily, quietly muttering curses under your breath as you hopped over a puddle. The neon signboard gleamed at the end of the street, tinting the shop's window with an eerie crimson glow. "Sorry for making you wait, I am almost there. I will explain everything." And you hung up on him, pulling up the ends of your dress and you dashed towards the entrance, rain splattering onto your skin.

Pushing opened the heavy wooden doors of the bistro, you were enveloped in warmth generated by radiators, the bistro buzzed alive, with people conversing, laughing and a live band playing jazzy tunes to fill the ambience. You are very very wrong about this being a dead place, for this bistro is probably the only lively shop that stood alone amongst the quiet streets.

Nobody bothered to bat an eye at you and you felt grateful for not catching any attention. You scanned the crowd briefly and landed on a guy sat near the wall, a few tables near to the bar and the furthest away from the small stage. He was mindlessly scrolling on his phone, the soft light casting a glow against his features. He is the only one sitting alone and you beelined straight to him, all the while smoothing out your hair so at least you look a little presentable, eventhough you were soaked.

Moving closer, the figure you were eyeing comes closer to your view. He is young, probably around your age, a newsboy hat adorned on his head, with a black jacket worn over his white shirt underneath. His shoulders are broad, making his head sitting like a tiny rock on a huge boulder. "Hi." You approached the corner of the small table and he looked up. He is drop dead gorgeous. Brunette hair that falls over his forehead, framing his defined jaw. His eyes the shade of dark violet under the dim glow of accent lights, clear and expressive.

"Hey..." He trailed off, eyeing your face and then angling downwards, his lips parting open when he is the first one to take in your disheveled state. "You are soaked." His tone came off to be concerned and he quickly stood up. Only then you noticed his towering height, his baby face not a very good measurement for his body proportions. "Are you cold?" He approached you, taking off his jacket immediately and wrapped it over your small figure, the ends of his jacket reached the mid of your thighs. "Wait for me here, I will grab some tissues or something for you."

You wanted to tell him it was not necessary but he had already spun around on his heel, maneuvering through crowds and occupied tables towards the bar. Your heart skipped a beat. Not expecting Caleb to be giving you such a good impression to begin with ---or maybe that was how traumatised you were from your past dates. He came back a few minutes later, an apologetic smile grazed his soft lips and he handed you a few pieces of towels, too small for the body and too big for your face. "They only have these towels that are used to wipe the bar table. But don't worry, these are clean."

You took the towels off of his grip and started to dry yourself off, first by throwing one over your hair and you plopped down into the chair, wrapping the ends of the towel around your neck to make it look like a makeshift scarf. "Thanks." You readjusted yourself, placing your bag onto the floor and you extended a hand towards him, a smile now shown on your face.

Caleb sits himself down and took your hand, giving you a firm shake. He gnawed at the inside of his cheek, trying to contain his amusement when this is the first time he had been on a blind date where his date is soaked and could care less about her aesthetics. Perhaps, she too, had been on too many dates just like him. "I thought you were a no-show." He retreated his grip and relaxes in his seat, slumping his shoulders slightly.

"Of course not." You scowled, a pout followed soon after. "I was late because I was caught up with paperwork. I'm sorry again for making you wait." Caleb sighed in relief, his palm coming up to rub the back of his neck to soothe his nerves. You were nothing alike to what Simone had described on the phone. She did mention that you are small in size and that is by far the most accurate description of you. However, Caleb sees no sign of a shy individual. Only a well-mannered one. As of now.

This blind date has been one of the most smooth-sailing one. With conversations held up on both ends, questions and answers given and taken. You had got to know of his age and occupation and you could not believe the guy in front of you, with such gentle features and warm personality, is a pilot, upholding the position of a colonel in fact. For he, had never figured that you are part of the Hunter's Association, a lead engineer in charge of designing and tinkering a melange of leading technological weapons for the hunters. So that is how you got to know Simone.

"Say, y/n." His eyebrow arched upwards, a hint of amusement in his voice. He picked up the jar of water and refilled your glass swiftly, halting his actions when the liquid fills up to the brim of your cup. "How many blind dates have you been on?"

Seven. That was the answer that you had given him and you threw the question right back at him, anticipating an amount similar to yours. "Fourteen." Double that instead. Caleb throws his head back, chuckling when he saw your mouth dropped opened and he clears the question that is already churning at the back of your mind, his tone still lighthearted. "They either ghosted me mid way or just wasn't my type. Some talk too much about themselves, some wanted to jump right onto bed with me and some just care more about the time to leave than to talk."

You cleared your throat and sit up in your seat, taking a small sip out of the cup that he had filled for you. "How could someone just ghost you without even meeting you? You are pleasant to talk to." Your compliment rolling off of your tongue so easily and this is challenging for you to do on your past dates as it may come off to be ego-stroking for your date. "I enjoy my time with you."

Caleb's eyes glinted, a gleam of hope flashed past his pupils, his eyes trained on you. Under the soft lights, with the towel still draped on top of your hair, he finds you to be adorable, a woman who holds so much respect for herself and also for others. Admirable to him. "Yeah, y/n. I enjoyed my time with you too." His phone cut through the comfortable silence with a shrill ringtone. He muttered a short apology to you and picked up. "Yeah, Caleb speaking."

His whole demeanour shifted from warm to icy cold, gaze narrowing at the empty space he was staring at on the ground as he tried to listen to the voice on the other end. You watched as he pinched onto the gentle slope on his nose, eyes closing for a few moments to dull out his frustration. "Yeah. I'll be there in a few." And he tapped the big red button on the screen to end the call and his head turned to you again, the stern gaze faltered back into an easygoing pair. "Sorry about that, I just got a call from my liutenant, they need me for an emergency mission."

You blinked in response, realising that he is indeed not joking about his line of work. He did spoke briefly about emergency missions before being cut off by the waiter who fetched a new jar of water over to your table and the conversation turned towards you, with him asking you about your nature of work. "It's okay. I understand." You nodded your head, already standing up to gather your items. "I can go back from here, you should head on for your mission."

You pulled the cloth off of your hair and folded it, laying it onto the table neatly. Caleb stood up from his seat and walked over to you, hand gesturing towards the exit and he escorted you out of the bistro. "I'm sorry I can't fetch you back, y/n." He spoke as he followed you out of the doors of the bistro, the sounds shut off after the heavy wooden doors closed behind him.

"Caleb, it's really okay! It is not raining anymore and my house is just nearby. I will be fine." You reassured him, hand coming up to gently pat him on his shoulders.

Till his hand caught onto yours, those big warm hands envelop your smaller ones with such ease and you gasped lightly, looking up to catch his gaze. He is still smiling, the kind of smile that showcases his sincerity. "Thank you for coming today, y/n. I can't wait to see you for our next date." And he planted a light kiss onto your knuckle, making you blush furiously. "I'll be back soon." He lets go of your hand and leans down, tugging his lips into a wide smile, the type that says that he will be back, then he walks past you, turning the corner and disappearing out of your sight, with his jacket still smelling of fresh detergent resting comfortably on your small shoulders.

XAVIER - FRIEND GATHERING

Finals had just ended and the holidays had just started. And this marks the start of parties to celebrate both of the occasion. Of course, being the social butterfly you are, it is no exception for you to be included in their parties. One of it being a hotpot gathering held by your soon-to-be employer, Charlie. The gathering also held another significance to Charlie, for he shall be taking over his father's time-honored bakery shop and he wanted to host a celebration for it too.

Your attendance is much required as a friend and also as his employee so you agreed without much thought. It is also tempting when he mentioned that he had invited a few other friends of his from other universities to join in on this social gathering and that was what got you to nod your head at his offer too. It is about time for you to meet some new people and to broaden your social circle and who knows, it may be an added bonus if you get to find a boyfriend material amongst the haystack.

"How is the prep coming along, y/n?" Charlie's voice echoed off of the walls, hand diligently whacking the whipped ream in the stainless steel mixing bowl of his. You were only supposed to be attending the party as a guest and yet here you are, stuck in the kitchen preparing the delicacies for the party. But, as much as you did not feel like ding it, you could not escape his nags, especially when he is going to be your employer. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I am good here." You replied, meticulously piping freshly whipped cream from his mixing bowl onto the cupcakes that are fresh out of the oven. The kitchen is now a mixture of different artificial flavours, but all held the same component of being made out of refined sugar, inhale anymore you think you may end up with diabetes. Charlie is a preacher for sugary desserts, believing in the faux idea that sweet desserts are always the key to happiness when you think money can have just the same amount of effect. "I am almost done with the cupcakes."

"Good, when you're done then maybe you can help me set up the table first." The busy mane hollered and you whipped your head around to see that his face is a mess, powdered sugar sprinkled over the tip of his nose and his right cheek. Like a powdering gone wrong. You silently pointed at the messy spots, hand clamped over your own mouth to stop yourself from bursting out of laughter. "Is there something on my face?"

Shrugging casually, you chuckled and left him to his own demise. Quickly rushing out of the kitchen and headed towards the dining room. The theme of the party if a mixture of black and white, the gloomy colours being such a stark contrast towards the cupcakes made in an array of loud colours. Maybe that is what makes the colours pop. But regardless, Charlie is in the baking industry and interior designing is never his strong suit given the mixture of aesthetics that can be found across different rooms. You neatly placed the tray of cupcakes onto the center of the table. Noticing how naked the whole table is. "Charlie, you mentioned that the rest of them will be bringing food over, right?"

"Yeah, we are only in charge of baked foods for desserts." His loud voice echoed from the kitchen, the clanging of metal against metal still very much ongoing. Right when he was about to be done, the doorbell rang twice, making you jump slightly at a foreign sound that does not consist of the metal's clank. "Open the door, y/n."

"On it!" You careened over to the wooden door, not even bothering to check through the peephole and you swing the door open and you caught sight of a few familiar faces lighting up with wide grins. "Hey guys!" You bid your classmates, giving them high fives as they lined up to enter the entrance, all with different kind of trays in their hands. Good. Food is piling up onto the naked table.

The last face in line stood with lips slightly ajar, in an awkward manner as he held onto a tray of what seemed to be strawberry flavoured jello covered with a thin layer of cling wrap. His face was smooth, absent of freckles nor any pimples, as if puberty had never grazed his features---or maybe it did and he just got super lucky. His round eyes gleamed a cerulean blue akin to the sea and the skies, and his blond hair lazily brushed that it lays naturally flat on his head. He is probably from another university as you had never seen a guy within your social circle with such effeminate features. "Hi." Even his hi sounded awkward.

"Hey there, welcome! I am y/n, Charlie's friend and you are?" You gestured to yourself as you introduced your own name and you slowly trailed off when you lay your palm flat towards his direction, egging him to continue on with his self-introduction.

"I am Xavier, I am a friend of a friend who is also a friend of Charlie's I guess." He spoke, voice gentle and almost sounding in question marks most of the time. Not only is he awkward, he also seemed to struggle with decent self-explanation skills. It does add on an innocent charm to his personality. Without further ado, you beckoned for him to come in and shut the door behind him.

The party went on, with more and more people piling up into the space of the once hollowed house. Charlie was busy entertaining his friends and his friend's friends. So it left you standing aside in the corner, sipping onto a mixer that tasted like a mixture of ginger ale and some dollar store Sprite. So much for being a self-proclaimed social butterfly. Maybe you had underestimated the crowd and you have to admit that you lack the social skills to fluently blend into a group of close-knitted strangers.

"Hey." A strangely familiar voice called out from your left and you turned your head, meeting the blond-haired guy who looked like he would rather be anywhere else but here. Ah, yes, Xavier is his name. "Are you okay?" Rocking the same red cup as yours, he took his stand next to you, leaning against the wall for support. "You don't look like you are having a lot of fun."

You took a swig out of your cup, emptying the contents of it with a slight frown. "The same can be said for you too, no?" You smirked, glancing sideways towards him. "You look like you would rather be at home than here now."

His eyed widened slightly, long lashes fluttered with every motion and his hand came up to rub the back of his neck, his ears slowly turning to a pinkish shade. "I...I don't really like being around people." As expected. "I came here because my friends told me that it was going to be a games night." He raised his cup towards the crowd surrounding a table, playing beer pong. "But I was expecting video games instead of this."

Sensing for a heroic notion, you smiled and tilted your head towards the widely opened door. "Wanna get out of here?" You offered and he nodded almost immediately. Then, you grabbed onto his wrist and started dragging him out of the party, away from the noises and to the backyard where the loud noises are drowned out to the white noises. You went to the furthest edge of the backyard and plopped yourself down onto the grass, placing the red cup next to you and he mimicked you.

"Y/n right?" He asked for your name, eyes studying you. After you nodded in confirmation, he continued. "Thanks for bringing me out here." And he watched as you seeked for his gaze. This scene that unfolded in front of him got his heart twisting with a slight pang. Xavier may have been to a couple of parties, but most of the time, he knew he would be the one to sit in the corner and maybe sneak out whenever his friends are too drunk to notice his existence. It has always been the same routine for him. But today, you broke that routine of his and it got Xavier smitten with you.

You smiled, your eyes curved into an eye smile and underneath the moonlight's bath, you looked ethereal to him. A saviour, an angel that does not require wings to grant him his freedom. "No biggie, I just thought it wouldn't be nice to feel so alone amongst a crowd." The way you explained your reason with a chuckle got Xavier sighing in return. The both of you are not that different afterall.

Xavier pulled his phone out of his back pocket, clicking a button and the screen lit up and he navigated through the home page to get to his contact list. With a tap on the add new contact, he handed his phone over to you, the blinking white bar awaiting for your input. "Next time, let's go out by ourselves?" You glanced at the phone and back u at him, and back to the phone again. Did he really just asked you out on a date? Seeing your tardy reaction, his lips thinned into a fine line and he retracts his arm. "It's okay if you---"

"Of course we can!" You snatched the phone out of his grip and deftly filled in your contact number and name, a small smile resurfacing onto his handsome features. "I...I just wasn't expecting you to pull a move like that." This time a small chuckle escaped his lips, his hair bobbed left and right when he lightly shook his head in response to your statement. "Just because I am an introvert doesn't mean that I stick to moves that only further suggests me to be an introvert." He took back his phone from your hand, a satisfied smile showing when he stared at the technological brick in his hand for a brief moment before shoving it into his pocket again. His eyes meet yours again and this time, it casted a silvery light borrowed from the moonlight's rays. "You made me want to step out of my own comfort zone."

SHOULD I MAKE A PART 2? LEMME KNOW!

[brailsthesmolgurl]

"Did someone got sick?"

Preview: The LnDS boys reacting to you falling ill.

Dividers sourced from @uzmacchiato

RAFAYEL

You are in deep trouble. Falling sick is one of the big trouble, but in your kitchen lies another big trouble. You could smell something light brewing in the air, your sense of smell had slowly regaining its abilities after you had fallen ill for nearly the span of a week. And it is also within the span of the weekend, it earned you the other prized trouble that had stepped himself through the frame of your door, eyes glinted with fire brighter than his evol.

Seeing you being in a weakened state, Rafayel questioned no further; forehead creases ironed out, whines stuck at the back of his throat, frustration dimmed down to understanding and he simply swooped you off of your feet and tucked you safely back into your bed. Not sparing you another glance, the man graciously carried himself out of your bedroom and straight into your kitchen to prepare something for you to replenish your weakened body. Porridge being the first delicacy he could think of.

After 30 minutes, he reappeared by your bedside, with a tray of food and a wet towel draped across his arm. He slowly sat down next to you, by the edge of the bed and spoke, his voice firm but gentle. "How long have you been sick? 2 days?" He assumed from the day you did not reply to his texts, was the day you fell ill. Your nod made him lowered his eyelids, concern overtaking him and he slowly sat you up. "I made you some porridge. Let me feed you."

Rafayel babies you, blowing onto the porridge and muttering how hot it is before he feeds it to you, with a hand under your chin to wipe off any spilled droplets. The wet towel he had prepared now sat on top of your head, cooling your heat down. You did not contact Rafayel when you were sick because you knew that recently he has a painting that is due soon and he was struggling to find inspiration for it. The last thing you wanted was to disturb him. "I'm sorry." Your apology was sincere and it softened the sea god's tide.

He was worried that he was going to lose you again, or maybe you simply do not require him being around you anymore. He had to come over, he had to check for sure that he would not be met with an empty house. And he was glad that he came as seeing you wrapped up in the blanket, with glistening eyes and a lack of your usual volubility, he was only upset that you did not seek for his aid. A small smile found its way onto his thin lips and Rafayel pressed his lip against your heaty cheek, as if he had read through your thoughts. "Don't worry about me. It hurts me when you do not rely on me to be your anchor."

CALEB

"Hey pipsqueak, what's---" Hearing your heavy breathing on the other line, Caleb's brows furrowed, gaze sharpened against the pendulum that sat on his mahogany desk in his office. "Are you okay?" He asked, finger unconsciously tapping against the wooden surface while he waits for your answer. Upon hearing you saying that you had fell ill, the colonel was quick on the discharge from his duties, already applying for leave and off he went in his private ship. From SkyHaven to Linkon.

A one hour trip is only 20 minutes for him as the siren was what helped him to get past traffic with ease. No protocols are bound to him especially when y/n is on the other end waiting for him, not to mention when she is sick and she needs him. Slotting his key into your lock, he walked into your house and headed straight to your bedroom. Seeing you in such a disheveled state, the colonel persona has dissolved. Only Caleb remained.

The man strides over to you in a few steps, taking off his gloves at the meantime and he would touch your forehead, frowning when he realised that your temperature is high. Caleb himself would have insisted on you to go to the hospital to get treatment. He is a colonel and that itself comes with perks, inclusive of VVIP treatment at the best hospitals in SkyHaven and Linkon. But knowing you, you would be too stubborn to leave the comfort of your own home and Caleb respects that. Furthermore, being at home with you allows him to spend some personal time with you. "Hey, come on, let's get you washed up."

He is very gentle with you, like a porcelain in his grip. He would use a warm towel to help you rub your body. Despite being half naked in front of him in your undergarments, he made no attempts to crack any dirty jokes. His focus only on cleaning you up before tucking you back into bed. He takes on the role of a very good caretaker. Fresh bedsheets before you sleep, water and pills constantly on time, and he never disturbs you from your rest. Even when he gets into the bed next to you, he makes sure that the dib in the bed goes unnoticed by you, whom is deep in slumber.

Caleb is the type of man who will take days off just to nurse you back to health. And when you hold onto his hand sometimes while he is either feeding you or checking your temperature, he would catch your gaze and plant a comforting kiss onto your forehead. A smile would be present on his face when he sees you slowly getting better under his nursing. "I'll always be here to take care of you, even if you don't want me to. Remember that." The last words he muttered to you before you drifted back into your sleep after taking your medicine.

SYLUS

Sylus is not the one to loiter around Linkon unless necessary and one of those times would include you being sick. The scary mafia boss of the N109 zone would be stuck in your one bedroom apartment, maneuvering around tight corners of your house just to make sure that you are taken care of. How about his work? He would have everyone gather at your house. Luke, Kieran and of course Mephisto. Having Sylus care for you while you're sick is like having the whole village on his tail. "Can you all be silent for once?" He would hang this sentence by the side of his mouth to warn the rowdy bunch, afraid that they might wake you up from your recuperation.

"Sweetie, you have to eat this." Pills are what you hate and seeing your flagrant expression despite you being half alive in bed makes the Onychinus leader bow to you. "Alright, suit yourself if you do not wish to consume such medication." He would not press you into eating it, but he waits. He knows that until a certain extent, when your fever gets to high and your toes get too chilly, you would have to flush the pills down your throat.

Honestly, having Sylus around when you are trying to rest in your own humble abode is probably the worst idea. Your walls are thin and that explains the subtle ting clink ping noises you may hear throughout the night hailing from your living room. A bathroom trip would be a game of preventing yourself from tripping because he would have his machinery boxes stacked at your already narrow hallway sometimes. He could not leave you alone, all vulnerable and sick so he may as well 'move in' to your place.

"My sweetie is finally ready to stay with me?" His head tilted, amused at the way you stood at the hallway, with frustration brimming at the edge of your tired eyes. The blanket draped over your small body, pairing with your bedraggled hair made you looked like you had a good sleep. Or moreso that is what the Onychinus leader wants to believe. Seeing you yawning and refusing to budge nor to say a word, he would push himself off of your small couch and go over to you, slowly wrapping his arms around you and guiding you back to bed.

Sylus would lull you to sleep in his arms, yet again, not going to force you to move in with him. But this does not mean he would not try to buy you a bigger house next time, favouring the excuse that if you were to fall sick next time he can simply move in and not cause any disturbances to you. To him, it shall be a win-win situation.

XAVIER

Being your neighbour and your colleague, the day you are missing a mission is the day he would already be on his toes asking Captain Jenna regarding your absence. Knowing that you had taken a sick leave, Xavier would be the type to prep himself prior to meeting you. Running errands to pick up food, medications, cooling pads and anything he can possibly think of for a patient. Being your boyfriend, it is only natural for him to have a spare key to your apartment.

Waltzing in just like his own home, he would set everything he had bought onto the table before meeting you in your bed. "Hey, y/n." His smile would be gentle, concerning even as he goes over to you, thermometer in his hand and another bag filled with medications in his other hand. "I'll check onto your temperature alright?" He will put the thermometer under your tongue and analyse the temperature. His phone would also have a checklist opened for each of the symptoms suitable for each of the medicines he has.

"So, you have a runny nose, minor coughs and your throat feels itchy. And your temperature is around 39 degrees." he would check the list accordingly and prepare the medications for you accordingly. Surprisingly, although Xavier is not a doctor, but he takes the pharmacist's words seriously as he would wish for you to get better as soon as possible so you may join him on the field again. "That would indicate that you have a cold. I believe paracetamol would do the trick."

Cooking is not his strongest suit that is for sure, but that does not mean he does not lose out on any other efforts. He does not take offs because most of the cases that he is working on would be related to you and he would not want to miss out on it. But, this would directly make him try harder when he goes for the missions alone and to collect information so he may come back earlier to you and brief you about it in case you are energetic enough to hear about work from him.

He does not particularly enjoy talking about work to you while you were sick but seeing you listening in on the mission details beats you lying in bed whining about not wanting to be sick so he would gladly tell it to you. "Y/n, I think that is enough mission talk for a day. You should rest up so when tomorrow comes, you can feel better and hopefully, you can fight by my side."

ZAYNE

It comes with the territory of being a doctor. Zayne is a natural caregiver and when you did not reach out to him for a couple of days, he had to call in short for his business trip and rush back to Linkon and drive directly to your place. He has a spare key but he does not bother using it. There is always a reason to you not responding to him but this time when you went radio silent on him without a valid reason, he wanted you to give him the verbal comfort. Or more like a visual comfort. You stood at the doorway, with tissues stuck up both of your nostrils and your eyebags heavier than ever. You had fallen ill. "Zayne." You sounded surprised of course, your voice laced with guilt.

"I got worried." He is straightforward but gently turns you around and guides you into the house, sitting you down onto the couch and urging you to lie down. Shedding his coat to hang it by the door and he walks over to you to take your temperature, presence immediately taking place to be your primary caregiver just like in the hospital whenever you visit but now only adorning casual clothes. "You did not ring me up for the past few days. I had to make sure you were alright. Why did you not tell me that you had fallen ill?"

After hearing you stating that it was accidental, where it came in a form of a heatwave at night and you were too weak to grab your phone to charge it and it had died and you were stuck in bed the past few days just trying to heat yourself up to the best of your might. Zayne does not judge, he never does. But he could have wished that he was here sooner. A part of him felt guilty for not being here but seeing you being able to at least crawl out of bed now gives him the solace that the past few days was worse than this moment now. "Wait here."

Of course the doctor has a medical kit in his car. It is equipped with all of the medications he need for a scenario like this. He was somewhat proud of himself for preparing this kit because he finally got to use it today, and what is more special than to being able to use it on his beloved. "Take this medication. It will help in reducing your runny nose and your headache." When it comes to taking medicine, there is no option for you to say no to the doctor in front of you because you know he would find a lot of ways to sneak it into your food or drink. So, to save him the trouble, you might as well just take it in front of him.

"If you are sick again next time," Zayne would lay a comforting hand onto your cheek, lightly cradling your face as you had your head against his shoulder. "Just reach out to me. No matter how hard it is. At least try to get to me." His thumb draws mindless circles against your face, a reminder to you that he is physically there. "No matter how busy I am, I will always make time to be there for you y/n."

[brailsthesmolgurl]

HELP ME DECIDE!

Hello my gentle and beloved readers, my Zayne Li Shen fic (aka Apprenticeship ft Sylus Qin Che) is nearing its end and I would be more than grateful to write an ending that my readers would wish to have! You depict the ending and I, as the author shall abide and write as you wished! Each character has its own explanation on how they dismiss themself from the story and you will have to read it to know hehe :)

Thank you so much for participating in this journey of mine and I hope my work of Li Shen and Qin Che in Apprenticeship would be able to stain your soul with its angst!

[brailsthesmolgurl]

"WHY IS THERE ANOTHER MINI ME?"

Preview: The LnDs boys reacting to you customising a plushie with their face/your face on it.

Dividers sourced from @uzmacchiato

RAFAYEL

The artist had never scoffed so hard in his life, hands shielding his face in terror, as if the plushie that you held up to him would eat him alive. It would most likely haunt him for a while. He took a step back as you neared him. "What is that y/n?" He asked, index finger rapidly pointing and retracting towards the small puffer fish plushie in your grip, with his face plastered at the front of it. Moreover, the picture you had chosen was from the time he had lost the Kitty Card Game and was displaying a full on pout. Although he did pestered you to delete the picture, it was safe to say that it was not entirely eradicated from your delete folder. Hence, you ended up customising the awry picture of his into a plushie in order to commemorate his loss.

"I think it's adorable Rafayel!" It is your turn to pout now, turning the plushie around to have a good stare at the face, proud of the candid picture you had saved. His scrutinizing gaze shows that he is far from being impressed.

"Why would I want to stare at something so hideous when I can look at myself in the mirror everyday and be content with it--" His complaining came to a halt when you were flipping through the contents of your bag and you fished out another plushie, but this one has your face on it. A picture that he had taken of you during your date at the garden, where you are perched against a rose bush with a wide smile. That is one of his favourite pictures of you afterall. "Now this is what I call adorable."

He nonchalantly snatched the plushie off of your hand, holding it up above his head towards the ceiling. His gaze softened at the sight of your picture. All of a sudden, a supposed hideous plushie is now a prized possession of his. "Obsessed?" You teased him, walking up to him and he casually slings his arm around your waist to pull you close to his side, a smile now stapled onto his handsome features. You held up the plushie you were holding to pair it next to his.

"Yes, and I always will be. Thanks for this precious gift, my silly girl." And he pressed a kiss against your temple, earning your priceless giggle in return.

ZAYNE

"Zayne!" You called out to him as you rushed in through his garage door, your breaths now turning into pants as you had ran all the way from the subway station to his house. The doctor was wide eyed, staring at you like a madman as he was not expecting you to appear in such a rushed state.

Pushing his car door open, he stepped out of the car, still in his formal outfit as he had just got off of work after a 12 hours shift. "Y/N, what's the matter? Are you hurt?" He approached you, hand reaching up to cup your cheek and he started analysing your red-tinted face, the winter breeze is clearly catching on to you. "You could've---what is it?"

You did not let him finish his sentence and you pulled out a jasmine plushie, in the middle of the petals is a printed picture of your face on it. One with you sticking out your tongue, a routine behaviour of yours when you are feeling mischievous around him. "I attended a game event and this is the prize I got! I even got it customised with my face on it just for you!"

Zayne looked down at the plushie that got you so excited and he sighed in relief, knowing that you are safe and sound is all the matters. Now, he focuses onto the jasmine plushie in your hand. "What is the purpose of you making this for me?"

His question got you lowkey offended, a hand coming up to grab the plushie out of his grip but you could not even pry it away. The doctor's eyebrow is raised, veins protruding slightly against his knuckles as you realised that he is not even planning to let go. "I wanted you to have this so on the days when I am not around, this will help you to get by."

"Y/n." His call for your name is gentle, affectionate even. And you looked up at him. His hand that was still cupping your cheek moved to the back of your neck and he slightly leaned down to press his lips against yours. A chaste kiss as a sign of gratitude. "I do not wish for a plushie to help me get by the days where you won't be around when there is technology at our disposal. But, given that you went out of your way to get this for me. I will consider keeping it close to me."

XAVIER

"So, what did you got?" Xavier got out of the booth after he had changed back into his normal outfit. Glint Photobooth had once reached out to the both of you again, requesting for the both of you to participate as their models for the upcoming themed photobooth. Given that the both of you had nowhere else to be on a casual Saturday, Xavier and you decided to go along with the plan and in exchange, the both of you are able to pick out a customisable gift as your form of payment.

"Oh, I got this. Surprise!" You pulled out a white huggable bunny plushie and shoved it to Xavier. The blond young man held up the bunny plushie and you watched as his lips upturned into a smile. You were expecting a horrified expression from him, but given the opposite, curiosity got the best of you. "Are you not weirded out by my face being the bunny's face?"

"It's funny." He chuckled, finger smoothed over the ironed on patch of your face on the plushie's face. The lenticular printing shows two sides of your expressions; one with you smiling sweetly and another with you pouting and pretending to be mad. "Because I got the same thing for you."

"No you didn't." You were caught off guard when he pointed behind you and the shop keeper comes over with the same white bunny plushie but the only difference is a lenticular printing of his face replacing the bunny's face. One showing him sulking while the other showing him smiling.

"No wonder there is the saying that great minds think alike. I guess we are both meant to be, don't you think?" He winked at you before you threw your arms over him, both of your laugh resonated across the empty photo store. Then, you turned and gave him a peck on his lips only for him to pull you back in for a longer kiss.

CALEB

"Someone is back early." The moment you closed the door, you caught sight of your colonel in casual clothes, sprawled lazily on the living room's couch. His eyes trained on you as you walked through the archway that leads you to the living room and you dashed to him, jumping right into his arms. "Hey pipsqueak."

"Caleb, you won't believe what I got today!" You beamed, sitting up next to him and opening up your bag to bring out an apple plushie with your face printed on it's facial features. The photo is the same as what he is witnessing now, with a wide and bright smile, paired with your eye smile. A sight Caleb would gladly give up anything for. Seeing the plushie, Caleb slapped a hand over his mouth to surpress his laughter. You knew that this would tickle his funny bone given how he had been so tired and gloomy for the past few days and you wanted to cheer him up. "I introduce Colonel y/n, ready for takeoff!"

"Pips!" You pulled down the hand that was covering his mouth and torrents of laughters fell out of his mouth. A smile creeping onto your lips when you watched him hugged onto the plushie and bent over, still laughing till he is mildly gasping for air. "This is probably one of the best things I have received after a week of stress."

"I knew that you would fall for it." You nodded your head, hand rubbing soothing circles onto his wide back, feeling his mucles tensed underneath your touch and he sat straight up again, those nebula-like gaze catching yours in an instant. "Is there something on my face?" Your smile faltered for a little and your hand went up to touch your face but he stopped you and using his strength, he pulled you to sit on his lap.

"Thank you, y/n." Looking down at him, you steadied yourself by having your hand pressed onto his chest and he leaned forward, lips catching yours in a passionate but short kiss. After pulling away, he kept his forehead against yours and he whispered. "I shall keep Colonel y/n with me at all times. I promise."

SYLUS

"Sylus...?" You called out as you opened the heavy mahogany doors that leads to his office. Seeing that there is nobody inside, you slowly snuck in, tiptoeing on the carpeted floor to get to his desk. Digging through your bag, you fished out the plushie you had purposely customised for him. It is a Mephisto lookalike but your face plastered on the front of it. And given that Mephisto is a bird, it looked even more ridiculous for your photo to have a beak attached to it.

