Mikazuki1709

Hi! My name is Mika and I'm a fanfic writer. In my works I focus on romantic settings, slice of life topics, introspection and ⭐ a lot ⭐ of fluff.

💙 Ships I wrote about include: Kaeluc, Haikaveh, Wriolette, Ayathoma, Mdimileth, Sylvix, Yuriashe, Fogacryst, Caeheng, Ratiorine, Tatsumayo

💙 Things I enjoy include: Manga & Anime, Games, Boys Love & Danmei

💙 I am way too much into gacha games. You can expect me to talk about Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, Fire Emblem Heroes, Epic Seven, Nu:Carnival, Ensemble Stars and Reverse 1999

💙 I'm shy and introverted to a fault, even online, but that does not mean that I'm not interested in getting to know people, it's just hard for me to make the first move. 😅

Social Media

ao3 - This is where I share my works. Might or might not make a masterpost here on tumblr one day.

Twitter - This hellhole place is like home. If I got something to say or share, you'll most likely find it there.

Instagram - This is where I show my plushies 'on tour'. If you're interested in what I'm doing when I'm not online, this is the right place.

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Ship: Varka/Flins, Varflins

Rating: G

Words: 1.453

Tags: There was only one bed, Sharing a bed, Sharing Body Heat, Wet Clothing, POV Flins, Touch-starved

Summary: While Flins does not mind the temperatures in Nod-Krai, he certainly dislikes getting soaked by the rain. When he and Varka get drenched and end up in a hut with only one bed, decisions need to be made.

Preview:

When the remains of the monster before them dissolved into dust, the world around seemed to turn quiet for a moment. It was an illusion though. When listening closer, Flins heard an ongoing soundscape consisting of his own and Varka’s labored breath as well as the constant sound of the heavy rain falling onto the land.

It was pure chance that he had run into the Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius during his patrol, and they had decided to team up against a big horde of monsters both the Lightkeepers and the Knights had received reports about. With their forces joint, dealing with the monsters went smoothly.

Still, it was a terrible day to be outside, Flins thought while looking up at the dark grey sky. There seemed to be no end to the heavy rainfalls. By then, he was already soaked. His long hair was sticking to his face, and his clothes were clinging to his skin uncomfortably.Varka did not look much better, but with the heat of the battle still fresh in his body, he did not seem to mind.

When a piercing lightning lit up the whole area, they exchanged looks, and Flins decided to share his concerns: “This is no weather to be outside. Shall we seek shelter?“

If it had only been Flins, he would have been able to just retreat into his lamp, avoiding both the weather conditions and the inconveniences of a fleshly body. But since the same could not be said about Varka, doing so was out of the question.

Luckily, Varka agreed easily: “Wouldn’t even wish running around in this weather to my worst enemies,“ he said. “But we’re pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Is there any place we could go to at all?“

Flins gave the question some thought, but the next settlement was really far away. Instead, another thing came to mind. Out on the plains, there was an old hut, built exactly for people like them: wanderers seeking shelter.

The walk to the remote hut took them around half an hour, and the more the excitement of the past fights wore off, the more taciturn they grew. The wind was splashing the rain right into their faces and the wind made it hard to talk to each other anyway.

Finally closing the door behind them after reaching the hut felt like a relief. With wind and rain left outside, the spartanic place almost felt cozy. There was even some dry wood left which allowed for them to start a nice warming fire.

Both of them took off their wet coats and hurdled close to the fire’s warmth. While Flins was by nature accustomed to low temperatures, he detested rain for the same reason. Unfortunately, they had both gotten wet enough for the rain to drench their entire clothes, and the small fire would never be able to provide them with enough heat to properly dry them that night.

Flins took an attentive glance at Varka. He looked uncomfortable, and he looked tired. It brought Flins‘ thoughts back to another matter:

This place only had one bed. A narrow, wooden bed with nothing but a single blanket, to be precise. And knowing himself as well as Varka, he had no idea how they were going to solve this issue.

[...]

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Ship: Varka/Flins, Varflins

Rating: G

Words: 1.236

Tags: Dating, Flins is bad at feelings, Varka is down bad, Illuga Is So Done, POV Illuga, Comedy

Summary: Flins asks Illuga for advice on dating. The young lightkeeper is happy to help his esteemed colleague, but he has no idea what he is getting himself into.

