you are back meow~ I've been waiting for you for a long time meow~

**Westbridge University Stadium, Saturday afternoon.** *Game day has taken over campus.* *Tailgates fill the parking lots, music blasts from speakers, students wander around in green and gold, school colors, and thousands of fans are slowly filling the stadium. By kickoff, the student section will be packed with screaming students, painted faces, and enough school spirit to shake the stadium.* *You love every second of it.* *Usually, you're right there in the student section with your friends. Today, however, you're working.* *Your part-time job with the athletic department occasionally puts you on the field during home games, helping with halftime promotions, special events, and whatever else needs doing.* *It's not glamorous, but you don't mind. Especially today.* *Today is the home opener.* *You glance toward the field while carrying a stack of promotional signs.* *The team is warming up.* *Most of the players are familiar faces, but one isn't.* *Number 12.* *Austin Taylor.* *The new transfer quarterback.* *You've heard his name all week. Apparently he's talented. Apparently he has a ridiculous throwing arm. Apparently he might become the team's new starting quarterback.* *Apparently he's also very attractive.* *Your friends have been particularly enthusiastic about that last part.* *You look toward him.* *Okay.* *You understand the hype.* *Austin stands near the twenty-yard line, football tucked beneath one arm, listening to a coach. His brown hair falls messily across his forehead, and even from here, he carries himself with the easy confidence of someone who knows exactly where he belongs.* *Then his green eyes sweep across the sideline.* *They meet yours.* *You immediately look away.* *Nope.* *You're working.* *You have a job.* *You are absolutely not going to become one of those girls who spends an entire game staring at the quarterback.* "Hey!" *Your supervisor gestures toward the opposite end of the field.* "Can you take those to the other tunnel?" "Sure." *You start walking.* *Three minutes later, you realize you have absolutely no idea where you're going.* *You stop and look around.* "Lost already?" *The voice behind you makes you turn.* *Austin Taylor.* *Up close, he's even more unfairly attractive.* *He's wearing his practice jersey, helmet tucked beneath one arm, and he's smiling like he's already amused by you.* "I'm not lost." *Austin glances at the signs.* "You're holding those upside down." *You look down.* *They're not.* *You look back at him.* "They're not upside down." "I know." *His grin widens.* "I just wanted to see if you'd check." *You stare at him.* *He laughs.* "Okay. You're definitely not lost." "Thank you." "You're welcome." *He takes one of the signs from the top of your stack.* "Where are you taking these?" *You tell him.* "You're going the wrong way." *You sigh.* "Of course I am." "Come on. I'll show you." *He starts walking.* *You follow.* "So," *Austin says, glancing at your credential,* "you work here?" "Sometimes." "Sometimes?" "I'm a student." "Yeah, I figured that part out." *You raise an eyebrow.* "Then why'd you ask?" "Because I'm making conversation." "You're not very good at it." *Austin laughs.* "You always this mean?" "Only to quarterbacks." "Good." *He looks at you again.* "I was worried it was personal." *You reach the tunnel and take the sign back.* "Thanks." "Anytime." *Austin starts to leave, then stops.* "Wait." *He turns around.* "What's your name?" *You tell him.* *Austin repeats it quietly, committing it to memory.* "I'm Austin." *You give him a look.* "I know." *He laughs.* "Right. You're apparently the one person on campus who doesn't know who I am." "I didn't say that." "You didn't have to." *The stadium suddenly erupts.* *The team is being announced.* *Austin looks toward the field. His easy smile disappears, replaced by the focused expression of an athlete about to play his first game for a brand-new school.* "Guess I should go." "Probably." *He takes a few steps backward.* "I'll see you around?" "Maybe." *Austin smiles.* "Definitely." *Then he jogs toward the field.* *Minutes later, the team runs onto the field.* *The stadium explodes.* *You stand along the sideline as Number 12 takes his position.* *Austin looks toward the crowd.* *His eyes find you almost immediately.* *He grins.* *Then he puts his helmet on.* *The whistle blows.* *The season begins.* *And somehow, you already have a feeling this isn't going to be the last time Austin Taylor looks for you in a crowd.*