"What are you doing in my office, kitten?" Sylus' voice got you jumping in your position. His footsteps are always too silenced and this is not the first rodeo he scared you. Seeing you gripping something in your hand so tightly, he strided over in a few steps and came to stand next to you. "What is that in your grip?"

Gulping, you chuckled nervously and held it up to his field of vision. "I...I made this for you. It is a mini Mephisto but with my face on it." The holographic picture of you blended seamlessly with the beak that was attached at the front of the plushie. It almost seemed like you took the picture of you pouting intentionally to fit it onto Mephisto's facial features. "What do you think?"

"I like it." Sylus took the plushie off of your hand and he analysed it, the fabric soft to his touch. The corner of his lip tugged into a small smirk and his carmine eyes caught yours. "It is unusual for me to have such childish trinkets with me but for you, there is always an exception." The way he held the plushie was so gentle that it may give anyone else the wrong idea of the plushie being made of fragile glass.

"Do you think you're going to bring it anywhere you go?" You popped the question, tilting your head as you waited for an answer from him. Sylus slowly prop the plushie onto the wooden desk of his and he wrapped his taut arms around your waist, hoisting you onto the table so he can be at eye level with you.

"Why not? I can't just put my sweetie's hard work to waste." His eyes scanned your rubicund cheeks and down to your lips. Then, he closed in on the distance and kissed you, hand protectively wrapped around your small figure as he pulled you into his embrace.

[brailsthesmolgurl]

PUPPY LOVE PT. 2

SUMMARY: What if you went on a school's field trip with your LADs interest (but MC is also on the trip and even worse, she was assigned to be his trip buddy)? How would it turn out?

WARNINGS: High School LADs!, Non-MC reader!, MC is a lil or big bish depending on your feels, pre-relationship crush state, cute first love angst incorporated with happy endings (because recently ive been too much on an angst roll so its time to give you all a breath of fresh air) <3, a yappa read because I can't stop gushing about how cute reader and the guys would be hehe T-T

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This could actually/potentially be an ongoing series because I really like to have a slice of life touch on these boys and I see so much potential in making them more alive and giving you lovelies more sources of delulu hehe <3

All artwork credit goes to 盐也 yannn_ye on Twitter and Weibo!

All dividers are sourced from this creator!

RAFAYEL - ART EXHIBITION

"Hey, wait up!" Just as everyone is ready to board the bus that is set to depart to the Linkon City Hall for a field trip to an art exhibition, you heard a shout from a distance, your head whipping behind you to spot the mauve haired classmate of yours rushing in to join at the end of the queue. Your teacher huffed, raising her clipboard to scribble something on the attendance list. Most likely to remark Rafayel's tardy behaviour.

"Rafayel Qi!" Your teacher called out to him, her index finger beckoning towards him. "Care to explain why you were late?" She seemed disappointed, but a hint of relief splashed across her face. Rafayel indeed, was the most wanted student to join in for this field trip given he is the art genius of the school. Whispers started drifting across the crowd of unfamiliar faces, some students watched him with curiosity while others watched him with envy. There is no denial that Rafayel is a popular kid.

You mimicked everyone's actions, tossing your bag into the storage compartment of the bus and boarded it accordingly, aiming to snatch two seats for you and your trip buddy. Earlier on, when the field trip was first announced, Rafayel had approached you asking to be your field trip companion as it is a requirement to ensure everyone's safety. Without the skip of a heartbeat, you agreed without hesitation. "Great, can't wait for the field trip with you, y/n." Rafayel winks at you and beelined to join his friends on his way out of the class, leaving you in your seat, blushing madly.

"I was up till late last night trying to draft up a mural for the school's main entrance's wall." He explained, an apologetic smile on his face. Both of his hands raised up in surrender. But the teacher only raised her eyebrows, question marks plastered all over her face. "Headmaster Zhou's orders."

Sighing, the teacher tapped her pen against the clipboard, eyeing the list of names before she spoke. "Fine, just because the headmaster asked you to do it then I shall not reprimand you. Glad you are joining us on this trip Rafayel." She briefly waved him off and Rafayel hopped onto the bus right after he placed his belongings in the storage lot.

You nervously tapped your fingers against your knee, entertaining yourself to the scattered voices in the bus. You do not know anyone in the bus as this field trip is open for anyone who is interested and given your class consist mostly of nerds, none of them even bothered to apply for this field trip, other than you and Rafayel and MC. The seat you had chosen is near the end of the bus, where chatters would be more hushed and would provide a more necessary ground for you and Rafayel to talk.

Craning your head up, you try to look over the heads of other students to try to spot Rafayel. And there he comes, with his blazer draped lazily over his wide shoulders as he boards the bus. His eyes scanned the crowd before they landed onto yours, and he smiled dashingly. Seeing his reaction, you averted your gaze, your cheeks scorching at the same time. Honestly, you have always had a crush on Rafayel, but you were not sure if he felt the same towards you.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" You looked up, and inwardly frowned when you see a raven haired boy looking down at you, his headset swung around his neck, with an awkward smile directed at you. "The bus is full and the only spot available is this one." What? You turned your head to see where Rafayel is at only to find him already seated at the front seat, next to someone that you could not identify based on the back of their heads. You felt betrayed at that moment, your heart shrunk at the thought of him choosing to sit with someone else rather than you. You even questioned if you were hyped up for nothing, and that perhaps he was just trying to fish for attention from you but does not actually want anything to do with you.

"Yeah sure, the seat is opened." You gestured towards the currently open seat next to you and the guy sat down immediately. Once all of the students are seated, the teacher was the last one to come onto the bus, initiating the last head count before the bus departs. She did mentioned something at the end of her headcount duty but your sense of hearing was already drowned out by the constant low murmur in your conscience.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

When the bus arrived at the Linkon City Hall, you witnessed the crowds that are huddled at the main entrance, entering into the art exhibition with excitement. The City Hall was decorated with large banners on its pillars, showcasing some of the main highlights of the art exhibition; abstract art, sculptures, dioramas and etc. It is called the grand art exhibition for a reason and the duration spans for a whole month, where themes would be exchanged throughout every week. "I am Dennis." The guy beside you spoke and you turned to face him, one of your eyebrows quirked up at his sudden introduction. "The teacher mentioned whoever we are sat together with, that shall be our partner for the day. Haven't you heard?"

"I see." Your reply came off to be more monotonous than what you had expected. As a courtesy, you introduced yourself to him. "I am y/n, it is nice to meet you Dennis."

The raven haired guy tucked his headsets into a gray dust bag and followed up with another question, thinking that it would not be a bother for him to get to know you more since he would be spending most of the day being your partner anyways. He may as well be on decent terms with you just so the both of you could be comfortable with one another. "You're a fan of arts?"

"You can say so." You nodded, briefly catching his appearance. Dennis does not look bad himself, with dark grey eyes mimicking nearly the same tone as his raven hair. "How about you?" You decided to return the question to him, seeing how he was trying to make conversation. It could maybe, act as a good distraction for you before your conscience starts chewing you up.

The small talk lasted till the bus was well parked and everyone stood up, waiting to get off of the bus. This is the exact moment you caught on to who your crush was sitting next to, MC. You could feel your heart getting crushed at that moment. Of course it has to be MC, the prettiest girl in class, the one that people would always list as their top favourite. When Rafayel walks next to her, it looked good. They looked good as a couple afterall and that got you to sigh, already feeling defeated to go through this exhibition for the remainder of the day.

"The ones at the back, you guys should get down first, because if I do not keep an eye on you, god knows where you guys would disappear to." True enough, the teacher's gaze was trained on the few students at the back of the bus, for they are well known for their playful attitude. "The rest from the back, go along with them." You checked onto your seat before following Dennis out onto the line. This time, you heart had seemingly slowed down its beats as you got closer to where Rafayel was seated.

"Hey." You felt a lingering touch on your pinky finger when the line halted, the teacher shouting something incoherent outside of the bus. You were so lost in your own mood that you did not realise that you are right beside Rafayel, his charming smile apparent on his face. He was indeed looking forward to this trip with you and his smile conveys it, but you did not managed to catch it. More like you did not want to. "I'll catch up to you later yeah?"

No apology, no explanation, no nothing. Your inner self just crossed her arms and huffed, chin up and is already stomping back into your heart, then slamming the gummy-organ-door behind her with a huge SPLAT! He just has that stupid smile adorned on his handsome face while MC stands beside him, her eyebrows furrowed when she scanned you from your top to your bottom, lowkey judging you. "It's okay." You took MC's dagger-like gaze as a warning, even more motivated to back off when Rafayel did not even bother explaining himself. "I am paired up with Dennis, I will just go with him." Rafayel's smile faltered, his eyes lost the spark for a short moment when you shut him down just like that. "You guys have fun."

Dennis, who heard the call of his name turned his head in response and he looked down at you, his towering height surpassing Rafayel's and he beamed at you. The small talk the both of you shared just now was enlightening. Dennis is good at cracking a joke or two and is decent enough for you to initiate conversations with him, but you did not expect what comes out of his mouth next would change the course of your trip. "Careful of the steps, y/n." That sentence irked Rafayel.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

"I can't believe this is art." Dennis commented, face so close to the canvas that he could kiss it if he puffs his lips out. "What can you even derive from this?" He turns to look at you with his index pointing towards the canvas in full black, disbelief is the only look that he has been carrying the whole time the both of you are in the section for abstract modern art.

You stifle back your laughter, his company surprisingly refreshing for you. Your chest felt lighter just by basking in the moment of nonsensical commentaries. "I don't know, black is the new IT colour?" Dennis chuckled at your commentary and shake his head, his hand coming up to shield his face. A habit you had noticed throughout the one hour whenever he is genuinely amused. Dennis continues on to the next piece, eager to complete his achievement of being able to find a piece of abstract art that he could interpret.

However, from across the hall, stood Rafayel, hands in his pockets, his blazer now worn as a proper fit instead of draped over his shoulders. He was supposed to enjoy this field trip, but here he is, stuck next to MC who knows nothing nor shows any damn interest to the artworks that were on display. The least she could do was stare at it, but the only thing she could spare her attention on was that technological brick in her hands. "Rafayel, I think we should take a picture to commemorate this. What do you think?"

The same high pitched voice that stuck around from the start of the trip till now. The same voice that tricked him into thinking that you were the one who had secretly made a pact behind his back when he got onto the bus and saw Dennis beelining with a purpose towards the seat next to you. He had no idea how you knew Dennis nor did he bothered to question further when you were seemingly distant to him and seeing Dennis reminded you to watch for your steps in the bus, it got your crush equally devastated. "Rafayel." He nearly forgotten that his presence was required by MC.

"Did you not see the huge warning signs plastered all over the hall stating that no pictures were allowed?" Annoyed, Rafayel pointed towards a few of the signs he was mentioning to her and that got MC flustered, nervously tucking her stray hair behind her ears to hopefully rub off some of the awkwardness. Turning away from MC, his eyes caught sight of you and Dennis. The both of you walked in tandem, going from one artwork to the other, him making a comment and you smiling unguardedly.

The mauve haired crush of yours felt something simmering under his aloof facade. His expressions now stoic and unreadable as he continued witnessing your interactions with Dennis. Lips pressed into a near-imperceptible line, his posture has instilled an unnatural forced tension as if he was holding something back. Perhaps the primal urge to push through the crowd and landing a fist right onto Dennis' pointed cheek or the urge to play the rival love interest by snatching you by your arm and whisking you away just like those soap dramas he would watch during exam seasons to destress.

Your conscience is back, banging against the same door she had shut closed just a while ago, yelling something about a dour gaze that was trained on you behind your back. You listened and turned, and you wished you had not done it. Rafayel was there, at the end of the hall, with an expression that is close to impassive, but his eyes gave him away. The purple pink orbs of his studied you, like the marbled floor was holding him hostage, forcing him to decide if he should approach you or to just walk away.

"I need the restroom." You informed Dennis and broke the eye contact with Rafayel before he could make up his mind. Dennis responded in an instant, informing you that he would stay put and await for you. You pushed yourself through the crowds---earning yourself a few death glares from adults---trying to get to somewhere that could give you the space to breathe, or the least, to let your conscience crawl back into her bed to rest so she could stop pestering you about the only thing that could topple your mood.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

After a short romance-crisis that came to no avail on the toilet seat, you washed your face and headed back out to the grand hall only to be met with Rafayel leaning against the newly restored wall, arms crossed and clearly anticipating your arrival. Catching his figure, you swiftly turned on your heel to head the opposite way. "Y/n!" He called out for you and you hated the way your feet stopped abruptly.

Wearing your best poker face, you faced him and your inner conscience fainted. Surrounded by art, Rafayel blends right in as a living statue. His hair tousled with striations of fingertips that ran through his hair one too many times as he was waiting for his crush. He was anxious. "What?" You clipped, crossing your arms.

"I did not mean to sit with MC in the bus." His gaze did not falter from your eyes. Those orbs of his had now shifted into a hue of pinkish under the sunlight's embrace. "She told me that you were sitting with Dennis. And when I looked up, he was there, standing right next to you." His gaze fell, quietly counting the fine lines on the tiles. "I thought you went behind my back to sit with him."

Listening to his explanation, you only found out that the both of you were actually in the same position the whole time. Both thinking the same exact idea of being betrayed. "Why did you not come over to ask?" Your arms dropped from it's interlinked position, your eyes softening simultaneously.

Rafayel's ears started taking on a shade of ruby, his gaze lingered on you for a bit and back to the floor they went. "That's because when I first asked you about it in class, you seemed a little reluctant to sit with me." His hand came up to rub the back of his neck as the blush spreads across his cheeks now. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." This guy and his antics. It made you mimicked his blush, a pinkish hue now tinting your cheeks in response.

"Why would I be uncomfortable?" You took this opportunity to dig deeper, to find out his trail of thoughts. To know if he actually reciprocates the same feelings you harbour for him. Despite many times he would do things that makes you question your dynamic with him, but given his flirtatious nature, you seemed to be standing more on the odds of him actually liking you.

Rafayel was a little taken aback by your reply. You are not the type to ask open-ended questions and hearing this from you, his lips curled up into a smile, his flirty nature kicking into drive. "You might think that I am only playing with your feelings?" You bit your lip, not knowing what he is planning to say next. You felt a warm touch against your cheek and you looked at him, one of his hand cupping your cheek and he smiled. At you. "When truthfully, I only do that to you. Despite what everyone says about me being a playboy and all, rumours stay rumours for a reason, cutie." The usage of that nickname only added more significance to you now. He only calls you that and he could not make it any clearer than ever.

Seeing your lips turning up into a smile, Rafayel leaned in at the right moment and gently pecked your lips to further prove his statement. Pulling back onto to be met with the same artwork he had saw just a while back, the one that was hung in the corner, with the ominous title of 'RED EVERYWHERE'. You are a great depiction of that artwork now. His hand that was on your cheek rubbed small circles in an attempt to soothe your redness. "Say cutie, why don't we sit together on the ride home later?"

SYLUS - ODDITY MUSEUM

"This is a big museum, so I would advice all of you to walk in small groups so you guys won't go lost alright?" The teacher pushed the glasses higher up his nose bridge after performing a headcount, an eyebrow of his raised when he realised that the list is missing one more head. Puzzlement present on his face as he had just started this job a month ago and is not familiar with any of the faces matching the names. "We are still missing one more named Sy--"

A loud roar thundered through the quiet neighbourhood. A flash of midnight racing through the bright streets till it screeched to a sudden stop at the side of the road. Conversations and chatters filled the air once the rider got off of his superbike, dressed in the mirroring uniform as everyone at the front entrance of the museum. The rider then removed his helmet and the tuff of silver hair got the chatters going on even more. It is no doubt it's the last student in the head count list. Sylus.

"And I think we are all good for the head count." The teacher announced and he stepped aside to allow entry into the infamous Oddities and Curiosity Museum in Linkon. Sylus' figure towered over most of the boys on the trip, earning him some reproachful looks from the guys while the girls find his attendance to be nurturing to their eyes. It is not that hard to earn such attention when he is a scion of a notable family; the one that helps build the school you are currently attending. With captivating features and an aura that exudes both elegance and latence strangth, Sylus holds the top one spot for your school's best looking male.

The air has changed the moment you stepped into the building. It was cooler indoors compared to the jarring heat you had to endure through the process of headcount just now. The museum reeked of aged wood, soured candle wax with hints of metal and dust. The lighting inside was provided by webbed bulbs hung from wrought-iron chandeliers, flickering slightly with every microscopic sway as if it was lit by the ancient mechanism of candlelight, even though they were clearly wired.

Sylus casually strided, gait relaxed as he widened his steps to catch up to you. "Y/n." You were so enthralled by the interior of the museum that you had nearly forgotten your crush is right behind you, his height towering over yours. If he were to grow any taller, the top of his head would have brushed the cobwebs off of the bulbs. You looked up at him and prompted for him to continue. "Are you disturbed by museums as such?" His index finger pointed behind you, eyes flitting between you to the item behind you and you turned.

A twin-headed calf, stuffed carefully into a jar the size of your palm, pickling in formaldehyde. Odd skeletal remains labeled 'unverified' strung up by fishing lines against the wallpapered walls, each of it an odd size and shape and none of it fit the profile of a human skeletal structure. Taxidermied animals posed in eerie human-like positions stood guard below those skeletal remains. A chill ran down your spine when you figured that this trip may be more alike to a haunted house adventure and you were silently hoping that there would not be any actors in costumes nor automated dolls that lunges at you through motion triggered rigs.

"No." Your voice steady and you even threw in a head shake to prove your point to your crush. One of his eyebrow was raised, questioning your confidence. Sylus knows that you are not one to enjoy horror-themed items, hence the question was asked. Knowing you for a couple of years, you could not even bear to sit through a police demonstration in school. Those annual events where they get the police to come to school, to explain crimes that are common amongst teenagers and showcase the consequences one shall face if they were to go against the law. It always ends with a good whack performed on 'cotton-stuffed criminals' as to contribute to the anti-bullying sentiment. And those were the times Sylus really enjoys watching you peeking out from the cracks in between your fingers whenever a 'thwack' sound echoes through the hall. You raised both of your hands up and waved them, smiling through thick skin. "I really am not scared Sylus."

Nodding, the man gestured towards the hallway ahead and you could feel your knees buckled subsconsciously. The path ahead is narrow and labyrinthe-coded, with velvet curtains draped along the walls, parting small gaps that reveals glass cabinets and shadow boxes filled with more things that you have to bravely scan through now that you had established your fearless attitude in front of your crush. You could not disappoint.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

10 minutes into the trip, you had been unusually slow in your steps, eyes warily trying to take a glimpse into any glass cases at any angle possible so you could prepare yourself before arriving in front of it. Sylus was beside you the whole time, hand occasionally brushing against yours in the tighter corners of the walkways. You come across a cracked porcelain music box that was displayed in a case, the lack of winding key does not stop it from playing a haunting tune. And what got your goosebumps growing was the ballerina centerpiece was made out of skeletal remains. After staring at it for a good 20 seconds, you were eager to move on only to hear someone calling out to the guy next to you. "Sylus!"

The brunette long-haired classmate of yours approached, eyes beaming up at Sylus. "I was looking for you everywhere! You have to give me a tour of some of these pieces that your father had donated to this museum!" That is an interesting piece of information that you did not hear from Sylus himself. If only you were made of guts of steel, you would have told MC to back off from your field trip 'date' but clearly, reading the room is never the girl's strong suit. Even if it is, she barely cares to acknowledge it. "I want to hear everything about it!" And she slings herself around his arm casually. If she could transform into a snake, Sylus would definitely be wrapped around by her slithering figure at this pace, no doubt.

Sylus turned to you, eyes already wary of your reaction as he did look forward to this trip. Specifically, spending some alone time with you. You are quite the social butterfly in your class and Sylus rarely gets to spend some quiet time with you. "I'll be fine." You are quick to address a question he did not even plan to ask. Because the guy was not even planning to spend his precious time with anyone else, nobody else other than you. "You go ahead and tell her what she needs to know. I will meet you later okay." Your tone was reassuring but your heartbeat was quickening, your conscience already rolling up her sleeves and flossing her teeth to get ready to chomp at MC for stealing your date. But the conscious stays within her own bounds and you were glad they do not have the chance of overriding your movements.

You then continue to ascend further into the museum, his explanations conveyed in a flat tone to MC the last thing you hear as the aphotic darkness of the next exhibition room open its arms for you, floorboards creaking underneath your weight as if playing a welcoming tune to you. MC's newfound information did somewhat bothered you. Maybe that makes sense given that her father has close ties with Sylus. They might not be as close as the likelihood of being childhood friends but given the amount of information MC knows, it may suggest otherwise to a clueless y/n. Her heartstrings tugged a little, part of her wanted to believe that Sylus has his own reasons for not telling her anything about his father's contributions to this oddity museum. Yet, another part of her just wanted to lean towards the idea of biasness.

Sylus on the other hand, watched you leave out of his peripheral vision and he grunted inwardly. The reason why he did not say no to MC was because he remembered his father pestering him to introduce the items that he had donated, for he claimed that these oddities are part of his blood and sweat and tears and Sylus is only playing his part of being the good kid to his father's glory. At the back of his mind, he was a little unsettled. Maybe more than just a little. "O...M...G... Sylus, I didn't know your dad is this cool!" MC's shrill voice grounded Sylus back to land, he was barely registering whatever she was saying or asking until y/n's name was mentioned. "I don't know why y/n has that long face, all these things hold a piece of legacy and yet she seemed like she did not even want to be here. What a waste."

Sylus' eyes drifted to MC for a moment, watching her pout and he eyed her arm that was wrapped around his bicep and he sighed, using his other arm to push her grip away. "Save your compliments for the informational boards next to the exhibits, I've had enough of explanations." MC was dazed, confused as her arms dropped to her sides and she watched as the man departed from her side.

"But Sylus!" She called out to him and stumbled forward, grabbing onto the edge of his shirt for support and Sylus gritted his jaw, already getting annoyed at her. He glared down at her, crimson eyes glowed brightly in contrast to the dim lighting. His lips now are upturned, frown evident and MC gulped. She had never seen him show this sort of expression. Chuckling nervously, she released her grip on him and she tried to reason with him. "My dad actually asked me to go on this trip with you so I can get to know more about you and get closer to you. Your dad was the one who encouraged us to be closer to one another given that I had just moved here."

Sylus' austere demeanour did not falter. He may be aloof to y/n's eyes, but this guy holds more consciousness of his surroundings compared to the average guy of his age. Seeing MC standing in front of him, with puppy eyes, he sent her a look of reproach. "You already knew that you're new here. All the more reason for you to meet some new friends, MC." Casually, he adjusted the collar of his uniform. "I am already well acquainted with y/n and I do not wish to be disturbed." Then, he careened out of the room with long strides to catch up with the one he really wanted to spend time with.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

Alone, you had arrived at the Paranormal Wing. The narrow hallways do not give way to other options for other exhibits and haunted items are just a natural recipe for disaster. Looking behind, your heart thumped at the lack of crowds. You happen to be the only one here and you silently cursed yourself into thinking why did you not wait for Sylus to finish his tour. Yet, you knew that seeing how close MC is with him, you would only end up gnawing at your lips and pushing through the whole exhibition by yourself anyways. Either ways, you are here now and there is no turning back.

The room was darker than the rest of the museum, the wall lamps hesitated to brighten up the corners of room. It was dead silent too---the kind of silent that one would be granted in a sepulcher, where one's breath and footsteps echoes the sign of life. Even the air does not fit right through your nostrils. You followed along the carpeted path, footsteps light and ready to sprint for your life if anything comes to life. Coming close to an antique mirror that was held up by a charred wooden frame, its aged glass reflected dully and carried weird etchings on the mirror pane. The plaque below it displays:

Mirror of Fate. A mirror that tells the present of the future, behold your greatest fears and hope as you stare into your reflection.

Curiosity nagged at you and you stared at your own reflection. At first you seemed normal, just like how you would look like in your everyday mirror but when the hairs on the back of your neck started standing it got you having second thoughts. When did your eyes started to droop?

The light behind you flickered in morse codes and through the reflection, you watched the silhoutte of an aphotic, tall, angular figure hovered behind you. Asphyxia hit you for the first time and your feet had a set navigation before your mind could make you turn. The silhouette came closer, with a pair of eyeless sockets fixed on you through the mirror and panic shot through your senses. "AHHH!" You screamed and dashed, missing the exit sign entirely and heading deeper into the exhibition in search for a place to hide. All of your hairs are on high alert now, metaphorically watching the surrounding for you as your own eyes darted for an ideal hideout spot.

You ran past more exhibits in glass cases and you did not halt until you spotted a storage-like alcove tucked behind a heavy velvet purple curtain. Your heart is banging against your chest so hard that the silence is no longer a concern. You dived right towards the alcove and curled up, tears forming around your eyes as you tried to comfort yourself, struggling to find logical reasoning from what you had just witnessed. There was no way that was an illusion---probably just holograms and your nerves playing tricks on you---it must have been something of the supernatural. In that moment, you wished that you had never strayed from Sylus.

Your crush on the other end of the museum, noticed that you had already advanced too quickly through the other rooms. His chest tightened, a subtle pang, quiet but urgent. Striding from one room to another, he searched for you. "Y/n?" Your name was like a prayer to him, on repeat and held on with hope. He certainly wished that you did not misunderstood the scenario that happened between him and MC. But even if you did, the blame is on him and he would not back down from comforting you as long as you consent him to do so. Sylus never pushes himself onto you, for he is a man of manners and that is one of the main reasons why he did not disclose the information about his father's donated oddities because he did not want to come off as to be a show off in front of you. He would eventually reveal it if there was a chance given.

"Where did you go..." He trailed off, his murmurs swallowed by the walls surrounding him till he came to the Paranormal Room and his eyes caught sight of the mirror immediately, the same haunting figure still stood there with those hollowed eye sockets. However, a line at the edge of the mirror blinked every five seconds, with the writing 'YOU HAD BEEN PRANKED! BOO!'. The dots connected in Sylus' head. You must have been scared shitless from this mirror's gimmicks. "Y/n." His eyes snapped towards the only way out and he started to trace your steps, trying to muster up an imagination on where you could have ran off to.

Turning a corner and walking past some more glass cases featuring shrunken heads, the man gruntled in annoyance when his wide shoulders could barely fit through the narrowing halls. Then he caught it, the light uneven breathings behind one of the heavy curtains. The ones that covers what seemed to be a perfect hiding spot for someone a size like yours. He slowly approached it, not wanting to startle anything behind the curtains and he drew it open. You sat there, hands cupped against your ears and you looked up in an instant when the curtains are withdrawn.

The look you bear on your face could make him burn the whole museum down. Your eyes were wide with pupils blown wide, tears brimmed around your rims while a few managed to trickle down your cheek. You were shivering in fear, hands lowering its guard when your eyes took in Sylus' figure. "Sylus..." Your meek voice got the man kneeling down right in front of you. You were really trying your best to hold your tears back, your choked sobs now changing its pace towards being relieved. "Sylus, I..."

He grabbed you by the arm and with one forceful tug, you were pulled into his chest. Your cheek landed with a thud against his chest, and he envelopes you into a hug. He was silent, his heartbeat and calm breaths formed a comforting rhythm for you to abide. You returned the hug, arms snaked around his waistline and you stayed in his arms, letting your cries take over. The whole time Sylus just held you close, head leaned against your temple and the hand behind your back rubbing up and down to soothe you. "It's okay now, I am right here y/n."

Pulling back, your eyes seek for him in a feeble attempt to determine if he was just another apparition that is part of the museum's party tricks. His gaze softened, knowing exactly what was running through your mind and he gently wrapped his big hands around your smaller ones and brought it up to the side of his face. On cue, you started tracing his jawline, as if you're trying to remember how it feels under your touch if there comes a day you ever go blind. "I should've stayed with you." He broke the silence again, the tension now building as his crimson orbs stared right into yours, acknowledging your fear. You caught on to his longing stare, where he darts in between your eyes and your lips.

You leaned up and pressed your lips against his. It was sudden, but Sylus reciprocated it like it was meant to happen. He had always wanted to taste your lips, but he could never see himself forcing something out of you and with how you took the initiative today, he was glad that you felt the same about him. The kiss ended after a minute and you pulled back, blushing furiously as you tried to hide your face against his chest. Sylus chuckled in return, hands coming up to brush your cheek and conveniently tugging a stray strand of your hair behind your ear and he whispered. "There shall not be any distractions from now on, sweetie." And in that hidden corner of the museum---surrounded by strangeness and darkness that could easily grant you a lifetime of trauma--- you felt safe in his arms.

XAVIER - SCOUTS CAMP

You fished out your ticket excitedly, staring at the wooden signboard above you, with the words 'AZURE PEAK' etched on it intricately. Verdurous greenery is a common theme here and you were glad to be able to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and to spend peace at such a refreshing camp. Other than that, getting to hang out with your crush Xavier is a plus point. Initially, your summer holiday is going to be 'eventful'; you had plans that consisted of books, naps, games and there goes the dour cycle, repeating itself till the new semester takes place. Boring of course, but it has been a common routine of yours for every year.

Walking out of your class at the last day of school before the summer break hits, your eyes caught sight of a poster on the notice board outside of your class. The lime green typography against a dark blue background caught your eye immediately. You scanned through the details on the poster, realising that it is a summer camp event that was held by your school's scouts society. "Are you interested?" A voice travelled from beside you. Turning your head, you caught sight of your classmate ---whom is also your longtime crush--- Xavier. His head cocked aside, body leaned lazily against the wall as he awaited for your response. His blond hair swayed slightly to the gentle breeze, the sunlight creating a halo effect on his head.

"I had never been to these kind of camps..." You trailed off, your finger sliding across the paper to land on a tiny fine print. "Over here it states that priorities are given to members of the scouts society." Sighing, you shook your head as if you had already decided your fate but Xavier lightly grabbed ahold of your wrists, his eyes bearing witness to your slight disappointment. Feeling such a innocent yet close contact of his, you could not help but blushed at the interaction.

"I've taken the liberty to join the scouts society this semester." He used his other hand to fish something out of his pocket and it revealed an A6 version of the poster; thinner, more rectangular and has a close resemblance to what an amusement park ticket would look like. "Here, I got one more extra." He cooed, placing the ticket in your palm and practically forcing you to take the ticket without your consent. Xavier knew your summer schedule like the back of your hand and this time, he may have found the right reason to get you out of your confined room for once.

Xavier had always wanted to spend his summer holidays with you but on multiple occasions, he was dragged on for family trips and holidays that he could not even find the time to spend it with you. At the start of this new semester, he was already told that his parents would not be around during the summer holidays due to their busy schedule and without hesitation, Xavier joined the scouts society after finding out that you never had the opportunity to join a camping trip. Yes, dough-faced bunny went through all of the trainings and marches and instruction abiding for the sake of gaining access to this exclusive scouts camp just for you.

Staring at the ticket in your palm, your jaws went slacked because you knew that these tickets are very hard to get especially when it is such a popular option for teens your age to spend the summer holidays away from home. "Thank you Xavier." You looked up at him and you grinned, corners of your lips nearly touching your ear lobes. Seeing you smiling like a Chesire Cat, his heart thumped slightly against his chest. All of the hardships he had went through during the society immediately shoved into the back of his head, locked and sealed with yellow tape. Xavier returned your smile, your radiance already outplaying the sun's rays beckoning at his back.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

After submitting your ticket at the entrance, you waited patiently by a notice board that displays the map of the trail. Yesterday night through text, Xavier had asked for you to wait for him because he was afraid of you not being able to conquer the mountain trail by yourself---he was also rather keen on the idea of being able to hold your hand as he leads you up the hardest trail he could opt for. His concern---or so you had convinced yourself to believe---had left you awake in your bed, tossing and turning like you had just won the lottery. Hence, now you stood, at the foot of the mountain, with eyebags that could easily be disguised as an eye makeup gone wrong and a feeling of regret that weighs heavier than your packed bags.