Preview:

While Illuga had the biggest respect for Mister Flins, he also had to admit that he was a pretty peculiar man. Many times, he had no idea what was going on in his head, and there always was something slightly mysterious about him. 

Still, they usually got along very well, and Illuga made sure to visit him at his lighthouse as often as possible. While Mister Flins always claimed to enjoy the solitude of this place, Illuga could not help but worry that he might get lonely. Also, he just knew that he didn't eat properly when no one was around, so he had decided to keep an eye on him long ago. 

However, in the recent months, he had noticed some changes about Mister Flins’ behavior. At first, he had blamed it on the arrival of so many new faces in Nod-Krai, like the Knights of Favonius or the Traveler. While the Knights had arrived quite some time ago, their collaboration with the Lightkeepers had only intensified recently. It was a result of everything that had happened in Nod-Krai - fighting threats like Rerir and the Doctor had tied them all together. But surprisingly, Mister Flins had also started to seek the Knights' company by his own volition, and it had not taken Illuga long to understand the reason for this. 

The Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius, Mister Varka, the honored Knight of Boreas, was an impressive man, but he was also very different from Mister Flins. He was straightforward, loud and hearty - and despite all of this, it was very obvious that the two unlike men got along extraordinarily well. 

Still, Illuga was pretty surprised when he learned just how well they got along during one of his visits to the lighthouse.

“Young Master Illuga, may I ask you for a word of advice?” Mister Flins had approached him. They had been sitting inside of the sparsely furnished lighthouse and Illuga had just been enjoying a cup of tea while bringing Mister Flins the most recent news from Piramida.

Illuga could hardly have been more surprised by the request - as his senior, Mister Flins had never asked him for any form of advice before, so it was only natural that he agreed right away. After all, the older lightkeeper had always taken good care of him, and he felt really happy for an opportunity to repay him for this kindness. 

“I am a bit embarrassed to ask, but I might be a little behind with the ways of the people these days, given my secluded lifestyle, so… Might I ask if you happen to have any information about what a date usually looks like nowadays?”

For a moment, Illuga was rendered speechless.

“You mean like… in romantic dates?” he asked dumbly, despite actually being absolutely sure that Mister Flins was by no means talking about formal dates of any other style. 

Still, the older Ratnik gave the question some thought before answering: “Yes, I guess that is how you could describe it.” he confirmed with a nod. All the time, he was looking very earnest, and Illuga felt himself getting a little desperate. 

What is this about? he wondered. Why me? It was not like he had ever had a date like this before himself! Still, he took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

[...]

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Ship: Varka/Flins, Varflins

Rating: G

Words: 1.423

Tags: Confessions, Love Confessions, Soft Varka, POV Varka, Late Night Conversations, Moon, Promises

Summary: Now that the expedition in Nod-Krai is coming to an end, it is time for Varka to return home. However, there are some unspoken truths that make it hard for him to say goodbye.

Preview:

Some things do not get easier with age. Confessing your feelings is one of those things. It is something Varka notices when his time in Nod-Krai is about to come to an end. 

He has always been a very straightforward man, and he has confessed his love more than once in his younger days. Things always felt so simple back then. He liked somebody and he told them. It worked out or it didn’t. Sometimes it would last for months, sometimes a single night was all there was to it. However, this time is completely different. For some reason, everything feels exceedingly complicated. 

Actually, it is no wonder. So many things have changed since the days of his youth. As the Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius, he shoulders great responsibilities, and he is just about to leave this place and head back home to Mondstadt. So, is there even a point in still confessing? Sure, he can make his way back to Nod-Krai more quickly than most by traveling the ley lines, but will this be enough? Enough time, enough dedication, enough love to keep up a relationship? Because this time, he feels that he wants it to last forever.

Flins - the subject of his romantic feelings - is so very different from his past love interests, in every aspect. It's not because he's a man, too - Varka has dated other men before, and this definitely is not an issue for someone from the City of Freedom. No, the difference is something way more fundamental.

It has not taken Varka too long to figure out that Flins is not a regular man, and it has only taken him a few nights drinking together to find out that he is actually one of the few remaining Fae in Nod-Krai. What has taken him a lot more effort to comprehend is what that means for their relationship. 

[...]

