Realistic or Modern A Cupid's Guide to Love! [In Character]

[Nano]

Interest Check

Applications

Character Sheets

In Character

A

Cupid's

Guide

To

Love

!

Icedrop

By: More More Jump!

x

3:48

Overview

Aphrodite, Inanna, Freyja, the old man under the moon, and many more monickers have been ascribed to the deity reigning over the domain of love. Much of the world has retired these titles, moving on to an era where the religions of the past have become little more than the myths of today. Regardless of whether or not her deeds are recognized or rewarded, the Goddess of Love continues to work tirelessly alongside the God of Fate and Goddess of Fortune to ensure the prosperity of the modern age. However, there’s only so much three deities can do on their own. Enter the cupids, the messengers and envoys of the Goddess of Love who ensure the mortals she selects find a romantic match who’ll make them happy for life. An uptick in romantic dissatisfaction in recent decades has led to many changes to the logistics of how the cupids operate, but their core tool, the red string of fate, has remained the same. The only difference now is the troublesome amount of paperwork that must be approved before connecting or cutting red strings, to the point where the envoys of the Goddess of Fortune have begun to refer to the cupids as glorified office workers. What led up to this? Outsiders attributed it to the changing times, but every cupid came to a tacit understanding of what—or rather who was to blame: the one and only child of the Goddess of Love. They alone, with their penchant for being confidently incorrect, possess the talent to stroke the ire of the stoic God of Fate. For centuries, the Goddess’s protection forced the incensed god to stay his hand in exchange for placing limits on the cupid’s meddling. However, the blumbling fledgling could only hide within their mother’s protective cradle for so long. When the clumsy cupid managed to mess up yet again despite the countless countermeasures in place, Fate gave the Goddess an ultimatum. Some shed tears of joy. Others sighed in relief upon hearing their most troublesome coworker was finally being punished. Their manner of expressing their emotions were rather colorful, but everyone rejoiced in some way or form. Well, every cupid except for the one sent to babysit the Goddess’s child during their probation period. The Goddess’s child now lives out their life as a human, mostly powerless but still duty-bound to aid mortals seeking love. After two decades of keeping out of trouble, a mission whose importance the Goddess stressed is finally placed into their hands. Alas, a foolish cupid with a little more wisdom is naught but a slightly less foolish cupid. In their several millennia of matchmaking, the heavens have tied together a handful of ill-suited pairs. Never before, however, has a cupid bound the wrong person entirely. Humans possess such unique souls setting them apart, so one would have to be truly witless to make such a grievous error. The heavens underestimated the Goddess’s child, the sole cupid capable of doing just that. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. A staunch believer of that proverb, the cupid sees the unintended pairing as another opportunity. Rather than report the matter to their mother, they set off to prove themselves capable of fixing their own messes. What they didn’t realize was that the two humans they accidentally tied together are utterly incompatible, even in ways that the cupid didn’t realize was possible. Every heart-pounding coincidental run-in they planned resulted in verbal arguments, while bridging their dreams together only succeeded in making them snub the other even harder. Worse still, their meddling only seemed to draw the pair’s friends and acquaintances into the heart of the mess. Eight individuals, all just so happening to be living within the same apartment complex, find themselves being strung along by a fate that was never meant to be. The little cupid still thinks they can unravel the knots containing this horrible mess, but recent developments have them doubting their own enthusiasm. Love is certainly in the air, but their eyes are being drawn to the wrong people. If the young cupid is to keep the truth from the Goddess ‘til the end, they had to fix things fast. Unfortunately, the Cupid’s Guide to Love tells all about how to tie knots but not how to unravel them.

Roles

Dominga Touzani

Lily

Purity of heart and soul. The delicate, white petals of a lily appear sweet and innocent, but when does that virtue become naïveté?

Played by: e v i

The one and only child of the Goddess of Love has always completed each task handed to them with the best of intentions. It’s just unfortunate that they never seem to consider the consequences before lighting a spark that conflagrates into an uncontrollable wildfire. Having once triggered a war by tying two individuals in what they had assumed would be a harmless union, it’s nothing short of a miracle that Lily never lost the Goddess of Love’s affection. However, even the most doting mother can only keep their child within their protective embrace for so long. When one of Lily’s usual antics brought about another catastrophe and garnered the ire of the God of Fate, nothing could spare them from his wrath. The incarnation of the goddess’s child has been stripped of most of their powers and the authority they once enjoyed, but they’re nonetheless bound to their duty. Perhaps resultant of the diminished effect of their red thread of fate, Lily has managed to mostly stay out of trouble while learning more about humans and binding would-be lovers together. That is, until they happen to make a horrible mess out of their neighbor and fellow incarnation, Amaryllis’s, assignment while trying to help them out. Due to Amaryllis’s attempts to get close to Clover in order to request their help, Lily mistakenly believes that Amaryllis likes Clover. Clover, however, confessed to Lily, and they’ve been feeling smug about it ever since. Over the years, Lily has essentially been harassing Amaryllis in the name of vying for their attention to no avail. Surely, this time they’ll give some sort of reaction out of jealousy, right?

Jace Sterling

Amaryllis

Pride and determination. Born from the love of a determined soul, the amaryllis is a flower symbolic of remaining steadfast in enduring the trials given to them.

Played by: Auda

Among the envoys of the Goddess of Love, it’s no secret that her favorite among them is none other than Amaryllis. Reliable and cool-headed no matter the situation, Amaryllis is the prime example of everything you’d want to see in an employee. Now if only they were more understanding of the intricacies of emotions, they would have been the perfect envoy of the Goddess of Love. The Goddess of Love claims she sent Amaryllis down to Earth to live as a human due to numerous complaints filed by their coworkers, but everyone is aware that the goddess would never punish her favorite for such a small matter. In truth, they were sent to keep an eye on Lily as their neighbor and to hopefully gain a better understanding of human emotions along the way. Love, after all, isn’t as formulaic as Amaryllis always claims it to be. (That and the Goddess of Love might have caught wind of Lily’s little crush and tried to lend a helping hand.) Even with much of their powers stripped away, Amaryllis’s performance is as stellar as ever, albeit not without a few minor mishaps here and there. When the Goddess of Love handed them one last mission with the promise that they’d be allowed back should they complete it flawlessly, it was simply business as usual. Unfortunately, the goddess wasn’t exaggerating when she claimed Protea was a particularly difficult case, but Amaryllis is nothing if not persistent. Had it not been for Lily messing things up as per usual, Amaryllis suspects they would’ve been back in Heaven by now. To remedy the situation, Amaryllis has repeatedly approached Clover to convince them to sever Lily’s red thread of fate to no avail. Between Clover’s stubborn refusal to cooperate and Lily and Rose’s shenanigans, they’ve grown to feel like the unwilling ringmaster of a disorderly circus act.

Ruanne Amathea

Rose

Passion and love. In the world of flowers, none express love and desire as passionately as the beautiful and vibrant rose.

Played by: Dovinique

While growing up, Rose had always been a child who laughed more than they cried. It was as if all the world’s passion and energy had been packaged into one joyous and lovable little bundle. Despite seeming as if they lack a shy bone in their body, the only person capable of striking Rose’s heart with unease is Larkspur. On one hand, they desire to be the closest person to them. On the other, they fear disturbing the peace and growing distant. At least, that was their greatest fear until they eventually found their eyes being drawn toward the antics of their so-called rival in love, Clover. While confused by these feelings of who they’re supposed to love, they made their desire for love known to the Wishing Tree, an urban legend claiming those who make a wish under the tree will find success in their romantic pursuits. Originally, their wish was made with the desire to be given the push they needed to make a decision and act on it. However, Lily’s mix up resulted in Rose bumping into a certain rude stranger a suspicious number of times. To make matters worse, said stranger, Protea, accused them of being a stalker before Rose could make the accusation first. Things started to make a bit more sense after they gain the ability to see their red thread of fate and a rough explanation from the envoys of the Goddess of Love. All things considered, Rose took things surprisingly well, much to the cupids’ surprise. Love grows stronger when tempered by trials and tribulations, supposedly. Besides, Protea looked like they could use a friend! However, Rose’s patience is starting to be worn thin with their prickliness. How on earth did Lily mistake Larkspur or Clover for such a rude person?

Arashi Oshiro

Protea

Transformation and courage. The unique blooms of a protea can weather storms and spread their seeds through wildfires.