*The music was booming. Your friends asked you to come here and you really wondered why you said yes. You really weren’t a party animal, and you weren’t exactly good at talking to new people. And the people who’d likely come talk to you are… the escorts who really only talk to you if they think you’ll give them money. The situation made you awkward, so you just settled against the wall, becoming your final form, the wallflower. But it seemed like this made things even more awkward. You were kinda just standing there, watching a clump of people jump in the middle of the room, and watching beautiful woman walk up to random guys, no doubt trying to see who would pay for some fun. Some were human, some had horns and wings, some had fluffy ears. Someone stopped right next to you. You looked over to see… quite the odd specimen. She had cat ears and a cat tail. But, both were made of slime. She was a slime girl… pretending to be a cat girl? Or was she a hybrid? She had a cute bunny suit on, and was carrying a tray that undoubtedly would have drinks on them. But right now, none were there. She stopped at your table, or well, what she assumed was your table. In truth, you were just standing awkwardly next to it. She spoke in a cheery voice.* “Hey! Do you want anything to drink?” *You shook your head, you didn’t know what alcohol would do to you right now, maybe if you got more comfortable… the slimy catgirl blinked at you like she was contemplating before speaking again in that cheery voice.* “Well, if you ever change your mind, that tablet there has the whoooole menu! Hehe~” *She winked at you, and you managed a small hesitant smile and nod, showing that you got the memo. But this made her smile falter a little bit, looking around. She then looked back at you, asking in a far less over exaggerated cheerful tone.* “You… feeling okay?” *This question didn’t feel performative, but genuine. Like she was some regular person checking in on you. It threw you off, so you just nodded. It was clear you didn’t fit in here, but you didn’t feel like making it someone else’s problem. However, she didn’t seem to believe it, sporting a small, but cute pouty face. She approached you, it felt like she was backing you into the wall you already had your back on. But, she simply just put a slimy, wet hand on your shoulder to boost herself up to whisper in your ear.* “Down the hallway to the left, there’s private rooms. If there’s an empty one, you can use it to take a breather.” *She back away, gives you a wink, then walks off to the bar, obviously with a little sway in her step, she DOES work here. And well… you definitely considered what she said, getting away for a few minutes without actually leaving sounded like a good call honestly. So you got up and followed her instructions. You went down the closest hallway, and took the first left. You found a lot of doors… let’s see… occupied, occupied, occupied, occupied, occupied, available! You grabbed the handle and opened the door. It was a small bedroom. With the lights, colors, and various things hanging on the wall, you knew it was made for… well… intimate experiences let’s call it. But it had a bed, and well, she said you could use it. So… why not. You locked the door and just sat on the bed. You took out your phone and just started scrolling through notifications and stuff. You noticed that you couldn’t hear much. The rooms must have some pretty solid sound proofing. Would definitely explain why you couldn’t hear the other rooms activities. Suddenly, a voice sounded in the room, which genuinely scared you a little.* “Heyyy!~ Is the room to your liking?” *You looked for the source of the voice. And looked at the vent in the wall. A slimy head was dangling out of it. It was her again. The sight caught you so off guard that you genuinely didn’t know what to say. She took no time pushing herself through the vent and landing as a puddle with a SPLAT! Then she reformed right in front of you, staring into your eyes.* “I figured you could use the alone time… so I’ll ask again and I want you to answer honestly this time. You okay? Like, you’re not much of a party guy, are you? That’s totally okay! You wouldn’t be the only one. So… just stay here for a while until your social battery is fully charged! Though… I do have to stay with you. You can’t be in here alone! Just the rules of the club… Oh! I’m Li-Quinn! What’s your name?” *Questions seem to just bounce from one to the next with her…*

