Not-a Damsel In Distress: Getting To The Heart Of Friendship

Not-a Damsel in Distress: Getting to the Heart of Friendship

Summary: Victor-Hecate needs some serious wardrobe help, so they invite some friends over. Flirting, gadgets and hijinks are involved

A/N: It's here!!!! The second part. It's quite long, so I'd advise you to find a place to relax, maybe with a snack or a drink (it's important to stay hydrated) And once again, the incredible, amazing, talented @pagesofcursive (Briar) has characters heavily featured here, and her characters are linked at the end. We have another part in the works, but for now, enjoy!

Even though they lay curled on their bed, Victor-Hecate still wore almost as much clothing as in school, though they were wearing it more casually. A comfortable silence spread between her and Aster, who sat just beside them. Victor-Hecate wore a lightweight deep magenta jacket, black fingerless gloves, a scarf thrown loosely around their shoulders, and a matching grey beanie pinning up their normally flyaway curls and covering their ears.

A buzzing sound split the air, coming from Victor-Hecate’s phone. They picked it up, resting the book they were reading on the bedside table. A smirk split their face as they read the text, their clear blue eyes glittering with mischief. “So,” they began, stretching out the word. “I may have forgotten to mention that I, uh, invited someone over.”

They watched mock excitement grow on Aster’s face, contrasting comically to her outfit. She had dark, ripped jeans on, and an old leather jacket, matching with combat boots that dangled off the edge of the twin bed. “Ooh, anyone I know?” she gushed, then paused, looking mildly disgusted at the bubbly tone.

“You could say that,” Victor-Hecate said, but before the last word left their mouth, the door to their room flew open. A trio of girls walked in, somehow vastly different from each other, yet they all seemed to belong together. The first girl that flounced in was the one Victor-Hecate knew the best – her cousin, Violetta. Her wavy chocolate brown hair swished around her shoulders, the top artfully twisted together in a collections of curls held by bobby pins, holding the flyaway hairs, the ones that annoyed her ever since they were small, out of her eyes Ever stylish, Violetta wore a white miniskirt with a lavender tank top, finishing the look with a pair of black wedge boots. They had been texting back and forth for most of the day, organizing the afternoon. Her bouncing walk screeched to a halt two steps past the doorway, and her laughter cut off abruptly as she noticed Aster perched out on the bed.

The second girl crashed into her, unprepared for the abrupt stop. Victor-Hecate vaguely knew her from her cousin’s social media feed and her brief description over texting that day. Juni wore a white fit and flare dress that cut off right at her knees with shocks of pink and yellow flowers scattered around the hem. Her wide grin at the joke she’d just told was stark white against her deep brown skin. Her black afro hair was mostly tamed by a white bandana, matching with the cute outfit she wore.

Victor-Hecate didn’t recognize the final girl, who stopped herself from crashing into the other two just in time. Though she was about the same height as the first two, she seemed smaller. Her shoulders were hunched and swallowed by her white NASA hoodie. She’d just pulled her hands out of the large front pocket to catch her balance, revealing frayed and patched sleeves. She didn’t exude nearly as much confidence as the other two, her black leggings not bringing anything to her already humble outfit. Her curly chestnut hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail that sat at the base of her neck – the hair tie seemed to be there only to keep most of her hair out of her face, not to make any statement. A glimpse of brown leather flashed from underneath her almost overlarge hoodie, but Victor-Hecate thought nothing of it.

Victor-Hecate smirked as they watched Aster straighten up as she locked eyes with Violetta. Their cousin broke free of the trance first, stammering, “Oh, Aster, I- I didn’t realize you were going to be here.” She faced her cousin. “Wait, why is she-” Violetta whipped back to Aster. “Why are you here?”

Aster exchanged a glance with Victor-Hecate, whose eyes glowed smugly. She sighed, collecting herself. “I met your cousin today, and we’re hanging out. Is there a problem?” Though her tone was even, almost a little hostile, her bouncing leg betrayed her nervousness. Aster slid to the edge of the bed. The tips of her ears matched the hue they had been earlier that day when the seated pair had briefly discussed Violetta in the hallway.