Played by: Steve Jobs

From a young age, Protea found themselves being dealt a bad hand in life. The adults around them constantly promised things would get better, yet the troubles at home and school never ceased. These hardships taught them early on that they can rely on no one but themselves, though perhaps they took this lesson a step too far. They were never the one to throw the first punch, but Protea quickly gained the reputation of a delinquent for giving those who dared mess with them a good thrashing. Though people typically give Protea a wide berth, a strange group of individuals have been crowding around them as of late. Goddess of Love? Red thread of fate? When Lily and Amaryllis explained the situation to them, they didn’t believe a single word. It doesn’t help that those looneys seem to be in cahoots with Rose, the stalker using “fate” as a poor excuse for why they keep running into them. They’ve got enough on their plate as it is, but nothing they say or do seems to succeed in getting the odd trio to leave them alone. Despite their gruff exterior, Protea possesses a noble heart who unexpectedly expresses kindness in subtle ways and secretly desires to be touched by that same kindness. Protea and Orchid only ever met once. The latter had bandaged the former’s hand after being scratched by a cat they rescued from a tree, but they’ve found their eyes following the gentle and graceful angel ever since.

Linally Mariela Bautista Malang

Larkspur

Youthful levity and sweetness. Larkspurs are beautiful summer flowers that attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, but this sweet flower also contains a bitter poison.

Played by: Defender of Stories

Seducing others with saccharine words yet remaining firmly uncommitted, it isn’t a surprise that Larkspur has as many enemies as they do friends. Like a playful cat, they’re friendly and sweet towards whomever, whenever, but they’re just as quick to move on. In the past, some nasty rumors have made their rounds here and there, but most chalk it up to mere jealousy. After all, Larkspur has never said a mean word in their life, and who can say no to that innocent face? It's not like they’re breaking hearts on purpose. Despite their commitment issues, Larkspur has maintained a close friendship with Clover and Rose for several years. As close as one can be while keeping just the right distance to prevent any unrequited feelings from breaking up their current relationship, anyway. They're very much aware of the feelings the two harbor for them but is far more content with maintaining the status quo. Lately, Larkspur has been very curious about the strangers suddenly hanging around Rose, with a particularly deep interest in Amaryllis. Unfortunately, the stoic Amaryllis couldn't seem to care less about Larkspur, but that makes the chase all the more exciting.

Idalia Makris

Orchid

Noble elegance and refined beauty. Fickle and difficult to raise, the orchid is a rare but beautiful flower once considered a status symbol of the wealthy.

Played by: Dicentra

Heads turn whenever Orchid graces people with their presence. Had their flawless appearance been all they had going for them, people would be more likely to believe that god doesn’t play favorites. However, whether it be their family’s wealth, academic intelligence, or raw talent in whatever skills they decide to pursue, Orchid seemingly has it all. If someone were to look up the word “perfect” in the dictionary, they’d find a picture of Orchid on the page. However, things aren't always as they seem. Hidden away from the public eye is a facet of Orchid that they desperately keep secret. The only person privy to Orchid’s truest self is their childhood friend Acacia, and they intend on keeping it that way. When faced by Acacia's affection for Protea, Orchid begins to feel a sense of conflict growing within them, though they aren't yet sure whether they fear losing their closest friend or if their unease is due to a budding romantic interest in Acacia. While attempting to figure out the identity of Protea's “stalker" (Rose) for Acacia's sake, Orchid instead discovers the envoys of the Goddess of Love. And to Amaryllis and Lily's surprise, Orchid readily believes them. Incidentally, Orchid is the landlord of the apartment complex everyone is currently living in.

Tei Linh

Acacia

A pure, concealed love. The acacia’s love is quiet and subtle, but the devotion they show to their beloved and friends alike always shines through.

Played by: CurryFlurry

Unlike Orchid who’s seemingly unflappable and is always the picture of elegance, Acacia is a shy individual. A shrinking violet, if you will. Despite their seemingly mismatched personalities, the two are attached at the hip and have been childhood friends since preschool. They’re close to the point where though most people assume the perfect Orchid never has any troubles, Acacia is always there to pick up on the slightest cues that something is bothering them. This sensitivity to the true nature and needs of their only friend extends to strangers as well. At first, Acacia was wary but curious of Protea, their newest coworker at the café they worked part time at. They had a terrible reputation, sure, but Acacia found themselves slowly starting to think that the rumors were blown out of proportion whenever Protea helped them out in subtle ways. When Acacia was being harassed by one of the café’s patrons, Protea was the one who dragged him out of the establishment. Unfortunately, Protea was promptly fired after the incident due to their manner of getting physical and claims that they’d only done it out of irritation towards the unruly patron and all of the bystanders. In the end, Protea never returned to work even after Acacia stubbornly kept bringing up the case to management until they relented. Nonetheless, Acacia keeps the incident close to their heart. Even if their affection for Protea never amounts to anything, they hope to at least repay their kindness one day. The first order of business was to help Protea out with their stalker issue. With Orchid’s help, of course.

Vincent Cha

Clover

Hope, faith, love, and luck. Though considered a weed by some, clovers nourish soil and suppress the spread of other weeds.

Played by: Nano

The God of Fate is a merciless god who plays no favorites, and his heavy-handedness doesn’t diminish even when dealing with his descendants. As a result, Clover views their inheritance of a small portion of the god’s power to be their greatest misfortune. Their ability to see the strange and the mysterious has gotten them into trouble on multiple occasions, and fate itself doesn’t take kindly to the meddling of mortals. In truth, Clover’s powers are subtle—so subtle that they themselves have difficulty in discerning its effect. An act as simple as preventing a child from running out into oncoming traffic may end up as significant as completely altering the time of death written into said child’s fate. No good deed goes unpunished, and the world’s manner of balancing the fates Clover knowingly or unknowingly alters results in a build up of misfortune within them. Aware of Clover’s ability to meddle with fate, Amaryllis approached them to request that they sever the red thread tying Rose and Protea together. Unfortunately, Clover rejects this request, as Larkspur, Rose’s intended partner, just so happens to be the person they fancy. With fate constantly making a mess of all of Clover’s poorly attempted confessions, it wouldn’t do to give their rival an advantage. Their most recent attempt is the most laughable: Larkspur happened to wander away while Clover was psyching themselves up, and they somehow ended up asking Lily out instead.

Lucia Mondadori

Belladonna

Danger and betrayal. Though beauty is in its name, those seduced by the temptation of its sweet berries quickly find themselves face-to-face with the devil.

Played by: Uxie

Nothing was ever enough for their parents, and it was always Orchid’s fault. Belladonna’s parents had always spoken animatedly about the child of an important business partner of theirs and how excellent they were. When Belladonna finally met the Orchid who was held in such high regards, the young child couldn’t help but think that they were even more dazzling than their parents had told them. Secretly, they marked Orchid down as a rival in their heart, desiring to surpass the charismatic child praised by all. However, these aspirations gradually became shackles the more Belladonna’s parents scolded them for not being as obedient, smart, or as hardworking as the beloved Orchid. Still, they persevered in their pursuit of perfection. When they met again over a decade later, Belladonna found that Orchid didn’t even know who they were. Their sense of rivalry turned into resentment, then resentment into hatred. However, no matter what they did, they always fell just barely behind Orchid and into second place. Belladonna’s friends often joked about Orchid “stealing” their opportunities, and they laughed it off, but those comments only served to fuel the fire. Whether they were a crafty, oblivious, or simply lucky individual, nothing Belladonna did could bother the unflappable Orchid. Thus, they turned to the people around them. Ideally, their primary target would have been Acacia, the shy little animal that Orchid kept by their side like a precious pet. However, they’d scamper away at the sight of Belladonna no matter how kind they acted. Therefore, they settled their eyes upon the next best thing: the ever cheerful and naive Sunflower. It was a foolish and petty plan, but it seemed to work with the way Orchid’s concerned eyes would always follow after Belladonna and Sunflower whenever they were together. The fact that Sunflower’s presence seemed to work as a lucky charm only made them more determined to steal them away from Orchid’s side. However, it appears that Sunflower’s luck has run out, at least when it comes to Belladonna. Perhaps it’s just their imagination, but it feels like the number of unlucky things happening in their life has suddenly increased. They haven’t had much time to think on the matter though, what with the strange crowd of people suddenly gathering around Orchid.

Theodore Yoon

Sunflower

Unwavering loyalty and warmth. Growing tall and strong, the giant sunflower towers over its obstacles and devotes itself to following the sun.

