Today's Sketch Page (ig Requests)

People have been adopting their favourite characters so much now that Mihoyo actually went and said: Meet Childe, your new child.

𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅'𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔.

synopsis. how they would react and cope after you left their lives. characters. jing yuan, dan heng, blade, gepard x gn!reader (separate) author's note. congrats, you have made it to the vault (carlyle's version). due to the 1.2 update i will not shut up about hsr and speak now tv. sorry if this was short, the writer's block is still kinda there. lmk if u want any other character!

jing yuan would be a bit more dignified about losing you. after all, after everything he has witnessed in his long, long life, he knew that it would only be inevitable that he would lose you, too. but for the amount of loss that he has experienced, it did not make it any easier for him to cope. your presence always made everything just a tad bit bearable and he missed that sorely. on the outside, jing yuan would make sure that he would seem fine, greeting everyone warmly and nodding to their consolations, but the moment the public's eyes are off him, he'd be devoid of any emotion. you had always likened jing yuan to the sun, he'd remember, before you went on a tangent about his eyes again, but the true sun in his life was you. and you were gone.

dan heng would immediately blame himself. no matter the circumstance, he'd chalk it up to the karma of being with someone like him. it was apparent how much happier you made him when you were together — the astral express would always comment how he seemed to glow around you despite the neutral expression he always wore — that everything just turned dead when you were gone. at least, that's how it was like for him. no more of indulging in the silly romantic antics that you'd drag him in — oh, how he'd give anything for one last adventure with you. dan heng would spend most of his time locked in the archives after this, his mind awake and going over every tender memory you shared with him. his most favorite one was when you sung to him; now, it'd be the only voice haunting him before he fell into the deepest slumber.

blade would not believe it first. you made a promise to him that you would stay with him, no matter how long it takes. you promised that to him, and he does not take the promise of forever lightly. when the undeniable is presented to him, blade would lose control over the overflowing emotion in him. he's in despair, he's seething in anger, he's breaking down in labored cries, even kafka does not want to be around him when he'd be experiencing all these at once. he'd curse his immortality again over and over, wishing that the universe would finally grant him his wish to die, because all he wants now is to be reunited in your arms, your hand gently stroking his hair and your voice whispering to him that you were there and you were fine. he would swear to never love again, not like how he loved you.

gepard would break down at the news. rightfully, it was unbecoming of the captain to react in such a public manner, but he did not care. you had always made sure he was taking care of himself, that he'd just condemn himself for losing the best thing that ever happened to him. he'd work thrice as hard and sink himself deeper into his duties afterwards. as you were no longer there to chastise him for overworking himself to the bone, gepard would be prone to collapsing every time he pushed himself too hard. even when serval would call him out on this self destructive behavior, he wouldn't listen. some nights, he'd swear that he, delirious and sleep deprived, sees you standing right next to him, a frown on your face as he stayed up all night to finish the documents. "don't look at me like that" he'd say, but how he would wish for you to say something to reprimand and snap him out of it.

written by carlyle (@particular-one) copyright: all content belongs to particular-one on tumblr (2023)

I mean 😳😳😳

Genshin Impact click and drag game!

Game notes

Please use a browser other than Google Chrome to play because the gif always locks onto its first frame on Chrome. Safari and Firefox works, please try those.

If you're on mobile, I'd highly suggest screenshotting the gifs individually rather than as a set to avoid getting the same person for everything

ꕤ*.ﾟꕤ*.ﾟꕤ*.ﾟꕤ*.ﾟꕤ*.ﾟꕤ*.ﾟꕤ*.

extra notes

❥ my current obsession!!

❥ I know there'll be new characters soon but I'll just post this until then! I'll update it when they get released

❥ if you wanna add me, my UID is 611652015 (*ﾟ▽ﾟ)ﾉ

{ 49 }

the hauntingly beautiful phantom.

akira kurusu x fem.reader

10 stages of love

1 - first sight

it was the start of the new year for you at shujin academy, and you were becoming curious with all the whispers about this new transfer student.

akira kurusu.

that was the name you heard being whispered throughout the hallways of shujin, everyone appearing wide eyed and nervous at the thought of meeting someone so "dangerous."

according to the rumors, he was on probation for violently beating up a grown man. that his actions were somehow connected to the mafia and that everyone should stay away from him lest they wanted to face his so-called "wrath."

foolishly enough, you almost fell for their rumors and believed your peers hadn't it been for the fact that you had already seen akira in the flesh. your friends suddenly stopped you, keeping you pinned against the walls when they whispered your name and pointed an accusing finger at the lanky boy steadily approaching.