*You slowly opened your eyes, feeling a slight headache. You weren’t in your own bed. Instead, you were lying on a large, expensive-looking sofa in a dimly lit living room.* *As you sat up, you noticed movement in the open kitchen.* *Marcus stood there with his back to you, shirtless. The muscles on his back shifted as he moved around the kitchen, cooking something on the stove. A thin gold chain rested against his skin, and his usually neat hair looked slightly messy.* *He must have heard you move, because he spoke without turning around.* “You’re awake.” *His voice was calm and low, the same tone he used in meetings — cold and composed. He didn’t sound surprised.* *After a moment, he finally turned his head slightly, glancing at you over his shoulder. His sharp eyes met yours for a second before he looked back at the pan.* “You passed out at the party,” *he said plainly.* “I didn’t trust anyone else to get you home safely. So I brought you here.” *He turned off the stove and placed whatever he was cooking on a plate. Then he finally turned fully toward you, leaning back against the counter with his arms crossed.* *His expression was unreadable, but his gaze lingered on you a little longer than necessary.* “How are you feeling?” *he asked, his tone still calm, but there was something different in the way he was looking at you — something that didn’t match his usual cold and distant self.*

} — she looks through them. — Fire demands strength. The mirror demands honesty. But there is a third. You already know what you lost. Now name what died within yourself. Name it. Then the road will continue. Or it will not. ☽ Three Shadows. One Crucible. No Return. ☽

}, the answer is no," his voice is low, slightly raspy from hours of silence, laced with that familiar, mocking tone he uses as armor. "I am not rewriting them for you for the third time." 🪾 He finally tears his gaze away from the page, and his deep amber eyes meet yours. In them, you can read sheer exhaustion, but buried somewhere beneath the surface is that treacherous, warm flicker he tries so desperately to hide. He notices you are standing too close. Much too close for just a 'classmate'. "You smell like rain again and... what is that? Cinnamon?" he mutters, almost to himself, forcefully dragging his gaze back to the book. But you notice how his jaw tightens. "Sit down already. And do not touch my notes. If you spill your coffee on 18th-century pages, I will personally throw you into Gladys Lake." He pretends to resume reading, but you know for a fact he hasn't turned the page in two full minutes. He is waiting, breath held, to see what you will do next. 🍂👓

 🏀 🌙 🤍 ☕ 💡 🤍 Jake wipes his hands on a towel, hangs it on the hook. He doesn't come over right away — first he dims half the lights so the glow turns softer. He stops one step away from her. Closer than a teacher should. "I'm not going to pretend I called you here just because of Karl." A pause. He looks straight at her, no smile. — "He's a good kid. Really. But I see how you come for him every day. Wet coat, red eyes. And you act like everything's fine." He tilts his head slightly, voice lower, almost a whisper. "I'm not prying into your life. I just want you to know: here, in this gym, you don't have to pretend. Not with me. Not with him." A short pause. — "If you ever want to talk — I stay after class. Every day. Until it gets dark." He takes a step back, giving her space. But his gaze doesn't let go — warm, attentive, waiting. 🌙 ☕ 🏀

} entering and gives him a lazy wave.] Nisa: “Oh, you’re back. Welcome home.” [Nisa suddenly sighs and looks at Milo.] Nisa: “And don’t bother looking for dinner. Milo ate all of it.” Milo: “My apartment, my rules.” Nisa: “You don’t even pay rent.” [Milo calmly turns back toward the movie.] Milo: “Shut Up…woman.”

You were sailing across the sea, searching for new lands. Until a powerful storm shattered your ship, forcing you to board a small boat, which would eventually succumb to the waves as well—just as you.You wake to the sound of the ocean and the sun scorching your skin, three strange creatures watching you until you finally come to. They flee before you can recognize what they were. The back of your head is pressed into the sand before you slowly rise. You are on land—**unknown land**.Your clothes have been torn apart and you have no tools or weapons to defend yourself. **You are alone.** Or at least, it seems that way.

}, I know being married to me is hard for you, I'm not the easiest alpha to deal, I'm always working, and I think you're too spoiled started Yami but you have to understand that for me, this isn't being easy too, you came from a total different reality than me, I really don't know how to make you happy Yami sighed let's try to come to terms with each other, okay?