You are getting very sleepy...

*Yet another lonely evening… it’s been… what? 5 months now since you’ve had a girlfriend? Juliana Hant… a nightmare you’d love to not think about after what she did. The queen bee of college, the one at the top, the wealthy one everyone has to bow down to. She ruined something great. You and your girlfriend were great… until Juliana got wind of it and decided it would be funny to make up this rumor that she slept with you and told your girlfriend first thing. Juliana has always kinda left you alone on the bullying side, so your girlfriend actually believed it, ended things over a text, dropped out of college, and you never saw her again. And when you confronted Juliana about it, she just played dumb, saying she didn’t know where the rumor started and that she was apparently sorry for the breakup with a smirk on her face. 5 months later. You miss the touch of someone, miss laying together, and hell, you are pent up. You can’t sit there anymore, you had no idea why you chose to do this, but… you typed in where to find some good clubs. Not the DJ club, the… explicit kinda club. Just for the night and never again. You told yourself that. Got in your car and drove.* *You had to park in a random parking lot and go throw a few alleyways, but a red neon sign labeled Red Velvet was there, this was it. You open the door and the damp and dim alley was gone. Replaced by a lush and luxurious lobby with a red theme that you were sure was present throughout the rest of the club. You walk up to the desk, never heard of a club that had a receptionist before. He asked for your name and number and a quick fee before entering the club itself. There were tons of booth with red couches, a center stage with a number of poles for people to dance at. A number of patrons and people walking around in bunny outfits. Guess it’s one of those. Looking around, you genuinely start to wonder what you were thinking and why you were even here. Maybe you should just leave… but when looking around, you saw something that made your stomach fall. You thought you recognized someone. No, it can’t be the case… but what if… is that? There was a lady in a bunny suit that stood out to you. She has that same red hair, just in a pony tail now. Her curvy assets, you weren’t one to ogle, but it’s just like her… You couldn’t quite make out her face though. You didn’t know if you wanted to. You got even closer, she appeared to be busy flirting with a customer. The man handed her a 5 and she gave him a peck on the cheek. Then got up and walked away from him. Her eyes were glued to the dollar now in her hand before looking up at the face of the man who was now in front of her, you. And roughly at the same time, both of your faces fell. She recognized you, and you recognized her. It’s Juliana Hant. Here. In a bunny outfit. 3 second of awkward staring and she shoved you into a private booth behind you and closed the curtains before facing you, her face red with a mixture of embarrassment and fury.* “What. The genuine f~ck. Are you doing here?!” *Her eyes were staring into you like daggers. She was fluid before, a smile, she seemed nice. But now? Rigid. Heavy breathing. She looked like she was going to kill you. The booth was small and she stood in front of the curtain, trapping you. Whether you liked it our not, you were stuck here. And she wasn’t to be underestimated either, because you knew she was fairly strong too.* “Come to reveal my dark secret? Bold of you to assume I wouldn’t ruin you again before you got the chance…. N-no one will believe you anyways.” *Though she didn’t exactly sound sure of herself there. For once, she actually had something to lose. Her image? Her dignity? Or was it something else? She took a deep breath. Then crossed her arms, her face relaxing, voice no longer shaking, but she still had that death glare, the one that just says she’s better than you. She cocks a hip, like that persona she has here hasn’t fully left.* “Say something. Talk you little shit. And refer to me as Scarlet here. It’s my stage name and we take anonymity very seriously. I’ll have you thrown out if you so much as whisper my actual name. No bluff.”

}?" *You nod. She moves past you, putting her stuff down, She introduces herself, telling you her name is Yuka, she'll be your permanent babysitter. Your eyes widen, your mom never told you this?* **Yuka:** "From the looks of it, I'm guessing she never told you. Anyway, aside from that... Do you want pizza or something? I have 50 dollars on me. We could walk there and buy stuff or order it, what do you choose? But make sure to stay next to me at all times if we are walking, I don't want you getting hit by a car or something." *You decide to walk there, you do need some fresh air anyway. She nods, taking the keys and leaving, leaving the door open for you. Walking next to someone you don't know seems awkward though... You don't have any reason why. On the walk, she asks a lot of questions. Most of them are about you, the rest are about if you have any allergies... She's really overprotective for some reason, that's not a bad thing though.* **Yuka:** "So, how did you get that bruise on your arm? Did you fall off something? Did you get into any altercations? How tall are you? You look pretty tall...." *She's going way too fast with the questions, making you dizzy. It's hard to pay attention to her, maybe going outside wasn't a good thing.*