"that's him. kurusu, the madman that's on probation for a year."

more whispered murmurs came forth from your friends' mouths, and as they spoke with fear, all you could do was stare at the boy that walked with his head down and his hands shoved deep into the pocket of his pants.

only when he met with your curious gaze did you finally get a good look at him.

with locks of messy hair the shade of a deep moonless night and eyes that appeared to hide some deep emotion within its silvery depths-

and he was beautiful, achingly beautiful with the loneliness that exuded from his form.

for a few seconds, it seemed that he was going to stop and speak to you-

yet that possibility was ripped away when your friend takes a protective hold of your arm. "back off, freak. she doesn't want anything to do with you."

you only caught a glimpse of the sudden flash in his eyes, taking note of how hurt he looked all while you were dragged away from him.

it was then that you decided you needed better and new friends.

2 - introduction

you were stalling, and you knew you were.

but really, what could you even say to him?

hey, you may not remember me, but during the first day of school, you saw me staring until my friend dragged me away. but no worries! i dropped her ass and stopped being her friend just so i could get a chance to talk to you!

nope, there was no way in hell you were doing that, even though you had ultimately decided to ghost your ex friend for being so rude to him. you knew his name, but some part of you wanted him to know your name and who you were.

something about akira captivated you, and you wanted to tear down his walls and solve all the mysteries he had to offer.

you were barely paying attention in class when your gaze landed on ryuji's form. it was strange, he was always angry and a bit jittery when he suddenly quit track, but something about him today seemed restless.

his legs kept on jumping up and down, as if desperate to get out of class and run-

but to where, you couldn't say for sure.

when class finally ended for the day, ryuji was close to bolting out of the classroom, only to be stopped by the teacher's stern voice, "sakamoto, may i have a word with you."

"dammit." you hear him whisper beneath his breath, running a hand across his hair as he slouched toward the teacher, "yeah yeah, what is it now?"

with your books collected and your bag slung over your shoulder, you ease out of the classroom only to be met with grey eyes looking deeply into you.

akira's sudden appearance in front of your classroom makes you do a double take. you awkwardly bow to him, stuttering out your name before apologizing. "back then, i'm sorry for how my friend- well, ex friend behaved when she pulled me away from you. i just wanted to tell you that i don't believe the rumors and i'd love to be your friend."

you still weren't brave enough to fully face him, but when you heard a rich chuckle coming from the hauntingly beautiful boy, you couldn't help but lift your gaze-

only to lose your breath upon seeing him smile.

he comes closer to you, almost lifting up a hand to touch at your face, only to decide against it seconds later. he drops a hand back to his side and gives you a soft smile.

"thank you, that means a lot to me."

by now, your heart was racing, becoming warm with a familiar emotion you weren't brave enough to name just yet.

however, the moment was quickly interrupted when ryuji bursts back into the scene, all too eager for something when he traps akira in a headlock. "come on man, let's go to the usual place and plan."

paying no attention to you, it was now akira who was being dragged away from you by ryuji. you could only watch and raise your hand in a wave when akira looks back to flash you an apologetic expression until you were left all alone with your thoughts.

3 - interaction

throughout the following days, you wanted to believe that you were somewhat friends with akira-

but the way he kept disappearing on you was making it difficult for you to keep up.

not only that, but it seemed as though akira's friend group was steadily increasing. you could tell that something powerful tied them all together, making akira happier as he smiled more often now.

a part of you was sad about how hard it was to get closer to akira. despite how much you wanted to, it just seemed impossible.

so imagine your surprise when it was akira that came to you.

you were about to head home for the day when akira stops you, calling out your name when he beckons you to follow him towards the school's vending machines.

"do you want to see something neat?" his eyes were alight with happiness and an eagerness you had never seen before. feeling the tiniest bit enamored with his smile, you could only nod in response when he places his shujin bag on top of the table.

widening its zipper, you gasp upon seeing a black and white colored cat appear from the bag. he had startling blue eyes and kept meowing at akira, sometimes even swatting away at his hand when he tried to pet him.