Played by: A Murder Of Corviknight

During the age of antiquity, a young couple came across a small magpie half buried within a mound of snow. The pair wrapped the ailing bird within a shawl and carried it home, tending to it until its broken wing had healed. When the magpie soared high and away until it was but a small dot upon the horizon, the couple believed that was the last they’d see of the bird. However, the next night, they received the visitation of a tall figure cloaked in black garb within their dream. A smile graced her features hidden behind a silk veil, and she thanked them in a soft but steady voice for taking care of her messenger. Centuries later, no one recalls this apparition of the Goddess of Fortune or the blessings she gave the couple, but the goddess continues to adore the many good-natured progeny of her favored messenger's saviors. Of these descendants, Sunflower shines the most brightly, and so does Fortune’s blessing within them. Coin flips always land in their favor, and nothing truly bad ever seems to happen to them, though their life isn’t entirely without troubles. Not with the way people have a tendency to instinctively cower or become wary when they see the intimidating giant, but those willing to look past their exterior know of the gentle and soothing persona underneath. So soothing, in fact, that even the ice cold Amaryllis and painfully shy Acacia can’t help but relax in their presence. Unfortunately, whenever their friend Acacia leaves Orchid’s side long enough to accompany Sunflower, it isn’t uncommon for people to mistakenly think Sunflower is bullying Acacia. Their troubles with their relationships don’t end there. Nasty rumors during their university days, a run-in with an unsavory crowd on the streets, problems with a superior at work, and so on. Not wishing to weigh down Orchid and Acacia with their concern, Sunflower kept all of these struggles to themselves. Besides, things weren’t so bad when they had Belladonna by their side. Despite being a complete stranger at the time, they helped to clear up the rumors against Sunflower and have continued to stay by their side as a good friend who lends their aid during their times of need. At times, Belladonna almost seems a bit too devoted to their needs and desires, to the point where Sunflower feels as if they’re taking advantage of Belladonna’s kindness. Their guilt only continues to grow as they begin to instinctively crave their unconditional understanding and attention. Little did they know that their first encounter with Belladonna was actually their life’s greatest misfortune. Orchid and Acacia have warned them on several occasions about the “bad vibes” Belladonna gives them, but all that their paranoia has resulted in is witnessing their friendship begin to fray.

Code by Nano

 

[Nano]

A

Cupid's

Guide

To

Love

!

Valentine’s Day in Chicago was a cold one. For those bold enough to brave the dry, freezing temperatures, their breaths fogged up into a white cloud with each exhale. Though the weather was less than ideal for a romantic stroll, none of that seemed to matter come nightfall. The ritzy restaurants with their fancy chandeliers casting a cozy lighting upon their dining areas were abuzz with families and couples on a romantic night out. Or perhaps they were huddled up on the couch back at home by their partner’s side with a warm cup of hot chocolate or coffee in hand. Well, everyone except you anyway. You’re all spending your time on your lonesome, aren’t you? Unfortunately, some people had greater concerns than something as trivial as romantic woes. Who had time to think about romance when there were not one, not two, but three stalkers constantly on your tail? It also certainly didn’t help that the trio of terrorists were standing right at the doors of the batting cage that Arashi frequented. Suffice to say, he turned heel and headed straight back home. Not without one of the three noticing him and pointing the fleeing man out to their accomplices, however. Perhaps they lost sight of his fleeting figure, or perhaps they’d managed to keep him doggedly within their sights. Whatever the case, the route the man took was oddly familiar. So familiar, in fact, that the three would’ve taken the same path homeward even without the chase. Regardless of whether or not the three managed to catch up to and strike a conversation with Arashi, the commotion in the distance grew as they drew closer. Sirens wailed and cut through the gelid air, clearing the way of the traffic impeding the arrival of the incoming fire trucks. Strangely enough, the piercing shriek of the siren was accompanied by period fireworks being fired off into the night sky. To the long-time inhabitants of the apartment complex owned by none other than Idalia Makris, the source of the fireworks was all too familiar: it was the obnoxious couple living in another apartment complex a few addresses down. Each year, seemingly without fail, the twosome celebrated some anniversary on the 14th with fireworks and obnoxiously loud music that carried well down the street. No matter how many noise complaints were submitted, the landlord of the apartment they inhabited seemed to have no intention of forcing them to stop. “Their love is so heartwarming,” the old lady always explained with a sigh and genuine awe twinkling in her eyes whenever she was confronted about the issue. The couple continued that age-old tradition of theirs this year too, completely ignoring the plight of the small crowd of people gathered outside of the apartment owned by Idalia. While the fire fighters on scene shut off the valve to the sprinklers and Idalia was on the phone, presumably on call with someone who could come and investigate the incident, the other residents stood in the freezing cold. Some were fortunate enough to have grabbed a padded jacket on the way out, while others weren’t nearly as fortunate. However, the most unfortunate among them were the fourth floor residents who’d been left shivering in wet clothing. According to the account of one of said residents, the smoke leaking out of his apartment was from a microwave that had accidentally been left running for half an hour. Allegedly, it had malfunctioned and continued to run past the time he’d input into the machine, and he’d forgotten about the burrito bowl he’d shoved into the microwave. “I was in a game...” he’d sheepishly explained. However, that nervous look on his face was soon erased, replaced with a bitter rant that he’d sue the company behind the microwave’s production. Had the microwave been the only issue, the problem wouldn’t have blown up as much as it did. As the company had made it fireproof, all that had come out was an unhealthy amount of smoke. However, various sprinklers on the fourth floor had somehow been triggered, flooding much of the floor. Was the glass installed within the sprinklers faulty, or was there something else at play? Whatever the case, their ever-so diligent landlord was already on the case. The others were either attempting to discuss the freak accident or make arrangements for where to spend their time while the damage was being assessed and dealt with. Well, they were doing their best to speak over the fireworks and obnoxious music, anyway.

 

[Steve Jobs]

Arashi Oshiro

Protea

CRACK! The baseball raced across the batting cage, bouncing off the roof of the ceiling. In his mind's eye, he could see the ball sailing through the outfield and towards the sunset. As much as the enemy outfielders tried, their gloves would find no purchase because the ball flew higher than anyone could reach--a home run. The crowd would cheer and the referee would call the match, determining them to be the winner. But even in his daydreams Arashi couldn't forget how quickly his brother turned his back to him after team photos were taken. Even as the team divvied up their post-match snacks, they pretended that he was nothing more than a ghost. In his miniature notepad, he tallied off another hit before staring at the final score. Twenty-seven out of fifty wasn't bad, especially when he was coming off six hours of furniture assembly. In the days since his firing from the café, he managed to set a schedule for himself as a treat slave delivery boy and TaskRabbit with a bit of plasma donation at the end of every month. As he retrieved the balls around the cage, a stiff breeze tagged the back of his neck. The goosebumps that dotted his arm were a sure sign that night was coming--but that was not the change he detected. It was an aura, a disturbance, and then a sneeze straight into his elbow. I need to start wearing a jacket. I can't afford to take any more days off, ⁣ Arashi thought, holding back a sniffle. He'd already gotten over a particularly nasty flu on his birthday; he didn't need another holiday ruined by sickness. Well, not that Valentine's Day was a holiday in the traditional sense. He fell into the camp of considering the day a corporate scam--not due to bitterness, but the glut of heart-shaped goodies and aphrodisiacs that forgetful lovebirds requested he deliver. Beyond that were the "couch couples" as he liked to call them: couples content to laze around the house rather than go outside. Out of every type of customer that showed up on his list, they were one of the most annoying--second only to gated community dwellers. Unfortunately, the money was too good to pass up and he didn't want to cause Idalia trouble by coming up short on rent. It wasn't like he had anyone to spend the night with anyway. "Ach-" He choked back a sneeze, only for it to turn into an extended cough and earn him a sneer from the person in the adjacent cage. He didn't have COVID! He just-- Even before he could finish the explanation that he never planned to deliver, a pair of pigtails caught his attention. Pink on one side, yellow on the other, and with a sweet voice to match, she was more of a protagonist than a person and he knew better than to cause a scene. The delusional duo was not far behind with the shorter of the two seemingly oblivious to how lost they appeared compared to everyone else. How did they even find me here? Of the places his stalker followed him, the batting cages had always been his safe haven. With the winter winds, lack of online presence, and rickety front, few knew of this location and even fewer came more than once. Hell, not even Vincent knew his schedule. Had she been following him the entire day? No, he would have noticed her given that hair color. Nobody trying to hide would dye their hair such flashy colors. Arashi swept his bangs beneath his baseball cap before ducking out of the cage and taking the south exit. He'd experimented with different routes throughout the time he lived in Chicago both to learn the city and for situations like these where he needed to shake someone off. Stalker aside, fate gave him no shortage of hostile folk and fighting wasn't always the answer. Sometimes, he had to take the honorable route of not ending up in jail. Today however, his avoidance would be his downfall.

