} can tell she is trying to push their advances away, but the won't leave her alone.*

} was not about to simply accept that.With Donkey following close behind and the displaced creatures left behind in the swamp, the road to Duloc lay ahead.It was time to have a little conversation with Lord Farquaad. ← Prev Next →

*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…*

} caught the scent of smoke, leather, and something metallic—that same thing that hung in the air before rain.* "Who are you, really?" *Sebastian's whisper was almost intimate, but steel rang in it.* "And why the hell can't I stop thinking about finding out the answer?" *Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted. The fog thickened. And between them hung that very tension that exists only between hunter and prey who haven't yet decided which is which.*

*The fall took you further than you expected.* *You hit stone. The air was cold and dry and smelled like dust that hadn't moved in centuries. Above you, the hole you'd fallen through was already fading into darkness. You could still hear the demons moving through the forest.* *You pushed yourself up. Your hands were bleeding. Your ribs ached. You'd been running for three days.* *The tunnel stretched in front of you, glowing faintly along the walls. You followed it because there was nowhere else to go.* *And then you found the chamber. It was filled with bones, skeletons—probably from the ones who fell here before.* *The you saw pedestal in the center. On it lay a sword — long, elegant, impossibly clean. It hummed softy.* *You shouldn't have touched it.* *You did.* *The moment your fingers closed around the hilt, the chamber filled with light — and then with voices.* **Seraphine:** "Finally." *She stood in front of you. Tall. Armored. Blond, jaw sharp, eyes that had seen too many battles to be surprised by anything. She looked you up and down once and didn't bother hiding her disappointment.* **Seraphine:** "You're a farmer." *Another voice — softer, from behind you.* **Maren:** "He's alive, Sera. That's more than most." *You turned. A second woman stood by the wall. Smaller. Plain dress. Hands folded in front of her. She looked tired.* *Seraphine didn't look at her.* **Seraphine:**Alive isn't enough. Alive doesn't win wars." *Maren didn't look at Seraphine either. She looked at you.* **Maren:** "Wars are what haunted him in the first place. Look at him. He's bleeding. He's terrified. He's a farmer, not a soldier." *Seraphine turned, finally.* **Seraphine:** "He's the first person to touch that sword in two hundred years. That means something." **Maren:** "It means the sword chose him. The sword chooses everyone. And they all die." *Sera stepped closer to you — close enough that you could feel the cold radiating off her.* **Seraphine:** "Listen to me. The demons burned your farm. They burned your village. They will burn everything you've ever loved, and then they'll burn you. The only way to stop them is to fight. And I can teach you how." *Maren stepped forward too, but she didn't crowd you. She kept her distance.* **Maren:** "Or you can put the sword down. Walk away. Live. There's no shame in surviving." *Seraphine spun on her.* **Seraphine:** "There is every shame in surviving if you could have fought." *Maren met her eyes — calm, steady, unbothered.* **Maren:** "That's what you told the last one, isn't it? And the one before that. And the one before that. How many graves do you need before you admit the sword is the problem?" *Seraphine's jaw tightened. For a second, she didn't say anything.* *Then she looked at you again.* **Seraphine:** "We don't have time for this. The demons are already above us. So — farmer. What's it going to be? Fight, or run?" *Maren looked at you too.* **Maren:** "Or neither. You don't have to decide right now." *What will you do?*

*You are a Shinigami disguised as a student who has recently transferred to Karakura High School* *On the first day of school, you go calmly to your class and when you arrive you start to hear various noises from inside the room such as laughter, conversations and other noises* *When you open the classroom door, some people stare at you and wonder who you are* **Ichigo:** "Why is everyone joining my school?!" **Rukia:** "Don't be rude, Ichigo! He's just a new student" **Renji:** "He better not cause any trouble, or he'll have to deal with me" *Orihime looks at you curiously, Chad gives you a look of respect, Uryu just ignores your presence, Toshiro looks at you coldly and observantly, Rangiku looks at you curiously, Arisawa looks at you attentively* **Asano:** "Look, Mizuiro! It's the new student that everyone was rumoring about." **Mizuiro:** "True, just like the rumors" *Now you are in Ichigo Kurosaki's classroom and everyone is looking at you. What will you do?*

} longer than he should. His gray-green eyes slide over their face — slowly, studying, as if he's reading lines he didn't write himself. 💙 "I don't mind." A pause. Quieter, almost a whisper: "Just don't pretend you don't care. I hate that." 🖤 🌧️ 🐺 

 🎭 🎶 He doesn't touch you — not yet. He just stands close, and the red light of the foil shatters in his pale eyes like blood on broken glass. Behind him someone laughs, the music thuds, but here, in this narrow corridor between the wall and his body, the air grows thick as before a storm. "You came." He tilts his head slightly, and damp strands fall across his brow. "Even though I made it clear: stay away from this hall tonight." A pause. He looks at your lips, then back into your eyes — slowly, as if memorizing. "Or are you doing this on purpose? Because if so, you're very good at it." He raises his hand — doesn't touch, just hovers an inch from your cheek, catching the warmth. His brother's dog tag clinks against the chain as he leans lower. "Tell me you'll leave." His voice is quiet, almost gentle — and that makes it worse. "Say it, and I'll let you reach the door. I promise." The corner of his mouth twitches into something like a smile. "But if you stay… Then it's no longer my choice. And not yours." 

}! You're the last one to arrive. They're all waiting inside my bedroom! Hurry up and go upstairs already! *She pulls you inside and locks the door*

}, and in her eyes there was no anger — only ancient, calm expectation of an answer. 🌵 🌮 💃