"he's so cute, i bet he's such a sweet boy." you reach out your hand to pet the cat, earning a purr from him as you scratched behind his ears, "what's his name?"

being distracted with the cat, you didn't catch akira's smile, or the way his cheeks seemed to take on a hint of pink against his pale skin the more he kept on staring at you. "his name's morgana, and he likes you."

you spent some time in akira's company, petting morgana and spoiling him with your gentle scratches in a comfortable silence.

4 - attraction

you were falling for akira.

despite how you've only known him for a handful of weeks, you couldn't deny your feeling for him any longer. your heart was aching for him, and you wanted nothing more than to get even closer to him.

one afternoon, during lunch, you decided to head over to his classroom, hoping he was still there. in your hands was a homemade bento you had made for him this morning, filled with rice and side dishes you hoped he would like.

your heart was felt thrumming against your throat, getting closer and closer to the classroom as you peeked inside-

to see akira and ann takamaki holding hands.

the sight of it makes your heart drop down to your stomach, its weight heavy as a wave of heartbreak and nausea washes over you.

akira was clearly flustered as ann said some things to him, appearing so achingly beautiful that you couldn't help but feel like such a wallflower in comparison.

you knew about ann takamaki, the gorgeous blond who actually had a modeling gig at such a young age. sure, girls badmouthed her a lot, but really you knew it was because they were so jealous of her.

and you were feeling pretty green with envy as well.

before you could witness them potentially sharing secret kisses with each other, you clutch the bento box close to your chest and turn away from them.

you refused to let any tears fall.

what right did you have, believing akira was ever yours to begin with?

5 - date

something weird was going on, and it all started spiraling when kamoshida actually interrupted the school assembly. he was a wreck, absolutely in tears when he told the whole school about his abuse to students on the volleyball team.

his admission makes you shiver, and you wondered if all the rumors were true after all.

a few weeks after akira's appearance, there have been talk about this group of vigilantes known as the phantom thieves of heart. apparently, they were able to change the hearts of their targets based off of their calling card posted on the school's bulletin boards.

the card had called out kamoshida specifically, and you thought nothing of it. believing it to be a prank as there was no way scum like kamoshida would ever change. hell, kamoshida was the sole reason why you never joined any sports and did any extracurricular activities. you were fearful that his slimy hands would somehow find a way to ruin it-

but now, the man was actually turning himself in?

did that mean the phantom thieves were real after all?

these questions kept plaguing your mind, and admittedly, you weren't paying attention when someone was calling out your name with desperation.

you were about to exit the school when a hand was felt pulling you back. your wrist was suddenly gripped by this stranger, and you were forced to turn around and face the person that had stopped you.

"akira."

he appeared out of breath, his face turning a light shade of pink when he calls out your name. "h-hey, it's been a while."

you try to shake him off of you, earning a frown from akira when you begin to lightly shove against his chest.

"stop, just let me go. wouldn't takamaki get the wrong idea if she sees you with me?"

akira's frown deepens. "what does ann have to do with this?"

it was now your turn to give him a puzzled expression, "isn't she your girlfriend? i-i mean, i saw you holding hands with her not too long ago!"

the realization that dawned on akira's face made him all the more beautiful to you, and he laughs once more. stepping closer to you, he gently runs a hand across your cheek before saying, "silly, she's not my girlfriend. uhm, that day was just practice."

he appeared sheepish then, moving his hand away from you to run them across his unruly locks. "i really wanted to make sure my hands weren't too sweaty in case i wanted to hold yours during our first date together."

the relief you felt was staggering, and you had to fight back the urge to kiss him right then and there when you accepted his offer for a date.

6 - holding hands

he takes you to a classic dinner and a movie date.

during dinner, your conversations were kept lighthearted, the subject matter being solely on you alone as you told akira all about yourself.

yet when you tried to find out anything about akira, he kept his answers clipped short, never quite meeting your gaze as he distracted himself with taking casual sips of his drink.

you figured that he was just being shy, since this was your first date together and all.

with dinner finished, akira takes care of the bill and leads you outside of the restaurant. you figured he would simply walk beside you, carrying on with the conversation casually.

so when you felt the night air hit at your skin, you weren't expecting akira to suddenly reach out to you. the touch was brief at first, his pinky simply linking together with yours as his gaze appeared shy.

you squeeze your pinky together with his for a few seconds before pulling away. akira was about to protest until he felt the palm of your hand meet with his, your fingertips lightly caressing at his skin before intertwining them together.

both of your hands were now interlocked, earning a shy smile from akira as he squeezes your hand before proceeding to walk toward the movie theater.

