Old AV Thread

[a park in botswana]

A little startled by Tessa's exclamation at interrupting their dinner, Colburn shook his head, waving one of his hands dismissively. "It has to settle, anyway. Please, don't worry about that." However, his eyes followed Tessa's hand as she dove it into her bag. Lacey seemed almost ready to burst, trying her best to keep calm given her father's order as she continued teetering back and forth. At the sight of the purple bag, Lacey gasped, instantly fascinated by the colour.

"Chocolate? Yay!" Instantly, the little girl began to open them, diving her hand into the package to inspect the chocolates. Securing his hand around his own bag, Colburn smiled at Tessa before looking down at his daughter.

"Lacey, you can eat that after lunch. Otherwise, your stomach is going to hurt like last night." Hearing her father's caution, Lacey grumbled under her breath, doing her best to retie the package. "And what are you supposed to say, Lacey?"

"Thank you Tessie!" The little girl grinned before looking between Tessa and her father. "Can I show Tessie my dolls? Please, Papa?"

"Go get washed up for lunch first, Lacey." The little girl sighed, kicking part of the floor before reluctantly dragging herself away, taking her package with her. Once Lacey once out of sight, Colburn looked down at the package in his hand before looking back to Tessa. "Thank you for the chocolate. I wish I had something to give you..." He chuckled softly. "I had considered participating in the festival today with Paige's help, but it didn't go as planned..." Besides, Paige had been so focused on preparing everyone else's chocolates, not even including Alaister's, that he'd just dropped the idea of asking her for help. She had plenty of other things to worry about.

"Will you join us for lunch, at least? I don't want you to go back into the cold so soon." He didn't recognize the clothes Tessa wore, but it looked a little bit like something Paige would suggest. So his cousin was rubbing off on the jeweler. Made sense - after all, the two were best friends.


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XXXXLOCATION: MOONGLOW FARM XXXXCOMPANY: TESSA, LACEY XXXXMENTIONS: PAIGE, ALAISTER

[Stickered Fun]

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` （ ░ ♛ ♥ BENCHxx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ EUNJIxx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ STUFFED UP & WORRIEDxx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ OUTFIT

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A bleak smile crossed Campbell’s face as Eunji rubbed off the snowflake on her nose. He should have just done it himself; he really regretted it now. He was just so anxious about physical contact and he didn’t want his body to do something rash and accidently hurt her. There was no use staying upset at himself though, he had company! His eyes drifted over to Eunji to say something to keep the conversation going, but instead he noticed her rummaging through her basket to find something. Campbell’s bright amber eyes dimmed slightly as he noticed what she was looking for. Pills? He didn’t recall prescribing those to her. She swallowed them so effortlessly even without something to wash them down. Did she do this regularly? He brought his gaze to meet hers and his bottom lip was dominated by his top row of teeth as she spoke. Just a headache? Had he failed to notice that she was in pain before? He was so nervous about hanging out with her that he failed to notice something wrong. He cursed himself and opened his mouth to ask a string of questions about her health in the current moment.

His mouth was left hanging as she asked him not to worry. In his years of doctoring he had learned that this was always something to be wary of. He wanted so badly to take her over to the clinic and make her feel completely fine again. On the other hand, he didn’t want to leave the little bubble he and Eunji were in now. They weren’t necessarily being romantic or flirting, but being next to someone that he had some feelings for was enough. He fought himself over what to do but eventually came to a conclusion. ”I’ll let it slide for now, but…” Somehow, putting on the front of a doctor was much harder. ”You have to promise to stop by the clinic later today or tomorrow. I want to make sure everything’s okay…” His lips lowered into a small frown. He was hardly ever this lenient. Today was a holiday, right? He brought his hand up to scratch at his messy hair. Was this the right decision? It still ate at him.

Campbell continued to internally pout until Eunji spoke again. ”W-Why I…?” He started. He paused to analyze the question asked. Why would she ask him that? It was a little out of the blue. He swallowed deeply and ran his hands through his hair once again. ”Well… I…” He didn’t really like talking about himself too much. It made him feel awkward and vulnerable. He clasped his hands together and played with his thumbs. ”As a kid I had seen it and I really adored the atmosphere. I had traveled a lot and it was one place where it seemed I could just easily call it home. A-And I liked that.” His eyes darted around nervously. He intertwined his fingers in different combinations and looked to Eunji for approval. Before he could speak he added: ”P-Plus my dad knew the previous doctor so it wasn’t too hard to get a job, y’know?” Was this the answer she was looking for? What exactly was she looking for?

He looked her up and down to examine her body language. However, it was difficult to see what was really happening because of the harsh weather. He felt a tingling sensation in his sinus and knew what was coming. He turned away from Eunji and stuffed his face into his elbow. ”A-Achoo!” He sneezed. A bit dazed from the strength of the sneeze, he gently lowered his arm and tried to focus his sight. ”S-Sorry…” He murmured as he wiped the corners of his eyes where little tears had appeared. Was he getting sick? That’d be such a nuisance. As an attempt to cover himself up, he looked to Eunji. ”A-Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked leaning in a little closer to her. In doing so, his cheeks and ears flushed once more. His amber eyes blinked several times as he took in all the features of her face. This made him a bit too flustered and he leaned back to how they were sitting before. His heart thumped violently against his chest and he winced. He kept his eyes shut and directed his face towards the floor. ”W-What about you? Why did you come h-here?” He said quietly as he sniffed a couple times.

[chamomile and myrrh]

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x
It seemed that there was more then he told when it came to his dislike for the holiday, but Tavi didn't pry. No need to bring up bad memories. Besides, if Gray had wanted to tell her, he would have. Her silence was met when she tossed the chocolates down and poured herself a drink. She smiled softly and leaned back in her chair, cupping her glass in her delicate hands. As he rose his glass and thanked her, Tavi rose hers as well with a slight nod. It was nice, the snow outside and the heat from the forge while they toasted. The peace that had settled over them was suffocating. Tavi became antsy, so she naturally had to do something to rattle her company. Her loud, but harmless prank cause Gray to turn scarlet in anger. Maybe it was the hang over or the holiday, but Gray's attitude soured much quicker than usual. Sighing, Tavi let him glare at her and simply gave him a rather bored glance, "I thought we had already decided I was a snarky b***h and you were a barbaric a*****e." Ignoring his comment about the door, Tavi sipped her drink and chuckled under her breath.

Gray topped his drink off and leaned to the same for her. Nodding her thanks, Tavi took a deep drink and her eyes widened as the whiskey burned down her throat. Her toes were warming up again, whether the whiskey or the forge was the cause she was happy to have feeling restored to them. But her happiness was short lived as the front door opened with a burst of cold. Like a yeti from hell, Nero stood in the doorway. Tavi's expression soured and she snapped, "I wouldn't touch you with a thirty foot pole." Her eyes joined the ferocious onslaught against Nero, as she and Gray glarred him down. Then she turned on Gray as he implied having her around inflicted pain and annoyance. "The one I'd like to bring pain to is you, Gray..." She snarled softly and set her drink down with a thump.

The door creaked as cold air whipped in through the opening. Tavi watched as Gray got up to shut the door, and listened to his coughing. It was ragged, and sounded painful. Frowning, Tavi wondered if Gray had seen the doctor recently. Instead of asking him, she just sat quietly and examined his face. Pale, dilated pupils... Tavi lift her hand to his forehead without warning, checking if he had a noticeable temperature. She scowled, "It's your own fault for drinking too much." Removing her hand, she decided he would be fine. Gray was a big boy, a hang over wasn't a big deal.