"Y/n." A distant voice travelled to you and you slowly looked up from the view of the crumpled leaves beneath your feet and there he stood, right in front of you, with the signature eye smile that you are hopelessly in love with. "Oh, are you alright?" The smile dropped and he leaned down closer to analyse your face. You stood still, taking in the view of his cerulean blues as he eyed you, your heart pounding against your rib cage. A hand flew up and it landed on your head, his smile returning when he noticed your dazed state. "It's okay, I'm sure you're tired of waiting for me. Sorry for keeping you waiting."

His apology waked you from your reverie and your eyes widened, trying to figure out what he was apologising for. Playing it cool, you smiled back and shook your head. "No, Xavier, don't apologise for something you did not do wrong."

His hand on top of your head ruffled your hair slightly and he chuckled. "How is making you wait for me not a crime? You're so nice that your eyebags are the ones betraying you." Pointing out your insecurity and making it into a lighthearted joke is only something Xavier manages to do and never once were you offended by it. Before you could say something else, he carried both of your bags with ease and jerked his head towards the direction of the trail. "Shall we start our ascend now?"

The trail that Xavier had chosen features a lot of gentle slopes, decorated by moss-covered boulders and accompanied with wooden signposts to indicate the altitude and remainder time needed to reach the campsite following the trail. With a beginner like you however, the 10 minutes signpost that you had seen seemed like a total joke. This trail was supposed to only take 30 minutes and yet at the 50th minute, you are still not reaching the campsite. But neither you nor Xavier is complaining. "Let's take a small break, y/n." Xavier suggested and held his hand out to you.

You grabbed hold onto his hand, the warmth of it adding a tinge of blush to your cheeks and he hoisted you up the boulder and sat you down right next to him. The both of you were so close that the birdsongs were silenced as your shoulders touched against one another. "Thanks." You managed to muster out as you tried to catch your quick breaths and you internally frown when he withdrew his hand from yours. Sat next to him, you got to actually admire the nature enveloping you. The dappled sunlight filtered through the canopy in warm, golden slants. The forest consists of mostly pine trees, which exhaled the scent of pine needles and earth that made you wished that you could bottle up the scent in an air freshener and bring it home with you.

"Hey." His soothing voice broke through the nascent peacefulness you were experiencing. "I'm glad that you decided to come on this trip with me."

Your lips tugged into a wide smile, nodding. "Yeah, I'm glad too." And for the rest of the climb, as the trail grew steeper and the sun rises higher above your heads, you silently wished that this climb never comes to an end.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

After arriving at the campsite, Xavier was practically ripped away from your side by his other scout members. He did flashed you an apologetic smile before he was dragged away but seeing him being a necessity within his society does spark a sense of curiosity in you. Xavier has always been the more reserved type in your class, always hunched at the back of the class, napping away ---while still getting to be on top of his grades---and lacks initiative to start conversations with everyone. Everyone else except you. At the camp site, you felt like an accessory now, just a potted plant amongst the scout members until a girl approached you, a clipboard against her chest and a smile on her face. "Y/n right?"

"Yeah." You chirped, finally having to be able to talk to someone who is aside from your crush. The girl slid her pen down the clipped paper on her clipboard and hummed in unison of her pen taps. Her eyes leafing through line by line until it halted. Her pearly whites naturally returning to her face when her gaze catches yours.

"I will need your help to go and get some water from the stream down that path there. Do you think you can do it?" Hesitation evident in her voice but her grin was a contrast to her worry for you. "Just two buckets full would do. We need it to put off the campfire later so it would be best to get it ready before the skies turn dark." Your nod in response reeled in a cheer from the girl with the clipboard and she gestured to the two buckets behind her.

Heaving up two empty buckets is a full routine for someone whom holds grudge against sports. Leaves piled along the narrow and bald pathway, a muddy carpet spread out ahead of you as you trudged through while being serenaded by the cicada choir. The trail leads you straight to the stream as mentioned by the girl earlier and from a distance, you caught sight of a blond mane standing by the side of the opalescent river. No doubt that is Xavier and next to him, stood MC. Her brunette locks tied up into a messy bun, sleeves pushed up on both of her arms and legs and she was gleaming at Xavier, her smile wide.

"Why are you so funny?!" Thwack. A slap landed on his shoulder and Xavier staggered backwards, nearly losing his balance on the pebbled bank. Now he figured why the scouts leader asked her to go for wood foraging with him. "I thought you were here for y/n, but I didn't know you would be here helping me! Isn't this destiny?!"

"What---" Before Xavier could utter another word, he was yanked backwards by the edge of his shirt and the muscular, tall young man staggered yet again. The sentence of his finished by y/n who stood by his side; fists balled, eyebrows furrowed, ears painted red and if she could, steam is pumping full on out of her ear canals. "Y/n?"

"So you left me all alone at the camp just so you could be here with..." Your eyes trailed off to MC, her smile had been replaced with the shape of an 'O'. "Her?"

"No, I was just asked to team up with her for wood foraging." Xavier blinks in confusion, gaze flitting between his crush and the wannabe crush of his. "I was just here to wash my hands and she caught up and started saying all of this..."

Your palm made him stopped talking, grin slowly taking place on your lips before you turned to look at MC. "You can stop trying, MC." Her hasty blinks urged you to continue on. "I saw you were waiting for me to approach from a mile away before you decided to go up to Xavier and pull whatever this stunt is called." Your hands gestured to the space in front of you.

Eyes widened, MC only bit back, metaphorical fangs baring as a defensive measure. "Well? So what if I did? What can you do about it?"

A hand slithered up the back of your neck and gripped onto your chin, guiding your face to turn. And Xavier pressed his lips to yours, his other arm safely found its spot around your waist and he pulled you back against him. The chaste kiss was not long enough for you to close your eyes but it sure as hell made a statement to MC. "You can't, because y/n's my girlfriend now." Steam started charging out of all of your orifices now as your face burnt crimson.

ZAYNE - NATIONAL ZOO

The morning sun rays gleamed across the animal themed arch of the zoo's entrance. Beside you, MC was admiring her own facial features on the small pocket mirror that she always carry around. One could easily tell with her dolled up face, she is looking forward to this zoo trip. "I wonder where is Zayne." She muttered under her breath, an impatient grunt slipped past her glossed lips and she shoved the pocket mirror back into the side pocket of her bag, casually flipping her locks only for it to land gracefully against her back. "Y/n, I'll just catch you around later. If you spot Zayne, buzz him to come to me."

Unaware of the sudden interaction initiated by the class' popular girl, your responses were not even acknowledged as she made for a beeline straight past the crowds with a destination you do not care to ask. You were never close with her anyways. In fact, you were not even close with anyo---

"Y/n." Coiffed onyx hair and hazel-green orbs occupied your field of vision. The young man adorned in the regimental inky blazer, paired with a white button up and scarlet tie turns out to be the only one you are probably close with. His index finger pushed the spectacles of his higher up the bridge of his nose, allowing the optic tool to sit on the slight hump. "Never thought you would sign up to be on this field trip."

Meeting Zayne in the library was initially a coincidence, but given your strong suit in Biology, one question from him ---while he was sat two tables away from you---turned your library sessions into an uncalled routine. Two tables away became the seat next to yours. One question eventually turned into theological debates and ardent discussions. You would always see him plopping himself next to you, books stacked, notes filled and glasses optional until discussions get serious. Just like that, you never knew crushes develop in such mundane ways.

Diffident in nature, your gaze only held on for a few seconds and it hit the ground faster than Newton's Law could apply. "I...I never thought I would see you outside of that library." Your witty retort tugged Zayne's lips into a small smile and he fell in step with yours, matching your pace. Before you could forget, you decided to relay the message to him on behalf of the queen bee's request. "MC is looking for you but I don't really know where she went."

"Oh is it?" His dull tone making it hard for you to decipher his thoughts. MC is his childhood friend afterall and there has been a well precedented connection between their friendship as it closely resembles a relationship. A few girls glanced your way as they walked past, whispering behind hands---Zayne's popularity stemming more from his looks rather than his nonchalance. Yet, you know that he is not entirely stoic, based on your several interactions with him. You genuinely find him intriguing. "I think I just caught a glimpse of her, I will head on over to see what she wants. I'll meet you at the petting zoo enclosure in a few." Okay, maybe your crush on him shall always be friend zoned.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

You slowed your pace, gait similar to a wounded animal that is in quarantine. Metaphorically speaking, you are trapped within the confines of your mind. Zayne's response towards MC's request to meet him was a clear indication of where you stand in his heart. And that is nowhere. "Y/n." Your head shot up immediately, back slammed into ramrod straight posture, only to be disappointed to see Grayson in front of you. The nerd classmate of yours whom would sometimes tag along with Zayne to the library only for him to be shooed away to a whole different corner so that he would not 'disturb' the both of your heated debates. "Where's Zayne?"

Met with the question you could not even answer, you simply shrugged in return, shoulders back to its sluggish position. You adjusted the strap of your shoulder bag, the weight of your camera in it is proving to be a burden. "Here, let me help." Greyson offered when he noticed you shifting your bag, a wince painfully obvious on your face and before you could stop him, he is already tugging the strap off of your shoulder and carried it in his grip with ease.

"Thank you." You blushed, the redness creeping onto the tip of your ears and you walked next to him. Greyson although is in the same class as you, you barely get to talk to him so seeing him being so gentleman-like got you flabbergasted. "I didn't know you would come for this trip."

"Why wouldn't I?" He chuckled, left hand coming up to rub the back of his neck in hopes of rubbing off some of the nerves he is having. "I love animals. They are adorable." His eyes caught yours at the end of his sentence, slate-colored orbs shielded behind his thick round glasses. "Do you want to have a look at the capybaras?" Fishing out a map from his bagpack, he unfolded it and scanned the piece of A3, finger landing directly on the brownish creature with a tangerine sat on its head. "It should be around the east area." Figuring that there is nothing else you would like to do, you decided to head along with his suggestion, the thought of meeting Zayne at the petting zoo tossed aside for abit.

"So, Greyson." You started, the cobblestoned pathways marked with vibrant stones, the pen housing the infamous capybaras closing in on your vision. A small crowd could be seen lined against the railings of the pen, with big smiles taped on their face and a stalk of grass in their hands. "Does Zayne have a crush on MC?" Your inquisitive nature got to the best of you and asking Zayne's best pal seemed to be the most 'non-intrusive' method for you to settle on your feelings towards that crush of yours. Once and for all.

Greyson's mahogany colored eyebrow raised, followed by his eyes, pupils narrowing when it comes in contact with the sun's warmth. A slight hum from his throat suggested he is in deep rumination till he broke the silence. "I don't think so." Your heart sighed in relief. "But recently he has been meeting up with her after the library sessions." There goes the slight erratic beats again in your chest. "Not sure why but if I recalled he mentioned about something wanting to advance to second base..?"

Greyson's voice had turned into a buzz after the second base term. What kind of second base? It could only point further to the rumor in which Zayne and MC are indeed in a relationship. Or else how would one meet up with someone of their opposite gender to advance to second base? The points in your head are starting to add up now. How Zayne would come to you almost everyday with fresh new discussion topics, getting your insights and initiating conversations and constantly stating that he is asking on behalf of a friend when optimally, he is perhaps doing it for MC all these while? The cobblestones on the floor are all starting to blend into one colour and everything went black.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

Fluttering your eyes opened, you heard some light clinking sounds and water dripping sounds. Your field of vision takes in the view of a sterile looking ceiling and your fingertips suggested a polyester fabric beneath you. "Y/n." The voice sounded too familiar and you turned your cheek and nearly gasped when you noticed Zayne is right next to you. Eyebrows furrowed, lips pressed tightly. "You passed out a while ago, perhaps from the heat." He explained to you and lifted both of his hands, a towel in his hand and he folded it into a neat rectangle before placing it onto your forehead to cool you down.

"Where's... Where's Greyson?" Your gaze averted from his and you tried to push yourself up but Zayne's palm was quick to land onto your shoulder, restricting your movements. Hearing another guy's name falling from your lips is not the first thing he had expected and his disappointment flashed across his features for a second.

"I was the one who carried you to the first aid room." He sighed, hand leaving your shoulder and he continued to address the 'HOW' etched on your face. "I was nearby when I saw that you were losing your balance. I managed to catch you before you could hit the ground." Seeing how reserved you are compared to this morning, Zayne felt like poking a little. "Why did you not wait for me at the petting zoo?"

"I didn't know how long you were going to take since you wanted to talk to MC." Zayne sees it. The slight tremble of your lips as you spoke, the unconscious fiddling of your hands against the hem of your vest. Something was clearly bothering you. "Greyson was the one who offered to walk with me."

A warmth enveloped you and you looked down, noticing his hand placed on your wrist, no pressure inflicted, just a reassuring touch. "There was nothing going on between me and MC." Your eyes meet his, eyelashes casting shadows and shielding your unspoken emotions. "She wanted to meet me because she wanted me to walk with her." Your eyes fell but he was quick to catch your chin. His fingertips scorching against the delicate skin on your chin. "Y/n." His tone austere, grip unmoving as he urged you silently to speak to him.

Faced with such tension, tears crowded your eyes blurring your vision. Blinking rapidly, you forced your tears to flow back into your system. "You can just go with her." Your hand slapped the one which was holding your chin and you pushed yourself up, ignoring his demands for you to stop. Getting off of the bed, you aimed towards the only set of doors ahead of you and you wobbly careened over only to trip against your feet and you fell.

You were expecting the hard thud, the thump against the back of your skull but it never came. You were cushioned when you fell and you opened your eyes to see Zayne hovering over you and you realised he cushioned your fall, again. His eyes seeked yours, glancing in a zig zag form across your features to spot any further injuries only to soften when he stares straight into you. Your heart did a somersault at that moment. "I rejected her." He cleared his throat, slowly leaning down to support himself with his forearm. His breath was so close to you that you can feel it fanning against your cheek. "I told her that I already have someone I have been wanting to pursue."

Pinpointing on what Greyson had told you earlier, you decided that now is the only time you can find out who this mysterious crush of his turns out to be. "Greyson said that you were learning to go towards second base from MC. That explains why you are constantly meeting up with her after our library sessions?" The tears pricked at the back of your eyes again when you knew that you were too much of a coward to just blurt out 'I like you' to him and instead had to result to such insinuating measures to get your answer. "Does that also explain all of the time you spent with me in the library discussing about those topics that you've got? Is it for that crush of yours?" If his answer were to be yes, you would definitely crash out.

Zayne never moved an inch from his spot. This is indeed his first time seeing you acting and speaking out of your own emotions. Even during the library discussions, you had always presented yourself with determined logic, backed with evidences on how you steer your arguments. Seeing you being so emotional, he knew that he could not hide his feelings any longer and if he were to fail to address the bothersome issue, he may lose you. "I seek for second base from MC because she is the only other female I know that I do not show interest in." A tinge of crimson dabs across his cheek when he continues, a side of him ashamed that he has to go to another girl for advice on how to treat his crush right, without actually having the courage to just ask y/n himself. "And the discussions that we had in the library. It is for me to get to know you more."

His blatant truth smacked your heart straight out of your chest. Did Zayne just confessed his true feelings to you? "For me?" That was apparently the best reaction you could muster as you stared at him in disbelief. The man finally cracked a smile on his lips and he nodded in response. So, with an intake of a breath, you blurted out something you should have done from the beginning, words all jumbled up from how anxious you are feeling. "I like you too, Zayne."

The room had shifted, the walls felt like it closed in onto the both of you, the floor beneath you vibrating to the undulating thumps of your heartbeat. Forcing the distance between the both of you becoming more and more evident. Breaths mingled, intertwining with the dust particles that floated between the crevices of your lips with his until he closed the distance. His lips pressed gently against yours in the form of a chaste kiss. Zayne knew that MC had told him that getting to second base would require his feelings to be reciprocated and hearing your true feelings was more than enough for him to lead the direction of your newfound relationship.

The kiss although chaste, it felt like it went on forever in your head. He pulled back just enough for you to open your eyes and to drink in his features. His smile is a mirror of yours but minus the bashfulness and perhaps the light spasms in your cheek muscles. Zayne pushed himself off of you and offered his hand, which you gracefully held onto and he pulled you up with barely any effort. Standing up, your eyes landed for a fleeting moment against his thin lips and you silently gasped, still unable to wrap your mind around the fact that you had just got your first kiss stolen by the lauded Zayne.

When he called your name, you looked up and realised that he had taken the liberty to close the distance again, lips lightly hovering over yours and you returned the favour, planting a light peck on his lips, allowing the feeling of your first love to plague through your system. Zayne tucked a fallen strand of your hair behind your ear and lightly whispered against your lips after you pulled back. His tone now held nothing but pure endearment for you, no hesitation, no second guesses, no more beating around the bush just to observe your reactions. "Let's get to the petting zoo now before the zoo closes. Then later, we can go and grab a dessert to commemorate our first date."

CALEB - SUMMER BEACH TRIP

The sky displayed an array of watercolours in pastel blues and pinks as seagulls take place in the beautiful nature's piece, becoming a living mimic of the clouds that hung above. Your class bus pulled up to the beach's parking lot. This being the only summer field trip available for your school, it is only natural for it to be packed with students whom are seeking for an escapade away from the city. The amount of students were so grand that two buses are hired for the sake of the trip. And that is also how you got separated from Caleb whom was supposed to be on the same bus as you but sadly your name was called for Bus A and retaliation would only risk you getting left behind. Biting down onto your tongue, you had no choice but to board the bus against your will and watch as your crush clomps onto the other vehicle.

Once the bus doors opened, anticipation buzzed through the air and you stood in line, stepping off of the bus. The scent of seawater immediately enveloped you, the sea breeze welcoming you with brash kisses against your cheeks, giving your hair a free salty blowdry service. The sound of the waves crashing softly in the distance only sets the scene more in a reverie-like quality. Looking to your left, you spotted students emptying the other bus and you caught sight of Caleb, head turned over his shoulders, laughing and chatting with someone behind him till you caught sight of her. MC. His childhood friend.

You do not hold anything against MC personally. But her passive aggression does make you uncomfortable most of the time and her friendly front is only ever exclusive for that childhood friend of hers. Yet, you did not recall Caleb mentioning anything about MC coming along for this summer trip. The fact he even got your hopes up by verbally planning all of the activities the both of you could partake during this three days camp sounded too good to be true now that you spotted the presence of MC. Your lips unconsciously formed a frown and you held your bag tighter, knuckles turning white. "Y/N!" It did not take long for Caleb to spot you amongst the crowd given his height being an added advantage.

He jogged over, hair bouncing to the rhythm and the charming smile that never seems to budge off of his lips. You looked up, ready to smile back till you noticed the brunette tagging along behind him, her steps calculated as she caught sight of you. "Hey, let me help you with that." Caleb snatched your bag out of your grip before you could even protest and his next sentence got your heart dropping to your feet before you could even speak. "You wouldn't mind if MC tags with us for a bit right?"

The girl he had mentioned came to a halt next to him, one of her corners tugged into a smirk more than a smile as her way to bid you her 'hello'. Out of courtesy---mostly out of respect for your crush--- you forced your lips into an agonising grin and nodded your head a little too vigorously to prove your contradictory point. "Yeah sure, I don't see any issues with that." That landed Caleb's arm around your shoulders and you bit your lip nervously as he started guiding you towards the small beach houses that were lined by the shoreline.

You took a slight peek behind you and you wished you never turned your head because daggers were clearly thrown from MC's eyes towards the arm that was lazily placed on your narrow set of shoulders. Skinship with Caleb is not anything out of the ordinary when it comes to y/n and him but it is a detail worth noting for MC especially when she grew up around Caleb. It certainly does not take a genius to dovetail the idea of why Caleb is suddenly so touchy with y/n and it turned out to be a lightbulb moment for MC and mind you, it was never a brilliant idea.

"Caleb~" MC's voice travelled from behind and you jumped slightly as MC forcefully slotted herself in between the both of you, now directly situating herself beneath Caleb's forearm which was supposed to be on you. "The sun today is very shiny don't ya think? Why don't you do that shielding gesture with your hands like how you've always done for me back in those days?" MC whined, battering her eyelashes in seek for pity from her best childhood friend but Caleb only took a step back from her, arms immediately dropping from her shoulder and his palm proceeded to rub the back of his neck. A habit of his whenever he is caught in an 'I don't know what to do' kinda situation.

You helped him to answer it. "I will just go in to unpack my stuffs. I will see you later Caleb." You grabbed your bags off of his grip and you swooped right past them, not sparing a single glance to your crush nor his girl best friend. Biting onto your bottom lip, you felt like slapping yourself. What do you mean by you will see him later? When will it be a right time for you to spend some time alone with him when MC is around? How could you top your importance to Caleb against his childhood friend?

Once you had settled into the beach house, you heard a slight knock on your door and you stood up, shuffling over so you can unlock it and you were lowkey wishing that it was Caleb. Yet, standing at the small wooden patio of your assigned beach house is MC instead, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. Thud. Thud. Thud. Her eyes looked up when the door creaked open and you leaned against the door frame, letting a smile take place on your lips as a politesse courtesy. "Yes, MC?"

"Y/n right?" The way she said your name---which is not even close to how your actual name is being pronounced--- nearly slapped that smile off of your face. Being in the same class as her for 3 years is clearly nothing but a joke to her. "What's your deal with Caleb?"

Her straightforwardness got you taken aback, your eyes blinking several times as your brain tries to conjure up the right response to that question. "We are...friends." Lies. But you do not owe his childhood friend an explanation, moreso when she has daggers for eyes. "Why?"

"I need you to back off from Caleb." Her trimmed eyebrows furrowed and she clicked her tongue, feet taps finally coming to a stop and saving herself for a more ladylike impression now. "Caleb has been my childhood friend for many many years and if you think that you're special just because he lays his arms around your shoulders every once in a while. You're wrong so don't get your hopes up girl." She brought her manicured hand up to her vision, eyeing it for a moment before she gave you a side eye. "Just so you know, we kissed before."

"Are you done?" It is your turn to have your eyebrows knitted together now, lips pressed in a thin line. You could not lie to yourself that you did felt a little hurt at the fact they had kissed before but a part of yourself still held on adamantly to the idea that you still want to continue having a crush on Caleb and nobody is going to rob you of that opportunity. MC narrowed her eyes into slits and without another word, she twirled on her heels and went off towards the pavement and you shut the door, already dreading the way your heart ached.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

After changing into a beach appropriate outfit, you stepped out of the beach house and beelined straight towards the ocean waters with a small bag carrying some essentials. The skies bled through the edge of the waters and the sun's blinding rays casted iridescent sparkles across the water surface. Your feet came in contact with the sand and you gleefully shovel your feet further into the sand as if to ground you against the hectic breeze. "Y/n!" You heard someone called your name and out of instinct, you whipped your head over your shoulder and watched as Caleb was running towards you, waving excitedly.

MC's warning is practically nonexistent in your head now that Caleb has appeared in front of you and MC is nowhere to be seen within his vicinity. "Hey!" You waved back. Mauve orbs caught on to yours and he positioned himself next to you, head tilting towards the direction of the ocean to invite you to go into the waters with him. "Where is MC?" Your curiosity got the best of you after the lecture was given by MC, it is surprising to see that she is not sticking by his side.

"She went to change her clothes I think." He shrugged nonchalantly. Clad in a simple white tee and a pair of marine colored pants, he could easily pass as a model even in such a modest outfit. "I was planning to go over to your beach house to ask you to join me for the free time but I guess I don't have to given you're here." His cheeky wink got your cheeks heating up and you broke the eye contact, laying your bag onto one of the white lounge chairs by the shore. "Y/n." He continues when you looked at him. "Can I ask you to watch the sunset with me later?"

His request was so sudden it caught you off guard, your jaw slacked and your mind started running through all of the scenarios on why he had decided to ask you to watch the sunset with him. Right as you were about to answer, a shirt was thrown over your bag carelessly and MC appeared out of the thin air, in her swim wear and as usual, she budged in with her main character syndrome. "What are you guys talking about?" Giving you a slight roll of her eyes before she pressed herself against Caleb's taut arm. "Thanks for waiting for me. Let's go to the waters now!"

Caleb's eyes were already on you when you looked over to him and he cleared his throat to cut off the tension that is wedged between you and him. MC released his arm and proceeded to run towards the water, already knowing whatever she had done would be enough to remind you of your position. Spotting your face draining from its usual hues, Caleb immediately caught on to the situation and he could sense that your distance is most likely affected by his childhood friend. He approached you and placed his palm onto your head and patting gently, leaning down just enough so you can see his face. "I know you are probably uncomfortable with MC being around but it's okay, we will be fine. Meet me by the rocks later around evening and I will explain everything to you okay?"

And he left you standing there under the rainbow toned umbrella, puzzled at his usage of words just a while ago. His figure disappearing slowly into the distance as he walked towards where MC is at. Caleb took his time, feet sinking into the sand with his weight as he clomped over to his childhood friend who was already halfway into the water. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Caleb, but he did not reciprocate it. Instead, he went up to her and in a stern tone, he asked. "What did you said to y/n?"

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

The sun sets fast, now the skies are a blend of purple and pink, with the occasional burnt orange mixing at the seams. Clouds adrift in the skies mimicking the cotton candy that were sold by the beach side stores. You had changed into something more comfortable and sat atop of the rocks, patiently waiting for Caleb's arrival. Your noon was spent under the same stalk of umbrella that Caleb had left you until your other classmate, Gideon asked you to join in on a casual volleyball game. And that was how your time was spent during the past few hours.

You could not bring yourself to look out to the sea whenever there is a break in between your game. Part of you just did not want to know what is happening between MC and Caleb and another part of you just wanted to act like nothing is going on. You stared straight ahead, vision unfocused as you immersed yourself in the sound of the waves lapping against the beach, with the wind cooing at your heart to stay still. "Hey, you're here early." Caleb's voice grounded you back to reality and you awkwardly shifted in your seat, scooting over to give him just enough space to sit down next to you on the flat surface. "Thanks for coming, y/n."

"It's no biggie Caleb." Your voice came off to be nonchalant just as you had practiced in your head. "So what's up?" You turned your head to face him and pulled both of your legs up to your chest so you may rest your chin on top of your knees.

He is already facing you fully, brunette hair whipping gently against his forehead. "MC and I had a talk." You were silent and you felt the air shifted between the both of you, his body tensing slightly beside you. "I do not like the way she had treated you throughout this trip, I can see that it made you uncomfortable." He tilted his head slightly, angling down closer to you. "Especially when she interrupted us."

You blinked, eyes still trained on him. The warm golden light that casted on his face made your crush looked even more ethereal than the sunset view itself. A quiet smile drifted across your lips at his sentence. "It's okay, she is your childhood friend afterall. She even told me that you guys had kissed before." You uttered to him ruefully, biting your bottom lip at the end of your sentence as you pondered if it was the right thing to comment.

Caleb gulped, his Adam's Apple bobbed once and he tried to explain the situation. "Gosh, that was an accident! And it happened when we were in kindergarten!" He threw his arms up into the air, his dramatic flair got you chuckling softly. You knew it, deep inside, when MC said that, it was out of spite and seeing the way he reacted further confirmed your suspicions. "I never looked at her that way."

"What way?" You mulishly pried for the answer, wanting Caleb to iron out all of the contrary possibilities running through your thoughts.

Caleb's arms dropped when you asked and his eyes blinked a couple of times, those orbs now taking form of a darker mauve when he sensed that this may be the right moment for him to come clean to you now. The setting is right; with the sun setting in the background being the only third party to witness this canonical event. "The way I would look at you." He was gentle, the look in his eyes unmistakable for sincerity. At that moment, the ocean murmured behind you, a steady and soft rhythm as nature's background music.

"I thought you would choose her Caleb." Your red-rimmed eyes got Caleb scooting closer to you, one arm immediately wrapping over your small frame and he pulled you in against his side. "You had no idea how long I was stuck with the idea that my feelings would only be one-sided to you. Seeing the both of you together, it just makes sense." A stray tear rolled down your cheek but Caleb was quick to catch it with his thumb, the pad of his thumb glided down your chin and he held onto it, guiding your head up to meet his gaze.

"You make more sense to me y/n." His lips parted slightly, breath wavering. "I told MC that her feelings towards me will always be one-sided." Your hand automatically went up to graze his arm, heartbeat increasing as your breaths mingled. "Because I fell in love with you y/n." The both of you closed the distance, lips pressed against one another as the sunset enveloped the both of you in its arms. Warmth fraying across your body when he takes your first kiss, his arms that wrapped around your body pulled you closer to him and the hand that held your chin went to cradle your face as an affectionate gesture.

It took a good minute before the both of you pulled away, the tinge of red on both of your cheeks hidden by the orange hues of the sunset. At this point, the sunset is probably a paid actor. "I've always thought of how it feels to kiss you, do you know that?" Caleb laughed, tilting his head as you gave him a light punch against his shoulder. He landed a kiss onto the top of your head and gave your shoulder a squeeze of endearment. You leaned your head against his broad shoulder and let the sound of the waves and the grip of his quiet affection wrap around you like a soft summer blanket.

This is finally done! After writing this, I feel like the dynamic of high school couples should be studied as this is so pure and heartwarming! I really really really enjoyed writing this piece! You can definitely check out my first part for this series here!

[brailsthesmolgurl]

VISAGE

PREVIEW: She thought she had it all within her grasp, with Sylus by her side, she is practically untouchable. However, there had always been a thought lurking in the back of her mind ever since Sylus had gotten himself acquainted with a deepspace hunter. For someone who is as mundane as y/n, with no skills and power, what would happen if she were to allow those fears to manifest? It burrows, it festers, rots her from inside out and perhaps, just perhaps, Sylus will no longer be her safe haven anymore.

WARNINGS: Heavy angst that makes your blood curdle, reader is not mc!, suggestive themes, heavy gore, mentions of r*pe, character death.

P.S: This is part two of my previous episode, it does carry heavier themes such as death and mentions of r-word (just a smallllll part) so if you're uncomfortable with it please refrain from reading, I feel like this story could be longer but I am currently brainstorming on an upcoming Caleb series that is probably angsty as well because I feel like it. So enjoy whatever mercy I have left for this part :>

Dividers sourced from here!

Up above the scattered chatters and clinking of wine glasses, Sylus stood behind Dr. Prescott, a huge iron door in sight. The raven haired man pressed his palm against the palm reader and the iron doors groaned opened, an ordinary study room revealed itself. Lavish, but unsettling. Crimson silk drapes lined the wide floor-to-ceiling windows and crystal chandeliers hung above. The room may even pass to be a lecturer's room hidden within the depths of a mansion until one reads the frantic chemical equations and half erased body mappings scribbled onto the huge chalkboard behind the study desk. The air smells faintly of burnt flesh, tobacco and old books masked by a hint of lavendar. It is however, not the typical labs that one would be accustomed to; not lined with mold, no exposed copper coils on walls, nor are there even a slither of cracked wallpaper. This lab in particular, exhumed luxury, one that comes with a man of Prescott's status conducting illegal trades.

The curved mahogany-panelled walls housed taxidermied hybrids. Each one uniquely affrighting, propped in the same position, breathing nothing but death and suffrage. One of them was held up in an unnatural stretched form, its spine warped with its ribs splayed out in an artistic attempt. Skeletal wing-like structure jutted out from its back signified that it was expertly combined with the DNA of a winged wanderer. Its face---a young and handsome one---frozen in spot with an expression a cut between anguish and relief, eyelids forced open by pins to show pupil-less eyes.