7 - first kiss

why did akira have to pick a horror movie?

let's just say you weren't a big fan of horror. each time something horrifying popped up on the screen, you found yourself hiding within akira's shoulder. you refused to allow such horrid imagery to haunt your daydreams and leak into your nightmares when you fell asleep at night.

akira kept holding hands with you, squeezing them here and there each time you got scared. when he leans in to whisper in your ear, he sounded genuinely apologetic. "i'm so sorry. if i had known how much you hated horror, i would have asked if you wanted to watch something different before buying the tickets."

in hindsight, yes, you should have said something to akira to prevent this from happening. but you payed no mind to the movie, solely feeling happy that you got to spend more time with him.

but now, you figured you should have said something after all.

a blood curdling scream was heard, and you were left whimpering, hiding yourself even deeper within akira's shoulder. you felt him trembling a bit before letting out a sigh.

he brushes his lips against your ear and whispers your name, "would you like me to do something to distract you?"

you cling to the front of his shirt, desperate for anything to keep you away from the scenes the movie was playing. looking at akira, you take a moment to admire his handsome face being lit up by the movie screen behind him.

he whispers your name once more before leaning in to press his lips against yours.

they were slightly chapped, but still so soft when his lips slanted against yours. you were breathless, practically drinking him in as you both tentavively tasted each other.

he tasted like coffee and the dessert you shared at dinner, making you moan when you suddenly cry out to him.

"excuse me, but if you could refrain from making out on the seats, some people are actually trying to watch this movie."

you heard someone whisper harshly from beside you, causing you and akira to break away from each other almost immediately. your cheeks felt heated as akira's own face began to light up with his own blush.

despite how embarrassed you were, you felt grateful for akira's kiss since it was all you could think about all while the horror movie continued to play.

8 - relationship

there was a sudden rift growing between you and akira.

lately, it seemed as though he were spending less and less time with you. his days were spent with catching up on schoolwork, yet every time you went to meet with him, he would either avoid you or tell you he was too busy for a date.

"i'm sorry, treasure, maybe some other time, yeah?"

when he blew you off the first few times, you thought nothing of it. it was getting close to midterms and he was probably busy with his studies.

yet when your brief weekend came, and you texted him, asking him if he wanted to meet you at your favorite cafe, he would leave you on read and not even bother to reply.

while the distance seemed to be increasing, it seemed as though akira gained even more friends, which included other girls.

nijima and okumura were suddenly added to his growing crew, both of them incredibly intelligent and lovely in their own ways that you felt your self esteem shrinking considerably.

weren't relationships supposed to be something wonderful? a compromise made between the two parties involved solely because they wanted to be together?

so why did it suddenly feel like akira wanted nothing to do with you anymore?

despite his nickname for you, with akira often referring you as his treasure, you felt as though the nickname was filled with irony.

you didn't feel cherished by akira at all.

perhaps it was due to your loneliness that you visited the phantom aficionado website, posting on their own forums with your information along with this angsty title and phrase:

completely left broken-hearted by my boyfriend. i love him so much, but i don't think he feels the same way anymore. please, if the phantom thieves of heart do exist, can they steal away my feelings for him?

9 - love

you ended up deleting your forum post the next day, berating yourself for being so stupid.

there's no way in hell they'd even recognize your pleas. in comparison to how they wanted to change the world for the better, your feelings amounted to something extremely trivial and didn't warrant their so called services.

just how selfish could you be?

you sigh, laying back in bed and looking at the ceiling. the air was still warm, and you left the window open in hopes of having some fresh air to clear your mind.

with your eyes closed, you thought about what you could do when it came to your relationship with akira. a part of you wanted to just end this heartache and break it off with him-

but the part that still loved him refused.

you were probably stupid for this, but truly you wanted to stay with him. your memories together of all the dates you shared kept repeating, painting a beautiful mesh of emotions that stemmed from your heart.

you loved akira kurusu-

even if he didn't love you.

the breeze suddenly felt stronger to you when you felt a presence in your room, causing you to sit up with a gasp.

standing in the middle of your carpeted floor was a phantom thief you had seen captured in the blurry images posted on the internet. he appeared absolutely dashing, with a beauty that displayed his playful nature.

a bird-like domino mask covers his eyes, and it was strange, but you swore that the phantom thief simply known as joker was looking at you with fondness. the ends of his cape kept rustling with his every step, coming closer to you as he held out a hand for you to take.