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Ship: Varka/Flins, Varflins

Rating: G

Words: 1.965

Tags: Secret Relationship, Kissing, POV Varka, Varka is Down Bad, Flins is a Tease, Wingman Illuga

Summary: All Varka wants is a moment of intimacy and a kiss, but it seems that fate itself has turned against him. Luckily, there is a friend who is willing to help.

Preview:

The position of the Grandmaster sometimes came with unexpected challenges. That was something Varka already had to learn many years ago. 

This time, however, he was not talking about unpleasant tasks like paperwork or endless meetings. 

No, this time it was something far more mundane, something not found in any sort of job description. 

The challenge he was facing right now was a very private one, and it had to do with a certain someone. 

Cursed be his fate - all Varka wanted to do was find a brief little moment to kiss his beautiful boyfriend!

Apparently, the Archons had some sort of problem with this. Every time it seemed like the two of them might finally be able to get some time alone, something new came up. Varka truly started to feel like a cursed man.

And Barbatos knew he tried so hard - but all of his attempts seemed to be doomed to fail...

[...]

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Ship: Varka/Flins, Varflins

Rating: G

Words: 1.221

Tags: Love At First Sight, Introspection, POV Flins, Soft Flins, The Flagship, Getting to Know Each Other, First Meetings

Summary: Flins reminisces about how he first met Varka. In doing so, he learns something surprising about himself and his feelings.

Preview:

When you have lived for a time as long as Flins already has done, there inevitably comes a point where you stop believing in love at first sight. 

While he absolutely agrees that it is a beautiful and romantic concept, he sees himself incapable of viewing it as anything other than that: a concept. An idea to live in one's head, unfit to overcome the trials of reality.

Despite all of this, his first encounter with the man called Varka is at least remarkable to Flins. He still remembers that, when he arrives in Nasha Town that day, he already has a certain idea of the Knight from faraway Mondstadt. Even in his self-chosen reclusion, rumours about this brave warrior have reached Flins’ ears. There are a lot of opinions about him among the Lightkeepers, and most of them are fairly positive. His colleagues talk about a straightforward guy who loves drinking and fighting, a jovial fellow everybody seems to get along with, a hunch of a man unbeatable at the bar as well as with the sword. Nothing of it really piques Flins’ interest. He usually keeps a polite distance from the people around him, and he does not expect anything but a little superficial conversation with this newcomer either.

In the end, it starts as a typical chance encounter. When Flins arrives at the Flagship where he wants to rent a room for the night before the strategic meeting with some of the other Ratniki he has to attend the next day, there is a new face sitting at the bar, someone Flins is unable to overlook. Not only is he extraordinarily tall, the flock of his blond hair and his uniform also stand out. He is just quietly sitting there drinking his beer and minding his own business, but something about his presence is striking to Flins.

Looking back at this day later on, Flins cannot tell what it is that brings him to join this stranger at the bar, so unlike his usual self, but that is exactly what he does. It is still early, so there are plenty of chairs he could take, but he decides that it has to be the one next to this newcomer.

“Excuse me, Sir?” he addresses the stranger politely, and the man looks up at him. Flins can watch the expression on his face change in an instant. Before, he has been deep in thoughts, but the moment his eyes meet Flins’, he starts to smile. It is a smile very much to Flins’ liking. A little mischievous and full of mirth, pretty uncommon for a man of his age. A genuine smile that reflects in his lively blue eyes.

“Well hello there, good Sir!”, the man greets him. His voice is loud, almost booming, but it is not unpleasant to Flins. It reminds him of the voices of some of his fellow Lightkeepers - the voice of an upright, uncomplicated man. 

Before Flins even gets a chance to state his business, the blond man just continues to talk: “You’re not here willing to offer your company?” he asks jokingly. “Drinking is way more fun with the right people around you!”

At that, he bursts into laughter. Flins is fascinated, but remains silent for a moment. This is an uncommon situation, and he does not quite know what to make of it. He has fallen for social traps like this before, mistaking meaningless jokes for actual offers. It usually turns out quite embarrassing for all the parties involved.

“Just kidding, you know!” the man laughs and takes another sip of his beer, presumably proving Flins’ worry to be correct, before speaking up again, this time way more earnest: “What can I do for you?”

Flins gives the man a smile. Despite his doubts, there is something about him that makes him feel confident, so he occupies the place next to him with one elegant and fleeting movement anyway.