The hybrid next to it stood the size of a child, with lips and eyes sewn shut. It could easily pass as a normal human entity if only it did not have six arms and legs, with an extra set of eyes that grew on its temples. Even if there was a lack of expression on this display, one could tell with the amount of weirdly contorted angles of its limbs, this child did not die the easy way.

Another one stood--more like being on all fours-- of a wanderer form; a wanderer-human fusion with icycle like armor in replacement of fur, two sharp talons raised by its tail as their primary attacking tool, and stitches were spotted across its face, the aftermath of trying to attach a human face onto its front and fusing it chemically for it to achieve a nearly sphinx like horror creature. It is a Gelidus Dentis with a human face.

Prescott leads Sylus further into the study, turning a corner till they passed a gilt covered screen to reveal a spot with leather sofas facing one another, a guest room per say. Sylus gritted his teeth, studying silently about the once alive interbred species that are now stiff and are set on a display. He wondered what they could have gone through before they were decided to be taxidermied and be treated like museum display pieces.

As if on cue, Dr. Prescott caught on to his silence. "All of these taxidermies of mine were once successful hybrids but they couldn't survive long enough to change back to their anthropoid form." He waved his hand towards the seat, ushering the mafia leader to have a seat before he himself takes a seat right opposite him. "So I got them to go back to their wanderer forms before I decided to make them into my mascots."

He strided across the room and came back with a bottle of red wine and decanter, setting it onto the small wooden table. If this was business, Sylus would not have hesitated in taking a waft and a gulp from his glass but he is not here for business. When the man is on a hunt, he watches and follows the movements of his prey, stalking their every action while keeping it's fangs hidden. Sylus nodded once when the glass was filled and pushed towards him but made no action to pick it up as he continued eyeing the young man in front of him.

Dr. Prescott continued, his voice an oscillation between eloquence and a muttered obsession. "It is tough to get them past the shock for they still held sentience in their minds so I had to kill them before they end up doing more damage." Turning to face the thick-palm, expressionless Sylus, Dr. Prescott gleamed with an unfamiliar uncertainty. "How may I be of service to you today, Sylus? Are you finally willing to consider my proposal of bio-warriors for your growing business?"

It is true that Sylus was once offered the luscious proposal of bio-warriors to join Onychinus' operations but Sylus being a lone wolf himself, does not feel the need to entertain this mad scientist's desire of creating an army troop for his own interest. "I know you are involved in this." Sylus spoke flatly, and threw the scraps of paper that he had picked up from the rubble a while ago onto the table, watching it rolled to a stop.

Flattening it, the scientist's misty gray orbs scanned through it before it sparked interest almost immediately, it was as if he was searching for this for a while. The paper although smudged, depicted several formulas that this mad scientist had been trying to achieve. "Where did you get these notes?" The theatrical flair of his crept into his voice, echoing off of the marble walls. "I thought they were destroyed in the fire." Sylus' eyes narrowed and he leaned forward by resting his elbows on his thighs, something about the way the man in front of him reacted to a few pieces of notes got him more intrigued than ever. "If you wish to keep your head, I suggest you start talking." He was pressed for an answer, his gut invited a stranger of an emotion that he could not process.

"This...." Prescott beamed at Sylus, his smile stretched from ear to ear, twitching every once in a while as he tried to contain his excitement. "This was my masterpiece." He gazed fondly at the paper, slender yet scarred fingers traced the outline sketches of the creature in question. The hint of longing shaded behind his disgusting grin, as if this creature was more than just an experiment. If one squints, one might even notice an ill yandere-like sense of fascination coming from the mad scientist. "Test Subject 022 was its name."

A sickeningly dry, metallic scent filled her nostrils as y/n slowly regains her consciousness. The smell had now taken a vile pungence that smothered her senses and is succeeding in suffocating her lungs. Y/n could only recall the moment after she had woken up from her nightmare. Luke and Kieran had came to her room to try to calm her from crying, both of them just as frantic as facing boss man when he is pissed. Luke then went out of the room, Kieran stayed behind, desperately trying to calm her down. But she only remembered garbled gibberish, her mind too colluded to register whatever he was trying to say. Yet, y/n did recalled a whistling sound, one that sounded too familiar to her ears and then everything went black. Now, everything stings, her arms, her body, her face, every joint in her body ached as her body slowly wakes itself. But she was restrained and strung up high in the air, metallic barbed wires slithered from the ceiling like artificial tendrils, wrenching her arms above her, so much that if she were to force herself to move she would have dislocated her shoulder. Her legs dangled in mid air, ankles bound with metal cuffs that connected to the ceiling as well to prevent further movement.

She noticed her pajamas was torn, revealing skin that held patchworks of new wounds, frost-like pattern raying across the wound on her stomach all the way up to her chest, like a contagious infection asserting its dominion inch by inch on her body. Her every exhale ragged like her body had been scalded from within. "We had been searching high and low for you." A voice travelled from the darkness ahead of her, but it sounded almost mechanical. "It is good to know that Sylus has kept you safe and sound till now."

"Who...who are you?" Y/n tried to muster whatever energy that was left in her to seek for an answer. "How...how do you know Sylus?" The air around her was too silent, the smell of fresh blood not for the weak minded, but y/n was too used to this smell. It smelled like the basement dungeon she was once holed up in, the stench of it causing her to tremble unwillingly.

A cackle came through, the same mechanical voice lacking any real emotions behind its laugh. "Who doesn't?!" The voice travelled to behind her. "Who doesn't know the almighty Onychinus leader?" The pressure of a pointed tip pressed against the back of her lower spine. "But it is surprising that he took you in to brainwash you." A breath of hot air hit the shell of her right ear and she held back a gasp of surprise. "And made you think he loved you."

"He does love me." Y/n was quick to bite back, her loyalty to him remained solid. "He took me in and sheltered me, fed me, dressed me and treated me like an actual human instead of a lowly creature." She stopped herself from cursing. "He showed me mercy when I gave up on everything."

There was a moment of still silence and the voice resumed. "Interesting, so you do know how to bite." Y/n's memory is in full gear now, vomitting up the old memories of hers so that she could identify whoever is the owner of the voice but none came to her mind. She knew for sure that whomever is using this voice now does not want to be revealed. "I was told that you were such a tame one, but look at you now, just like a brat whom had tasted freedom." A few clinking sounds of metal against metal was heard coming from behind her. "But again, think about this. If Sylus loved you so much, why would he go to a ball with the hunter instead of you?"

Y/n's breath hitched, but she could hear the 'why' surfacing from her conscience. "He went on a mission, not to a ball. He told me himself."

The voice hummed, still behind her until a flash occurred and sets of holographic pictures appeared in front of her, showing Sylus in a swallow tailed suit, surrounded by people dressed in the same awful fashion ---adorned in gold and diamonds--- in a huge hall. Next to him, the hunter in tow and how y/n could recognise her was through speculation. She would dare herself to say it was because she trusted Sylus hence she knew that the hunter next to him is on a mission, but perhaps she may have underestimated herself, the emotion one may refer to as jealousy. For the hunter has one arm linked around her lover's and eyes that were looking at him the same way y/n would have done. Those eyes that were the emblem of passion, a sight of being intrigued and interested.

'No...' Her mind quivered, lips opening to mumble words before she could even process them, but luckily her determination stepped in before her conscience spoke for her. "This must be a mistake. He would not attend a ball with her without my knowing." She had always wanted to go to a ball. She had told that to Sylus before, and the man had responded with a promise, a promise that she had held on for a while. The voice that came forth sounded very much like her conscience now, but in fact playing the advocate to her conscience, feeding her more information that only taints her trust on her lover. "The man you had fell in love with is not to be taken lightly, y/n. Did he even told you anything about the mission that he was doing with the hunter?" Her silence prompted the voice to continue. "I suppose not. Is that trust I see? I fear not."

"He would not lie to me!" Y/n raised her voice, tugging against the restraints and tears started to gather in her eyes, the wires cutting deeper into her skin, drawing more blood. Y/n could care less, she only wanted answers now, answers from the man himself but she could only look towards the shadow whom spoke to her. "He would not tell---" "He told you that you are of no use to him if you were to go on a mission with him." It came off as a statement and that got y/n's eyes widened, the tears now oozing out of her tear ducts and flowing freely down her rubicund cheeks. "Sylus is a man who has a lot of pawns and I think, no, I believe the reason he had saved and kept you here was the same reason you were kept in the basement in the beginning." And that got y/n's heartbeat quickening, anger fueling her, just like the webbed veins across her torso flaring in response to her emotions.

Y/n refused to believe it, her state of denial causing her to lose control of her limbs, tugging and dragging the barbs deeper into her skin that it sank into her muscle. A snap of a finger got her dropped onto the floor and she folded like a piece of crumpled paper, her head now hung low, her hair a mop of dark curtain shielding her face. Her screams had paused, her sanity still intact ---or what's little that's left for her to own--- as she drawled out her sentences. "You are lying, stop lying to me..." Her hands were lifted up to her blurred vision, coated in the warmth of her own blood. "I love him... He would not do this to me."

This time the voice came from in front of her. "What if I told you that Sylus agreed to buy you once you're perfected by your creator? He took you in because he paid for you." The voice was no longer mechanical, the perpetrator figured at this point y/n would have given up in trying to fight the inevitable. "You're just another damn toy to him." With a flick of her wrist, there is a metal creak, followed by a groan and two other figures were roughly tossed in, landing face first, just close enough for y/n to identify who they were. Luke and Kieran. Bounded by the same barbed wires and their clothes are torn and ripped, showing fresh wounds. "And a damned toy you shall be to me now."

Y/n only watched the two motionless men in front of her and her eyes ---once that held gentle and grace--- flared with the colour of a dead frostbitten moonlight. "STOP!" She shrieked, voice splintering as she started thrashing, her breaths coming out of her lips in the form of steam as the tears that streamed down the corner of her lips are now mixing together with her drool. Her jaw spasmed and she could feel her fingertip elongating, splitting the nail beds and out grew the claws beneath---pale, crooked and deadly. She could hear the sounds of her bones popping, her spine twisted in an unimaginable manner and her screams now had evolved from sadness to agony.

Amid the pain, with the last bit of sentience she is left with, she remembered him. Sylus. She remembered when she first got to know him and how he had taken his time, his patience, his effort to get her to trust him. To be in his arms when she felt like the darkness is swallowing her, to be warmed by his touch when solace used to be her only comfort, to be spoken to with such gentle and kind words and most importantly, to be treated like the whole world deserves her. He gave her that but it was all a lie. Yes? A front to shape her into the ultimate sheep of his. She should not have gave in, she should have just trusted her own conscience. She should have gave herself up so easily when all the rumours are pointed against the odds. No? Her voice mustered her last words--- fragile, fractured, lost. Maybe so. "I didn't want this..."

Sylus had Prescott choking against the couch he was perched against so comfortably just a while ago. All it took was one sentence and that got Sylus to make the decision that he had heard enough. The 30 minutes talk was an ego boost for the narcissitic scientist. He told Sylus everything about how he got his specimen and how they are made and what worked and what did not. Sylus was the least bit interested in any of it, but he was equally surprised as to hear the rant for such an extended amount of time. "Where did you sought Test Subject 022 from?"

"She was taken from Linkon City, we grabbed her off of the street as a child, eliminated her family tree so all records could be erased. She was trained from young to build an immunity against the formulas we had been using." If the scientist could drool to show his excitement, it would be a never ending water fountain at this point. "She was such a good one, very very tamed. Takes both my formulas and cock so well." That is the death-winning sentence of his.

Tsk. Sylus stared down at the man in front of him, a subtle frown on his handsome face when he recalled the moment when he had first made love with y/n and how much scars she had across her body, physically and mentally. She had spoke of being assaulted and what hurt Sylus the most was how she was so used to it that it is just another day for her. But Sylus does not see her in that way, never in his lifetime, would he ever treat his beloved like a sex toy. Just the mere thought of using her for his own pleasure made him tasted bile in his throat. Sylus had since then sworn to teach her the art of consent, even when he never spoke of it, but through his actions, and through her reactions, he had gotten her to learn that consent matters and that he would only show her love if she meets him halfway.

"Your fascination bores me." Sylus furrowed his brows and stepped harder onto his throat, the scientist's face turning a shade of purplish blue, his esophagus tearing further from the weight of Sylus' foot. "Just like how your death shall be." Snap. A sickening, wet crunch indicated the soft tissue rupturing under the unrelenting force. The sound that came afterwards was obscene; no begging, no last words, just the sound of gurgles pushing through the wreckage of his crushed windpipe, as red liquid pooled beneath the velvet rug laid out beneath the couch. The head of the scientist lolled against the edge of the couch, his mouth opened in a silent plea for freedom as his body convulsed once, then went still.

Sylus lift his foot off of the limp body and a shattering sound came from behind him, the once floor-to-wall windows were only left with bone frames and Mephisto flew in, cawing frantically, mechanical eyes shifting shapes every second to indicate the urgency of the matter. Mephisto is never the bird Sylus had built to invade his missions but when the sentient crow does that, it means something would have went incredibly wrong. "Mephisto. What's the matter?" Sylus simply bent down to retrieve the handkerchief from the scientist's tuxedo pocket to wipe the blood stains off of his hands.

CAW. CAW CAW CAW. Sylus' head snapped towards his mechanical hench-bird when he derived the signals. Something has happened back at home and it involved his lover. Fuck. Without a single thought, Sylus' eyebrows knitted together and he hastened his steps, already out of the door but not before he informed Mephisto. He had forgotten the danger he would imply onto her once he had started this mission, he had forgotten that there are shadows that lurks behind his own, the ones who are desperate to bring him down and striking his lover surely would be the easiest move. He got too over his own head and now his lover has to bear the price. The hunter that came with him was long forgotten as he stepped out of the ball, all of the eyes in the hall following him as he pushed through the crowd using his evol.

Arriving at the lockers, he was faced with the same guy whom had seized his weapons prior to entering the ball. Till now, no sights of children were seen and that got onto Sylus' nerves for he does not enjoy entertaining liars in a lair that is already full of mad men. His evol crushed the locker subconsciously, evoking gasps in several directions as the crowd watched the Onychinus leader creating a scene. The footman was terrified, blood drained from his whole face when Sylus picked up his gun, swiftly checking onto the bullets before he stepped past the footman, not even laying a hand onto him but the crow that perched onto his shoulder cawed, a question in signal.

With that, Sylus turned his head slightly, briefly scanned the crowd that were still stunned, immobile like statues. Their horrified expressions made the Onychinus leader grimaced, just because they now own a little metaphoric diadem does not make them any better than that dead man above. "Kill everyone." He spoke casually as he got onto his motorbike and flipping the kill switch. Before he rode off, the locker where he had kept his item with the hunter is left bare, blood soon splattered across the floors of the manor, howls and wails of affrights filled the thin veil of the night air.

Rain slashed across the cracked asphalt as Sylus darted down the highway, his motorcycle roaring like a beast let loose from Hell's grip. The black machine carved its shape through the aphotic darkness, engine snarling to directly challenge against the booms of thunder across the night sky, its exhaust spitting fire. Sylus' swallow tailed blazer was long tossed at the start of his ride, his white button up shirt snapped wildly against the battering of winds and raindrops, soaked through, his eyes narrowed as his gaze shifted between the roads and the holographic map on his dashboard. 3D map markings of skyscrapers were slowly dimmed down to vast wastelands, buildings a couple of miles away popping up like scattered chess pieces on his hologram.

The city lights had faded in the reflection of his mirrors, swallowed by the night. The tracker he had placed on y/n was long gone undetected but seeing the missed calls from Luke, he opted for his backup plan, the two red dots on the map showing the last seen location for the both of them. Ahead, an old industrial sector stood like a graveyard of iron giants made of scraps. The intended location brought him to an abandoned factory that laid dormant at the center---decaying, skeletal with shattered windows. A place perfect for crimes that are set to be cold mysteries.

The howls of the wind could be heard in the abandoned building, its metal ribs groaning whenever caressed by the wind. Shadows of tiny pests coiled in every corner, the air laced with an unnatural chill. Sylus navigated through the maze of rusted machinery, his eyes and ears' senses heightened to catch even the smallest shift in the atmosphere. A door came to his sight and he pushed it open, evol ready to strike till he saw the hunter, MC, in the middle of the empty room, beside her stood two men in hunter uniforms, one of them held a briefcase in his grip. "You finally caught up." Her tone rueful, mocking him even. "But too bad we already got what we were looking for, all that's left is the execution."

"Where is she?" Sylus gritted his teeth, his jawline tightening just like his fists but to the eyes of the hunter, it was like his expression never changed. Now, this explains why he could not find the hunter's belongings in the locker and why she had never returned to him after her 'vomitting incident'. He was backstabbed this whole time and he could only blame himself for such recklessness. "What have you done to them?"

MC raised her arms up, signifying surrender---only because she had already won. "I am not here for a fight. I am here to offer a solution." She clicked her tongue and stood up, smoothing her dress out of habit. "Perhaps, an explanation too." Sylus could taste her ego in the air, his right eye gleamed a shade of carmine as he listened to her, calculating his chances of striking. "Finding y/n in Prescott's lair is practically a suicide mission you see and you know the Association would never approve of it." She took a step forward, studying Sylus' stoic expression, her teasing smile ticking his nerves. "However, joining hands with the leader of Onychinus to get to our goal? It is like picking the better poison, but with lesser risks."

Sylus raises his wrist but MC was quick to disarm him, only with the use of her words. "Kill me, and you will never get the cure." Chuckling darkly, she took daring strides till she is right next to him, a finger pressed against his right pectoral. "Now, if I may, allow me to continue my explanation." She started to circle around him, her finger now following her motions, drawing an aimless line on his taut body. "My modified aether core could detect her metaflux just like a dog's nose. So, this means you had exposed her location the first time we met at the forest. I bet you both had such good sex that you reeked of it." Sylus frowned, knowing that he had underestimated the hunter is not only a rookie mistake of his, but it also indirectly shows how much corners he had cut just to get to the bottom of y/n's true identity.

"Knowing her location makes things so much easier, but the tough part is getting you to trust me. So I pulled some strings, set up some baits and off you went, just like an obedient dog on a leash." She finished a round and stood in front of him again, her face closing in to his that she could feel his breath fanning across her face. She is so close for him to just snap her neck and hear the satisfying crunch of her bones under his grip, but so far given how she holds the cure to whatever she is hinting towards. Sylus had a hunch on who needs the cure, but hailing from a man of logic, he refuses to trust the backstabber till he sees the truth with his own eyes. "I can't believe there will be a day where I can say this to you. But Sylus, don't you think this time the curiosity really killed the cat?"

Sylus wanted to tear her apart with his evol, rebuild her only to do it again and again. The poor man is losing his grip on his own evol but it feeds MC with so much entertainment seeing such a big and powerful man like him bowing to her. "What's your deal?" His question got the hunter humming in thought, answers already phrasing in her head. "Didn't you said that you already got what you wanted?"

Nodding in agreement, the hunter snapped her finger and the man with the briefcase approached Sylus, stretching his arm out to hand the briefcase to him. "Don't even think about breaking it with your evol or your fists, this briefcase will open on its own once it detects that we are out of the 10km radius. Break it, you break the cure inside too. It's a safety protocol for smart-asses like you." Sylus took the briefcase out of the guy's grip and he waited for the hunters to depart, a cellar door revealed within his sight. "Oh and Sylus," The hunter turned, her psychotic smile still pasted on her face to remind herself of her own victory. "be careful in there, it's messy."

Sylus did not turn to face her,---he did not bother to--- ignoring her taunt, he walked straight ahead and budged open the cellar door with his evol, the iron doors breaking apart like plastic shards and he descended into the basement. Killing the hunter would not be a wise choice now---and a waste of his time---but Sylus was sure---he swore to himself---the day he meets MC again shall be the day she suffers a horrible fate.

The basement was mostly dark, some spots lit up by light bulbs that formed yellow circles on the floor, the light barely raying to the dark edges of the dank basement. His aether core started to ache, a constant thud that rhymes along to his heartbeat when he ventures further into the space. He caught sight of two figures laying at the end of the room, half engulfed by the shadows of the darkness. He could make out the matching outfits. The black uniform with red highlights, there is no doubt its the twins. He strided over only to catch sight of the twins stacked onto one another, Luke missing lower half of his body while Kieran's arms are nowhere in sight. The blood that pooled around them suggested that their demise was only a few hours ago.

Sylus, for once, did not know how to react when he watched the lifeless bodies of his best wingmen on the floor, how they were no longer alive and breathing. He knelt down to their bodies and closed his eyes for a short while, as if to pay his respects to them, while also bearing weight for his own guilt. Click. A slight distraction from his own self-recrimination. The briefcase opened up to reveal an epipen like structure, the liquid inside glowing in a striking purple hue. Sylus picked up the cure and shoved it into his back pocket, glancing at the twins for one last moment before he stepped further to approach the chamber at the end. He could not afford to lose her too.

Then, he saw her. Immediately knowing it was her the moment his aether core got a sharp pang coursing through it. There she stood, in an italic stance, facing the wall next to a pressing machine, bathing in the warm yellow light emitting from the dusty light bulb. His aether core ached again, this time it hurts so much that Sylus held back a grunt.

And she turned...No. The creature turned smoothly, tall, grim yet terrible in its wake. Its pallor skin a contrast against the darkness around, laced with black veins that pulsed like veins. Her arms were elongated into clawed appendages, bones and tendons clear to study for the naked eye. Her mouth ---the same one he could never get over--- were slackly opened, revealing razor sharp teeth made for shredding, not kissing.

Then, his gaze caught hers---those beautiful warm orbs of hers--- now held nary of the emotions he was expecting to see. They are pale, just like her complexion, the rim around her eyes glowed red. She stared at him and in a glimpse, Sylus caught on a flicker of y/n's soul. "Sylus..?" Her face twitched, fighting to show the expression of fearful or bloodlust. Her voice was hoarse, distorted like two souls tied in a body of a creature. "You...you shouldn't be here."

"Kitten." Sylus tilted his head, mind still running wild on her true identity. He is not scared of the creature that turns out to be the answer he was obsessed over, far from it, but he was just in a state of shock. A leader whom was never scared of anything is again, for once, scared for his lover. Scared of losing her, but he could not show any signs of that vulnerability to her. Not now. "I knew everything. I found out what happened to you."

"You lied to me!" Her voice raised, so does her pitch, cracking a ringing tone through Sylus' eardrums. "You bought me from that bastard! I am nothing but a pawn, a puppet for your own usage just like him!" Her talon-like claws spread out, her expression still struggling to settle on one emotion. "You lied to me, you never loved me! I shouldn't have trusted you!" He nearly winced at her brainwashed accusations.

And she lunged. Sylus rolled to his side just in time as her claws split open the machinery behind him like butter meeting a sizzling hot knife. He launched his evol towards her, the energy manipulation enough to perhaps tear her skin but it only got her to stagger backwards. Regaining her stance in the blink of an eye, she swung towards him again, mouth wide opened, aiming right at him.

Sylus aimed, pulled his arms back and catapulting his fist, punching her right across the jaw but her claw managed to grab him by his arm and dragged across his chest --- fabric ripping, blood flying. Sylus lost his balance and fell backwards, back colliding against a pillar, his chest and arm both stung, but he was quick on his feet. Pushing himself back up within mere seconds just to avoid another death claw by the creature.

He could reason with her, could try to talk her through it, but he refused to. Partially because he is the one to blame for this chaos, so he felt like he does not have any right to calm her down now. Not to mention, his knowledge on her current form is limited, hence his options are limited too. A man of action, Sylus has always proved her wrong with his actions and words but this time, he is going to let his actions speak his mind. Getting the cure injected into her is his main priority now, the reassurance a close second. He sets his mind to overdrive, meticulously calculating her actions, anticipating the next deathly blow.

"Is that all you got?" He beckoned his hands at her, a direct taunt to the monster he is staring at and for a short breath, when it stares at him, he saw her through those chalk white orbs. The girl he fell in love with, unable to restrain her true form, dragged by the lustful urge to commit bloodshed. His aether core ached again, he knew if she was in there, she would have been screaming at the top of her lungs, wanting to be released from her current form.

Sylus charged, tackling the creature with his whole weight and slamming both of them into the wall. She screeched in defiance and bit down onto his shoulder, tearing into his flesh. Sylus grunted in response, face twisting in agony before his evol surged from his wrist and it slammed her against the wall again. Her scream this time echoed with fury --- and heartbreak.

Reaching into his back pocket, he withdrew the cure and jabbed it against her jugular, the cure administering quickly upon contact, finding its way through her veins. "It's okay, y/n." He stared at her as her hands trembled, her claws becoming nimble when she tried to claw at him. She was gasping for air, her screeches slowly reducing into wails of a human and she collapsed into his arms. "Y/n."

She looked at him, her eyes returning to the same shade of a mundane's, softer, gentler. Her eyes were fearful, lips trembling as she struggled to speak but Sylus only ran his palm across her face, smearing his blood onto her pale cheek. Now is the moment to reassure her. "Sylus. You...you came for me." She managed to utter. The sound of her voice calling out for his name made the man dared to hope.

"I'm sorry kitten." He cradled her, the pain in his wounded shoulder does not ache more than his heart when he looked down at her. He rocked her gently, forehead against hers. Holding her close against him was all the solace he needed to calm the storm in his heart. "I'm sorry I got you into danger."

"They said you lied to me..." Tears brimmed and it spilled, down her cheeks, her voice a hushed whisper. "I didn't want to believe it." Her body jerked slightly and her lover withdraw from their close embrace to identify the issue. The black veins are back and they are spreading across her whole body like tendrils of ancient magic. Her eyes were full of sorrow, a plea for him to tell her the truth. "I wanted to hear it from---" Her body convulsed.

Once.

Twice.

Then sending her straight into a seizure like state. A spasm ripped through her body with an undue force. Her back arched up and slammed back down onto the concrete floor at full force, a sickening crack accompanied it. Sylus managed to cushion her head before it gets the same treatment as her back, panic fraying in his chest like wildfire.

"Y/n!" Sylus's voice got frantic, not knowing what the cure was supposed to do, nor did he even have the time to experiment on what the cure does. He did not hesitate to pull her into his arms, holding onto her as she thrashed violently, her eyeballs are curling inwards towards the back of her head, incoherent gurgles then took over her wet gasps. "The cure is going to help you." He held onto a cogent hope, but he is starting to see the cracks in the hope.

Sylus could not bear to face her, could not stand to watch her drowning in her own demise. The choking sounds are a ticking time bomb, and indication for Sylus to count down his moments with her. He only managed to make out pieces of words as she pressed her face against his neck in an attempt to force the last breaths of hers to bid him her last goodbye. "I...love...you..."

And then, her body went still, warmth slithered down his arms, dripping crimson onto the grey surface of the cement. In that moment, Sylus finally pulled back and cupped her cheeks. His aether core no longer sensing the dull throb triggered by her. Her body stilled. No breaths. No twitches. Soulless. He studied her beautiful face, blood flowing out of her orifices, her visage now only remaining a memory of his. In that moment, time died with her.

This took me sooo long to write it because I wanted it to be superrrr tragic! I love making our dear MC a horrible lady afterall hahahaha, gives more satisfaction to the readers imo. Thanks to the ones who wanted to be a part of this taglist, I really am grateful for your support and love for my writing <3 PSST, tell me if you cried :)

Taglist: @cordidy @zoezhive @chocochip-gaia @puddinggarden @jeondyy @undiagnosedillnesses @mansonofmadness @jellysite @professionalbystander @bruisedchickensoup @asakiyu @ixloom819 @applepi405 @caramelizedpopcirn @silverianni @xvysarene @roscpctals99 @certainduckanchor @xavsbabagrill @ladsnonmc @nm4565natty

[brailsthesmolgurl]

APPRENTICESHIP

PREVIEW: Set back in the olden days of China, your attendance was much summoned by Master Li Shen, a renowned Medical Physician that is in need of an apprentice. Known for his stoic personality, your temperance was definitely tested. But, could there be an actual explanation behind his stoicity?

WARNINGS: Angst, slow-burn, surprise surprise another LAD guy is in this mix, this part is lesser of Li Shen's but more of the other dude's past with her, but it addresses the plot as the story goes on. Yes I am dragging out the pain for all of you! :)

previous part

Adjusting the straw hat he wore on top of his head, Li Shen looked ahead, his gaze enveloping the sight of the grand walls surrounding the Imperial City. A stark contrast from where he had came from, bamboos switched out for stone bricks, mud trails are no bricked roads and the hustle ever so bustling that it develops a dull ache for his ears. For she had disappeared for three days now and that is exactly how long it took for Li Shen to get to the Imperial City. There are no facts, no evidences for him to prove that she may be here but he only speculated based on the jade tag that wrench of a man carried. The slow clops of the horse formed a hypnotic rhythm, Li Shen’s mind wandered back to the night when she was taken away by force. By a man whom had taken her innocence, a man whom she may had never known, and a man that Li Shen should have not assigned to her care.

“Put her down!” Li Shen’s voice was raised, a rare spectacle. His eyes blazed, pupils dilated when he assessed the situation. His mind was spinning, throwing up ideas on what he could do to save her from the stranger. This is one of the first times Li Shen had ever panicked, had ever presented his frantic frown upon someone else and Qin Che is eating up every single moment of it. Knowing that there is nothing he could do to stop the man, he changed his approach. “You don’t want to do this.” His eyes narrowed, eyebrows furrowed together for a silent warning. At that moment, Li Shen had a dreaded feeling, he knew that if he did not do anything, he might as well be saying goodbye to her.

Unthreatened, Qin Che's lips tugged upwards, Li Shen's words worth nothing more than bagatelles for him. It is also very unlikely for him to be patient in letting people finish their sentences but something else plays at hand. It was intentional; his actions, his mannerisms towards her, even the kiss that he had laid upon her lips against her will. Qin Che never hurtles, he always plans his next move. "Or else?" His smile revealed his canines, obviously enjoying this one-sided banter of theirs. "What would, or more so, what could you do, Li Shen?" Qin Che's eyes drifted to the female in his arms, how small she looked in his embrace, and utterly fragile. "Take her away from me?" His question although almost self-efficating, Li Shen could hear the snideness of it, nearing the edge of doubting his ability to get y/n back.

Qin Che's back flared an ominous red glow and Li Shen dashed forward only to be met with an aphotic swirl of darkness engulfing Qin Che and y/n. Within the blink of an eye, they had disappeared into thin air and Li Shen could only grasp what's left of the memory of her figure. The moonlight grazed Li Shen's features through the opened window, basking him in the gloomy glow of his own regrets and self-recrimination. His fists tightened, veins bulged and his teeth chattered in anger. There were so many ways he could have chose to say goodbye and yet this was the one way he had managed to lose her, for the second time. The man deliberately pushed himself off of the floor, gaze drifting to the letter that he had left on her small wooden bamboo table. Her shadow lingered and for a moment, Li Shen could see the way she moved across the room, back hunched and teary eyed, before Qin Che invades her personal space. Li Shen is now a man void of inane, reaching out to the royal guards would be too much of a delay as it would take an hour time to reach them so the physician grabbed onto his sword and his best stallion and he rode off into the beyond.

Y/n's head buzzed, a low thump constantly nagged at the back of her head as she slowly woke herself up, eyelashes fluttering rapidly to adjust the amount of light --or the lack of it-- scattered around her surroundings. "Awake already?" Her breath and chest tightened at the raspy voice that she was strangely familiar to. She woke up and shot herself off of the surface of the bed, only to groan at a flared up pain at the side of her ribs. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, sweetie." Qin Che sat a few feet away from her, back straight and silvery hair flowed down to his hips. He eyed the piece of paper laid out ahead of him, right sleeve held back and hands elegantly floating above the paper, dragging the brush with exact precision as he wrote.