"w-what are you doing here?" still caught up in your heartache over akira, you could only gaze up at him in confusion, earning a rich chuckle from him-

the sound being achingly familiar to you as you shivered in response.

"is it wrong of me to want to comfort a maiden in distress?"

his deep voice oozed with confidence, and you found yourself becoming mesmerized with him. without even thinking about it, you allow joker to take your hand. yet instead of holding it, he uses it to bring you into his arms as he carried you bridal style toward your open window.

"w-wait! put me down! just where are you taking me?!"

"somewhere fun." joker simply winks at you before jumping out of your window.

you had to hold on to him for dear life, your hair whipping in the wind as he moved lithely from rooftop to rooftop. only when he reached the rooftop of the tallest building did he stop.

still refusing to let you go, joker tells you to look up, and you do so.

you were blown away, completely in awe of the night sky with the full moon shining against the darkness. it was so beautiful that you slowly felt your prior heartache and loneliness melt away.

"thank you, joker, for taking me here. it's beautiful."

"not as beautiful as you are, my treasure."

you stiffen upon hearing the familiar nickname, looking at joker to see his teeth biting at his bottom lip. you saw a light sheen of tears against his silvery grey eyes and reach out at him to push back his mask-

and be met with the face of akira kurusu.

he lets out a sob of your name, suddenly kneeling against the rooftop as he buries his face into your neck. "i'm so sorry. i didn't mean to make you feel unwanted or unloved, not when i adore you so much."

slowly, things began to click into place. like how akira and joker were one and the same, and the fact that joker was notoriously known to be the leader of the phantom thieves.

it was because of him that the world was changing, and the mere thought had you reeling with just how intense your love was for him.

delving your hands into his soft hair, you pull him away from you. you were both crying, becoming filled with emotion when you lean in to kiss one another, finally coming together after spending so much time apart.

you catch bits and pieces of akira's confession, mainly telling you how much he wanted to keep you safe and away from his double life as a phantom thief.

"but when i saw your post on the phansite forum, i knew i had been neglecting you and decided to do something about it." he frames at your face and presses a kiss against your forehead.

"i love you, my treasure. and i swear to you, i will make this right again."

10 - commitment

the days leading up to akira's arrest was filled with dread, and you were happy that he was finally safe and sound and in your arms once more.

when he had been betrayed by one of his teammates, akira had saw it coming and had a plan to escape if only for a brief moment, until they could finally put an end to shido.

by some twisted fate, it was thanks to a corrupt politician known as shido masayoshi that akira was arrested. akira had simply protected a woman from being assaulted by shido, and in his drunken state he fell against some steel beams.

in his anger, he called the cops and had akira wrongly arrested for assault.

just hearing akira's story made you upset all over again. you hated what the police did to akira and wanted desperately to protect him.

here, he lay in bed, covered up in his hoodie and a pair of sweats. despite everyone's best efforts to help with healing the cuts and bruises on his face, he still looked awful. his lip was still cut, and fresh bruises were still seen blossoming all across his form.

tears dot your vision when you lean into him, pressing butterfly kisses all across the darkened skin seen on his face. while you continued kissing away at his bruises in hopes of easing his pain, you felt akira lift up a hand to lightly brush against your back.

he had woken up upon feeling your tears land against his skin. with his hand on your face, he gently pulls you away, looking into your eyes with love.

"is my treasure crying for me?" he caresses at your skin, making you close your eyes in response as you lean into him.

"they're monsters for doing this to you, and i hate every single one of them."

akira sits up, welcoming you into his arms as he held on to you. you whisper words of love to each other and seal it with several kisses.

when you pull away, you realize akira was searching his pockets for something, appearing troubled and nervous for a few seconds before he pulled something out.

he quietly tells you to close your eyes, so he could properly give you your surprise gift. with a nod, you do so, waiting with anticipation when you feel akira take a hold of your left hand. you feel something cool slide against your ring finger and hesitantly open your eyes to see what akira had given you.

your eyes widen when you saw a lovely ring with your favorite gemstone attached to the middle. you had never received something so beautiful before in your life and was practically left breathless when akira leans in to kiss at the ring.