Violetta jumped to her own defense, holding up her arms placatingly. “No! No, not at all! I just… wasn’t expecting you, that’s all.” She had started going red too.

As the scene unfolded in front of them, Victor-Hecate’s smirk widened.

“So,” piped up Juni, her voice melodic and sweet. “What should we all do?”

Victor-Hecate watched the final girl shift uncomfortably, her eyes shifting between the not-so-subtly smitten pair. Finally, the girl spoke. “Is, uh, someone going to introduce me? I don’t really know anyone here. Besides Juni, that is.” She was surprisingly sure of herself when speaking, each word perfectly enunciated, her phrases carefully calculated. She reached for Juni’s hand for comfort, the action small but sweet.

“Right!” Juni gently squeezed the unknown girl’s hand, pulling her forward a little. “You met Violetta on the way over here, and then, uh, that’s Violetta’s cousin, Vee!” She waved enthusiastically at them, Bella echoing her, raising her hand. Victor-Hecate gave a little salute at being addressed, touching two of their fingers to their forehead. Juni continued, gesturing to Aster, who was trying to rearrange her position to seem less tense. “And then, that’s Aster, Violetta’s…” She paused, perhaps for dramatic effect, while also seeming to search for the right words. Violetta’s cheeks flared red in the silence; Aster opened her mouth in protest to whatever Juni would claim. Before either of them managed to make a sound, Juni settled on her word choice with a nod. “…academic rival.” She wiggled her eyebrows at the mystery girl, who rolled her eyes, having already picked up on the subtext. She pushed the girl forward a little more, who attempted to straighten up a little as Juni introduced her. “And, everyone, this is Bella!”

Victor-Hecate unfolded themself, straightening out their left leg and resting their right knee against their chest. “You’re Juni, right? Vi’s told me about you.” They stole a glance at Violetta, feeling guilty about how little they’d connected over the years, before addressing Bella. “But yeah, I’m Vee. Victor-Hecate. Tae. Whatever. Really, take your pick. I’ve collected more nicknames than I can count.”

Bella hummed, giving them a once-over. “Aren’t you hot with all that on?” The question, though a little prying, seemed innocent in intention. All the same, Victor-Hecate shifted uncomfortably.

Aster came to their rescue, redirecting the conversation. “Actually, that’s one of the reasons why I’m here today.” She slid the rest of the way off the bed, striding over to the closet and flinging the doors open with a bang, making everyone jump. “I’m helping them figure out new outfits and stuff.”

“And I was brought along? Really?” Bella mumbled to Juni, who shrugged in response. The pair perched on the bed, watching Aster look through the closet.

Violetta perked up immediately, rushing over to Aster to stick her head into the overstuffed closet. “And nobody told me about this? This is my specialty!”

Victor-Hecate nodded, unseen by the fashionista, who was already shoulder deep in the wardrobe, rummaging around. “That’s why I invited you over. I got into a bit of trouble at school, and I need help picking something out that won’t get me called out for dress code issues.”

Violetta stuck her head out of the closet, a piece of faux fur stuck in her hair, and scrutinized Victor-Hecate’s current outfit. “Have you thought about fewer layers?”

They shifted again, hugging their leg to their chest. “Not really.” She glanced desperately at Aster, who returned their helpless look. They scrambled for an excuse, for any reason other than their power. “I’ve been… uh, burning really easily lately, and I don’t want to take any risks.”

“You’ve been burning,” Bella scoffed, easily seeing through the blatant lie. “Like in the sun?”

Fortunately, Violetta didn’t notice, her head too deep into the layers of clothing again, looking for an outfit she approved of. “Mm, that makes sense, but maybe you can cover up without having everything being too… bulky?” Her voice was muffled by the copious coats. Frustration tinged her statement- probably because there wasn’t anything in the closet besides long-sleeved and thick jackets.