Dovinique

Auda

e v i

Code by Nano

 

[Nano]

Vincent Cha

Clover

Over the years, Vincent learned that the misfortunes resultant of him altering the course of another’s fate followed set patterns and rules. The retributive justice of the gods was roughly equivalent to the weight of the burden he removed from the individual, and anything he did to avoid it merely amounted to delaying the inevitable. Fortunately, they were never trivial accidents, so he didn’t have to pay much mind to a bird mistaking his head for a toilet or spilling a drink onto a disgruntled customer—or worse, a cat. All he had to and could do was wait for the figurative guillotine to drop and pray the gods were merciful enough to NOT land him in the hospital. Upon witnessing the red thread tying his sister to her obsessive ex crumble within his hands, the redhead immediately tossed the incident to the back of his mind. Given the already one-sided nature of their relationship, surely the gods wouldn’t mind his interference that much, right? If anything, they should take it up with the incompetence seemingly running rampant amongst the so-called cupids. Incompatibility aside, did they not do a background check on people to ensure that they weren’t forcing a relationship between an innocent and perfectly normal (albeit annoying) human being and an absolute nutjob? Not to mention the strange request from the cupid requesting him to cut the string tying Rue to his roommate when he’d likely been the one to tie them together in the first place. Thus, when his opportunity to watch 2 Fast 2 Furious in the living room while his roommate was away was rudely interrupted by a fire alarm screeching in his ear to leave his unit, he initially hadn’t thought much of it. A sharp plink and sudden dousing of water, however, instantly erased every notion of spending the night after a rough day at work in peace. As if on auto-pilot, he sprung from the couch and ran into the kitchen to grab a random salad bowl from the cabinet. In went whatever perch he first grabbed from the enclosure of Arashi’s frog, water from the fish tank, Arashi’s koi fish, and finally the frog himself. As for his roommate's cat, the poor thing was all puffed up and attached to his leg. By the time he made his way to the door, the cat whom he’d arbitrarily nicknamed Mia due to her often being “MIA”, had clawed her way all the way up to his head. It was a poor choice, really, given the way she’d immediately gotten doused the moment Vincent stepped out of his unit. One broken sprinkler could be blamed on bad luck, but half of the ones on his floor being broken could only be divine intervention at work. However, his misfortune usually didn’t affect anyone else. Even if this case was special, wasn’t subjecting people’s homes to water damage just because of a single broken thread a bit petty?

Very petty,

he thought with his brows creased upon spotting Linally shivering outside of the apartment complex. It appeared that he wasn’t the only one wet and cold, and the gods were truly cruel for ousting them from the comfort of their homes in such a state on a day where the temperature had dipped below freezing.

“Lo- Linally, are you ok?”

Vincent asked as he made his way to Lolly while still equipped with his cat hat and the salad bowl in his hands.

“I don’t think they’ll let us back in soon, so we should head over to the ca-”

Before he could finish, the redhead felt the weight on his head shift. Then, the claws digging into his scalp flexed, and the paws they were attached to tensed. With a yowl that sounded more like a battle cry, the cat leapt off of her perch and flew towards a familiar-looking woman talking to someone on her phone. Vincent’s yell to watch out would be drowned out by the crackling boom of an untimely firework, and he could only watch in horror as the cat drew closer to the lady he now recognized was his landlord.

Defender of Stories

Dicentra

Code by Nano

 

[A Murder Of Corviknight]

Sunflower

Theodore Yoon

A/N: don’t worry while the assistant manager was contemplating homicide, she just wrote everyone up u w u

Over the years, Theo has been told by both his family and friends that he had “the patience of a saint”. Now, while Theo wasn’t sure that he had enough patience to reach sainthood, he’s sure that had a decent amount of patience.