Her attention shifted as the door was opened again. Eridith stepped in, looking a bit cold. She was surprised to see Lucian walk through the door behind her. A soft smile lit up her eyes and her lips as she remembered the fun from the night before. It had been the first time she had baked with anyone other than Mako. Lucian was probably the only one to see that side of her other than her foster brother. She greeted Lucian first, then said a polite hello to Eridith. As the male walked over to her and Gray, Tavi shifted in her seat a bit. A box was placed in front of Gray but Lucian held out one for her to take. Quickly she reached in her mail bag and pulled out a bag she had set aside specifically for him. The little bag was a light grey with a red leather tie. A note was tucked between the thong and bag, reading: thank you for reminding me how to laugh. Gingerly she picked up the box of chocolates from his hand and set the bag in his empty palm. She looked up and met his eyes, "And thank you, as well. I doubt I would have made anything for anyone if you hadn't seemed so scared of baking alone." She grinned and couldn't help but bite the inside of her lip. Why was talking to Lucian so much harder than interrogating a bandit?

Tavi glanced at the watch on Lucian's wrist and realized she would need to get back to her route soon. She sighed and looked over at her mail bag. It wouldn't hurt to stay a bit longer... She could just move fast through the rest of her route. Suddenly her mind flipped back to Nero. As much as she disliked him, it seemed rude to give Gray and Lucian chocolates in front of him and not give him any as well. Grabbing a random bag from her stash in her mail satchel, this one was a deep brick red, she excused herself to walk over to Nero. Tavi cleared her throat and knelt down beside him and Cana, holding out the bag, "Here." Not staying long enough to hear his reply, Tavi returned to Lucian and Gray. She stayed standing and gestured to the now open chair for Eridith before turning back to the male. "How has your Harmony Day been so far, Lucian?"




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【OOC】✘ lol <3 FILLER【COMPANY】✘ Gray, Nero, Lucian, EridithFILLER【LOCATION】✘smithery
goes here FILLE FILLERgoes here FILLERgoes here FILLER【MOOD】✘ nervous & skeptical FILLER【OUTFIT】✘ lovely in layers

Press Start to Begin




s h y LUMiNESCE




Reuga




moonsyrin"[/q

7056p6er:110="moonsyrin"[/quote]

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- - - Eunji’s faced pulled into a pained smile. It wasn’t because of her headache, but rather because Campbell was worrying, asking her to stop by the clinic the next day. “Mmhmm..” she nodded her head faintly. “I’ll stop by t-tomorrow..” For, by tomorrow it would be better, it would be in the past and she could prove to him that he didn’t have to worry. However, it was just getting to that point. She could do it though; she had to be able to do it. Next to her she looked at the chocolates that were all neatly packaged to be delivered, would she be able to manage it? That was the only thing she wanted to accomplish today, she wanted to be able to deliver chocolates to everyone she cared about and erase the past Harmony days from her mind when she accomplished nothing but making the chocolates and having so little confidence in herself she never delivered them, just slowly ate them herself through later days. While Campbell began to speak, Eunji could already feel herself relaxing, his words warmth calming her and comforting her even when he didn’t try. Her eyes drifted to the stale, frozen sky, staring at the watercolor of grays and whites blending into each other. She closed her eyes at one point at listened intently to Campbell, finding herself smiling when he mentioned himself as a kid. She couldn’t even begin to imagine that, his soft blonde hair bouncing with ever step his small legs took. As Campbell finished Eunji opened her eyes slowly, leaning her body forward so she rested her forearms on her legs, her black hair covering her face.

She looked to him right when he sneezed. Eunji quickly sat erect, her eyes wide and face filled with concern. Was he sick? He most certainly wasn’t sick earlier in the day. H-had he gotten sick from this cold weather? It was much colder than days to come, and his leather jacket couldn’t have been keeping much of his body heat in. Eunji could feel her worrying unraveling. Then… then he asks if she’s okay? Eunji clenched her hands into tight balls, staring at her white knuckles. Why? Why was he asking if she was okay? Why couldn’t he look at himself and worry or take concern? Eunji found herself looking at him when he too found her eyes several times. Each time their eyes syncing she could feel the warmth in his honey stained eyes and watched the small freckles of brown dance and move when the light caught them in just the right way.

Eunji did hear his question, but she was still fixating on his sneeze, she was such a hypocrite, telling him not to worry and turning around and doing just the same. Still, she didn’t care. Eunji quickly stood from the bench, turning to Campbell. She then picked up her basket and Sol’s, placing them on her left arm. She then opened her mouth to speak, but without an idea of what to say, she didn’t. Instead Eunji grabbed Campbell by the elbow, helping him up. Once he was standing she picked up his tray and handed it to him. Good. Now it was thinking of a place to stay warm. They hadn’t really gotten far from her house, maybe if they just went back they could rest there for a little. “Umm.” Eunji said nervously, practically shaking as she linked her free arm with Campbell’s. She was hoping at least a little of her body heat would keep him warm, even if it was causing her face to turn a bright shade of red. She let her hair fall in front of her face to hide her embarrassment from Campbell. “Y-you’re sick… aren’t you?” She said as she began to walk him in the direction of her house, her voice laced with guilt, as she had never felt so selfish in her life. Had she forgotten humans had a weaker immune system than others? Was she really going to hurt someone else by her own hand? The negative ideas swarming in her head resulted in her holding tighter to Campbell and the blush on her face to darken. “My house i-isnt far.” She started. “It’s warm too… I could.. uh..” at this point she could feel the warmth of his arm combining with the warmth of her own and it was making it hard to speak. “T-tea.” She stammered, not even forming a sentence. “I c-could m-make tea.” The girl wanted to hide in a hole as she continued to avoid looking at Campbell’s face as she walked. She decided to return to his question he asked earlier, at least that would keep her mind off the fact of how close the two were. “Allure village was an idea.” She began. “I knew the name, and thus I found it.” She slowly looked up to the sky. “It was like putting hope in the North Star, not knowing if you would find your way home, but if you were able to believe you would find what you were looking for.” She smiled softly. “I found my home in Allure… the air, the s-scenery..” she looked to Campbell. “The people.”

Finally, after a few awkward phrases on her part, they arrived to her house, and because she never locked the door she was able to walk him right to the door and open it, allowing him passage before herself. Eunji finally let go of his arm as she closed the door behind the two. Sadly, the house itself wasn’t much warmer, but it would keep out the biting wind. “Please, h-have a seat.” She said, gesturing to a seat at the table in the kitchen. She then quickly got a kettle on and started to boil water. As that began warming she then started a fire in the living room. Thankfully that too didn’t take long, demon’s always had a way with fire after all. Eunji then went upstairs, and when she returned she had two scarves and a blanket. The girl rested the blanket and scarves on the table in front of Campbell, lifting a scarf in each hand. One was a soft pink littered with small white rabbits and the other was white with small cherries. Her cheeks were a bright pink as she spoke. “I d-don’t have any ma-masculine scarves b-but either or should keep you warm.” She stared before she placed the scarves in fornt of him and patted the blanket. “T-the blanket too will keep you warm and—“ At this time a small whistle sounded from the kettle. Eunji turned from Campbell and made the two a cup of steaming green tea.

Eunji set a mug in front of Campbell and took the seat next to him, moving aside the baskets and tray to the end of the table. Eunji took a sip, letting the soft steam trace against her lips. “S-sorry.” She said softly, not meeting his eyes. “I’m not too good in these situations.” She then slowly let her eyes that currently were the same color of the sky meet his amber ones. “I-I mean.. I’m no doctor.” She smiled softly.