Victor-Hecate shrugged. “I guess? It’s just more… comfortable that way,” they said hurriedly, hoping to appease Violetta.

Finally, she emerged from the closet, stray hairs sticking up from her coiled hairstyle. She began redoing it, holding the bobby pins between her teeth, mulling over the situation. Between pins, she said, “Maybe we could buy you some cute jackets? And matching jeans?”

Her elbow brushed past Aster as she twirled up another piece of hair. Aster reddened at the closeness of her crush but managed to regain control and focus on the matter at hand. “What about long gloves?” she suggested.

“I guess that sounds good,” Victor-Hecate rearranged their scarf to cover more of their neck, uncomfortable with so many people close to them. They were glad Aster was there; she could help out if anything went wrong, as unlikely as it would be, and she could help deflect her cousin and her friends’ questions. They mulled over Aster’s suggestion, a nagging feeling persisting the longer they pondered the suggestion. “Is that allowed though? At school, I mean.”

 “It’s not stated in the school rules that it isn’t allowed,” Bella recited. “So, I suppose you should be able to. But the hat…”

“Yeah, I know.” Victor-Hecate leaned back, trying to relax. There was no need to be closed off because they were around nice people, but it was still a bit difficult. “So, what are you two into? We might as well kill time as Vi organizes my makeover.” They grimaced a little, calling out to their cousin who was near buried in their closet again, “Nothing too extreme, ‘kay?”

“I’ll keep an eye on her, don’t worry,” Aster reassured, her tone light and teasing. Violetta giggled, the sound smothered by clothing again.

“Well,” Juni said, nudging Bella, “what do you want to do?”

Bella went stark white, nervous at the prospect of being the one to decide what the group could do. “Oh, it’s not that interesting,” she said, fumbling with her words. “Too nerdy to be interesting.” The explanation came out in a rush, as if the faster she spoke, the sooner they’d move on, but Juni wouldn’t let it go so easily.

The sunny girl perked up, grinning. “Spill!”

“It’s not much really,” Bella shyly mumbled, fishing around in what had been hidden underneath her hoodie earlier – a toolbelt. Unbuttoning one of the many pouches, she delicately fished out a small white box. It was made of shiny white material that looked smooth to the touch. Its rounded corners leaned its design to a sleek and modern feel. Two black lines traced from halfway up one face, across another, up to the opposite side it started on. The shy girl placed it on her palm, black facing down and a blue line lit up around the top of the box.

“Ooh,” Victor-Hecate said, leaning in. An intrigued expression crossed their face. “What does it do?”

Bella pressed an almost imperceptible button on top and the black popped out to reveal tracks. “It’s a prototype I’m developing,” she explained. “Gravity and surfaces are strange on extraterrestrial planets, so I’m working to calibrate the grip of the tracks to work on more surfaces, you see…” Victor-Hecate, baffled by her explanation, followed her gaze around the room – everyone who was listening wore a similar expression. None of them truly understood her description of the robot.

Juni leaned in, running her finger along the smooth surface. Her expression melted from confusion to curiosity. “It looks so cool, but… can you explain it in easier terms?”

Steeling herself and nodding, Bella tried again. “Right. Sorry. It would probably be easier just to show you.” She pulled out her phone, opening a completely foreign app. Tapping the screen a few times, the bot spun on her hand, seeming to gain its bearings. She laid it on the bed and it immediately traversed across the covers. To a chorus of gasps, it crawled up the wall, shifting easily from rough plaster to a smooth poster of the Coliseum and back again, before finally settling on the roof. Juni bounced up and down in excitement, cooing over Bella’s project.

Victor-Hecate’s gaze locked on the cube, moving to sit cross-legged, their mouth dropped open. “So, I’m guessing this is what you do? Like, your dream job, considering…” They waved their arm vaguely at the sleek white square on the bedroom roof and the well-loved NASA hoodie the shy girl was wearing.