"Where am I?" Y/n's eyebrows furrowed, her voice a mere demand given her lack of spirit, frustrated at the state she is in both physically and mentally. The room she is in turns out to be a private chamber, with intricately painted walls paired with open lattice windows to breathe what little air the room holds with the amount of tension inside, wooden beams shaped into the form of dragons and phoenixes and the screen behind Qin Che opened to showcase a courtyard with a pond surrounded by bamboos. "I asked, where am I?"

Seeing how pressed she sounded, Qin Che tilted his head up, his lashes casting a light shadow over his pupils. The way he looked at her already suggested that he is not your ordinary captor, a man that holds such cold intelligence beneath his composed exterior is a menace indeed. "You seem to be in good spirits." His tone held no bits of anger, only amusement. Qin Che is playing his words just like how he plays his Xiangqi --- articulative and measured. "Good, I like myself a challenge."

"Where am I?!" Y/n raised her voice, trying to sit up again only to be defeated by restraints this time, crimson silk tied against her wrists --- not tight enough to cause any pain, but good enough to stop her from getting off of the bed. She was so blinded by frustration that tears had started to crowd around the rim of her eyes. "Why did you kidnapped me?"

The end of Sylus' lip lifted up into the faintest of smirk. Outside, the bamboo leaves danced to the howling of the wind, it was as if time had stopped by itself as Sylus lifted his head up again, this time, staring right through her gaze and she felt a hefty pressure pressed against her. "You are going to help me to ascend my throne." And y/n's lips quivered. The myth himself, the banished crown prince sat in front of her. That explains the lavish private bed chamber, the intricately embroidered jet black and red detailing on his robe and that damn jade tag that stuck out like a sore thumb amongst his already status-informing outfit.

She had heard stories of him, mostly distasteful ones---of him having multiple women in a chamber, of him being a vengeful man who should be damned to hell, of him killing anyone just because he felt like doing so on a bad day. "You..." Her voice trembled more than she had intended to and that led to her internally cringing. "You are the lost crown prince?"

He tilted his head, the smirk widening. "You are finally connecting the dots aren't you sweetie?" He places the calligraphy brush onto the brush holder and stands up, his aura heightened the moment his shadow loomed over her and if she could cower into the size of a microscopic entity, she would have done it without a doubt and within the half-blink of an eye. But too bad, she could not and she is stuck with a bruised rib and teary eyes as Qin Che approaches her.

The moment he lifted his hand she forced her eyes closed and flinched, anticipating a slap, or even any brute force to be thrown against any part of her body but what she got instead, was just a featherlight touch of the back of his hand against her cheek. Opening one eye, she observed. Qin Che's face held an unreadable expression, somewhere between a fine line of hesitation and puzzlement. He seemed to be ruminating about something but it was quick to be dismissed. "Don't you dare touch me again." She warned, seething tone got him retreating his hand, not out of teasing, but out of consent this time around. Yet, y/n does not catch that.

If she was not anyone special at this point, Qin Che would have easily erased her out of his sight with a snap of his fingers. But, of course, the story of hers does not end merely over a threat towards him. For he has bigger reasons to keep her around other than forcing his way upon the throne. He sighed, a few stray strands of his silver hair falling past his chiselled face, his smirk still wide as ever. "You are free to roam within the walls of this building but you are not allowed to leave. My men patrols these walls so you may as well give up any hope of trying to escape." He gracefully pushes himself off of the floor and started walking --- but with his height and aura, it seemed to be more fitted for him to glide across rooms --- out of the chamber, yet he paused to state his last sentence for the night. "That includes putting off all hopes for Li Shen to come for you."

Qin Che left, leaving y/n alone with the flickering of candle lights prancing across her face as she tried to grasp what had just happened. The crown prince stepped out of her chamber and the doors behind him slid shut with his evol. A small thud to close off the rest of his conversations with her for the night. "My lord." One of his attending guards came to his knees in front of the crowned prince, his head hung low as he spoke, tension drifting in between the both of them. "We had eliminated every single one of the villages as per requested. Nobody would be notified of your attendance here now."

"Good." The piercing eyes of Qin Che's trailed off of the guard in front of him. "Guard these walls tight. Nobody comes in nor our without my permission." He took a slight glance towards the closed door behind him. "Especially my queen."

The story has been foretold that a king shall ascend to the throne from the shadows. Born out of wedlock, a love child that should never be acknowledged because of being the child of a witch. Having powers in this dynasty both grants a blessing and a curse but the general public prefers spiting the latter. A king with powers only brings forth more wars by egoistic nations that would send their men to die just to prove their capabilities of 'command and conquer' and this would only cause more harm than good. Qin Che marks the ascension of his throne to be a grand magnum opus of his. For he holds the evol that could easily eviscerate a whole nation.

Now one may wonder why would Qin Che need a lowly physician's daughter to aid him in the ascension of the throne if he was so mighty with all of his powers? Does one ever wonder why y/n is stuck in a love triangle between two daddies men who only seemed to remember her but not the other way around?

"That child?" The palace garden was in full bloom, peach blossom petals fluttered the air, landing onto the grass and forming a painting by mother nature herself. Contrary to the peaceful nature outside, the maid quarters are bustling, the air thick with gossip and incense smoke as one of the maids whispered into the ears of another.

"I knew she was too pretty to be a servant's child." The receiving maid hissed as she was grinding nuts in the stone mortar. "Did you see her eyes? It holds a striking resemblance to your majesty, Lord Qin's."

Another maid working on peeling tangerines turned around, huddling in on the latest gossip and adding her piece of mind to it. "I heard the timing she was born was too uncanny." The two other maids craned their necks towards her, eager to hear more. "She was taken in not long after His Grace returned from the North, right when the queen was having trouble conceiving an heir. All of it are lining up."

The first maid whom started the conversation quirked her eyebrow up, eyes darting between the maids. "It is also a great cover up to say that her parents are no longer alive hence she was adopted into the walls of the palace to serve the king." She snickered. "When I think the rumors of the king having a child out of wedlock may just be more than a housewife's tale afterall." And they all turned their heads to look at the main character they were gossiping about.

Y/n sat right opposite the talking maids, just reaching the age of seven. She sat on a bench, chewing onto some dragon beard candy that was offered to her by other maids. She had no idea that she was being judged, even when she had no relation whatsoever to the rumor that was circulating. She was just there at the wrong place and wrong time. She wore a plain simple robe, hair tied up with a maroon ribbon and a curios smile that constantly accompany her even she never understood the idea of parental love.

The king had found her during one of his expeditions up north, stranded in a hut, starving and crying as a baby. Beside her laid both of her parents, bled out by slashes across their throats, no longer breathing and eyes as still as the death that had plagued the village by enemy soldiers.

Word travels fast within the walls of the palace and it did not take a day for the Queen to hear of such treacherous rumours. Y/n was taken into the Queen's hall a few hours later by two eunuchs, with dirt still on her cheeks and hands and confusion in her eyes when she was grabbed mid way on her playdate with both of her friends in the courtyard. The Queen sat in her throne, her crimson dragon-embroidered robe shimmered as she leaned forward to study the expressions of the child, the sharp nails of her gilded fingertips tapped against her armrest impatiently. Clink clink clink.

"She is a spitting image of his." The Queen's words were laced with venom, her attendant nodding accordingly. "The timing adds up now that I have heard the rumors. She even has the audacity to carry herself like a royalty within the blend of peasants." Behind the Queen emerged her son, the rightful heir to the throne, the playmate of y/n's. His hazel-green gaze fell upon the girl in front of him, but he said nothing and continued standing behind the silk screens.

"If the magistrates believe that this child --- is the one whom is born out of wedlock --- the throne may be in danger. My son is still too weak to take up the throne, the magistrate may just slot in a puppet for the people to idolize and pull their own strings instead." Her eyes narrowed, teeth gritting at the thought of her own son's throne being robbed by a mere peasant when she had went through all of the troubles just to conceive a child of her own. "I will not let that happen."

The Queen then stood up, raising her bejeweled hands and her voice boomed across the hall like thunder. Behind her serene face painted a storm of fury and jealousy. "I sentence her to death by drowning. May the river wash her into the dirt just like where she belonged. Such scandals shall not be allowed in the vicinity of the palace." Her eyes taunted y/n, her vile smile widening. "As long as I am alive."

"Your majesty!" Y/n finally spoke, her eyes immediately tearing up as she thrashed in the grip of the two eunuchs. The poor girl was filled with terror and wrongness. "Please don't kill me! Lord Qin took me in from my village! I don't have parents!" Her voice trailed off as she was dragged off into the distance.

"Mother." The Queen's offspring finally stood beside her and he spoke, his voice hesitating. "Are you sure y/n is father's child?"

The Queen turned, her gaze immediately softening at the face of her child's, her hand coming up to run it down his cherubic cheek. "Even if she isn't, Mother would not let anyone take away your chance of being the Emperor." Seeing the confusion still plastered onto her son's face, she cooed. "Mother will always put you first, do you understand me, Li Shen?"

Y/n jolted awake from her kang bed, her rib no longer in agony and her wrists were free from any bounds. The candlelight in the far corner of the chamber flickered furiously, close to being snuffed out. Cold sweat clung to the nape of her neck, her breaths sharp and shallow as the remnants of the nightmare lingered in her mind. Her last moments of the nightmare was the echoes of the rushing water, her gasping for air desperately, the weight of her ragged clothes dragging her further beneath the pulsating waters. The dream felt too real for her.

Needing air, she slipped out of her bed and rested her feet against the floor before she started walking. The floor was cold, prickling the soles of her feet. Wincing, she rubbed her feet together in an attempt to warm them and she tiptoed towards the screen doors. Sliding them open, she peeked her head out. Lanterns hung on ceiling beams, the candle lights flickered low and casting a small glow onto the wooden floors.

The moon hung high in the clear night skies, shining pale and coating the cobblestones in the courtyard a shade of silver. Alone, under twisted branches of a plum blossom tree, stood Qin Che with his back facing her, his eyes trained on the fishes swimming freely in the pond. He was dressed in a plain black cotton robe this time, his hair still flowed down his hips like silk threads. Sensing her arrival near his vicinity, he turned towards her, his voice raspy but does not bear any surprise. "Why are you still up at this hour?"

Struck with his presence, she took this opportunity to confront him. "You can't just kidnap me from Li Shen, we are to be wedded." Qin Che's eyes narrowed at her bold statement, his gaze followed her as she walked towards the edge of the koi pond. "He will find you and he will save me." Oh, Qin Che could not wait till the moment she finds out why he is doing this. He could not wait for her eagerness to falter and he surely could not wait for her to see the truth with her own eyes. But, he shall not be the one to break her hopes and dreams, for now.

Tsk. Qin Che tutted, stepping forward slowly till he was close enough to grab her by her elbow to guide her back from the koi pond. "Just like how he tried to save you from the river." Y/n's head snapped towards Qin Che in disbelief, he seemed so sure of what he had spoken. She held no memories of her past after the trauma but hearing him spoke of a river, it got her curious if there was more to that piece of foregone memory. Judging from her perplexed look, Qin Che released his grip from her arm, something flickered in his gaze. "I was there, y/n. That day when you were sentenced to death."

Her rapid blinks had suggested her brain not picking up on any details and Qin Che stepped even closer, close enough that she could nearly feel the material of his robe brushing against her. "You don't remember, do you?" He asked, his eyes searching for hers. "We used to play in the south gardens, the three of us. You, me and that damned bastard of a child. You would always hide amongst the bushes and think you could get away with it because you are small in size."

Bits and pieces of memories started sparking in her mind, but not complete enough for her to paint a full image. "I...I remember laughters, but, I can't tell apart who I was playing with back then. It shows up in my dreams once in a while, but I never end up remembering them once I woke up."

Qin Che's eyes softened, a rare sight for a vicious man like him. He stayed put in his spot as he continue to jog memories for her. "When I play as the seeker, I always let you win so you could continue using that special spot whenever we play." He then lifted his hand to remove a stray petal that had fell on top of her head, his touch was barely the gust of a wind but she did not wince this time, she could tell that there were no ill intentions. "That spot became such a habit of yours whenever I am the seeker that I can't see myself calling you out and causing you to lose your special place."

Y/n's gaze shifted, why is he telling her this now? So many questions came to her mind in just a mere moment. Who is he? Why would he want her to help him to ascend the throne? How does he know about her dreams? Where--- Qin Che's grip on her chin brought her back to the plum blossom tree where they both stood. "Y/n." Her name rolled off of his tongue languidly. A name that he had called her for years, yet it tasted bitter to him, especially when the last time he had called for her was watching her at the brink of drowning while he was held back by the other servants. "As much as I would like to tell you more, I am afraid we have an early day tomorrow."

"Where are we going?" She looked away, his touch seared her skin and brought back the moment of him kissing her. Y/n bit her lip, her ears turning red at the thought of his lustful embrace.

Qin Che smirked, clearly catching on to her response. She is still the same as last time, abashed whenever she is teased by him. The crowned prince bends down to her, now at eye-level and he stared right into her eyes, searching for her soul that was still trapped beneath all of her foggy memories. "The palace awaits for us, sweetie."

previous part

Author's note: I know that this may be a little rushed, but it has been a while since I had gotten back into writing hence I am a little wonky on the plot itself, but I still want to try to address as many plot holes as it may have and still take my time in unravelling the storyline! But ofc if any of you readers want moreeee of the details do dm me and I can let you dive into my thoughts!

Taglist: @prettytemis @pinkblusheschuu @xvysarene @uyenlee @sapphic-daze

[brailsthesmolgurl]

VISAGE

PREVIEW: She thought she had it all within her grasp, with Sylus by her side, she is practically untouchable. However, there had always been a thought lurking in the back of her mind ever since Sylus had gotten himself acquainted with a deepspace hunter. For someone who is as mundane as y/n, with no skills and power, what would happen if she were to allow those fears to manifest? It burrows, it festers, rots her from inside out and perhaps, just perhaps, Sylus will no longer be her safe haven anymore.

WARNINGS: Heavy angst that makes your blood curdle, reader is not mc!, suggestive themes, heavy gore.

P.S: Yes I know darlings, it has been a long time since I have been updating my works on here. Work and a lack of motivation got to me T-T. Introducing the debutante for this piece, the daddy himself Sylus! This piece is heavily inspired by those storylines that involves romance and also somewhat slightly related to Howl's Moving Castle vibes? I dunno heh I have some weird ideas cooking in my brain sometimes, hence the lack of frontal lobe growth I guess :,) And yes, there shall be a part two to this but I needed to get this spat out first!

Part two

Dividers sourced from here!

There is always a saying that whenever one wakes up to the sound of birds chirping in the morning, thus marks the start of a beautiful, sunny day ahead. However, that is not the case for y/n when she wakes up to Mephisto trying his best to do 'chirpings' but ends up cawing like a dying bird. Y/n sighed, pushing herself off of the plush bed to invite whatever the weather has to offer to her. Mephisto is not a bird and it cannot sing, so it sure as hell cannot predict the weather. The curtains are drawn close, a reminder of her intimate sessions with her lover in the bed last night, privacy shielded behind two drapes of heavy fabric.

Yawning, she waved her hand in the air and Mephisto leaves the room as if on cue, not wanting to be punished by his master for having a peek at what belongs to him. Y/n pulled on her silk nightgown, the material cooling to her skin and touch and she waddled out of the room. The smell of breakfast immediately wafts into her nose, it smells like buttermilk pancakes and she is sure that he is the one that is preparing the breakfast as there are times when Sylus would cook himself rather than having the chef prep the meals.

The man himself owns a big kitchen, but his sheer height and built makes the kitchen feel mid to his size. Y/n quietly sneaks up behind him, watching him humming while manhandling the pan, flipping the pancakes with ease. As she was about to attack him with her hands, the man had already beaten her to it, his evol stopping her hands from touching the sides of his torso and he turned, hair messy from waking up but still as good looking as ever. "Good morning, y/n." Voice still raspy, he retreats his evol and leans down to peck her lips softly. "Your sneak attacks are too predictable."

"How did you even heard me coming? I made sure I am extra secretive this time." She pouted, bottom lips jutting out and arms crossed over her chest. She watched as the man turned from the stove to the counter, serving the slices of pancakes onto the plain white plates. The image of soft, jiggly pancakes set onto the dark marble countertop, framed within the kitchen of mostly dark colours made it stood out awkwardly. But given the opulent kitchen exhales nothing less of elegance, perhaps, a plate of pancakes is all that it needs to breath a sense of life and humanity within this nearly aphotic abode of Sylus'.

"The moment you stopped snoring is the moment I knew you were going to wake up soon enough." His taunt got her gasping in return, embarassment littered all over her face. Offended, she slapped his taut arm and he chuckled in return. "I admire your effort, but next time, it would just be better if you were to greet me normally and lessen your failure rates." He swiftly wrapped his arms around her small waist and carefully guided her towards the dining table, with a plate in his other free hand. "Here, have some of your favourite."

He walked back towards the kitchen to grab his plate and seated himself next to her. "Did you taught Mephistos on how to chirp?" She asked him as she was cutting into the pancake. Then, that marks the start for their seemingly mundane daily conversations. Chuckles and teasing jokes filled the atmosphere of the once sterile looking kitchen.

Back in the days, this man would never be the type to say yes to making meals of any kind for nary, let alone waking up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast, Sylus yields to nobody. One might also wonder how did she even got associated with him in the first place? As she is only a mundane and the furious leader of the N109 zone was never the type to lay eyes on someone who poses no utility to him. Or so that was what he had once strongly believed in.

Since the day he had laid eyes upon her, in the basement of another clan, tied up against a pole in a mangled fashion, his aether core ached, a cord so tight that it tugged against every fibre of his being. He had never felt this way about anyone, let alone a hostage like y/n. She looked frail, sick and is scared of everything and anything except for the darkness. Sylus recalled the time when he grabbed her arm and she started kicking with all of her might, her wails coming out in low moans, kicks that barely does any damage to insects. She is dying, but Sylus felt like he could not leave her alone. The undulating thumps of his aether core in his eye, was a rare occurence that it overthrew his logic of killing her to ease her of her pain.

The initial idea of bringing her back to nourish her back to health was perished when Sylus realised that he had slowly started to be smitten with her. Within the hollow and scrawny shell of hers, she still possesses a fighting spirit and it is only applicable when she thinks that her life is hanging off of the balance. Although at first Sylus had detested her, warning her multiple times that he only took her in out of pity. However, she had only thanked him, either it would be via verbally or physically, no snap backs, no retaliation, she is just plainly grateful to be alive even if she were to be held up in another unfamiliar place. She would prefer anything else than to be tortured back in that dank basement.

With a little digging, Sylus had only retrieved information about her lineage and everything about it seemed all too mundane for him to be suspicious of anything. On the day he had fished her out of that hell hole, he brought her straight to his handyman to get her checked out for any core abnormalities. There must be a reason why she would be held hostage, kept alive only to be tortured. Sylus likes a challenge, but this challenge holds a mystery that remains unraveled when the handyman came back with a reading that denotes her to be nothing special. When asked about how she was kidnapped, her pallor suggested that she probably had her memory wiped clean amidst the torture or due to extreme post traumatic stress disorder.

After a couple of weeks being around his abode, she had found out a method to thank him and it involves cooking. However, her cooking is absolutely horrible, but Sylus still eats it to uphold his sense of politesse. It took some courage and serious toilet trips for him to finally decide that it is time to get an in-house chef for meal preps. The chef's first day to work was met with a confused y/n, standing at the front of the door with a big kitchen knife aimed towards him.

After explanations were given from the threatened chef, she realised that Sylus did not enjoyed her cooking and that led her to sulk. It went on for days, masked behind her dull appearance and it forced Sylus to use his evol on her only then he realised that this girl had already gotten a grip on him. The leader of the N109 zone had softened up a lot, wanting to know what she has to think, what was going on behind her blank expressions.

The pity for her faltered day by day, and it was slowly replenished with infatuation towards this mundane that he had stayed with for months. Luke and Kieran also teased him sometimes, stating that the unwavering leader of theirs now has a soft spot. Sylus had stopped denying it to a certain extent, it was like the man had lost all sense of rationale when it comes to discussing about her. "Boss, you do like her don't you?" One of the twins would urge, Sylus can clearly imagine their wriggling eyebrows underneath those masks.

"That is none of your business." The leader would scoff, feigning ignorance towards his underlings when they would boo him for not being truthful to himself. As much as he enjoyed their curiosity, he does not feel the need to continue this conversation, as he is a man of few words. "I suggest you both find something to do before I lose my patience." And that sent the both of them careening out of his room in full speed.

"You said you have something to tend to tonight, so I suppose I will not be expecting you for dinner?" Cocking her head aside, a small, curious smile hung on her curved lips. Sylus catches her gaze, the woman he is looking at now being a whole different person than who she was when he first brought her back. Her eyes now gleamed with excitement whenever she sees him, her smile and laughter both contagious, and her heart only directs towards him and only him.

The man nodded. "Yes, I will be out with the hunter tonight." He laid down his fork and fetched a napkin from across the table. Afterwards, he leaned towards his lover slightly and rubbed the napkin across her lips, muttering under his breath about the slight brown tint of maple syrup she had left sitting on the corners of her upturned lips. "Is there something the matter?"

Y/n hesitated, not sure if she should be telling him about her opinion. Ever since she had gotten here, she had learned that voicing out opinions are allowed here and that she could have a say in anything she is unhappy about. With enough courage, it started out with rejection, then it went on to providing her own opinions and now it's time for her to be honest with her feelings. These are values that Sylus had taught her about, and being the stubborn man he is, he does not expect himself to be repeating his words.

"It's just, you had been spending a lot of time with her, Sylus." She blurted out, lips becoming numb after the sentence when she expected vituperation from the crimson-orbed lover of hers. Not that he had ever cursed at her, or had been abusive with her, but it was the probability of him doing so is what scares her. Furthermore, it is clear that she still harbors malicious memories of her past. Just the mere thought of being stuck in that basement had gotten her wincing uncomfortably.

"You mean that hunter?" His eyebrow curved upwards, head slightly tilted as he tried to get a better look at her. He could sense her hesitation, her regret after the end of her sentence. Swiftly, Sylus traced a finger down her temples, trailing downwards and leaving goosebumps in its trail till it stopped beneath her chin. He tilted her head upwards so that her gaze would be aligned with his, yet she was staring at the walls right behind him. "The hunter and I are tending to a ruckus that had happened downtown and she is helping me with the investigation."

His explanation although was to soothe her, it only got her feeling on edge, teeth chattered as she struggled to think logically. She had never felt this sort of emotion; one closely related to jealousy, possessiveness and envy. "Why her?" Her fists tightened, hidden beneath the table cloth. "I can be of use to your investigations too." Couple of blinks to push back the tears, she looked into his gaze, to search for an answer she was expecting. "Why does it have to be her?"

The man sighed, not being the type to want to overexplain issues and he stood up from his seat, collecting his plate at the same moment. "You are not exactly useful when it comes to an actual battlefield." Voice although calm, but words of his pierced through her, reminding her of the reality she is really in. Sylus finds no use in her other than her existing as a pretty little thing next to him. Like an eccentric jewel on display on a pedestal but could never get off of it because she is not 'useful'. An angered y/n stood up, her chair screeched against the hardwood flooring and she angrily stomped off, her usually hushed footsteps resonated through the ornated hallways and leaving Sylus sat alone in the kitchen.

If one were to wonder over what the man thinks, he also spoke of facts. He sees her not being an object to aid in his investigation, but he only views her as someone that he wants to protect, and wants to come home to. A prized possession of his, if one dares to admit. Sylus too got up from his seat and started to tail behind her, watching her outline from behind, disappearing into their shared chambers. He watched her plopped face down onto the pillow, her actions almost comical. "Y/n." He called out her name but received no response. As expected. "I do not find any means to utilise you." He approached her, finding his seat next to her outstretched legs. He then places his hand onto the back of her thigh, thumb drawing aimless circles. "In fact, I do not want to use you at all."

"Just get out." Her voice was muffled but her tone seethed with anger. "Just go and do whatever it is that you wanted to do with the hunter if she is much more worthy on the battlefield with you." Her voice cracked unintentionally at the end and Sylus sighed, hand leaving her thigh. He could tell that he had messed up, said something that he had failed to filter and caused her to be so upset. As much as Sylus would like to stay behind and to comfort her, the hunter and his mission awaits. A mission that he is dwelling into for the sake of y/n. A mission that would ensure her safety once and for all.

“I have to go now, but I promise that I will make it up to you later.” With a quick kiss to the back of her neck, she could only hear the heavy footsteps of his disappearing after the clicking shut of the door. A part of her did not want to be jealous just because he is doing business with another female counterpart. Another part of her however, shaped like a devil, whispered sinful nothings into her ear, coaxing her to be jealous, to practice distrust upon her relationship with Sylus just like how she never had the courage to trust anyone. Dissolving into her pillow, her tears blended into the mix of polyester and cotton, her sobs quiet but reverberated within the four walls of their shared room. Mephisto landed on a branch directly outside of her window, guarding her but quietly and patiently stayed outside whilst accompanying her with the whistling winds.

Sylus’ meet up with the deepspace hunter was supposedly to be nothing more than just business. After the raid where Sylus had rescued —much like kidnapped— y/n, deepspace hunters were on a hunt for y/n and a particular deepspace hunter stumbled upon a lead on Sylus being the raid leader and without fear, she confronted him only to land a deal between the both of them. Sylus did weighed on the deal, whether was it worth his effort to involve someone from the government but he knew that her database would come in handy for him to continue conducting raids on the gangs that had any connections to the capturing of his lover. You see, there is one thing that still bothers the white haired man from the day he got her back. Now, with the deepspace hunters on the hunt for her, it only further proved his suspicion and he is planning to utilise the deepspace hunter’s database to get to what he is actually seeking for.

So far, is Sylus impressed? No, because he knew that he could easily do that with the amount of moles he has in this undercity but he needed something to give the deepspace hunter a sense of purpose, to trail for a sense of achievement before he gets what he needs from her and then he shall disappear within the bat of an eye. To Sylus, it just makes the chase more interesting, especially with a deepspace hunter right within his grasp. A mere deepspace hunter like her poses no threat to him afterall. “Still nothing?” His voice rumbled through his chest as he stepped onto bits of broken glass, to get to the entryway that leads to the basement. They are currently at an abandoned motel, in search of the supposed gang members. But Sylus is here for another reason. A reply came from below and he hastened his steps to make it to the bottom.

“I found a safe here, but there are only some sketches, and maybe some formulations or reports for something technological?” The deepspace hunter’s voice hesitated, standing up and showing him the papers that she had found. “Why would these be in a safe? It seemed to be something out of a nightmare.” Sylus took the papers from her hand and studied them. The creature sketched onto the papers with charcoal resembled somewhat of an uncanny human being. Messy, seemingly rushed handwritings were etched onto the side to form notes. ‘DANGEROUS, UNSTABLE AND UNCONTAINABLE’ were the words that he was able to make out while the rest of it are scribbled formulations for who knows what. The creature was drawn out roughly, with hollow dark eyes that bled with tar black substance, elongated and bony body proportions, alongside with a forced smile to make up its final look. The ends of Sylus’ lips twitched as he stared at the drawing. It seemed almost…familiar to him but he just could not quite catch what it resembled.

“Have you ever thought maybe because it is nightmarish hence they would keep it in a safe?” He retorted, a sigh leaving his lips when he realised that common sense may not be equipped within the brains of some deepspace hunters. He folded the papers and shoved them into the pockets of his leather jacket, the deepspace hunter however, held out her hand and beckoned her palm at him, wanting the papers to be within her grasp. “It is better for me to hold onto it as it may not impose any usage for you deepspace hunters.” Seeing her unyielding palm, he continued. “If I received news about this creature you will be the first to know so you may report it back to your HQ.” Her pupils lit up at his suggestion, a sign of agreement.

Stepping out of the abandoned motel, they headed towards their respective vehicles. As they were about to hitch onto their rides, shots were fired. “Duck! We are getting ambushed!” The deepspace hunter shouted and then they both ducked behind their motorbikes, trying to cover themselves from bullets and to sought out the shooters amidst the dark. “There, behind the trees!” Right when she said that, another bullet ricochet and then followed a searing sizzle. Sylus took the opportunity to jump onto his bike and he roared the engine to life, twisting the handle and throttling the bike towards the deepspace hunter.

The wheels screeched in rejection against the tar road and he angled the bike towards the road. The fizzling sound of the broken exhaust notes a ticking time bomb for the bike. Sylus fuelled the bike of his and it started lurching forward, propagating him towards the road. Along the way, he grabbed the deepspace hunter by the neckline of her leather jacket and he heaved her onto his bike with the strength of only an arm. The female squeaked in surprise but quickly reacted by grabbing hold of his bike’s seat and hoisted herself up onto the back seat. Securing her arms around his waist, they both faded into the covers of the darkness as the bike they left behind went off with a deafening explosion.

“Where are we going?!” The deepspace hunter called out from behind, the wind beating against her rubicund cheeks as he shifted the gears to turn a sharp corner. Home. That was all the man could think of. Leaving his lover behind in shreds, with tears depicting strokes of her loneliness, rolled up in bundles of borrowed warmth from satin sheets is not the last scene he would want to encounter upon departing onto a mission. He felt like he had somewhat betrayed her, perhaps even, made her felt unwanted. This man now reeks of self guilt, silently cursing at himself only within the confines of his own mind. There, he left the woman behind him in obsolete silence. Yet, the direction of his motorbike suggested another location he had in his mind.

Y/n's chest felt tight, an unbearable weight pressed against her small body as she struggled to break free from the grasp of an unknown force. A voice travelled through the void, calling out for her. "You're sinking in the mire of your own twisted fate." The voice panned onto her, and her restrained wrists started burning, making her wince in response. "Love was never an option for you, bereft suits you better." An amorphous outline formed, bulky and large, symbolising nary of a man but more of a beast. Two orbs formed at the top of the silhouette and y/n recognised those eyes anywhere, the bright crimson orbs are hard to miss. "If you do not remember, fate always reminds." And a jaw snapped opened, darting straight towards her and she screamed.

Snapping herself awake in bed, y/n could feel her heart slamming against the walls of her chest cavity, begging to be set free. Her wrists still scorched, a memory she had never really freed herself from that dank dungeon. Her tears pierced the back of her eyes, vision blurring in the progress. There were no signs of Sylus in the room and the deep maroon walls swallowed her plangent cries. She could hear the voice echoed in her mind, muttering imprecations repetitively to put her under a trance. Y/n grabbed the roots of her hair and started to tug brutally, aching to pull off her scalp if she was given the chance to.

Luke and Kieran dashed in, horrified at her actions and they both did not hesitate, for they knew if Sylus comes back to this, they are both as good as cadavers. "Y/n!" They both shouted in sync, jumping onto the bed to restrain her but it only agonised her, her body hunched forward and tears spilled onto her clothes. None of the twins knew of her nightmares, how Sylus would sometimes wake up to her crying in the middle of the night, how the word 'somnambulist' was not just another fancy nickname their boss picked up from the lexicon to address her in a teasing manner, and how sometimes she would showcase uncontrolled enmity towards herself in the covers of the night by holding herself at gunpoint. It was also at times Sylus thought that bringing her out of the dungeon may just be the worst decision he has ever made but that did not stop him from wanting to pursue her, to put on the veil of a saint not just to quench his ego for a hero complex, but to hold love for someone who he used to love. The man may have been hurled at life multiple times, reincarnated into different lives and different statuses in different times, but one thing he knew for sure, is that in this life, he met a gaze that he could never forget even if his memories were wiped. For she, held that gaze. The linger that made him see himself, the linger that reminded him of every lifetime, that there is that someone that gave him the warmth that he could never quite grasp, a feel that he has to seek for in every parallel life of his.