&`▌LOCATION: COTTAGE O4 [xx] &`▌WITH: CAMPBELL [xx] &`▌WEARING: HARMONY DAY OUTFIT





Stickered Fun

[Stickered Fun]

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` （ ░ ♛ ♥ EUNJI'S HOMExx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ EUNJIxx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ FLUSTERED & WARMxx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ OUTFIT

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Campbell could never predict what was about to happen. He thought that’d the two would soon be on the move to go deliver chocolates, they’d talk a little more, and then he’d walk her to her doorstep. Simple, right? Simple was so far from reality. Campbell was startled as Eunji abruptly stood. Was something wrong? ”A-Are y-“ Eunji touched him. Shocks ran down his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight. She tugged on his elbow and he couldn’t help but to follow her movements. His eyes watered from the hot intensity of his flushed face. Something small like this he could get over. However, Eunji took it one step further. As soon as she linked arms with him, he brought his elbows into his sides and flinched. This didn’t make the moment any better because now the raven-haired girl was even closer to him than before. His hands and the tray he held with them shook violently and the tears in his eyes wetted his eyelashes. He didn’t look at her. He couldn’t. He was a mess.

Eunji soon questioned his health. Was that why they were moving? He opened his mouth to speak but the words got caught in his dry throat. ”I-I…” He choked a few times before he eventually gave up on trying. Her house? They were going to her house? He couldn’t catch a break today could he? First, this young girl who he found beautiful was arm and arm with him and now, they were off to her house. On the inside, Campbell wanted to run. This was too much for him. Just as he thought about unlinking arms with Eunji, she spoke. She told Campbell a little bit about what drew her to the village. He sniffled a few times and the heat on his face stung. Her words calmed him slightly, though not too much. It was just enough for him to keep holding on.

As they entered Eunji’s house and she let Campbell go, he felt a little more at ease. The fact that he was alone with her in her home still kept his cheeks rosy, though. He obediently sat where she asked him to and he gazed around the room. Her house was cute. He could imagine her living by herself, cleaning up after herself, and it made a small smile cross his lips. ”A-Ah, you really d-“ He tried to get out as she dashed about the house lighting the kettle, kindling a fire, and going upstairs. His throat was still pretty dry from the shock of the physical contact. She brought him out some scarves and even a blanket. He wasn’t that sick! He had just sneezed; it was nothing major. It was probably from his sleeping schedule really, not even the cold weather. He rubbed his moist eyes and then finally looked at the girl’s eyes again. ”O-Oh no, I’m really o-okay. T-Thank you though…” His voice trailed and wasn’t at his normal volume. He didn’t want to seem rude though and placed the blanket across his lap, flashing a nervous smile at Eunji.

Campbell’s eyes immediately lit up when he realized what kind of tea Eunji had made. The realization even melted off some of his anxiousness. ”I-Is this…” He began, grabbing the cup and bringing it to his nose. He inhaled slowly and smiled wider. He took a large sip from the cup she’d given him. Hot green tea was his favourite. He turned to her and grinned sincerely. ”T-this is my absolute favourite drink. How’d you know? ” He questioned, taking another hefty taste of the tea. The warm liquid felt superb as it slid down his throat. The steam from it even cleared up his nose a little. His eyes jumped around her cottage a little more and he breathed in deeply. ”Your home is so cute.” He mentioned, looking into her eyes and then back down at the table. He then came to his senses.

”E-Eunji, I’m okay,” He started, placing the cup gently back onto the table. ”I’m not sick at all. I’m fine.” He said, being honest to himself. He couldn’t see the big deal in one little sneeze. Ironically, if it had come from someone else he would’ve probably had the same reaction as Eunji. His eyes landed on the basket and tray of treats. He immediately shot up out of the chair, his face darkening red. ”Eunji! W-wait! Didn’t you want to deliver these treats? You put so much effort in!” Campbell didn’t mean to shout, but felt strangely passionate about it. His eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of Eunji’s pill bottle in her basket. He returned to his seat and tucked his hands under his thighs. ”S-Sorry for shouting…” He lowered his head slightly. Was she still okay? He wanted so desperately to ask (or to take another swig of his tea) but stopped himself and waited for her reaction first. He didn’t want to keep blabbing or make noises if she was in pain.

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- - - His favorite? Eunji only looked down to her own mug, watching a few tealeaves circle the bottom of the mug. “Well.. I d-didn’t know.” She said softly, tightening her grip around the cup. “I just have read green tea is really good for you, is all.” She continued to stare at the soft green liquid, letting its strong smell clear her senses and it even soothed her head a little as well. The girl took another sip, letting the steam hit her face before she pulled away, looking to find Campbell eyeing her house. She instantly felt very embarrassed, This was the first guy other than Nero that had been in her house before. And even then Nero only came to fix her roof for her so it wasn’t as intimate as sitting at a table drinking tea. Eunji suddenly realized she may have been too rash, she hadn’t even asked him but almost demanded it in her silent way. The more Eunji thought about it the more embarrassed she became and the more she almost absorbed into herself. Campbell’s sudden words startled her as she looked up to him and softly smiled. “Th-thank you..” She began as Campbell began again. Eunji looked to him, flinching to his sudden burst. “W-well I..” She trailed, looking to the chocolates that filled the basket. She frowned faintly. It was true that she wanted to deliver the chocolates and that she had worked very hard. She couldn’t help but remember her whole incident with the vanilla extract. However, it seemed this day was against her, and she was very tired of trying to force this day to be something more than it was.

It was Harmony day. It was her birthday. And it was nothing more or less than a death wish as her headaches came and went throughout the day. Her trying to make happy memories wasn’t working as well she hoped, and despite how desperately she wanted this day to be special, it wasn’t going to be what she had originally wanted. However, looking to Campbell, she couldn’t say it all went poorly. She had never really spoken to Campbell as much as she had on this day, they even spent a large portion of the day alone together. Sure it was nerve wracking and she had done just about as much blushing in the hours with Campbell most people did in a life time but it was all okay. No, it was better than okay. It wasn’t what she planed, but she wouldn’t have changed the course of events.

“I-it’s s’okay.” She said, taking another sip of her tea before slowly raising her eyes to Campbell and forcing her to hold them until she finished speaking. “I-I’m s-sorry too.” She started, hearing her voice lower a few octaves. “F-for dragging you here and..” she paused, allowing herself to look away just once to collect her thoughts. She returned his gaze and continued. “It’s j-just… you never say much.. about yourself.” She held tightly to her mug for support, feeling the warmth cover her palms. “A-and I-im not the b-best at asking…” she continued, the heat beginning to rise in her cheeks. “I was worried.” Her voice was so soft in that moment, if there were the slightest draft it would have swallowed her words whole. The girl was raising her gaze to him again when suddenly her headache returned and the pain was tenfold. She winced from the sudden rupture across both her temples. The raven haired girl quickly recoiled and placed one hand on her head, using her thump and middle finger to massage both temples. This pain was the worst it had been all day, or rather she had taken so many pills throughout the day it was just suppressing the pain that had always been there.

