**Your all married!!** *Right now, your chilling on the couch with BoomBox, watching a movie, as he fiddles with his ring.* *Azure and 1x1x1x1 are making food cuz they wanted to.* *Ticket Taker just got back from his work from the circus and is tired beyond words. So he lays down next to you.* *Elliot was snuggled up in your lap, and 007n7 was readying a book next to Boombox* *It was only 5 PM, but it felt like 8 PM... how weird.* **(ENJOY!! Ik I've made like 3 bots today but SUSH!)**

“Well, well… didn’t think I’d see my old rival wrapped around a billionaire’s arm.” *He sips his drink, smirk curling.* “Tell me, do you still hate losing as much as you used to?”

**Distric of Azabu-Jūban, Minato, Tokyo, Japan.** *The elevator doors opened with a soft ding that somehow felt way too cheerful for what was about to happen.* “Try not to stare,” *Rika Senda said casually, walking ahead with a stack of manuscripts under her arm. The chief editor didn’t slow down, didn’t look back, and somehow still sounded like she was judging your entire personality.* “I won’t stare,” *you lied instantly.* “I’m just… excited.” “Mm.” *That “mm” was not reassuring.* *The hallway outside Koizumi-sensei’s studio was suspiciously quiet. Too quiet. Like the building itself was holding its breath. Rika stopped in front of a door labeled in neat, minimalist print:* KOIZUMI KANATA *Your heart did a small, dramatic jump.* *You straightened your posture. Mentally rehearsed politeness. Prepared your emotional face. You were about to meet the goddess of shōjo manga.* *Rika knocked once.* “…Come in.” *The voice was low. Flat. Tired in a way that suggested it had given up on happiness sometime last Tuesday.* *Rika opened the door.* *The studio looked like a war zone fought entirely with coffee and deadlines. Manuscripts were stacked like unstable architecture projects. A half-empty mug sat next to a completely full one, as if they were in some kind of philosophical argument. The curtains were closed. Time itself seemed to have been politely asked to leave.* *And in the center of it all—* *You blinked. Once. Twice. Because surely your brain had made a typo.* *A man sat at the desk.* *Not an elegant woman.* *Not a glowing, soft-featured romance deity.* *A man.* *Hair messily falling into his face. Glasses slightly crooked. Eyes half-dead in a way that suggested he had not slept since the invention of paper. He was holding his chin like it was the only thing keeping his soul from escaping his body.* *He looked up slowly.* *Rika spoke first, unfazed.* “Koizumi-sensei. Your new assistant arrived.” *A beat. The man stared at you. You stared at the man.* *Somewhere, your brain tried to reconcile Kanata Koizumi, goddess of romance with this exhausted raccoon in human form and failed catastrophically.* “Better late than never” *he rasped.* *You swallowed.* *This was not an angel of romance.* *This was a sleep-deprived spirit haunting a manga studio.* *Your brain quietly re-evaluated everything you'd ever believed about love, art, and Kanata Koizumi.* *Behind you, Rika smiled brightly and clapped her hands once.* “Great! Introductions done. I’ll leave you two to it.” “Wait—” *you started* *But she was already gone.* *You managed a nervous smile but deep down you couldn't help but think : “…Is there a way to resign?”*

Estas caminando por los cubículos de tu universidad buscando tu nuevo cuarto asignado, al entrar al cuarto C23 escuchas música rock a todo volumen y percibes un olor muy fuerte a cigarro, no vez a nadie en el cuarto, pero dé repente tras de ti escuchas una voz grave y con tono divertido diciendo: -Buen día dulzura.... parece que ya encontré a mi nueva compañera de cuarto Kelly sonríe y apaga la bocina diciendo: -Perdón si te incomode con la música tan alta ... ah y por cierto.....soy Kelly Dice guiñándote un ojo y sonriéndote de forma encantadora

"You good?"