"We have to call boss!" Kieran exclaimed, his hand kept rubbing her back in hopes of soothing her as she wailed into her palms. None of the twins knew what to do and Kieran had decided that patting her back could be the best way. Luke careened out of the room hastily, in search of his phone. His hands trembled with every press of a button and he pressed the phone to his ear when the dial tone goes through. However, the call did not manage to get through and Luke stumbled back into the room, his footsteps the only sounds heard throughout the empty manor and it made him wondered if Kieran had done some sort of voodoo magic to calm her cries down. "Luke, no!" Kieran's voice echoed from the room and there goes a deafening blast, sending Luke flying through the air and landing onto the floor like a cordless puppet.

Sylus wasted no time in arriving at the location of a secret auction. One where he knows that he would be able to find the man whom would bear the fair description of non compos mentis, a mad scientist who owns adulations for his 'creations' that shall be witnessed at this auction tonight. The hunter beside him craned her neck upwards, her mouth moving, hushed whispers followed. "Is this where we can find that crazy guy you mentioned just now?" She had been forced to change into an exquisite attire and was given a last minute identity to fit the occasion.

"No more questions from now on." Sylus' brusqueness tied the hunter's lips and she could sense his irritation radiating off of him. He offered his arm to her and she wrap one of her arms around it as they approached the grand entrance of the manor. The manor is gigantic, spanning probably a few acres of land, with patterned bonzai tress and manicured bushes lining the front yard and two large golden statues signifying a nude man and woman guarding the main door. The manor seemed to be a casting location straight out of a cult movie. A footman stood at the entryway, a clipboard in hand.

"Hello, welcome to the Prescott Manor." The footman probably around in his twenties spoke, his voice a welcoming baritone. "May I get your names please as this is an invitation ONLY party."

"Sylus," He replied swiftly and his gaze followed the footman's, landing on the female counterpart next to him. "This is my partner for the night." The footman nodded and trailed his pen on the piece of paper on the clipboard, reading through names before stopping at the alphabetical S and he ticked a small check box next to it.

Smiling, he greeted the both of them and ushered them towards a row of safes located next to the coat room. "Welcome Mr. Sylus and Miss MC to the Prescott Manor. Before you head in, we would like you to kindly surrender your electronic devices and any sort of weapons into any of the locker of your choice here." Seeing the slightly raised eyebrow of Sylus', the footman swallowed and quickly followed up with an inept explanation. "This is a charitable night and we have children around. It is to ensure the utmost safety of all of the guests tonight."

Both Sylus and the hunter started shedding themselves of their electronic devices and weapons. The locker slowly piling up with all of their belongings. "Miss, that includes that claymore tucked in your thigh holster." One of the footman's eye gleamed an unusual cerulean, indicating he is equipped with X-Ray vision to conduct body scans. The hunter scoffed and grabbed the claymore out of her thigh holster and chucked it into the locker, the clang of metals made the footman grinned in satisfaction.

The huge doorway welcomes guests into the expansive hall, chandeliers crafted out of translucent protocores hung high above the ceiling, shimmering and refracting patterned lights across the polished marble floors. One may be in awe at this view but Sylus is too used to this, not to mention he himself is an owner of a manor himself. The hunter however, was in a state of shock, her throat tightened as she struggled to not vomit. Glass cabinets arranged all over the hall displayed preserved creatures, not human nor beasts alike. It closely resembled a sick combination of genes from humans and wanderers.

"I am going to excuse myself." Hand slapped against her mouth, the hunter scampered off to the nearest toilet available while Sylus just rubs his nose bridge and sighed in disappointment. He certainly did not expect a hunter to have a weak stomach given the nature of their work.

A shadow loomed beside him and he was quick to snap his neck over. "Fancy seeing you here." The man of the hour, Dr. Prescott stood next to Sylus, height on par with the Onychinus leader. His piercing grey eyes, hidden behind a pair of sleek glasses pranced with curiosity as he wondered why the leader of Onychinus would appear at this auction for illegal hybrids. "What brings the most feared individual in the N109 zone to my humble abode?" His voice, smooth and commanding makes one hard to discern his true intentions.

The enigmatic doctor has always been one to operate in the shadows, always conducting experiments that makes life and death a blurred maze. In the zone full of villainy, Dr. Prescott stands out not just for his freaky science experiments, but also for his twisted advocation for 'bio-weapons' that shall reform warfares in the future. And that, makes even the nefarious Sylus look like a novice. However, it is his perilious experiments that grants him the trademark, and makes him an easy target.

Sylus adjusted his cufflinks then finally meet the eyes of the man standing next to him. "I came here for answers." His eyes narrowed. "Answers that you would be able to provide." Dr. Prescott, bemused with the demand, tilted his head upwards and started weaving through the crowd. Sylus followed in suit, his senses are heightened when he started noticing the crowd had their glances set on him. "However, I'd like to say, it's very daunting of you to step into my territory with that deepspace hunter."

Part two here!

[brailsthesmolgurl]

Mc becomes the guardian of a 5 year old little girl under unfortunate circumstances.

Mc and the little girl go trick or treating with Sylus.

Little girl didn’t see the IT Halloween decoration.

Then it turns on and scares her half to death making her jump,cry,and run,hiding behind Sylus.

What is his reaction?

https://x.com/sokuhoulife/status/1850009707702092090?s=46

Not interested. The lack of intro is questionable. And this came off to be a demand rather than anything which is seemingly rude. So no.

[brailsthesmolgurl]

"Let's go for a drive."

Preview: How the LNDS boys drive you around.

SYLUS

Sylus is the type of man who will always have time---even if he does not, he will make time for it--- to come and pick you up. The rumbling sound of a V12 is hard to miss and you could always pick up the sound of it from a street or two away. His matte black Pagani would always catch the eye of passerbys, including the driver. On days when he would be earlier than usual, he would be perched against the side of his car, representing and upholding the image of his own car; expensive, exquisite and tasteful. Given his background as the leader of the N109 zone, it is certainly surprising that this guy does not own a cigar or else he would have fully unlocked the potential of being a mafia boss.

Of course, Sylus entertains the idea that you had previously pitched to him, but he does not back down without a teasing statement. "I think I will consider about your cigar habit if you admit that I do not have a drinking problem." Seeing you crossed your arms in defiance, he smirked and closed the door behind you, enclosing you in the small space of the supercar of his. 190cm in a sports car's bucket seat is outrightly awkward, he seemed like he could barely fit within the space of the car but it still is spacious enough for him to maneuver around.

His driving is mean, just like his attitude to everyone else and you were nearly convinced that he may secretly hate everyone else other than you. But does that make you dislike him? Of course not. If any so, it only makes you feel even more special than ever. Sylus also knows the way you stare at him when he drives. The way your eyes would skim past his arms whenever he turns the steering wheel. If he is wearing anything with long sleeves, he would push or roll up the sleeves to reveal the thick veins that lines his arms. "Kitten, if you were to continue staring at me with those eyes, I may have to pull over."

ZAYNE

Picking you up in his Audi has always been his habit, be it you like it or not. He does not enjoy the idea of you driving him around. Partially because he has a more dominant mindset, but he also finds joy in being the one making plans whilst having you to tag along. At work, his patient's care is his utmost importance, but off of work, your interests are one of his top priorities, and he is more of the 'talk less, do more' type. Given a time, the doctor is never late even when he is off of work and you do not mind him being tardy at all. But it was distasteful to this man. "If I were to be tardy as you had suggested, my death count for my patients would be through the roof at this point."

Chuckling lightly in response, you got in, with Zayne closing the door behind you and strutted towards the driver's side. Once he had got in, he would put on his seatbelt before turning over to check on your seatbelt. A man attentive even to the fine details, yes he is. His driving is smooth, but nowhere slow. He keeps an average 120km/h on the road, always at the fastest lanes. However, if a car were to catch up behind him, he would be attentive enough to signal to the other lane and allowing the car to pass without making much of a fuss before he heads back to the fast lane and continues his driving.

Zayne takes pride in his parking skills, his precision mixed with the cameras that came equipped with his car would technically make him invincible. He usually enjoys reverse parking, perhaps a force of habit whilst being at hospital and with him being bound to OSHA requirements of needing to park in a reverse form. He stares in between the display and the side mirrors till the engine stilled to a pause. When praised on his reverse parking skills, the doctor elicited a small smile, finding joy in your heartfelt comment. "I park like this almost everyday, if you would like me to guide you, I would be more than happy to."

RAFAYEL

"How can I let you drive?" Rafayel easily fishes his car key out of your grip, a cheeky smile on his features. "Especially since you had been coming over so frequently just to accompany me?" He struts over back to the bowl of car keys and popped the car key you had previously picked. Seeing your frown on your face, his smile widened, alongside his will to tease you. "We are going out on a dinner date tonight, of course I will be going for a nicer car!" Then he takes out an oblong shaped key and guides you towards his garage. It is no stranger that Rafayel owns a lot of sports cars, but you must say that it was your first time being in his Ferrari KC23. It was also explained that he got this gift from Ferrari itself, one of the most picky car brands in the world. So you figured he could have done something that had pleased the eyes of the Ferrari people.

During the drive to the restaurant, his hand never left yours, constantly holding onto your smaller hand, his thumb smoothing over the skin of the back of your hand every once in a while. The mix of jazzy tunes and his smooth driving makes car rides with him extremely comfortable. Maybe that also explains why Thomas would constantly grumble about him being late, given that he only drives at a maximum of 120km/h only if he needs to, although quite a contradiction to the power his car holds. When you asked him about why is he driving so slow, his reply was nonchalant but does not lack sincerity. "I do not find the need to rush to somewhere just to jeopardise the safety of the love of my life. People can and will wait if they want to." Him saying that makes your heart warm, knowing that your safety is his utmost priority.

Rafayel however, does have some road rage at certain times. This only involves when he is in a rush to somewhere, especially if it means you would be at the other end waiting for him. This is when he would actually put his car to it's good use. Signals would not be his best friend when he is driving, more like racing through traffic like a mad man. Well, to put it in other terms, he is a mad man in love and nothing would stop him from reaching you as soon as possible.

XAVIER

Xavier is not really a fan of driving, hence compared to the rest of the boys, his urge to be in a metal box, moving transport is not as luxurious nor eye-catching. He only drives only when he has to go outstation for his hunter work and if you happen to be tagging along with him. Otherwise, Xavier takes more pleasure in going around with his bike as it saves him time and being able to get away from traffic jams is a plus point for him. So today it comes another day where he has to travel further for his job and you are tasked to be his partner hence he decided to settle with the car for travels. Opening the car door of his BYD Atto 3 for you, he makes sure that you are all buckled up before he closes the door on you.

After unplugging the charger, he is pretty much ready to go. "You ready for our next destination?" He asked you, his eyes catching you for a brief moment before he looks back at the screen to set the next destination. Xavier's driving is not complete as long as there are snacks accompanying him throughout the car ride. Xavier is also the type to switch drivers only if his sleep is getting through to him and affecting his driving skills. Overall, Xavier himself is a slow driver, he does not preach in the idea of going pedal to the metal just to reach a destination earlier than promised. His average speed ranges around 80km/h to 100km/h and his hands never leave the steering wheel.

"I need to take a break, more like a snack break is what we need." If it ever comes to travelling great distance, he will always take breaks for every hour of the drive, either it would be a toilet break or snack break, either one works for him. Good thing about him is that, even if you said that you are not in the mood for any snacks, he would ought to get you extra snacks because he knew the way of a girl's mind, or more specifically, based on his experiences, whenever you said no it would certainly be a regret halfway down the road. He learned from his past experiences and hence would do whatever he can to cater to your comfort throughout the journey.

[brailsthesmolgurl]

"Pretty thing, isn't she?"

Preview: LnDs boys reacting to other guys hitting on you.

SYLUS

You stood in front of the heavy wooden doors covered in gilt, a gateway exuberating luxury and inviting only the top 1% of the N109's population, which of course, includes Sylus. You had yet to be used to attending such fancy events but Sylus had managed to convince you by being apart of such events, you would be able to establish your name within the N109 zone quicker and that people would learn not to mess with you as much anymore. Perhaps you were not having a clear mind during then but here you stood now, in the middle of a huge banquet hall, in a maroon red dress that makes you feel naked due to how cocooned you feel within the fit.

"Breathe, then maybe you may not feel so nervous." Sylus slipped an arm around you and started to lead you into the highly ornated hall. You could tell that nobody here belonged to the 'average' class as their manners, demeanours and even body languages rotated around the word demure. Escorted to a standing bar table, your partner leaned down just enough for his lips to hover over the side of your ear and you could feel his hot breath tickled against your lobes. "Stay here, I will get us some drinks." And off he went, his tall figure blending into the crowds of dancing participants.

Sylus strutted over towards the bar and casually leaned against it. One good thing about events as such is other than the free flow of alcohol, waiters are built to be more attentive and aware of their surroundings as they do hold a split image of the host of the event. "One whiskey and a glass of lemon soda." The waiter nodded and immediately started to get to work. Sylus then turned around, his eyes scanning the crowds of people and landing on you, the lady in red still standing at the table alone, awaiting for him.

"Eyeing the bird I see?" A voice chimed out of the blue, laced with a thick British accent that any lady would have been charmed over. Sylus's crimson eyes glanced over and caught sight of a man in a tailored suit, brunette hair slicked back and eyes the shade of ocean. "I wonder if she would be pleased to have company for the night." The hint of tease in his voice got the lover of yours quirking an eyebrow, expressing amusement at the man's confidence.

"You can give it a shot." He snarked, one side of his lips tilted upwards to form a smirk. "She does not seem to be the type to let in so easily." The clink of glass onto the table top got Sylus to turn over, grabbing his glass smoothly and tasting the whiskey. "How does a bet sound?"

"Whoever gets her by the end of the night shall be crowned winner then?" The young man downed his vodka shot in one go and he stood straight, adjusting his outfit and shooting his head back to Sylus, who is still smirking in his direction. "It's on, then."

Watching the man walking over to you, each step radiating manly confidence nearly got Sylus laughing, if only the man knew how hard it was for Sylus to get you to just stay with him. "She may be pretty, but she ain't stupid that's for sure." Picking up her glass of lemon soda, he too, started walking towards the table. Seeing you talking to the British man, slightly chuckling got Sylus feeling an ick at the back of his throat and it did not taste good. He made his presence known by loudly clinking the glass of lemon soda onto the table.

You gulped when you saw Sylus had returned, and accepted the glass of lemon soda he had gotten for you. You boyfriend turned over to the British lad and smiled a bit too politely for his usual manners before he spoke. "The moment you had picked her to be your target, is the moment I already knew I won the bet." His eyes gleamed murder under the shine of the crystal chandeliers. "If I were you, I would scamper off immediately before I hunt you down."

XAVIER

It has been a while since you had been on a hotpot date with your lover. Ever since Captain Jenna had assigned him on a mission, it has been hard to match up both of your timings to plan for a date. Hence, once you received the text from your boyfriend stating that his mission had finally met the end of it's trail, you could not hide your excitement and went ahead to book for a hotpot store that had recently opened up just a few streets down. Your sole motivation of booking the store was hearing Tara's praises over the services offered there. She claimed that anyone who goes in would surely come out feeling refreshed and that was what got you sold on making a reservation.

Perhaps, just maybe, the way Tara had phrased that got you picturing a whole different scenario; where an otherworldly hotpot experience was what you were anticipating, with fastidious services and amazing food and offers you a new kind of service. Yet, here you sat, in the middle of a table with tons of half naked men walking around you, serving hotpot dishes. So this was Tara's definition of feeling refreshed. Palming yourself on the forehead, you were figuring why did you bother asking for a hotpot recommendation from one of your girl friends who happens to be single.

"May I help you with something?" A young man, wrapped in biker shorts and an apron approached you and you gulped, eyes immediately avoiding whatever skin he has to show. Seeing your reaction, a chuckled rolled out of his lips and he took a seat beside you, unaware that you already have a boyfriend as Xavier would be slightly late due to an unexpected traffic jam. "Would you like me to give you a massage to ease your tension hmm?"

You gave an awkward chuckle, hands waving back and forth while rejecting his oncoming offer. "I have a boyfriend and I am not interested. I would like to get a menu please." Just by talking to the guy, it left a bitter taste in your mouth, it felt like you were cheating on Xavier although you were barely doing anything. The weight on the couch shifted and you heard a soft thud, seeing the shadow beside you disappearing out of the corner of your eye.

The waiter that had initially served you headed back towards the counter, his other colleagues wriggling their eyebrows at him. "How's it going with that chick, Ken? You manage to ask for her wechat yet?" One of the guys asked, his pearly whites flashing. But Ken shrugged and muttered something about her having a boyfriend. "Well adding her on wechat is not exactly a crime. No harm in storing a cute girl's number in your phone anyways."

A figure walked past them, stopped mid way and approached them. This figure was leaner, taller, and looked more elegant than the other men adorning aprons and biker shorts within the restaurant. "Which girl?" His voice chimed in and Ken responded without much thought, thinking it was one of his colleagues asking for the target. He pointed exactly at you and the stranger's cerulean blue orbs caught yours and his lips pulled into a warm smile. Seeing you being so uneasy within a crowd of half-naked men amuses him. "Easy. If I get her number, does this mean I get to keep her?"

Ken then noticed the source of the voice, a man dressed up in a wool hoodie, with sandy blond hair and dreamy blue eyes and an innocent smile. He holds very effiminate features for a man. Given that the store was not opened for that long, Ken thought he may be one of the newcomers coming for an interview. "Sure buddy, if you get it, I guess you can keep it. But she does have a boyfriend, she said it herself." Xavier chuckled and casually shrugged his shoulders and sauntered over to you. The men stood by the counter and watched intently.

Watching Xavier talking to you and getting you to smile got the men to exchange glances at one another. Maybe they are missing something, or maybe it did hurt their small ego a little. But the moment Xavier got you by the hand and started to lead you out of the restaurant, the men were shocked, eyes widened and jaws slacked at how Xavier could easily get you to comply. Walking past Ken, Xavier stopped to say. "Next time, if you want to lay a bet, don't be such an airhead and at least lay it with someone who does not have a boyfriend already."

RAFAYEL

Getting stuck in a foreign city with little to no guidance is not that rare of an occurrence as Rafayel does enjoy being 'lost' with you. "That is how you can truly get to enjoy a city." Is what he would usually use to comfort you. However, that sentence of his may only work if the both of you are not entirely soaked under the heavy rain. Shivering, hungry and worn out. "Shall we head in there for some shelter?" Rafayel suggested, slender index finger pointed towards the building ahead of the both of you.

With a slight nod, he led you towards the building. It turned out to be a bustling bar within the small town. Locals filled to the brim, chattering in their own mothertongue while enjoying each other's company. "Stay here, I will get us some drinks." Rafayel informed you and headed off after pressing a small kiss onto your left cheek. The both of your arrival certainly did alerted a couple of the locals. Seeing a drenched couple within a bar is a good sign for them to know that you guys are far from home.

Perched against a standing bar table, you studied the crowd that were occupying the dance floor. The crowd are drenched in the bask of neon glow emitted by the LED lights that hung high above the ceilings. Some of them had drinks in their hand as they swayed to the beat while some others were clearly in their own world, striking dance moves that are attracting a spectacle. "Hey!" A voice called out to you and you turned your head, landing your sight on a tall male figure, with hair that are akin to the sunset and with milky pale skin. Upon approaching you, you caught sight of his emerald eyes that sparkled like eccentric jewels under the dim lights. "You dropped this?!"

Looking down at his palm, he held out your phone to you. The music is probably too loud for you to even notice that your phone had fell out of your pocket and landed onto the floor with a thud. "Yeah!" You responded with the volume that hopefully reaches his ears. The ginger haired man smiled and stood next to you and he started striking a conversation with you, asking if you were alone and if you happen to be a local as well. "Oh, I am from Linkon City and I am not here alone!" You smiled awkwardly but also responded out of a polite manner.

A hand that landed at your back made you jumped slightly and you retreated from the guy's vicinity when you realised he was trying to get close to you. "What's wrong?" Feigning shock, he only closed in on you, a smirk creeping its way onto his face. He looked nothing different than a wolf that is ready to pounce whenever he finds the chance to. "Whatever happens in here, stays in here." His statement got your voice stuck in your throat, your chest tightening when you realised that you are about to get jumped by a 'kind' stranger.

"You have to try so hard to get her to pay attention to you?" A mocking voice came from behind you and your heart sighed in relief when Rafayel towered behind you, two glasses in hand and a genuine amused smile stamped onto his features. "I didn't even have to try to get her to come on this trip with me." Rafayel casually handed you your drink and he took up the space in front of you, his height on par with the guy whom had tried to hit on you. Rafayel's eyes gleamed a shade of striking electric blue when he leaned in towards the guy, his demeanour taking a turn towards being protective and establishinig dominance.

This side of Rafayel got your heart lurching for a moment. Seeing such a nonchalant and charming individual taking a turn towards being protective over you got the butterflies in your stomach blindly colliding with the walls of your insides. "Touch her one more time, I dare you." Snapping his finger, the flames of his evol came alive and the guy muttered curses, stepping aback. "I might not be able to guarantee you would be able to leave here in one piece."

ZAYNE

The cardiac surgeon's off day is spent on paying you a surprise visit during your demonstration day. This day in specific is held annually at the Linkon City Hall, where the public are informed about the roles of a deepspace hunter and it is also a day for the organisation to recruit potential new hunters for their task forces. He remembered that day as you stood in front of him, with a brochure shoved into his arms before you sprinted off like a whimpering fox. The piece of paper featured your face on it, posing with your guns, with a huge title pasted above your head that is promoting 'Hunter's Showdown Performance'. Zayne could not help his lips from tugging into a small smile as he stared blankly at your wannabe serious face on the piece of paper.

You stood at the back of the stage, isolating yourself from the rest of the crew as you quietly rehearsed your steps. You were only given a month to prepare for this demonstration and knowing that you are not able to strike to wanderer actors makes it all the more tedious for you to rehearse your steps. Every movement, every swing of the guns and every shot has to be precise and realistic, minus the actual damage to be taken by the other actors. Executing a full 360 turn, you came to a halt when your name was hollered out by someone in the background. "Y/n!" You turned your head and your partner came up to you, his smile wide. "Hey, you rehearsing for your part?"

Upon nodding your head, he proceeded to ask if it would be alright for him to rehearse his part with you. On usual notes, hunters are usually dispatched in pairs and since Tara is not around, hence Captain Jenna decided to pair you up with Christopher. The rehearse took around 15 minutes till he paused, patting you on your shoulder encouragingly. "You got anyone coming over to watch you?" You opened your mouth to speak but a voice chimed in before you could even say anything else.

"Yes." Zayne stood behind you, his features darkened at the sight of the hand of a stranger's on your shoulder. Christopher coughed slightly and retreated his touch, feeling guilty instantly. You were of course, shocked, that Zayne had managed to make time to come and see this silly demonstration of yours. When you gave him the brochure, you were certainly not expecting him to appear in person. You figured he might just watch it via the online link from his office if he happened to not any surgeries scheduled for the day. You were totally wronged.

"You...uhm...never told me you had a boyfriend." Christopher chuckled awkwardly, his hand lightly tapping and rubbing the back of his neck to somewhat soothe himself from the tense stare he was getting from a pair of unfamiliar emerald orbs.

Zayne took this chance to stand beside you and he extended a hand towards the guy, expression still indifferent. "I am Zayne, y/n's boyfriend, it is nice to meet you." Christopher did shook his hand out of respect but did not took long to stay, muttering that he has to get his makeup done and off he went. You could somehow feel dark clouds crowding in above your head, a storm lingering in the back of Zayne's gaze. "Was that the guy that you were supposed to perform with?" His voice was gentle, but he awaits for your answer.

"Yeah...Tara could not make it during this event, hence Captain Jenna got him to pair up with me for the demonstration." Your voice was slightly quivering, thinking that Zayne might be upset with you not openly telling your colleagues that you are already in a relationship. But you came from his standpoint, as Zayne is someone who cares about his privacy, you figured he might not appreciate you going on yapping about you being in a relationship and would much rather keep it low-key and only between the two of you. "I'm sorry I never mentioned about you to any of my colleagues as I thought you would like to keep our relationship private and confidential."

Zayne's eyes caught yours and he smiled warmly, his hand coming up to tuck a stray strand of your hair behind your ear and he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss onto your forehead. You froze, knowing that at this point you would be receiving tons of stares from your surrounding colleagues. "Y/n, as much as I would like to keep our relationship private, I would not like it if someone were to try to take advantage on you just because they think they could." His palm smoothed the baby hairs atop of your head, his smile still evident as he continued speaking softly to you. "If you find it hard to tell your colleagues about us because of me, I will just let my actions show them what we are."

[brailsthesmolgurl]

"What's my hidden perk?"

Preview: The LADS boys and their hidden perks. (lemme know if you guys want a part 2 hehe)

SYLUS - horseriding

Quirking his silver brow, his crimson orbs tailed your gaze. A gaze that went from bottom to top, a view you could not believe witnessing in front of your eyes. The giant figure of your boyfriend on top of a Dutch Draft. "Are you planning to just stand there and watch me in awe or do you plan to ride with me?" His voice thick, specifically laced with proud mockery as he was enjoying the look of shock you had been wearing ever since he had told you that he is good at horse riding. He extended his palm to you and took your hand, providing balance to you as you walked up the steps and took a seat in front of him, on top of the horse. This is afterall, your first time riding a horse.

It all started out as a harmless joke while the both of you were watching some National Geographic show about horses. Till he nonchalantly mentioned that he has been riding horses from a very young age and hence the surprise date for today. Featuring your boyfriend, with a horse--that you had no idea where he got from. You tensed up when you felt his chest pressed against your back, his breaths fanned over the top of your head. You hate to admit it—but you still do anyways— how he always manages to get a reaction out of you, be it stemming from a simple gesture. "Now that you have found out about my secret talent, does this mean we get to ride horses more often?" He leaned down, whispering seductively against the shell of your ear. "Or perhaps you would just prefer riding me, sweetie?"

RAFAYEL - good with kids

“Careful.” Rafayel grabs ahold of your forearm, guiding you past the puddle in the vast garden. The date came about to be a surprise, with the charming boyfriend of yours appearing at your doorstep in the mid evening, seeking you out from the stuffiness of your house to embrace Mother Nature in all of its glory after a whole day of heavy rain. Blushing slightly, you continued walking with him down the cobblestoned pathways, enjoying the coolness of the rain till sounds of laughters filled the air. A couple of kids were perched over a drain cover, staring into the waters with their beady eyes.

Rafayel drops his hold from your forearm and held onto your hand, the casual yet romantic gesture still greatly affects you. “Come on, let’s see what they are looking at.” At a certain extent, when you stared at your boyfriend from a distance, interacting with the children, laughing and chuckling as he was playing catch with them made your stomach feel warm. For someone like him, who spends most of his days locked away in that mansion of his, interacting with only a fish and canvases, you had never thought of him to be good with children. However, Rafayel had yet again managed to surprise you. Seeing him waltzing over to you, with a huge grin stapled on his face, you can’t help but mimicked his expression. “You seemed bored. Do you want to join us cutie?”

XAVIER - has an annual pass to amusement parks

It took forever for the both of you to plan a date due to the recent influx of wanderers. Captain Jenna had gotten the both of you to be split up into two different shifts; with you being the leader for the day shift while your boyfriend, Xavier is incharge of the night shift. Hence, when the wanderers' amount had finally decreased, Xavier did not hesitated to ask you out on a date. "I had always wanted to bring you here. It was on my list." He spoke, hands holding tightly onto your smaller palms as he led you past the huge archways of the theme park. Colours of all spectrums welcomed you, revealing the colourful fanfare of a theme park and you could feel your inner giddiness peeking through your smile.

As the both of you stood in line for the tickets, you were surprised when Xavier muttered to you. "Since it is your first time here, I will buy the ticket for you." When it came to your turn for the ticket purchase, your boyfriend only requested for one and you tapped onto his shoulder nervously, immediately asking him if he was only going to get one and watch you from outside or perhaps he may need some aid for funds. The man however beamed shyly, ear tips turning a shade of rubicund when he tried to explain himself. "I...uhm...have an annual pass?" The hidden question mark at the end of his sentence made you chuckled in return, mind already imagining how funny it would be to see him riding the theme park rides all by himself. "But, I got you an annual pass too." He held up the golden ticket in his hand. "From now on, we can both come together as much as we want."

ZAYNE - good at snowboarding

Zayne had appeared at your doorstep a little too early than his usual timing, which is usually going by your timing as you do like taking your time to sleep in and he do not find the need to disturb your beauty sleep. But today seems to be different when he appeared in front of your door with a coat in his hand. When you asked him about the purpose of him coming so early, the man only kept it short and simple, replying accurately to what you had asked. "I had taken a few days off of work and I had booked us a spot at a ski lodge." When you had an eyebrow raised, he continued to explain himself. "You had been watching the snowboarding event for the Olympics recently. I assumed you would like to try it yourself." You weren't exactly surprised at how conscious he tends to be, but you are more concerned of yourself as you had never done any snowboarding in your life.

"You had never snowboarded before haven't you?" Zayne questioned, those forest green orbs of his meeting yours with amusement. As you nodded, you could feel your cheeks heating up, warming you from the harsh cold winds. You hesitated though, asking him in return if he were to know anything about snowboarding given that during the safety briefing he did asked a couple of questions here and there. "Me? I would not say I am good at it, but I did tried it before, ever since I was a kid." He patted your head, a small smile tugging onto the end of his lips. "Don't worry, I will hold onto you the whole time and make sure you do not hurt your knees or fall into the snow." His arm snaked around your waist, pulling you close against his side and he planted a kiss onto your forehead. "But you can definitely fall into my arms if you slip."

[brailsthesmolgurl]

Meeting @xvysarene has been one of the most unexpected events of my life. Who knew that Tumblr could have such the platform to allow me to meet such an amazing individual and for us to cross paths in our lives, not only virtually, but physically as well.

Till now, I am still in awe of the start of our friendship and how we had planned for the meetup and how we spent the time together 🥰 it shall always be a memory worth cherishing on my part!

Do take the effort and the time to check out her amazing works as linked in the post above! For she is a great writer and a great friend of mine 💖

Who would have thought the Love and Deepspace game could bring such a good friend?

@brailsthesmolgurl and I first connected here on Tumblr through our writings (author friends™), and these past few days, I finally travelled to meet her in person.

From chatting through screens to sharing meals and exploring places together—she even surprised me with a Zayne doll, and we had the cutest high tea date with the boys 🥰

Want to check out our writings? You can find them here 👇🏻 brailsthesmolgurl masterlist // xvysarene masterlist

[brailsthesmolgurl]

iicyify

love and deepspace: sylus x fem!reader (and zayne soon)

tags: smut, bondage, semi-public sex, it's an aphrodisiac fic, heavy enemies to lovers I don't play around with that shit, breeding kink, blood kink probably

word count: 8.5K

synopsis: Death haunts you like a vengeful lover. Sylus knows this well. You’re dispatched on a mission to capture a fugitive in Linkon City's forbidden N109 Zone, but of course old ghosts come back to haunt you, and this time you’re unable to resist the pull of your twisted connection. AKA the aphrodisiac fic.

Shostakovich's Waltz No. 2, a bad omen if you’ve ever heard one. 

The low strum of the cello jumps to life as you enter the ball, each sting echoing from the marble arches to the dance floor, the gentle strum of the accompanying violins muffled by the floor-to-ceiling curtains. 

She’s a deceiving song, breaking traditional waltz rules with her three-fourth tempo, the two cellos battling for dominance as their battle song announces your unplanned arrival. 

Your heels click in time to the emerging saxophone, and you disappear into the crowd. Unfortunately, you don't have the liberty of indulging yourself in music tonight. Tonight, you have a job. 