Again Eunji felt very stupid. Every year this happened, and yet she tried to treat it as a normal day, tried to push past the pain and pretend like everything was okay. In the end it always ended like this. She felt mortified as she looked to her basket, quickly sliding it over as she grabbed the bottle. Only two pills left? Would that be enough? It should be until Campbell left, and that’s all she cared about. If she could just be relatively okay until he left she would be happy. She was so scared of him finding out, she was so scared of him… thinking differently of her. The mere thought almost caused tears to swell in her eyes. Eunji’s free hand shook as she managed to take off the cap and took two more pills, this time chasing it with green tea. The girl left the bottle on the table with the cap undone. She would have to contact home for that subscription again, she had gone through a lot to get most medicine from home rather than go through Campbell. It was all so he wouldn’t change his opinion of her, she didn’t know why but she was quickly finding out she desperately wanted his approval.

“S-see.” She said in a shaky voice. “I don’t t-think I..” she winced from the pain. “I c-could even deliver them i-if I wanted to.” She forced a laugh and it came out as such, fake and pained. She finally looked to him again, her gray eyes lackluster and almost black. “If you need to deliver your items, feel free t-to.” She started. “S-sorry to have kept you.” She frowned and turned her gaze to the window.






&`▌LOCATION: COTTAGE O4 [xx] &`▌WITH: CAMPBELL [xx] &`▌WEARING: HARMONY DAY OUTFIT





Stickered Fun

[Stickered Fun]

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` （ ░ ♛ ♥ EUNJI'S HOMExx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ EUNJIxx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ EMBARRASSEDxx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ OUTFIT

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Campbell was mesmerized by Eunji’s soft voice. She could say the harshest words and yet it would sound relaxing and dainty. It suppressed his sudden outburst and he slowly released his hands from underneath him. He brought them back to his mug of green tea and he took another swig of it, stopping to hear her finishing statement. Worried? It felt odd having someone worry about him when all he ever did was worry about others. Even though it should’ve been simple to empathize with the worry Eunji felt, since it involved him he just couldn’t wrap his head around it. ”Y-You really shouldn’t,” He started but decided to leave it unsaid. Who was he to tell her how she should and shouldn’t feel? He sat there awkwardly trying to understand.

Not for long though. As soon as he witnessed Eunji rubbing her temples and cycling through faces of pain, the tension released from his being. Doctor Campbell was knocking loudly on his skull and wanted to take control. He stood once more only to kneel by Eunji’s side. ”No, no, no…” He shook his head lightly. ”I-It’s really alright. You really aren’t feeling well, are you? I would say to go to the clinic, but…” He scratched at his blonde locks and quickly scanned the room. ”I-I guess you’d feel more comfortable in your own house. I can stay here, if you’d have me. I can’t just wave a headache away, but I do know some home remedies and such that might make you feel better.” He frowned as he locked eyes with Eunji. How long had she been feeling this way? It could have started even before they met in the afternoon and he just didn’t notice all of this time. What kind of doctor was he? Shouldn’t he be able to tell? He felt guilty letting his flustered feelings get in the way of his occupation. Shouldn’t you be able to take better care of the people you really care for and admire rather than the other way around?

Campbell kept kneeled at her side and stared at her without really doing so. It was more that his eyes landed on her but he really wasn’t using them to see. He was caught up in his brain. ”You should lie down, if you feel up to it. We could turn the lights off… that might help. I’ll keep my voice low and it’s not like there’s other sounds around us really. I can get a cold towel, maybe some ice, that would probably feel nice on your forehead…” The blood slowly but surely drained from his cheeks. His fair complex was left uncolored for the first time since meeting up with Eunji. Unsurprisingly though, as soon as he focused his eyes and found himself staring into hers a light pink reappeared. He still felt pretty bad about the chocolates she’d made; it wasn’t like he was the only one she wanted to deliver them to. She probably had a crush on one of the villagers and was probably really excited to hand them over to them. He could just imagine her bright face forming a smile and handing over chocolates to that mystery person. Heck, she probably even wished that it were that person caring for her headache rather than Campbell.

He averted his gaze to the floor. ”I-If you want me to leave I can…” He breathed, furrowing his brows. What should he say? He really wanted to stay here with her and make sure was alright though. He clenched his fists and his eyes watered. All the heat he had felt on his face up until now was no comparison to what he felt now. He couldn’t look her in the eyes; he looked to his bent knee right it front of him. ”B-But…” He choked. He cleared his throat and shut his eyes tightly. ”But, I’d like to stay here with you if you’d allow it. I-I just really want to make sure you’re alright. I-It drives me crazy to know that you aren’t feeling well…” His eyes widened and he lost his balance, falling on his bottom right it front of her. He rubbed the back of his neck, still averting his eyes. ”Y-You know, as a doctor…” He finished. He didn’t want to come off as too desperate. If he could just stay here with Eunji, even if there were no ulterior motives, he felt that everything would be just fine. Waiting for her reply pained his heart and he wished she’d just say something… anything.

[Reuga]

___Nero was smiling as he watched Cana nibble on another piece of lettuce. This moment was absolute bliss for him. Gray was making his usual snarky remarks, but he paid little attention to the comments. His whole world was this little white rabbit. Nero could still vividly remember the day he first found Cana. The season was well into fall and all the trees were like rainbows radiating with an array of colors.Nero’s first year back in Allure had been a depressing one. He said very little to everyone, even more than now. He felt absolutely alone in the world. To empty his mind he had lost himself in the Calithil Forest and sat, napping, under one of the giant colorful trees. The sound was soft, but Nero’s ears still perked up. There Cana was, lying not far from him, this little baby rabbit all alone and no nest in sight. She looked lonely and almost certain to die if left on her own. He smiled then, like he is now, and scooped her up. He quickly brought her to a pet expert to see that she was healthy and not suffer from in injury or illness. He thought he’d release her back into the wild once she seemed fine, but in the end he kept her and named her Cana, after his mother.

___“Considering how much you drank, it seems fair to me.” Nero said to Gray. He didn’t stand up or even look in Gray’s direction. He just stayed knelt next to Cana. He could have told Gray that he wasn’t solely alone in the pain, but that would only inspire Gray , and likely Tavi, to higher levels of annoyance.

___Nero felt obligated to take back a previous thought. Onyx Smithery was, apparently, infact a hot spot for Harmony Day. Not long after his return to the shop that Eridith and Lucian. His gaze towards them lasted only a moment before he turned back to look at Cana. Nero certainly did not need Lucian joining the congregation that was forming. Well, as long as Lucian did not start talking about his job, Nero could just ignore him. It was kind of a shame that Lucian was diggin up Allure and was best friends with Gray. Nero would probably enjoy his company if that was not the case, but that was not how reality was. At least he brought someone along who he tolerated. It would be impossible for Nero to sum up how he felt about Eridith. He had known the woman his whole life. As a babe, Eridith was a complete enigma to him and honestly scared him. He was a young imaginative boy, and she an imposing woman who was easy to anger. His mother would tell him to not be frightened by his neighbor, that she was actually sweet, but that did little to change his mind. They were too different at the time and shared no interests. Things were different now. He had caught up in maturity and saw the world differently now. The temper that scared him now amused him, and he was now appreciating the appeal of her form instead of taken aback by her stature. She was now the view he looked forward to most nights, being the bartender that usually served him alcohol, and often one of the last people he saw before dozing off. He said nothing to the two and barely acknowledged them.