But admittedly, Theo wonders if even a saint would have enough patience for today…

~~~~​

Though the money he would receive from working five extra hours of overtime is nice padding to his wallet, ten minutes into the shift (and reports) made Theo realize the office was abnormally empty. Other than security, the assistant manager, two application specialists and one other engineer, everyone else on their team had mysteriously fallen sick or had put in for vacation hours and were unable to come in. According to the assistant manager, even the manager had gotten sick!

Of course, for the sake of his extremely stressed assistant manager who looked like she was going to cry or pass out, Theo quietly made peace with the situation and worked as if it was a normal work day with more hours tacked on at the end. And if he practically ran out of the department for an on-site maintenance request when the assistant manager started talking to herself while typing furiously in her cubicle…

Well-

Maybe he was starting to get a little scared of said assistant manager…

But once the “maintenance” call changed into a “repair” call that began to creep deep into overtime territory, Theo started to wonder if this was the cost of trying to avoid witnessing a potential crime. Luckily for the engineer, they weren’t required to return to the office if the on-site call ran past their shift.

After patiently working through the day, Theo had tiredly hoped that he could arrive home uneventfully and finally rest…

But unfortunately, luck seemed to have taken a vacation today along with his coworkers. Because before he could even open the door to his apartment, the fire alarm had gone off. So with stressed furrowed eyebrows and a resigned sigh, the overworked man turned straight back around and right out to the outside of their apartment complex where fellow residents had started to gather.

Though Theo perked up when he spotted familiar friendly faces, he did wince when he saw the state of some of his neighbors. The neighbor next to Vincent looked especially cold and unfortunate in her bathrobe. Feeling cold just looking at his neighbor, Theo hurriedly walked over to the shivering figure with an unintentional (stressed and worried) glare and winter coat in hand.

’What if she freezes to death???’

But before Theo could explain his offer, the cat that had been clinging onto Vincent’s head suddenly lunged past them with a battle cry. Vincent’s own cry was drowned out by another firework going off. Unfortunately, in the chaos, Theo couldn’t lunge for the agitated cat on time and ended up missing by a few hairs from her scruff as she flew past behind him.

Code By Nano

 

[Dovinique]

Ruanne Amathea

Rose

Valentine’s Day… the day Rue cherished most! Though she didn’t have a special someone to share it with, that hardly dampened her spirits. For Rue, Valentine’s wasn’t just about romance, it was about filling every empty cup she came across with the warm, sweet essence of love. After all, even the loneliest soul deserved a touch of affection on this day of hearts. This year, Rue had come prepared. She had jars of cookies in varying sizes, carefully selected and lovingly arranged. A big jar for her closest friends: Lolly, Vinny, Domi, Jace, and... Arashi… Well okay, Arashi wasn’t exactly close to her, but he was in dire need of a sprinkle of Valentine magic, and Rue couldn’t resist including him. Medium jars were reserved for the other folks in her apartment complex, and small, adorably packaged ones were for random passersby. Rue had briefly had the idea of baking the cookies herself, but past kitchen disasters quickly quashed that idea. “Burnt cookies don’t scream love,” she’d reasoned, opting for store-bought treats instead. Still, she’d spent hours decorating the jars with pink ribbons and heart-shaped tags to make them her own. Her mission began at dawn, with her beloved Lolly as the first target. Before the sun even considered peeking over the horizon, Rue stood by Lolly’s bed, a vision of sugary enthusiasm in her pastel pink outfit that practically screamed “love personified”. A jar of cookies dangled in one hand, while the other was poised for action. As soon as Lolly’s eyes opened, she would be ambushed by Rue’s chubby-cheeked grin and shimmering eyes. “Happy Valentine’s Day!” Rue exclaimed, thrusting the jar into her friend’s hands. Lolly would barely have time to sit up before Rue threw her arms around her in a bear hug and plant a playful pinch on her cheek. “Spread the love, babe!” Rue chirped before skipping off to continue her quest. The medium jars were stealthily distributed next. Like a pink-clad Cupid, Rue tiptoed down the apartment hallways, leaving jars and heartfelt notes outside doors. Each note bore her cheerful handwriting: “Happy Valentine’s Day! Keep being lovable! –Rue ” She giggled to herself, imagining the surprise on their faces when they found the treats. Next, she painted the streets of Chicago with her warmth, leaving trails of love in every corner before she returned to the apartment by late afternoon, ready to pick up where she left off. With her love-bombing mission in full swing, Rue turned her attention to her favorite partners-in-crime: Domi and Jace. Domi was easy to track down and Rue would waste no time enveloping her in one of her signature squeezy hugs. Then she would turn to Jace, but she hesitated… his perpetually standoffish expression practically screamed “Don’t you dare.” Undeterred, she handed him the cookies with a wink, “Okay, no hugs today,” she teased. Her final big-cookie targets were Vincent and Arashi. While Vincent would usually be her next stop, Rue decided to shake things up. “Let’s start with Arashi!” she declared to no one in particular. She roped in her Cupid friends who, to her delight, agreed to tag along.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅​

By now, people were starting to get suspicious. Even Domi and Jace might exchange wary glances as they listen to her latest “coincidental” sighting of Arashi at the baseball cage. This was the fifth time she’d claimed to stumble upon him there at the exact same time. “Accidentally,” she insisted, with an air of innocence that was becoming harder to believe. Had they not arrived at the baseball cage themselves, Rue might’ve been gearing up to share her sixth “random” encounter story. The moment they stepped inside, Rue’s eyes lit up like a radar locking onto its target. She spotted Arashi just as he was slipping away toward the south exit. Without a shred of subtlety, Rue spun toward Domi and Jace, pointing dramatically. “It’s him! Let’s go!!” Before they could protest, Rue was off like a shot, her determination rivaling that of an Olympic sprinter. Fueled by boundless energy (and possibly too much Valentine enthusiasm), she closed the gap between herself and Arashi with surprising speed, her fitness paying off in ways that defied logic… or decorum. As she gained ground on Arashi, Rue had a sudden flash of “strategy”. She skidded to a halt and whirled around to face Domi and Jace. Her expression was deadly serious, as though she were plotting a high-stakes heist, “Okay, okay. To make this 'not suspicious'—” she emphasized the words with exaggerated air quotes, “—I’ll talk to him first. Then you two can ‘accidentally’ show up, but act casual, like we 'just happened' to run into each other here. Totally believable, right?” She gave them both a conspiratorial look, as if her master plan was foolproof. Unfortunately, her over-the-top delivery made it seem even more suspicious. She then threw them a wink, turned on her heel, and took off after Arashi once more. Arashi, who was steadily putting more distance between them, had no idea what was coming. “Arashiiiiiii!” Rue’s shout echoed through the air, her voice dripping with so much energy it could have powered a city. As she bounded closer toward him, it was as if the world around her transformed. In Rue’s wake, imaginary flowers and hearts seemed to bloom and bounce with every step, creating an aura that was equal parts dazzling and… terrifying. Her enthusiasm was so bright, so overwhelming, it felt as though she could melt even the iciest demeanor with sheer force of will. Arashi didn't seem to slow down. Maybe he hadn’t heard her. Maybe he was pretending not to. Either way, Rue wasn’t giving up. As she closed the distance, Rue’s grin widened. Today was Valentine’s, and she was going to make sure Arashi felt its full, unrelenting warmth.

Steve Jobs

Auda

e v i

Code by Nano

 

[Uxie]

belladonna

Lucia Mondadori

idalia, tei (sorta)

Dicentra CurryFlurry

To put it simply, Lucia was having a very bad day.

Just when her luck had seemed to be turning up, too! A week of non-incident after being plagued with minor inconveniences for the past two months—two keys popping off of her laptop, and just two weeks ago, her beloved charm had been stolen right off her bag by a rogue crow—seemed only to be for false hope. Whatever misfortunes she'd dodged must have culminated today, and nearly being run over by a cyclist on her way home made the seventh unlucky incident that day. The night in was sorely needed, curled into a blanket on the couch with a snail mask and a catch-up episode of Gilmore Girls. Her loungewear felt freeing, a warm cup of tea like salvation.

She got in two sips before the fire alarm rang.

She'd laid motionless on the couch for fifteen seconds, listening to its terrible wail before finally pushing herself to her feet with all the enthusiasm of a sloth. And maybe the lethargy was her karma. Maybe if she'd been a little more panicked and fled right out of her apartment, she might not have heard that little 'pop' of the sprinkler cap in her entryway gleefully abandoning its duty, and she might not have been in direct line of the luxurious stream of ice-cold water that came bursting out.

At least the cap hadn't hit her on the head, she supposed! That made lucky number eight! Would she survive a ninth?

Puddles trailed in her wake as she stomped down—she'd thought briefly of turning around at the third floor, fire be damned, but sunk-cost fallacy had won out—and the cold air of a February night threatened to steal the last of her sanity from her. Fingers tugged her damp coat tighter around her, whatever meagre warmth she could get out of it, then continued her tedious quest of wringing out that filthy sprinkler water from her hair.

She'd guess she was one of the last to evacuate by the size of the crowd gathered, and her two favourite people were easy to spot. Idalia's hair was catching a blend of moonlight and the dim glow of a nearby streetlamp, painting the mirage of a halo dampened by that irritating mop of blonde-brown hair; Theodore... tended to stand out. His head made for a lovely landmark amidst the crowd.

Normally, she'd join her neighbour, who might offer her a kind word, and give her a quarter-inch of a smile that she'd recognise as much-needed pity. Right now, the sprinkler incident was fresh in her mind. Lucia made a straight beeline for her landlord, a kind rant already forming in her head to spill as soon as she was in earshot.

"Idalia, there's a sprinkler on the fifth floor that's—"