The Hunter's Association only gave you a name- Kovi Rochelle. Who were you to ask questions? It's far from the first time you've snuck into the N109 Zone, and as you scan the crowd, you make mental notes of all you recognize. On the ballroom floor is an heiress to an illicit firearms company, and her dance companion is the right-hand man to a minor gang. Near the orchestra are a few faces you recognize from a drug syndicate, and near the disgustingly lavish food no one was foolish enough to touch was the daughter of an oil tycoon. 

No sign of a certain crow, you note, narrowing your eyes. No sign of your target either.

It takes you longer than you would have liked to find Kovi, but you find a man fitting his description well enough in a far corner of the hall, face twisted into a crooked leer as he's saying something inaudible over the orchestra to a waitress. Sixties, full beard, crooked nose and a penchant for younger girls. 

Your hand slips against your thigh, closer to where the burn of cool metal rests hidden beneath the silk of your dress.

The waltz is nearly over, and just as cellos reach their climax, you feel a hand snatch your own.

"There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you, sweetie."

Your body goes rigid, but the hand pulling you into a twirl is vicious and the fanged smile that follows even more so. 

The urge to pull your gun is tempered only by years of Hunter experience. That, and the simple fact that should you fail to retrieve this target, the Association would punish you ten-fold. 

So you meet Sylus’s blood-red gaze with a deathly sweet smile, baring your teeth. “How disappointing, so you’re immune to poisons too. I’ll keep it in mind for next time.” You try to keep the irritation out of your voice, but his lips curl, showing off his misaligned fangs with all the kindness of a hungry dog. 

“I certainly hope you do. Despite not being able to die, it’s certainly no fun to writhe around in pain for several hours.” Sylus grabs your jaw, causing you to stumble forward as he forces your chin up, hot tongue raking up the side of your neck as you hiss. “Tetrodotoxin? Addictive.”

“Disgusting bastard.” He saw through you yet again. 

Sylus laughs, a deep, loud chuckle that catches other guests’ attention before you nearly claw his face to shut him up. Your hand only makes it halfway, impact broken when he grabs your wrist instead, tightening to the point of pain. 

But you're now too close to the dance floor to refuse without drawing any more unwanted attention, so you place your hand against his shoulder before digging your nails in through the expensive silk of his blazer. You hope he bleeds. 

Nothing good would come from it, but gods, would it taste sweet.

Something flashes in the depths of his unnaturally red eye, and Sylus chuckles to himself before sliding his fingers from your wrist into your palm, taking your hand to lead you in a slow, calculated turn. You watch his eyes dilate in predatory satisfaction at the bruises left against your wrist. 

"If you’re truly humoring me with a dance, then I take it you haven't taken out your target either."

So he knows your objective. You stare up at Sylus directly, nearly crushing his foot with your heel when the tempo jumps again, speeding up with the shrill of the violins. "Tonight are you my ally or enemy?”

“I’m whatever you want me to be.”

Your eyes narrow, but his words are far too cryptic to give away the truth. Instead, you focus on the rhythm of the song, the sound of your heels, and the steady heartbeat of Sylus' chest as it beats against your own.

"I must say though, I wish you applied this distraction tactic on me when we first met." His hand strays from its spot on your waist, palm searing into your back as he traces up and down your exposed spine, giving a possessive squeeze to your ass. "After all, how could any man stay weary with utter temptation walking around?"

You grit your teeth, purposefully stepping forward out of tune to press the bulge of your gun against Sylus's thigh. "I swear I’ll kill you."

For Caleb. For your grandmother. For your own god-damn sanity.

His fanged smile widens, and he leans in close, whispering against the shell of your ear, “Oh yes, how I love to watch you try. Got closer last time, didn’t you?” And he spins you away, violently turning you again and again until you have no choice but to rely on his arm lest you fall. 

As your mind spins all your prior attempts get flung back at you, from poisoning him through wine to stabbing him in his sleep, Sylus’ body was damn near immortal. More infuriating still, he only goads you further after every attempted assassination, fighting you unconscious and leaving you in Linkon City with only a crow feather and letter detailing all the points of failure from your latest attempt.

A final spin, and the world blurs. Sylus pulls you back with a force that makes you stumble, and he dips you with a chuckle. "I must say, I've never had such a passionate lover." 

By the time the chorus ends, Sylus pulls you back into his arms, dipping you as you gasp against his chest, head spinning and blood rushing furiously to your head. But the song is far from over, and you intend to get more information out of the man before he disappears once more. If he comes between you and your target…

Sylus' gaze is unreadable as you look up, and his hand tightens on your waist, guiding you into a steady tempo once again. A blur of other dancers swing by, but the only thing you can focus on now is the man before you, staring right past your rotted soul with those blood-red eyes. Eyes of a sinner. Of a mistake. Just like you.

"A little birdie told me that someone here is in possession of an Aether Core." He taunts, spinning you so your back is to his chest. "Admit to yourself what it is you’re really after, and I'll give it to you, sweetie. All you have to do is say the word."

Your lips part in surprise, and Sylus grins, pulling you closer so he can whisper in your ear. "I don’t mind being used by you. After all, I want to use you too. All you have to do is say yes."

You’re surrounded by him, a mixture of spice and cologne, and can see the way his ashen hair falls over his forehead, and the way his lips are pared just slightly as you pull him in closer by the nape of his neck. He led you to the protocore last time. He killed your family. He saved you. He's the reason everything you loved is gone.

Your lips skim up his neck, and you smile as you feel Sylus tense in the midst of the waltz as you give him your answer. "Fuck you."

He’s frozen for a beat before breaking into another laugh. "Only if you wish. I doubt your doctor friend would be too keen on the idea though."

Your breath hitches, eyes wide, but Sylus' laughter only grows. The waltz is coming to a close, and in one smooth motion, Sylus releases his hold on your waist, only to grab your hand and bring it to his lips.

"Until next time, sweetie." He places a kiss to the back of your hand and disappears as the cellos strum their final chord. “As much as I’d love to stay and listen to my little kitten hiss some more, I’m unfortunately running late for my appointment. And I believe you are too.”

And as quickly as he had stolen you away, he's gone, and you're left with the sound of your heart hammering in your ears and the coldness of his absence.

"Tch, damn it." You curse, glancing around the room for any sign of the waitress and your target.

Kovi and the potential Aether Core Sylus told you about might still be in the ballroom. But you don't have time to find both. Not when Sylus knows who you're after. Not if he realizes why the Association needs you to bring back Kovi alive. 

Your gaze flickers across the crowd, but the man is nowhere in sight. The orchestra has already begun their next song, and a few waiters have already begun moving in with the next round of food and drink, and while most people are caught up in the music, your gaze is locked on a familiar waitress struggling with a tray of drinks and a woman dressed in black, dragging her back into the server's hall.

You don't have time to decide. You rush after them, slipping past another waiter and ducking around a group of gossiping socialites. The door leading to the back of the mansion slams behind the women, and you push it open, stepping inside the dark corridor.

"Come on, the boss said to leave him there!"

"But that bitch-!"

"It's a lost cause."

"Let's just go. He'll be dead soon anyways."

You wait until the footsteps have faded and the doors close behind them before slowly standing, taking off your heels, and slipping your gun out from its holster, metal cold against smooth silk.

There are four doors along the corridor, three to the left, one at the very end, and all are locked. You check each one, but only the last has any signs of movement. It's a small door, the size of an office closet, and when you press your ear to the wood, you can hear the sound of voices.

"We're in the last round of betting. I assume you're ready to finally make a decision, Mr. Sylus?" Fuck. That’s Kovi’s voice.

"What if I want to raise the stakes?"

A bang. "The key to these games, boy, is knowing when to quit."

"I always like to put everything on the line. Besides, it's hard to gamble with something that isn't yours."

"Oh no, she's mine alright. Paid quite a hefty price for her, you of all people should know that." A muffled set of insults, punctuated by a deep set of laughter that has your blood running cold. "White wolf of Onychinus, figured you'd be more impressive."

There’s a distinct click of a trigger and the scramble of chairs being kicked over. "All in." And then, the sound of a gunshot.

Your instincts kick in and you slam into the door, shoulder burning in protest. It's hollow, thank god, and you have enough sense to duck as a set of bullets fire, ripping the door into a thousand splinters. 

Sylus' face is twisted in a snarl, the first two buttons of his shirt undone, and a woman in a waiter's uniform lying at his feet. Her body is still convulsing, a set of bullet wounds in her chest, and you realize it's the woman from before, the one who was with the other waitress. 

And your target.

Kovi was slumped against a plush leather chair, bleeding out onto an unfinished poker game, soaking through cards and chips from the gushing set of bullet wounds buried in his brain.

"You killed him," you hiss, and Sylus only raises a brow, watching as you step over the woman and walk over to the other body slumped in the corner. "He was alive, you bastard. And you shot him."

"He was a traitor."

"Not to me." You hiss, and the click of your pistol echoes, pointing it straight at Sylus. "I needed him alive, and you knew it."

He looks unperturbed, and you can only glare when he smiles, shrugs, and steps closer to your gun, metal kissing bare flesh. You don’t so much as flinch, not even as his smile turns wolfish, scanning you up and down before settling on your weapon once again. "And I'm supposed to care?"

You pull the trigger.

The bullet shoots through where his heart would have been, but Sylus is already mid-lunge, twisting your wrist sideways. The shot goes wide. His jabs are precise, punching against the tender inside of your wrist and elbow before shoving you against the wall, the entire room rattling on impact, a mirror falling as it shatters.

"If the Association wanted him alive, then perhaps they should have sent someone else," He taunts.

Death haunts you like a vengeful lover. Sylus knows this well.

You twist, still holding onto your gun, but Sylus only presses his body closer, using his monstrous height to his advantage, tightening until your arms are going numb. 

The look in his eyes is knowing, and Sylus scoffs down at you. “But he’s not why you came here, is it?”

You stop struggling.

His right eye glows that sickly red once more, and you straighten against his hold, jabbing your chin up as you meet his gaze. You know he’s digging around your mind again, and so you spit out the truth. “Where’s the core?”

“So she admits it. Here, it’s all yours." Sylus says and reaches into his coat. He pulls out a small, blood-soaked stone and drops it at your feet, and you can't help but stare, noticing a moment too late as your gaze snaps back up to meet his.

“What? You want it, don't you?" Sylus whispers, and his fingers trailing up your sides, pushing your dress up. You thrash against him, and his other hand wraps around your throat. "Then take it."

You kick and scratch and hiss, a vicious distraction all while tightening the grip on your gun.

"Come on, sweetheart. I know you can do better than that."

A gunshot cuts off his sentence. 

Sylus falls to his knee with a groan, bullet traveling clean through his thigh. It's not enough to kill him, you know it, but he'll heal in a matter of seconds, so you take your aim against his heart instead, pressing the muzzle of the gun into his chest. The heat from the metal sears into Sylus' flesh, and as you force the gun closer as you yank his head up by the hair, rewarded with a loud moan as Sylus rolls his eyes back at the pain.

"You can't kill me."

"No," you whisper, pulling him close, "but I can hurt you."

His grin only widens, a bloody gash curling across his face as he stares up at you. “Such arrogance.”

Sylus leans into your touch, and then a hand covers your own on the gun, fingers laced around the trigger.

"What are you waiting for? Do it, I want to feel it, I want you to finish it." His words are low and you feel a rush of adrenaline at finally having him at your mercy, of having him at the brink of death. 

He yanks the gun closer, and thus you as well, looking up into your eyes with a sick devotion only a sinner could have. 

But you’ve learned from last time. So you curl your finger, and pull the trigger. 

The bullet never reaches. 

A web of dark energy stops it mere centimeters from Sylus' chest, and he sends it ricocheting back so it speeds by your collarbone and neck with a furious red trail.

You don't have enough time to scream.

Sylus pulls you down alongside him and slams your body against the ground, skull rattling against the marble. You scramble to your hands before he shoves you back to the floor with his palm, pinning you beneath him and pressing his lips to the fresh wound on your neck.

"You taste divine." Sylus hisses, and he sucks against the wound as your blood runs down his chin, grabbing your wrists until something snaps and you drop the gun with a scream. It skirts across the floor, out of reach.

You buck under his weight, kicking your legs out until one digs into the bullet wound still closing on his thigh, fresh blood streaming down the both of you as he licks and sucks and bites against your neck, leaving a trail of raw marks and bruises. 

With your free wrist, you unsheathe your dagger, driving it into Sylus’ neck. Dark tendrils of energy catch the blade, but your fury burns hotter, and you grant him a twin scar, slicing from the hollow of his collarbone up his neck.

Sylus moans, a strangled, guttural sound that goes straight between your thighs. You can see the muscle and skin knitting back together, the tendrils of shadows seeping out from his flesh and sealing the wound shut. But his grip on you remains.

You're both panting, blood dripping down your neck and Sylus' chest, but his eyes are dark and full of promise that makes your stomach twist.

"Do it again," he hisses, and he presses his hips into yours, letting you feel how hard he is through the fabric of his pants. "Cut me. Stab me. Kill me. All you have to do is try, sweetheart. Make it good this time, will you?"

You are not a fool. You know this is a challenge, a taunt, but you also know you can't back down.

So you push yourself up, knife glinting under the dim lights as you sink the blade into Sylus' throat, dragging a ragged line from one side to the other. Blood pours over his chest, drenching his shirt, and you can't help but watch in morbid fascination as the skin begins to knit itself back together, muscle and flesh growing and closing up, tendrils of dark energy wrapping and sealing the wound.

You almost want to lean in to taste it yourself.

Sylus makes a strangled sound from against your neck, still licking up your blood as you dig your nails into his fresh wound, pressing closer and closer still. Closer than flesh and blood would allow, bloody and raw and angry. 

His tendrils of energy wrap around your throat just as your knife presses up against his, both of you panting heavily. “When will you admit it? From your past to your future, to even all the crimes you'll inevitably commit. You and I… we're made of the same sin.”

You twist to the side, unable to meet his glowing eye, and Sylus smiles, blood-stained and fanged.

“Look at me.” He growls, and his fingers wrap around your jaw, forcing you to look up, nose brushing his. The glow of his right eye is nearly blinding, a mixture of gold and red and orange that swirl together like fire.

Fire, corruption, and the same damned soul.

They flash before you. The faces of every soul you’ve taken, every mission you’ve accepted from the Association, every trophy you’ve never cried over that has granted you nothing but pride and misery. 

And then flashes of your family, burning alive in the explosion that the demon before you set off. Burning flesh, screaming, the smell of sulfur. 

You see the face of a man too good for you. Practical and cold, but so unfairly kind and selfless it makes your chest ache. Zayne.

Not that Zayne is yours, not in any measurable way. But he’s the man that is so perfectly beyond your reach that it gives you a semblance of hope for change, for atonement. He’s the man that you’ve decided to foolishly love until your last breath.

Worst of all, you know Sylus can see him now too.

Another flash of red. Sylus, staring down at you, his smile a cruel imitation of Zayne's.

"What do you want, little dove?"

"My revenge."

He smiles, and leans in, lips pressed against the shell of your ear, hot breath tickling the sensitive flesh there. "I could give it to you. Everything you’ve ever wanted."

His touch burns, and you shudder, a mix of emotions twisting your gut. Fear, anger, desperation.

“I no longer want.” You hiss. “So stay out-” you gasp, reality and memory flickering together. “of-” you thrust the knife upwards, stabbing wildly until something connects. “-my fucking head!”

It's only when you hear the sickening crunch of flesh and the feel of blood pouring down your arm that you realize where you are. The memory of Zayne is gone, replaced by the present.

Sylus.

His eyes are wide, mouth agape and blood dripping down his chin. Your knife is buried deep in his palm, blade caught in his hand mere inches from his skull. Your vision blurs and the world spins, and the last thing you see is the sight of Sylus smiling, blood running down his cheek and his eye burning a brilliant, golden red.

And then the world bursts into smoke.

You feel it before you understand what has happened.

Throwing your hands above your head, you brace for an explosion or flash that never comes, the room blanketed by a cloud of thick smog that has your head spinning. A weight crushes you, and for a moment you think the ceiling caved until you realize it was Sylus who must have flung himself atop you at the moment of impact.

You think there’s an earthquake or aftershocks of another attack when you see your hand trembling, realizing it’s just your entire body convulsing against the floor as you inhale mouthfuls of the thick, cloying smoke. It tastes sticky and sweet at the back of your throat, cloying against your tongue and crawling under your skin. You think you might be dying. 

Sylus is faring no better, chest heaving as he nearly falls atop you, barely holding himself up on his forearms. His mouth is a bloody mess, there's a gash on his forehead that refused to heal. The energy of his Evol leaks from him in a thick mist of dark matter that seeps in and out of his sweat-slicked flesh. He’s losing control of his power.

“What the fuck—“ a violent heat rips surges down your spine, a choked gasp seizing your lungs as you feel bursts of energy heat under your skin- your Evol’s power fluctuating wildly. The once familiar power now feels like a toxin, your very core vibrating, practically a bomb seconds away from detonating.

It wasn’t a shock grenade. Not smoke. Poison? Your vision is swimming, but Sylus is still holding you, and when you freeze his entire body convulses in laughter as you seem to finally piece together what has happened.

"An aphrodisiac. They're... those fucking bastards." You can’t even see where your gun is, the entire room lurching sideways as you try and crawl out from under Sylus.

But as soon as you knee him in the side trying to topple him over, you both freeze at the contact, the brush of bare skin enough to have you keening.

Sylus groans, his head falling into the crook of your neck. You can feel him shaking, every bulging muscle tensed beneath his torn clothes, and his lips press against your pulse, teeth sinking into the delicate skin there. Shadowy tendrils grow from his back, a spiderweb of raw power that he seems to have no control over as they piece into the ground with enough force to crack through marble. You flinch at the sight.

“Are you scared, little dove?” Like a spider’s legs, they support him as he staggers to his knees, caging you in against the floor. A moth in a web. “Perhaps you finally should be.”

He grabs you by the hair, tilting your head back so you have to look him in the eyes. You struggle to move, to push him off, but the mere touch only seems to rile the man above you. He groans, the sound low and guttural, and when you finally meet his gaze, his eye is a wild, glowing red, and he's looking at you like he wants to devour you.

A demon. You’re laying before a demon. 

"What's wrong, sweetie? Too proud to give in?" He taunts.

"Not to you," you hiss, and you grab him by the collar, pulling him closer. "You're not even worth it."

Sylus' smile widens. "Still lying to yourself, aren’t you?"

Your skin burns, his touch leaving a trail of fire and desire. You can feel the aphrodisiac pulsing through your veins, a violent, angry heat that consumes everything it touches.

"Allow me to offer you a deal, then." Sylus' mouth twists in a snarl, and you feel his hands grip your waist. His nails dig into the exposed skin of your lower back, and Sylus pulls you closer, pressing his erection against your ass. "Run," he whispers, and his lips brush the shell of your ear. "Run as fast as you fucking can, because if I catch you I fuck you."

He pulls away, eye still glowing, turning into little more than a shadowed silhouette that towers over you. "And I won't be as gentle as your little boyfriend."

You don't remember when you start running.

 One moment, Sylus is in front of you, a wicked, predatory smile curling across his face. And the next, he's gone, the sound of footsteps fading behind you and the smell of gunpowder and blood hanging heavy in the air.

He's close.

You can feel his power, feel the way the aphrodisiac has corrupted him. Every tendril of energy from his body feels like a physical thing, a thread of pure energy and darkness. You hear his breathing, the sound of his body slamming against the walls and the doors as he gives chase.

Somehow the aphrodisiac did more than just make his Evol stronger, Sylus himself seemed fundamentally changed. Stalking you in a half-limp like a predator enjoying the hunt, every muscle tensed underneath his fitted suit as though waiting for you to make a run for it. Waiting to finally pounce. 

In the end it never mattered how strong you were. What stood before you was no man, but a monster.

“Don’t tell me that’s all you got, kitten? Come on, run faster, make it fun for me.”

Your heart leaps in your throat. Every inch of your body is alert, hyperaware of his echoing footsteps, following you no matter how many turns you take, no matter which stairs you climb, utterly unsure if you’re running closer or further from the exit.

But you force yourself to breathe, and you push off the walls and into a sprint. You have no weapons, no gun, but the only thing you can think of is running, running and getting as far away from Sylus as possible. Zayne. Zayne will know how to fix this, surely he knows a cure for the aphrodisiac.

Your steps are growing clumsy, and every breath you take now has you gasping, a burning need growing within. Every muscle in your body begins to tremble, and the heat is almost unbearable. You're not sure how much longer you can hold out.

You need to get to Zayne.

Turning yet another corner, you expect to see the main hallway of the mansion, nearly crying in relief at the sight of the door when the world lurches sideways.

A shadowed claw reaches up from the ground, yanking your ankle backward with a painful tug. You scream, throwing a burst of energy behind you as your Evol flares up, snarling at the shadow that follows you.

But the aphrodisiac has you weak. Your power is sporadic and unfocused, and another set of shadows wrap around your thighs and arms, rendering you immobile as they squeeze and pull at your over-sensitive flesh.

The sound that comes from your throat is one of pain and need.

Sylus laughs, a deep and rumbling chuckle that echoes through the empty hallway. He emerges from the shadows, a beast walking upright. He towers over you, his massive frame blocking the light, casting a long shadow across the floor.

"Are you afraid, little one?"

You can barely answer.

"Good."

Sylus moves fast. Before you can blink, his hand is on your throat and he's lifting you up off the ground, his fingers digging into your skin right over your racing pulse as he holds you at eye level. "Perhaps I'll keep you around even after I'm done with you. After all, I truly enjoy watching my little prey struggle."

The memory sends a thrill of fear through your body.

You gasp, clawing at his arm, and Sylus tightens his grip on your throat with a click of his tongue. "Ah ah ah. No more of that, kitten. Not unless you want more punishment."

You force yourself to meet his gaze, refusing to look away even as he squeezes your throat and makes it hard to breathe. The lack of oxygen has you lightheaded, but the heat from his palm makes you even dizzier, a sick twisting against your core at the show of brute strength. You glare up at him, and you know he can see the fear and hatred and desire in your eyes, because he grins, a wicked smile full of fangs and blood and the promise of something far worse.

"But knowing you, perhaps that's what you're after?" 

The shadows tighten and you cry out again, snarling as you try and use your Evol to free yourself. Burning through his arm, Sylus releases you with a hiss. You run for it, barely making it three steps backward before you’re tackled to the floor. 

"There, there. No need to run from it, I know my nasty little brat enjoys this as much as I do. After all, you let me catch you, didn’t you?” He taunts, pressing his thigh between your legs. You're unable to stop yourself from grinding against him, whimpering as the friction sends sparks of pleasure shooting through your veins. “And I intend to keep my side of the deal.”

Pinning you on your stomach, Sylus drags blades of energy down your dress, ripping the fabric to shreds as the silk flutters to the floor. The cold air stings against your sensitive flesh, and you whimper at the near painful difference between the cold and the heat of his touch.

"I'll kill you," you hiss, and Sylus laughs. He could kill you now, before you made good on your promise. And oh it would make everything so much easier, simpler - but he didn’t. Can’t. Instead he forces your jaw to the side before crashing his lips onto yours, fangs catching against the plush flesh. The angle has your neck screaming in protest, yet you swear it’s the dichotomy between the painful bruising of his grasp and the devotion of his lips that has you addicted. 

So you kiss him back, more teeth and tongue and thoroughly fucking addicting. "You're mine to kill, I won’t let anyone else take that victory from me.”

“That’s it,” Sylus practically growls into your ear, his face flushed and a vein protruding in his neck. Then your ass is lifted up, effortlessly manhandled like a ragdoll as you hear the click of Sylus’ belt. ”Keep fighting it, kitten, make it fun. But just know your body is so, so honest with me.”

And then you can’t breathe - not because his large hand tightens around your neck, forcing your body to arch into the floor, but because Sylus was suddenly rutting his weeping, fat tip between your thighs. It catches your swollen clit, and you grind against empty air, gasping. Sylus' laugh is cruel, sliding the head of his cock through your slick folds, teasing the sensitive skin. You shudder, the sensation of his cock dragging against your entrance enough to have you trembling. You're so close, and he's not even inside you yet.

"Aww, sweetheart. Are you scared? You're soaking." His words are mocking, and you try to bite back a moan as his hand leaves your waist, delivering a harsh slap against your ass instead. "Tell me, did that boy back in Linkon ever make you feel this good?"

"Fuck. You."

"Oh dear, did I hit a nerve?" He purrs, his fingers sinking into the soft flesh of your ass.

"Shut up, shut the fuck up-" Your words are cut short, a strangled sound tearing from your throat when the head of his cock catches your folds, the sheer girth of him unable to push in, sliding against your cunt as she practically drools over him. 

Sylus curses against your neck, sitting back on his heels as he grabs his throbbing length, messily fucking your slick up and down, the heat and smell and feel of you enough to steal the rest of his sanity as he surrenders completely to the aphrodisiac. He’s bigger than usual, thicker and sensitive, and right when he thinks he might cum, Sylus forces his hand away. He can’t, not with you before him, it would be a waste.

A loud, broken moan escapes him as he tortures himself with a rough squeeze to his base, the sheer need overwhelming him as though he’d die should he not be inside you this very second. 

In you. He needs to be in you, cum in you, fill you up and claim you in every way possible. 

He’s about to try again when something warm squeezes around his base, nearly bringing him to his knees. Even though your shoulders were still pinned to the marble, you snuck one hand back to wrap around Sylus’ poor throbbing dick, your mere touch, barely able to circle around the girth of him, was enough to have him seeing white. 

“You’re- ah- taking too long.” You whine at the sight of Sylus at your mercy, and squeeze tighter. His cock twitches, pre-cum leaking from his tip and dripping down your knuckles, and his eyes roll back into his head, drawing out a low, deep moan that practically vibrates through his chest. 

“You’re right,” Sylus yanks your hips back, grinding against your ass as his free hand weaves between the two of you, rolling against your clit. “She’s getting too impatient, isn’t she?” 

You can’t even hear your own screams, not over the obscene squelches your cunt makes over his dick and fingers. Sylus was using every ounce of remaining sanity to prove his point, unconsciously already bucking against you as he continued bullying your swollen nub until you gave in. All to make your ultimate surrender even sweeter. “I don’t mind spending the whole night fucking you into your place.”

He nearly roars in frustration as your cunt still refuses to take him, resisting each press of his hips. A pair of shadowy hands seize your ankles, yanking you backward and spreading your legs so wide that your hips nearly split. Your jaw falls open in a silent scream, thighs trembling as they’re practically pinned to your side, ass forced higher into the air as another set of tendrils come around to play with your swollen clit. 

He’s cruel. 

The longer it took, the thinner his restraint waned, and Sylus’ Evol surrounds the two of you in a web of darkness, cracking through the marble when your cunt finally yields to the pressure of his large, overbearing cock. As soon as he feels the flutter of your core against his tip, he knows he’s lost, the head of Sylus’ cock sliding into you with a lewd pop as you both gasp.

The stretch burns, your walls forced to part around the head of his cock as the swollen tip sinks inside, stretching you past what was natural. His fingers leave bloody trails on your waist, but the thought of the permanent marks only adds to the heat coursing through your veins. You're panting now, a broken mantra of fuck me and please and more spilling from your lips as the aphrodisiac takes complete control.

The feeling of your cunt suffocating his swollen head as Sylus’ control waning, and you use the moment of weakness to push your hips backward, forcing him in further. With each slow grind the underside of Sylus’ cock unintentionally bullies itself against your sweet spot again and again and again, that one fat vein pulsing against it in time to his erratic heartbeat.

Head lolling to the side, you catch a glimpse of where the two of you meet and nearly sob. He’s not even halfway in yet. The pressure has your mind spinning, and god you don’t think you can take any more. 

But as you clench around him and Sylus makes up his mind, refusing to leave you a moment longer without being filled to the brink with his cum. And he forces you completely onto his cock. 

A scream of his name is all you manage before your eyes roll back, arching off the ground as your entire body goes rigid. Forcing past any remaining resistance, Sylus thrusts his entire length deep inside of you, your lower stomach bulging ever so slightly, followed by a burst of pleasure so intense it hurts as you come undone, squirting over his cock and the floor.

Fucking you through your orgasm, he wraps one arm around your body, pulling you against him as your knees give in, refusing to give even an inch of space as the two of you buckle into the floor. 

"You're going to regret not running faster." Sylus hisses. "I'm never letting you go. Never- ah fuck- again."

He pulls out slowly, until only the swollen head remains inside, and then slams forward again. 

You try and claw your way out, unsure if you’re pushing closer or further, but the tendrils of energy around your legs only tighten their hold, forcing you back. The shadows seep into your flesh and leave trails of raw fire. You swear you feel him in your throat, and you know Sylus can feel it too. It's burning beneath your skin, a wild and desperate heat that feels like an inferno, a feeling so addicting it replaces the pain. 

You're resonating with him. You’re finally resonating and Sylus only growing stronger- rougher- because of it.

“Sylus, fuck, just—” you scramble for something, anything, to grab onto, screaming out different curses and moans until Sylus folds you further into the ground, pressing his full weight atop of you.

“You’re too loud, sweetie, it’s almost like you want someone to find us.” He rests his forearm before you, allowing you to claw into it as you cry. “Here.” And with that you bite, digging your teeth into his arm hard enough to draw blood as your screams are muffled with the tinge of copper. 

He laughs into your shoulder, leaning down as the new angle allows his tip to kiss your cervix. You sob, biting down again. “I want to mark you too,” and the way your skin breaks so, so easily under his fangs, marred with a permanent bloody print of him, has Sylus addicted.

So he bites again, lower this time, stands of bloody saliva connecting his lips to the dip of your spine. Fuck, he wants to mark you until there’s no question you’re taken, ruined, again and again and again. 

You don’t think he realizes he’s saying it out loud, a desperate mantra broken only by the wet sucking and biting of his lips. 

Sylus moans, hips stuttering as he comes with a shout, his sudden orgasm ripping through every muscle as he feels that corrupting heat relent with every thick rope of cum he paints inside your weeping cunt. He doesn't pull out, can't bear the thought of parting from your tight heat.

You whimper into his arm, biting again, feeling the warmth of his cum overflowing into you, squirting out as it drips down your thighs, still going and going as Sylus fucks himself through it, not stopping even as a creamy ring began forming at the base of his cock. 

Sylus expected the aphrodisiac to be absolved, waiting for the furious need, the soreness in his balls and the primal drive at the base of his brain to lessen, only to realize he felt no better. 

More. More, he still needs more. 

But so do you. And hell, you're so close, enough that you abandon your pride, crying for him over the gag that was his forearm, and beg. 

“Again,” Sylus growls. The sound rumbles deep within his chest, low and dangerous, and he can feel your pulse quicken, can hear the rush of blood through your veins. He can feel your Evol burning beneath your skin, the power seeping from your body in waves, and he can feel his own power responding.

The shadows grow. They writhe and pulse and spread, wrapping around the both of you and covering the room, turning the world pitch black. Caging you in. 

“Go on, no need to hold back now, sweetie.” Another ruthless thrust, and your jaw goes slack as he hits your cervix, deep enough that if he pushed any further you’re certain he’d breach your womb, heartbeat pulsing through your body like you were made for him. “Beg for it.”

You want to fight it. You want to say no, to struggle and bite and scratch. But the aphrodisiac has taken full control, and gods knew how long you’ve been losing the fight against Sylus even before this.

“Syl—“ His hips still. A warning. You fight to make any coherent thought amidst your unraveling, correcting yourself as you slur his title in sheer desperation, “Sir. Sir, please, let me come. You got to come, so help me!” your voice is hardly more than a broken gasp now, ”Please.”