___His heart skipped a beat as he noticed Tavi next to him. He let Cana distract him, and as he was closing the pin and about to stand up, there she was holding a bag. She waited very little before pushing the small bag at him and returning to the others. He said nothing in response and looked at the item for a moment before tossing to bag on top of the counter. Now standing, Nero looked at the four other people at the room, and then turned. He walked into his woodshop and closed the door behind him. Whatever they were going to talk about Nero wanted no part in it. His head was thumping too much. He just wanted to sit down next to his desk and close his eyes, and that is exactly what he did.

graphic made by s h y LUMiNESCE██　◞＆ LOCATION: Onyx Smithery [Woodshop] 　　　　██　◞＆ COMPANY: Gray, Tavi, Lucian, Eridith 　　　　██　◞＆ MENTIONS: No One 　　　　██　◞＆ WEARING

[moonsyrin]

Just as she thought, eating the chocolate was far better than giving it away to someone. Pleasing her mother was high on her list of things to do, but Eridith's love for chocolate seemed to be more important at the moment. She shoved another piece of chocolate into her mouth, closing her eyes for a second. “Aren't you supposed to give those away?” Lucian asked, causing the demon to glare. "Jeez. What are you? My mom?" She rolled her eyes, stuffing her bag of candy into her coat pocket. "Yeah yeah. It's not like I have a choice in the matter." She really didn't want to give any chocolate away. No one really deserved any. Okay, a few did, and Lucian might have been one of them, but you didn't hear it from me. Eridith raised an eyebrow as the man fumbled with the boxes of cakes. She shook her head, giggling slightly. "Oh no, they're cute." She whispered, holding her hand out to receive the box. Just because they were cute, didn't mean that she wasn't going to devour them. She looked forward to it actually. "I didn't know you baked!" Well, she couldn't either, but it surprised her that he made those without setting something on fire. When he mentioned her getting sick, she giggled again. "Ah, there's the catch." She smirked. "You don't need to worry, dear. I'm immune to poison." What if he tried to poison her though? Eridith would think it was hilarious, and then she'd spike his drink with something. Friendship, am I right?

Eridith was studying the cakes a bit too much to realize he had said something. "Eh?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Oh, right. He said something about the chocolate. "Why, yes, I did certainly make these." Sure she was lying, but who was gonna know? Certainly not Lucian. Eridith was a pretty good liar. I mean, she lied her whole life. 'Yes, I think you look great.' 'The food is delicious!' 'I love you.' You know, common lies. Who knows. Maybe Lucian would be really impressed and have children with her. Yeah right. Even if Eridith wanted to have children with Lucian, she didn't, he wouldn't return the feelings. Plus, children were evil little creatures and they made Eridith shudder. She was so glad that her parents didn't conceive again after her. She probably would have smothered it. Or eaten it. How do babies taste? Eridith pondered at the thought, realizing once again that Lucian was talking. She was really bad at doing this. No wonder why she barely spoke to anyone. "Smithies, right. Sure." She pushed past him, pulling her jacket around her closer. Hopefully she could get this done and over with soon.

She managed to get a little ahead of Lucian, but she stopped in her tracks. Maybe it would be nice for them to walk together. Is that was friends did? Were they friends? Eridith shrugged, walking again as he caught up to her. She decided to eat some of the cakes on the way. They were actually pretty good. Things were quiet for a little bit until Lucian mentioned how cold it was. 'Bloody' wasn't much of a swear word, or at least she didn't consider it as one. She had never heard him say it before though. It intrigued her. What else did he say when no one was around? "Hmm.." She slowly started to do circles around him with her head tilted to the side and her eyes narrowed. She didn't blink at all while she did it. Eridith could tell that he was getting uncomfortable, which caused her to let out a loud cackle. Making him nervous was the most fun she could have in a day. It was just so funny!

As they approached the building, Eridith frowned. Her fun was over! Okay, well, maybe not. She could still make Lucian uncomfortable. She did know where he lived, after all. She nodded at Lucian as a way to say thank you (cuz she never said it out loud), and she walked inside. She glanced around, smirking a little when she saw who was there. Eridith was sort of somewhat a fan of them all. She enjoyed Nero a bit too much, as well as Gray, and could deal with Tavi. Gray actually got on her nerves on a daily basis, but it was still fun. They liked to yell at each other. The yelling seemed to leave Eridith in an interesting state of mind. She was...well...very very attracted to the man, especially after all that. With Nero, on the other hand, it was very different. They didn't fight. They just sort of understood each other. Eridith wasn't sure what exactly was being understood but that's fine too. He was also very attractive. Then there's Tavi. Sometimes she wanted to punch the girl in the mouth, other times she was sarcastic along with her. It's an interesting relationship to say the least.

Things felt a little awkward to Eridith while she stood there watching the group. Her arms were crossed, and her tail was flicking about. She narrowed her eyes, growling softly. So, Tavi helped Lucian make these damn cakes? For some reason, that bothered the demon. She didn't like it. Why? There was no reason. It's not like her and Lucian were all that close. She quickly looked away from the two of them and noticed how Gray and Nero were looking. Eridith let out a laugh and went over to them. "Oh riiiiight. You boys stayed out drinking too late." Sure she was the one who was serving them drinks, but it's not like she was partaking. She was just doing her job. "You're a dumbass." She whispered into Gray's ear, kissing him on the cheek. She pulled out a bag of chocolate and set it in front of the man. She reached in for another one, going over to Tavi. Was there a rule that said the chocolate only had to go to men? Probably actually. But, Eridith didn't just enjoy men, she also enjoyed women. She set the bag next to her, then turned to see Nero go into his work area.

"Oh no you don't!" She growled, grabbing the bag that Nero set on the counter as she rushed by. Eridith opened the door slightly and slid in the crack. "You're not getting away from me." She glared at him, moving to sit on the edge of his desk beside him. "Hey if you're not going to eat these, can I have them?" Yeah they were made by Tavi, but whatever. Chocolate was chocolate. "That reminds me-" She pulled out a bag for him, setting it on the desk in front of him. "You better eat those or I'm spiking your next drink." She grinned, laying on her side behind the chocolate. She propped herself up with her elbow and let her head rest against her hand. "Sooooo." Eridith smirked, her tail folding itself over her hips. "How's your head?" She already knew the answer as she laughed at the poor man. "Maybe you shouldn't drink so much. I think you have a problem." She stuck her tongue out at him, narrowing her eyes. "I don't think you should be at work though. You're too sick." She pouted as she looked up at him. "Maybe you should go home, and I should go with you."

graphic made by s h y LUMiNESCE× ▪▪ LOCATION | onyx smithery 　　　　× ▪▪ COMPANY | nero currently 　　　　× ▪▪ MENTIONS | lucian, gray, and tavi

[Press Start to Begin]

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- - - There were times,when Eunji was so lost in trying not to succumb to the pain that Campbell’s voice became a whisper. It was during those times, when her vision smeared and she needed something in reality to hold on to she became very thankful for him by her side. His voice, even when about to fade into oblivion, was enough to keep her grounded in that moment. She couldn’t understand what he was saying, but his voice was there, that soft, lulling warmth. With dazed eyes she searched for his face, but it was a blur, only his bright eyes standing out along with his brighter hair. She wanted to apologize, but her mouth had become progressively drier, and any attempt at speaking went unfulfilled. All the words she wanted to say got jumbled in her throat. Her lungs felt like they were stuffed with cotton; her body continued to get progressively hotter. How was she so hot? It was the coldest day of the year and she felt like she was burning. The girl pulled at her collar, struggling to take it off but was relieved when it fell off her body to display a very plain, light t-s**t underneath. “Lie down.” She heard those words, and it was a goal to aim for. Eunji nodded her head. “Yes..” She breathed, but as soon as she put pressure in her hands to lift herself from the table she felt them giving out. She sat back down, running her fingers through her hair. She heard him again, and these words scared her. Her eyes quickly flickered to his. “P-please don’t..” She panted. “d-don’t lower your voice.” She said, scared that if he talked too softly, she wouldn’t be able to hold onto reality and would slip into a memory.