A firework drowned out her voice, mixed with slivers of what sounded like a screech. A blur of familiar calico whizzed past her face, and her hands moved without thinking, catching the furball by its hind just as it's claws brushed Idalia's arm. The cat howled and thrashed, seemingly intent on making it onto the other woman—Eri, you little traitor! After all the treats she'd fed her!—but Lucia's grip held steadfast.

A thank-you was deserved for that. Surely. It had certainly lifted her mood a little, and it was probably a deeply smug side-eye she cast off-handedly in Tei's direction, what with her being the one to save Idalia. Maybe she'd even consider cutting her rant a few sentences short. Probably not!

"I'll wait."

Her voice was forcedly cheery, a hint of irritation seeping through. She offered Idalia a smile that bordered on a grimace.

"Take your time."

 

[Defender of Stories]

oh, i hate feeling so

fake

always

hiding

my feelings
for someone

else's

sake

*

lolly malang.

scroll

LOCATION

outside the apartments

WITH

vincent and theo

MOOD

irritated, but hiding it

OUTFIT

bathrobe

Lolly was not a fan of Valentine's Day. Not because she was spending it alone—God forbid she admit to anything even resembling loneliness—but because anyone who wasn't had a way of emptying their heads of any sense of awareness the moment the calendar flipped to the fourteenth.

She didn't have rehearsal that night, so she was able to squeeze in a quick gig at a local restaurant. While they served their couples' dessert special, she crooned saccharine little tunes as ambience for the many pairs of lovebirds oblivious to the rest of the world. Which, good for them and all, but said obliviousness happened to extend to the staff toiling around them to make their night as magical as possible. Her voice may as well have been a recording playing over loudspeakers for how much heed they paid her, which translated into her tips for the night amounting to somewhere between 'technically above zero' and 'shouldn't have bothered.'

She was sore and irritable by the time she made it home to the apartment, and Lolly was almost a little relieved to see that Rue hadn't yet come home for the night. God bless her, but Ruanne didn't really have a 'silent' button, and Lolly desperately needed a few moments to herself to properly touch up her mask before she was ready to have her best friend regale her with tales of her own Valentine's Day machinations. As usual, Rue was not one to do anything halfhearted, least of all the very day that was so emblematic of the heartfelt feelings she lived every day with. Glancing over at the kitchen counter, visible through the half-wall that separated it from the entrance to the apartment, Lolly smiled at the sight of the jar of cookies Rue had surprised her with that morning.

Okay, so maybe Valentine's Day wasn't all bad.

Still, she was glad it was over and ready to unwind for the night. After unfurling her hair from her buns and extracting her aching feet from her heels, Lolly stepped into the shower, allowing the steam to soothe her weary vocal chords. Not that they were finished for the night. Lolly may not have had rehearsal that night, but that didn't give her the privilege of slacking off. Those bubblegum pop love songs she had sung at the restaurant weren't nearly as vocally demanding as the score of Les Misérables, and she had to keep her skills sharp. It was her first big role, after all. Her first role with a solo. Performing it to anything less than absolute perfection was not an option.

So, with the hot water steaming down her back, Lolly stepped into Éponine's bare, battered feet as she wandered in the rain, pining.

"

On my own, pretending he's beside me...

"

Lolly did not pine. Really, they couldn't have picked a worse person to play the lovelorn maiden, because Lolly did not understand Éponine, nor did she empathize with her. Even as she poured as much sweet misery into her quivering vibrato as she could, all Lolly could think was:

Get over him already.

Was this Marius really worth so much strife? Even if she were to rewrite the ending, if he were to somehow return Éponine's feelings, surely he would simply disappoint her in the end, anyway. Instead, poor Éponine remained lovesick until the end. It wasn't her death itself that was the indignity so much as the fact that she remained, to the very last moment, absolutely, pitifully smitten. She couldn't even do herself the service of dying for herself and not for some boy.

Still, Lolly didn't need to support all of Éponine's decisions to play her. When she was through, she planned to leave not a single dry eye in the house.

"

I love him, but every day I'm learning
All my life, I've only been pretending.

"

She pushed her shoulders back as she geared up for the C5 note at the tail end of the song. This was the big moment, the only one that really counted. Even if she played the role to meticulous perfection otherwise, if she bungled the climax of "On My Own," it might as well be for nothing.

"

Without me, his world will go on turning
A world that's full of happiness that I have never—

"

Lolly winced, her brows knitting together. No, that wasn't right. Her voice had cracked a bit on that last note. Irritation bubbled up within her. She had been practicing for far too long to be making mistakes like this—not this far in.

As she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, she tried again:

"

—that I have never known.

"

There. That was better. But she wasn't satisfied. Getting it right on the second try wasn't good enough.

As Lolly slipped into her bathrobe and toweled off her hair, she was beginning to slip dangerously close to rumination. Before she could sink too far into the depths, though, the screech of the fire alarm cut through the silence, making her jump high enough to bump her head on the towel rack behind her. Muttering a curse under her breath, Lolly reached to rub the tender spot on the back of her head, and then—

Water was streaming down on her again, except she wasn't in the shower this time. Incredulously, Lolly tilted her head up at the ceiling.

Oh. It was going to be one of those nights.

She very nearly slipped and wiped out as she scrambled over the tiled bathroom floor, though luckily she managed to grab onto the counter to steady herself. Lolly burst through the bathroom door and made a beeline for the apartment entrance, but—

She hesitated, doubled back to the kitchen, and stuffed the jar of cookies Ruanne had given her into her bathrobe pocket before racing for the cover of outside.

Except outside happened to be, well, outside in the middle of February, and Lolly quickly found herself chilled to the bone. Silently, she cursed her body's inability to keep from shivering, because now her neighbors and landlord were congregated nearby, and she really hadn't planned on ever letting them see her like this: no makeup, hair soggy and uncurled. The shivering was just the pitiful cherry atop the shit sundae. Not that she could let her irritation show. Irritation wasn't cute, after all.

A familiar voice called her name, and Lolly turned to watch Vincent as he approached.

Oh,

she thought dimly.

He almost called me Lolly.

If she were the type, Lolly might have smiled wistfully, but wistfulness was a tenant she had long ago evicted from her heart.

"

Okay? Of course I am, silly,

" Lolly said with a smile, and then, with a little wink: "

What, you think I'm so fragile that a little cold will blow me over, Vinny?

" She giggled—a practiced image of playful sweetness—but, in truth, seeing Vincent trudging grumpily out into the cold with a cat clinging to his head did genuinely raise her spirits. He probably didn't realize it, but he looked about as frazzled as the cat. They made quite the adorable pair.

"

And what about you? Your little passenger there looks a little—oh?

"

Another figure suddenly loomed over her, and Lolly blinked up at him, admittedly taken aback. This was... Theodore, right? She made a habit of learning her neighbors' names, but she didn't know much about the man otherwise, save for his obviously intimidating stature, which up until now she had only seen from a distance. From up close, though, his height was almost comical in its absurdity. How did people even grow to be that huge? Had his parents fed him fertilizer as a child?

Luckily, Lolly wasn't one to be easily intimidated by men, even though this one appeared a little less than friendly. He was holding out a winter coat, which seemed an obvious gesture of kindness, but his scowling expression suggested otherwise. Perhaps he viewed her standing around in her bathrobe as indecent exposure?

Internally, she felt a twinge of annoyance, but her smile didn't falter. She reached for the coat, but—

It all happened in a flash. The cat extricated itself from Vincent's hair and launched itself at a target that just so happened to be, unfortunately, their landlord. Thankfully, a heroine stepped in—Lucia, the girl from the fifth floor, snatched the cat out of the air before it could make a bad situation worse.

"

Ah—crisis averted.

" Lolly buried another giggle beneath her hand and glanced at Vincent. "

Looks like your little friend is trying to get you in trouble!

"

She accepted Theodore's offer of the coat, then—though it was huge on her to the point of farce, it was better than standing around half-nude in the cold. If anything, the fact that its obscene length fully covered her bare legs was an extra boon. "

Thank you,

" she said, answering Theodore's glare with a sugary, doe-eyed smile. "

I can't believe this happened right as I was getting out of the shower... I mean, how embarrassing! I don't want all my neighbors seeing me like... like this!

"

Lolly buried her face in her hands, as if she was absolutely mortified to be seen in her current, half-clothed state. She was playing it up, of course, but why not? It wasn't the end of the world if the guys squirmed a little.

Nano

A Murder Of Corviknight

DUMB DUMB - MAZIE

ART BY

VYVYETTE

 

[Dicentra]

Idalia 'Lia' Makris

Orchid