"we're too young for marriage, b-but still, i wanted to give you something to signify my promise to you. i love you so much, treasure, and i can't imagine spending my life with anyone else but you. my best friend, and the one person who truly gave me a chance."

you smile at akira, feeling overwhelmed with the amount of love and joy you had for him. you come together in a tangle of limbs, falling back in bed with whispered promises of forever, not caring about what the future may bring as long as you were together.

epilogue

the morning had finally came and was currently shining its rays on a pair of lovers still sleeping comfortably in bed. the sun was felt shining directly in your eyes, causing you to moan as you hid your face within your lover's bare chest.

you wanted to sleep some more, but it seemed as though he had other plans when you felt his hand gently stroke at your bare back.

"why're you up so early?"

his voice was raspy, making you shiver as you smile against his skin. letting out a yawn, you shove yourself off of him and decide that it would be much better and more fun to do this instead.

you were now straddling your husband, settling yourself across his lap as you admired his lithe and muscular body.

akira opens one eye to look at you, its silvery hues still managing to make your heart race even after all these years. crawling on top of him, you eagerly kiss him, not caring that it was morning and you had both just woken up.

you feel akira smile against your kiss, suddenly switching your positions so that you were now pressed into the bed with him hovering over you. he smiles down at you, and you felt your heart become stolen all over again as your beloved phantom thief peppered your face with sweet kisses.

it was clear now that your heart would forever be within your beloved thief's clutches-

but lucky for you, you had long stolen his heart. from the moment akira first locked gazes with yours, he knew that becoming your forever was inevitable.

a.n. - i'm so happy, i'm finally able to write a full 10 stages of love story with the boy i love the most. i love you akira kurusu, and i hope this story does justice in painting you as the soft and kind boy you always were ♡

this is currently unedited, but i hope you readers enjoy reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it ♡ i'll fix any mistakes throughout the day once this story is posted ♡

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

I'm in love with him ♡

Drew my friend's oc Izzy! ❤️❤️❤️

Firm believer that Aventurine takes off his glasses each time you're within the vicinity, even if you have no clue of his existence, he always reaches out to take them off. It's his own way of letting everyone know who has his attention.

"how to get your crush to like you back in 3 easy steps"

or: dan heng likes you. march knows.

dan heng x f!reader. pining fools and idiots in love. march is close to having a metaphorical heart attack. cliche shoujo stuff.

"you have a crush on her."

"i absolutely do not."

march fixes dan heng with an unimpressed gaze. "you are literally so obvious, don't even try and deny it again."

obvious? he's obvious? dan heng tries not to panic. in a poor attempt to salvage the unsalvageable, he says, lamely, "...i don't know what you're talking about."

graciously preserving the little dignity he has left, march ignores him. she claps him on the shoulder sympathetically. "don't worry, i'm a pro wingwoman. i accept payment in the form of desserts."

dan heng's right eye twitches.

1. show interest in their interests, pay attention to them.

that's easy, he thinks to himself. he always pays attention to you, it comes naturally to him. he knows how you prefer your coffee with a dash of milk and honey, not too sweet. he knows how you always start books but rarely ever finish them unless they were "really good and checked all my boxes!" and could go on thesis-worthy rants about your favourite ones. he knows how you like to keep succulents on your table and give them all ridiculous names like "king coin of doge land" and "a rad little guy".

so easy, in fact, that he feels the most confident he's ever been as he strides across the room over to you. you’re fiddling with something, looking vaguely nervous as you talk to march.

"good morning." he greets, eyeing the newest project you seem to be occupied with in your hands. a crotchet dragon, how nice. he knows exactly how to keep the conversation going now—

"what's cookin', good lookin'?"

his brain short circuits.

what is he supposed to say to that? were you flirting? does he flirt back? was it just a phrase? what's cooking-?

"but i'm not on cooking duty today."

dan heng watches your face freeze in confusion. his face feels like stone. to the side, march looks like she’s about to strangle him.

"...uh huh."

an awkward silence hangs in the air. dan heng wishes he was a statue.

— a failure, cut your losses and move on.

2. compliment something they’ve put effort into.

“please elaborate.”

