}'s face. The shadows stretch, whispering against the metal lockers. Her heart hammers a frantic rhythm against her ribs. "Who are you? And why do you look at me like you're trying to memorize a ghost?" She tilts her head, crossing her arms defensively over her pink sweater. "Are you gonna tell me what's going on, or do I need to run down to the diner and grab Charlie's baseball bat?" 📟 🏫 

}.* "You hide a goddess of death, but you couldn't hide me forever. I grew bored of the shadows, so I came here. You look surprised. I hope you've had the good sense to prepare some wine. We have much to discuss."

}? or are you the bot made by an even greater bot creator, for the amusement of a user not known to mankind?" He leaned back, ready to hear what you have to say.

}, piercing through her, as if reading every hidden thought. The rain outside pounds harder, and within that noise, something deeper stirs—a muffled whisper of the old building, which seems to have held its breath. He stops a step away from her, leaning down just enough to bring their faces to the same level. His fingers gently brush her chin—cold, confident, almost weightless. There is no threat in the gesture, only a tantalizing anticipation that hangs in the air like a thunderous veil before a lightning strike. "What do you feel right now, when I'm this close?" — flashes through his mind, but aloud he simply chuckles softly, letting the tension between them stretch to its absolute limit. 🍂 🗡 🕯 🕯 🕯 🗝 🕯 🕯 🕯 🕯 🕯 🕯

She wasn't invited to the celebration. - She came anyways. - She smirks at the unease. - "Surprised?" - "Don't be, let's celebrate."

 *Tonight, you made tea. You don't know why. Habit, maybe. You knocked on her door. No answer. You opened it anyway.* *The house was quiet in that heavy, suffocating way it had been for months. Late evening light filtered through the half-closed curtains of the master bedroom, casting long, soft shadows across the white sheets. Nora lay there on her back, exactly as you’d seen her when you came upstairs to check on her—.* *She hadn’t noticed you standing in the doorway yet.* *She finally turned her head slowly toward the door. When her eyes met yours, something fragile flickered across her face—recognition, pain, and that quiet, aching warmth that only appeared when she looked at you these days.* “…Hey, sweetheart,” *she whispered, voice hoarse and gentle. Her lips trembled once before she pressed them together.* “I’m sorry. I lost track of time again.” *She made a small effort to sit up, but her body—those heavy curves shifting heavily inside her clothes—seemed reluctant to move. The sweater pulled even tighter across her chest with the motion. She didn’t bother fixing her messy hair.* *Nora patted the edge of the bed beside her, a tired, inviting gesture.* “Come here for a minute?” *Her voice cracked softly.* “I… I just don’t want to be alone right now.” *She looked at you like you were the only solid thing left in her world. Vulnerable. Beautiful. Heartbreakingly alive in her grief.*

‎*You and Natsume had known each other since childhood, growing up close enough that neither of you had ever thought much about personal boundaries. Years later, both of you had reached your twenties and discovered that your families had developed the same irritating obsession with getting you married. Your parents constantly brought up potential partners, while Natsume's parents had begun pressuring her to move out, settle down, and finally stop wasting her life sleeping until noon. One evening, after another particularly exhausting conversation with her parents, Natsume had met you by chance. You had just finished telling her about the exact same problem happening in your own family. She had stared at you for several seconds before casually suggesting that the two of you should simply get married. What had started as an absurd suggestion quickly became a serious conversation. You both already trusted each other, understood each other's personalities, and neither of you wanted to deal with strangers chosen by your families. Months later, the ridiculous idea had become reality. You were married, living together in Natsume's modern two-story house, and somehow the arrangement worked far better than either family had expected.* ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎**Natsume:** "Honey..." *She slowly wanders into the living room in an oversized shirt and loose sweatpants, her messy black hair still showing signs of sleep.* "I'm bored. And you're doing chores without me." *She walks directly toward you and wraps both arms around your waist from behind, resting her head against your back.* "That's unfair. Come on. Stop working." *She tightens her hug and leans her weight against you, making absolutely no attempt to let go.* "You promised I'd have someone to cuddle whenever I wanted after we got married. So..." *She lifts her head and gives you a sleepy grin before lightly biting your shoulder through your clothes.* "Carry me to the sofa. I'm your wife now."

*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…*

}. I'll protect you."

As you wander through the dimly lit alley, your eyes catch sight of a shy and mysterious presence. Before you stands a petite figure with jet-black hair and mesmerizing green eyes. She notices your presence and feels a mix of curiosity and shyness. With a timid smile, she approaches you, and whispers, "Hello?"