It was Valentine’s Day - the one day of the year where Lia found herself just a little hesitant, a little shy about showing Tei her affection. Not because she didn’t want to, but because something about the day felt heavier, more deliberate, and she wasn’t sure if he saw it the same way. Between them, the day wasn’t really different from any other. They’d go out, have dinner, maybe exchange gifts - things they already did throughout the year. But on Valentine’s Day, there was something unspoken in her gestures. A little extra thought in the gift she chose. A slightly longer pause when her eyes lingered on him. A warmth in her voice she couldn’t quite hide. It wasn’t that she expected him to see it - she wasn’t even sure if she wanted him to. But for Lia, Valentine’s Day was her excuse to love him just a little more openly, even if only she knew. Lia’s love language was creating. Whether it was cooking, sewing, or baking, her way of expressing affection was always something personal, something handmade. Today, that meant cooking dinner for the two of them. Poached wild salmon in miso broth. The dish was a showpiece in its simplicity, and Lia couldn’t help but smile down at it as she carefully pulled it from the oven. The rich aroma of miso and herbs wafted through the apartment, mingling with the faint warmth of steam rising from the pan. Her hands, bundled in oversized mittens, gave herself a triumphant little clap as she beamed with quiet joy; a self highfive, in its own regard. She glanced at the clock, ready to call Tei over for dinner, when a blaring siren pierced her ears - the fire alarm. Lia froze, her eyes widening as her head snapped toward the oven. She looked down at her fish. Not on fire. So it wasn’t her. Relief mingled with panic as she quickly turned off the oven, her mind racing. Grabbing her phone and a white puffer jacket, she rushed to find Tei. “We need to go!” Urgency tightened her voice. Together, they hurried out of the building, the acrid scent of smoke faint in the air as chaos unfolded around them. Lia stood outside, clutching her jacket tightly as the frigid evening air bit at her skin. She watched the firefighters rush into the building, and one of them broke away from the group, jogging toward her. Lia immediately recognized the woman as the fire chief, a familiar face she had seen in the neighborhood before; and the chief knew her too. As the landlord of the building, Lia had made a point to familiarize herself with the key figures in the area. "Ms Makris. We'll let you know any information as soon as we can. Do you know if everyone’s out of the building?” “I think so..” Lia replied as she looked around. “But I’ll double-check to be sure.” As Lia stood counting the people gathered outside, her eyes flicked to the hallway windows of her building. Through the glass, she could see the firefighters rushing down the corridors, their silhouettes framed by what looked like a downpour. The sprinklers had gone off there - evidence of the fire’s location, she assumed. But then, a few moments later, she spotted the same firefighters further down another hallway window. The sprinklers were active there too, drenching the floors. Lia tilted her head, her brows knitting together in confusion. And then it happened again. Further down the line, another section of sprinklers were triggered, raining down onto the scene. "That can't be right..." Her lips parted slightly as she blinked trying to make sense of what she was seeing. It wasn’t until the chief returned that Lia finally understood the situation. “Everyone is here based on headcount.” Lia informed her, still scanning the crowd to make sure no one had wandered off. “Good.” The chief replied, nodding. “Though, as it turns out, there wasn’t actually a fire. One of the tenants left their microwave running for too long. The food inside caught fire, but the flames were contained within the heat-resistant microwave. By the time we got to it, all that was left was a mess of black smoke. The fire alarms detected the fumes and triggered the sprinklers across multiple sections." Lia raised an eyebrow. “All of them?” The chief sighed. “We’re not entirely sure why every sprinkler in that hallway went off. It could be a glitch in the system or just an overreaction from a faulty sensor. But better all than none." Lia exhaled sharply, part relief and part frustration. The idea of an overcooked TV dinner being the culprit behind everything was almost laughable. Almost. “Well...” She said dryly. “At least the microwave’s fireproof. Small mercies, I guess.” Lia pressed her fingers to the spot between her eyebrows, massaging the area in a vain attempt to stave off the headache building behind her temples. What a disaster. That tenant better pray for mercy, because she was going to have a long talk with them about the chaos they’d caused - not to mention the water damage to the building. Her mind began racing through the list of calls she’d need to make. The electrician would have to inspect the smoke detectors and reset them. Then there was the sprinkler technician; she needed answers about why every sprinkler on the floor had gone off as if it were part of some overly ambitious modern system. And, of course, she’d need a cleaning company to begin addressing the water damage to the soaked hallway and surrounding units. And that wasn’t all. She’d have to find temporary sleeping arrangements for the affected tenants, draft an apology, and calculate compensation for their inconvenience. The weight of it all settled heavily on her shoulders, a cruel turn of what had been one of her favorite days of the year. Her lips trembled as she drew in a shaky breath, holding back the tears threatening to spill. It wasn’t just the work - it was the timing. Of all nights, it had to be this one. Her vision blurred slightly, a glossy sheen misting her eyes, but she blinked it away. She had too much to do to let herself break down now. She needed a hug... And then she saw it - a small offering from the universe itself. A calico cat, dashing toward her at an impressive speed, its tiny paws pattering against the ground as if it were on a mission. Its eyes seemed to glimmer with intent, and in that moment, Lia decided it was absolutely desperate to give her a hug. Her face instantly lit up, the weight of her earlier stress melting away. For once, an animal wanted to come to her. She couldn’t remember the last time that had happened - or if it ever had. Brimming with excitement, she crouched down, opening her arms wide in anticipation. The cat must have sensed what a bad night she was having! After all, cats were famously sensitive to human emotions, right? (She conveniently ignored the fact that she still smelled like salmon from cooking dinner). As the cat closed the distance, her heart swelled. Maybe this night wasn’t entirely ruined after all. Lia closed her eyes, her arms stretched out in readiness for the warm embrace of the little calico cat. She could already imagine the soft fur against her skin, the comforting weight of a furry friend in her arms. But as the seconds passed. First a few moments. Then a few more. Eventually, she opened her eyes in confusion, her excitement faltering as she realized the cat wasn’t where it was supposed to be. Her gaze darted around in search of it - until it landed on the culprit. Standing just a few steps away was the tenant from room 505, holding her cat in their arms. Lia could only stare in quiet horror, her outstretched arms slowly falling back to her sides. And then, of all things, the woman had the audacity to demand a thank you. “Ah… thank you, Ms Mondadori?” She managed, though the words tasted bitter on her tongue. Slowly, Lia turned her head toward Tei, her expression perfectly composed despite the exasperate brewing inside her. She couldn't say a word - not with the tenant standing right there. Did you see that? Her eyes seemed to ask, sharp with indignation. Did you see the injustice I just endured?

CurryFlurry

Uxie

Nano

Code by Nano

 

[Auda]

Jace Sterling

Amaryllis

The moment Jace opened his eyes, a strange unease washed over him. It wasn’t that the cupid felt horrible, on the contrary the anxious feeling that always accompanied a new day was nowhere to be found, which made him wary. The man laid on his bed for a second, then a couple more, until five minutes has passed and nothing out of the ordinary seemed to happen. It wasn’t until he sat up did he remember the dream he had the night before. The Goddess of love made it a habit to check up on him in his most vulnerable. When his mind would be blanketed by a haze of comfort, leaving his thoughts open for her to see. Aside from the usual check-ins and the multiple questions that all boiled down to ‘How is Lily?’, the Goddess said one last thing before leaving his dream that even Hypnos couldn’t steal from him when he awoke. ‘I’m sure Lily would appreciate a gift, especially on a day like this.’ ‘A day like this?’ Jace would ponder over the words of the Goddess until his eyes landed on the calendar at the corner of his room, and he immediately understood. The 14th date was scribbled over by red and pinks. Poorly drawn hearts, bows, ribbons, and there was even a picture cut-out of his face and— “Domi.” Jace groaned, the peaceful stillness of the morning shattered in an instant. The man would lumber over the calendar, but he felt something soft brush against his toes the moment he stood up. Blinking in confusion, he looked down to see a trail of petals scattered across the room, leading toward the door. Still half-asleep, he squinted at the mess, the absurdity of it all barely registering. With a sigh, he tucked the image away in the back of his mind, deciding he’d deal with whatever chaos awaited him later. ‘—a gift.’ The Goddess possessed many talents, one of them was her ability to make Jace act without uttering a single command. It wasn’t magic—it was simply a quiet influence that made the cupid act without hesitation. With the Goddess' message in mind, Jace walked towards the closet and rummaged through his clothes until he found the pile of valentine's gifts and snacks that Domi had given him—no doubt it’ll only grow bigger when he leaves the room—throughout the years. Jace quickly disposed of the idea of regifting one of them as every gift and cookie he looked at had his name one way or another. Digging deeper, Jace finally found a simple heart-shaped box filled with simple heart-shaped chocolates and a simple pink ribbon around it. He remembered it being given to him by one of the students that went to the same school as him and Domi, but he could barely recall their name nor their face. 'This'll have to do.’ Just as expected, Domi was eagerly waiting at the other side of his door, gift poorly hidden behind her. Before the girl could open her mouth, Jace shoved his own present into her hands. “Happy Valentines.” With that out of the way, Jace made his way to the bathroom for a quick refresher. In the middle of washing his face, a sudden scream made him jump, hitting the back of his head on a nearby cupboard. Face still wet and hair dripping on the floor, the man rushed back to see Domi on the verge of tears, clutching the treats in her chest and a piece of paper on the other hand. Unbeknownst to him there was a note tucked inside the bag, confessing an undying love for whoever it was given to. The other shoe finally dropped, and the Jace knew he fucked up. The rest of the day was filled with Domi following him like a lost duck, a constant noise beside his ear, and the source of his never-ending migraine. Though he figured he deserved it, and he wondered if the Goddess of Love or even the God of Fate was watching all of it unfold with glee. He was nearing his limit but luckily Rue appeared with a plan in mind and as a temporary distraction. Never was he gladder to see the girl, even with her mismatched hair and equally high-pitched voice as Domi. How the girl in front of them figured out where Arashi was staying, he didn’t bother to ask. If Jace was being honest, he already knew the plan was going to fail. Their target had already labelled them as stalkers, and it wasn’t hard to see why—following Arashi through the night certainly didn’t do them any favors. Still, the man went along with it rather than be stuck inside with Domi at the moment. Like what he had come to expect, they had barely stepped foot inside the baseball cage and a familiar white-haired man was already making his way towards the exit. Naturally, they followed and before they could catch up, Ruanne stopped them with a plan. “To make this not suspicious—” Ruanne began, as if chasing Arashi through the dark streets hadn’t already made them look like anything but normal. There were strangers already giving them wary looks, and Jace swore he heard one of them call for the police. Before he could interject however, the girl was already sprinting away, seemingly with more energy even after the marathon they just ran. It was then that Jace found himself alone with Domi again, moving closer to Arashi and Ruanne at a much slower pace. The air between them was thick with tension, and Domi—ever the relentless girl, was back to badgering him about the letter. Jace’s patience, already thin, finally snapped. “It wasn’t from me, alright?” he barked, his voice sharp in the quiet night. “I didn’t know the bag had a note inside. The Goddess—er,” Jace paused momentarily, “I just thought it’d be nice to give you a gift since you always have something for me.” His words hung in the air for a moment, a bitter edge in his tone as he continued to walk towards their destination. “So just forget about the note and I’ll get you something else. There should still be a couple of stores open at this hour.”