Eunji knew this must have looked bad, and poor Campbell knew nothing. Maybe being more honest about her situation would have prevented this whole ordeal. Still, how would she even fathom the courage to let so much of her self out in the open? She had to try, she had to start somewhere, or else she feared the worry in his heart might cause it to rupture. “Cam..” She couldn’t even finish his name, the name she loved so much. “Please don’t worry..” She started, sucking in a cold breath before continuing. “This happens every year..” she looked away. “On this very day.” She wasn’t explaining enough, she wasn’t leaving him with enough information, she had to dig deeper, and she had to try harder. “I am always o-okay.” She winced, recoiling into herself, pressing her palm into her head before containing. “T-trust me.” She said, using all her strength to keep the pain out of that one statement. He had to believe her, she had to make him believe her, trust her. Because… because if she caused him to worry, if she caused him to be troubled she didn’t know if she could live with that. She never wanted to be a burden to anyone, especially not someone who was already so caring.

His words again were faint, yet she always heard the word she needed to. ‘leave.’ No. She didn’t want that, she didn’t want him to leave. She needed him there, she needed him to keep talking, about anything, it didn’t mater. She needed his warm voice. His very human voice. “Campbell..” She found herself whispering with soft eyes. Gingerly, Eunji slipped onto her knees from the chair so she too was on the ground. The cold wood gripped her legs and she felt better, if only slightly. “Don’t think me selfish..” she began. “But I.. I would..” Her face was hot with a mixture of a light fever and the blush of the moment. “I would like you to s-stay..” She pulled on a lock of hair. “W-with me.” She wasn’t done, she had more to say. “As a doctor..” she locked eyes with him, not letting him look away even if he wanted to. “A-and as a friend!” Eunji breathed heavily after the pieces of words. She was wondering where these little surges of confidence were coming form. Perhaps she was scared that if not said in this moment she would fall into darkness. She was trying to put as much out there as she could to hold herself to that moment.

The headache wasn’t leaving, but it wasn’t getting worse. She wondered why, what was honestly keeping her in that moment? She had theories, ideas, but when it came down to it what was the reason?







&`▌LOCATION: COTTAGE O4 [xx] &`▌WITH: CAMPBELL [xx] &`▌WEARING: HARMONY DAY OUTFIT





Stickered Fun

[Reuga]

___Why won’t people just leave him alone. Nero’s eye opened as he heard Eridith’s voice and her foot steps drawing closer. As he leaned back in his chair he patiently watched as Eridith made herself comfortable sitting on the edge of his desk. Not far from the demoness’s finely toned rear were a handful of papers, stacked on one another, with sketchings of the floral coffee table he was building. Why someone would order, or even want, a coffee table shaped like a blooming flower was beyond Nero, but a job was a job. He just hoped that his intruding guest wouldn’t knock them over.

___“I guess I should have locked the door if I wanted peace,” said Nero. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. Seconds later and the stick was lit up and between Nero’s lips. “But, I suppose you would have just knocked the door down then.” Nero said after exhaling some smoke.

___He looked at the small bag she paraded before him. They were the chocolates Tavi had presented to him. “Do what you will. I have no plans for them, nor did I ever accept them. She was just doing it out of obligation. If I hadn’t been there, I would never had seen them to begin with.” Nero had no need for obligatory candy, so Eridith was doing him a favor. Now the sweets would not go to waste. He had hoped that was the end of chocolates, but it did not take long before Eridith set another bag before him. It seemed more like Eridith was trying to be the gift than the chocolates as she laid across his desk, putting her full figure directly in his line of sight. “I guess miss Sheeia has made you obligated to give out candy as well. Spike the drinks all you want, I’m still not interested.” Eridith’s threats had little sway over Nero anymore. He was not a child, and no longer scared of her.

___Nero continued to observe Eridith as she teased him and grew more comfortable on the desk. He seemed far more fond of the cigarette than the view before him. His only real choice was to ignore her as she made fun of his minor headache. He leaned his head back and stared at the trail of smoke rising up from the end of his cigarette. “I knew someone once, though I suspect he thought of himself as more of a mentor, who said ‘‘It’s only a problem if you stop’’ and I have no plan on stopping. I expect you to keep serving me.” He looked back at her pouting face. “Your concern is appreciated, but unecssary. I’m not going to skip work just because my bartender says I’m sick.” He could only shake his head in response to her suggestion. “If you are just looking for a place to hide, then you are free to make yourself comfortable here, but I’m not responsible if you hurt yourself.” Nero was not sure what he was going to do about Eridith if she decided to stay. He had planned on working on the coffee table today, but he sensed that was unlikely if she was just going to hang around and mess with him.

graphic made by s h y LUMiNESCE██　◞＆ LOCATION: Onyx Smithery [Woodshop] 　　　　██　◞＆ COMPANY: Eridith 　　　　██　◞＆ MENTIONS: No One 　　　　██　◞＆ WEARING

[Stickered Fun]

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` （ ░ ♛ ♥ EUNJI'S HOMExx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ EUNJIxx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ USELESSxx` （ ░ ♛ ♥ OUTFIT

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Watching Eunji slowly fade from reality and whatever seemed to be hurting her was torture for Campbell. She was always such a bright girl, always reminding him to take care of himself. Now it was his turn to both return the favour and act as the village’s doctor and he seemed to be failing miserably. He looked at her with a pained smile. ”O-Okay,” He said in his normal tone to appease her request. ”Okay.” He said once more, just to get the point across. What could possibly be making this girl so ill out of nowhere? He wanted to ask but didn’t want to strain her at all.

Campbell went from speculating about how her headache came about to being utterly clueless. Every year? On this day? What had happened to make her this weak every single year regardless of the situation? He had so many questions but knew that now was not the time to spit them out at her. Instead, he wanted to keep her as calm and comfortable as possible- exactly the opposite of how he felt himself. His mind still went back to actual situation now and then. He was in the home of a girl, a very beautiful one at that. He looked at her, the pink in his cheeks stretching over to his ears. ”I-I’ll trust you.” He said, putting his hand on the floor. If he was smooth, he would have placed his hands on hers. That really wasn’t Campbell though. He was timid with physical contact.

Shocks ran down the blonde’s spine as Eunji slipped onto the floor next to him. ”A-Ah! W-Watch out!” He breathed heavily as he reached out his hand to place it on her shoulder. He stopped. His fingers trembled as his hand hovered above her shoulder. ”Just do it Campbell. You have to take care of her. It’s your job as a doctor.” He convinced himself and lightly placed his hand on her shoulder in order to support her. His face was bright red and butterflies raged in his stomach, but he tried his best to listen closely to her.

Her colored cheeks made him worried and being on the floor was no good for her. Campbell had watched her struggle to try and stand just moments before and knew she couldn’t stand on her own. His face was on fire and it caused his eyes to water. His whole body shook, but he knew what he had to do. ”I-I-I’ll stay,” He choked as he stood in a squatted position. ”L-Let’s move to the couch, okay? Y-You can lay back, i-it’s probably better than the floor, haha.” His chuckle echoed and he hated how forced it sounded. He would like to say that he did it to lighten Eunji’s mood, but he was really doing it to ease the pressure on himself. He hadn’t been so nervous about something in a long while and doubted himself greatly. ”You have to help people, Campbell. Especially those you care about!” He shut his eyes tightly and breathed out slowly. ”Ready, one, two, three!” He bit his lip so hard that he thought he was going to gnaw through it, but he was able to wrap one arm underneath Eunji’s knees and the other along her back. It wasn’t too hard to pick her up since she was small. Campbell wasn’t the strongest, but he was fit and it wasn’t a problem.

