{{Unedited}}   When Marielle got to Valorant, everything felt distant, blurry, and wrong; like the world had tilted sideways. She’d taken a few extra minutes to sob in Austin’s shower, collected her things, and went to the kitchen, where fresh coffee was waiting for her. She cried more as she stirred in her cream and …

{{Unedited}}   As Marielle walked back to her office, she jerked to a stop outside the door. Her tattoos shimmered in a wave sup her arms. Oh no… Vincent. She was unsure of what exactly was waiting for her on the other side of the door; having no idea what Vincent knew, or suspected. She …

{{Unedited}} At two in the morning, Marielle couldn’t sleep and meandered into the living room and back to her laptop.   She glanced up at the list of names of people who were currently online. Jamie, Han, – the little symbol next to their names indicated that they were talking to one another – Kiritani, …

{{Unedited}}   Vincent brought scrambled eggs and toast with a croissant and sliced strawberries to Marielle who was sitting on the couch watching the roaring fire. He set the plate in front of her on the coffee table and left, bringing her back a cup of coffee made the way she liked it. He’d already …

{{Unedited}} Liam looked across the table at everyone and sighed. Not a single person looked as if they wanted to be there, and the sadness that came through the faces that were either meeting his, or purposefully looking away caused his diminutive smile to crack, and fade to nothing. For this reason, he opened with, …

{{Unedited}} Vincent spent most of his time in the lab with Klara, Sabine, Chamber, and Kirra. A day passed, and another… and Austin and Marielle mostly avoided one another; or rather, Marielle avoided Austin as best she could. He seemed to be doing the same, but it was difficult to tell being right next to …

{{Unedited}} By the time that a week had past, Austin had slipped into a cycle that was unrelenting and entirely dissatisfying every…single…night. The time involved a dark room, bright screen, entertaining his familiars with high anticipation, and low satisfaction. However, that evening he had an idea that flickered across his mind in bright neon. The …

{{Unedited}} Austin looked down at his left finger noting the new ring. It was black, matte and there was a small shimmering blue band of radianite in the center. It was otherworldly, but reminded him of ice. This ring had a secret, as did hers. He pulled it back from the base of his finger …

{{Unedited}} Austin hadn’t heard his own voice crying out her name. Nor would he remember rushing to her, and firing at the assailant with his arm gun long enough to take hold of Kirra’s wrist and pull her around the back of the fountain. He wouldn’t remember that he used his jacket to prop her …

{{Unedited}} Neither of them said a word the entire ride home and Marielle spent most of the time leaning against the window, sobbing, thinking about Austin and how more than anything she wanted to talk to him; to hold him. She’d felt the emptiness in him open up before she and Vincent left. No, not …