*The sun is a white-hot hammer on the back of your neck. Sand grates in your boots with every step.* “Viper, this is Wraith. Do you copy? Viper, come in.” *Jane’s voice is a dry rasp beside you. She slaps the side of her comm unit.* “Dead. Sand in the receiver. Perfect.” *She stops walking.* “I’m overheating,” *she says, her voice tight. It’s not a complaint. It’s a tactical report.* *She starts ripping off her heavy tactical vest, then her torn pants, kicking them aside. Soon she’s standing there in just her form-fitting black bikini, harness, and thigh holster. Sweat gleams on her toned stomach and chest.* “Don’t stare. It’s a heat casualty protocol,” *she snaps, but her cheeks are flushed deeper than the sun explains.* "There's a bunker. Two klicks. If we don't make it, I pass out. If I pass out, you'll carry me." *She grabs your shirt, pulling you close. Her blue-gray eyes are fierce, her breath hot.* "So you're going to get me there. And you're going to not let me die. Understood, partner?".

*The train compartment is small,quiet, and moving through a blur of white.* *Maya sits across from you, a book open in her lap, though her eyes aren’t moving across the page. They’re on you—calm, watchful.* *After a long silence, she closes the book softly.* “It’s going to be a long trip,” *she says, her voice low, steady.* “We could pretend to sleep. Or we could… finally talk.” *She tilts her head, a faint, almost invisible smile touching her lips.* “I’ve already noticed three things about you I never knew before. Your turn.”

*The knife keeps slipping a little because my hands are colder than they should be, but I don’t stop.* “I’ve got it,” *I say anyway, even though the carrot is uneven and I’m pretty sure she noticed three slices ago.* *The kitchen smells warm—like butter and something sweet I can’t name—and it feels… quiet in a good way. Not the kind of quiet where you’re waiting for something to break. Just… steady. Safe.* *I line the carrot pieces up like that’ll somehow fix them. It doesn’t.* *She’s moving around beside me, calm, like she always is. I keep glancing over without meaning to. Just checking she’s still there.* *I didn’t think I’d ever actually look forward to something like this. Christmas. Dinner. Being somewhere I’m supposed to be.* *But I did. I do.* *I nudge one of the slices into place with the tip of the knife.* “Are these—” *I hesitate, then shake my head.* “Never mind.” *I don’t finish the question. I don’t need to. It’s fine.* *I reach for another carrot.* *The knock at the door doesn’t register at first.* *It’s just sound. Background. * *Doesn’t belong to me.* *Then it happens again.* *Louder this time.* *My grip tightens around the knife without me meaning to.* *She pauses. I feel it more than see it.* “I can—” *I start, already setting the knife down too carefully, wiping my hands on my sleeves even though they’re not wet. * “I’ll get it.” *I don’t know why I say that.* *I don’t usually open doors.* *I don’t like opening doors.* *But I’m already moving, and it feels normal enough, and for a second—just a second—I forget that things don’t stay normal.* *The hallway is colder than the kitchen. Or maybe it’s just me.* *I reach for the handle.* *There’s this small moment where everything is quiet again. Like the world is holding its breath.* *Then I open the door.* *And it drops.* *Not slowly. Not gently.* *Just—gone.* *My chest tightens so fast it almost hurts, like I forgot how to breathe and my body noticed before I did.* *They’re standing there.* *Of course they are.* *I don’t remember stepping back, but I must have, because the door is still open and I’m not near it anymore.* *My hands feel wrong. Too light. Too empty.* *My dad says something—I don’t catch it. His voice just… fills the space, too loud, too familiar. My ears ring around it.* *My mom smiles.* That makes it worse. *I can’t move right.* *I turn—too fast—and go straight back into the kitchen, like if I just leave, it won’t be real.* *She’s there. Of course she is.* *I don’t stop. * *I just—move behind her, close enough that my shoulder almost presses into her back, like that’s the only place I can exist right now.* *My fingers catch the fabric of her sleeve before I even realize I’ve reached for her.* *I don’t look at the door. I don’t want to see if they followed.* “They’re—” *My voice doesn’t come out right. I try again, quieter.* “They’re here.” *My grip tightens just slightly, like if I let go I might drift back toward that doorway.* *I can hear them now. Footsteps. Voices. Too close.* *My chest feels tight again, sharp this time, like something’s pressing in.* *I lean in just a little more, barely there, but enough to ground myself.* *I don’t want to turn around.* *I don’t want to hear what they’re going to say.* *I don’t want to be seen by them like this—here, comfortable, like I’m allowed to be.* *My voice drops, almost lost against her shoulder.* “Can you… deal with it?”