He walked slowly and steadily towards the couch in the nearby room. He couldn’t bear to look at her face as he walked but as soon as he arrived at the destination he couldn’t help it. His amber eyes drifted down and were captivated by what they saw. Her black hair was a little messy, but still seemed to fall perfectly around her face and body. The flush in her cheeks deepened the flush in his own. Her eyelashes fluttered lightly making the butterflies in his stomach flutter. The physical contact was driving him crazy, but still he couldn’t get over this moment. He wanted to keep it forever. Campbell shook off his fantasy and placed Eunji gently on the couch. He nibbled his lip again and sat crisscross on the floor near the couch. He looked at her, looked away, and then looked again. ”A-Ah! I’ll get you a cold wash cloth!” He stammered and shuffled to his feet. He figured most kitchens were the same and didn’t find it too hard to find a cloth. He ran some water from her sink and waited for the temperature to lower. After twisting the excess water out, Campbell returned to Eunji’s side.

”This’ll probably feel nice, but if it doesn’t I can just take it off…” He smiled weakly, slowly pushing her bangs out of the way and placing the cool, folded towel on her forehead. He was surprised with himself; usually he’d be in pieces by now. He’d probably fall apart as soon as he was alone. He sat, again, by her side and thought on it a little. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, feeling a little more secure. ”I-I’m pretty bad with touching other people if you haven’t noticed…” He said loudly, though it was muffled by him talking into his arms. ”Especially girls…” He hoped that part was too soft for her to hear. It was no longer afternoon, but he couldn’t leave Eunji alone in such a state. Had she really dealt with this every year? Did she have someone to help her through it? She seemed to be barely hanging on with him around her… he couldn’t imagine having to face it alone. He tilted his head lightly so that he could see her out of the corner of his eye (his back was facing the couch). ”Is there anything else I can do for you? Are you feeling a little better?” He twisted over his shoulder to have Eunji in full view so he could monitor her reaction.

[s h y LUMiNESCE]

▐ Good evening villagers of Allure~! Today is Friday the 24th and it is 19:30. It's been two days since Winter Solstice and still the chill in the air isn't going away. At least it is slowly becoming warmer at about sixty-seven degrees and there is a lot less snow on the ground, about an inch. This wintery season is coming to an end here soon with the New Years party set on the thirtieth just mere days away! Hopefully between now and then you find that special someone to bring in the next year with~!

[- - caffe espresso]

• 
  
  Heavy breaths filled the air as footsteps rushed across the grass of Saierynwen Valley. Down the steep hill the breaths followed after a female darting through and soon stopped as she hid behind a large tree. Slowly they stopped and only the crunching of a monster horse known as thunderbolt came running by. He was looking for the prey, for the female who had dared to attack him and unlike the others he wasn't going to stop until he crushed her beneath his hooves. As his muzzle poked past the trunk of the tree Lilith swung her polearm down to slice off part of it's face but the monster was quicker and smarter, thus she only landed a thick wound instead. Rearing it's ugly head it roared causing a lightning attack to strike the ground around it and on her. Barely managing to dodge these she did get struck twice causing her heart to quicken at the burst of energy and it even stunned her for a few seconds as well. Thunderbolt charged at her in her stunned state ramming into her sending her off a few yards away onto the ground with a loud thump along with the breaking of branches and leaves. “Ugh, ******** horse,” she barely muttered out as she began scrambling to her feet. There was no time to rest since it was coming right back at her. “Oh hell no! I'm not going to be dying today!” With her battle cry out of her soul she charged back at the thunderbolt, her polearm in the ready to stab position out in front of her. As she neared Lilith knelt down on her knees and slid across the grass dragging the weapon through the belly of the beast. It was the final blow that took out the thunderbolt. The warrior stood up and watched as the beast glowed and began to disappear back to the forest of beginnings. It was there that the monster originated from and entered our world through the portals, or so she was told. Looking up at the sky she knew this time line was much different than her own.
  
  Seeing the sun slowly dipping downward indicating that it was going to be night in a few hours, it was definitely time to head back to town, shower up in her new cottage and maybe grab some food. It was a riveting thought knowing she finally had a home to call her own. A roof that belonged to her, a bed that was her own – okay okay it was once Solstice's but the fairy was more than happy to give her all their furniture since they didn't need it and Lilith could use it. The home smelled like them, like her friends that decided to take a better job offer in another village. It hurt having to say goodbye but it was also a fresh thought, they weren't dead, they would write and maybe even visit again someday. This time allowed for people to live outside of the small groups she used to call family and it wasn't even a small group either. It was an entire village full of unique people and races! It was thrilling to know that when she got back people would still be alive, be happy, and be okay.
  
  It took her quite a bit of time to get back to her home but as she stood outside the door she smiled happily. “Home~” she whispered out, a warm puff of air lingered by her mouth befoure dispersing. A giant smile was plastered on her face and she unlocked the door, waltzed inside and just jumped up and down again. “Whoo! Yes!” For one she had a place to herself and could do that without bothering her neighbours and two she didn't die fighting thunderbolt. That kind of monster was never an easy task and she always ended up quite beaten up afterwards. Nothing a good visit to doctor Campbell couldn't fix, but first she wanted to look at least somewhat presentable.
  
  A quick shower, change of clothes and a doctor's visit later and Lilith was ready to conquer the night! Of course she was bandaged around her ribs from breaking a few, she was lucky she didn't have any internal bleeding! There were bandages on her arms, legs, back and even on her left hand over her middle and ring finger. Such class, such beauty, such elegance! HAHA yeah right. Lilith wasn't really a very classy dresser and in fact spent most of her time wearing clothes she would fight in like right now. There were a few darkened stains across the white cloth that served as her cover across her chest, down her back and mostly there to cover her booty~. With shorts on, thigh high leather boots, gauntlets and her leather jerkin she was ready to take on anything at a moment's notice. Her weapon was always with her as well hanging across her back or sitting next to her whenever she was sitting down. Either way it was just within arms reach if there was a call for it.
  
  Ah yes, this mermaid was prepared for anything an-- growl, oops guess she forgot to eat after all. With a furrowed brow she placed her right hand over her belly to silence the growing hunger. It was a surprise it stayed quiet the entire visit at the clinic and she was thankful for that tid bit. Now however it was most certainly time to satisfy her hunger. It wasn't a hard decision to hit up the tavern since she rather liked the place and enjoyed the company there. She could be loud, but not overly so otherwise Eridith would yell at her and she did not wish to make her friend mad.
  
  As the warrior walked to the tavern her boots crunched into the little bit of snow left. Her body had slowly become accustomed to the colder weather and honestly she found it a nice change from the scorching heat that she used to deal with. Ah but the relief really came to her upon entering the tavern, the warmth of the place surrounded her instantly and it felt homely being here. “Hey Eridith~!” She waved hello to her friend as she approached the bar. “Got anything special cooking up tonight? I'm starving.” Rolling her shoulders back, she leaned on the counter and began to look around wondering if she would see anyone she could eat with tonight. Lilith really did prefer eating with people and found it rather lonesome when she had no company. If she didn't find anyone familiar she would just sit at the counter with Eridith or join some random guys for a drink or two they never seemed to mind a pretty lady's company.
  
  Turning back to Eridith since no one caught her eye just yet... “How's your day been? Anything interesting happen?” It wouldn't be hard for Eridith to guess that Lilith had an interesting day indeed. Ya know, almost dying does that.
  