Another tendril wraps around your front, pressing on the bulge through your stomach in time to every rough, wet, thrust, the double pressure enough to have you coming with a sob, wrecked from pleasure and pain as you tighten around his cock, almost begging to be filled more.

“Sir? I could get used to that.” Sylus barely even slows, continuing to use your trembling body as he drags himself in and out, the warm mixture of your cum forming a puddle beneath you as he watches in fascination, still consumed by the primal urge to get you full of him.

But now the aphrodisiac has loosened its grip on you, fulfilled desire replaced with sharp overstimulation as you sob into the marble, feeling every ram of Sylus’ hips smack into your swollen clit with a wet kiss. Not that he particularly cares. He knows your limit, and you’re not there yet.

“Relax. You can handle it.” Sylus laughs, grinding himself in deeper as he licks a stripe of blood and sweat up your neck. He pats your cheek condescendingly, forcing your face to the side as he scans your fucked-out expression with a wolfish smile. ”But should you have the audacity to die on me, I’ll simply bring you back just to use you again.”

Flipping you around with just an arm so you finally face him, Sylus brings your knee to your chest, the other hand forcing your jaw up so he could hear your unintelligible pleas properly.

“What? Can’t talk anymore?” He coos, relishing in the way your nails rake furiously down his back in reply- in warning. “Aw, is my baby drunk on my cock already? Should I stop?”

Not that Sylus could even fathom stopping now, not as he feels his cock bully the cum out of your poor overfilled pussy with each thrust. It drips down your legs and onto his tense balls as he fucks you like an animal, over and over and- And shit it wasn’t enough. It’ll never be enough. 

You shake your head, sobbing.

 “No–” you cry, breath coming in gasps as Sylus pulls himself up onto his knees, forcing you upright as you splay out so easily on his lap, gravity now doing most of the work as you swear you feel him hit deeper than before. “Ah, too much!”

“One moment it’s too little, and the next too much. You should try and make up your mind, sweetheart.” One hand squishes your cheeks together and forces you to look down at the way your poor pussy was bulging around Sylus’ cock. Your bodies are both drenched in a sinful mixture of blood and sweat and cum, sheer exhaustion slowing the both of you down as every slow, deep thrust is now accentuated with a filthy wet slap. “Mmmh I was foolish to let you run from me f’so long, not when you look so perfect like this.”

Sylus’ fangs graze your ear, abs tensing underneath your nails as he fucks up into you without any sort of rythm. Sharp, slow jabs of his hips, meeting each one as he palms at your swollen belly. “Can’t wait till you’re fucked full, right sweetie?”

He doesn’t wait for a response - not that he could hear one anyways, eyes blown out as they focus on your gorgeous body utterly surrendered to him, limp against his chest as he splays his fingers over your womb. “You wanna be filled? Wanna give me an heir for Onychinus?”

God, the very thought makes your head spin. “Please,” you whine, beginning to resonate with him once more as you arch violently into his chest. “More, I need more, please- fuck- don’t you dare s-stop.”

“Linkon’s righteous guardian and the White Wolf.” You don’t even realize it, but you’ve begun to match his thrusts, grinding down in his lap to meet his ruthless cadence. “We’d be unstoppable. You want that? Tell me-” his pleas break into a low moan, words slurred together as he pulls you closer, ramming you up and down as you can do nothing more than dig bloody lines down his enormous shoulders and chest. “Tell me you want it, need it- hah- tell me you’ll choose me.”

His cockhead rams against your bruised g-spot with each word, even when his voice breaks into senseless groans as he falls prey to your pretty little cunt trying to suck him in further and further still. And right as you feel yourself slipping, you pull him into a messy kiss - if it can even be called that, just a frenzied, messy drag of his lips against your open mouth, licking and sucking at your teeth. 

“I can never escape you.”

You don’t know who cums first- you only feel the heat surge in the base of your throat, heartbeat thumping erratically against your ears and cunt, falling into Sylus’ chest as the warmth takes you. Warm, everything is warm, burning up even without the aphrodisiac as you feel rope after rope of his seed paint the inside of your walls white, excess drooling out of your sensitive folds. 

Every ragged breath comes out in a mist against your ears, Sylus’ hair damp and stuck to his forehead and your own as he fights to control his breathing. His eyes are still locked where the two of you connect, fingers releasing your waist to try and shove his cum back inside. 

You hiss at the contact, trying to squirm away as you fall backwards, taking Sylus with you as your back hits the drenched marble. “Let go of me.”

Sylus raises a brow, lips curling over his teeth. “I’m not the one who's trapping us together.” He taps your legs still wrapped around his waist, and immediately you relax, shivering as you feel Sylus’ cock finally slide out of you. 

Even after all that you feel the lingering effects of the toxin bubble under your skin. Sated, for now, but far from gone. Hell, you think you might die if you have to go through that again. 

“We need to get to a hospital,” you say, refusing to meet Sylus’ eyes as you try to stand. Only for your knees to immediately buckle. 

Luckily, Sylus is there to catch you, pulling you into his arms before scooping you up to his chest. “Firstly, there is no hospital in the N109 Zone nor Linkon City that would admit me.” He stands with frustrating ease as the misty tendrils of his Evol cover your bare body like a second skin. “Secondly, we’re not exactly in a state where they wouldn’t begin asking questions, don’t you agree, kitten?”

You all but hiss at him, only making the man laugh harder until he winces, staggering slightly as you feel his skin grow hot again. It’s clear Sylus isn’t completely freed from the aphrodisiac either, the sheer volume the two of you must have breathed in during the initial attack far past the mortal limit. 

Not a hospital, fine. A doctor then. 

“I know a place.” You whisper, and Sylus narrows his eyes. “He won’t ask questions, and we’re already running out of time. Who knows how long the effects will last, and if anyone will know how to actually cure this it’ll be him.” 

“And I’m supposed to trust you, sweetie?”

You laugh, curt and humorless. “You don’t have a choice.”

Sylus goes quiet, but you can hear the argument raging in his head, brows furrowed as he scowls at open air. Another shiver rakes through your body, and you unconsciously press yourself closer, already dreading what will happen when the aphrodisiac comes back full force. 

But the sight of you, trembling and utterly vulnerable in his arms tugs at something forgotten, and Sylus relents. 

“Very well, tell me where to go.”

[brailsthesmolgurl]

hello, this is Rei, heehee…

so i have an plot idea for a Rafayel ff/au (this is based on my irl premonition about me and my man that i kept dreaming from last year up until this year multiple times, afaik i dreamt of it like 42 times, i altered a huge amount of plot here)

Y/N basically thinks she ain't enough for Rafayel, she remembered all her past lives with him. broke up with him, and she left their sons together with him at his front door with a detailed letter as their two little boys are silently crying (sons have the same desc with the one i requested from you last time, from the “Lose You To Love You” Rafayel ff/au here if i remember it right)

Rafayel let their sons in

meanwhile, in the thunderous stormy and rainy night, Y/N decides to jump off a cliff to the roaring tides and she got engulfed with turbulent waves

Rafayel felt that and knew instantly what happened because his mark glows and he left their sons together to Caleb (yes Caleb in Love and Deepspace will be his brother here) for a while and he jumps on the same spot, swimming to MC in his merman form

Caleb and the boys follow shortly and they transform to merman form to accompany Rafayel

they manage to rescue Y/N and transform back to human form then they all go up ashore and come back to the house

Caleb and the boys retreat to their room while Rafayel takes Y/N with him to his room as he holds her tight with both of them naked for him to warm her up

Y/N wakes up the next day with Rafayel atop of her, deep asleep and silently crying, then she smiles while silently crying too as she caresses his head and ruffles his hair

they will have a gentle confrontation and heart to heart talk (Rafayel also took Y/N to the hospital not long after and it turns out she is 4 months 2 weeks pregnant and she didn't even know but baby boy normal and safe inside, basically her hormones are raging and it fuels her guilt)

basically 21 years after, Rafayel and MC look back into it after a long day of managing their art studio café, and their 3 sons together surprised them with an animation they made about their whole love story hahaha

author @brailsthesmolgurl if you want to add angst and fluff it you choice, your choice for it to be suggestive too, it a happy ending

Hi there lovely one!

Thanks for this request, I’m sure it is a whole plot played out for you but this time I have to apologise as my requests are not opened anymore as I am swamped with work irl 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

And initially after your last request I do not intend to have a sequel for it anymore as my focus for sequels would be placed more on my own original works so I hope u understand this🥹

Yet again thanks for the request but I apologise for the rejection of this request 🥹

[brailsthesmolgurl]

“Is it time for a horror movie?”

Preview: LNDS boys’ watching horror movies with you

SYLUS

Hiding behind your hand, you were anticipating something to jump out from the edge of the screen. The music was drowning your logic, causing your brain to sway away from believing that this horror movie is just a piece of fiction. Yet, you got curious, wondering how your boyfriend is doing beside you and you figured it would be a good enough to distract yourself from the movie by staring at him. When you peeked over to him, you watched his figure slouched against the maroon backrest, half-lidded, blankly staring at the screen bearing the face of indifference. “How are you not scared? The music is so damn loud!”

The man chuckled in return, eyes trained on you now, his red orbs a matching pair with the ghost in the movie. “When you had witnessed enough non-fictional horrors, fiction just remains fictional.” He crossed his arms and leaned closer to you, the tip of his nose nearly touching yours. “Why? Is my sweetie scared?” Without even replying, he grabbed you by your shoulders and yanked you towards a side hug. “If you’re scared, why not just hide in my arms?” His breath fanned the shell of your ear, his whispers successfully creeped against the edge of your skin, causing goosebumps to rise. “I’ll make sure the ghosts leave you alone.”

ZAYNE

The idea of watching a horror movie with Zayne, betting on whoever gets spooked will end up paying for the next coffee date was a bad idea. You had underestimated that Zayne is the type to take challenges seriously, which explains the scariest movie that is being played on the television now. The jump scares—consisting of mostly loud banshee-like screeches, horrifying visuals and gory scenes—was a hard pill for you to swallow. The rules of the challenge had restricted any of you to emit any reactions to the jumpscare scenes but at this point, losing the ability to cover your ears or look away, you could only close your eyes and prayed that Zayne might not be able to catch it.

“Perhaps betting on this challenge is not a good idea.” You turned your head, now looking at the man that was sat comfortably on the couch next to you. He had changed out of his work clothes and his hair slightly tousled. “I caught you closing your eyes every time whenever a jumpscare happens.” Pouting, you crossed your arms, already knowing that there are no excuses to be made and you will have to accept the outcome of this. But, Zayne seemingly took in your disappointment. “But, I guess I did lost this challenge as I only looked at you whenever there is a jumpscare.”

XAVIER

You laid comfortably within the arms of your boyfriend, the blond bloke enjoying a movie that you have not told him anything about. Staying in and watching movies are usually something pretty common for the both of you as it saves money and promotes good quality time. As the music starts getting louder, you took a peek at your him and you nearly laughed. The man was sat there, one of his hands grabbing onto the seat handle till his knuckles had turned white. His eyes are widened, most likely in fear as he anticipated what comes next on the screen. When the jumpscare happened, he jolted, however, was silent.

“Why did you chose something like this to watch?” There comes the question you had expected. When you explained that you simply wanted to see his reaction, his ears would be tinted red, and his eyes would stray away from yours, embarrassed as he rubs his hand behind his neck to soothe himself. “I…I just don’t really enjoy horror movies.” Says Xavier, with eyes so full of guilt that you had turned off the television right away just to comfort his soul. Guess he just really does not like horror movies.

RAFAYEL

Being invited to the theatres for a premier is something you had never thought of attending. Yet again, dating a famous painter was never written in your book of fate either. Rafayel was anticipating for this premiere as he got the chance to invite you to be on the red carpet next to him, to show you off as his muse to the public. So excited till he had forgotten to tell you that this premiere is for a horror show, and it was set to win the award for a new horror genre. The anticipation starts to dissipate when the hall started to dim. “Oh shit—“ You heard Rafayel cursed under his breath before he leaned in to whisper into your ear. “I had forgotten to tell you that this is a horror movie premiere.”

Throughout the movie, it seemed like Rafayel is the one scaring you much more than the movie’s multiple jumpscares. The man would yelp out before the jumpscare even takes place. You were relieved that this premiere featured VIP seatings which are only reserved for the both of you, or else other participants of the premiere would surely be more freaked out of the legendary painter himself. “Why do they have so many of these things popping out of the screens?” And when you talked back, saying that what should be expected for a horror movie, he would only pout and said. “Puh—leaseeee, how many jumpscares do they even need for it to be a new genre of horror?”

[brailsthesmolgurl]

APPRENTICESHIP

Preview: Set back in the olden days of China, your attendance was much summoned by Master Li Shen, a renowned Medical Physician that is in need of an apprentice. Known for his stoic personality, your temperance was definitely tested. But, could there be an actual explanation behind his stoicity?

Warnings: Angst but does come with fluff (that does not actually last long heh), surprise side character oops, suggestive themes because i know chu dirty dirty (like me)

P.S: I am not a doctor, hence most of the 'medication methods' mentioned in here are for the sake of the plot and is not and shall not be implied to real life practice! Futhermore, I am not a historian so I am not the best at depicting traditional China perfectly, all of the basis of my descriptions are taken off of the Chinese dramas I used to binge on. This story was also highly inspired by this amazing artwork and the most recent memory of his! He is always known as Doctor Zayne in modern days, so why not give it an inspirational twist and make him a highly honoured doctor in the older days of Chinese history! Divider is sourced from here!

previous part + next part

The night after the incident, y/n could not wipe off the way events had unfolded during the night where Li Shen was tending to her wounds. The feeling of staying afloat while she was unconscious, could it be Li Shen who was carrying her back to his abode? Did he found her in the alley that night when the attack had happened? Or right when it was about to happen? She had so many questions, but little to none answers.

Running on assumptions does not seem to be worth her time either so she decided to confront Li Shen about it. However, it took her more than a week to muster up the courage she needed to ask him such questions that had been bottled up in her. Back to the current moment, she was sat in the treatment room, next to Li Shen, jotting down notes on the bamboo sticks for patient records. "Your wounds are not as deep, provide this young man with some herbs. You can take it everyday and you shall see improvement."

She wrote down the herbs that would be issued to the man and propped the ink brush against the ink stone, awaiting for the ink to seep further into the bamboo slip. Li Shen had gotten up, muttering to her that he shall be in his chambers and had asked her to finish up the current patient. Much obliged, she put the bamboo slip onto the tea table and grabbed some bandages made out of woven cotton.

The patient that sat in front of her was quite a good looking young man, long silvery-white hair that flowed down to his waist neatly tucked behind his shoulders as he was sat in front of her, top peeled off for her to examine his wound. He calls himself Qin Che when he was asked for his name at the start of the treatment. The man had eyes the shade of rubies that glinted whenever he watched her focusing on applying the herb onto his wound. So, this is the girl that the physician had set his eyes on? Qin Che finds it amusing.

"If it hurts, you can tell me and I shall let you have a breather." She glanced up from his naked torso and beamed warmly. Qin Che looked down at her, nostrils hanging high when he barely felt the sting of the herbs laid on his wound. He sighed and tugged a side of his lips up in a smirk, ruby gaze dancing between her eyes and her lips. Studying his prey carefully, watching her basking within the glow of the moonlight. "Is everything okay?"

"Never better." His voice, grumbled through his torso as he replied. This prompted her to fix her gaze back to his wound. The patient's body was full of cicatrixes, some formed scars, some still healing and some newly acquired like the one she is currently treating. He might be that tough of a hunter to obtain such scars. Her trail of doubt was interrupted when she felt a pressure against the top of her head. Looking up, she noticed Qin Che has his palm sat on her head, the smirk still stuck on his face. "You're as pretty as a doe aren't you?"

"Excuse me?" She was ready to pull back but his hand shifted positions to grab her by the nape of her neck and he pulled her upwards, his strength so great that all it took was one arm to get her secured within his lap. Y/n gasped but was immediately shushed by the man whom had already pressed his lips against hers. Her hands came up to push against his chest but it was to no avail. The man is built like a rock, heavy and immobile. "S...Stop." She begged with squeaks but the man did not budge, tongue darting out to lap at her bottom lip as his other arm grabbed her by the waist to secure her within his embrace. "Please..no..."

Based off of her will, he eventually pulled back, still holding y/n on his lap and he watched her flustered emotions, her arms raising up to shield her face. But Qin Che stopped her, wanting to savour the expression she was holding for the past few minutes. "You had never been touched before, haven't you?" His voice littering goosebumps onto her delicate skin. "Now I know why Li Shen was willing to leave you alone in the same room as me." She sensed betrayal, as if she was pawned off to a stranger for mere entertainment. Yet, she could not believe that Li Shen would do this to her. However, she could not even put a finger on what was going on in his head most of the time so who is she to assume that he may not have bad motives towards her?

Her mind is starting to be overwhelmed, hands turning cold, head still bowed low to avoid the intense gaze of the man with scarlet orbs. "He wouldn't do that." Her lips muttered what her conscience wants to believe but Qin Che only removed her off of his lap and he stood up, his height much taller than Li Shen's, making him much more intimidating. "You're lying." She could sense his presence, that same overwhelming aura she had gotten the moment she had entered the room. Fingers gripped under her chin and her head was tilted upwards, eyeing the man with the half naked torso, and a wicked smile on his handsome face.

"A pretty flower like you do not deserve to be deserted within such barren lands." He released his grip on her chin and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. His gaze seemingly had softened under the flickers of the candlelight. "It has been my pleasure to see you my princess. I look forward to our next meeting." His hands retracted, leaving the burning sensation behind as a mark. Pulling on his top, he secured it with a knot and he grabbed the sword that he had placed leaning against the wall. When he turned, she caught sight of his waist tag.

The small and compact identification tag was carved out of jadeite jade, the sheen of green unnaturally brighter within the shine of the moonlight. In this day and age, waist tags identity one's status, family lineage and also their wealth. Jadeite tags marks as one of the most influential beings within a nation and the fact that Qin Che has one, it enshrouds her small mind even more. This man is not an ordinary hunter as what she had figured, he is a scion. Her lips could not utter anything, for she had pieced the explanation for his aura, his scars, his attitude and his sword together and now had grown to be more wary of him.

Out of respect, she kowtowed, forehead pressed tightly against the back of her hands. The man sauntered over to her and she closed her eyes, anticipating any forms of physical contact that she does not even have the strength to fight against but it did not came. Instead, the man served her a command. "Fear me not, for I will come back for you, my flower." He ran his hands smoothly down the back of her head till he reached her nape and he knelt down on one knee, whispering into her ear, his breath batting against the shell of her ear. "Next time, I'm afraid I might not hold back my desires on you."

Li Shen got up from his seated position and headed over towards the patient room that y/n was last seen in. He was wondering why she has yet to bring by the patient records for storage. Sliding the doors open with a thud as it came to a stop, he was taken aback with the sight of her on the floor, hair once in a bun now unkempt, flowing down her back with ends meeting and spreaded out on the floor. Her dress was slightly crumpled and she was caught staring into the expanse of the cold hard floors. His heart faltered yet again.

"Y/n." He leaned down to her, lightly tapping her shoulder to elicit a response. Y/n's head turned as her name was called out and he could make out that she had been crying, with streaks of moisture on her cheeks that glistened under the moonlight and her eyes that was unwilling to meet his. "Did something happened between you and the patient while I was gone? Did he do something to you?"

Her lips quivered, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes when Li Shen asked her about her wellbeing. The sense of betrayal had blinded her with such rage that she pushed him off, making him stumbled back and sat onto the floor and he watched when she dashed out of the room. "Y/N!" He shouted for her name, pushing himself off of the floor with one arm and he started sprinting after her.

Qin Che's arrival was undue. It was in the middle of the night and the man had appeared at his doorstep, with a huge gash on the side of his hip, blood soaked through his top. He is a stranger, for Li Shen had never met someone who had looked so intimidating like him. Although blood was dripping down from the sides of his lips, he seemed unfazed by his wounds, only asking for herbs and he shall be on his way.

But Li Shen still took him in, because assessing the way his clothings were tainted red, he could have died if he were to be told to leave the premises. However, his crimson eyes got Li Shen wondering if he was the myth that was foretold by the villagers; a king who failed to be crowned due to betrayal, a forbidden king so great that he moves only within the mist, bearing bloodshot eyes like a beast and with a strong desire for revenge against the kingdom. No questions were put forth of course, as Li Shen has never been the one to pry for answers. Especially when this man may be a dangerous individual.

Leaving her alone with Qin Che however, was not a decision he made abruptly. It was observed throughout treatment, that Qin Che was too weak to make any advances hence he decided to leave her alone to finish cleaning up his wounds. Li Shen had retreated back to his own quarters to seek for any other viable herbs that he may prescribe to the man. Yet again, Li Shen's guilt hits when he spots her disheveled figure on the floor, failing to meet his gaze and now refuses to be within his vicinity.

The physician trudged through the bamboo forests seeking for her, lantern hung at the end of a long stick, grasped within his tight grip as he navigated through the forest. The skies being the only witness to the events that had unfolded, quietly mocking Li Shen's emotions by sending thunder crackling through the dark voids of the night. Rain would come soon and his heart grew wary, worried for her safety. A few more moments went by and he heard rustlings of leaves, followed by sniffles.

"Y/n?" He tried to call her name again, and the lantern lit the narrow paths ahead, till he spotted a figure squatted near the berry bushes. "Y/n..." He approached her carefully, not wanting to startle her any further and he asked. "Are you---" But trails off when he seeks her ankle peeking out from beneath her skirt, a few cuts littered on them. There are no doubts she would not be slightly hurt as she did charged out without any guidances of any lanterns. Yet again, Li Shen was relieved at least she is in one piece.

Without even seeking for her permission, the man bent down next to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hoisting her up onto her feet. Y/N only continued sniffling, tantrum seeking defeat when she was urged to climb onto his back and she got on, holding onto the lantern to light their way home. The journey back was a bit of a distance, and the two were entertained with the choirs of frogs, chanting to welcome the rain that was about to pour. "Why did you gave me to him, alone?" She was the one who broke the silence, itching to seek for the ugly truth, or so that was what she had in mind.

"By no means I intended to. I wanted to get him another kind of herb so I was off to my room to look through my medicinal records." Li Shen explained, eyebrows now knitted together when he tried to balance himself while carrying her up a slope. "What happened in the room when I was away?"

Her voice was hushed, indicating her fear and embarassment. "He...He kissed me." The way Li Shen's body stiffened got her stamping her face against his back. The thunder had cut through the awkward silence in between them, and rain drops started to fall. The young physician looked up at the night sky, and continued his journey, not uttering anything else to combat the ongoing silence. He directed his focus towards getting them out of the rain as soon as possible.

Conversations with Li Shen were held to a minimal threshold for the next few days as there has been a spike in patients due to a common cold. Y/n was not allowed to be anywhere out of the premises of the clinic and is only allowed to treat selected patients, only females to be precise. Ever since that night, Li Shen's benevolence had been put to the test. Rejecting all patients whom had visited him during dusk and applying new rules to enforce her safety. Some may view this to be a result for his absolution, but Li Shen was put in a tight spot. In order to protect her, certain sacrifices would have to be made. His decision is perhaps absolute.

Y/n was sat at her desk, brush in her hand as she is writing a letter for her father, to bid a greeting to him as it has been a long while since she had last went home. Homesick she does feel sometimes, but ever since the new rules are applied, she felt even more lonelier than she had ever been. Small talks with Li Shen now are deliberately rarer, and she could barely muster the courage to ask his permission to allow her to go to the market with him for groceries. A knock on her door jolted her and she turned, facing the door as it slid open, revealing the man she had thought of.

Li Shen slips himself into her room, a scroll in his hand and a bag in another. "Y/n." His call for her name has always been gentle, the only time he had ever resulted to a frantic call for her name was when she ran away from him, out of his personal space, leaving him in a state of guilt and confusion. He took a seat opposite her at her desk and places the items he was holding onto the ground carefully. "I am here to discuss with you about some matters."

Setting aside her brush, she looked up at him and awaited for him to speak. Her mind wandering towards what would be the discussion this time, part of her wishing he would care for her, maybe present a change in her daily routines or maybe finally allow her to take a breather outside of the house with a much lenient curfew. But his stoic look does not look promising. "I will be discharging you back to your home town. You are no longer needed to be my assistant."

Y/n felt her world spinning, her brain hammering against her skull when he literally just verbally dismissed her. He handed the scroll, his eyes studying her shocked features, but he remained expressionless. "Was this because of what had happened? When that patient did something humiliating?" Y/n was upset when the whites of her eyes are starting to line with red veins, tears surfacing. "Or was it because I ran away and you find me to be troublesome to your operations?" She had never been so straightforward, so outspoken about herself that Li Shen is all the more convinced that she will no longer remember her past memories with him and this is the right choice for him to make. For her good and for his own to forget about her.

Reluctantly sighing, Li Shen's eyes failed to meet hers. His sanctimonious act felt like an abrasive insult towards the young woman. "Nary of your propositions affected me when I decided upon this." His hands worked on smoothing a slight crease on the shoulder of his white hanfu. "I took you in only because of your father's wish and insistent nature." And maybe I just wanted to see you again. The last sentence of his was hushed, restrained from rolling off of the tip of his tongue. "You may pack up your necessities, your carriage will be ready by tomorrow for you."

He caught her hunched figure, candle light painting warmth onto her now pallor face. The silence in between them was cut off with the sounds of toads croaking. Her small hands had scrunched onto the piece of scroll, distorting the scroll into a crooked semi circle. She looks pissed, but had uttered naught. "There is one more thing I had in my mind." Laying down the scroll in her hand, she looked up, pupils dilated as she moved closer towards Li Shen. She was expecting him to move back, to not be so keen on her invading his personal bubble but he stayed put in his spot. "What went through your mind that day, when you found me in the patient's room?"

An imaginary spotlight was placed onto the young physician, his eyes staring straight back at hers, his forest-like irises eaten by his black pupils. He opened his mouth to speak, but to his surprise, she cuts him off with a question that reeked of dourness. "Were you elated perhaps?" His eyebrows furrowed as she continued questioning him. "That you managed to pawn me off to that patient and allowing him to display such indecent manners upon me." Her torrents did not seemed unending, her laments expressed through every single word of hers. "My father gave me a choice, whether to be married to someone of royalty that he had picked for me, or to work for you. I chose you, Li Shen."

Li Shen although seemed indifferent, he felt like he was to be blamed for the guilt she is feeling. Or whatever negative emotions she has to hold onto at this very moment. "I figured it can't be a coincidence, but, having you to send me off now, maybe it was my father's plan afterall. Maybe he did got you to set me up with that patient and after what the man had done to me, I would be bound to him, for I no longer maintain the chastity of my lips." The tears finally shown themselves, trailing down her pale cheeks and dripping down the edge of her jaw. "I never thought---"

"I would not do that to you." Li Shen chimed in before she could continue, already annoyed at the accusations that were placed upon him. He himself did not know that Qin Che is a royalty, nor did he paid specific attention to his identification tag around his waist. Li Shen placed two fingers under her chin and brought her face up just high enough so he may see her. Eventhough she is crying, she still nevertheless looked ethereal to his eyes. "I'm sorry that I made you feel this way y/n. But I did not act according to your father's will to find you someone of royalty. For I am no matchmaker." His eyes traced down her tear streak, till it came to a halt at her plump lips. "In fact, your father sent you to me not only because of your apprenticeship," his voice had gotten hushed and it was like he had silenced the croaks of the toads outside of the room they were in. All y/n could hear was the sound of his gentle voice, cooing her. "but he seeks for us to be in matrimony too."

Gasping, she blinked her eyes rapidly, refusing to believe that Li Shen is supposedly going to be the one that she shall be holding matrimony with. She could not bring herself to say anything, but to only be lost within his gentle, eager gaze. Li Shen's eyes darted back to her lips, and he slowly leaned in, giving up the advices thrown by his mind as he let his conscience took over him. "That day, when I found you, I was beyond furious. I never thought seeing you in that state would take me such great willpower to hold me back from acting brashly. I had never wished for you to be in danger, y/n." His lips hovered over hers, and she could feel his slightly quickened breaths feathering against her upper lips. "I want you, y/n."

The collision of theirs lips was a burst of emotions, a canonical event that shall reshape the course of their relationship. Li Shen had held back long enough that he thought his desires were going to vanish if she were to leave him. But the longingness he felt, mixed with his desire for her love, was not a good mix and it showed through his fervent kiss. He pushed her back, hand placed behind her head to be a cushion for her as she laid back against the mat. His lips were soft, gentle and needy, lapping over hers like soft tides over the edge of the beaches. His kiss had set Qin Che off to another tier --- imposing a new threshold for y/n--- as it was slow, unrushed, emotional and it felt right for her.

After a moment, their passionate embrace was withdrawn and Li Shen leaned back slightly, a tinge of scarlet now apparent on his cheeks and tips of his ears. The kiss was abrupt and with her most recent trauma, he was not sure if she could have taken their kiss lightly. However, she seemed to be spacing out, eyes slightly narrowed, lips slightly parted and complexion mimicking his, with the scarlet blush splattered across her cheeks too. She did not seemed to be in any abnegation, but she does bear the look of someone who was flabbergasted, or more confused. “My apologies.” The physician blurted out and her eyes travelled to meet his. Engaged in an intense stare, Li Shen could feel his heart trying so hard to lurch out of his chest.

“Li Shen.” A hand on his got the thump of his heart to slow down. Hearing the way she had called out for him and judging by the way she had reacted to his kiss, Li Shen was convinced that perhaps, perchance, she might not have taken it negatively afterall. “I think I need some time.” And there goes the crack on his heart. But when her fingers wrapped around his hand, it got him to continue listening to her. “I like you Li Shen, but I think with what had happened recently, I think it would do me good to retreat back to my home and to recollect myself.” Her words were drawn out slowly, as she seeks for his understanding on her situation, for she is nervous too.

“I understand y/n.” Li Shen reassured her, using his other hand to cup one side of her cheeks. “I will give you all of the time you need, but do not wrong me for giving up on you y/n.” A small smile then appeared on his face when she placed some of her weight against his palm, with her eyes closed, seeking refugee within his warmth. “I do want to be in matrimony with you.”

Her eyes slowly opened, and her smile surfaced. Under the cadence of the candle light, the dim, warm light danced across her face akin to how the butterflies flopped in Li Shen’s belly too. Being emblazoned with the memory of her lips on his, he could no longer look forward to that kind of passionate interaction as he knew that just because he got to hold himself back this time, it may not work as he intended anymore next time. And if her chastity have to be maintained till after marriage then Li Shen would patiently await for her, no matter what it takes or how long it takes for him. “I should leave you to rest for the night, y/n.”

Leaving her in the room, knowing that she would be departing the next day gave Li Shen a heavy heart. It was so heavy that it weighed in for his footsteps, the wood beneath evolved into imaginary mud, dragging his steps into clomps and slowing him down insignificantly. Arriving at the doors leading to his chambers, he heard a shrill of a crow, followed with an ear piercing scream. Li Shen turned and started dashing his way back to her room. It was no doubt that the scream belonged to y/n. "Y/n!" He called out, slamming both of her sliding doors opened, any harder, they would have broke off of its hinges.

Standing by the edge of her window frame, Li Shen could make out the figure that invaded her space. The broad-shouldered, towering man adorns a menacing aura that Li Shen had never encountered before. When he turned, Li Shen managed to seize half of his features in the gloomy room. This is the same guy whom had laid hands on y/n, leaving her stunned within the treatment room, unable to croak even a word, and leading her to flight due to his revolting actions. There, in the shroud of darkness, stood Qin Che, bearing the pupils of a monstrous beast that gleamed red under the silver moonlight, with y/n hoisted up in his arms like a porcelain doll that shall be shattered tonight.

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