“Actually…” he says with a little smirk while he gives the barkeeper a sign to bring him a beer, too, “... offering my company is exactly what I was planning to do.”

[...]

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Ship: Kaeya/Diluc, Kaeluc

Rating: G

Words: 3767

Tags: Post Break-Up, Getting Back Together, Injury, Wound Care, Scars, Kaeya is Soft for Diluc, POV Kaeya, Tea

Summary: Shortly after his return to Mondstadt, Diluc gets injured. Kaeya is there to patch him up and take care of him. Over a warming cup of tea they notice that they might not be as estranged from each other as they had tought.

Preview:

What an awful night to be outside, Kaeya thought when he closed the door of the Cat’s Tail behind him. The wind blew the cold rain right onto his face, making him miss the cozy warmth of the tavern he had just left before he had even made a proper attempt to really step outside.

It could not be helped. Kaeya had already spent much more time in the tavern than he had originally planned. He had been on duty, investigating after a clue of some treasure hoarders making shady business in the backroom, but the intel had either been false or they had caught on his presence and changed their plans. In any way, all he had done was play Genius Invokation. He had even remained mostly sober. No matter what people said, he always took his official duties seriously.

As a dutiful knight, his work did not end when the clock passed a certain point, and he also went out of his way to investigate suspicious events wherever and whenever he encountered them. Just like tonight, when something had caught his attention from his place in the Cat’s Tail.

It had not been much more than a flickering light he had seen from the corner of his eye through the window. A stranger in Mondstadt would not have thought anything of it, would have brushed it off as a single lost lightning or a wanderer passing by with a lantern, but Kaeya knew better. It had been a very familiar light, one he had witnessed countless times in the past - the light of Diluc’s signature attack, the beautiful and impressive fiery phoenix which burned everything on its way to ashes.

So Diluc was back to his work as Darknight Hero. 

It should not have come as a surprise to Kaeya. Some things just never changed, and a noble man’s heart probably was one such thing. Diluc had been back in Mondstadt for several weeks now, but this was the first time Kaeya encountered any traces of his secret nightly work, so he was curious, and maybe also a little concerned. Diluc’s Pyro powers were strong, and they often left a line of destruction behind them. It was unlike him to unleash those powers within the gates of the city. What might have caused him to resort to such measures? Kaeya really wanted to find out.

Finding Diluc was easy enough, but Kaeya was unprepared for the state he was in. He discovered him close to the city gate, between the shops and the stables downtown. At night, this was deserted ground ever since Varka had taken the horses and left Mondstadt.

Diluc was crouching on the ground and trying to uplift himself with the help of his massive Claymore, but it was very obvious that he struggled. He was still wearing his mask, so his facial expression was pretty much unreadable to Kaeya, but from the way he groaned it was easy to assume that he was in pain.

With just a few quick steps, Kaeya was at his side and kneeled down next to him.

“Diluc?”, he addressed him worriedly. “Are you alright?”

“It’s… fine.” the man replied through gritted teeth, and Kaeya hesitated what to do. Even if he had not been as good at reading people as he was, the lie was just too obvious. Nothing was fine. There was a bleeding wound on Diluc’s abdomen, and he was in pain. His first impulse was to grab him and steady him so that he would stop clinging to his weapon, but with the way things stood between them, he did not dare to touch him just like that.

So instead, Kaeya tried to talk some sense into that stubborn man he had once known so well: “Please be reasonable, Diluc. You’re injured. Nothing is fine. Is the attacker still around?”

Diluc shook his head. “I’m pretty sure my attack drove them away.”, he said. While this information helped to calm down Kaeya, it seemed to upset Diluc even more. “Archons, I really can’t believe it… Making such an amateur mistake - as if I’d learned nothing at all!” he cursed, and at that, Kaeya finally chose to give in to his urge to touch the other’s shoulder.

“Don’t blame yourself now.”, he tried to ease his anger. Diluc’s fury could be terrifying, he had once felt this on his own body, and now he feared that his heated feelings might cause him to do something stupid and worsen his wound.

“We need to get your wound treated.” he told him. “If I steady you, do you think you can make it to the Angel’s Share?”

“No!” Diluc stated bluntly. Kaeya was perplexed for a moment. Were his injuries more grave than he had thought? Or did he really refuse to accept his help?

[...]

