✧

I. CHAT: MISCHIEF

"do not fret; i will not make any sudden moves. [name] advised i rein in my… eccentric behavior, and learn some restraint. you can thank them the next time you meet."

II. CHAT: POEMS

"'to love is nothing. to be loved is something. to love and be loved is everything…' ah, my apologies— i was merely reciting a poem [name] and i hold dear to our hearts."

III. CHAT: FINAL NIGHT CEMETERY

"only the fortunate have the chance to hear the loveliest of melodies when passing by the cemetery. who is singing, you ask? hah, now why would i spoil that?"

IV. CHAT WITH [NAME]: SMALL TALK

"care for a waltz, my dear? the moon is watching, and i would hate to disappoint her by remaining idle."

V. ABOUT FLINS: TYPES OF FAE

"lantern fae are not the only kind of fae to have existed. in fact, there was once a period of time where many sects of fae emerged. some posssessed the ability to bend fire at their will; others made the earth bloom with each step. for instance, the sea fae, or recalled in literature as nymphai, were a prominent species blessed with the most enchanting voices. unfortunately, many fae ceased to exist after a devastating incident. most of those who remain continue to reside in the north— ostensibly, due to the climate. as for encountering another fae here in nod-krai… it is unlikely. perhaps someone as well-connected as yourself may have a chance at meeting another."

VI. ABOUT FLINS: WARMTH

"the weather in nod-krai is notably warmer than that of snezhnaya. due to this fact, [name] insists that my 'natural cold-blood' is somewhat unfair. they have since devised an alternative solution: to stick close, and slip their fingers into mine. though what i provided was not heat, i can only conclude the warmth i feel in my heart is neither borrowed or fleeting, but cultivated by their presence."

VII. ABOUT [NAME]: PARTNER

"you are aware of [name]'s fae nature? haha, then i presume you are also aware of the lengthy status of our relationship. we have only told a select few about the full details, so we would appreciate your cooperation in prolonging this secret. how does it feel, you ask? i must admit, it is… strange, even amusing, that someone like them holds me in such high regard. to be frank, i suspect that [name] is of nobility, albeit not revealing their social status to me. despite their insistence on ignoring aristocratic traditions, i cannot help but emphasize my respect for them. after all, they have left their heart exposed, vulnerable to the unprecendented— i just wish to reciprocate their trust and efforts. awkward? occassionally. but i have found that love is a rarity worth the temporary discomfort... and i would not have it any other way."

VIII. ABOUT [NAME]: CONCERNS

"on moon-prayer night, [name] expressed a variety of concerns to me. ah… on second thought, rather than express, they vented— quite thoroughly— about the worries that have plagued them since the first appearance of the racher of solnari. i admit there were moments where i had to hide my amusement. they fumbled over their words, and poor was the execution. still, i paid for it with their cold shoulder for the rest of the night. had i not posed as a talking lantern for the night, i fear i would have faced consequences far more dire. still, their words were a gentle reminder of how remarkably warm compassion can be. rest assured, when we retired for the night, i apologized profusely and practically begged for their forgiveness. please, don't imagine the sight."

IX. OPENING TREASURE CHEST

"ah, what a stunning catch. if you do not mind, i'd like to take this for my liege."

X. JOINING PARTY: [NAME]

"very well, [name]. i'll see this through with you."

EX. LAUMA, ABOUT NASHA TOWN

"from time to time, i witness the sight of mr. flins and their partner perusing nasha town's market when offering the day's boon. he has a peculiar way of hovering around them, as if guarding their every step. however, he will bend just enough to point out fresh fruits he thinks they may enjoy, or even tug their sleeve to draw attention to new gemstones. speaking of gemstones, if [name] were to run off and inspect other goods, mr. flins does not follow immediately. instead, he remains at the stall, lifting each jewel and examining it in the light. one might think he is judging its quality, but i believe he is questioning whether the gem is worthy of [name]."

EX. LAUMA, ABOUT [NAME]

"the animals speak quite fondly of [name]. they say their hands are gentle, and their voice soothes them— especially when [name] sings. though i must note, the animals mentioned a 'lantern-shaped specter' looming behind [name]… i'm sure mr. flins meant no harm, and was simply enjoying the performance too."

EX. JAHODA, ABOUT [NAME]

"[name]? well, they come around the curatorium of secrets sometimes and meet with boss nef. and get this— they actually drop by out of their own will sometimes! they just show up with a box of fresh krumkakes, free of charge. i tried not to think too much about it, but anyone who can walk into place like this, smiling and handing out sweets as if we're neighbors and not people drowning in classified information… that can't be normal! once, when [name] was getting ready to leave, they casually mentioned how flins was waiting outside for them. there has to be something bigger at play, right? still, i'm keeping my mouth shut, and you should too! better safe than sorry… what was that? they're dating? agh, why didn't nef tell me?!"