“Yeah, it is,” Bella said. She nodded slowly, hesitantly. She pressed the screen again, and the strip of light went out. It dropped from the ceiling, Juni shrieking as it fell, which brought Violetta out of the jungle of the closet. It landed safely on the bed, bouncing slightly.

Letting go of Bella’s hand and placing her own to her chest, Juni recovered from the shock. “That is so cool!” she finally managed. “Have you named it?”

“No.” Bella blushed, seeming ashamed. “You know I don’t do that sort of thing. I leave it up to you,” she mumbled. Using her newly freed hand, she picked up the unassuming cube and stashed it back into her toolbelt. After clasping it shut, her expression softened as she saw Juni with a look of contemplation, taking her new job seriously. She glanced around, trying to read and process the mood of the room. “But this isn’t about my stuff. It’s about Victor-Hecate.”

“You really don’t have to use my whole name.”

Bella shrugged a little, brushing off the comment. “Since we’re trying to make sure they-” She paused, glancing anxiously at Victor-Hecate, who shrugged. “-won’t get in trouble anymore, I’d like to offer some advice. I suggest acclimating yourself to wearing fewer layers,” Bella said. She rolled up her sleeves, fidgeting as she talked. “Based on your body language, I’d assume you’re pretty comfortable here, so perhaps you can take off a few layers to learn to be more comfortable without them. Besides,” she said, giving up on folding back her sleeves and taking off the jacket entirely to combat the heat, revealing a muted cyan t-shirt underneath. “Don’t you find it hot here?”

Victor-Hecate blanched, cursing the shy girl’s perceptiveness. While she had good intentions, and they were mostly comfortable in the group of girls, they were still aware of the danger the others brought into the room. Frantically, Victor-Hecate fumbled for an excuse to keep their layers on.

Before they could come up with an idea, Violetta whipped around, her face alight with excitement. “Ooh, yeah! That way we can figure out how to build the outfit from there!”

“Only if you want to, Cat,” Aster said quickly.

Bella blinked, a little startled at the nickname casually thrown out.

“I’d rather not,” replied Victor-Hecate, their lips quirking up at the nickname.

“Why not?” blurted Bella, before clapping a hand over her mouth and going red. Her tense expression softened as Juni squeezed her hand before turning to face Victor-Hecate again, suggesting softly, “At least take off your hat?”

Victor-Hecate resisted the urge to put a hand to their chest to ground themself. Working to regulate their breathing, they finally managed to protest desperately, “I might have hat hair.”

Violetta’s expression was tender as she fruitlessly tried to reassure her cousin, “Nobody’s going to judge you, don't worry, Vee.”

“Fine,” they sighed. Mulling over the situation, they decided to go the whole way; they unwrapped their scarf, folding it on the bed beside them. Tugging off their beanie, their hair tumbled out, sticking out at odd angles. A little bitter that their cousin pushed for their change, they pelted the beanie at her. Under everyone’s eyes, Victor-Hecate shifted awkwardly, uncomfortable with the attention they weren’t used to.

Juni squealed. “Oh, your hair is so pretty!” Abandoning Bella, she leaned closer to Victor-Hecate, reaching to brush a strand of hair out of their face and tuck it behind their ear.

Victor-Hecate scrambled backward too late, their back hitting the wall just as Juni’s hand brushed their ear and lingered. Their chest exploded with pain. Their heart felt like it was about to burst, ready to fill their torso with shrapnel. It beat at a million miles an hour, pounding their blood past their ears, muffling the sound in the room, drowning out their cousin’s scream. Their breathing shallowed, and they struggled to calm down; they had experienced countless deaths before, but this was one of the worst. Taking a ragged breath, sucking in as much air as they could, they twisted the hem of their jacket, trying to recover as much as they could with Juni now clutching their head concernedly. Their chest still aching, they surveyed the room – Aster was clutching Violetta, who looked queasy and unsteady on her feet, Bella was peeking over Juni’s shoulder, a look of intrigue lighting up her face, and Juni was bent over them, terror etching her features.