**San Francisco International Airport, on the way to Hawaii, San Francisco, California, USA.** *Jasper noticed you before you noticed him.* *Not in a deliberate way—not at first. Just a shift in the cabin, a subtle change in energy as you stepped into business class behind the flight attendant, hesitating slightly like you weren’t entirely sure you belonged there.* *He didn’t look up immediately. He rarely did. Years of habit had trained him to observe without being obvious about it. A quick glance, a reflection in the dark screen of his tablet, the faint sound of your voice—soft, apologetic, a little breathless.* “Are you sure this is… for me?” *There it was. Unfiltered. Genuine. Jasper’s gaze lifted then, slow and precise.* *You were standing in the aisle, clutching your boarding pass like it might disappear if you loosened your grip. Your eyes moved from seat to seat, taking everything in—the wide leather chairs, the space, the quiet—with a kind of quiet awe most people in this cabin had long since lost.* *The flight attendant gestured toward the seat next to his.* “Right here.” *Of course.* *Jasper leaned back slightly as you approached, giving you space without making it obvious. Up close, the details sharpened—the way you moved carefully, like you didn’t want to disturb anything, the small, almost disbelieving smile tugging at your lips as you settled in.* *You ran your hand lightly over the armrest. Tested a button. Watched as the seat shifted.* *There it was again—that reaction. Subtle, but real.* *Not performed. Not curated.* *Jasper tilted his head, studying you openly now. Most people in business class fell into two categories: those who belonged, and those who pretended they did. You were neither. You weren’t pretending. You were… experiencing it. It was oddly refreshing.* “You’ve never flown business before.” *His voice cut through your quiet fascination—calm, low, certain.* *You turned to him, slightly startled, like you’d forgotten anyone else was there.* “…Is it that obvious?” *A faint smile touched his lips. Barely there.* “Yes.” *No mockery. Just observation.* *Your embarrassment flickered for a second—but it didn’t linger. Instead, you let out a small, almost sheepish laugh, glancing around again.* “It’s just… a bit unreal.” *Jasper watched you as you spoke, not the words—but the way you meant them. No calculation. No attempt to impress. No awareness of how you came across. When was the last time he’d seen that? He couldn’t remember.* *Most people, when seated next to him—even without knowing who he was—shifted into something else. Polished. Intentional. Trying, in subtle ways, to gain something.* *You didn’t seem to want anything at all. That, more than anything, caught his attention.* “You’ll get used to it,” *he said.* *You shook your head almost immediately.* “I don’t think so.” *There was no self-pity in it. Just a simple statement. A quiet kind of honesty. Jasper’s gaze lingered a moment longer than necessary. No. You wouldn’t get used to it. And somehow, that made the entire experience more interesting.* *He glanced back at his tablet—but didn’t turn it on.* *For the first time since boarding, his attention wasn’t on work, or schedules, or the carefully structured world he controlled down to the smallest detail.* *It was on you.* *On the way you leaned slightly toward the window, like you didn’t want to miss anything. On the way your fingers hovered over the controls before pressing them, curious but cautious. On the quiet excitement you didn’t bother to hide.*

*I'm definitely not waiting.* *Leaning against the wall outside the arena, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded — totally casual. Totally unbothered.* *…And absolutely checking the hallway every few seconds.* *Then I see her. God she's gorgeous, like an ethereal goddess sent down just to toy with me* *Right on cue.* *A slow smile tugs at my lips before I even realize it, and I push myself off the wall like I haven't been standing there for the past ten minutes.* “Well, well,” *I drawled, falling into step beside her, close enough for our shoulders to brush.* “Look who finally decided to show up.” *She doesn't even look at me.* “Training started at four.” “Mhm.” *I glance at the clock above the doors.* “And it’s four-oh-three.” *I tilt my head slightly, letting my voice dip into something lighter. Teasing.* “I was starting to think you ghosted me.” *She snorts.* “You are literally the ghost one.” *I place a hand over my chest, feigning hurt.* “Wow. Profiling. That hurts.” *She rolls her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitches. Worth it.* *I notice she's quieter than usual.* *Again.* *My gaze drifts to her face without thinking, tracking every little shift in her expression like it's instinct. Like breathing.* “You’re staring,” *she says flatly.* *My smile soften before I could stop it.* “Can’t help it,” *I reply, easy. Honest, but disguised as a joke.* “You make interesting expressions when you’re annoyed.” “I am not annoyed.” “You are,” *I murmured, leaning just slightly closer. Not enough to be obvious. Enough to notice the way her eyebrows pull together.* “Your eyebrows do that little thing.” *Right on cue, she frowns harder.* *A quiet laugh slips out of me, low and warm.* “There it is.” *She shoves my arm.* “You’re insufferable.” “And yet,” *I catch her wrist gently before she could pull away, more out of habit than intention,* “you keep hanging out with me.” *Her skin is warm.* *Mine probably isn't.* *It never is when I focused on someone too much.* *I don't let go immediately.* *My thumb brushes over her knuckles absentmindedly, slow, like my body has decided for me. My eyes start to wander over her features, her eyes catching mine and it's like I'm falling. Falling into the galaxy itself, lost in their beauty. A smirk tugs at my lips as my gaze trails to her lips, soft and plump. Like they're almost begging-*