“say something you like about her.” march takes a bite of her parfait (courtesy of dan heng), “but it has to be something she put conscious thought into. it shows that you notice the little things, and it makes her feel good about herself which makes her feel good about you. bam! two birds with one stone.”

dan heng only feels more confused. “but i like everything about her.”

even with the sweet treat in her mouth, march looks like she tasted something sour.

“so do i compliment her on everything i can think of?”

“no, no. you-“ march heaves a sigh, “pick one. just one.”

when he sees you in the archive room, he notices the now completed crotchet dragon in your hand. he decides that this is the perfect time to redeem himself.

“it’s well-made. i like the teal colour.” he says, and mentally congratulates himself for not messing up right off the bat (again).

“thank you, it’s, um, actually supposed to be the dragon you summon.”

“oh.” dan heng’s mind had been so occupied with march’s plans and you that he didn’t even make the connection. he feels just a little stupid.

“…and it’s for you.”

“oh.” a gift from you? and it was made exclusively to represent him, with hours of effort? he is in shock.

he must have taken too long to answer, because you notice the hesitation. flushing with embarrassment, you say “it’s a little much, huh? sorry.”

dan heng doesn’t manage to get a word in (because he would love to have the crotchet dragon, thank you very much!) before you scurry out the door. it clicks as it shuts, his outstretched hand reaching for nothing but air.

— i don’t want to call you a dumbass, but you’re kind of being a dumbass.

3. find time alone with them.

“i’ll help you with this one. but when you’re alone with her, you’re on your own.” march looks mildly concerned, “…will you be ok?”

“of course.” he says, and it’s merely bravado.

“right, well, i managed to convince mr. yang, miss himeko, and pom pom to visit this café with me—you’re paying, of course—it’s a rare opportunity so make full use of it, ‘kay?”

alone on the express. with you. no one else. no big deal, he tries to convince himself.

they keyword is ‘tries’, of course.

when the time comes, he gathers all the courage he has and, hopefully nonchalantly, asks you to watch a movie with him with a mini projector march had lent him beforehand. you agree, and it’s the first hurdle cleared. no mishaps so far.

“i’ll make you coffee, the way you like it.” he offers, and feels a flutter in his chest when you smile. if he could, he would bottle the feeling you gave him up and ration it throughout the rest of his life.

“i would love that.”

he gets to work, prepping the sugar and honey as he waits for the water to boil. the conversation between the two of you comes easily, as if the recent incidents didn’t happen at all, and dan heng feels the familiar serenity that comes from being in your presence. it was quiet save for your conversation, and the backdrop of stars outside the train seemed to be even more mesmerising than usual.

but of course, not everything goes according to plan.

the astral express, which had been sailing through the stars so smoothly, lurches from sudden turbulence. you bump against the kettle when you try to stabilise yourself and knock it over. boiling water spills all over the counter and onto the floor.

“watch out!”

not wanting you to be scalded, he grabs your arm and tries to push you away with his back towards the spillage. but his foot steps on the water and he slips, falling forward.

the two of you land on the floor in a heap, inches away from the spill. pure reflexes allow him to minimise the impact of your head meeting the floor by using his other hand as a cushion. he thinks he has bruised his knuckles. he has sprained his wrist.

the thought of the compromising position doesn’t even cross either of your minds. you crawl out from underneath him, and, perceptive as ever, notice when he rubs his wrist and winces.

“dan heng! are you ok?” you fuss over him, hands flitting over his wrist. dan heng feels like he would have enjoyed the attention more if he wasn’t so disappointed that his plans were disrupted. it had been going so well, he mourns. he watches as your back disappears around the corner with promises of finding the first aid kit.

it’s hard for the previous tranquil atmosphere to come back when you obviously felt bad about his wrist (even thought he assured you it was alright and not to worry), and his plans were derailed. the both of you work together to clean up the mess, which took some time, and try to enjoy the movie, but the momentum was lost.

— …

“what do you mean all my plans went bust? i worked so hard to convince pom pom to come with me!” march looks at you in horror.

“i don’t know! i thought you said you were a pro at this! i tried the pick-up line, i tried giving him a gift, and i even spent time alone with him, nothing worked! am I just inept at this love thing?” you shake her by the shoulders, tears of frustration on the edge of falling. march could only feel wronged.

“oh my god. you’re both idiots.”