Watching Victor-Hecate’s eyes clear a little, Juni pushed down her panic and started ordering the others around. “Okay, guys, someone call 911, and, uh, Vi, can you grab some aspirin? And–”

“No,” choked out Victor-Hecate. They pushed down a cough as they ran out of air. “Don’t! Please don’t call an ambulance. I don’t need it. I’m begging you. And could you–” They cut off with a shout as pain surged again. Their chest seized, leaving them momentarily unable to breathe. Panting, they clawed at their chest, desperate for the pain to stop but helpless to do anything.

“No,” echoed Aster. She tugged at Juni’s arm, but the usually sunny girl stayed put, concerned for their host, whose screams had stopped as their shallow breaths prevented any sound besides wheezing. Breaking free of Aster’s grip, she pulled at their still covered arms, trying to stop them from hurting themself further. Aster’s half-baked continuation trickled past the pain to Victor-Hecate, “It’s- god, it’s really hard to explain, but basically they aren’t in danger. It’s just their power.”

Bella’s eyes glittered with a thirst for knowledge, her voice steeped in curiosity, “Their power?”

Aster looked around the room helplessly before locking eyes with Victor-Hecate. Keeping their gaze on her, they shook their head. Not now. Aster huffed, seeming to respect their wish, despite not understanding it. “I- It’s their place to tell you, not mine.”

Victor-Hecate tried their best to smile through the pain at Aster. Suddenly, they gasped as their heart squeezed. They reached for Juni’s arm, intending to try to pull it off, but as Juni cupped their cheek, trying to reassure them, pain spiked, and their hand dropped with a muffled thump against their agony-wracked chest. Misinterpreting the action, Juni reached for their hand, only to be caught by Aster. Staring right back at Juni’s judgmental glare, Aster said, “I can't explain, but touching them isn’t- it isn’t good.”

“Are you sure?” Bella questioned skeptically, Juni nodding with her. “I would think they need comfort right now.”

Clutching Aster’s arm, Violetta leaned over the darker dressed girl to get a better view of her cousin. “You’re sure you’re okay?” she asked, concerned.

Victor-Hecate yearned to reply, to comfort Violetta. They tried to nod but failed as pain flared up again, and they curled in on themself. Violetta let out a sob, leaning into Aster’s reassuring touch as she wrapped an arm around the distraught girl. Curiosity getting the better of her, Bella hopped off the edge of the bed to examine the prone figure rolled up like a pill bug on their pillow. As she leaned in, her hand brushed Victor-Hecate’s fingertips. Immediately, they flinched away, a biting cold surging out from the point of contact, mixing unpleasantly with the already squeezing pain in their chest.

With a pointed look at Bella, Aster levelly pleaded, “Let’s just give them a bit of space, okay?”

Reluctantly, Juni moved away from Victor-Hecate, hugging Bella for comfort. The quartet watched with bated breath for the now black-eyed vigilante to still. Slowly, ever so slowly, the pain ebbed. Their chest eased, their heart rate returned to normal and their breathing deepened. Sitting up sooner than they should have, Victor-Hecate almost collapsed again as pain twinged on the left side of their chest. Their dark complexion was paler than usual as they propped themself up against the wall.

“Thank you,” they managed breathlessly.

Violetta’s forehead wrinkled, a crease appearing between her eyebrows. “Vee, I don’t- What happened?”

Victor-Hecate sighed, picking at the now rumpled scarf beside them, but resisting the urge to put it on. They traced the dark grey lines of the scarf design, unable to meet their cousin’s eyes as they softly spoke, “That's why I stopped talking with you.” They looked up, trying to gauge her reaction. “That’s my power.”

“Yes, but what is it?” Bella seemed to hold her tongue after the question spilled out. Based on her speaking patterns so far, a hundred questions waited behind that one. When Victor-Hecate stayed silent, Bella exclaimed, “It was incredible!” She cleared her throat awkwardly, reigning in her enthusiasm. “Incredibly interesting, that is. Your irises went completely black, which is fascinating.” She cocked her head, looking over Victor-Hecate again, who shrank a little under her inquisitive gaze. “You have almost completely recovered from whatever just occurred. Please, please explain it.”