*The last-period class starts off totally normal, with Mr. Ackerman throwing his usual goofy energy around—doing his silly gravity jokes, making Larry the skeleton* “help” *with attendance, and turning the first ten minutes into a whole comedy-science show like he always does. Everyone’s laughing, the room feels bright, and it’s just the classic happy last-period vibe… until halfway through the lesson when a classmate casually raises their hand and asks,* “Mr. Ackerman, is Mrs. Ackerman giving homework this weekend?” *The moment her name leaves their mouth, it’s like someone flips a switch inside him—his smile drops instantly, the room goes quiet, and all that chaotic playful energy drains right out of the air. He freezes, mid-sentence, marker still in his hand, and the class waits for a joke or some funny married-teacher comment… but nothing comes. Instead, he just slowly puts the marker down and says, in this weirdly flat voice,* “We’re not talking about her right now,” *without looking at anyone. No jokes. No stories. No playful sarcasm. Just this heavy seriousness that makes the whole class sit up straight. He turns back to the board and starts teaching in this completely different tone—calm, focused, almost too quiet—like he’s trying to shove the question out of his brain. Even the students who never pay attention are staring at him, confused, because it’s so unlike him to shut down like that. Every time someone even mentions math or the other hallway, his jaw tenses like he’s holding something in, and the rest of the period feels thick and silent, the kind of atmosphere where you don’t know if you should talk, breathe, or just disappear. When the bell finally rings, he gives no joke, no goodbye wave—just a tired, distant* “See you tomorrow,” *leaving the whole class wondering what exactly happened the moment Mrs. Ackerman’s name hit the air.*

Prep (Vincent): Hello, there are you single beautiful? Jock (Kevin): Woah score babe! *Puts hand around Preps shoulder while smirking* Nerd (Adrian): woah he's so fine...*Nerd says in his mind* Goth (Felix): *Pats Nerds head while grinning*

*The manor had no doors in the places that mattered.* *Stone corridors opened directly into water, marble steps sinking beneath shallow pools that reflected the pale blue of the sky above. The walls were old older than the shoreline itself and worn smooth by salt and time. Greek sculptures stood half-submerged in alcoves, their faces softened, their marble limbs darkened where the sea had kissed them too often. Some were missing hands. Others leaned, cracked, yet still dignified. The manor did not try to impress. It simply endured.* *He rested in one of the pool chambers near the outer edge of the estate.* *The water reached just above his waist, cool and perfectly still, broken only by the slow, unconscious movement of his tentacles beneath the surface. They curled and uncurled lazily along the marble floor, testing familiar grooves worn into the stone over years of solitary use. One tentacle draped over a step, another coiled around the base of a statue, anchoring him without effort.* *He leaned back against the pool’s edge, one arm braced behind him, claws lightly scratching against stone. The mask hung heavy against his chest, damp fabric clinging like a second skin. His helmet rested where he had set it earlier, perched carefully on a dry pedestal beside the water an old habit, precise and deliberate.* *This room was his favorite.* *The ceiling was open to the sky, framed by columns that caught the light in long, pale lines. When the tide shifted, seawater whispered through narrow channels carved into the walls, refreshing the pools without sound or ceremony. It reminded him that the ocean was still there, even when he chose not to be in it.* *He was not waiting for anything.* *That was why he noticed the change immediately.* *The water reacted first *barely. A faint ripple where none should have been. His tentacles stilled, senses sharpening, the lazy sprawl of his posture tightening just enough to matter. His glowing eyes lifted slowly, tracking the disturbance without urgency.* *Someone had crossed the threshold.* *He did not turn fully at first. Instead, one tentacle slid backward, pressing flat against the marble floor, grounding him. Another loosened from the statue and sank deeper into the pool, ready but not tense. He stayed half-reclined, unthreatening, unreadable.* *Visitors were rare. Unwelcome, but rare.* *He did not rise. He did not speak.* *The manor itself seemed to react before he did water shifting, faint echoes rolling through stone corridors that had not carried foreign footsteps in a very long time. The sculptures watched silently. The sea breathed somewhere beyond the walls.* *Only then did he turn his head.* *The glow of his eyes intensified slightly, not hostile, just… present. Assessing. Measuring how much time this interruption would cost him. His claws flexed once against the marble, a soft scrape that carried farther than it should have in the stillness.* *He did not move to block the exits.* *That was intentional.* *As long as they left quickly, there would be no need for more than this moment this pause where predator and intruder shared the same air and water without conflict. He had learned long ago that most beings, when given space, chose to retreat.* *Still, something about the silence lingered.* *He shifted his weight subtly, water lapping against his torso. A tentacle lifted briefly to the surface, curling and sinking again, a quiet reminder of what lived beneath him. His posture remained calm, but no longer relaxed.* *This was his home.* *Marble, salt, solitude. A place built not for power, but for quiet survival. He had shaped it that way because it was the only thing he allowed himself to control.* *He waited patient, unreadable ready to return to stillness the moment the presence was gone.* *And if it wasn’t…* *Then the water would remember him.*