the world’s gonna swallow you up and spit you out.

i promise this won’t be as depressing as it sounds. everything is alright and so am i!

The ribbon catches his eye first, pushed gently into his vision as he drags the whetstone over his blade. It’s enough to make him pause his work, placing it all to the side in favour of wordlessly taking it into his hands. He knows what day it is; he doesn’t remember telling her. He probably just forgot.

Carefully, Squall removes the ribbon with delicate hand, almost hesitant to damage her handiwork. When he pulls it out of the wrapping into vision, his eyes widen with a gasp.

It’s perfect. Not in practice, of course, the knicks and scratches and difficulties of amateur craft are plain to see throughout the whole thing, but that doesn’t matter. It’s perfect to him; the same way Aeris is. He stays still a moment, just staring at it as he rubs his thumb over the ridges and edges, memorizing it’s feeling, before he turns to her.

“I... Thank you.” Taking the carving into one hand, he reaches with his other to pull her into a soft, slow kiss.

He scrunches his face a moment, but it does nothing to detract from the way he leans into the gesture, tilting his head upward to allow room for Seifer to do so.

Today is his birthday! He’s not going to say anything, though. He knows his friends, and how dramatic they’ll all be if he even so much as HINTS he wants some acknowledgement of it.

None could’ve, if you’d stuck around.

He chews his tongue to keep from saying that, knowing it won’t do a damn lick of good. He’s beyond reason, beyond any convincing, if he really thinks he can bring Squall to his side.

Her side. It’s not his, he knows this now. After all, when had the Seifer he’d known wasted time trying to barter with him? Something was well and truly wrong if he was even toying the notion of dragging his rival into this crusade.

That, was a thought pattern he’d never known in Seifer.

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TOUGH SHELL

bruised knuckles.  bloody noses.  eye rolling.  empty beer bottles.  messy hair.  sarcasm.  lip biting.  unwashed jeans.  coffee breath.  loud music.  broken neon signs. chipped nail polish.  leather jackets.  always wearing headphones. swearing.  sneaking out at 3am.  dark lipstick.  frown creases.  burning cigarettes. plaid shirts.  under eye circles.  dark colours.

SOFT INSIDE

honey tea.  flower crowns.  giggling.  blowing kisses.  dancing without worries.  white lace.  soft textures. fluffy throw pillows.  using too many heart emojis.  empathy. constant daydreaming.  handwritten letters. fairy lights.  bullet journals. designated driver.  warm hugs.  garden picnics.  quiet. smile lines. optimism. flowy clothes. pastel colours.

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I'm still trying to keep up with threads when I'm not busy (afaik I'm caught up but if I've forgotten a reply PLS lmk!!) but I'm avoiding taking on any new unplotted threads, because I mostly just have muse and motive for discussed things, cuz that's what REALLY makes me most excited about this hobby.