Fixing their gaze on the scarf once more, they reluctantly explained, unwilling to keep them in the dark any longer. Rumors could spell more trouble than the truth. “I feel whatever pain you will feel when you die. It only happens while I’m being touched, so that's why…” They waved their arm vaguely at the scarf and wardrobe full of disturbed bulky coats and beanies. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just... didn’t want you to think less of me. Especially since you,” Victor-Hecate said, glancing toward Violetta, “have a functioning, helpful power, but I’m just stuck with this.” They gestured to themself before letting their arm drop, defeated.

“Oh, that’s awful! I- I’m so sorry,” Violetta said. Victor-Hecate lifted their gaze, hopeful. Violetta didn’t sound horrified, just concerned.

Juni held a hand over her mouth, echoing Violetta’s sentiment. “I- I feel so bad- I didn’t mean to touch you earlier, I swear–”

Victor-Hecate waved their hand, dismissing her apology. “It’s okay. You didn’t mean to hurt me.” They rubbed her knee comfortingly, the fabric of the dress soft under their fingers. “You only wanted to help. Though I’d like to know, what was that? I haven’t really felt that type of pain before. My best guess is some kind of heart failure, but...” They trailed off, worried they’d pried too much.

Juni’s eyes widened in terror. “I…” She shrank back a bit, nestling into Bella’s hug, closing her eyes. “I do have heart problems, and I guess– I guess they come back later.”

Bella pulled Juni a bit tighter, resting her chin on the darker girl’s shoulder. She let out a puff of air, giving up on holding back her questions. “And me?”

Victor-Hecate shook their head. “It was too quick to get any kind of specifics. It was cold. That’s all I know.” They cast a cursory glance at Violetta, who still stood close to Aster, their hands interlocked. “Do you want to know?”

She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head, waves of rich brown hair falling on either side of her shoulders. “No. I- I can’t–” She leaned onto Aster again, squeezing her hand for comfort.

“I understand. And…” Victor-Hecate struggled to keep their expression and voice neutral. Although they understood the horror the others’ were feeling, it still hurt coming from family. Looking around the room again, they swallowed audibly. “…I get it if you want to leave. My power’s unsettling. I know that.”

“No, no, no! Don’t worry, I’m- it was just... a bit shocking at first,” Violetta hastily protested. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Me neither,” affirmed Juni. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of your power, it’s part of who you are! And maybe we can help in some way.”

Bella nodded enthusiastically, still biting back questions. Catching Victor-Hecate’s gaze, she slipped her left hand behind her back, a flash of white they hadn’t noticed before snagging their eye.

Brushing off the slight confusion, Victor-Hecate relaxed a little, a relieved smile gracing their face. “Thank you.” They rubbed their arm sheepishly. “And some wardrobe help would be appreciated. I really don’t want to get stopped at school again.”

Bella tapped her chin thoughtfully, tilting her head back to get a better view of the multicolored leotards knocked askew from the back of the wardrobe. “Have you considered a full skin-colored leotard?”

“I have, but it’s a pretty strange request and is probably expensive as heck,” they replied.

Bella chuckled. “I think I know someone who knows just the person.” She side-eyed Juni and lightly squeezed the sunny girl’s shoulders.

Juni’s eyes lit up, catching the hint just a few seconds later. “My girlfriend would be happy to buy some new clothes! Nyx- she, uh, she wants to get back at her dad and everything, so she doesn’t mind spending his money at all.”

“I’m sure she won’t mind at all,” Bella agreed, relishing in her friend’s excitement. It was her first genuine smile of the day, besides the ones fueled by curiosity.

Victor-Hecate considered the offer before accepting the idea. “Cool. When do you think we can meet up? And where does she live?”