Fandom: Honkai: Star Rail

Ship: Dr. Ratio/Aventurine, Ratiorine

Rating: M

Words: 3.395 [ongoing]

Tags: Please check the picture, I don't think I should spell some of those out here >.<

Summary: When Aventurine's poor romantic choices leave him in a bad place, a certain gentle scholar always seems to be there to pick up the pieces. For someone who views relationships as purely transactional, this is hard to understand. But are the doctor's motives really that selfless?

Preview:

Chapter Text

“Get lost, you arrogant m*****f****r!”

With those words, the man slammed the hotel door shut in front of Aventurine’s nose. 

What a rough way to be thrown out, Aventurine thought and grinned to himself. It was not like he didn’t deserve it though. In his experience, most people got angry when you messed up their name after having sex with them, and this one was no exception.

It was not like Aventurine felt sorry. The guy had been a nice one, but this was not what he had been looking for. The nice ones - those who cared - always were the real problem. When he had brought him flowers for their third date, Aventurine knew that it was time to end it. After all, this whole relationship had been about sex. He was not interested in romance. He just wanted to satisfy his body’s needs from time to time.

Still, all of this was a bit of a hassle now. While he did not mind being thrown out, he certainly was less comfortable with the state he was in. A high-ranking IPC-manager standing in the hotel hallway with nothing but a crumpled shirt and a pair of boxers - if this was something Madame Jade found out, he would not hear the end of it.

“Give me back my stuff at least, will you?”, he tried his luck and knocked on the door, but the answer was not very promising.

“Fuck. Off. Bastard!”, a voice from the other side of the door grumbled, and Aventurine sighed. Maybe all of this had not been worth it for a little bit of fun for the night.

Aventurine thought about his options. The next morning, when the guy would check out and leave, he would probably be able to reclaim his stuff. But until then? There was very little he could do. His purse was in there, as well as his phone, so he could neither book another room for himself, nor call a taxi home. Walking home was out of the question, too. It would take him more than an hour, and without proper pants, he’d probably be picked up by the police and arrested either as a pervert or a lunatic. And it would not even be worth the effort, because his key card was in his pocket, probably still lying around somewhere on the floor of the hotel room he had no access to.

He sighed and kicked the door in anger. It was only a small kick, not enough to actually break the door or his toes, but the noise echoed through the nightly hallway much louder than he had anticipated. Aventurine just wanted to leave, when the door on the opposite side of the hallway got opened and a figure wearing a dressing gown stepped out and spoke in annoyance:

“What’s with this fuss? It’s in the middle of the night and some people have work tomorrow!” the voice exclaimed angrily. It was a male voice - one which sounded much too familiar to Aventurine.

The man made a few steps out into the hallway until he noticed Aventurine standing there.

“Gambler?” he said, suddenly more surprised than upset.

“Hello, doc!” Aventurine replied, much more cheerful than he actually felt. “Lovely night, isn’t it?” Of course he had known that Ratio was here in this hotel, too - they were at a conference together, after all - but he had not expected his room to be right here on the same floor. Or rather, he had not even given a thought to this possibility because it should have been irrelevant in the first place.

Five minutes later he was sitting on the sofa in Ratio’s hotel room while the doctor was eyeing him from the edge of the bed.

“You brought your liaison to the business hotel and got kicked out of the room?” Ratio deadpanned.

“Yes, that sums it up.” Aventurine agreed. 

“What did you do?” Ratio demanded to know.

“Who tells you that I did something?” Aventurine asked back, a little defensive, but Ratio only raised a brow:

“You were standing in the hallway half naked, not whoever is on the other side of the door.” he deduced.

“Fair point.” Aventurine had to admit. “Still…”, he added. “I wouldn’t say that I actually did something. It’s more like we had… let’s call it ‘different expectations’.”

At that, Ratio did not leave it at one raised eyebrow: “I feel like I definitely do not want to dig deeper here, gambler.”, he said, got up from his bed and went over to the cupboard. A minute later, he handed a bundle of clothes to Aventurine. It was a set of pajamas.

“Feel free to take a shower before you go to sleep.” he said, and Aventurine looked at him in surprise.

“There is only one bedding here, but we have the bedcover, too. Do you freeze easily? If so, you can take the blanket.” he continued, and Aventurine felt a little lost.

“Wait, you let me sleep here?” he asked dumbly, causing Ratio to roll his eyes.

[...]