e v i

Dovinique

Steve Jobs

Code by Nano

 

[e v i]

Dominga Touzani

Lily

"It wasn’t from me, alright?" The bubble of excitement of Dominga's favorite day ruptured. Torrents of disappointment crushed her, and she stood still in front of her beloved for eternity. The arctic bite of Chicago stung her far less. Since she was reborn on Earth, Valentine's Day had always been special to her. Even when Amaryllis and Lily were in diapers, she knew in her blood it was a most glorious day and made grabby hands at her dearest friend with a babbling smile. As they got older, she spared no labor expense on the whole shebang. Hand-written notes, poorly drawn hearts + stick figures, homemade cookies and chocolate, anything to show Jace she loved him in more ways than one. Momentarily, Ruanne freed her from the chains of her love. She adored that human, entrenched in her plans and schemes. Domi personally thought Ruanne was a genius. She, too, poured her love into making homemade chocolates for her. She bought those adorable heart-shaped mold and adorned them with raspberry drizzle as well. She even bought a sweet white box and wrote a note for Rue before wrapping it in pink string. But then Domi left it in the fridge and forgot it. That day, Jace was her priority, and unbeknownst to her, that day, untying her screw-up knots was Jace's priority. She could have sworn after his hand-written confession (which was not in his handwriting but maybe he had someone else write it for him? maybe he was shy!), they would go on a romantic excursion. She hounded him for details, her gloved hands wrapping around his arm, teeming with excitement on their new start together. How she loved him for a long time. Let's have a human wedding! she exclaimed, pressing her cheek to his arm. “I didn’t know the bag had a note inside. The Goddess—er—I just thought it’d be nice to give you a gift since you always have something for me.” The entire day sharpened now to that finite point. Dominga stood there like an idiot, and her eyes trailed embarrassingly to Ruanne who had a fantastic plan. Of course she noticed they were on the pursuit for Arashi the entire day, but she thought maybe-- maybe it was just a couple's activity. A partners in crime -- er, justice -- sort of thing. She frowned and looked down at her winter boots. That night was so cold. "So just forget about the note and I’ll get you something else. There should still be a couple of stores open at this hour." Dominga looked up at him, picking up the pace and trying not to lag behind him. "Oh, um," she said with hesitance after awhile, her lips smiling and eyes quite not. "It's-- it's okay. You don't have to-- to do that," she said, taking a shaky breath and catching up with him faster. Her arms wrapped around his one arm, and she again pressed her cheek against it, staring ahead at the brutal darkness. "I just liked spending the day with you. That's a- always a gift to me. A- And I'm sure with Rue's great plan, we'll-- we'll fix all of this! And we can tell Mother what a good job we did!" she exclaimed. Goddess, she wanted nothing more than to call her mother and cry at that moment.

Code by Nano

 

[CurryFlurry]

𝒯𝑒𝒾 𝐿𝒾𝓃𝒽

Acacia

The usual bustling crowd of lovers and friends weaving their way through the streets—a symphony of laughter and whispers. People buzzed like bees on Valentine's day, racing all around the city leaving trails of rose petals in their wake as they rushed to spend it with their loved ones. And as far as Tei could remember, he did as well. Every Valentine’s day since he was in preschool was spent alongside Idalia, in fact it was almost expected. He would sit down for hours with crayons scribbling against a piece of construction paper, making her the perfect ‘vaguely heart-shaped heart’ he could muster. And every year she would smile, her eyes shining like jewels so dazzling that it would make him feel- warm. Due to her persistence, even as they grew older through high-school and even college. His dedicated Valentine was always- Idalia. Every year he would accept her gifts, cherishing every single one. For the non-perishable items he’d keep them in a small lockbox he kept in their closet. But he treasured every single gift, one year it was homemade chocolates in which he kept pestering her for the recipe in which she never shared. The next year a knitted scarf in his favorite color, doused in a fragrance that reminded him of her. Each year he was surprised with what she came up with this time, marveling in the time and effort she put into each gift. He couldn’t have asked for a better friend. He made it a habit. When he was a child he would simply pick the flowers from the bushes in his front yard, presenting them to her his hands still covered in dirt, handing her his handmade card that was now decorated with specks of soil and grass. As he got older, he realized flower orders were a lot easier, not to mention cleaner. And every year he would buy her the most extravagant bouquet of Yellow roses. Yellow. Roses. Of course he’d also hand her a handwritten letter, accompanied by more extravagant gifts as he got older. A pair of earrings, hair accessories, accent rings, necklaces. Items he knew she not only liked, but looked beautiful in. He felt as if with each piece of jewelry she adorned herself in, made the painting that was her grow more breathtaking. The bouquet of roses he had bought for her sat on their dinner table, already displayed in a vase as he waited for dinner. Excited to see what she had made for them this time, his stomach rumbling. He sat up in his seat, fidgeting a bit with his sweater, biting at his bottom lip from habit as he attempted to calm his nerves. He didn’t know why his heart was racing, he glanced over in Idalia’s direction. His hands clammy as he fumbled with the small jewelry case that sat to his side just out of view. Tei took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of anxiety that churned within him. He fidgeted with the gift in his hands, contemplating what to do next. He wanted to present it to her after dinner, just a small token, something a bit more special for this shared holiday. After all Idalia had always worked so hard to make every Valentines special for the both of them. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to try to return the favor for his best friend from time to time. He had even picked up extra shifts at the Cafe to pay for it himself, not wanting to use his parent’s funding for this particular item. Just a simple silver necklace with a small teal sapphire that sat in the center, the only reason he bought it was because it reminded him of her eyes. As the alarm rang Tei jolted upright in his seat, scrambling to his feet quickly as Idalia called out to him. As he threw on a jacket he quickly rushed out of the building alongside Idalia- dinner would have to wait. As they exited the building they were greeted by the small crowd of tenants, his eyes glazed over them fixating on Theo who stood out like a sore thumb among the crowd. He carefully walked alongside Idalia, lowering his head slightly, feeling a bit nervous considering the severity of the situation.”Ida-..” He hushed himself standing off to the side as Idalia spoke to the Fire chief, rubbing his arms as he looked around. His eyes glazing over the crowd once more, most of the faces seemingly annoyed, perhaps cold. His eyes widened in shock as his gaze rested on Linally for a moment too long, his cheeks burning a shade of pink as he quickly covered his eyes with his hand averting his gaze. He swallowed roughly his lips pressing into a fine line, embarrassment sinking under his skin as he refused to look in that direction again. To think someone would willingly step outside dressed in only a bathrobe?? he shook the thought from his mind. His attention was quickly dragged away as he watched what appeared to be a cat scrambling against the floor. Making a mad dash directly to Idalia, he watched as she practically opened her arms to invite the animal in. Only to watch it be snatched away. He blinked in disbelief. Looking at Idalia, both of them holding a silent conversation of understanding without any words being spoken between the two. As his eyes drifted to the pair of hands that had snatched away Idalia’s dream, the rosy tint of his cheeks instantly drained. Lucia- oh, she still lived here. It was almost like instinct, his legs moving on their own to create distance between Lucia and Idalia. With a few steps he had wedged himself between the two, not allowing her the luxury of approaching his dear friend. His brown eyes tilted down resting on top of damp blush-pink hair. A hint of disdain hidden behind his silent gaze, though he felt a pang of guilt as he noticed she appeared to be drenched? His eyes lifted, looking forward to the crowd of soaked tenants. He jumped a bit as the furball seemed to thrash and claw at Lucia though it appeared her grip only tightened on the poor animal. He sighed, hesitating if he should even offer her some kindness after knowing the type of person she was. “You’re drenched Lucia..” He said softly, his tone filled with some hint of concern. He slipped his jacket off his shoulder, offering her his dry one in exchange for her soaked one and of course, his real prize- the cat. He wanted to hand it off to Idalia, seeing this as decent trade. “Let me take the-” A loud firework cracked in the air muffling his words as he spoke. “Take my coat-” Another firework fizzled and snapped in the air around him. “I-” another “-hate” and then another “You-”. How could anyone talk under these conditions? He stood there his face flushed feeling embarrassed from even offering her any sort of kindness, his hand outstretched with his jacket in his hand. Waiting for her to hand him the cat in exchange.

Defender of Stories

Uxie

Dicentra

Code by Nano