𝐆𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 (𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐙! 𝐟𝐟)

𝙲𝙷. 𝟻𝟹 ☯︎︎ 𝚁𝚘𝚘𝚏𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚂𝚖𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚜

♊︎ Year 5067, Month 8, Day 20, Time 11:10 pm♊︎

☯︎︎

The cold night time air blows in the tattooed woman's face— icy, leaving behind a slight sting as she hugs her sweater tighter to herself. Whether out of self-comfort or for genuine warmth, she's unsure. It's only been a few hours since she's spoken with her mother and fell asleep on the older woman's infirmary bed, huddled up close like her younger self once did. Despite the opportunity to extend an olive branch between her and her Meister, settling their past once and for all, there is a slight bitter taste on her tongue. She's unsure of its root cause but still it lingers.

The truth is, as much as solving the truth was relieving, it was just as suffocating. As soon as she woke up from her nap beside her mother, she decided to escape it all and watch the city from a more peaceful area— the rooftop. Too high up to interact with anything but not too far to isolate herself completely from her environment, Kurenai can feel the tumultuous waves in her mind dissipate as she watched the cars and people pass by below her.

The tattooed woman exhales, her warm breath
visible in contrast to the chill air but she becomes so lost in thought that the air no longer stings, it warms. She's so lost in thought that she doesn't even hear the man behind her throw open the door that leads up into the rooftop access. Not at least until she hears him bang his head on a bar that hangs too low for comfort by the door's frame. His feet shuffle behind her as he murmurs curses. This causes her to turn her head in slight confusion until she sees who it is.

"You suck at sneaking around." The woman vocalizes before she can think but it's met with a laugh from the honey-brown haired man approaching her.

"Who said I was trying?" He quickly warms up his hands with his breath that's visible in the chilly outdoor air and quickly sticks them in his sweater's pockets to refrain from getting colder. He shoots her a smile to which she shakes her head and chuckles slightly. "You look like shit."

"Feel like it, too." She concedes, continuing to stare out at the people below her while he makes his way and stands beside her.

They both stand there for a moment: Kurenai, thinking about the information she's acquired from her supposed mother and Yeosang, thinking about how to approach to ask for Candy's where abouts.

"How does one—?" "Did you find—?"

They both turn to speak at each other at once and pause while staring curiously at what the other was going to say before they both giggle at each other's awkward actions. In that moment, Yeosang pulls out his lighter and a cigar pack, taking one and offering one to Kurenai who accepts

"So you didn't quit. You know, for the sake of staying healthy for Candy." She teases, using one hand to place the cigar between her lips and covering the end with the other hand as Yeosang holds the lighter for her. He retracts his hand once he's lighted hers and begins lighting his.

"Yeah, I did." He speaks through the side of his mouth making sure to not let go of the cigar. "But as I've said, the anxiety has gotten to me, I guess. I can't stand being along with my thoughts... being without her." He takes a long drag and puffs it out, leaning on the buildings edge. He turns to look at the woman next to him and sighs. "Have you found her?"

"Yeah." She simply states and he looks over at her slightly. Kurenai puffs out her cigar air, a little too leisurely for Yeosang's impatience. "We found the estate she's at. If everything continues to go well, we'll soon be setting off to retrieve her."