✦ when you get little to no sleep before a lecture, dan heng tries his best to keep you awake— kicking your foot, shaking your shoulder, even blowing in your ear— he's really tried everything, but sleep takes over anyway. dan heng would never admit it, but he finds your sleeping face pretty cute. due to how often you fall asleep, he probably has a secret album on his phone filled with photos of you napping.

✦ speaking of photos, dan heng probably kept up with his photography hobby since high school, possibly even pursuing it as a minor. nevertheless, he likes to snap few pictures of you after school, during events, etc. need a photo to post? he's got you covered.

✦ when the lens turn to him, dan heng doesn't enjoy being photographed. let's suppose he's just a little camera shy. it takes a kiss or two to get him to cooperate for a selfie. i mean, if he's allowed to have over a hundred photos of you on his phone, you need a few of him at least!

✦ dan heng definitely has an album of polaroids the two of you took throughout your school life. the photos range from candid shots, to chaste kisses. naturally, dan heng also wrote the date down in thin, precise sharpie. thanks to his spectacular organization, it's evident that the two of you grow closer with every polaroid. you noticed an empty spot in the album one day, and unbeknownst to you, the missing photo served as his bookmark. it was a simple photo of you smiling. but that alone made him smile too.

✦ dan heng would give you his notes if you asked him. in fact, you don't even need to ask sometimes... he probably saw you scrolling on social media, or doing anything but listening to the lecture. his handwriting is too similar to the declaration of independence: perfect, neat, and in script. you asked him one too many times to translate his chicken scratch, to which dan heng lets out a heavy sigh.

✦ study sessions would go so hard with dan heng. the two of you always go to the local cafe and sit down two tables away from the window (he frequently complains about the glare on his laptop from the sun). after you set down your respective drinks, dan heng mumbles a thanks and gently reminds you to get to work. lastly, he never forgets to pass you an airbud. dan heng probably gets accused of being performative way too often.

✦ during these sessions, you can occassionally catch dan heng staring a moment too long. asking him about it leads to an indifferent reply, but you swear that the tips of his ears are slightly pink. inquire him further, and he ignores you, attempting to focus on work instead.

✦ on other days, you might fall asleep while working— don't worry, dan heng is keeping watch as you take a quick nap. he resists the urge to card his fingers through your hair, but eventually gives in to tuck loose hair behind your ear in a tender, practiced manner.

✦ some days, mismatched schedules meant you were left alone to study in the library. but even so, dan heng surprises you with your favorite drink. you ask how the hell he knew you were in there, to which he shrugs and says it was merely intuition. when he leaves for his next class, you pick up the cup to take a sip, but notice a sticky note beneath the sleeve: "take a break. you're doing well."

✦ in the rare moments you two go to his or your dorm to study instead, there's no doubt that he's always distracted by you and your affections. he's definitely not big on pda, so you respect his boundaries in public. in private? there's no way you're letting him study!

"dan heng, you've been studying for two hours now."

you gently prodded his cheek, hoping to catch a bit of attention from your hardworking boyfriend.

"...enough, [name]. please stop distracting me." dan heng murmured, trying his best not to divert his attention to your antics.

as much as you loved dan heng with his stupidly adorable glasses perched on his nose, you really just wanted to spend some time with him now that exam season was over. unfortunately, it seemed like dan heng wasn't planning to beat nerd allegations anytime soon.

leaning a little closer, you take off dan heng's glasses with a small pout. before dan heng could even think to protest, you quickly put your index finger against his lips.

"let's take a break, please?" you pleaded softly.

after a few moments of silence, you basically hear dan heng give up all hope as he lets out a big, exaggerated sigh.

"fine. a five minute break will suffice."

dan heng could see your sullen face bloom into an expression of pure joy. he watches as you work quickly to remove the overheating laptop from his lap, replacing it with your very presence.

"this is exactly why i don't want to study at either of our dorms," dan heng comments, sounding defeated, "you end up coercing me into—"

dan heng goes silent when you embrace him from the side without much warning. he's rarely off guard, but when it comes to you, it happens way too often.

aeons, it must be your alluring scent— warm, familiar, and impossibly soothing— combined with the ticklish feeling of your hair seeping into his skin, breaching walls he thought were impenetrable…

without even realizing it, dan heng found himself burying his face into your shoulder.

"…dan heng? hey, what's wrong?" you worriedly mumble, rubbing his back for comfort. it wasn't often dan heng just dipped his head and willingly abandoned caution.

"nothing," he murmured without much thought, "just… keep doing that."

you let out a soft laugh at his barely audible words, humming as your hand continued to rhythmatically pat his back.

dan heng could feel himself unraveling at your touch, with thoughts of college and deadlines disappearing for this very moment.

perhaps, dan heng began to realize that the most interesting study of all, is how you love him— endlessly, unconditionally, and without expectation.