Fandom: Honkai: Star Rail

Ship: Dr. Ratio/Aventurine

Rating: G

Words: 2.907

Tags: New Years, New Year's Eve, Getting To Know Each Other, Getting Together, Fireworks, Drunken Flirting

Summary: When Ratio works overtime on the last day of the year, he knows that he won’t make it home before the fireworks start. When Aventurine invites him to come home with him instead, he agrees and their night gets a lot more interesting than any of them had expected it to be.

Preview:

Ratio often felt a little ambivalent about the importance of human traditions. On the one hand, he understood that they were important to a lot of people for their cultural identity or a sense of belonging. On the other hand, he could not shake off the feeling that a lot of them were only remains of what they once used to be, and that a lot of them had not only lost their cores but also tended to over-evaluate the most annoying and senseless parts they had to offer. 

The celebrations for the end of the year were a perfect example for this. Ratio knew all the old stories about driving bad luck and evil spirits away with fireworks, but he was pretty sure that most people had no idea about those backgrounds. Today, it was just an easy excuse to party and let yourself go, and he despised this. People knew that fireworks were bad for the environment, they knew how they made wild animals suffer and still chose to ignore all of this in favour of their own short-lived pleasure. 

However, he would be lying if he did not admit that he had his own personal reasons for disliking those particular festivities. In all honesty, everything about this stressed him on a personal level. The noise and the flashing lights, unpredictable and much too intrusive, prevented his mind from calming down, and the burnt stench in the air the next morning made him feel sick, just as much as the remains of the fireworks cluttering the streets. First, it spoiled his night sleep and later it spoiled his morning run. For a man who was as strict in his routines as Ratio, this was a major issue, so he usually tried to avoid being dragged into those festivities as much as he could.

Unfortunately, it did not always work out like he planned it. Just like this year. He had agreed to work on an IPC project and had spent the whole day in their headquarters, doing research and attending meetings. It had not been unpleasant. Most people had taken vacation, so the working atmosphere was pretty calm and those who were left got pretty productive in their work. The only problem was that it had gotten unexpectedly late. So, when Ratio was standing in the building’s great lobby, a look on the clock hanging above the reception revealed that it was only an hour before the year would end. 

That truly was a bit of an annoyance. Even if he managed to get a taxi, he would not make it home in time to lock himself in before the world around him would turn upside down, and he was not really sure how he would handle being outside when it started. There always was the possibility to wear one of his sculptured heads, but he assumed that it would make him feel rather unsafe when it limited his view while rockets and firecrackers flew everywhere around him. He still hesitated what to do, when suddenly a familiar voice addressed him from behind.

“Ratio, is that you? What are you doing here? It’s close to midnight. Shouldn’t you be at some New Year’s Party already?”

When Ratio turned around, Aventurine was looking at him in general surprise. He was wearing his coat and hat and had his bag in hand, so he was apparently on his way home, too.

“You’re the one talking. I worked overtime and now I don’t manage to make it home before midnight.” Ratio grumbled in return. “As for party invitations for today, I didn’t accept any.”

There had been invitations, of course, but he had declined them all the moment he received them. He felt no need to get drunk with colleagues he barely knew in order to celebrate that the final digit of the calendar changed. However, the gambler being here at work instead of dancing on somebody’s party got him curious:

“What about you? I admit I had taken you to be the kind of person who enjoys a good New Year’s Party.” he asked him.

In return, Aventurine chuckled: “Who knows, I’ve never been to one. But it flatters me that you'd think that I’m someone who gets invited in the first place.”

‘Oh’, Ratio thought. He had not taken this into consideration. Personally, he got along pretty well with the gambler, but he was not so blind to overlook that most people avoided him as good as they managed to.

“Don’t look at me like this.” Aventurine laughed. “I’m used to it, and I’m not even in the mood for a big party.”

Ratio did not know what to reply, so he only nodded. Afterwards, they looked at each other in silence until Aventurine spoke up once more:

“You said that you wouldn’t make it back home in time before midnight. I live close by…”, he said and gestured towards a large building somewhere at the end of the street. Ratio knew that it belonged to the IPC and was only rented by their employees, but he had not known that Aventurine lived there.

“... so, if you’d like to, why don’t you come on over with me?” he asked, and his voice sounded as if he was losing courage with every word. “That is, only if you don’t mind my company, of course. Haha…” 

[...]