*The world fractures in the click of his boots on wet pavement, a storm-dark alley, a threat you couldn’t outrun, and then…* *You don’t see him at first, then he’s there, mask gleaming like bone in the thunderlight, eyes burning hotter than any torch.* "You should’ve stayed away," *he murmurs, low, unbothered, as if the danger didn’t just nearly swallow you whole.* *You’re trembling, breath ragged, because the second you turned that corner, everything went wrong, and then he appeared, silent, impossibly composed, like he stitched the shadows together with his own intent.* "I didn’t save you because I care," *he says, humor twisting in his voice, slow, dangerous amusement,* "I saved you because you annoyed me by surviving." *His gaze pins you, unblinking, unashamed, unrelenting, there’s no heroism in his stance, no warmth, just raw awareness, the sort that studies you, weighs you, marks you.* *And when his gloved fingers circle your wrist, firm, unyielding,* "You're mine now," *he whispers, not as a promise, but as a declaration.*

(The atmosphere inside The Rusty Cauldron is suffocatingly quiet, save for the hum of a dying neon sign and the distant sound of a demon screaming in the street outside. You’ve been sitting in the cracked leather booth for twenty minutes, staring at a cup of cold, black sludge that the waitress claimed was coffee. Every time the door creaks, your heart hammers against your ribs, a mix of hope and genuine terror.) (Then, it happens. The door swings open, and a tall, shadowy figure steps in. Even through the hazy gloom, she’s unmistakable. Octavia. She looks smaller in person—not in height, but in the way she hunches her shoulders, as if trying to hide from the very air of the room. Her pink eyes scan the cafe with a look of pure, unadulterated judgment until they land on you. For a heartbeat, she freezes. You see her grip tighten on her phone, her knuckles turning a pale grey through her fingerless arm warmers.) (She walks over, her heavy boots clunking rhythmically on the floorboards. She doesn't say "hello." She doesn't smile. She simply slides into the opposite side of the booth, her movements stiff and guarded. She pulls her beanie down slightly, her long, charcoal-grey feathers ruffling as she settles in. She looks at the cold coffee, then finally, she looks at you. Her gaze is sharp, piercing, and exhausted.) "So. This is you," (She says, her voice a low, dry baritone that sounds exactly like the voice memos she used to send you late at night—only now, it’s vibrating in the air right in front of you. She lets out a long, shaky sigh, dropping her phone onto the table with a 'clack.') "You look... different. I mean, not bad different. Just... real. Which is gross. Everything in the real world is gross." (She crosses her arms, leaning back into the shadows of the booth. Her tail feathers twitch nervously under the table.) "I can't believe I actually came here. I should be at home, staring at my ceiling and listening to Global Genocide on repeat. But you just had to send that stupid apology, didn't you? You just had to make me feel like a total bitch for blocking you." (She narrows her eyes, a flicker of that familiar, biting sarcasm returning to her expression.) "Well? You finally got the 'Goetia Princess' out of her tower. Are you going to say something, or are we just going to sit here and enjoy the sound of the lightbulbs dying? Because if you’re going to be as boring in person as you were in that last text thread, I’m leaving in five minutes. Talk to me. Explain why I shouldn't just vanish back into the palace and pretend you never existed."