  　　　　　─ ❜BLOODSTONE TAVERN.　　　　　　─ ❜ERIDITH.　　　　　　─ ❜MENTIONS CAMPBELL.　　　　　　─ ❜OUTFIT.

[a park in botswana]

xx

It'd already been a week and a half, almost. Alaister was gone. Gone for good. She'd seen the empty house - apparently, he and Solstice had moved after receiving better job opportunities elsewhere. Paige was happy for them. She truly was. Then why did her heart hurt so much to see them go? This would truly be the last time she would see Alaister. It had to be this way, didn't it? Why was life so cruel sometimes? Everyone always said that life could dealt you the cards it knew you could handle. But Paige wasn't strong. So why did this happen to her?

Most of her day had been spent not really working, but more trying to sort out her thoughts. She had hardly set foot in the smithery today other than to grab her pack and list of things to do. Paige had at least said hello to her family and Gray, but didn't smile other than a forced one, before leaving for the day. Most assumed she would be getting to work on Tavi's order, which explained the lists of supplies. That had been Paige's intention - to ask someone, maybe Lilith, to accompany her into the dungeons. However, her plan had fallen through, and instead, Paige had just wandered aimlessly around town before going home and sitting there in complete silence. So this was really the end. Not that it hadn't been over a week ago, when Alaister had broken them apart for ever. Paige hadn't even told Gray that his idea to give him a cake hadn't worked - that it'd resulted in them never speaking again. That was so embarrassing. Plus, she'd probably cry again. She hated crying in front of Gray. He'd already heard so much of it this past year. Couldn't she try to be strong in front of her best friend? Maybe Paige could have learned something from him.

It was past seven by the time Paige thought to return to the smithery. That was only to show that she was okay, since her mother, especially, always worried for her safety in the dungeons considering Paige could not use magic or properly defend herself. Even with the lessons from Lilith, Paige wasn't the fighting sort. She was awful. Paige opened the door leading into the smithery, wiping her feet off before closing the door behind her. She set her pack on the table and was about to enter the room where her forging equipment was, not making a motion to say hello to Gray, before she was interrupted by an oh so familiar voice.

"And what did you get done today?" Paige turned around to face her father, who had seen her enter the smithery from the corner of his eye. Of course he had. It was impossible to avoid him. Gabriel snorted, ignoring the fact that Gray was in the room before beginning to speak again. "I'm thinking you didn't fight in those pretty clothes of yours." So he knew that she hadn't gotten any work done. When Paige didn't respond, Gabriel took that as her admitting to doing nothing all day. "And so when were you thinking of getting any work done on that order, Paige?"

"I-I...soon. Just, not today...Something came up..." Her voice trailed. Paige knew better than to speak about Alaister in front of her father. Though she had dated him for over six years, Gabriel had never supported their relation for his own reasons. At first, Paige thought he was being the stereotypical protective father. However, when his opinions never changed, Paige knew it must have been something much deeper than that.

"Something came up, huh? And what would that be?" Paige knew her father wouldn't let her off that easily. When Paige tried to stutter and formulate an answer, he promptly cut her off once more. "It wouldn't happen to be about Alaister, would it?" Her eyes grew to the size of saucers, as Gabriel snorted and shook his head. "I heard he'd moved away. Serves him right for finally leaving."

Paige frowned, keeping quiet as Gabriel continued to speak. However, she was a little stunned when Gabriel began to laugh, now ignoring Paige as he turned his attention to Gray, who was still in the room. "Oh, you won't believe what that a*****e asked me, oh, about a year ago. Came here and everything, when you two weren't home." ...What? She'd never heard anything about this. "Said he had something serious to talk to me about. I bit and asked what he wanted. Do you know what the ******** wanted?" Gabriel snorted, shaking his head. "He asked for my blessing."

"...W-What?" What was going on? What was her father talking about?

"He wanted to marry Paige. Came over here and everything, hoping to get my respect. Even showed me the ring, too." No. No no no no no. Gabriel shrugged. "It was a nice ring. Good craftsmanship. But I'd never let that punk marry my daughter, so I told him to get off of my property and pray he never saw my face again."

"...You what?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. Gabriel blinked, looking over to Paige, almost forgetting that she was in the room.

"Yeah, your ******** of an ex-boyfriend had the audacity to ask for my blessing to marry you. But I didn't want you to ruin your life over him, so I said no." He snorted, folding his arms. "You'll understand one day when you're not bound to that trash. It would take too much attention off of your work, too."

Her head was pounding. Everything made sense now. Everything. Alaister had broken up with her a little less than a year ago. He had no real reason. Six years together, thrown away for nothing. Paige had been beating herself up for almost four seasons, looking for any answer to her questions, any mistake she had made. When it, or he, was standing right in front of her this entire time.

"...I can't believe you." Paige whispered again, bowing her head. Her fists clenched, her body shook. Gabriel sighed, shaking his head.

"Don't be so dramatic, Paige. It was over a year ago, and that ******** gone now. You could do a lot better than him--"

"No, I couldn't!" Her voice was suddenly loud. Gabriel was a little stunned by Paige's outburst, but kept his eyes steady and his face stoic otherwise.

"Don't raise your voice to me, Paige--"

"No, you listen to me, Dad!" She took a moment to collect her thoughts, but they were too jumbled to tell apart what was a good idea and what was a bad one. Suddenly, she began to sob.

"Crying again. That won't get your order done--"

"LET ME SPEAK!" she almost screamed, her voice cracking as she continued to shake. "I loved him! I LOVED HIM! Why couldn't you think of me for once?! Why didn't you just say yes?!"

"Did you just not hear a ******** thing I said, Paige?"

"Why won't you let me decide my own life? Why do you think you can control who I marry?!" She was breathing hard now, and her skin was pale. It looked like she would have fainted if her adrenaline wasn't keeping her standing. "Instead, you drove away the love of my life because you couldn't stand the thought of me being happy, could you?!" Gabriel rolled his eyes, scoffing at the thought of Alaister being "the one."

"Why didn't you tell me about any of this? Did you want me to just look like a fool? Does the entire village know except for me?!" Paige continued to bawl through her words, trying hopelessly to wipe at her face. "I-I have to find him! I have to--"

"He's ******** gone, Paige! Hell am I letting you leave town to pursue someone who doesn't want you anymore. If he loved you, why did he leave, huh?" Paige shook her head, as Gabriel grumbled. "Now, instead of crying, why don't you put that energy into something useful? Like your job, huh? We've got s**t to do! The rest of us, like Gray, don't have time to cry and piss and moan. Because the rest of us are adults."

"I-I can't stay here anymore. I have to go." Suddenly, Paige turned around and walked into the room that she had been heading into earlier, slamming the door behind herself. Once in the room, Paige opened her pack and began to stuff as many of her supplies and belongings into it as possible. She'd go to her home afterwards. Gabriel sighed and rolled his eyes, looking over at Gray.

"Talk some sense into her, will ya? Remind her why the ******** we do what we do here. She won't leave town - she'd be killed out in the fields before the end of the day." He snorted. "I've got s**t to do. Just calm her down for me, Gray." He patted the man's shoulder before shaking his head and leaving the room. In the other room, Paige could barely see what she was grabbing anymore since the tears blurred her vision.


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「LOCATION : tab onyx smithery 」 tab tab 「 COMPANY : tab no one」 tab tab 「 MENTIONS : gray, solstice, alaister, lilith」 tab tab 「 OUTFIT : [x]」 xxx xx xxx x