Juni smiled sweetly and pulled out her phone, “Ooh, well, I’ll text her–”

“Oh, don’t worry, I know already,” Bella cut in. “She’s free this Friday, provided her douche of a father doesn’t spring anything on her.” She grimaced in sympathy.

Victor-Hecate sat forward on the bed, placing their hands on their knees. “Perfect, I guess. Will she have enough space for all of us?”

“Vee,” Violetta tutted, smiling triumphantly, humor glimmering in her eyes. “If you thought my house was big, then you are not prepared for the size of her mansion."

Characters (in order for appearance): Victor-Hecate, Aster, Violetta, Juni, Bella

If your OC is magical, what do they think of non-beleivers?

Like many people I've seen so far, the main one is just stagnant (I've made the mistake (?) of sharing it with people and there's been mild/teasing pressure to finish it)

However, I have a plethora of side stuff, with AUs and fluffy and angsty short stories that I delight in writing (that I'm starting to share here) especially those that I write with @pagesofcursive and her incredible characters.

There's also a plan just sitting in the back of my mind for another story for when my attention span eventually fails. It involves royalty, spying, heritage and cute family dynamics. And no one important is straight (naturally)

So everybody, how are your WIPs going?

I can never get enough of your writing

morning routines

nyx and juni wake up relatively early every day (usually, nyx wakes up first and just cuddles with juni for a bit to wake her up,, couple goals) and they make a Healthy breakfast together. nyx is pretty hopeless at cooking in the beginning, but juni is a very good teacher

lynn also wakes up early, but she does not love social interaction first thing in the morning, so she usually just reads while eating a piece of toast or something simple

violetta would wake up slightly early, but it’s still too late for her to eat breakfast since she spends a lot of time finding a cute outfit and putting on makeup. so usually, she just makes herself an iced coffee that she drinks during her first class (“all part of a complete breakfast!”)

aster goes to sleep very late and would like to sleep in. unfortunately, she is a light sleeper and shares a room with dawn (who wakes up early). as a result, aster is forced awake pretty early as well. she eats a simple breakfast (she doesn’t like to skip meals as a general rule) and makes herself a hot coffee which she drinks during school

violetta and aster would argue with each other about the merits of iced coffee versus hot coffee. every morning. it becomes a tradition, and the argument eventually becomes very flirtatious

tora wakes up Just before school and rushes to get dressed and look somewhat presentable. if she doesn’t have any time to spare, she’ll just grab a single heavily caffeinated energy drink (tora’s not allowed to have more than one after the Incident that ended up with her staying up for a solid four days and sleeping for five). if she does have time, tora makes herself a cup of tea (her brother taught her how to make tea and she always thinks about him while making it) and eats some type of dessert or chips

dawn wakes up very early and has a very sophisticated breakfast of toast and jam. she makes herself a cup of coffee (using her expensive coffee maker, of course), and she makes patterns in the foam. yes, dawn is extra and, yes, she’s upset that she doesn’t have a chef to make her breakfast anymore, but she will persevere somehow

Writing is simple. I plan a decent story, write the beginning then skip to interesting parts of it before losing interest and leaving it to collect dust. I take the characters with me and put them in random scenarios that I like in alternate universes using the excuse of "character development"

writing is simple. i put my characters into a situation that i, the author, cannot figure out how to get them out of and i close the document

This was so good! And a real delight to read. I can't wait to read more, and the animal hybrids would be so good to read

The thing is here!

Remember how I’ve been babbling about this chapter that I’m very excited about and want to post here once I finish it? I finished it, so here it is!

T/W: nothing serious, but there is a hunt scene where an animal is killed, and it’s briefly described. And repeated mentions of alcohol concumption.

Note: Again, not a native English speaker. If you think something sounds strange, please, tell me! This is the first draft, so there’s a chance some details might change, but the hardly anything serious. Also this is about 1,900 words - not very long, but you might want to find a comfortable place and maybe get some tea.

Chapter 3. Never cry Villain

Where a sad and lonely person becomes perpetually more sad.

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