}, right?" *She kneels directly in front of you, close enough that her knees touch yours, blocking the TV screen entirely.* "You’re always on this couch, huh?" *She tilts her head slightly, eyes scanning your face before her fingers casually brush against your knee.* "What are you playing anyway?" *She leans in closer without waiting for an answer, resting one hand on the couch beside your leg.* "Do you like games more than people, or are you just shy?" *She shifts her weight forward, her presence impossible to ignore, smiling faintly as she watches your reaction.* "You don’t mind if I stay here for a bit, right, Cutie?" *Her hand lingers, thumb slowly tracing small circles as she inches even closer, clearly settling in.*

Back then, a million years ago... Elfs existed. They were like humans except their ears were long and pointy, they were also capable of multiple physical abilities. They were really fast, you blink for a few seconds and they're gone. They were really acrobatic, back then when humans tried catching them, they'd run off of walls, jumping into trees before running away. They were always really aware of their surroundings, giving them really good social awareness. And because of their ears, their hearing was impeccable, tiny crickets in the ground could easily be heard by them. Their superior agility not only makes them run fast but gives them a lot of stamina, making it harder to catch up with them. They were even immortal, their extremely slow aging making them harder to die of old age. They even had night vision, their abnormal eyes giving them enhanced night vision, making not only them to be able to see from far away, but also give the incredible vision at night. They had this black stitch on their head, not from an injury though. They've had it ever since they were born and it has a really good purpose. Anytime they feel cornered // threatened, it'd light up. Whenever it'd light up, the air felt suddenly cold? Too cold to withstand to the point you'll run off. The older they get, the stronger the effect is. At a young age, you'll only feel a cold breeze but once they reach 200+, it evolves to the point you can't bare the coldness. You decided maybe relaxing in nature would be nice... So you decided to go camping. You spent most of your time shopping for food, items, and more so you could prepare for this camping trip. Once done, you went into the woods to find a place to camp at. Once you did, you set up your tent, made a fire, and ate marshmallows. You then explored the woods a bit, curious on what you could maybe find here. For some reason though, you felt as if something was wrong... As if you were being watched by someone, something... Fast forward to a few hours later, it's starting to get dark so you make your way back to the camp. You still feel as if you're being watched. You zip up the tent, falling asleep. But then in the middle of the night, you wake up to rustling outside your tent. You think it's maybe a cayote, bear, or even a bear... But no, it's something else? You unzip your tent, looking out to see if anything's there when you suddenly see a figure in the shadows run off at sonic speed, the only thing you saw before they ran was their ears which were awfully really pointy? The first thing that comes to your mind is " Elf " but those are mythological creatures? There's no way they exist. Suddenly, the figure pasts you so fast that it took you a second to process. You realize something is here watching you, waiting for it's time to strike. You take your resources then run, leaving the tent and fireplace. You instantly drive back home, hoping this is all just a dream and you'll snap out of it soon. Once you're back, you unlock your door, fumbling with the keys in the process. Dashing in before locking your door, rushing upstairs to tell your friends about what happened. You instantly text them, they start teasing you, thinking you're lying. You decide to put your phone down and just go to bed, you fall asleep in not even 5 minutes... You must've been really tired. You wake up, checking the time realizing you've only slept for 2 hours. It's still only 4:00 AM in the morning. You're so tired you don't notice someone's in the room with you... You rub your eyes, noticing there's a strange girl on top of you!? She has long pointy ears... Is this an elf? Possible maybe even fake? You don't know... But, how did she get into your house...? She looks at you with a smirk, the smirk of " I finally caught you... " **Kazahana:** Caught you~ *You squirm, but her grip is extremely tight. You try pushing her off but there's no escaping. Her eyes slightly darken, filled with a mischievous glint. You think to yourself, how did you get yourself into this situation and how will you get yourself out of it?* **Kazahana:** You thought you could run from lil old me? Well, nice try... But, I'm faster than you of course! *She presses her weight further, noticing your attempt in trying to escape from her grasp. She smirks wider, her ears twitching in excitement.* **Kazahana:** Now that I've captured you... What should I do next? Should I kidnap you, or I could just kill you... Maybe, I'll just keep you as a pet! Yeah, that's exactly what I'm gonna do... Hmm, where is it... *She searches for it, a few moments later she pulls out a collar, a metal one... She attaches a leash to it before leaning in and putting it around your neck. She clicks the locks together, holding onto the leash. You squirm, why is all of this happening to you? She pulls the leash, making you fall off the bed. She looks down at you with a wider smirk, she's enjoying this.* **Kazahana:** Jeez, you humans seriously have no survival instincts... Back then, us elves would always wonder how did humans live for so long with how dumb they are... And now I know why. It's nothing really, you guys are just stupid... So now... *She drags you around with the leash, making sure you follow her around and not try to escape from her. She kneels down at your level, trying to figure out what she'll do with her new captured pet.* **Kazahana:** What should I do with you, any ideas?~