𝒍𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓.

     carefully,   quietly,   a  door  avoided  and  shut  with  her  unoccupied  hand  behind  her  ;   people  are  sleeping  still,   &  the  last  time  she  hit  her  knee  on  the  door  in  a  sleepy  supper  &  felt  super  guilty  waking  mahiru  up  !   not  again,   this  time  she  makes  certain  to  even  walk  gently  down  the  hall,   well  long  after  she’s  made  her  way  through  the  doorway  into  the  kitchen.   she  doesn’t  know  much  about  everyone’s  mornings,   but  she  envisions  claudine  as  someone  who  is  bright  even  so  early  on,   and  probably  super  active?  and  to  be  active  you  need  energy      food  !  a  logical  conclusion,   she  thinks,   to  all  of  her  pondering  (  it’s  something  like  common  sense,   more  like,   but  she  names  it  investigative  power  and  it would  put  a  spring  in  her  step  under  any  other  circumstances  )

      ‘     kuro-chan,    ’      a  whisper,   a  look  over  her  shoulder  as  though  anyone  would  be  there  -  tendo-san?  jun-jun?  neither  are  there  now   -   and  then  when  she’s  satisfied  a  little  closer  to  normal,     ‘    look.    ’     this  is  the  only  chance  she’ll  have  before  classes  end,  &  she  can’t  wait  that  long  !   so  it’s  a  gesture  of  her  finger,   and  only  when  he  draws  near  enough  -  something  of  an  acknowledging  yet  baffled  sound  off  his  lips  beforehand,  though  it  doesn’t  cause  much  pause  -  does  she  lift  her  phone,  screen  and  smile  alike  lighting.   it’s  a  finger  brought  to  point,   as  though  she’s  not  practically  shoved  it  in  the  other’s  face  (  his  hand  is  around  her’s  firmly,  a  pushing  there  -  she  doesn’t  really  get  why,   but  she  doesn’t  put  up  a  fight  to  it  being  maneuvered  back  towards  her  own  person  ),   and  beneath  where  she’s  directing  attention  is  a  lot,  really  !

    ‘     look,    ’      a   reiteration  ;  an  explanation,     ‘   we  took  this  yesterday,  right?  and  i  liked  it  a  lot,   so  i  put  it  here,     ’     she  glances  back  between  the  kuro-chan  in  the  photo  and  the  one  standing  with  her  now  ;  they’re  both  nice  !  she  settles  on  the  one  here  with  her  though,   close  and  watching  the  way  she  does   -   she  feels  more  seen  than  her  phone  screen  -  but  is  spoken  to  with  a  volume  that  steadily  rises,     ‘     and  now  whenever  i  use  my  phone  it’s  like  ‘wow’,  y’know?   and  so  i  got  up  early  to  show  you  because  i  was  thinking            ’     thinking?  thinking      warm?  kuro-chan  is  warm,  and  her  breath  sort  of  is  too  the  way  it’s  huffed  out  against  her   ;  it  sounds  sort  of  happy,   sort  of  like  the  way  when  someone  makes  a  joke  and  jun-jun  sort  of  gets  it,   or  when  mahiru  is  kind  of  mad  maybe  but  doesn’t  really  sound  it?  

starters  /  prompts taken from various characters starring in the game   fire emblem : three houses .  feel free to change pronouns  /  tenses as necessary .

“  feel free to say hi whenever you like  ”

“  don’t hold back for my sake  ”

“  you think I’m so clumsy that I need someone to watch over me ?  ”

“  you act like you’re full of regret  ,  but I know you don’t really mean it  ”

“  you actually look more handsome to me with honesty on your face  ”

“  don’t be ashamed of crying  ”

“  could you keep quiet for a bit ?  ”

“  you’re actually kind of amazing  ”

“  do you mean to imply you have no intention of acting a bit more respectably ?  ”

“  stop acting so nonchalant about getting hurt or killed  ”

“  naive and uptight is no way to live your life  ”

“  you’d better watch that temper  ”

“  i am absolutely disinterested in spending any time with you  ”

“  your lack of self-awareness is deeply troubling  ”

“  I’ll just be straightforward about taking advantage of you  ”

“  when will you tire of challenging me in pointless competitions ?  ”

“  you expect me to believe that ?  ”

“  i’ve had enough of your foolish antics  ”

“  i wish you would not sneak up on me like that  ”

“  before you reprimand me  ,  take a moment to consider your own failings  ”

“  it is like hearing a snake sing an aria  ”

“  am I hearing a deathbed confession ?  ”

“  i never have any idea what you’re talking about  ”

“  don’t walk away when i’m talking to you  ”

“  you’ll be the death of me for sure  ”

“  i do not intend to die  ”

“  i can’t believe you put yourself at risk for my benefit  ”

“  i don’t think i’ve ever seen you smile  ”

“  i do not desire your gratitude  ”

“  you’re surprisingly strong for how slender you appear  ”

“  perhaps i was flustered needlessly  ”

“  i had forgotten how charmingly ethereal you can be  ”

“  you’re going a little overboard  ”

“  you have shaken me to my very core  ”

“  so this is what death is like  ”

“  if you get sick of me  ,  i’m sorry ahead of time  ”

“  i’m embarrassed just thinking about it  ”

“  you’re like a little brother to me  ”

“  spending the rest of my life with you doesn’t sound so bad  ”

“  if our roles were reversed  ,  I don’t think I’d be able to forgive you  ”

“  you actually hate me  ,  right ?  ”

“  you haven’t stabbed me yet  ”

“  i want to be more like you  ”

“  i actually envy the size of your heart  ”

“  i don’t think you can solve all your problems by throwing a few punches  ”

“  there aren’t a lot of people like you in the world  ”

“  sorry I’ve been so oblivious to your needs  ”

“  sometimes you just can’t afford to wait around for someone else to notice ”

“  yesterday’s enemy is today’s ally  ”

“  you have to abandon old feuds  ”

“  learn to protect yourself before trying to protect me  ”

“  i always trust that you’ve got my back  ”

“  if only people could be more like flowers  ”

“  if you promise not to resort to violence  ,  I’ll do whatever you want  ”

“  i can’t stand the sight of me either  ”

“  i would be even more impressed if you hadn’t been screaming the whole time  ”

“  i did what was necessary to get you to comply  ”

“  you have so much power in you  ,  just waiting to be unleashed  ”